A very important part of any research project is the development of a research question. Your research question guides your research -- helps you navigate sources for the subtopics and points of view you need, among other things. A research question is meant to be refined and developed over the course of your research, as your own understanding of your topic continues to improve. Selecting a question in the first place, however, is usually done with brainstorming.
Consider your assignment and topic. What do you know? What do you need to know? What is proven? What do you want to prove? Do you want to define something? Explain something? Analyze a puzzle? Make comparisons? Think of questions that go with your purpose. Use brainstorming to come up with a long list of questions.
The questions you start with should be fairly general. The next step is to narrow your question and focus in on your topic. You may not do this until after you’ve done some research and collected some sources. Your final research question should be quite specific, such that you might only be able to find a few dozen sources appropriate to answer it.
Another important step in the research process is the crafting of a research proposal, or a prospectus. Unlike a research plan, a research proposal is addressed towards someone other than yourself, usually a supervisor of some sort.
In your research proposal, you should thoroughly outline what your paper is going to be about. Be specific -- explain your topic and your thesis in detail, talk about your sources and what you’ve learned so far, give your supervisor an idea of your research methods, and lay out a timeline for your work. Your research proposal should also include your working bibliography. Consider making an annotated bibliography.
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