Verified against ChatGPT · 2026-08-14
Turn a broad topic idea into a research question that's actually answerable in the scope you have
Narrows a broad topic into a specific, arguable research question sized to your page count and available sources, flagging when the original topic is too broad or too narrow before you commit to it.
The prompt
Ready to copy — highlighted parts are example details you can swap.
Help me turn a broad topic idea into an actual research question I can write a focused paper on — right now I just have a general area of interest, not a question.
BROAD TOPIC OR AREA OF INTEREST
The effects of social media on teenagers
ASSIGNMENT CONSTRAINTS
8-10 pages, at least 5 peer-reviewed sources, for an intro psychology research methods course
WHAT SOURCES I ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO OR HAVE FOUND
University library database access to PsycINFO, found a few 2023-2024 studies on Instagram use and adolescent anxiety
WHAT SPECIFICALLY DREW ME TO THIS TOPIC
I'm interested in whether the effect differs by platform type, since my little sister uses TikTok completely differently than Instagram
First, tell me honestly whether The effects of social media on teenagers as stated is too broad, too narrow, or roughly the right scope for 8-10 pages, at least 5 peer-reviewed sources, for an intro psychology research methods course — a topic that would need a full book to answer properly cannot become a good research question just by adding a question mark to it, and a topic already narrow enough for one paragraph of evidence has the opposite problem. Then propose three candidate research questions narrowed from the broad topic, each one arguable (has a real answer someone could reasonably disagree with, not a question with one obvious factual answer) and each sized differently — one that would work well at the shorter end of 8-10 pages, at least 5 peer-reviewed sources, for an intro psychology research methods course, one in the middle, and one that would need the fuller scope. For each candidate question, name the one specific angle or lens it takes (a particular time period, population, mechanism, or comparison) that makes it answerable rather than another restatement of the broad topic. Check each candidate against University library database access to PsycINFO, found a few 2023-2024 studies on Instagram use and adolescent anxiety and flag plainly if a candidate would require source types I don't currently have access to. Recommend which of the three best fits both 8-10 pages, at least 5 peer-reviewed sources, for an intro psychology research methods course and I'm interested in whether the effect differs by platform type, since my little sister uses TikTok completely differently than Instagram, and say why.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not propose a question that's really a yes/no factual question dressed up as analysis ("Did X happen?") — a research question needs room for an actual argument. Do not just rephrase The effects of social media on teenagers with "How does" tacked on the front.
OUTPUT FORMAT
1. Scope assessment of the original topic (too broad / too narrow / about right, and why).
2. Three candidate research questions, each with its specific angle and source-availability check.
3. Recommendation with reasoning.Customize
Optional — swap in your own details for the highlighted parts above.
Why this works
Students given a broad topic and asked to "make it a research question" typically get back a question that's just the topic with "How does" or "What is the impact of" tacked onto the front, which is exactly what GPT-5.1 will produce without explicit pressure to actually narrow scope — the model's default move is light rephrasing rather than genuine decomposition into an answerable, arguable claim. Requiring an honest scope assessment before any candidate questions are proposed forces the model to actually reason about whether "social media's effects on teenagers" fits in 8-10 pages, which it plainly does not without narrowing by platform, outcome measure, or age band — and stating that mismatch explicitly, rather than silently producing a still-too-broad question, is what prevents a student from writing four pages of introduction just trying to bound an unbounded topic. Requiring three candidates at different scope sizes rather than one "best" answer gives the student a genuine choice calibrated to how much time and how many pages they actually have, since the right scope depends on constraints the model can't fully anticipate on its own. Naming the specific narrowing lens for each candidate (a particular platform, age range, or outcome) is what separates an actual research question from a restated topic — a question only becomes researchable once it specifies which mechanism or comparison it's isolating, and without being asked to name that lens explicitly, a model tends to produce questions that sound narrower than they actually are. Checking each candidate against sources the student has already found closes the gap between an interesting question and a writeable one — a beautifully scoped question that requires source types outside {{available_sources}} sets the student up to discover a research dead-end days before the deadline instead of now.
What you get back
Scope assessment: 'The effects of social media on teenagers' is too broad for 8-10 pages — it spans multiple platforms, age ranges, and outcome domains (mental health, academic performance, social skills), any one of which could fill a full paper alone. Candidate 1 (shorter scope): Does daily Instagram use duration correlate with self-reported anxiety symptoms in 13-15 year-olds, based on 2023-2024 studies? Candidate 2 (mid scope, fits your platform-comparison interest): How do anxiety outcomes associated with image-based platforms like Instagram differ from those associated with short-video platforms like TikTok among teenagers?...
Verified against
ChatGPT GPT-5.1 · 2026-08-14
Changelog
- 2026-08-14 — Initial publish, verified against ChatGPT GPT-5.1.
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