Developing a Research Question

This post includes a proposal of research questions pertaining to my field of study which is Chemical Engineering.

Oberazzi. "Questions" 12/9/2006 via Flickr. Attribution-NonCommercial License.

In Project 1, I investigated the controversy of fracking. The research I did allowed me to delve into several different aspects of the debate including ethics, economics, and even politics. The following research questions touch on these points of view on the fracking controversy.

1. How are chemical engineers and other scientists involved in the legislative process? How do they communicate their findings to politicians?

A common theme in the articles I read was that scientists still struggle with conveying their findings to politicians who can actually impose their policy. I'm interested in the process of how they communicate the importance of their findings, particularly if their are any complications.

2. To what extent is the support of fracking based on the economic advantages of the process? What is an advantage and what is made to look like an advantage?

I found that the financial benefits were a large part of the pro-fracking argument, so I'm interested in what their major claims are and what is possibly misconstrued as an economic advantage to help defend the process' good standing.

3. How has the fracking controversy been pushed forward by the use of emotion?

The fracking debate is a very important issue for those who have been affected by the process' operations. 'Gasland' was released which showed the personal stories of victims of groundwater contamination so I'm wondering how this movie and other movements that use emotion have played a part in the anti-fracking movement.