1. Selecting Suitable Questions
Research Questions / Titles
Cambridge Pre-U
GPR

2. Themes
Remember that there are five themes that dictate our curriculum content:
Ethics
Economics
Environment
Technology
Politics and Culture

3. Topics
Select a topic that engages your own interest and that coincides with one or more of the themes:
Ethics:
Genetic engineering
Medical ethics and priorities
Standard of living or quality of life
Ethical foreign policies
The religious-secular divide

4. Topics (continued) Economics Environment
Globalization of economic activity
The economic role of women
The impact of the internet
Environment
Industrial pollution
Biodiversity and threats to the world’s natural heritage
Global climate change: science and politics
Urbanization and the countryside

5. Topics (continued) Technology Politics and Culture Alternatives to oil
Artificial intelligence
Online and interactive communities
Politics and Culture
The emergence of China/India as a global superpower
Endangered cultures
International law
Integration and multiculturalism

6. Developing a Title
“Title” refers to a research question that you will plan to study.
A well-developed research title will enable you to demonstrate your newly acquired skills in deconstruction, reconstruction, reflection, and presentation.

7. Examples of Good Questions
Theme: Ethics Topic: The religious-secular divide
RQ: Is a fundamentalist view of Islam mutually exclusive with life in a 21st Century Western culture?
Theme: Economics Topic: Migration & work
RQ: If the U.S. gives legal status to illegal immigrants, will this hurt the economic recovery?
Theme: Politics & Culture Topic: Transnational orgs
RQ: Is it time to disband the United Nations?

8. How do I know if my question is any good?
Does the question reflect a global issue?
Does the question arouse your interest?
Does the question open the possibility for debate?
Will the question lead to intellectual argument?
Does the question allow you to use skills from the critical path?
Can the question be answered in suitable depth within the limit?