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LANG 3070 - English Communication for Humanities and Social Science Studies II: Topic -> Question

Subthemes & Articles

You have 3 sub-themes for your conferences & your teachers have given you 1 article as a starting-point or example

1. Tensions between stakeholders in modern workplaces​

Figueroa-Armijos, M., Clark, B. B., & da Motta Veiga, S. P. (2023). Ethical Perceptions of AI in Hiring and Organizational Trust: The Role of Performance Expectancy and Social Influence. Journal of Business Ethics, 186(1), 179–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05166-2 ​

2. Paradigm shifts in "end-user experience"

Gao, C., & Shen, H. (2021). Mobile-technology-induced learning strategies: Chinese university EFL students learning English in an emerging context. ReCALL, 33(1), 88–105. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344020000142​ ​ 3. Thinking about life courses​ Sturges, J., & Bailey, C. (2023). Walking back to happiness: The resurgence of latent callings in later life. Human Relations, 76(8), 1256–1284. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267221095759 ​

3. Thinking about life courses​

Sturges, J., & Bailey, C. (2023). Walking back to happiness: The resurgence of latent callings in later life. Human Relations, 76(8), 1256–1284. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267221095759 ​

From Topic to Question

A topic is NOT a research question. 

Example: Sub-theme: Life Courses - Topic: Buddhism in China

Possible Questions:

  • What circumstances in contemporary China tend to lead people to becoming more “actively” Buddhist?
  • How do people start to self-identify as Buddhist in large cities like Tianjin or Chengdu?
  • When a person decides to become a Buddhist monk or nun in contemporary Chinese societies like Hong Kong, Taiwan, or mainland China, how do their parents and friends react, and why?

Suggestions

1. Do some background reading,  and/or outline what you have learned about your topic from previous classes and reading in the past few years

2. List questions & answers you may already have, along these lines

3. Think about your questions and what answers you have.

4. Try to make a  few clear questions, that are based on some of the ideas (theories, words, methods)  that you have learned in your course.

5. Try to choose one of the questions, not too wide & not too narrow.

6. Be prepared for your question to change.

Based on: "How do I get from a topic to a research question" -  from Cambridge LibAnswers

  • Who
  • What
  • Where 
  • When
  • How
  • Why

Questions to start asking yourself

What do I know about this sub-topic so far?

  • What courses have I taken at HKUST already that may relate to it?

Who do I mean? who  do I think I want to  study?

  • A population, certain types of people?
  • Hong Kong people?
  • Hakka people in Hong Kong, Fujian, Guangdong, & Taiwan?

When did the things I’m researching happen?

  • In the Qing Dynasty?
  • 1949 to present?
  • 2010-2020?
  • Last 5 years?

Where is the phenomenon I’m researching happening?

  • All of China?
  • Ethnic Chinese communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Peru?
  • Tianjin, Qingdao & Xiamen?
  • Hong Kong, Guangzhou, & Shenzhen?

How & why  does what I’m researching happen?

  • Any theories that I can use to consider it?
  • Any scholarly theses or arguments that try to explain it?
  • Any methodologies used to try and study it to create empirical data?

Videos on Developing Research Questions

Topics vs Research Question (2:07 min) - from Virginia Tech

Using the 5Ws to Develop a Research Question (2:57 min) - New Literacies Alliance

Develping a Research Question (2:23 min) - University of Melbourne

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