A strong report begins with a manageable question. The best question is globally significant, debatable, researchable and narrow enough to answer in 1500–2000 words.
Learning Objectives
By The End Of This Lesson, You Should Be Able To
- Move from an official topic to a specific global issue.
- Test whether an issue is global, current and open to different perspectives.
- Write a focused research question rather than a descriptive title.
- Recognise questions that are too broad, too narrow or based on a false assumption.
- Use initial research to refine the wording of a question.
Start With Interest, Then Test Feasibility
Personal interest is useful because the project requires sustained reading and independent judgement. Interest alone is not enough. Before choosing the issue, check whether reliable sources are available, whether local or national evidence can be found, whether a global perspective exists, and whether the question allows causes, consequences, perspectives and possible actions to be explored.
An issue may be important but unsuitable if evidence is inaccessible, highly technical or dominated by one perspective. A manageable issue has enough disagreement to analyse but enough credible information to support a reasoned conclusion.
What Makes An Issue Global
A global issue affects people or environments in more than one country, has causes or consequences that cross borders, or requires international comparison or cooperation. The same issue may operate differently in different places. Establishing global nature therefore means showing scale, cross-border connection, shared causes, varied impacts or international responses—not merely using the word global.
Global Significance Example
Fast fashion is global because design, production, consumption and waste occur across international supply chains. Workers, companies, consumers and governments in different countries experience different benefits and costs.
Useful Question Forms
- To what extent should…?
- How effective is…?
- Which course of action is most likely to…?
- To what extent does X contribute to Y?
- Should governments, businesses or communities…?
- How far can X reduce or resolve Y?
The wording should invite a judgement rather than a simple factual answer. “What are the causes of food waste?” may produce a descriptive list. “To what extent should governments require supermarkets to reduce food waste?” creates space for competing perspectives, evidence and evaluation of action.
Testing A Draft Question
The GLOBE Test
- Global: Does the issue have international significance or cross-border connections?
- Limited: Can it be answered properly in 1500–2000 words?
- Open: Could reasonable people reach different conclusions?
- Based On Evidence: Are trustworthy and varied sources available?
- Enables Action: Can at least two realistic responses be analysed and evaluated?
Improving Weak Questions
Too broad: “Is technology good or bad?” This contains many technologies, users and outcomes. Improved: “To what extent should schools restrict students’ use of generative artificial intelligence for assessed work?”
Too factual: “How many people migrate each year?” This can be answered mainly with statistics. Improved: “To what extent should high-income countries expand legal labour-migration routes?”
Too local: “Should my school ban plastic bottles?” This may fit a Team Project but has limited global scope for an Individual Report. Improved: “How effective are restrictions on single-use plastic bottles in reducing plastic pollution?” Local school evidence could still support one perspective.
Leading question: “Why are social-media companies responsible for ruining young people’s mental health?” This assumes the conclusion. Improved: “To what extent should social-media companies be responsible for reducing risks to adolescents’ mental wellbeing?”
Initial Research Before Finalising The Title
Read several overview sources before fixing the question. Identify key terms, major stakeholder groups, disputed claims, available data and possible responses. Initial research may reveal that the question is too broad, that a key term needs definition, or that the strongest debate is different from the one first imagined.
Keep a short decision record: original idea, main findings from initial reading, changes made to the scope, and final wording. This helps maintain focus later and demonstrates good research planning, even though the planning record is not submitted as part of the final report.
Sample Topic-To-Question Pathways
- Health and wellbeing → unequal vaccine access → To what extent should patent rules be changed during global health emergencies?
- Education for all → language of instruction → How far does mother-tongue education improve access and achievement in multilingual societies?
- Transport, travel and tourism → aviation emissions → Should governments limit short-haul flights where practical rail alternatives exist?
- Poverty and inequality → universal basic income → How effective could a universal basic income be in reducing economic insecurity?
- Media and communication → misinformation → To what extent should social-media platforms remove demonstrably false political content?
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Selecting a question because it sounds impressive rather than because it is researchable.
- Using vague terms such as better, harmful or fair without defining what they mean.
- Combining several separate issues in one title.
- Choosing a question with only one obvious perspective.
- Changing the question late without checking whether existing research still answers it.
- Using a question that asks only for causes, effects or a list of facts.
Quick Check
Task
Choose one official topic. Write a broad issue, a narrower disagreement and a final question. Apply the GLOBE test and revise any weak part before beginning detailed research.
