Revised on March 22, A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, project or thesis. It pinpoints exactly what you want to find out and gives your work a clear focus and purpose.
All research questions should be:. In a research paper or essay , you will usually write a single research question to guide your reading and thinking.
The answer that you develop is your thesis statement — the central assertion or position that your paper will argue for. In a bigger research project, such as a thesis or dissertation , you might have multiple research questions, but they should all be clearly connected and focused around a central research problem.
There are many types of research question that correspond to different types of research. Table of contents How to write a research question What makes a strong research question?
Research questions quiz. When you have a clearly-defined problem, you need to formulate one or more questions. Think about exactly what you want to know and how it will contribute to resolving the problem. 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. Depending on the scope of your research, you may identify just one question or several.
You may also have one primary research question and several secondary questions or sub-questions that relate to the same problem. Most research questions can be answered with various types of research , but the way you frame your question should help drive your research design choices. The criteria below can help you evaluate the strength of your research question. See an example. Have a language expert improve your writing.
Would that particular audience be interested in the question you are developing? Start asking questions. Is your research question clear? With so much research available on any given topic, research questions must be as clear as possible in order to be effective in helping the writer direct his or her research. Is your research question focused? Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered in the space available.
Is your research question complex? They should, instead, require both research and analysis on the part of the writer. What sources should you consult as you seek answers to your question? What research process will ensure that you find a variety of perspectives and responses to your question? Sample Research Questions Unclear: How should social networking sites address the harm they cause? Other useful words that you might use are critique, argue, examine and evaluate.
For definitions of these terms see Instruction Words. Activity: Which is the best worded question? Imagine that you have been asked to write an essay about earthquakes.
The broad topic that you have chosen is the social impact of earthquakes. You have narrowed down your topic and decided to focus on the issue of homelessness caused by the Haitian earthquake of You are particularly interested in why there were high levels of homelessness several years after the earthquake.
Which of these three options is the best research question? Drag and drop to match each question with the most accurate description of its effectiveness as a research question. Home Courses Library Donate. Previous menu Toggle navigation. Why is academic integrity important?
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Summary and diagnosis 4. Summary and diagnosis 5. Formulation 5. Examples of relationship-based research questions include:. Since research questions lie at the core of any systematic investigations, it is important to know how to frame a good research question. The right research questions will help you to gather the most objective responses that are useful to your systematic investigation.
A good research question is one that requires impartial responses and can be answered via existing sources of information. Also, a good research question seeks answers that actively contribute to a body of knowledge; hence, it is a question that is yet to be answered in your specific research context.
An open-ended question is a type of research question that does not restrict respondents to a set of premeditated answer options. In other words, it is a question that allows the respondent to freely express his or her perceptions and feelings towards the research subject.
Examples of Open-ended Questions. A close-ended question is a type of survey question that restricts respondents to a set of predetermined answers such as multiple-choice questions. Close-ended questions typically require yes or no answers and are commonly used in quantitative research to gather numerical data from research participants.
Examples of Close-ended Questions. A Likert scale question is a type of close-ended question that is structured as a 3-point, 5-point, or 7-point psychometric scale. This type of question is used to measure the survey respondent's disposition towards multiple variables and it can be unipolar or bipolar in nature.
Example of Likert Scale Questions. A rating scale question is a type of close-ended question that seeks to associate a specific qualitative measure rating with the different variables in research. It is commonly used in customer experience surveys, market research surveys, employee reviews, and product evaluations.
Example of Rating Questions. Knowing what bad research questions are would help you avoid them in the course of your systematic investigation. These types of questions are usually unfocused and often result in research biases that can negatively impact the outcomes of your systematic investigation. A loaded question is a question that subtly presupposes one or more unverified assumptions about the research subject or participant.
This type of question typically boxes the respondent in a corner because it suggests implicit and explicit biases that prevent objective responses. Example of Loaded Questions. A negative question is a type of question that is structured with an implicit or explicit negator. Examples of Negative Questions. A l eading question is a type of survey question that nudges the respondent towards an already-determined answer. It is highly suggestive in nature and typically consists of biases and unverified assumptions that point towards its premeditated responses.
Examples of Leading Questions. With Formplus, you can create and administer your online research questionnaire easily. In the form builder, you can add different form fields to your questionnaire and edit these fields to reflect specific research questions for your systematic investigation.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create an online research questionnaire with Formplus:. The success of your research starts with framing the right questions to help you collect the most valid and objective responses. Be sure to avoid bad research questions like loaded and negative questions that can be misleading and adversely affect your research data and outcomes.
Your research questions should clearly reflect the aims and objectives of your systematic investigation while laying emphasis on specific contexts. To help you seamlessly gather responses for your research questions, you can create an online research questionnaire on Formplus.
Create research questionnaires with Formplus' smart online survey tool. The primary objective of any study is to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables. Hence in Almost every aspect of human life is guided by guidelines, rules, and regulations. That is why, from time immemorial, there have been set Every research effort focuses on a particular group, based on its aims and objectives—this focus group is commonly referred to as the In a good research environment, participants of a study will provide honest responses concerning their thoughts and opinions about a Pricing Templates Features Login Sign up.
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