method of inquiry ap research

What is AP Research and How Do I Find a Topic of Inquiry?

10 min read • june 18, 2024

Dylan Black

Introduction to AP Research

Welcome to the second class in the AP Capstone program! Fresh out of AP Seminar, you're ready to take on the next and final step in your journey to earning a Capstone Diploma: AP Research. AP Research is a class that is all about  the students . That's right, the students. This class can be summed up in one word:  individualistic . As will be seen in just a few minutes, the class truly is what you make of it. In this guide, we'll dive right into it with what AP Research is all about, what differs it from Seminar, and how to find the perfect topic of inquiry and research question .

❓ What is AP Research?

AP Research is a beast 👹 of a course, and while this might be coming from my perspective as a veteran of the course, most students will agree that it is a TON of work, and only 8 to 9 months maximum to do it.

While AP Seminar consists of using collected, already established evidence to prove points, AP Research has you collecting your  own data. Meaning you'll need to conduct a study, analyze content, experiment, or whatever you want.

Seriously.  Whatever your little heart ❤️ desires.

I’ve seen papers on milk cartons, data mining on social media, Disney’s  Big Hero Six, and everything in between. In my class alone, there were students studying nutrition, concerts, climate change, water cleanliness, and so much more. The only thing that truly ties together these papers is that they are new, original research that adds to a body of knowledge. Pretty broad, we know.

To further push this point, here are some sample AP Research paper titles from high scoring students:

“Making Health Education LGBTQ+ Inclusive in Vermont High Schools”

“Growth For Good: How Past Experiences Motivate Executives to Join Double Bottom Line Organizations in The Indian Construction Industry”

“Music Chemistry: The Formula of K-Pop”

And those are just from 2017 alone. AP Research lets loose the reins and allows students to quite literally go wild on whatever they want to study. That's why AP Research is  such an awesome course .

There are five required sections to the paper: an introduction, a literature review , a methodology , data and/or results and analysis, a conclusion, and a bibliography . The following guides will follow this structure as you go through the AP Research journey.

Throughout the year, students do intensive, in-depth research into a specific discipline , identify a  gap in that field, and fill it. This includes conducting a formal literature review ; designing a proper, justifiable methodology that will fill the gap; and, finally, actually  doing it. The first step of it all, however, is finding a topic, and that's what we'll take a look at first.

🔎 How to Find A Topic of Inquiry

What even is a topic of inquiry.

A  topic of inquiry can be defined fairly succinctly: it is the topic that a paper covers. For example: if you are studying education, a topic of inquiry may be "the impacts of flipped classrooms on high school level regular, honors, and AP math classes". Note that the topic of inquiry is detailed and specific. This might seem really simple, but in reality, figuring this out can in fact be one of the hardest parts of this class. Odds are, your teacher had you thinking about this early, maybe even over the summer. Many students think topic of inquiry = discipline. This is NOT true. A discipline is the broad area of study that a paper is focused within. For example,  disciplines include economics, film, art, chemistry, physics, music, and even broader, hard sciences, social sciences, humanities, etc. Rather, a topic of inquiry is narrow. It's specific. Think of it this way: if someone put all of a class's topics of inquiry in a hat and pulled them at random, they should be able to easily identify each person who wrote that paper, even if a few students had similar broad focuses.

Finding a Broad Focus

The first step in finding a topic of inquiry is identifying a  discipline . This can be a subject you want to major in, a passion of yours, or just something you want to learn more about. Personally, I suggest going with something you have some prior knowledge in, but that doesn't mean you can't explore something new. On a similar note, you may go into Research with what you think is a plan, the perfect plan, a research question and topic of inquiry that will carry you straight to a 5. However, when starting Research,  expect for your plans to change . I'll use myself as an example. The summer going into AP Research, I was  dead set on doing educational research. I even had a topic of inquiry in mind: I was going to study the impacts of flipped classrooms on different levels of classes (AP, Honors, etc.). Perfect, beautiful, time to win Research.  However , this plan very quickly fell apart, and by the end of October, I was re-narrowing a topic of focus about  Moon , a science fiction film by Duncan Jones.

In my philosophy, finding your "perfect topic" isn't something you can necessarily "try" to do. If you keep asking yourself "is this  my topic?" you'll overthink and keep flip flopping. Instead, you'll know your topic when you see it. I know this sounds sappy and almost romantic, but it's true (heck, my teacher referred to "marrying" your topic at least 3 times). I first watched  Moon in chemistry class nearly a YEAR before Research started and I found myself studying its themes of Marxism within two months out of nowhere.

Narrowing a Focus and Finding a Gap in . . . Wait For It . . . Research!

So you've got a broad focus, now what? At this point, you want to start  narrowing it down . When I say narrowing, I mean taking what is typically a broad idea and doing  research (ah, there's the dreaded word!) to go from this broad topic to a true topic of inquiry. Before we get into this, let's start talking about  gaps .

What is a Gap?

AP Research is all about finding and closing a  gap in the  body of knowledge . These are some new terms, so let's start by defining them.

The  body of knowledge is all of the "stuff" that is known about your broad focus. For example, let's suppose you have decided that you want to study perceptions of advertising among different age groups (this was just a random off the cusp topic—if you don't want to do something like this, that is  fine ). Obviously, this broad a topic has been studied. The  body of knowledge is all of that stuff that HAS been studied. Essentially, it is the research questions that have already been addressed and therefore have already been covered. Your goal in AP Research is to find a question that hasn't been answered and then answer it! That's where  the gap comes in.

Get very,  very used to this term folks. The  gap describes this tiny bit of research that has not been uncovered, and guess whose job it is to uncover it? YOU!!!! Welcome to the purpose of AP Research:  filling the gap .

The idea of the gap can feel super intimidating, and that's because it is! Research is so crazy deep and so intense and the idea of having to find something  nobody has studied can feel impossible. In fact, it really is. There is no way to read every paper on every subtopic of subtopic of your body of knowledge. On this point, by filling the gap, I'm not saying you have to make a revolutionary discovery and save the world. In fact, the opposite applies to the majority of AP Research papers. Odds are, you're not about to cure cancer or solve global warming with your paper. Instead, find something small and very niche about your topic—which isn't to say it won't be interesting/important to your discipline and certainly not the discourage you, just that most AP Research papers aren't going to be published in  Nature anytime soon.

On a similar note, feasibility is a really important part of narrowing down your focus. When coming up with a topic of inquiry, understand your limitations. You are (assuming school starts in August) given approximately 10 months to conduct your research, write your paper, and do your presentation. While you shouldn't let this hold you back, you should know that you cannot plan anything super large or super time consuming. For example, you may  really want to study a population over multiple years, but you simply  don't have the time.

For example, suppose your topic of inquiry was "migration patterns of blue whales between June and September in the Northeast Atlantic." While this is a super interesting topic and one that may be a really great paper, it is far from feasible. Not only is there the problem of location, but timing and the sheer expense of taking on a project like this is simply not feasible. In some cases, like perhaps in this one, the solution may unfortunately be to pick a different topic. However, if you're able to make your topic more feasible by adjusting things for timing, costs, etc. you'll have a better topic in the end.

Finding the Gap With the Power of Little-R Research

So now that we understand what the gap is and why it's important, let's talk about how to find the gap. The simple answer is research! When I say research in this context, I'm referring to what's called " little-r research " . This means that I'm referring to the use of databases and other tools to find already published work, basically what you did in AP Seminar last year. By comparison, " big-R Research " can be described as your generation of  new data and facts that have not been figured out yet. These are by no means scientific terms, but can help when describing how we do research/Research.

When doing your little-r research, you want to use databases and collect as much data and papers as you can. I recommend finding 50+ sources about your topic, slowly narrowing down as you go forward. By reading and really diving deep into these sources you'll be able to A) slowly figure out what questions you have and B) narrow down your topic of inquiry to eventually finding (drumroll . . .) A GAP!!! This is NOT an easy process and will take a lot of thinking and effort on your end, but eventually you'll find a very VERY specific topic of inquiry that will fill a gap situated in a body of knowledge AND you'll essentially be an expert in your topic. Seriously, this is going to be like drinking information from a firehose.

** Key Tip! When organizing your sources, use  Zotero , a free online research tool that helps you keep your sources in check.  Mendeley is also a super great tool.**

** Key Tip Round 2! If 50 sources sounds like a loooot and you're struggling to find related resources, look in the bibliographies of your papers that you have! Odds are they'll be related and might help you uncover new gaps.**

💻 A Note on Credibility and Choice of Sources

When doing your little-r research, it's important to take note of new standards of credibility and how to choose your sources. In Seminar, the most typical form of credibility was someone's credentials: things like PhDs, other degrees, positions, etc. While this still plays a large role in credibility in Research, it goes one step farther here. No longer is just someone's degree a telling sign of their credibility, but also their prior research. As you get more and more specific, you need  experts .

For example, let's suppose that we moved from our broader topic of perceptions of advertising among different age groups to now finding a gap and filling it by researching how Baby Boomers vs. members of Gen-Z respond to advertising on social media platforms, specifically comparing TikTok to Instagram (again, random topic and a random gap. This is all for example purposes!). First and foremost, dang, our topic has become focused! But secondly, when doing our little-r research now, the papers that we read have to be just as focused. Therefore, when evaluating credibility, we want people with this in-depth specific, knowledge, not just "PhD in Advertising".

Furthermore, the sources that you use will vary greatly based on your question, discipline, and focus. A paper on medicine is going to have a MUCH different source layout than historical research or economic research. Thus, you want to learn how your discipline conducts research on an individual level and what sources are optimal for your eventual introduction and literature review.

Whew! That was . . . a lot. However, you now know how to figure out what you want your topic to be and are ready to officially start the research process! AP Research is a beast of a course, but with the proper time and effort, it is truly a class that allows students to explore their interests and become an in depth expert on a specific topic. In the next guide we'll take a look at writing the introduction to your paper. Good luck!

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How to Choose a Project for Your AP Research Course

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The AP Research course guides you through the design, planning, and implementation of a year-long, research-based investigation to address a research question of interest to you. The second of two classes required for the AP Capstone™ Diploma , AP Research takes the skills you developed during the previous year in AP Seminar and applies them to a larger platform. In the AP Research course, you can expect to learn and apply research methods and practices to address a real-world topic of your choosing, culminating in the production and defense of a scholarly academic paper.

Because your score for this course relies entirely on your paper and oral defense, choosing a strong research project is extremely important. If you are enrolled in the AP Research course, you already know the ins and outs of inquiry-based learning and how to conduct a simple research project. Now you will stretch your abilities and put your knowledge to use.

The careful selection of a project is arguably the single most important choice you will make during this course. The process is complex and can seem overwhelming at first, since the possibilities may seem endless. By breaking down your choices and carefully considering your specific AP Research course format, your own interests, and the unique resources available to you, you will be able to choose an AP Research Project that is academically relevant, personally engaging, and feasible for you to complete in the given time frame.

When Should I Begin the Process of Choosing My AP Research Project?

It is important to keep in mind the time frame for selecting a project. Many students assume that the selection process begins with the start of the new school year, as most likely every other AP course has in your academic career. However, if you wait until the beginning of a new school year, you may be starting the course off at a disadvantage.

When the AP Research course description specifies a yearlong research project, that most often means an entire 12-month year, and not simply a nine-month school year. Since you will complete the AP Seminar course in the spring, your teacher will likely set the expectations for what you need to accomplish over the summer break, before your AP Research course officially begins in the fall. If you are expected to begin your work over the summer, your course instructor will provide you with additional instruction, assignments, and avenues for continued communication to guide you through the research planning process during the summer months.

Although some schools may opt to delay this process until the fall, the College Board’s sample timeline for the AP Research course, available on page 36 of the course description , begins not in September with the start of the new school year, but in May with the completion of the AP Seminar course, which you must take as a prerequisite before enrolling in AP Research. That’s when you should begin to consider research topics, problems, or ideas. By September of the following school year, it is recommended that you have already finalized a research question, completed an annotated bibliography, and prepared to begin a preliminary inquiry proposal for peer review.    

This might seem like a lot to do on your own over the summer break, potentially without the face-to-face support of your teacher, but using the steps outlined below will help you get started.

How Should I Start to Narrow Down My AP Research Project Ideas?

Initially, your method for narrowing down a potential AP Research project idea will rely on the structure of your specific AP Research course. Although the core content and skills remain standardized for every AP Research course, the implementation of this instruction varies depending on how your high school chooses to format it. Some AP Research courses have a specific disciplinary focus wherein the course content is rooted in a specific subject, such as AP Research: STEM Inquiries or AP Research: Performing and Visual Arts. Other AP Research courses are offered in conjunction with a separate and specific AP class, such as AP Research and AP Biology, wherein students are concurrently enrolled in both AP courses and content is presented in a cross-curricular approach.

Alternatively, AP Research may be presented in the form of an internship wherein students who are already working with a discipline-specific expert adviser conduct independent studies and research of the student’s choosing while taking the AP Research class. Finally, some AP Research courses are delivered independently as a research methods class. In this style of class, students develop inquiry methods for the purpose of determining which method best fits their chosen topic of inquiry/research question, and each student then uses a selected method to complete his or her investigation. 

As you begin to narrow down your project idea, you’ll need to consider the greater context of your AP Research course. If your course is rooted in a specific discipline, you should focus on that subject area. If your AP Research course is presented as more of an internship, you’ll need to consider what feasible options are available to you. Use the course format as the first step towards shaping your AP Research project proposal. If you aren’t sure of the method in which your course will be delivered, make sure to ask your teacher before you leave for summer break.

Once you know your course format, you can move on to the next essential question in narrowing down your project proposal. Ask yourself what you want to know, learn, or understand. Do not skip this crucial step. The AP Research class provides a unique opportunity for you to guide your own learning in a direction that is genuinely interesting to you. You will find your work more engaging, exciting, and worthwhile if you choose a topic that you want to learn more about. It is not often that you will have such an opportunity to take ownership of the direction of your learning during high school. Do not waste such an amazing opportunity.

What Can I Do If I Can’t Come Up with Any Ideas?

If you are stumped for project ideas, try exploring previous ideas with classmates. Ask previous AP Research students what they did, or what other students in their class did. If nothing strikes your interest, do some reading online about possible AP Research topics. One list of potential research questions can be found here and another can be found here . Keep in mind that these lists make great starting points and do a good job of getting you thinking about important subjects, but your research topic should ultimately be something that you develop independently as the result of careful introspection, discussions with your teacher and peers, and your own preliminary research.

Are There Any Subjects That Are Off Limits?

The AP Capstone program states that “facilitating students’ entrance into academic or real-world conversations about complex issues is a key goal of both the AP Seminar and AP Research courses.” As such, there are not any specific topics that College Board prohibits when they are researched academically. In fact, College Board specifies that it “aims to build independent, critical thinkers by empowering students,” so you should not shy away from a certain topic simply because it might be considered controversial. If you’re worried that your project idea could be offensive or inappropriate, speak with your teacher about your specific concerns.

Also remember that there are general guidelines that must be followed by all researchers in order to maintain ethical research practices. If you pursue a research project that involves human subjects, your proposal will need to be reviewed and approved by an institutional review board (IRB) before experimentation begins. Specific instructions about this process are found on page 44 of the course description , and you may find more information here . Talk with your teacher to decide if this is the right path for you before you get too involved in a project that may not be feasible.

What Other Things Should I Consider When Selecting My AP Research Project?

Most AP Research courses will expect you to work with an expert adviser while conducting your research. Some schools will compile a pool of potential expert advisers at your disposal, while other schools will rely on you to find your own. One way to further narrow down your project idea is to consider the expert advisers to whom you might have access. If a list has been provided, familiarize yourself with this distinguished group of professionals and try to identify overlaps in your areas of interest with their areas of expertise. If your school does not provide a list of potential expert advisers, try to brainstorm some ideas of who may be able to mentor you as you work. You can find more advice on finding a mentor in CollegeVine’s “ How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea .”

Another angle to consider is the availability of resources and special equipment. If you have had   access to a specialty lab or other technical equipment through a summer internship or job, you may find ways to use this to your advantage if you can think of a project that interests you. Keep in mind what unique tools and equipment are at your disposal to help shape your project proposal.

What Happens Once I Have Chosen an AP Research Project?

After you’ve identified a research project that interests you, that is feasible given your time frame, and capitalizes on your access to expert advisers and equipment, you will begin to work on a preliminary inquiry proposal for peer review. Once you have fine-tuned your proposal with classmates, you will also identify and communicate with your expert adviser while working on your formal Inquiry Proposal Form. This will be distributed by your teacher but can also be previewed on page 55 of the course description . Your teacher may ask you to revise certain parts of your proposal. Make sure to allow enough time for these revisions. A final, approved Inquiry Proposal Form is due by November 30. 

For more information about the AP Research course, read CollegeVine’s Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment or CollegeVine’s Introduction to the AP Capstone Diploma .

For more about information about APs, check out these CollegeVine posts:

• Can AP Tests Actually Save You Thousands of Dollars?

• Should I Take AP/IB/Honors Classes?

• How to Choose Which AP Courses and Exams to Take

• What If My School Doesn’t Offer AP or IB Courses?

• Are All APs Created Equal in Admissions?

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

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Bibliometrics & citations, view options, recommendations, discrete-ordinate discontinuous galerkin methods for solving the radiative transfer equation.

The radiative transfer equation (RTE) occurs in a wide variety of applications. In this paper, we study discrete-ordinate discontinuous Galerkin methods for solving the RTE. The numerical methods are formed in two steps. In the first step, the discrete ...

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