Candidate Demo

• Think about issues that concern and affect you.
• This could be a local, national or international issue, or something that is personal to you.
• Or, you might choose a topic or issue you're not familiar with, but are interested in researching further.
• Be sure to run your potential topic by your professor.. 

(Photo credit: Nick Young, CC-BY-SA)

An inquiry question is the central idea of your paper. The question seeks to investigate a specific angle or aspect of your topic of interest (e.g., sustainability). For example: What types of sustainability programs are currently being introduced on college campuses?

Some of the qualities of a good inquiry question:

• It's asked without bias. 
• It does not have a simple answer, and often has multiple answers.
• It has a clear focus.
• The question is researchable.  
• It's a topic that is interesting to you.

Use the worksheet below to guide you as you search for articles and books that relate to your inquiry question.