How to Formulate and Evaluate Your Research Questions

How
to
Formulate
and

Evaluate
Your
Research

Questions

Three
Related
Concepts

•  Topic
:
It
is
the
general
area
of
knowledge
that
interests
you.

For
example,
reading
learning,
innova>ve
art,
hospital
primary

care,
decision
making,
animal
rights,
diﬀeren>al
equa>ons,
etc.

•  Research
Problem:
It
is
what
calls
your
aDen>on
within
the

topic
because
it
seems
not
to
be
working
properly
and

consequently
has
to
be
studied.

•  Research
Ques>on:
:
It
is
what
you
speciﬁcally
want
to

answer
or
test
conduc>ng
a
study.
In
other
words,
the
ques>on

that
states
what
you
will
look
for.

Process
to
Formulate
Your

Research
Questions

List
Topics

Evaluate

Topics

Using

Criteria

Choose

Topic

Iden>fy

Problems

for
the

Topic

Evaluate

Problems

Using

Criteria

Choose

Research

Problem

Iden>fy

What
You

Want
to

Know
or

Test
about

the

Problem

Formulate

the

Research

Ques>on(s)

Evaluate

Research

Ques>on(s)

Using

Criteria

You
can
read
criteria
for
evaluating
topics
and
problems
at:

www.doctoralnet.com
www.slideshare.net/Silvercusa/selectingthe-research-problem-for-your-doctoraldissertation

What
is
a
Research
Question?

•  It
is
what
you
want
to
answer
or
test
in
order
to

solve
the
iden>ﬁed
problem
or
understand
it

beDer.

•  It
is
the
guiding
element
to
make
decisions
on

deepening
literature
review,
choosing
a
valid

research
method,
and
analyzing
ﬁndings.

Elements
of
a
Good
Research

Question

•  The
what,
who,
when,
where,
how,
and
why
of

the
research
study.
The
ﬁrst
four
interroga>ves

relate
to
descrip>on
of
elements
of
the
problem,

the
ﬁQh
to
a
process
of
it,
and
the
last
one
to

causa>on.

•  What
is
intended
to
do
(describe,
explore,

compare,
explain,
or
even
evaluate)

Examples
of
Scripts
for
Research
Questions

Focus of the research •  What/How
____(the

question:
unknown
element)

__

(central
phenomenon)
___

Description of the
(par>cipants)
___(research

elements of the
site/period
of
>me)?

identified problem
1.
What
are
the
digital
wri>ng
tools
more
used
by
Texan
college
students
to
prepare

essays?

2.  How
oQen
do
Bri>sh
police
recruits
ask
for
mentoring
during
their
ﬁrst
year
in
the

force?

3.  How
is
domes>c
violence
perceived
by
Mexican
rural
communi>es?

Examples
of
Scripts
for
Research
Questions

(II)

Focus of the research •  What
_____(unknown

question:
element)__(central

phenomenon)

Exploration of the
__(par>cipants)__(research

elements of the
site/period
of
>me)?

problem
1.  What

diﬀeren>ated
strategies
are
used
to
teach
minori>es
at
elementary
public

schools
in
Dade
county?

2.  What
are
the
opinions
of
Italian
community
leaders
about
current
illegal

immigra>on
from
Africa?

Examples
of
Scripts
for
Research
Questions

(III)

Focus of the research •  What
is/are
the
difference(s)

question:
between/among__(central

phenomenon)

Compare elements of
_(par>cipants)__(research

the problem
site/period
of
>me)?

1.  What
are
the
differences
in
social
network
usage
between
Australian
female

and
male
university
students?

2.  What
is
the
difference
in
percep>on
toward
insurance
among
drivers
of
three

California
coun>es?

Examples
of
Scripts
for
Research
Questions

(IV)

Focus of the research •  What/Why__(unknown

question:
element)__(central

phenomenon)_(par>cipants)_

Explanation of the
(research
site/period
of

problem
>me)?

1.  What
is
the
rela>onship
between
the
teaching
strategy
and
the
scores
high
school

students
achieve
in
the
math
sub-‐test
of
the
TAKS?

2.  Why
do
ﬁrst
year
Bri>sh
policemen
leave
the
force?

Formulate a research question applying

f

one of the scripts presented

•  Specific (what needs to be

answered is clearly and
concisely stated)
•  Key elements are present
(what, who, where, when,
how, and/or why)
•  Answerable (possible to
know what would take to
answer it)
•  Interesting for you and
others
•  Feasible (in terms of time,
costs, skills, required
information, access to it, etc.)
•  Meaningful to you, others,
and the field of study
•  Timely (Is it a hot question
these days ? Is it possible to
generate new directions to
research)
•  Ethical (maintain ethical
standards in relation to
participants, data, and
researcher)

Criteria
to
Evaluate
a

Research
Question

Adapted from:
Green, N. (2008). Formulating and
refining a research question. In
Gilbert, N. (Ed.). Researching social
life. Guildford, UK: University of
Surrey

Apply the criteria to the research
question you formulated

Now
you
know
:

1.  What a research
question is
2.  Its role in the
research process
3.  What elements
should be in a
research question
4.  How to formulate a
research question
5.  How to evaluate its
appropriateness

Thanks
for
Reading

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How to Formulate and Evaluate Your Research Questions

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