Formulating research questions

Formulating
Research
Questions
Dr Ana Faria (PhD)
a.faria@doctoratehub.com

Initial disclaimer
This presentation aims at introducing the basic principles of Formulating Research
Questions, and it can be applied generally to both quantitative and qualitative
studies. However, in this presentation there is some particular focus on qualitative
research.
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Good research questions are
 Focused – one issue only; usually one central question and associated sub-questions.
 Specific – no vague words or avoiding of naming.
 Complex – not a simple question asking for yes/no answers.
 Analytical – geared towards exploration of a problem, not the achievement of a
solution.
 Un-biased – open ended without suggesting a solution. It is like a roadmap for the
reader that illuminates your story or contribution.
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Guidelines to evaluate the question (1/2)
 Is the research question one that is of interest to the researcher and potentially to
others?
 Is it a new issue or problem that needs to be solved or is it attempting to shed light on
previously researched topic?
 Is the research question researchable? Consider the available time frame and the
required resources.
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Guidelines to evaluate the question (2/2)
 Is the methodology to conduct the research feasible?
 Is the research question measurable and will the process produce data that can be
supported or contradicted?
 Is the research question too broad or too narrow?
Source: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/question
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Understanding the underlying complexity
 There is a clear relationship between Problem (Statement), Research Question, and
Outcome (Expectation).
 Challenge 1: Research Questions need to be derived from the research problem,
which is only fully understood at the end of the research.
 Challenge 2: There is a tendency for asking questions with a bias towards the
Outcome (Expectation). The reason for this is that at the beginning of the research
students frequently have an Outcome (Expectation), but no real understanding about
what the actual problem is.
 So how then shall one derive a research question? This needs to be resolved
“gradually” as the research project progresses.
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Working towards an actionable research question (1/2)
 “Actionable” in the most basic form means that the question should be framed in a
way that allows you to act upon it.
 What makes an actionable research question?
 Questions that are geared towards exploring who, what, where, how and why.
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Working towards an actionable research question (2/2)
Examples
 What is the relationship between customer satisfaction and changes in market
share?
 To what extent are our poor sales figures related to performance measures for our
sales force?
 Are there geographic differences in brand awareness and can these differences be
linked to regional advertising spend?
 How will current and prospective customers react to potential user-interface changes
on our website?
 Why are members of the customer service team leaving the company and what
factors can be improved to increase employee retention?
Source: http://distorters.rssing.com/chan-1309974/all_p35.html
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Finding the right fit (1/4)
Examples
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• What is the childhood
obesity rate in Phoenix, AZ?
• How does the education level
of the parents impact
childhood obesity rates in
Phoenix, AZ?
This is too narrow because it can be
answered with a simple statistic. Questions
that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no"
should also typically be avoided.
This question is less narrow and
demonstrates the correct amount of
specificity and the results would provide the
opportunity for an argument to be formed.
https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/question

Examples
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• What are the effects of
childhood obesity in the
United States?
• How does childhood obesity
correlate with academic
performance in elementary
school children?
This question is unfocused that research
methodology would be very difficult and the
question is too broad to be discussed in a
typical research paper.
This question has a very clear focus for
which data can be collected, analyzed, and
discussed.

Examples
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• How much time do young
children spend doing physical
activity per day?
• What is the relationship
between physical activity
levels and childhood obesity?
This question is too objective: it may allow
the researcher to collect data but does not
lend itself to collecting data that can be used
to create a valid argument because the data
is just factual information.
This is a more subjective question that may
lead to the formation of an argument based
on the results and analysis of the data.

Examples
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• How are school systems
addressing childhood obesity?
• What are the effects of
intervention programs in the
elementary schools on the rate
of childhood obesity among
3rd - 6th grade students?
This is a too simple question: this information
can be obtained without the need to collect
unique data. The question could be answered
with a simple online search and does not
provide an opportunity for analysis.
This question is more complex and requires
both investigation and evaluation which will
lead the research to form an argument that
may be discussed.

Tips that you read about and what they DO NOT mean (1/2)
Tip: “Researchers should begin by identifying a broader subject of interest that lends
itself to investigation.”
This does NOT mean to start broad. One still is expected to start from a specific issue
(e.g. a clearly articulated workplace based problem).
What is meant with this tip is that subsequently the specific issue has to be placed in the
broader subject of interest.
And “interest” in this regards should direct you in asking what are we interested in
“resolving”?
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Tip: “… begin to narrow the topic by asking open-ended "how" and "why" questions.”
For example, a researcher may want to consider the factors that are contributing to
childhood obesity or the success rate of intervention programs.
Understand, the guidance is NOT suggesting that you focus on “the success rate of
intervention programs”.
What the guidance suggest instead that you focus on the “factors that are contributing
to…”.
Thus your research investigates “factors that are contributing to…[whatever]”, but not
“the success rate of intervention programs”!!! 14
Tips that you read about and what they DO NOT mean (2/2)
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Example Research Questions and (potential) weaknesses
to understand (1/4)
 RQ1: What is the evidence for claims made about listening behavior, listening
processes, and listening barriers in the popular, technical, and academic literatures?
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RQ1 is only asking for collecting data. And it is not clear what the data is needed for.
Source: https://www.listen.org/resources/Documents/White_Paper_PrioritiesResearch.pdf
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to understand (2/4)
 RQ2: What should theories of listening look like, what sort of terms ought they
contain, and what are the specific components of good listening theory?
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RQ2 asks for speculation about a solution and it is not clear to what [problem] it
would be a solution.
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to understand (3/4)
 RQ3: What theories exist to explain listening, broadly speaking, and how well do they
stand to empirical scrutiny?
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RQ3 actually consist of two questions. And it is not clear how these relate.
While in the context of the paper the questions might, or might not, make sense. As
a stand-alone question they might provide the wrong guidance to the novice
researcher.
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Example Research Questions and (potential) weaknesses to
understand (4/4)
Research Statement: “Our proposed project seeks to overcome this barrier by addressing the
following actionable research question: How can existing data and insights into the policy process be
leveraged to inform decision making on where and how to intervene to effectively shift multiple
axes of food systems toward enhancing the sustainability of diets?”
Potential weaknesses to the RQs that you should understand:
It is not clear from the research statement how the interrelations [different colorings] would be
considered in the research, or how they belong (or not) together, or what is the definition of
effectively, and what are the multiple axes?
As a novice: Keep it clear and simple!
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Source: http://css.umich.edu/project/leveraging-existing-data-and-insights-policy-process-accelerate-progress-toward-achieving
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My own thesis – Probation (1/4)
The aim
The overall objective of this research is to contribute to answering the question of whether
or not communication campaigns can be an effective way to influence consumer attitudes
and beliefs to foster behavioural change within the field of energy use and conservation.
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Specific operational questions
What effective communication campaigns, in related or comparable fields, could be
transferred to the area of the rational use of energy for fostering a behavioural change?
In which way would those campaigns need to be modified to be applicable within the area
of rational use of energy and which are the factors to be stressed to foster a behavioural
change?
Could a mismatch between attitudes, beliefs and behaviour, the so-called attitude-
behaviour gap, in terms of the rational use of energy be overcome through communication
campaigns?
What might be the role of local energy agencies, as a local actor and part of a community,
play in the delivery of communication campaigns?

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Related questions
Is there a mismatch between attitudes, beliefs and behaviour in terms of the rational use
of energy, and if so, what factors influence this?
Which attitudes and beliefs most influence consumers’ behaviour in terms of energy
efficient products or services? What evidence is there to suggest that individuals can be
encouraged and assisted to become more responsible in terms of energy use and
conservation?
To what extent do consumers perceive their behaviour contributes to community well
being?

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Three aspects were identified as directly relevant to answering the questions above
Which frameworks exist to understand behavioural change?
What is the perceived relevance of self-efficacy and personal agency within the area of the
rational use of energy?
How could an independent organisation like an energy agency bring added value to a
community based communication campaign?

My own thesis – After Viva (1/4)
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Research aim
The overall aim of this research is to explore how the adoption of more energy efficient
behaviours at home could be encouraged. Within this, a first objective is to provide an
overview of the nature of energy use at home and the factors that influence energy use,
(chapter 2). Subsequently the research investigates whether the same set of factors and
conditions can be found within the empirical study in Portugal, (chapter 6). Secondly, this
research has the objective to advance on the theory of motivating, enabling and reinforcing
factors that could promote the adoption of more energy efficient habitual behaviours and
practices at a household level, (chapter 3), as well as for the Portuguese context, (chapter
7). Thirdly, this research has the objective to explore the potential effectiveness of change
interventions within the field of energy use at home and the different types of
interventions that might be used, (chapter 4) and how those are perceived and evaluated
within the examples of practice in Portugal, (chapter 8).

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Research Questions
Research Question 1: What explains energy use at home?
a) What are the characteristics of energy use at home?
b) What are determinants of energy use at home?
c) How do individuals understand their energy use at home?

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Research Questions
Research Question 2: What influences energy use at home?
a) What are motivational variables for adopting more energy efficient behaviours?
b) What are the barriers for adopting more energy efficient behaviours?
c) How do individual psychological factors influence energy use?

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Research Questions
Research Question 3: What is the potential role of intervention strategies on energy use
at home?
a) What are perceived requirements of intervention strategies?
b) What are individual perceptions on the effectiveness of intervention strategies?

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