Article: How to Frame a Researchable Question

2-2 Choosing a Topic

Developing a research question is an important part of topic selection. All history starts with asking good research questions. This resource written by history graduate students guides you through the thought process of framing a successful research question in support of selecting a topic. Read through it in preparation for this learning block’s activity.

Topic: Exploration Preparation

The development of the atomic bomb is one of the major turning points in United States and world history. Scientists from the United States and around the world created the atomic bomb as a result of the top-secret plan the Manhattan Project. You will be looking at different aspects of this historical event for your projects in this course. The only time the atomic bomb has been used was by the United States in August 1945 to end World War II in Japan. Since then, historians have examined the various socioeconomic and political influences the atomic bomb has had on the United States and the global community.

In preparation for Project 1, the Topic Exploration Worksheet, you will review guiding questions about four topic areas related to the dropping of the atomic bomb (as well as its causes and consequences) to get a sense of what topic area you would be interested in focusing on and get you started in thinking about Project 1.

In Project 1, you will identify a topic area for you to explore, describe what you already know about your topic, and describe what types of sources would provide you with useful information to learn more about your topic.

Before you start reviewing the topic areas (below), think about what you already know about the atomic bomb. You may already be familiar with it from previous educational experiences or the media. It is OK to choose a topic area you are already familiar with or choose one that is totally new to you.

While reviewing the topic areas, you are welcome to browse the Research Kit to see the kinds of primary and secondary sources recommended for each topic area. There is no need to pursue all or any of the guiding questions posed. There is also no need to read any of the sources. These resources are provided simply to give you a taste of things to come in the course. You will be tentatively selecting a topic area at the end of this learning block and then narrowing your focus in Theme Two.

Topic areas:

Science: How did the field of science play a role in the dropping of the atomic bomb? What were the effects of the atomic bomb on the scientific community in the United States? What were the effects of the atomic bomb on technological innovation? What were the effects of the atomic bomb on the environment? What were the effects of the atomic bomb on health, medicine, and physiology?
Government and Domestic Policy: How did the dropping of the atomic bomb affect domestic policies and decisions made by the American government? How did the dropping of the atomic bomb relate to the start of the Cold War and the United States’ policy to contain communism? How did it relate to the United States’ rise as a global superpower? How did it relate to policies surrounding the limits of executive power?
Military: How did the American military play a role in the dropping of the atomic bomb? How did the dropping of the atomic bomb affect the military? What later military events can be linked to the dropping of the atomic bomb? How did the dropping of the atomic bomb influence the military to take action to contain communism? How did the dropping of the atomic bomb relate to the Marshall Plan? How did it relate to the Berlin Airlift? How did it influence Winston Churchill’s famous “Iron Curtain” speech?
International Relations and Civilians: How did the dropping of the atomic bomb affect international relations and civilians, both in the United States and in Japan? How did it influence Eleanor Roosevelt and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights? How did it influence the creation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact?