In a biology extended essay, the research question is best stated in the form of a question. The research question should not be understood as a statement of the topic but rather as a precisely formulated question that the research will attempt to answer. For example, a statement of the topic of an essay might be "Factors that affect bacterial growth in agar plate cultures"; the research question based on this topic could be "How are the growth rates of three strains of E. Coli affected by temperature?". The research question can then be used to formulate a hypothesis, or hypotheses, which can be tested. The research question should be identified clearly and set out prominently in the introduction. A broad statement of the topic of the essay or a statement of the hypothesis is not sufficient on its own to meet the requirement for a research question in a biology extended essay.