What is your assignment asking you to do?
Example: Find five peer-reviewed articles on the topic of climate change.
Have you been given a research topic? If not, is there a topic that interests you and fits the needs of your assignment?
Example: If you were doing the topic of climate change, you would keep that topic and narrow it down. If you are asked to write a paper on an environmental issue, climate change would be an appropriate topic.
What do you want to learn about your topic? Can put what you want to learn into the form of a question?
Use inquiry words like why, should, could, how to help formulate your question.
What are the main concepts that you are addressing in your research question? Can you turn these into keywords for your library search?
How have you adjusted and/or changed your research question based on the information that you found? If not, should you consider trying this?