How to turn an interest into a focused EPQ research question

Choosing an EPQ topic can feel harder than starting the research. You may have several interests, a question that seems too large, or a title that sounds impressive but leaves you unsure what to do next.

Start with a question you want to investigate. Then give it boundaries you can explain.

The EPQ involves taking responsibility for an independent project. AQA describes a process in which students choose a topic, plan their research and use it to produce a report or, for practical projects, an artefact or production. Check your own examination board’s guidance and discuss your proposal with your supervisor. AQA’s EPQ specification

1. Find the question inside your interest

Write down three things you have recently wanted to understand better. These might come from a lesson, a book, a museum visit or an everyday observation.

For each interest, finish the sentence: “I want to understand why…” or “I want to investigate whether…”.

“Transport” is an area of interest. “How do cities persuade people to drive less?” gives you a direction for reading. You do not need your final title yet.

2. Add useful boundaries

Ask which place, period, group or comparison you actually want to examine. Each boundary helps you decide what belongs in the project.

For example, “Do congestion charges work?” could become “To what extent did London’s congestion charge reduce traffic during its first three years?”

The second question identifies a policy, a place, a period and an outcome. You would still need to investigate whether suitable evidence is available and agree a feasible scope with your supervisor. Treat it as an illustration of narrowing a question, rather than a ready-approved project title.

3. Test the question with a small source search

Before committing, try a short reading exercise. Find a useful overview, a source with evidence you could examine, and a source that offers a different interpretation or identifies limitations.

For each, record who produced it, when it was published, what it can tell you and what it cannot establish. Check that you can access the material itself, rather than relying on a search snippet or someone else’s summary.

If all your sources make the same claim without explaining their evidence, widen your search. If the material requires methods or knowledge you cannot reasonably acquire during the project, reconsider the question’s scope.

4. Decide what an answer would involve

Write a few sentences explaining how you might reach a conclusion. Would you compare competing explanations, evaluate evidence about a policy, or assess a design against clear criteria?

If your answer is simply “I will describe everything about the topic”, the question probably needs more focus. If you have already decided what your conclusion must be, ask what evidence could change your mind.

A useful working question lets you investigate uncertainty.

5. Keep a record of changes

Save your first question, the sources that influenced it and your reasons for each revision. Use the records required by your school and examination board. This makes it easier to explain how your project developed, including decisions that did not work out as expected.

For your next supervisor meeting, bring a one-page proposal with your working question, why it interests you, a few initial sources, your intended approach and the main uncertainty you need help resolving.

You can also explore the CamVision EPQ Masterclass for structured support with planning and developing your project.