Write the question before choosing the title

A title names the territory; a research question defines the investigation. Begin with what you want to understand and why that uncertainty matters. Leave the polished title until the project has a clear direction.

Write a first question in ordinary language. If you cannot explain it without several unrelated clauses, you may be combining more than one project.

Try the four-part question card

Complete four lines: issue; setting; evidence; boundary. For an illustrative project, the issue could be revision interruptions, the setting one defined student group, the evidence consented accounts of study habits, and the boundary a specific study period.

That example is not a validated method or an instruction to begin collecting data. Discuss suitability, recruitment and any ethics approval with your supervisor before proceeding.

Check what you can actually investigate

List the evidence you would need and whether you can obtain it within the deadline. Distinguish information already published from new data that needs access or permission. An interesting question may still be unsuitable for your assignment.

Ask what a useful answer could look like. If the question assumes a conclusion before research begins, rewrite it so the evidence has room to challenge the assumption.

Take a focused proposal to supervision

Bring the question, a reason it matters, a small set of relevant sources and your main uncertainty. Ask a specific question about scope or feasibility. Record the agreed decision and its reason.

After the meeting, update the question card and chapter outline. Do not treat a first suggestion as permanent if later reading reveals that the project needs refinement.

Your next writing session

Write a brief explanation of the question, what is outside it and the next research step. Then check the explanation against your department's brief. A clear boundary is progress, even when it means leaving an interesting topic for another project.