Research question
(Redirected from Research questions)
Research question(s) are fundamental for guiding the conduct and reporting of scientific research studies. A question specifies a purpose and a destination.
Time invested in development and refinement of research questions is generally well spent.
Developing research questions[edit | edit source]
- In the early stages of research projects, brainstorm a series of possible research questions
- Formulate research questions based on:
- Consulting theory
- Reading other research
- Real-world observations
- Consider and discuss the pros and cons of each question, then select, and refine
- Use open-ended research questions (e.g., What is the effect of s on t?) rather than closed-ended questions (e.g., Is u better w?), although the latter may be appropriate in some specific cases.
- Once research question(s) are established, consider generating hypotheses, which are generally more specific statements to be tested.
- A well-developed research question provides a clear focus for the design and conduct of the study. However, it may be necessary to revise the question during the conduct of a study.
- Research questions can be written in sentences and paragraphs. They can also be numbered.
Are questions researchable?[edit | edit source]
- Meaningful
- Has the question already been satisfactorily answered?
- Does it matter? (is the topic worth investigating in theoretical and practical terms)?
- Specific enough? (e.g., these questions are too broad: Is psychotherapy effective? Can attitudes be changed?)
- Can the question be answered on an empirical basis? (e.g., does god exist? No. Is caramel the tastiest ice-cream flavour? Yes.)
- Research question needs to be refinable to specific, testable hypotheses
Example generic forms[edit | edit source]
- What is the relationship between a and b?
- What is the difference between f and g?
- What is the effect of x on y?
Example research questions[edit | edit source]
- What is the relationship between social support and mental health?
- What is the difference in mortality rates between countries with above and below 10% of Gross Domestic Product expenditure on healthcare?
- How can the lifespan of a soap bubble be extended in different temperatures and atmospheric conditions?
See also[edit | edit source]
- Hypothesis
- Research question (Wikipedia)
External links[edit | edit source]
- Developing research questions (esc.edu)