You may find that you modify or change your questions as you move into the research process. This is not unusual. At the same time, your general focus will provide a guidepost; it will help you keep in sight what you are doing and why.

As you narrow your focus and develop your question(s), it might be helpful to list or map out what you know about the topic. Mapping out our knowledge can help name what we know through experience. You might also start to look at what others know. Has someone else done some writing or research about this topic? If so, this doesn't mean it's not useful to research the topic yourself: your context and experience will be different. However, other research and writing about your topic may provide insights that help you develop more specific questions. The next chapter provides some suggestions about looking for related research.