Suggest research questions for an essay

Engaging in conversation to build a research question can open new avenues for exploration. Try chatting with AI models to see which areas of interest could open up for you!

Explanation

Learning-by-teaching is a highly effective way to understand something deeply. Explaining an idea to someone else forces you to organise your thoughts and identify what you know, and what you don’t. AI can play the role of a curious classmate who asks questions and gives feedback, helping you strengthen your understanding and fill any gaps.  

Example Prompt

"Hello, I am a third-year undergraduate student studying for a BA in History. I have to establish a research question for my final Dissertation. I am studying the role of women serving as army nurses during World War I in the British Armed Forces and how they were perceived in British media. The dissertation is 8,000 words and I'm concerned about coming up with a question for my topic that will give me enough to write on. Could you suggest a few research questions to give me an idea of some areas I could explore? I can then compare these against my own notes and devise a further question. Thank you!"

AI response  

Here are several research questions that could give you a strong foundation for an 8,000-word dissertation, each with slightly different angles to help you find the best fit:

🧠 Research Question Ideas

1. Media Representation Focus

• How did British newspapers and magazines portray women serving as army nurses during World War I, and what does this reveal about gender norms of the time?

2. Comparative Analysis

• In what ways did the portrayal of British army nurses differ between official military communications and popular media during World War I?

3. Public Perception and Propaganda

• To what extent were British army nurses used as symbols of patriotism and sacrifice in World War I propaganda?

4. Intersection of Class and Gender

• How did class influence the media portrayal of women serving as army nurses in the British Armed Forces during World War I?

5. Legacy and Historical Memory

• How has the media portrayal of British army nurses during World War I shaped their legacy in historical narratives and public memory?

6. Visual Culture Angle

• What role did photographs and illustrations play in shaping public perceptions of British army nurses during World War I?

7. Media Evolution Over Time

• How did British media coverage of army nurses evolve from the beginning to the end of World War I, and what factors influenced this shift?

Each of these questions is broad enough to support an 8,000-word dissertation, but focused enough to guide your research. You could refine one by narrowing the media type (e.g., newspapers vs. posters), the time frame (e.g., 1914–1916 vs. 1917–1918), or the geographic scope (e.g., London-based publications vs. regional press).

Would you like help outlining one of these questions into a chapter structure next?

Further Prompt

"This is amazing, thank you! I've done a bit of research and think I am going to go with this, based on some of the suggestions that you've made. Would you be able to let me know what you think? Thank you! Everything that follows is my research question:

"How, if at all, were women serving as nurses in the British Army in World War I influence their own image in domestic media?"

Further AI response

That’s a compelling and nuanced research question—well done! 👏 It shows you're thinking critically about agency, representation, and historical context. Here’s a quick breakdown of why it works and how you might refine or support it:

✅ Strengths of Your Question

• Focus on agency: The phrase “if at all” invites exploration of whether nurses had any control over their portrayal, which opens up rich debate.
• Clear scope: You’ve narrowed it to British Army nurses, World War I, and domestic media, which keeps the research manageable.
• Interdisciplinary potential: It bridges history, media studies, and gender studies—great for a BA History dissertation.

🛠️ Suggestions for Refinement (Optional)

If you want to make the question slightly sharper or more research-friendly, here are two tweaks you could consider:

1. Clarify “influence”:
• To what extent did women serving as nurses in the British Army during World War I shape their own representation in domestic media?
2. Specify media type (if relevant):

• How did British Army nurses during World War I influence their portrayal in newspapers and magazines?

These tweaks aren’t essential—your original question is already strong. But they might help if you’re trying to align with your supervisor’s preferences or tighten your methodology.