Writing a Strong Research Question
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The document outlines guidelines for formulating effective research questions, emphasizing that they should be focused, researchable, feasible, specific, complex, and relevant. It also provides a process for developing a research question, starting from choosing a topic and conducting preliminary reading to identifying a specific problem. Additionally, it highlights the interrelationship between the topic, problem, research question, and the aim of the paper.
Writing a Strong Research Question
- 2. All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or issue Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints Specific enough to answer thoroughly Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
- 3. How to write a research question Choose your topic Do some preliminary reading about the current state of the field Narrow your focus to a specific niche Identify the research problem that you will address
- 4. Using your research problem to develop your research question
- 10. How the topic, problem, research question, and aim of the paper are interrelated
- 11. Deriving a research question from a topic
- 12. Dos and Don'ts
Editor's Notes
- #2: The language of research consists of various associated terms such as theory, hypothesis and variables. The following are the basic terms needed to undertake a simple investigation.
- #3: A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis.
- #4: When choosing a topic, it’s important to consider: Your institution and department’s requirements, your areas of knowledge and interest, The scientific, social, or practical relevance, The availability of data and resources, The timeframe of your dissertation, The relevance of your topic
- #5: Note that while most research questions can be answered with various types of research, the way you frame your question should help determine your choices.
- #6: Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them. The criteria below can help you evaluate the strength of your research question.
- #8: If ready-made solutions are necessary, consider conducting action research instead. Action research is a research method that aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as it is solved.
- #13: Be careful not to pose a research question that is ambiguous.