Inside This Unit: The Full Breakdown
Unit 1 covers developing a focused, original research question, reviewing existing scholarship, and identifying the gap your inquiry will address.
Why it matters
AP Research is a year-long inquiry culminating in an Academic Paper and presentation — and it all starts with a researchable question and a genuine gap.
Key concepts
- The “gap” is a question existing scholarship has not adequately answered.
- A literature review synthesizes prior research, not just summarizes each source.
- A good question is original, significant, and feasible.
Research Question & Gap in Scholarship
Practice narrowing a topic into an original question, building an annotated bibliography of scholarly sources, synthesizing the literature, and articulating the gap and significance your study addresses.
AP exam tip
Pressure-test feasibility early — a brilliant question you can’t actually research won’t carry a year-long project.
Connections to other units
- Unit 2: The question drives your choice of method.
- Unit 4: The gap frames your paper’s contribution.
