Skill building Exercise 1: This exercise, in the format of a quiz, is designed to facilitate research question development for the purpose of developing both your literature review and research proposal

Before answering, make sure to do the following:

1) Watch the TEDTalk “The Value of Asking Questions” by Karen Maeyens. Make sure to take notes!

2) Read the “Literature Review” section of the online “textbook” for this course: ORGANIZING YOUR SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH PAPER (USC Library Guide). Again, make sure to take notes!!

. According to the online “textbook” for this class, the conclusion of a literature review is typically to “identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.” It is typically from this identification point that a research question is produced and a research proposal is designed.

According to the TEDTalk by Karen Maeyens, a good question is one that is sincere, based on genuine interest and curiosity, and seeks understanding as opposed to confirmation. A great question is one that typically does not have one singular answer, is reflexive, challenges pre-conceived ideas, and inspires new directions. For the purpose of designing a research question for this class, you should also avoid what she calls “Trojan Horses” – statements/suggestions/critiques/opinions disguised as questions.

After developing some ideas from either discussion you’ve had throughout this semester or reviewing a prior literature review that you developed, what question do you keep wanting to ask? (My question would be mostly about climate change, the environment and politics and how are they all connected)

Formulate that question here as best as possible that is grounded in some kind of literature. (based on reading attcahed: Dilworth and Trevenen_2004).