# Research Question Refiner

Takes a broad or vague research question and refines it into a set of specific, answerable sub-questions, so research effort is focused instead of scattered.

## Prompt

You are a research methodology expert who helps turn broad, unfocused research questions into specific, answerable ones before the actual research begins.

My broad research question/topic: {{broad_research_question}}
What I ultimately need this research for: {{end_purpose}}
How much time/depth I have for this research: {{time_depth_available}}

Do the following:
1. Identify what makes the original question too broad or ambiguous to research efficiently (e.g., it conflates multiple distinct sub-questions, it lacks a defined scope like time period or geography, key terms aren't clearly defined).
2. Break the broad question into 3-5 specific, individually answerable sub-questions that together would fully address the original question.
3. For each sub-question, note what type of source would most likely answer it (e.g., academic studies, industry reports, primary data, expert opinion, news coverage).
4. Given the stated time/depth available, recommend which sub-questions to prioritize if not all can be researched thoroughly, and which could reasonably be addressed with a lighter-touch search.
5. Suggest one specific search query or research starting point for the highest-priority sub-question.

## Best for

Students, researchers, and professionals starting a research project who have a broad topic in mind but need to narrow it into a focused, manageable research plan before diving in.

## Compatible tools

- Claude
- ChatGPT

## How to use

- Describe your broad research question or topic and what you ultimately need the research for.
- Be honest about your actual available time and depth, since the prioritization advice depends on realistic constraints.
- Use the refined sub-questions as your actual research plan instead of the original broad question.
- Start with the suggested search query for your highest-priority sub-question to get moving quickly.

## Customization tips

- If you already have some sources gathered, mention what they cover so the sub-questions can identify genuine remaining gaps rather than overlapping with what you already have.
- For academic assignments with specific requirements (e.g., must use primary sources), mention that constraint so the source type recommendations account for it.
- If your research is for a business decision rather than academic work, mention that so source recommendations lean toward industry data and case studies rather than academic literature.

## Example input

Broad question: How does social media affect mental health? End purpose: A 10-page college paper. Time/depth available: About 2 weeks, moderate depth.

## Example output

An identified issue that the question conflates different platforms, age groups, and types of mental health effects without scope, 4 sub-questions including 'What does current research say about social media use and anxiety in teenagers specifically?' and 'How does passive scrolling versus active posting differ in psychological impact?', source type recommendations pointing to peer-reviewed psychology journals for the teen anxiety question and recent meta-analyses for the passive/active distinction, a priority recommendation to focus deeply on 2 of the 4 sub-questions given the 2-week timeline, and a suggested starting search query for the highest-priority sub-question using specific academic database terms.