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The topic religion is Christianity Choose a research question related to your general topic. A research question is a specific
question about your general topic. The key thing about a research question is that it needs to be
specific enough so that you can answer it in your final paper (8 – 10 pages, double spaced, NOT
including title page and bibliography). If your question is too big—too broad and general—you won’t
be able to answer it in 8-10 pages. If your question is too small—too specific—then it will be too easy
to answer, and it will make your paper a little boring. Choosing the right “size” of research question is
difficult, and you might have to change and adjust your question as you go. The answer to your
research question is called a “thesis statement.” Both your research question and your thesis
statement should appear in the first paragraph of your final paper.
So, to give you some examples, if my general topic is “beliefs about the afterlife among Sufi
Muslims,” my research question might be “how are dreams related to beliefs about the afterlife among
Sufi Muslims?” The answer to that question, which would be the thesis of my final paper, might be
something like this: “Sufi Muslims have a long tradition, spanning many centuries, in which dreams are
believed to provide access to the

world of the dead—the world of ancestors—who appear in dreams to
offer help in waking life. Ancestors appear in Sufi dreams to give advice, to warn of danger, to predict
the future, and to encourage people in their earthly spiritual path.” Here is another example: If your
general topic is “the trial and execution of witches in Scotland,” your research question could be “what
kinds of crimes were witches accused of that caused them to be tried and executed so mercilessly in
Scotland?” The answer to that question (your thesis statement) might be something like: “Scottish
witches were generally accused of being in possession of supernatural knowledge and supernatural
powers that were thought to come from the devil. Many witches admitted (after being tortured) to
using special charms, amulets, and incantations to cure diseases and to cause misfortune to their
enemies. Many even admitted to attending special secret ceremonies (witches Sabbaths) where men
and women would drink and dance, sometimes with the devil himself!”
You get the idea. Your introductory paragraph states your research question, and then answers
it in a general thesis statement. The rest of your paper then outlines and unpacks this thesis statement
in more detail, providing specific examples, and usually quotations from the books and/or articles you
are using.