How to Write a Research Question for a Paper Best Tips
Learn how to write a good research question for a paper. Narrow your topic, identify a research problem, and create a focused question with practical examples.
Pennsylvania State University 3 credits HIED
Develop research skills to analyze faculty workload and performance in teaching, research, outreach, and compensation. HIED 850 Analyzing Faculty Workload, Performance, and Compensation (3) This course provides researchers with an overview of faculty issues with the analytical skills and tools associated with analyzing faculty workload and performance in teaching, scholarship, and outreach. The course is designed for those entering careers in institutional research and planning, particularly those whose work supports the Provost, as well as for those whose work is related to faculty analysis and reporting in other higher education settings. Topics include an overview of needed local and existing national databases, measuring faculty workload, evaluating faculty research productivity, using student ratings of instruction, providing support for academic program reviews, conducting salary studies, addressing issues of equity/diversity, and assessing faculty satisfaction, turnover, and flow. Curricular goals: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: - Understand concepts, methodologies, research practices, and information systems that support academic decision making in the Provost's Office. - Use NSOPF, NSF, IPEDS, HERI, and other national databases that collect faculty information. - Develop appropriate metrics to gauge faculty work in instruction, research, and service. - Understand the diversity of academic work-life and labor market issues at national and institutional levels. - Carryout at a basic level the major Institutional Research faculty-related analyses, including instructional analysis, research productivity, benchmarking, salary equity, and turnover projections. - Utilize SPSS software, make power-point presentations, and produce effective reports related to faculty issues. This course has established start and end dates and includes interaction with others throughout the course. The course is structured around learning units, each roughly corresponding to one week of a Penn State semester. Learning units are self-contained and built around a single theme or topic. Each contains an introduction, objectives, reading assignments, professor's content, and learning activities. While it is possible to accelerate or vary the reading and research schedule, the discussion components among peers should adhere roughly to the time frame (the week) within which each Unit is presented. Pre-requisite: Working knowledge of intermediate statistics such as OLS regression.
Our subject experts help with essays, research papers, case studies, discussion posts, and capstone projects for these programs β written from scratch to your course requirements.
Program and course information is reproduced from each university's published academic catalog for informational purposes and may change. Always confirm current requirements with your university. We are an independent academic support service and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the universities listed.
Expert guides on essay writing, citation styles, study skills, and academic success.
View All Articles
Learn how to write a good research question for a paper. Narrow your topic, identify a research problem, and create a focused question with practical examples.
Learn how to choose a research topic you can actually research. Discover how to narrow broad ideas, find reliable sources, and develop a focused research question.
Learn how to cite sources in a research paper using APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, with in-text citation examples and reference-list tips.