-Is the target population narrow or broad?
-Is the target population vulnerable?
-What are the eligibility criteria?
-What is the most appropriate recruitment strategy?
Occasionally, the intended population of the study needs to be modified, in order to overcome any potential ethical issues, and/or for the sake of convenience and feasibility of the project. Yet, the researcher must be aware that the external validity of the results may be compromised. As an illustration, in a randomised clinical trial, authors compared the ease of tracheal tube insertion between C-MAC video laryngoscope and direct laryngoscopy, in patients presenting to the emergency department with an indication of rapid sequence intubation. However, owing to the existence of ethical concerns, a substantial amount of patients requiring emergency tracheal intubation, including patients with major maxillofacial trauma and ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, had to be excluded from the trial.[ 14 ] In fact, the design of prospective studies to explore this subset of patients can be challenging, not only because of ethical considerations, but because of the low incidence of these cases. In another study, Metterlein et al . compared the glottis visualisation among five different supraglottic airway devices, using fibreroptic-guided tracheal intubation in an adult population. Despite that the study was aimed to explore the ease of intubation in patients with anticipated difficult airway (thus requiring fibreoptic tracheal intubation), authors decided to enrol patients undergoing elective laser treatment for genital condylomas, as a strategy to hasten the recruitment process and optimise resources.[ 15 ]
Anaesthetic interventions can be classified into pharmacological (experimental treatment) and nonpharmacological. Among nonpharmacological interventions, the most common include anaesthetic techniques, monitoring instruments and airway devices. For example, it would be appropriate to examine the ease of insertion of Supreme™ LMA, when compared with ProSeal™ LMA. Notwithstanding, a common mistake is the tendency to be focused on the data aimed to be collected (the “stated” objective), rather than the question that needs to be answered (the “latent” objective).[ 1 , 4 ] In one clinical trial, authors stated: “we compared the Supreme™ and ProSeal™ LMAs in infants by measuring their performance characteristics, including insertion features, ventilation parameters, induced changes in haemodynamics, and rates of postoperative complications”.[ 10 ] Here, the research question has been centered on the measurements (insertion characteristics, haemodynamic variables, LMA insertion characteristics, ventilation parameters) rather than the clinical problem that needs to be addressed (is Supreme™ LMA easier to insert than ProSeal™ LMA?).
Comparators in clinical research can also be pharmacological (e.g., gold standard or placebo) or nonpharmacological. Typically, not more than two comparator groups are included in a clinical trial. Multiple comparisons should be generally avoided, unless there is enough statistical power to address the end points of interest, and statistical analyses have been adjusted for multiple testing. For instance, in the aforementioned study of Metterlein et al .,[ 15 ] authors compared five supraglottic airway devices by recruiting only 10--12 participants per group. In spite of the authors' recommendation of using two supraglottic devices based on the results of the study, there was no mention of statistical adjustments for multiple comparisons, and given the small sample size, larger clinical trials will undoubtedly be needed to confirm or refute these findings.[ 15 ]
A clear formulation of the primary outcome results of vital importance in clinical research, as the primary statistical analyses, including the sample size calculation (and therefore, the estimation of the effect size and statistical power), will be derived from the main outcome of interest. While it is clear that using more than one primary outcome would not be appropriate, it would be equally inadequate to include multiple point measurements of the same variable as the primary outcome (e.g., visual analogue scale for pain at 1, 2, 6, and 12 h postoperatively).
Composite outcomes, in which multiple primary endpoints are combined, may make it difficult to draw any conclusions based on the study findings. For example, in a clinical trial, 200 children undergoing ophthalmic surgery were recruited to explore the incidence of respiratory adverse events, when comparing desflurane with sevoflurane, following the removal of flexible LMA during the emergence of the anaesthesia. The primary outcome was the number of respiratory events, including breath holding, coughing, secretions requiring suction, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, and mild desaturation.[ 16 ] Should authors had claimed a significant difference between these anaesthetic volatiles, it would have been important to elucidate whether those differences were due to serious adverse events, like laryngospasm or bronchospasm, or the results were explained by any of the other events (e.g., secretions requiring suction). While it is true that clinical trials evaluating the occurrence of adverse events like laryngospasm/bronchospasm,[ 16 , 17 ] or life-threating complications following a tracheal intubation (e.g., inadvertent oesophageal placement, dental damage or injury of the larynx/pharynx)[ 14 ] are almost invariably underpowered, because the incidence of such events is expected to be low, subjective outcomes like coughing or secretions requiring suction should be avoided, as they are highly dependent on the examiner's criteria.[ 16 ]
Secondary outcomes are useful to document potential side effects (e.g., gastric insufflation after placing a supraglottic device), and evaluate the adherence (say, airway leak pressure) and safety of the intervention (for instance, occurrence, or laryngospasm/bronchospasm).[ 17 ] Nevertheless, the problem of addressing multiple secondary outcomes without the adequate statistical power is habitual in medical literature. A good illustration of this issue can be found in a study evaluating the performance of two supraglottic devices in 50 anaesthetised infants and neonates, whereby authors could not draw any conclusions in regard to potential differences in the occurrence of complications, because the sample size calculated made the study underpowered to explore those differences.[ 17 ]
Among PICOT components, the time frame is the most likely to be omitted or inappropriate.[ 1 , 12 ] There are two key aspects of the time component that need to be clearly specified in the research question: the time of measuring the outcome variables (e.g. visual analogue scale for pain at 1, 2, 6, and 12 h postoperatively), and the duration of each measurement (when indicated). The omission of these details in the study protocol might lead to substantial differences in the methodology used. For instance, if a study is designed to compare the insertion times of three different supraglottic devices, and researchers do not specify the exact moment of LMA insertion in the clinical trial protocol (i.e., at the anaesthetic induction after reaching a BIS index < 60), placing an LMA with insufficient depth of anaesthesia would have compromised the internal validity of the results, because inserting a supraglottic device in those patients would have resulted in failed attempts and longer insertion times.[ 10 ]
A well-elaborated research question may not necessarily be a good question. The proposed study also requires being achievable from both ethical and realistic perspectives, interesting and useful to the clinical practice, and capable to formulate new hypotheses, that may contribute to the generation of knowledge. Researchers have developed an effective way to convey the message of how to build a good research question, that is usually recalled under the acronym of FINER (feasible, interesting, novel, ethical and relevant).[ 5 , 6 , 7 ] Table 2 highlights the main characteristics of FINER criteria.[ 7 ]
Main features of FINER criteria (Feasibility, interest, novelty, ethics, and relevance) to formulate a good research question. Adapted from Cummings et al .[ 7 ]
Component | Criteria |
---|---|
Feasible | -Ensures adequacy of research design -Guarantees adequate funding -Recruits target population strategically -Aims an achievable sample size -Prioritises measurable outcomes -Optimises human and technical resources -Accounts for clinicians commitment -Procures high adherence to the treatment and low rate of dropouts -Opts for appropriate and affordable frame time |
Interesting | -Engages the interest of principal investigators -Attracts the attention of readers -Presents a different perspective of the problem |
Novel | -Provides different findings -Generates new hypotheses -Improves methodological flaws of existing studies -Resolves a gap in the existing literature |
Ethical | -Complies with local ethical committees -Safeguards the main principles of ethical research -Guarantees safety and reversibility of side effects |
Relevant | -Generates new knowledge -Contributes to improve clinical practice -Stimulates further research -Provides an accurate answer to a specific research question |
Although it is clear that any research project should commence with an accurate literature interpretation, in many instances it represents the start and the end of the research: the reader will soon realise that the answer to several questions can be easily found in the published literature.[ 5 ] When the question overcomes the test of a thorough literature review, the project may become novel (there is a gap in the knowledge, and therefore, there is a need for new evidence on the topic) and relevant (the paper may contribute to change the clinical practice). In this context, it is important to distinguish the difference between statistical significance and clinical relevance: in the aforementioned study of Oba et al .,[ 10 ] despite the means of insertion times were reported as significant for the Supreme™ LMA, as compared with ProSeal™ LMA, the difference found in the insertion times (528 vs. 486 sec, respectively), although reported as significant, had little or no clinical relevance.[ 10 ] Conversely, a statistically significant difference of 12 sec might be of clinical relevance in neonates weighing <5 kg.[ 17 ] Thus, statistical tests must be interpreted in the context of a clinically meaningful effect size, which should be previously defined by the researcher.
Among FINER criteria, there are two potential barriers that may prevent the successful conduct of the project and publication of the manuscript: feasibility and ethical aspects. These obstacles are usually related to the target population, as discussed above. Feasibility refers not only to the budget but also to the complexity of the design, recruitment strategy, blinding, adequacy of the sample size, measurement of the outcome, time of follow-up of participants, and commitment of clinicians, among others.[ 3 , 7 ] Funding, as a component of feasibility, may also be implicated in the ethical principles of clinical research, because the choice of the primary study question may be markedly influenced by the specific criteria demanded in the interest of potential funders.
Discussing ethical issues with local committees is compulsory, as rules applied might vary among countries.[ 18 ] Potential risks and benefits need to be carefully weighed, based upon the four principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.[ 19 ] Although many of these issues may be related to the population target (e.g., conducting a clinical trial in patients with ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation would be inappropriate, as would be anaesthetising patients undergoing elective LASER treatment for condylomas, to examine the performance of supraglottic airway devices),[ 14 , 15 ] ethical conflicts may also arise from the intervention (particularly those involving the occurrence of side effects or complications, and their potential for reversibility), comparison (e.g., use of placebo or sham procedures),[ 19 ] outcome (surrogate outcomes should be considered in lieu of long term outcomes), or time frame (e.g., unnecessary longer exposition to an intervention). Thus, FINER criteria should not be conceived without a concomitant examination of the PICOT checklist, and consequently, PICOT framework and FINER criteria should not be seen as separated components, but rather complementary ingredients of a good research question.
Undoubtedly, no research project can be conducted if it is deemed unfeasible, and most institutional review boards would not be in a position to approve a work with major ethical problems. Nonetheless, whether or not the findings are interesting, is a subjective matter. Engaging the attention of readers also depends upon a number of factors, including the manner of presenting the problem, the background of the topic, the intended audience, and the reader's expectations. Furthermore, the interest is usually linked to the novelty and relevance of the topic, and it is worth nothing that editors and peer reviewers of high-impact medical journals are usually reluctant to accept any publication, if there is no novelty inherent to the research hypothesis, or there is a lack of relevance in the results.[ 11 ] Nevertheless, a considerable number of papers have been published without any novelty or relevance in the topic addressed. This is probably reflected in a recent survey, according to which only a third of respondents declared to have read thoroughly the most recent papers downloaded, and at least half of those manuscripts remained unread.[ 20 ] The same study reported that up to one-third of papers examined remained uncited after 5 years of publication, and only 20% of papers accounted for 80% of the citations.[ 20 ]
Formulating a good research question can be fascinating, albeit challenging, even for experienced investigators. While it is clear that clinical experience in combination with the accurate interpretation of literature and teamwork are essential to develop new ideas, the formulation of a clinical problem usually requires the compliance with PICOT framework in conjunction with FINER criteria, in order to translate a clinical dilemma into a researchable question. Working in the right environment with the adequate support of experienced researchers, will certainly make a difference in the generation of knowledge. By doing this, a lot of time will be saved in the search of the primary study question, and undoubtedly, there will be more chances to become a successful researcher.
Conflicts of interest.
There are no conflicts of interest.
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Published on October 26, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 21, 2023.
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 .
All research questions should be:
How to write a research question, what makes a strong research question, using sub-questions to strengthen your main research question, research questions quiz, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research questions.
You can follow these steps to develop a strong research question:
The way you frame your question depends on what your research aims to achieve. The table below shows some examples of how you might formulate questions for different purposes.
Research question formulations | |
---|---|
Describing and exploring | |
Explaining and testing | |
Evaluating and acting | is X |
Example research problem | Example research question(s) |
---|---|
Teachers at the school do not have the skills to recognize or properly guide gifted children in the classroom. | What practical techniques can teachers use to better identify and guide gifted children? |
Young people increasingly engage in the “gig economy,” rather than traditional full-time employment. However, it is unclear why they choose to do so. | What are the main factors influencing young people’s decisions to engage in the gig economy? |
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.
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.
Criteria | Explanation |
---|---|
Focused on a single topic | Your central research question should work together with your research problem to keep your work focused. If you have multiple questions, they should all clearly tie back to your central aim. |
Answerable using | Your question must be answerable using and/or , or by reading scholarly sources on the to develop your argument. If such data is impossible to access, you likely need to rethink your question. |
Not based on value judgements | Avoid subjective words like , , and . These do not give clear criteria for answering the question. |
Criteria | Explanation |
---|---|
Answerable within practical constraints | Make sure you have enough time and resources to do all research required to answer your question. If it seems you will not be able to gain access to the data you need, consider narrowing down your question to be more specific. |
Uses specific, well-defined concepts | All the terms you use in the research question should have clear meanings. Avoid vague language, jargon, and too-broad ideas. |
Does not demand a conclusive solution, policy, or course of action | Research is about informing, not instructing. Even if your project is focused on a practical problem, it should aim to improve understanding rather than demand a ready-made solution. If ready-made solutions are necessary, consider conducting instead. Action research is a research method that aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as it is solved. In other words, as its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time. |
Criteria | Explanation |
---|---|
Cannot be answered with or | Closed-ended, / questions are too simple to work as good research questions—they don’t provide enough for robust investigation and discussion. |
Cannot be answered with easily-found facts | If you can answer the question through a single Google search, book, or article, it is probably not complex enough. A good research question requires original data, synthesis of multiple sources, and original interpretation and argumentation prior to providing an answer. |
Criteria | Explanation |
---|---|
Addresses a relevant problem | Your research question should be developed based on initial reading around your . It should focus on addressing a problem or gap in the existing knowledge in your field or discipline. |
Contributes to a timely social or academic debate | The question should aim to contribute to an existing and current debate in your field or in society at large. It should produce knowledge that future researchers or practitioners can later build on. |
Has not already been answered | You don’t have to ask something that nobody has ever thought of before, but your question should have some aspect of originality. For example, you can focus on a specific location, or explore a new angle. |
Chances are that your main research question likely can’t be answered all at once. That’s why sub-questions are important: they allow you to answer your main question in a step-by-step manner.
Good sub-questions should be:
Here are a few examples of descriptive and framing questions:
Keep in mind that sub-questions are by no means mandatory. They should only be asked if you need the findings to answer your main question. If your main question is simple enough to stand on its own, it’s okay to skip the sub-question part. As a rule of thumb, the more complex your subject, the more sub-questions you’ll need.
Try to limit yourself to 4 or 5 sub-questions, maximum. If you feel you need more than this, it may be indication that your main research question is not sufficiently specific. In this case, it’s is better to revisit your problem statement and try to tighten your main question up.
If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Methodology
Statistics
Research bias
The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .
A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.
As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, it’s important to evaluate sources to assess their relevance. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth.
This involves:
A research hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research question. The research hypothesis usually includes an explanation (“ x affects y because …”).
A statistical hypothesis, on the other hand, is a mathematical statement about a population parameter. Statistical hypotheses always come in pairs: the null and alternative hypotheses . In a well-designed study , the statistical hypotheses correspond logically to the research hypothesis.
Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .
However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. (2023, November 21). Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/
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The first step in any research project is framing the research question. It can be considered the core of any systematic investigation as the research outcomes are tied to asking the right questions. Thus, this primary interrogation point sets the pace for your research as it helps collect relevant and insightful information that ultimately influences your work.
Typically, the research question guides the stages of inquiry, analysis, and reporting. Depending on the use of quantifiable or quantitative data, research questions are broadly categorized into quantitative or qualitative research questions. Both types of research questions can be used independently or together, considering the overall focus and objectives of your research.
A research question is a clear, focused, concise, and arguable question on which your research and writing are centered. 1 It states various aspects of the study, including the population and variables to be studied and the problem the study addresses. These questions also set the boundaries of the study, ensuring cohesion.
Designing the research question is a dynamic process where the researcher can change or refine the research question as they review related literature and develop a framework for the study. Depending on the scale of your research, the study can include single or multiple research questions.
A good research question has the following features:
A poorly formulated research question poses several risks. 1
Now that you know “What is a research question?”, let’s look at the different types of research questions.
Depending on the type of research to be done, research questions can be classified broadly into quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies. Knowing the type of research helps determine the best type of research question that reflects the direction and epistemological underpinnings of your research.
The structure and wording of quantitative 2 and qualitative research 3 questions differ significantly. The quantitative study looks at causal relationships, whereas the qualitative study aims at exploring a phenomenon.
Quantitative research questions can be further categorized into descriptive, comparative, and relationship, as explained in the Table below.
Descriptive research questions | These measure the responses of a study’s population toward a particular question or variable. Common descriptive research questions will begin with “How much?”, “How regularly?”, “What percentage?”, “What time?”, “What is?” Research question example: How often do you buy mobile apps for learning purposes? |
Comparative research questions | These investigate differences between two or more groups for an outcome variable. For instance, the researcher may compare groups with and without a certain variable. Research question example: What are the differences in attitudes towards online learning between visual and Kinaesthetic learners? |
Relationship research questions | These explore and define trends and interactions between two or more variables. These investigate relationships between dependent and independent variables and use words such as “association” or “trends. Research question example: What is the relationship between disposable income and job satisfaction amongst US residents? |
Qualitative research questions are adaptable, non-directional, and more flexible. It concerns broad areas of research or more specific areas of study to discover, explain, or explore a phenomenon. These are further classified as follows:
Exploratory Questions | These question looks to understand something without influencing the results. The aim is to learn more about a topic without attributing bias or preconceived notions. Research question example: What are people’s thoughts on the new government? |
Experiential questions | These questions focus on understanding individuals’ experiences, perspectives, and subjective meanings related to a particular phenomenon. They aim to capture personal experiences and emotions. Research question example: What are the challenges students face during their transition from school to college? |
Interpretive Questions | These questions investigate people in their natural settings to help understand how a group makes sense of shared experiences of a phenomenon. Research question example: How do you feel about ChatGPT assisting student learning? |
Mixed-methods studies use both quantitative and qualitative research questions to answer your research question. Mixed methods provide a complete picture than standalone quantitative or qualitative research, as it integrates the benefits of both methods. Mixed methods research is often used in multidisciplinary settings and complex situational or societal research, especially in the behavioral, health, and social science fields.
A good research question should be clear and focused to guide your research. It should synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument, and should ideally be something that you are interested in. But avoid questions that can be answered in a few factual statements. The following are the main attributes of a good research question.
The importance of research questions cannot be understated. When drafting a research question, use the following frameworks to guide the components of your question to ease the process. 4
Those struggling to understand how to write a research question, these simple steps can help you simplify the process of writing a research question.
Topic selection | Choose a broad topic, such as “learner support” or “social media influence” for your study. Select topics of interest to make research more enjoyable and stay motivated. |
Preliminary research | The goal is to refine and focus your research question. The following strategies can help: Skim various scholarly articles. List subtopics under the main topic. List possible research questions for each subtopic. Consider the scope of research for each of the research questions. Select research questions that are answerable within a specific time and with available resources. If the scope is too large, repeat looking for sub-subtopics. |
Audience | When choosing what to base your research on, consider your readers. For college papers, the audience is academic. Ask yourself if your audience may be interested in the topic you are thinking about pursuing. Determining your audience can also help refine the importance of your research question and focus on items related to your defined group. |
Generate potential questions | Ask open-ended “how?” and “why?” questions to find a more specific research question. Gap-spotting to identify research limitations, problematization to challenge assumptions made by others, or using personal experiences to draw on issues in your industry can be used to generate questions. |
Review brainstormed questions | Evaluate each question to check their effectiveness. Use the FINER model to see if the question meets all the research question criteria. |
Construct the research question | Multiple frameworks, such as PICOT and PEA, are available to help structure your research question. The frameworks listed below can help you with the necessary information for generating your research question. |
Framework | Attributes of each framework |
FINER | Feasible Interesting Novel Ethical Relevant |
PICOT | Population or problem Intervention or indicator being studied Comparison group Outcome of interest Time frame of the study |
PEO | Population being studied Exposure to preexisting conditions Outcome of interest |
The following are some bad and good research question examples
Unclear: How does social media affect student growth? |
Clear: What effect does the daily use of Twitter and Facebook have on the career development goals of students? |
Explanation: The first research question is unclear because of the vagueness of “social media” as a concept and the lack of specificity. The second question is specific and focused, and its answer can be discovered through data collection and analysis. |
Simple: Has there been an increase in the number of gifted children identified? |
Complex: What practical techniques can teachers use to identify and guide gifted children better? |
Explanation: A simple “yes” or “no” statement easily answers the first research question. The second research question is more complicated and requires the researcher to collect data, perform in-depth data analysis, and form an argument that leads to further discussion. |
References:
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Last updated
7 February 2023
Reviewed by
Miroslav Damyanov
In this article, we take an in-depth look at what a research question is, the different types of research questions, and how to write one (with examples). Read on to get started with your thesis, dissertation, or research paper .
Dovetail streamlines research to help you uncover and share actionable insights
A research question articulates exactly what you want to learn from your research. It stems directly from your research objectives, and you will arrive at an answer through data analysis and interpretation.
However, it is not that simple to write a research question—even when you know the question you intend to answer with your study. The main characteristics of a good research question are:
Feasible. You need to have the resources and abilities to examine the question, collect the data, and give answers.
Interesting. Create research questions that offer fascinating insights into your industry.
Novel. Research questions have to offer something new within your field of study.
Ethical. The research question topic should be approved by the relevant authorities and review boards.
Relevant. Your research question should lead to visible changes in society or your industry.
Usually, you write one single research question to guide your entire research paper. The answer becomes the thesis statement—the central position of your argument. A dissertation or thesis, on the other hand, may require multiple problem statements and research questions. However, they should be connected and focused on a specific problem.
A research question acts as a guide for your entire study. It serves two vital purposes:
to determine the specific issue your research paper addresses
to identify clear objectives
Therefore, it helps split your research into small steps that you need to complete to provide answers.
Your research question will also provide boundaries for your study, which help set limits and ensure cohesion.
Finally, it acts as a frame of reference for assessing your work. Bear in mind that research questions can evolve, shift, and change during the early stages of your study or project.
The type of research you are conducting will dictate the type of research question to use. Primarily, research questions are grouped into three distinct categories of study:
qualitative
quantitative
mixed-method
Let’s look at each of these in turn:
The number-one rule of quantitative research questions is that they are precise. They mainly include:
independent and dependent variables
the exact population being studied
the research design to be used
Therefore, you must frame and finalize quantitative research questions before starting the study.
Equally, a quantitative research question creates a link between itself and the research design. These questions cannot be answered with simple 'yes' or' no' responses, so they begin with words like 'does', 'do', 'are', and 'is'.
Quantitative research questions can be divided into three categories:
Relationship research questions usually leverage words such as 'trends' and 'association' because they include independent and dependent variables. They seek to define or explore trends and interactions between multiple variables.
Comparative research questions tend to analyze the differences between different groups to find an outcome variable. For instance, you may decide to compare two distinct groups where a specific variable is present in one and absent in the other.
Descriptive research questions usually start with the word 'what' and aim to measure how a population will respond to one or more variables.
Like quantitative research questions, these questions are linked to the research design. However, qualitative research questions may deal with a specific or broad study area. This makes them more flexible, very adaptable, and usually non-directional.
Use qualitative research questions when your primary aim is to explain, discover, or explore.
There are seven types of qualitative research questions:
Explanatory research questions investigate particular topic areas that aren't well known.
Contextual research questions describe the workings of what is already in existence.
Evaluative research questions examine the effectiveness of specific paradigms or methods.
Ideological research questions aim to advance existing ideologies.
Descriptive research questions describe an event.
Generative research questions help develop actions and theories by providing new ideas.
Emancipatory research questions increase social action engagement, usually to benefit disadvantaged people.
With mixed-methods studies, you combine qualitative and quantitative research elements to get answers to your research question. This approach is ideal when you need a more complete picture. through a blend of the two approaches.
Mixed-methods research is excellent in multidisciplinary settings, societal analysis, and complex situations. Consider the following research question examples, which would be ideal candidates for a mixed-methods approach
How can non-voter and voter beliefs about democracy (qualitative) help explain Town X election turnout patterns (quantitative)?
How does students’ perception of their study environment (quantitative) relate to their test score differences (qualitative)?
Research questions help break up your study into simple steps so you can quickly achieve your objectives and find answers. However, how do you develop a good research question? Here is our step-by-step guide:
The first step is to select a broad research topic for your study. Pick something within your expertise and field that interests you. After all, the research itself will stem from the initial research question.
Once you have a broad topic, dig deeper into the problem by researching past studies in the field and gathering requirements from stakeholders if you work in a business setting.
Through this process, you will discover articles that mention areas not explored in that field or products that didn’t resonate with people’s expectations in a particular industry. For instance, you could explore specific topics that earlier research failed to study or products that failed to meet user needs.
Is your audience interested in the particular field you want to study? Are the research questions in your mind appealing and interesting to the audience? Defining your audience will help you refine your research question and ensure you pick a question that is relatable to your audience.
Ask yourself numerous open-ended questions on the topic to create a potential list of research questions. You could start with broader questions and narrow them down to more specific ones. Don’t forget that you can challenge existing assumptions or use personal experiences to redefine research issues.
Evaluate your list of potential questions to determine which seems most effective. Ensure you consider the finer details of every question and possible outcomes. Doing this helps you determine if the questions meet the requirements of a research question.
Consider these two frameworks when constructing a good research question: PICOT and PEO.
PICOT stands for:
P: Problem or population
I: Indicator or intervention to be studied
C: Comparison groups
O: Outcome of interest
T: Time frame
PEO stands for:
P: Population being studied
E: Exposure to any preexisting conditions
To evaluate your research question once you’ve constructed it, ask yourself the following questions:
Your study should produce precise data and observations. For qualitative studies, the observations need to be delineable across categories. Quantitative studies must have measurable and empirical data.
An excellent research question must be specific enough to ensure your testing yields objective results. General or open-ended research questions are often ambiguous and subject to different kinds of interpretation.
Your research needs to yield substantial and consequential results to warrant the study. Merely supporting or reinforcing an existing paper is not good enough.
A robust research question actively contributes to a specific body of knowledge; it is a question that hasn’t been answered before within your research field.
Here are some examples of good and bad research questions :
Good: How effective are A and B policies at reducing the rates of Z?
Bad: Is A or B a better policy?
The first is more focused and researchable because it isn't based on value judgment. The second fails to give clear criteria for answering the question.
Good: What is the effect of daily Twitter use on the attention span of college students?
Bad: What is the effect of social media use on people's minds?
The first includes specific and well-defined concepts, which the second lacks.
Ensure all terms within your research question have precise meanings. Avoid vague or general language that makes the topic too broad.
The success of any research starts with formulating the right questions that ensure you collect the most insightful data. A good research question will showcase the objectives of your systematic investigation and emphasize specific contexts.
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Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey
A sound and effective research question is a key element that must be identified and pinned down before researchers can even begin their research study or work. A strong research question lays the foundation for your entire study, guiding your investigation and shaping your findings. Hence, it is critical that researchers spend considerable time assessing and refining the research question based on in-depth reading and comprehensive literature review. In this article, we will discuss how to write a strong research question and provide you with some good examples of research questions across various disciplines.
Table of Contents
A research question plays a crucial role in driving scientific inquiry, setting the direction and purpose of your study, and guiding your entire research process. By formulating a clear and focused research question, you lay the foundation for your investigation, ensuring that your research remains on track and aligned with your objectives so you can make meaningful contribution to the existing body of knowledge. A well-crafted research question also helps you define the scope of your study and identify the appropriate methodologies and data collection techniques to employ.
A good research question possesses several key components that contribute to the quality and impact of your study. Apart from providing a clear framework to generate meaningful results, a well-defined research question allows other researchers to understand the purpose and significance of your work. So, when working on your research question, incorporate the following elements:
A first step that will help save time and effort is knowing what your aims are and thinking about a few problem statements on the area or aspect one wants to study or do research on. Contemplating these statements as one undertakes more progressive reading can help the researcher in reassessing and fine-tuning the research question. This can be done over time as they read and learn more about the research topic, along with a broad literature review and parallel discussions with peer researchers and supervisors. In some cases, a researcher can have more than one research question if the research being undertaken is a PhD thesis or dissertation, but try not to cover multiple concerns on a topic.
A strong research question must be researchable, original, complex, and relevant. Here are five simple steps that can make the entire process easier.
Remember to adapt your research question to suit your purpose, whether it’s exploratory, descriptive, comparative, experimental, qualitative, or quantitative. Embrace the iterative nature of the research process, continually evaluating and refining your question as you progress. Here are some good examples of research questions across various disciplines.
Exploratory research question examples
Descriptive research question examples
Comparative research question examples
Experimental research question examples
Qualitative research question examples
Quantitative research question examples
With these simple guidelines and inspiring examples of research questions, you are equipped to embark on your research journey with confidence and purpose. Here’s wishing you all the best for your future endeavors!
References:
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25+ Practical Examples & Ideas To Help You Get Started
By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | October 2023
A well-crafted research question (or set of questions) sets the stage for a robust study and meaningful insights. But, if you’re new to research, it’s not always clear what exactly constitutes a good research question. In this post, we’ll provide you with clear examples of quality research questions across various disciplines, so that you can approach your research project with confidence!
Let’s start by looking at some examples of research questions that you might encounter within the discipline of psychology.
How does sleep quality affect academic performance in university students?
This question is specific to a population (university students) and looks at a direct relationship between sleep and academic performance, both of which are quantifiable and measurable variables.
What factors contribute to the onset of anxiety disorders in adolescents?
The question narrows down the age group and focuses on identifying multiple contributing factors. There are various ways in which it could be approached from a methodological standpoint, including both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Do mindfulness techniques improve emotional well-being?
This is a focused research question aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific intervention.
How does early childhood trauma impact adult relationships?
This research question targets a clear cause-and-effect relationship over a long timescale, making it focused but comprehensive.
Is there a correlation between screen time and depression in teenagers?
This research question focuses on an in-demand current issue and a specific demographic, allowing for a focused investigation. The key variables are clearly stated within the question and can be measured and analysed (i.e., high feasibility).
Next, let’s look at some examples of well-articulated research questions within the business and management realm.
How do leadership styles impact employee retention?
This is an example of a strong research question because it directly looks at the effect of one variable (leadership styles) on another (employee retention), allowing from a strongly aligned methodological approach.
What role does corporate social responsibility play in consumer choice?
Current and precise, this research question can reveal how social concerns are influencing buying behaviour by way of a qualitative exploration.
Does remote work increase or decrease productivity in tech companies?
Focused on a particular industry and a hot topic, this research question could yield timely, actionable insights that would have high practical value in the real world.
How do economic downturns affect small businesses in the homebuilding industry?
Vital for policy-making, this highly specific research question aims to uncover the challenges faced by small businesses within a certain industry.
Which employee benefits have the greatest impact on job satisfaction?
By being straightforward and specific, answering this research question could provide tangible insights to employers.
Next, let’s look at some potential research questions within the education, training and development domain.
How does class size affect students’ academic performance in primary schools?
This example research question targets two clearly defined variables, which can be measured and analysed relatively easily.
Do online courses result in better retention of material than traditional courses?
Timely, specific and focused, answering this research question can help inform educational policy and personal choices about learning formats.
What impact do US public school lunches have on student health?
Targeting a specific, well-defined context, the research could lead to direct changes in public health policies.
To what degree does parental involvement improve academic outcomes in secondary education in the Midwest?
This research question focuses on a specific context (secondary education in the Midwest) and has clearly defined constructs.
What are the negative effects of standardised tests on student learning within Oklahoma primary schools?
This research question has a clear focus (negative outcomes) and is narrowed into a very specific context.
Shifting to a different field, let’s look at some examples of research questions within the healthcare space.
What are the most effective treatments for chronic back pain amongst UK senior males?
Specific and solution-oriented, this research question focuses on clear variables and a well-defined context (senior males within the UK).
How do different healthcare policies affect patient satisfaction in public hospitals in South Africa?
This question is has clearly defined variables and is narrowly focused in terms of context.
Which factors contribute to obesity rates in urban areas within California?
This question is focused yet broad, aiming to reveal several contributing factors for targeted interventions.
Does telemedicine provide the same perceived quality of care as in-person visits for diabetes patients?
Ideal for a qualitative study, this research question explores a single construct (perceived quality of care) within a well-defined sample (diabetes patients).
Which lifestyle factors have the greatest affect on the risk of heart disease?
This research question aims to uncover modifiable factors, offering preventive health recommendations.
Last but certainly not least, let’s look at a few examples of research questions within the computer science world.
What are the perceived risks of cloud-based storage systems?
Highly relevant in our digital age, this research question would align well with a qualitative interview approach to better understand what users feel the key risks of cloud storage are.
Which factors affect the energy efficiency of data centres in Ohio?
With a clear focus, this research question lays a firm foundation for a quantitative study.
How do TikTok algorithms impact user behaviour amongst new graduates?
While this research question is more open-ended, it could form the basis for a qualitative investigation.
What are the perceived risk and benefits of open-source software software within the web design industry?
Practical and straightforward, the results could guide both developers and end-users in their choices.
In this post, we’ve tried to provide a wide range of research question examples to help you get a feel for what research questions look like in practice. That said, it’s important to remember that these are just examples and don’t necessarily equate to good research topics . If you’re still trying to find a topic, check out our topic megalist for inspiration.
This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...
Research ideas on Political Science
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Academic writing and research require a distinct focus and direction. A well-designed research question gives purpose and clarity to your research. In addition, it helps your readers understand the issue you are trying to address and explore.
Every time you want to know more about a subject, you will pose a question. The same idea is used in research as well. You must pose a question in order to effectively address a research problem. That's why the research question is an integral part of the research process. Additionally, it offers the author writing and reading guidelines, be it qualitative research or quantitative research.
In your research paper , you must single out just one issue or problem. The specific issue or claim you wish to address should be included in your thesis statement in order to clarify your main argument.
A good research question must have the following characteristics.
While a larger project, like a thesis, might have several research questions to address, each one should be directed at your main area of study. Of course, you can use different research designs and research methods (qualitative research or quantitative research) to address various research questions. However, they must all be pertinent to the study's objectives.
A research question is an inquiry that the research attempts to answer. It is the heart of the systematic investigation. Research questions are the most important step in any research project. In essence, it initiates the research project and establishes the pace for the specific research A research question is:
A good research question usually focuses on the research and determines the research design, methodology, and hypothesis. It guides all phases of inquiry, data collection, analysis, and reporting. You should gather valuable information by asking the right questions.
Regardless of whether it is a qualitative research or quantitative research project, research questions provide writers and their audience with a way to navigate the writing and research process. Writers can avoid "all-about" papers by asking straightforward and specific research questions that help them focus on their research and support a specific thesis.
There are two types of research: Qualitative research and Quantitative research . There must be research questions for every type of research. Your research question will be based on the type of research you want to conduct and the type of data collection.
The first step in designing research involves identifying a gap and creating a focused research question.
Below is a list of common research questions that can be used in a dissertation. Keep in mind that these are merely illustrations of typical research questions used in dissertation projects. The real research questions themselves might be more difficult.
Research Question Type | Question |
Descriptive | What are the properties of A? |
Comparative | What are the similarities and distinctions between A and B? |
Correlational | What can you do to correlate variables A and B? |
Exploratory | What factors affect the rate of C's growth? Are A and B also influencing C? |
Explanatory | What are the causes for C? What does A do to B? What's causing D? |
Evaluation | What is the impact of C? What role does B have? What are the benefits and drawbacks of A? |
Action-Based | What can you do to improve X? |
The following are a few examples of research questions and research problems to help you understand how research questions can be created for a particular research problem.
Problem | Question |
Due to poor revenue collection, a small-sized company ('A') in the UK cannot allocate a marketing budget next year. | What practical steps can the company take to increase its revenue? |
Many graduates are now working as freelancers even though they have degrees from well-respected academic institutions. But what's the reason these young people choose to work in this field? | Why do fresh graduates choose to work for themselves rather than full-time? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy? What do age, gender, and academic qualifications do with people's perceptions of freelancing? |
You can focus on the issue or research gaps you're attempting to solve by using the research questions as a direction.
If you're unsure how to go about writing a good research question, these are the steps to follow in the process:
Also: ChatPDF vs. SciSpace Copilot: Unveiling the best tool for your research
Additionally, use this list of questions as a guide when formulating your research question.
Are you able to answer a specific research question? After identifying a gap in research, it would be helpful to formulate the research question. And this will allow the research to solve a part of the problem. Is your research question clear and centered on the main topic? It is important that your research question should be specific and related to your central goal. Are you tackling a difficult research question? It is not possible to answer the research question with a simple yes or no. The problem requires in-depth analysis. It is often started with "How" and "Why."
Start your research Once you have completed your dissertation research questions, it is time to review the literature on similar topics to discover different perspectives.
Uncertain: How should social networking sites work on the hatred that flows through their platform?
Certain: What should social media sites like Twitter or Facebook do to address the harm they are causing?
This unclear question does not specify the social networking sites that are being used or what harm they might be causing. In addition, this question assumes that the "harm" has been proven and/or accepted. This version is more specific and identifies the sites (Twitter, Facebook), the type and extent of harm (privacy concerns), and who might be suffering from that harm (users). Effective research questions should not be ambiguous or interpreted.
Unfocused: What are the effects of global warming on the environment?
Focused: What are the most important effects of glacial melting in Antarctica on penguins' lives?
This broad research question cannot be addressed in a book, let alone a college-level paper. Focused research targets a specific effect of global heating (glacial melting), an area (Antarctica), or a specific animal (penguins). The writer must also decide which effect will have the greatest impact on the animals affected. If in doubt, narrow down your research question to the most specific possible.
Too Simple: What are the U.S. doctors doing to treat diabetes?
Appropriately complex: Which factors, if any, are most likely to predict a person's risk of developing diabetes?
This simple version can be found online. It is easy to answer with a few facts. The second, more complicated version of this question is divided into two parts. It is thought-provoking and requires extensive investigation as well as evaluation by the author. So, ensure that a quick Google search should not answer your research question.
The foundation of all research is the research question. You should therefore spend as much time as necessary to refine your research question based on various data.
You can conduct your research more efficiently and analyze your results better if you have great research questions for your dissertation, research paper , or essay .
The following criteria can help you evaluate the strength and importance of your research question and can be used to determine the strength of your research question:
Research questions provide a clear guideline for research. One research question may be part of a larger project, such as a dissertation. However, each question should only focus on one topic.
Research questions must be answerable, practical, specific, and applicable to your field. The research type that you use to base your research questions on will determine the research topic. You can start by selecting an interesting topic and doing preliminary research. Then, you can begin asking questions, evaluating your questions, and start your research.
Now it's easier than ever to streamline your research workflow with SciSpace ResearchGPT . Its integrated, comprehensive end-to-end platform for research allows scholars to easily discover, read, write and publish their research and fosters collaboration.
Successful translation of research begins with a strong question. How do you get started? How do good research questions evolve? And where do you find inspiration to generate good questions in the first place? It’s helpful to understand existing frameworks, guidelines, and standards, as well as hear from researchers who utilize these strategies in their own work.
In the fall and winter of 2020, Naomi Fisher, MD, conducted 10 interviews with clinical and translational researchers at Harvard University and affiliated academic healthcare centers, with the purpose of capturing their experiences developing good research questions. The researchers featured in this project represent various specialties, drawn from every stage of their careers. Below you will find clips from their interviews and additional resources that highlight how to get started, as well as helpful frameworks and factors to consider. Additionally, visit the Advice & Growth section to hear candid advice and explore the Process in Practice section to hear how researchers have applied these recommendations to their published research.
Play Junichi Tokuda video
Play Ursula Kaiser video
Start Successfully Resources
Ideation in Device Development: Finding Clinical Need Josh Tolkoff, MS A lecture explaining the critical importance of identifying a compelling clinical need before embarking on a research project. Play Ideation in Device Development video .
Radical Innovation Jeff Karp, PhD This ThinkResearch podcast episode focuses on one researcher’s approach using radical simplicity to break down big problems and questions. Play Radical Innovation .
Using Healthcare Data: How can Researchers Come up with Interesting Questions? Anupam Jena, MD, PhD Another ThinkResearch podcast episode addresses how to discover good research questions by using a backward design approach which involves analyzing big data and allowing the research question to unfold from findings. Play Using Healthcare Data .
Play video of Clare Tempany-Afdhal
Play Elliott Israel video
Frameworks and Structure Resources
Designing Clinical Research Hulley et al. A comprehensive and practical guide to clinical research, including the FINER framework for evaluating research questions. Learn more about the book .
Translational Medicine Library Guide Queens University Library An introduction to popular frameworks for research questions, including FINER and PICO. Review translational medicine guide .
Asking a Good T3/T4 Question Niteesh K. Choudhry, MD, PhD This video explains the PICO framework in practice as participants in a workshop propose research questions that compare interventions. Play Asking a Good T3/T4 Question video
Introduction to Designing & Conducting Mixed Methods Research An online course that provides a deeper dive into mixed methods’ research questions and methodologies. Learn more about the course
Network & Support Resource
Bench-to-bedside, Bedside-to-bench Christopher Gibbons, MD In this lecture, Gibbons shares his experience of bringing research from bench to bedside, and from bedside to bench. His talk highlights the formation and evolution of research questions based on clinical need. Play Bench-to-bedside.
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Written by Scribendi
So, you've got a research grant in your sights or you've been admitted to your school of choice, and you now have to write up a proposal for the work you want to perform. You know your topic, have done some reading, and you've got a nice quiet place where nobody will bother you while you try to decide where you'll go from here. The question looms:
Your research question will be your focus, the sentence you refer to when you need to remember why you're researching. It will encapsulate what drives you and be something your field needs an answer for but doesn't have yet.
Whether it seeks to describe a phenomenon, compare things, or show how one variable influences another, a research question always does the same thing: it guides research that will be judged based on how well it addresses the question.
So, what makes a research question good or bad? This article will provide examples of good and bad research questions and use them to illustrate both of their common characteristics so that you can evaluate your research question and improve it to suit your needs.
At the start of your research paper, you might be wondering, "What is a good research question?"
A good research question focuses on one researchable problem relevant to your subject area.
To write a research paper , first make sure you have a strong, relevant topic. Then, conduct some preliminary research around that topic. It's important to complete these two initial steps because your research question will be formulated based on this research.
With this in mind, let's review the steps that help us write good research questions.
When selecting a topic to form a good research question, it helps to start broad. What topics interest you most? It helps when you care about the topic you're researching!
Have you seen a movie recently that you enjoyed? How about a news story? If you can't think of anything, research different topics on Google to see which ones intrigue you the most and can apply to your assignment.
Also, before settling on a research topic, make sure it's relevant to your subject area or to society as a whole. This is an important aspect of developing your research question, because, in general, your research should add value to existing knowledge .
Now that you've chosen a broad but relevant topic for your paper, research it thoroughly to see which avenues you might want to explore further.
For example, let's say you decide on the broad topic of search engines. During this research phase, try skimming through sources that are unbiased, current, and relevant, such as academic journals or sources in your university library.
Check out: 21 Legit Research Databases for Free Articles in 2022
Pay close attention to the subtopics that come up during research, such as the following: Which search engines are the most commonly used? Why do some search engines dominate specific regions? How do they really work or affect the research of scientists and scholars?
Be on the lookout for any gaps or limitations in the research. Identifying the groups or demographics that are most affected by your topic is also helpful, in case that's relevant to your work.
Now that you've spent some time researching your broad topic, it's time to narrow it down to one specific subject. A topic like search engines is much too broad to develop a research paper around. What specifically about search engines could you explore?
When refining your topic, be careful not to be either too narrow or too broad. You can ask yourself the following questions during this phase:
Can I cover this topic within the scope of my paper, or would it require longer, heavier research? (In this case, you'd need to be more specific.)
Conversely, is there not enough research about my topic to write a paper? (In this case, you'd need to be broader.)
Keep these things in mind as you narrow down your topic. You can always expand your topic later if you have the time and research materials.
When narrowing down your topic, it helps to identify a single issue or problem on which to base your research. Ask open-ended questions, such as why is this topic important to you or others? Essentially, have you identified the answer to "so what"?
For example, after asking these questions about our search engine topic, we might focus only on the issue of how search engines affect research in a specific field. Or, more specifically, how search engine algorithms manipulate search results and prevent us from finding the critical research we need.
Asking these "so what" questions will help us brainstorm examples of research questions we can ask in our field of study.
Now that you have your main issue or problem, it's time to write your research question. Do this by reviewing your topic's big problem and formulating a question that your research will answer.
For example, ask, "so what?" about your search engine topic. You might realize that the bigger issue is that you, as a researcher, aren't getting the relevant information you need from search engines.
How can we use this information to develop a research question? We might phrase the research question as follows:
"What effect does the Google search engine algorithm have on online research conducted in the field of neuroscience?"
Note how specific we were with the type of search engine, the field of study, and the research method. It's also important to remember that your research question should not have an easy yes or no answer. It should be a question with a complex answer that can be discovered through research and analysis.
Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, how to find good research topics for your research.
It can be fun to browse a myriad of research topics for your paper, but there are a few important things to keep in mind.
First, make sure you've understood your assignment. You don't want to pick a topic that's not relevant to the assignment goal. Your instructor can offer good topic suggestions as well, so if you get stuck, ask them!
Next, try to search for a broad topic that interests you. Starting broad gives you more options to work with. Some research topic examples include infectious diseases, European history, and smartphones .
Then, after some research, narrow your topic to something specific by extracting a single element from that subject. This could be a current issue on that topic, a major question circulating around that topic, or a specific region or group of people affected by that topic.
It's important that your research topic is focused. Focus lets you clearly demonstrate your understanding of the topic with enough details and examples to fit the scope of your project.
For example, if Jane Austen is your research topic, that might be too broad for a five-page paper! However, you could narrow it down to a single book by Austen or a specific perspective.
To keep your research topic focused, try creating a mind map. This is where you put your broad topic in a circle and create a few circles around it with similar ideas that you uncovered during your research.
Mind maps can help you visualize the connections between topics and subtopics. This could help you simplify the process of eliminating broad or uninteresting topics or help you identify new relationships between topics that you didn't previously notice.
Keeping your research topic focused will help you when it comes to writing your research question!
A researchable question should have enough available sources to fill the scope of your project without being overwhelming. If you find that the research is never-ending, you're going to be very disappointed at the end of your paper—because you won't be able to fit everything in! If you are in this fix, your research question is still too broad.
Search for your research topic's keywords in trusted sources such as journals, research databases , or dissertations in your university library. Then, assess whether the research you're finding is feasible and realistic to use.
If there's too much material out there, narrow down your topic by industry, region, or demographic. Conversely, if you don't find enough research on your topic, you'll need to go broader. Try choosing two works by two different authors instead of one, or try choosing three poems by a single author instead of one.
Make sure that the topic for your research question is a reasonable one to pursue. This means it's something that can be completed within your timeframe and offers a new perspective on the research.
Research topics often end up being summaries of a topic, but that's not the goal. You're looking for a way to add something relevant and new to the topic you're exploring. To do so, here are two ways to uncover strong, reasonable research topics as you conduct your preliminary research:
Check the ends of journal articles for sections with questions for further discussion. These make great research topics because they haven't been explored!
Check the sources of articles in your research. What points are they bringing up? Is there anything new worth exploring? Sometimes, you can use sources to expand your research and more effectively narrow your topic.
For your research topic to stand on its own, it should be specific. This means that it shouldn't be easily mistaken for another topic that's already been written about.
If you are writing about a topic that has been written about, such as consumer trust, it should be distinct from everything that's been written about consumer trust so far.
There is already a lot of research done on consumer trust in specific products or services in the US. Your research topic could focus on consumer trust in products and services in a different region, such as a developing country.
If your research feels similar to existing articles, make sure to drive home the differences.
Whether it's developed for a thesis or another assignment, a good research topic question should be complex enough to let you expand on it within the scope of your paper.
For example, let's say you took our advice on researching a topic you were interested in, and that topic was a new Bridezilla reality show. But when you began to research it, you couldn't find enough information on it, or worse, you couldn't find anything scholarly.
In short, Bridezilla reality shows aren't complex enough to build your paper on. Instead of broadening the topic to all reality TV shows, which might be too overwhelming, you might consider choosing a topic about wedding reality TV shows specifically.
This would open you up to more research that could be complex enough to write a paper on without being too overwhelming or narrow.
Because research papers aim to contribute to existing research that's already been explored, the relevance of your topic within your subject area can't be understated.
Your research topic should be relevant enough to advance understanding in a specific area of study and build on what's already been researched. It shouldn't duplicate research or try to add to it in an irrelevant way.
For example, you wouldn't choose a research topic like malaria transmission in Northern Siberia if the mosquito that transmits malaria lives in Africa. This research topic simply isn't relevant to the typical location where malaria is transmitted, and the research could be considered a waste of resources.
The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.
–Thomas Berger
First, a bit of clarification: While there are constants among research questions, no matter what you're writing about, you will use different standards for the humanities and social sciences than for hard sciences, such as chemistry. The former depends on subjectivity and the perspective of the researcher, while the latter requires answers that must be empirically tested and replicable.
For instance, if you research Charles Dickens' writing influences, you will have to explain your stance and observations to the reader before supporting them with evidence. If you research improvements in superconductivity in room-temperature material, the reader will not only need to understand and believe you but also duplicate your work to confirm that you are correct.
Research questions help you clarify the path your research will take. They are answered in your research paper and usually stated in the introduction.
There are two main types of research—qualitative and quantitative.
If you're conducting quantitative research, it means you're collecting numerical, quantifiable data that can be measured, such as statistical information.
Qualitative research aims to understand experiences or phenomena, so you're collecting and analyzing non-numerical data, such as case studies or surveys.
The structure and content of your research question will change depending on the type of research you're doing. However, the definition and goal of a research question remains the same: a specific, relevant, and focused inquiry that your research answers.
Below, we'll explore research question examples for different types of research.
Comparative research questions are designed to determine whether two or more groups differ based on a dependent variable. These questions allow researchers to uncover similarities and differences between the groups tested.
Because they compare two groups with a dependent variable, comparative research questions usually start with "What is the difference in…"
A strong comparative research question example might be the following:
"What is the difference in the daily caloric intake of American men and women?" ( Source .)
In the above example, the dependent variable is daily caloric intake and the two groups are American men and women.
A poor comparative research example might not aim to explore the differences between two groups or it could be too easily answered, as in the following example:
"Does daily caloric intake affect American men and women?"
Always ensure that your comparative research question is focused on a comparison between two groups based on a dependent variable.
Descriptive research questions help you gather data about measurable variables. Typically, researchers asking descriptive research questions aim to explain how, why, or what.
These research questions tend to start with the following:
What percentage?
How likely?
What proportion?
For example, a good descriptive research question might be as follows:
"What percentage of college students have felt depressed in the last year?" ( Source .)
A poor descriptive research question wouldn't be as precise. This might be something similar to the following:
"What percentage of teenagers felt sad in the last year?"
The above question is too vague, and the data would be overwhelming, given the number of teenagers in the world. Keep in mind that specificity is key when it comes to research questions!
Correlational research measures the statistical relationship between two variables, with no influence from any other variable. The idea is to observe the way these variables interact with one another. If one changes, how is the other affected?
When it comes to writing a correlational research question, remember that it's all about relationships. Your research would encompass the relational effects of one variable on the other.
For example, having an education (variable one) might positively or negatively correlate with the rate of crime (variable two) in a specific city. An example research question for this might be written as follows:
"Is there a significant negative correlation between education level and crime rate in Los Angeles?"
A bad correlational research question might not use relationships at all. In fact, correlational research questions are often confused with causal research questions, which imply cause and effect. For example:
"How does the education level in Los Angeles influence the crime rate?"
The above question wouldn't be a good correlational research question because the relationship between Los Angeles and the crime rate is already inherent in the question—we are already assuming the education level in Los Angeles affects the crime rate in some way.
Be sure to use the right format if you're writing a correlational research question.
Ask the right questions, and the answers will always reveal themselves.
–Oprah Winfrey
If finding the right research question was easy, doing research would be much simpler. However, research does not provide useful information if the questions have easy answers (because the questions are too simple, narrow, or general) or answers that cannot be reached at all (because the questions have no possible answer, are too costly to answer, or are too broad in scope).
For a research question to meet scientific standards, its answer cannot consist solely of opinion (even if the opinion is popular or logically reasoned) and cannot simply be a description of known information.
However, an analysis of what currently exists can be valuable, provided that there is enough information to produce a useful analysis. If a scientific research question offers results that cannot be tested, measured, or duplicated, it is ineffective.
Here are examples of bad research questions with brief explanations of what makes them ineffective for the purpose of research.
"What's red and bad for your teeth?"
This question has an easy, definitive answer (a brick), is too vague (What shade of red? How bad?), and isn't productive.
"Do violent video games cause players to act violently?"
This question also requires a definitive answer (yes or no), does not invite critical analysis, and allows opinion to influence or provide the answer.
"How many people were playing balalaikas while living in Moscow on July 8, 2019?"
This question cannot be answered without expending excessive amounts of time, money, and resources. It is also far too specific. Finally, it doesn't seek new insight or information, only a number that has no conceivable purpose.
The quality of a question is not judged by its complexity but by the complexity of thinking it provokes.
–Joseph O'Connor
What makes a good research question? A good research question topic is clear and focused. If the reader has to waste time wondering what you mean, you haven't phrased it effectively.
It also needs to be interesting and relevant, encouraging the reader to come along with you as you explain how you reached an answer.
Finally, once you explain your answer, there should be room for astute or interested readers to use your question as a basis to conduct their own research. If there is nothing for you to say in your conclusion beyond "that's the truth," then you're setting up your research to be challenged.
Here are some examples of good research questions. Take a look at the reasoning behind their effectiveness.
"What are the long-term effects of using activated charcoal in place of generic toothpaste for routine dental care?"
This question is specific enough to prevent digressions, invites measurable results, and concerns information that is both useful and interesting. Testing could be conducted in a reasonable time frame, without excessive cost, and would allow other researchers to follow up, regardless of the outcome.
"Why do North American parents feel that violent video game content has a negative influence on their children?"
While this does carry an assumption, backing up that assumption with observable proof will allow for analysis of the question, provide insight on a significant subject, and give readers something to build on in future research.
It also discusses a topic that is recognizably relevant. (In 2022, at least. If you are reading this article in the future, there might already be an answer to this question that requires further analysis or testing!)
"To what extent has Alexey Arkhipovsky's 2013 album, Insomnia , influenced gender identification in Russian culture?"
While it's tightly focused, this question also presents an assumption (that the music influenced gender identification) and seeks to prove or disprove it. This allows for the possibilities that the music had no influence at all or had a demonstrable impact.
Answering the question will involve explaining the context and using many sources so that the reader can follow the logic and be convinced of the author's findings. The results (be they positive or negative) will also open the door to countless other studies.
If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.
–Ernest Hemingway
How do you turn something that won't help your research into something that will? Start by taking a step back and asking what you are expected to produce. While there are any number of fascinating subjects out there, a grant paying you to examine income disparity in Japan is not going to warrant an in-depth discussion of South American farming pollution.
Use these expectations to frame your initial topic and the subject that your research should be about, and then conduct preliminary research into that subject. If you spot a knowledge gap while researching, make a note of it, and add it to your list of possible questions.
If you already have a question that is relevant to your topic but has flaws, identify the issues and see if they can be addressed. In addition, if your question is too broad, try to narrow it down enough to make your research feasible.
Especially in the sciences, if your research question will not produce results that can be replicated, determine how you can change it so a reader can look at what you've done and go about repeating your actions so they can see that you are right.
Moreover, if you would need 20 years to produce results, consider whether there is a way to tighten things up to produce more immediate results. This could justify future research that will eventually reach that lofty goal.
If all else fails, you can use the flawed question as a subtopic and try to find a better question that fits your goals and expectations.
When you have your early work edited, don't be surprised if you are told that your research question requires revision. Quite often, results or the lack thereof can force a researcher to shift their focus and examine a less significant topic—or a different facet of a known issue—because testing did not produce the expected result.
If that happens, take heart. You now have the tools to assess your question, find its flaws, and repair them so that you can complete your research with confidence and publish something you know your audience will read with fascination.
Of course, if you receive affirmation that your research question is strong or are polishing your work before submitting it to a publisher, you might just need a final proofread to ensure that your confidence is well placed. Then, you can start pursuing something new that the world does not yet know (but will know) once you have your research question down.
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A research question is the main question that your study sought or is seeking to answer. A clear research question guides your research paper or thesis and states exactly what you want to find out, giving your work a focus and objective. Learning how to write a hypothesis or research question is the start to composing any thesis, dissertation, or research paper. It is also one of the most important sections of a research proposal .
A good research question not only clarifies the writing in your study; it provides your readers with a clear focus and facilitates their understanding of your research topic, as well as outlining your study’s objectives. Before drafting the paper and receiving research paper editing (and usually before performing your study), you should write a concise statement of what this study intends to accomplish or reveal.
Listed below are the important characteristics of a good research question:
A good research question should:
Some of these characteristics might be difficult to understand in the form of a list. Let’s go into more detail about what a research question must do and look at some examples of research questions.
Research questions that are too broad are not suitable to be addressed in a single study. One reason for this can be if there are many factors or variables to consider. In addition, a sample data set that is too large or an experimental timeline that is too long may suggest that the research question is not focused enough.
A specific research question means that the collective data and observations come together to either confirm or deny the chosen hypothesis in a clear manner. If a research question is too vague, then the data might end up creating an alternate research problem or hypothesis that you haven’t addressed in your Introduction section .
What is the importance of genetic research in the medical field? | |
How might the discovery of a genetic basis for alcoholism impact triage processes in medical facilities? |
An effective research question should be answerable and verifiable based on prior research because an effective scientific study must be placed in the context of a wider academic consensus. This means that conspiracy or fringe theories are not good research paper topics.
Instead, a good research question must extend, examine, and verify the context of your research field. It should fit naturally within the literature and be searchable by other research authors.
References to the literature can be in different citation styles and must be properly formatted according to the guidelines set forth by the publishing journal, university, or academic institution. This includes in-text citations as well as the Reference section .
There are two main constraints to the research process: timeframe and budget.
A proper research question will include study or experimental procedures that can be executed within a feasible time frame, typically by a graduate doctoral or master’s student or lab technician. Research that requires future technology, expensive resources, or follow-up procedures is problematic.
A researcher’s budget is also a major constraint to performing timely research. Research at many large universities or institutions is publicly funded and is thus accountable to funding restrictions.
Research papers, dissertations and theses , and academic journal articles are usually dozens if not hundreds of pages in length.
A good research question or thesis statement must be sufficiently complex to warrant such a length, as it must stand up to the scrutiny of peer review and be reproducible by other scientists and researchers.
Qualitative and quantitative research are the two major types of research, and it is essential to develop research questions for each type of study.
Quantitative research questions are specific. A typical research question involves the population to be studied, dependent and independent variables, and the research design.
In addition, quantitative research questions connect the research question and the research design. In addition, it is not possible to answer these questions definitively with a “yes” or “no” response. For example, scientific fields such as biology, physics, and chemistry often deal with “states,” in which different quantities, amounts, or velocities drastically alter the relevance of the research.
As a consequence, quantitative research questions do not contain qualitative, categorical, or ordinal qualifiers such as “is,” “are,” “does,” or “does not.”
Attempt to describe the behavior of a population in regard to one or more variables or describe characteristics of those variables that will be measured. These are usually “What?” questions. | Seek to discover differences between groups within the context of an outcome variable. These questions can be causal as well. Researchers may compare groups in which certain variables are present with groups in which they are not. | Designed to elucidate and describe trends and interactions among variables. These questions include the dependent and independent variables and use words such as “association” or “trends.” |
In quantitative research, research questions have the potential to relate to broad research areas as well as more specific areas of study. Qualitative research questions are less directional, more flexible, and adaptable compared with their quantitative counterparts. Thus, studies based on these questions tend to focus on “discovering,” “explaining,” “elucidating,” and “exploring.”
Attempt to identify and describe existing conditions. | Attempt to describe a phenomenon. | Assess the effectiveness of existing methods, protocols, theories, or procedures. |
Examine a phenomenon or analyze the reasons or relationships between subjects or phenomena. | Focus on the unknown aspects of a particular topic. |
Descriptive research question | |
Comparative research question | |
Correlational research question | |
Exploratory research question | |
Explanatory research question | |
Evaluation research question |
Below are some good (and not-so-good) examples of research questions that researchers can use to guide them in crafting their own research questions.
The first research question is too vague in both its independent and dependent variables. There is no specific information on what “exposure” means. Does this refer to comments, likes, engagement, or just how much time is spent on the social media platform?
Second, there is no useful information on what exactly “affected” means. Does the subject’s behavior change in some measurable way? Or does this term refer to another factor such as the user’s emotions?
In this research question, the first example is too simple and not sufficiently complex, making it difficult to assess whether the study answered the question. The author could really only answer this question with a simple “yes” or “no.” Further, the presence of data would not help answer this question more deeply, which is a sure sign of a poorly constructed research topic.
The second research question is specific, complex, and empirically verifiable. One can measure program effectiveness based on metrics such as attendance or grades. Further, “bullying” is made into an empirical, quantitative measurement in the form of recorded disciplinary actions.
Good research questions are relevant, focused, and meaningful. It can be difficult to come up with a good research question, but there are a few steps you can follow to make it a bit easier.
Choose a research topic that is interesting but also relevant and aligned with your own country’s culture or your university’s capabilities. Popular academic topics include healthcare and medical-related research. However, if you are attending an engineering school or humanities program, you should obviously choose a research question that pertains to your specific study and major.
Below is an embedded graph of the most popular research fields of study based on publication output according to region. As you can see, healthcare and the basic sciences receive the most funding and earn the highest number of publications.
You can begin doing preliminary research once you have chosen a research topic. Two objectives should be accomplished during this first phase of research. First, you should undertake a preliminary review of related literature to discover issues that scholars and peers are currently discussing. With this method, you show that you are informed about the latest developments in the field.
Secondly, identify knowledge gaps or limitations in your topic by conducting a preliminary literature review . It is possible to later use these gaps to focus your research question after a certain amount of fine-tuning.
You can focus on a more specific area of study once you have a good handle on the topic you want to explore. Focusing on recent literature or knowledge gaps is one good option.
By identifying study limitations in the literature and overlooked areas of study, an author can carve out a good research question. The same is true for choosing research questions that extend or complement existing literature.
Make sure you evaluate the research question by asking the following questions:
Is my research question clear?
The resulting data and observations that your study produces should be clear. For quantitative studies, data must be empirical and measurable. For qualitative, the observations should be clearly delineable across categories.
Is my research question focused and specific?
A strong research question should be specific enough that your methodology or testing procedure produces an objective result, not one left to subjective interpretation. Open-ended research questions or those relating to general topics can create ambiguous connections between the results and the aims of the study.
Is my research question sufficiently complex?
The result of your research should be consequential and substantial (and fall sufficiently within the context of your field) to warrant an academic study. Simply reinforcing or supporting a scientific consensus is superfluous and will likely not be well received by most journal editors.
Your research question should be fully formulated well before you begin drafting your research paper. However, you can receive English paper editing and proofreading services at any point in the drafting process. Language editors with expertise in your academic field can assist you with the content and language in your Introduction section or other manuscript sections. And if you need further assistance or information regarding paper compositions, in the meantime, check out our academic resources , which provide dozens of articles and videos on a variety of academic writing and publication topics.
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How to write qualitative research questions.
11 min read Here’s how to write effective qualitative research questions for your projects, and why getting it right matters so much.
Qualitative research is a blanket term covering a wide range of research methods and theoretical framing approaches. The unifying factor in all these types of qualitative study is that they deal with data that cannot be counted. Typically this means things like people’s stories, feelings, opinions and emotions , and the meanings they ascribe to their experiences.
Qualitative study is one of two main categories of research, the other being quantitative research. Quantitative research deals with numerical data – that which can be counted and quantified, and which is mostly concerned with trends and patterns in large-scale datasets.
Research questions are questions you are trying to answer with your research. To put it another way, your research question is the reason for your study, and the beginning point for your research design. There is normally only one research question per study, although if your project is very complex, you may have multiple research questions that are closely linked to one central question.
A good qualitative research question sums up your research objective. It’s a way of expressing the central question of your research, identifying your particular topic and the central issue you are examining.
Research questions are quite different from survey questions, questions used in focus groups or interview questions. A long list of questions is used in these types of study, as opposed to one central question. Additionally, interview or survey questions are asked of participants, whereas research questions are only for the researcher to maintain a clear understanding of the research design.
Research questions are used in both qualitative and quantitative research , although what makes a good research question might vary between the two.
In fact, the type of research questions you are asking can help you decide whether you need to take a quantitative or qualitative approach to your research project.
Discover the fundamentals of qualitative research
Writing research questions is very important in both qualitative and quantitative research, but the research questions that perform best in the two types of studies are quite different.
Quantitative research questions usually relate to quantities, similarities and differences.
It might reflect the researchers’ interest in determining whether relationships between variables exist, and if so whether they are statistically significant. Or it may focus on establishing differences between things through comparison, and using statistical analysis to determine whether those differences are meaningful or due to chance.
How many Yoruba speakers are there in the state of Maine?
This type of quantitative research question examines how one variable affects another.
For example:
How does a low level of sunlight affect the mood scores (1-10) of Antarctic explorers during winter?
Do white cats stay cooler than tabby cats in hot weather?
If your research question fits into one of the above categories, you’re probably going to be doing a quantitative study.
Qualitative research questions focus on exploring phenomena, meanings and experiences.
Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research isn’t about finding causal relationships between variables. So although qualitative research questions might touch on topics that involve one variable influencing another, or looking at the difference between things, finding and quantifying those relationships isn’t the primary objective.
In fact, you as a qualitative researcher might end up studying a very similar topic to your colleague who is doing a quantitative study, but your areas of focus will be quite different. Your research methods will also be different – they might include focus groups, ethnography studies, and other kinds of qualitative study.
A few example qualitative research questions:
Marshall and Rossman (1989) identified 4 qualitative research question types, each with its own typical research strategy and methods.
Exploratory questions are used when relatively little is known about the research topic. The process researchers follow when pursuing exploratory questions might involve interviewing participants, holding focus groups, or diving deep with a case study.
With explanatory questions, the research topic is approached with a view to understanding the causes that lie behind phenomena. However, unlike a quantitative project, the focus of explanatory questions is on qualitative analysis of multiple interconnected factors that have influenced a particular group or area, rather than a provable causal link between dependent and independent variables.
As the name suggests, descriptive questions aim to document and record what is happening. In answering descriptive questions , researchers might interact directly with participants with surveys or interviews, as well as using observational studies and ethnography studies that collect data on how participants interact with their wider environment.
Predictive questions start from the phenomena of interest and investigate what ramifications it might have in the future. Answering predictive questions may involve looking back as well as forward, with content analysis, questionnaires and studies of non-verbal communication (kinesics).
We know research questions are very important. But what makes them so essential? (And is that question a qualitative or quantitative one?)
Getting your qualitative research questions right has a number of benefits.
Because qualitative research questions help determine the kind of results you’re going to get, it helps make sure those results are achievable. By formulating good qualitative research questions in advance, you can make sure the things you want to know and the way you’re going to investigate them are grounded in practical reality. Otherwise, you may be at risk of taking on a research project that can’t be satisfactorily completed.
All researchers use research questions to define their parameters, keep their study on track and maintain focus on the research topic. This is especially important with qualitative questions, where there may be exploratory or inductive methods in use that introduce researchers to new and interesting areas of inquiry. Here are some tips for writing good qualitative research questions.
Broader research questions are difficult to act on. They may also be open to interpretation, or leave some parameters undefined.
Strong example: How do Baby Boomers in the USA feel about their gender identity?
Weak example: Do people feel different about gender now?
Look for research questions that haven’t been widely addressed by others already.
Strong example: What are the effects of video calling on women’s experiences of work?
Weak example: Are women given less respect than men at work?
Don’t ask a question that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or with a quick Google search.
Strong example: What do people like and dislike about living in a highly multi-lingual country?
Weak example: What languages are spoken in India?
Don’t roll multiple topics or questions into one. Qualitative data may involve multiple topics, but your qualitative questions should be focused.
Strong example: What is the experience of disabled children and their families when using social services?
Weak example: How can we improve social services for children affected by poverty and disability?
Avoid asking questions that are for the politicians, police or others to address.
Strong example: What does it feel like to be the victim of a hate crime?
Weak example: How can hate crimes be prevented?
Big questions, questions about hypothetical events or questions that would require vastly more resources than you have access to are not useful starting points for qualitative studies. Qualitative words or subjective ideas that lack definition are also not helpful.
Strong example: How do perceptions of physical beauty vary between today’s youth and their parents’ generation?
Weak example: Which country has the most beautiful people in it?
Qualitative research design 12 min read, primary vs secondary research 14 min read, business research methods 12 min read, qualitative research interviews 11 min read, market intelligence 10 min read, marketing insights 11 min read, ethnographic research 11 min read, request demo.
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The first step in a literature search is to construct a well-defined question. This helps in ensuring a comprehensive and efficient search of the available literature for relevant publications on your topic. The well-constructed research question provides guidance for determining search terms and search strategy parameters.
A good or well-constructed research question is:
The question you ask should be developed for the discipline you are studying. A question appropriate for Physical Therapy, for instance, is different from an appropriate one in Sociology, Political Science or Microbiology .
The well-constructed question provides guidance for determining search terms and search strategy parameters. The process of developing a good question to research involves taking your topic and breaking each aspect of it down into its component parts.
One well-established way that can be used both for creating research questions and developing strategies is known as PICO(T). The PICO framework was designed primarily for questions that include clinical interventions and comparisons, however other types of questions may also be able to follow its principles. If the PICO framework does not precisely fit your question, using its principles can help you to think about what you want to explore even if you do not end up with a true PICO question.
Fandino W. (2019). Formulating a good research question: Pearls and pitfalls. Indian journal of anaesthesia , 63 (8), 611–616.
Vandenbroucke, J. P., & Pearce, N. (2018). From ideas to studies: how to get ideas and sharpen them into research questions . Clinical epidemiology , 10 , 253–264.
Ratan, S. K., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of Research Question - Stepwise Approach . Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons , 24 (1), 15–20.
Lipowski, E.E. (2008). Developing great research questions. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(17) , 1667–1670.
Another set of criteria for developing a research question was proposed by Hulley (2013) and is known as the FINER criteria.
FINER stands for:
Feasible – Writing a feasible research question means that it CAN be answered under objective aspects like time, scope, resources, expertise, or funding. Good questions must be amenable to the formulation of clear hypotheses.
Interesting – The question or topic should be of interest to the researcher and the outside world. It should have a clinical and/or educational significance – the “so what?” factor.
Novel – In scientific literature, novelty defines itself by being an answer to an existing gap in knowledge. Filling one of these gaps is highly rewarding for any researcher as it may represent a real difference in peoples’ lives.
Good research leads to new information. An investigation which simply reiterates what is previously proven is not worth the effort and cost. A question doesn’t have to be completely original. It may ask whether an earlier observation could be replicated, whether the results in one population also apply to others, or whether enhanced measurement methods can make clear the relationship between two variables.
Ethical – In empirical research, ethics is an absolute MUST. Make sure that safety and confidentiality measures are addressed, and according to the necessary IRB protocols.
Relevant – An idea that is considered relevant in the healthcare community has better chances to be discussed upon by a larger number of researchers and recognized experts, leading to innovation and rapid information dissemination.
The results could potentially be important and may change current ideas and/or practice.
Cummings, S.R., Browner, W.S., & Hulley, S.B. (2013). Conceiving the research question and developing the study plan. In: Designing clinical research (Hulley, S. R. Cummings, W. S. Browner, D. Grady, & T. B. Newman, Eds.; Fourth edition.). Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Pp. 14-22.
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If you're struggling through the process of writing a research question , you might start to see that there are some Goldilocks aspects of writing a good research question: There is a very narrow range for it to be considered good, and there are a lot of ways for it to be unsatisfactory. A good research question shouldn't be too broad or too narrow, it can't be too simple or too complex, and it has to be answerable but not easy to answer. If finding the balance within these contradictions feels paralyzing to you, don't fret! Keep reading to learn how to write an effective research question that will create a strong foundation for your research paper.
Regardless of whether you are writing a research question about modern science or you're analyzing 19th century literature through a new lens, you will follow the same basic steps when formulating your research question. However, your field of study might have specific requirements and standards for writing a good research question, so in addition to following the steps outlined here, make sure you know the expectations for your particular field before you decide on your research question.
Writing a good research question requires time and preparation. Do not commit to the first research question that pops into your mind. Choosing an unfortunate research question will actually make the writing process much more difficult, and it will ultimately take you longer and cause you more frustration. To save yourself from such a plight, take your time and follow the six steps described below, and ask yourself the list of checklist questions at the end. If you take the time to develop a good research question, your entire writing process will be easier as a result.
You will be spending quite a bit of time researching, writing, and thinking about this topic, so make sure to choose a topic that actually interests you. It is very difficult to write an effective paper if you do not care about the topic. If you are genuinely interested in the question and invested in the results, you will produce a better research paper while hopefully contributing to a topic that matters to you.
Identify a broad topic in your field that you would like to explore further. If you are interested in multiple topics, write them all down so you can easily evaluate your options. Look through this list and pick the topic that interests you most. Do not discard the list: You might need to refer back to this list later if you need to refocus, redirect, or totally change your research question.
Once you have selected a broad topic, perform a general internet search to begin brainstorming possible lines of inquiry. Write down every question that occurs to you as you skim articles and peruse academic journals on the topic. Once you have identified some important or unique questions, review your list to see if any question stands out to you. If you feel a strong connection to one particular question, select it for now and start doing some preliminary research on that question. Keep your list of brainstormed questions: You can refer to back to it later if you need to add depth or make your question more specific.
One of the most important aspects of a good research question is that it must be unique to you. Therefore, you have to think of a question that no one else has researched or a question that has not been researched in the specific way you are proposing. Once you have narrowed down your list of questions, check prominent publications in your field to make sure that previous researchers haven't already explored it. If you find papers or studies that are similar but not identical to yours, note the author(s) and publication(s) in case you want to use them as possible sources.
While you are skimming previous publications, look for gaps in the existing research. If you find a research gap in an area that interests you, add it to the list of research topics that you brainstormed in step three. Finding gaps in existing research might lead you to a valuable research question that will complement existing research.
If you find that someone else has already researched your exact question, go back to the lists you created in steps two and three, and explore ways to modify your question to make it more specific. You might have to repeat this process a few times until you find the perfect combination of factors.
Now that you have selected a topic, consider what you hope to learn through this research. Even if you do not know precisely what you hope to learn, asking yourself this question can help you decide whether to write a qualitative question or a quantitative question .
Once you've decided whether you're proposing a qualitative or quantitative research question, write down a rough draft version of your question. It doesn't have to be perfect: This is just a rough draft, so it is still subject to change as you go through the process.
Once you've confirmed that your research question is unique and no one has explored it in this way before, make sure that it is possible to answer your question. If you are researching in a scientific field, you will need to ensure that you can answer the question in an objective manner with supporting qualitative data, quantitative data, or a mix of the two. Consult journals and publications to see you can find adequate existing data to answer your research question. If the data does not currently exist, consider your time, resources, and page limits to decide whether you will be able to conduct research to obtain the necessary data. Go back to step two if you need to revise your question to make it answerable.
If you are creating a research question for a topic in the liberal arts field, there will probably not be existing quantifiable data in previous publications. Instead, make sure that you can argue your position in a knowledgeable and informed manner. Look for passages in the text that support your argument and search for quotes from other researchers that you can cite to strengthen your argument.
After going through the six steps outlined above, you will have a rough draft of your strong research question. To identify if you have written a good research question, ask yourself the following questions and revise your question accordingly:
If you have been struggling to write a good research question, follow the six steps outlined above and ask yourself these essential seven questions. If you follow this process, you will develop a powerful research question that will be the foundation for a great research paper.
by Antony W
November 28, 2022
Want to ace your next research paper? Then make sure you have a good research question. A well-designed research question offers you direction through the research and writing process. If you are having problems coming up with one, here is what makes a good research question to help you choose an appropriate one.
A research paper is an extended essay that presents your argument or interpretation of a problem. It should be based on the in-depth exploration of curriculum books, journals, interviews and legitimate internet sites. What this means is that instead of being value or opinion-based, a good research question is objective. It is based on extensive data and not personal opinion. For instance, questions such as “should euthanasia for the terminally ill be legalized, or should gun laws be implemented?” make good questions for an argumentative essay but not a research paper.
This is essentially because they can be manipulated to align with one’s opinion instead of research. The good news is that you can always reframe value-based questions, so they become objective, and make good research questions. For instance, in the case, if “should euthanasia be legalized” you may reframe the question to “discuss the social and ethical implications of legalizing euthanasia for the terminally ill?”
A potential RQ may be objective, but if it cannot be answered using existing data or if data cannot be collected on it, then you should avoid using it. For instance, although the question “does life exist in planet Venus” is objective, it does not make a good research question because there’s no existing information about life in planet Venus yet.
If you can answer a research question with little to no research, then it doesn’t make a good question. As mentioned earlier, a research paper is all about interpreting a problem based on comprehensive research. Also, a good research question should contribute or provide new information about the topic.
So, if the answers to your research question are readily available in your curriculum textbooks, internet sites and other easily accessible sources, you should ditch it. For example, answers to a question like “has the world population increased in the past century?” are readily available everywhere, which means there’s no point in working on it again.
At one time, such a question probably made a viable topic to work on, but now that it has been researched over and over again, there’s no point in doing it again. Make sure the RQ you opt for hasn’t been answered, or if there’s already solutions to it, then they do not address it in your context, so you can provide new information about the topic to the reader.
Research papers are meant to offer new information to the reader. They should achieve this clearly and concisely that any reader, including non-experts, can understand without needing any additional explanation. It should also be narrow or specific enough , so it gives the reader a detailed, easy to understand answer on the topic. For instance, the question; “Do artificial sweeteners affect one’s health” does not make a good question for research as it’s too generalized. But if it were about a specific sweetener, then the reader would know whether to avoid or not after reading through the research paper.
If you can answer a potential research question with a yes or no, then you should also ditch it. A good RQ requires comprehensive researching and an exhaustive analysis of ideas. Also, it should be debatable. The facts and opinions you use to address the RQ should create room for further discussions in future. For example, the question. “Are illegal drugs bad for children?” does not make a good question for a research paper because we all know drugs are bad for kids. However, if the question were something like “ Discuss efficient strategies to prevent drug use among teenagers” it would offer an in-depth scope of review and is also debatable.
Last but not least, a good research question is interesting to the author. It may fit all the above criteria, but if the writer does not find it interesting, then they won’t explore it exhaustively. But if the author likes it, then they will have a reason to ensure the reader is well-informed about it by using all facts they know about it, or they can find.
Writing a research paper without a good research question is like asking a librarian for a book. The library is full of books so without specifying what type of book you want or the topic it’s on they’ll have no idea what you want. Use the following tips to develop a good RQ;
Here are some good research question examples we selected based on the above parameters;
Unable to formulate a good RQ? Can’t write your research paper? If you answered yes to either or both questions, then you are in the right place. The pointers above were created to help you come up with the best for a successful research paper writing process. Also, feel free to get professional research paper writing assistance from help for assessment. We have experts who will not only come up with a good research question but also write your research paper on all topics. Hit the order now button for professional research paper writing assistance.
About the author
Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.
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Speaker 1: One of the most frequently asked questions that I am asked all the time across my social media platforms, across my YouTube, across my comments, is about the research process. So how do you start? Where do you even begin? You need to submit a dissertation, you need to submit a research proposal, you need to think of a hypothesis, you need to think of a problem statement, you need to find a gap in literature where do you even begin with the whole research process now it isn't as hard as it seems it's just one of those things that you're never told or you're never taught how to do it's one of those things that you just kind of figure out so hopefully in today's video i will be talking to you about the overview and kind of a quick beginner's guide to the research process, giving you the steps of how you get from zero to having something, having a question, having a hypothesis, having somewhere to start. I'm going to be making this into a bit of a series so in today's video I'm going to be giving you an overview as to the different chapters, the different sections of the process, how you get from nothing to something and then in the following videos I will be going through each of those sections in a bit more detail and hopefully if you are someone who is within one of those kind of parts you can just jump to that video and have a have a quick quick watch if you are someone who is just starting off then this is the best place for you to begin have a little think about how you're going to navigate your research process and how you're going to get from the start to the end it is not difficult but it does require a few steps, a few technicalities, which I'll talk you through today. I'll leave the timestamps down below so you feel free to go and jump to the different sections that you are interested in watching. And if you do enjoy this kind of video and you want to see the rest of the videos from me, then don't forget to subscribe to see more on my channel. So step number one is to choose a topic. Now this is the beginning of something beautiful. This is where you choose what you're actually going to be studying and when you're actually going to be reading about now it's really important that you have chosen a topic that you are interested in that there is an interest in within the research space that has something missing so you don't want to choose a topic that we know everything about you want to choose a topic that we don't know everything about and there are things that we want to try to find more about you want to choose a topic that is within your university guidelines so as much as i would love to do a research on the solar system about space well if my course is to do with cell biology well then i can't so you have to think about your limits think about what you are allowed to do within your university guidelines as well but you do need to think about taking that broad topic and making it into something a bit more narrow so it's not good enough to just say i want to do research on alzheimer's okay alzheimer's fine you've got a topic, but you now need to narrow it down. So what about it are you looking at? Are you looking at the risk factors? Are you looking at what happens once you have Alzheimer's? Are you looking at a specific group of people? Are you looking at a specific cell type? What is it that you are looking at? You need to narrow that down. In order to narrow it down, you need to do a bit of a literature search. So whilst choosing a topic, whilst in this first stage, you need to look at literature. So to find literature you want to go to different websites where you have literature and this could be for example Google Scholar is a good place to start, PubMed is a good place to start. These are places where you can find literature about that topic and kind of read around the subject and identify whether firstly is it something that you are actually interested in and secondly is there enough information for you to gather to be able to write your literature review in the future so that first step your first step of your research process is thinking about the topic because without a topic you there's nothing you can't do anything else so the first step has to always be to find a topic and think about it now once you've thought about a topic and you've narrowed it down to the thing that you're interested in at this stage you will then go to your supervisor to your lecturer to your professor to your mentor to your tutor and you will ask them do you think this is a good topic and that is where you will get some feedback and most likely you'll have to go back have another think or try to refine a bit more or try to think about it in a different way but that is always the first step. In the video that I make about finding a good topic we'll talk about it in a lot more depth but to start off with to introduce this is always the first step. So the second step is to identify a problem and this is what we like to call in as you know in research the gap in literature. So a problem slash gap in literature is the part of research that we that is missing. So when you do research in fact in order to graduate from a PhD you have to and this is one of the criteria you have to produce research it has to be in a thesis or in a in a published paper it has to be research it has to be a finding that is new something that we do not know before we did not know before your research right and that is the number one criteria for for actually getting a phd it is the fact that it has to be something new has to be something novel that you have discovered okay so you need to think about the gap in literature where is there a missing piece i understand this i understand that we know this we know that but what is there that we don't quite know and that is the bit that you are then going to try to identify during your research process right chosen a topic now we need to find the problem where is the missing information now in order to do this you need to have read a lot of papers around your topic. So that's why I said initially, you need to have had approval from your committee, from your tutor, your supervisor to say, right, that's okay. It's good for me to go there. Now you've got that topic that you're looking at. You then want to try to find the gap. Where are you going to slot in? What is it that you are going to provide in terms of knowledge? Now, the identifying a problem is actually quite an important and quite critical part of the research process it's almost impossible you to continue on with your research without having identified the problem because if you don't have a problem you don't know what it is you're looking at you don't know what methods you're using you don't know what your research question is going to be or your hypothesis so at this stage you have to have a very well-defined research problem and your question in order to continue on to the next steps so when i say research problem and we'll talk about this more in in the following video that i'm going to produce about it but when i talk about research problem it could be a number of different things so it could be that we understand or we have the knowledge of a certain situation but now you're comparing it to a different situation so it could be more theoretical where you're comparing two things to each other that haven't been compared before so that would be fine as long as what you have is something original or you may be trying to explore a specific relationship let's say for example in my case with my PhD I was looking at two different proteins and the relationship between them so that is one type of research that you can do as well and so just think about your topic and think about where the gap is in the literature you have to read a lot to be able to find this and a question I get a lot emailed to me and directed to me is about this problem so how do I find a problem like how do i find a gap in literature and it's almost impossible for me to to give you any answers because i have to have read all the papers within your topic in order to answer that question which is almost impossible so it's something that you have to do independently and you can always discuss with me you can discuss kind of trying to refine that question but for the most part you need to read around your subject yourself to get that question then step number three is to actually write down your research question now this is usually in the form maybe of a hypothesis or maybe it could be just a you know a standalone question so this is just you saying this is what i'm looking at so i'm looking at whether actin and myosin bind together to have an impact on the motility of the cortex like that is my question and then i'll have a hypothesis saying actin and myosin bind together and they do this so this is just my question and you're just following on from your problem so you've identified your topic you found the problem the gap in literature and then you write down what your question is so what it is exactly that you are looking for and this will be like your guiding star this will be the thing the question the statement that you have at the top you know at the top of your mind whenever you are looking at literature whenever you're writing a literature review whenever you speak to someone you have that question in mind and so that needs to be something that's really well defined it should also be really specific so it can't just be saying is obesity caused by i don't know fatty food i'm just giving a random example that is too vague is obesity in children in male in female different ages what fatty foods what like you need to be very very specific so specific that someone else should be able to pick up your research question and know what it is you're looking at they need to be able to know sort of what methods you're using is it qualitative or is it quantitative what type of research are you actually doing that should really be in the research question so a good research question is one where that is really well defined then step number four is to write a research design so this is where you're kind of creating a bit of a method a bit of a process within a process so you are now writing down and you're now thinking about how you're going to conduct this research so to follow this will be the research proposal but at this stage here you're just thinking about your research design so how are you going to get this research done what are the factors that you need to think about who are the people the participants that you may need are you doing a lab-based thing do you need cells are you you know what do you need humans do you need animals is it just a review paper so do you just need to think about researchers out there what kind of study are you going to conduct in order to find out the results and the answer to your question essentially the research design is a practical framework so it's giving laying out that frame for you in order to answer your research question. And here, it's more of a thinking process. It's more of a discussion. You might want to ask your supervisor, you might want to ask your tutor to talk about it. How are we going to get the answer to this question? And then to finish off the research process, you now want to write a research proposal. And I have a really good video about this, and I'll leave the link for it down below, where you are detailing all the steps for your research so you're detailing your the background of your research the literature review and you're justifying that there is a need for this research you then want to detail your methods your materials the aim your you know your timeline how long it's going to take you to do these things and then that document is what you take with you to your supervisor and say look this is my research proposal you might take it to a potential phd supervisor and say look this is what i've found and this is what i'm really interested in and here is the proposal and you have it all outlined there for you or it's a document that you're able to use in order to build upon your dissertation and so if you're writing an essay dissertation you are able to use that as well so with your research proposal you are detailing the context you are detailing the purpose the plan and your aims the whole process going from finding a topic finding a problem finding the research question defining the actual research and then now you're compiling all of that and you're putting it into a document called the research proposal and all of this information is in there someone should be able to pick that up see what you found find the review of the literature and say right this is a good study this is a good bit of research we are going to approve this and then you can go on and plan the rest of your research so i hope this video helped you summarizing the steps of the research process to begin with and as i mentioned i'm going to be doing each of these five steps as single videos so i can expand on them and i'll make it into a playlist so you're able to sort of follow up and click on the next couple videos but for now i hope this did help with thinking about the research process and thinking about maybe what stage you are at if you are at any of them if you do want further support you can contact me on thepagedoctor.com where i give support and we have a team of consultants top consultants and top editors that can support you through the process of writing your research proposal or even through the post process of thinking about how you're going to find a gap in literature how you're going to find you know your hypothesis and define that for you so don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know if this was helpful and don't forget to leave me a thumbs up and subscribe to see more from me and I'll see you in my next one. Bye.
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Course links: GCSE • IGCSE • A-level • IA-level • IB • National 5 • Higher Geography
New discoveries are made when people ask questions and then seek to answer them!
But how do we come up with a strong human geography research question? A question that will help us better understand the spaces and places of our world, and lead us to new knowledge and understanding?
In this video, the second in the series, we team up with human geographer Prof. Clive Barnett to ask What makes a good research question?
Written and developed by: Clive Barnett, Matt Finn, Rob Parker, Tim Parker.
Videography by: Josh Carron, Jim Wileman, Rob Parker, Harriet Ridley
Mermaids Boycott BP.jpg by R. M. Calamar is licenced under CC BY 2.0 .
Keyboard Sound Effects by Milnk is licensed under CC BY 3.0
Research papers are a cornerstone of academic growth, serving as a critical tool for students to delve deep into subject matters, enhance their analytical skills, and contribute to academic discourse. See also What Is The Writing Process? Let’s try to demystify the process of writing a research paper by providing a clear, step-by-step approach that…
Research papers are a cornerstone of academic growth, serving as a critical tool for students to delve deep into subject matters, enhance their analytical skills, and contribute to academic discourse.
See also What Is The Writing Process?
Let’s try to demystify the process of writing a research paper by providing a clear, step-by-step approach that can be adapted to any academic level or subject. Planning and organization can make writing a research paper less daunting. Students are encouraged to confidently approach this intellectual journey, using this guide as a roadmap to navigate the complexities of research writing.
The first step in any academic writing project, particularly a research paper, is to understand the assignment thoroughly. Misunderstanding the prompt can lead to significant missteps down the line. It’s important to read the assignment prompt carefully and use it to plan your paper. Students should consider consulting a paper writing service to guide interpreting complex instructions or academic expectations. Essential questions to ask include: What is the purpose of the paper? Who is the audience? What is the required scope and format?
Selecting a topic is more than just picking an area of interest; it involves balancing personal curiosity with academic value and resource availability. A good topic should allow you to explore questions or issues you care about while meeting the assignment’s requirements. Strategies for topic selection include brainstorming, preliminary reading, and discussing ideas with peers or instructors.
Begin with general sources to gain an overview of your topic’s broader context. This can include textbooks, encyclopedias, or reliable online resources. Identify key themes, concepts, and terminology relevant to your subject during this phase.
As you gather more information, start focusing your research on a specific aspect of the topic. This will help you develop a focused research question or a strong thesis statement that will guide the rest of your research and writing process.
See also Writing
Determine what types of sources are most appropriate for your topic. This might include books, peer-reviewed journal articles, interviews, or primary documents. Plan a realistic timeline for your research and writing, setting key milestones to ensure steady progress.
Use digital tools such as citation management software, note-taking apps, and organizational platforms to organize your research. These tools can help manage sources, keep track of important quotes, and structure your paper’s outline.
Distinguish between scholarly and non-scholarly sources. Utilize academic databases and libraries to access credible and relevant material. Internet sources should be cautiously approached and evaluated for credibility and relevance.
Learn to assess the reliability, bias, and usefulness of each source. Critical reading and analytical note-taking are essential at this stage to ensure that you gather strong evidence to support your thesis.
A thesis statement is a concise summary of your paper’s main point or claim. It is typically one sentence long and states your position clearly. The thesis is crucial as it guides the structure and argumentation of your research paper.
As your research progresses, revisit and possibly refine your thesis statement to reflect deeper insights and stronger evidence. This may involve tightening its focus, adjusting its angle, or strengthening its argumentative power. Examples of effective thesis statements will illustrate how specificity and clarity contribute to a compelling argument.
An outline is a blueprint for your paper; it organizes your thoughts and lays out the structure of your argument coherently. This helps prevent structural issues later in the writing process and ensures that each part of your argument flows logically into the next.
Start by outlining the main points of your introduction, body, and conclusion. Under each main point, list subpoints and supporting evidence, which can be detailed from your research that backs up your thesis. Consulting an online paper writing service can provide additional structure and guidance for students feeling overwhelmed by this stage.
Begin writing with the body of your paper, as it contains the bulk of information and analysis. Don’t worry about getting everything perfect on the first try. The goal is to put your research and ideas into a coherent structure.
Keep your writing clear and focused. Employ a mix of summarization, direct analysis, and critical thinking. Ensure that each paragraph opens with a clear topic sentence and closes with a transition to the next idea, ensuring smooth, logical flow.
Once your first draft is complete, take time to revise it thoroughly. Look for ways to strengthen your argument, clarify your points, and improve the overall flow of the paper. Ensure that each section contributes directly to supporting your thesis. Don’t hesitate to rewrite sections for better clarity and impact if necessary.
After revising the content, focus on grammar, punctuation, and style. Look for mistakes like misplaced commas, incorrect verb tenses, or inconsistent formatting. Using tools from the best paper writing service can help ensure your paper meets academic standards.
Please familiarize yourself with the required citation style for your paper, whether it’s APA, MLA, Chicago, or another format. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism and to give proper credit to the sources of your research.
Ensure your paper is formatted correctly according to your assignment requirements. This includes setting the correct margins, using the appropriate font size, and including all necessary sections like a title page, headings, and a bibliography. Many students find this step meticulous; however, a paper writer skilled in formatting can assist in polishing the final document.
Carefully proofread your paper to catch any lingering errors and ensure it reads smoothly. Techniques such as reading aloud or having a peer review of your work can be invaluable. Check for consistency in your arguments, accuracy in your information, and completeness in your research.
Create a checklist for all elements needed for submission, including additional materials like appendices or abstracts. Ensure everything is in order before you submit your paper, whether online or in person. Double-check that all guidelines are followed to avoid last-minute surprises.
Writing a research paper is a demanding but rewarding process. By following these steps, students can produce well-organized, insightful, and high-quality research papers that meet academic standards and enhance their understanding and expertise in the chosen subject area.
Remember, using resources such as a paper writing service should complement your efforts and provide support as you develop your skills as a researcher and writer. Dedication and attention to detail make the journey from a blank page to a completed research paper a significant academic achievement.
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A well-thought-out questionnaire is the backbone of any great piece of research. However, this is often overlooked as people tend to focus on the output rather than the process of how to get there. Refining and perfecting your questionnaire with the output in mind will make the process much easier when it comes to analysing the data and will also ensure that this data is robust.
A good questionnaire can help you build a story before you even have any data, ensure high data quality, and maximise completion rates.
But how can you do this?
Tip 1 – know the headlines you are looking for.
Having a set of desired headlines that you’d like to get from the survey as a base makes writing the questionnaire much easier. Do you have a hypothesis to validate? Do you have an impact or maturity model to create? If so, make sure you create questions that lend themselves to that specific headline or model.
The questions should support the story you’re looking to tell or the headlines you need for your campaign, and it will be easier to get the desired angles to explore in the data. The type of question used here will also be crucial in dictating the kind of data that the research generates.
Use ‘select one’ when you want to know exactly which is the ‘most important’ (or equivalent), or when it’s appropriate (e.g. on an agreement scale). However, bear in mind that if you ask respondents to select one from a long answer list, it can not only be tricky to answer but can result in very split results with no clear ‘winner’.
In these situations, using ‘select all that apply’ or ‘select up to three’ is the best option. This allows you to get higher percentages whilst also providing a rank order of answers (i.e. you can still see which comes out as first, second, and third from the list). You can see a list of good and bad questions below after ‘Key Takeaways’.
To make it as easy as possible, try to avoid ranking questions as they are more complex than they seem for respondents to answer and don’t tend to provide high-quality, interesting data. Instead, we recommend using Likert scales (from strongly agree to strongly disagree) or asking the respondents to select their top 3 challenges. This provides better quality responses and can still be reported as the most popular or most preferred when doing PR research, for example.
Try not to ask more than 25 questions (roughly a 10-minute survey), as this can mean people lose interest and engagement, which impacts the quality of responses as the survey progresses.
Use closed questions that have a list of ready-made responses (i.e. code frames) that respondents can tick. Understanding and researching issues related to the topic/market before code-frame creation is key to ensure a comprehensive list. If you’re in doubt about knowing all the potential ready-made options, use an ‘other’ category, particularly if you want to understand the impact of a problem or list of information sources.
We also strongly recommend including a neutral and ‘don’t know’ options as this allows for a larger breadth of responses rather than forcing participants to select options that might not reflect the truth, resulting in skewed data. Forcing respondents to choose an option they do not necessarily align with can also lead to higher dropout rates.
There are many ways that you can ensure the most engaging and varied set up for the respondent: mix it up with short and long questions; include images or video where relevant. Put some simple to answer questions among a set that require more thought.
Also, make sure to keep the formatting of the questions clear and interesting. Don’t just ask lots of grid questions (e.g., rating questions), as respondents easily get bored with these.
Asking questions in the right order can be the difference between good and bad data. Ensuring questions which are related to each other are asked consecutively and placing questions into sections means that respondents will be ‘in the zone’ for that type of question before moving on to the next topic.
Try to be sensitive in the way that the questions are posed and the topics that are handled. Ask yourself how you would feel if you were in the respondent’s shoes and asked that question. Adding instructional text or pages with definitions can also aid the respondent’s experience.
There are numerous benefits to having a good questionnaire but there are two key outcomes you should focus on:
Yes/no questions:.
We recommend splitting the Yes / No options to provide more insight .
Q1. Do you currently know how to write a good questionnaire? Select one
Q1. Do you currently know how to write a good questionnaire? Select one
Q2. Which of the following are the key elements of a good questionnaire? Select all that apply.
Q2. Which of the following are the key elements of a good questionnaire? Select up to three.
Q3. What is your current level of expertise on questionnaire writing? Select one
Q3. What is your current level of expertise on questionnaire writing? Select one
Q4. How long have you been writing questionnaires? Select one
Q5. To what extent do you agree with the following statements? Select one per row
Below are the trio of services that we provide when it comes to questionnaire design:.
Full design: If your team is low on time and/or if you would love our expertise, we can build a questionnaire from scratch using your objectives, ideal headlines, business problems or stories for a campaign, and feedback rounds. This is also very useful when the questionnaire builds on a previous stage, such as the desk research or the qualitative stage.
Partial design: We’d recommend this for people who have some good ideas of what questions they would like to ask but need a bit of support structing them and their ideas. We will feed in with suggesting questionnaire edits that will support your objectives and carefully review at every stage to make sure that your needs are being supported with our expertise.
Questionnaire advice: This is the best approach if you have a lot of experience creating questionnaires in-house and are confident in writing questions, with little or no support needed. We’ll flag any potential changes that could improve the questionnaire that your team can choose to implement (or not), and support on developing the screening questions to define the survey audience.
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Cannibals have weighed in with different opinions. Some say it tastes like pork, while others say like veal—and still others say like nothing else
Rachel Nuwer ; Updated by Rudy Molinek
Luckily, very few people have any desire to actually eat human flesh. But perhaps some idly wonder what human meat looks and tastes like. Reliable sources on the subject are hard to find, but, for the macabre among us, the taste of human meat isn’t a total mystery.
Gizmodo ’s Robbie Gonzalez explained in 2014 that human flesh firmly falls into the red meat camp. Gonzalez wrote that beef is visually the closest meat. “Muscle’s red color can be traced to the presence of a richly pigmented protein called myoglobin and, more specifically, hemes,” he wrote, “the chemical compounds that myoglobin uses to bind and store oxygen as a fuel source for active muscles.”
The concentration of myoglobin in human muscle is around 2 percent, much higher than in pigs, sheep or cows, so beef would be the closest visual equivalent of a human fillet or rump roast. But, according to the testimony of people who have actually eaten other people, the taste of human meat does not reflect its beef-like appearance.
Both serial killers and Polynesian cannibals have described human as being most akin to pork. For example, German criminal and cannibal Armin Meiwes gave that opinion in a 2007 interview after he was imprisoned. “ The flesh tastes like pork, a little bit more bitter, stronger,” he said. “It tastes quite good.”
But not all cannibals agree with this description. William Seabrook, an author and journalist, traveled to West Africa in the 1920s and later described an encounter with man-flesh in great detail in his book Jungle Ways.
According to him, human flesh tasted like veal. “The roast,” Seabrook wrote , “from which I cut and ate a central slice, was tender, and in color, texture, smell as well as taste, strengthened my certainty that of all the meats we habitually know, veal is the one meat to which this meat is accurately comparable.”
This account is the one of the most descriptive to date, but it has also been called into question. As Slate ’s Brian Palmer wrote in 2012, Seabrook “later confessed that the distrustful tribesmen never allowed him to partake in their traditions.” Instead, the author insisted that he attained samples of human flesh from a Parisian hospital and cooked them up himself.
Regardless of Seabrook’s credibility, however, Slate pointed out that, like any meat, the flavor of human flesh would likely depend a great deal on how it is prepared and what cut is sampled. The Azande tribe’s human stew likely tasted entirely different from the deep-fried, parsley-strewn human genitals a Japanese exhibitionist artist served at a dinner party in 2012.
But not all incidences of eating human tissue are so transgressive. Biologist and science writer Bill Schutt partook in a dish of prepared placenta as an example of “ medicinal cannibalism .” The resurging practice of placentophagy —eating placenta—is just the latest example in a long line of medical ingestion of human flesh that remained popular in Europe into the 20th century, including eating powdered mummy to stanch internal bleeding and bits of skulls to relieve headaches.
When asked by Scientific American ’s Ryan F. Mandelbaum what placenta tasted like in 2016, Schutt had a somewhat unexpected answer. “A lot of people have claimed that it tastes like pork or veal,” Schutt said, “and everything tastes like chicken, I guess. To me, it didn’t taste like any of those. And I’ll tell you, I cleaned my plate. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
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Rachel Nuwer | | READ MORE
Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.
Rudy Molinek | READ MORE
Rudy Molinek is Smithsonian magazine's 2024 AAAS Mass Media Fellow.
Students cultivate a curious mindset by learning how to ask powerful questions. Through a hands-on activity, they practice crafting questions that foster deeper curiosity and more meaningful conversations.
When you might use this practice.
Students OR Teachers OR School Staff will:
Sel competencies.
Reflection before the practice.
Deep curiosity, when channeled appropriately, can be a powerful tool for building meaningful relationships. Asking rich, “powerful” questions nurtures deep curiosity and helps us get to know others more intimately. By going beyond “weak” questions, we demonstrate respect for the other person, honoring their humanity and dignity. When we dig deeper, we show genuine interest and concern for the person in front of us, fostering a more meaningful connection.
However, it’s natural to draw a blank when thinking of relevant questions to ask in real-life situations, such as when you are with friends on a school trip or you’re sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch. So why not make a list of questions beforehand and keep it handy? That way, you can make the most of your curiosity-driven conversations!
But how do you know if a question is worth adding to your list? There are four things that distinguish weak questions from more powerful ones.
See the table below for examples of weak and powerful questions.
Are they not interested in being friends with you? (Closed-ended) | It seems like you are feeling unsure about the friendship. What makes you think they might not be interested in being friends? (Open-ended) |
You have lost a lot of weight, haven’t you? You are looking really skinny—are you sure you’re okay? (Inauthentic/Predatory) | I noticed you haven’t been eating much at lunch this week. I just wanted to check in—how are you doing? (Authentic/Genuinely concerned) |
Hi, stranger, are you happy in your life? How much money do you make? (Inappropriate) | What activities bring you joy? What are some things you find really fulfilling? (Appropriate) |
How was your trip? (Cliché) | What did you do during your trip that gave you a new perspective? Did anything change your mind? (Original) |
Here are some additional examples of powerful questions:
Let’s create a list of powerful questions with a simple exercise:
Ask your students:
Next Steps:
Encourage students to practice deep curiosity by using their list of questions in real-life situations, as appropriate.
Ask students to:
This practice was adapted based on an exercise introduced in Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life And Change The World by Scott Shigeoka .
Evidence that it works.
Curiosity is the driver of learning. It is closely linked to students’ academic performance . Specifically, curiosity is one of the strongest predictors of academic success in both math and reading for both children and teenagers . As teachers and learners, our language (including the questions we ask) can significantly influence our curiosity and attitudes about learning . Questions can be powerful tools to foster a sense of joyful exploration in a classroom. Studies also show that students’ curiosity is linked to their life satisfaction, positive emotions, hope, purpose in life, as well as self-compassion .
Curiosity serves as a motivational drive in almost all human activities, ranging from gathering information to solving the mysteries of the world around us. Students acquire new knowledge about language, relationships, and surroundings through their curiosity. Science thrives on curiosity. More importantly, curiosity plays a crucial role in fostering well-being and finding meaning in life , especially in highly uncertain and challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic and among young adults .
Curiosity promotes engagement, responsiveness, and flexibility to other’s diverse perspectives, thereby helping in building social bonds and positive relationships in school and beyond. Leading with deep curiosity allows us to challenge our assumptions and biases, which is especially important in the times of social isolation and loneliness. As a counter to rising societal polarization and social divides, curiosity can help us build bridges with those who we do not necessarily agree with.
Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Enroll in one of our online courses for educators!
Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact
Leave your feedback
This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .
Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention.
And it was front and center on Night 1.
WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC
“This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document.
“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point.
“Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona.
Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups.
Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president.
Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign.
PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions.
To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.)
The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023.
Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document.
WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors
However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document.
The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.”
The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access.
What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list.
Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”
It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023.
If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.
WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.
The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.
The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.
Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.
“When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.”
The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program.
Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views.
In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False.
Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements.
The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees.
Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare.
The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies.
Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures.
Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet.
In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress.
In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.”
The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us.
The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said.
The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said.
It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages.
Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime.
Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year.
But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama.
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Learn how to turn a weak research question into a strong one with examples suitable for a research paper, thesis or dissertation.
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A well-crafted research question (or set of questions) sets the stage for a robust study and meaningful insights. But, if you're new to research, it's not always clear what exactly constitutes a good research question. In this post, we'll provide you with clear examples of quality research questions across various disciplines, so that you can approach your research project with confidence!
Read the complete guide to writing a research question, including the characteristics of a good research question, examples, and steps to create strong research questions.
Creating a Good Research Question Successful translation of research begins with a strong question. How do you get started? How do good research questions evolve? And where do you find inspiration to generate good questions in the first place? It's helpful to understand existing frameworks, guidelines, and standards, as well as hear from researchers who utilize these strategies in their own ...
Research questions are usually dynamic in nature, which means they engage with the different levels of an issue at the same time. A good research question should both abstract out, pulling in vital concepts and ideas to answer the overarching "so what" question, and drill down, paving the way for an empirical answer to be found via the collection of concrete evidence and data (Calarco 2021).
The question you ask should be developed for the discipline you are studying. A question appropriate for Biology, for instance, is different from an appropriate one in Political Science or Sociology. If you are developing your question for a course other than first-year composition, you may want to discuss your ideas for a research question with your professor. Why is a research question ...
So, what makes a research question good or bad? This article will provide examples of good and bad research questions and use them to illustrate both of their common characteristics so that you can evaluate your research question and improve it to suit your needs.
From conducting preliminary literature reviews to collecting data, every part of the research process relies on a research question. As an expert with more than 10 years of experience in academic research and writing, I know well that identifying a research question can be challenging even with primary and secondary research sources as the literature body continues to expand. Given this ...
A research question is the main question your study seeks to answer. Learn how to write a strong research question and see examples.
Honing in on your main research questions can make or break your research studies. Learn how to write effective qualitative research questions.
Characteristics of a good research question The first step in a literature search is to construct a well-defined question. This helps in ensuring a comprehensive and efficient search of the available literature for relevant publications on your topic. The well-constructed research question provides guidance for determining search terms and search strategy parameters.
However, your field of study might have specific requirements and standards for writing a good research question, so in addition to following the steps outlined here, make sure you know the expectations for your particular field before you decide on your research question. Writing a good research question requires time and preparation.
To come up with an interesting research question requires an understanding of what is a research question. One needs to know its attributes and know some effective approaches to generate a good one. Often, formulating research questions entails breaking down the nature and intent of the research program.
How Do You Formulate A Good Research Question? Choose a general topic of interest, and conduct preliminary research on this topic in current periodicals and journals to see what research has already been done. This will help determine what kinds of questions the topic generates.
However, I find it a useful reminder and checklist when writing and reviewing questions to ask in research sessions. The characteristics work with all kinds of research activities from writing tasks for usability testing, when coming up with stakeholder interview questions, in facilitating workshops and conducting user research.
A Good RQ Can Be Answered Objectively A research paper is an extended essay that presents your argument or interpretation of a problem. It should be based on the in-depth exploration of curriculum books, journals, interviews and legitimate internet sites. What this means is that instead of being value or opinion-based, a good research question is objective. It is based on extensive data and ...
Discover the essential steps of the research process in this beginner's guide. Learn how to choose a research topic, identify gaps in literature, formulate research questions, design your study, and write a compelling research proposal. Perfect for students and researchers at any stage.
A question that will help us better understand the spaces and places of our world, and lead us to new knowledge and understanding? In this video, the second in the series, we team up with human geographer Prof. Clive Barnett to ask What makes a good research question?
A good topic should allow you to explore questions or issues you care about while meeting the assignment's requirements. Strategies for topic selection include brainstorming, preliminary reading, and discussing ideas with peers or instructors. ... This will help you develop a focused research question or a strong thesis statement that will ...
Scale / Grid questions: Make sure the questions are not leading ; Try to keep the options neutral to avoid bias ; Try to be more specific and avoid using subjective terminology ; Allow for answering neither agree nor disagree or don't know to avoid false data and high dropout rates
BBC Verify examined claims made by Harris, about her record and Trump's on the economy, abortion and immigration.
Luckily, very few people have any desire to actually eat human flesh. But perhaps some idly wonder what human meat looks and tastes like. Reliable sources on the subject are hard to find, but, for ...
That way, you can make the most of your curiosity-driven conversations! But how do you know if a question is worth adding to your list? There are four things that distinguish weak questions from more powerful ones. The question is open-ended: Ask yourself if the question can be answered with just a "Yes," "No," or another brief response ...
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about "Trump's Project 2025" agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn't claim the ...