Working out what a coursework question is asking you to do

Most courseworks you will encounter at university will involve answering a question or completing a written task. When you are given a coursework question the first stage is to work out what the question is asking you to do.  Once you have done that you can begin to plan your coursework, and create a list of the information you need to answer it.

Example essay question

"Discuss the major differences in business operations between private and  public sector organisations."

The first step is to understand what the coursework is asking you to do, the coursework instruction. The instruction word in the essay question above has been underlined - this is what the marker expects you to do

"Discuss" in essay writing terms means to describe, explain, then undertake some form of critical analysis.

The second step is to breakdown the coursework question into the descriptive elements and critical analytical parts:

  • Define/describe a public sector organisation (description/explanation).
  • Define/describe a private sector organisation (description/explanation).
  • Compare/evaluate operations of organisations in each sector (critical analysis).
    • Differences?
    • Similarities?
    • Use examples 
See Understanding your assignment brief for further information on understanding different types of assignments.
Once you have understood what the question is asking you to do and broken down your essay question like this, start by reading the lecture notes on the topic. From this initial reading you can create a list of what information you then need to answer the coursework question. For tips on searching for information go to the 'Searching'.
 

Finding and refining your topic

Using a topic instead of a research question often results in a bland, generalised essay or report that lacks a clear point. Remember, your tutors will be grading a lot of papers, often on the same general topic. You want to engage and interest them, not bore them. Their interest is also usually reflected in your grade, so it’s really for your benefit, too.

Choosing a topic

A topic is a broad general concept. Often it is assigned to you by your module tutors. If it's not, try thinking about what things interest you that are related to your course. Perhaps there was a particularly interesting lecture or reading in your course. You can also do some general searches for "topics in X" to help you see what other people think is interesting in your field. No matter how you get there, think of topics as starting points to create a great research question.

Going from a topic to a question

Once you have your topic, start considering the implications. Who does the topic affect, and how does it affect those people? Why should anyone care about reading this? Is it possible to discuss the broad topic in the assigned length, or should you narrow it (for instance by time or location)?

Your research question shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow, but just right. You need to be able to answer it in the space provided, and find enough research on it to support your claims. You don’t want to have it be so narrow you can’t find any research, but neither do you want it so broad that you’re getting thousands or millions of results.

Making your question precise

Once you’ve got a base research question, spend a little time making sure it’s exactly what you want. This will help direct your research, guide your thesis statement, and help structure your essay. Some things to consider when you revise it are:

  • Is it narrow and clear? (good)
  • Is it answerable? (good)
  • Can you tell what kind of research you'll need to answer it? (good)
  • Are there any related concepts you should address? (neutral, but good to think about)
  • Is it open ended? (good)
  • Can it easily be answered with an established fact? (bad, keep revising)

Examples

Good:

Green check mark What will be the financial impact of Brexit on the oil industry in Scotland?

Why: This question narrows the focus considerably – the reader knows precisely what this paper will be about. It also suggests what kinds of evidence will be needed (finance reports, legal documents, etc.). As an evidenced-based projection, this question is answerable. Finally, as there are multiple conclusions that could be drawn, the author will have to rely on their own interpretation to make a clear point and cannot merely repeat known facts.

‌Green check markDo primary schools in the UK influence gendered behaviour, and if so, how?

Why: This question is narrow enough to be answerable, but is also broad enough to get search results. It also removes the assumption that schools influence gender, allowing the author to prove this point. Adding “how” at the end ensures that this is an open-ended question. The author will not be able to point to a few studies that show the role of gender in education and then conclude the essay, they will have to analyse how this process works.

Bad:

Red X mark What will be the impact of Brexit on Scotland?

Why: This is the first step of moving from a topic (Brexit and Scotland) to a question. There are many ways that Brexit would have an impact on Scotland, so this is unclear and much too broad. Some questions to ask which would help narrow it could be: is the impact social, financial, legal, or something else? Is this being looked at in the long term or short term? What communities are being analysed?

Red X markHow is gender socially constructed?‌

Why: Much like the first question about Brexit, this is far too broad.

Red X mark How did primary schools in Scotland in the 1990s influence the gendered behaviour of girls, and did this have an impact on their adult lives?

Why: Although this is an interesting question, this is excessively narrow. It is extremely unlikely someone could find enough research to answer this. The ideal level of question would be between these two.

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