This document outlines a 4-step process for developing a research question: 1) Name your topic in one sentence, 2) Suggest an initial question that specifies something about the topic, 3) Add a rationale by asking a second question about why the topic matters, and 4) Repeat the process with a more focused topic after initial research. The example walks through applying these steps to research apartheid in South Africa, focusing on native Africans' lives, and then more specifically on Desmond Tutu and his followers.