Question generation for
Generating questions for CREST This document is intended to help CREST students who may be struggling to come up with a project idea and to help them generate a question that is relevant to them and their daily lives. Using this document you’ll be able to narrow down areas and topics that interest you, coming up with a question that is relevant to both the world around you, and your everyday life. CREST is all about tackling an issue that interests you, so use this document to find something that inspires you to learn more! “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” but rather, “hmm… that’s funny…” – Isaac Asimov The problem A scientific problem always starts with a question, but sometimes it can be difficult to figure out how to ask an effective question. To help you generate questions for a CREST project, start with something that is relevant to you – it can be something of interest, something that is happening around you, or an activity or experience closer to home. These factors are in no particular order and can be applied separately or linked together if it works for you. Take a look at the diagram below and use it to come up with a broad problem that you think you would like to complete a CREST project on. INTEREST What are you passionate about? What topics are you drawn to or which interests do you spend the most time on? In which field would you want to contribute? Can you name three areas where you are especially interested? PERSONAL EXPERIENCE What could make your life easier everyday? What could have helped your friend or a loved one during a challenging time? What experience would have been different if a certain solution was made available? CURRENT EVENTS What is a prevalent problem in your local community or school? What are the causes for a particular challenge in your day-today life? What change could make your situation better? Did you want to improve on a current technology?
