Objective: By the end of this course students will be able to address strong research questions .

Research question.

Once you’ve decided on a general topic to research, you need to generate a list of possible research
questions and/or research hypotheses, unless you’re going to conduct a very exploratory type of study .The
purpose statement is the primary guide for all phases of the study, from the literature through the
methodology, data analysis, and recommendations. Not surprisingly, the purpose statement forms the basis
of the research question. A simple way to create a research question that parallels the purpose statement is to
turn the purpose statement into a question.
Typically, one or two questions are formed from one purpose statement, but there may be more. Be
sure to provide an introduction to the questions. Possible introductions are:
• “Based on the purpose of this study, the two research questions are . . .”
• “The following research questions will guide the Literature Review and Methodology of this Research
Study: . . .”
• “The following research questions will guide data collection:. . .”
• “This quantitative study will focus on answering the following questions . . .”

Examples of writing research questions.

Given the purpose statement, “The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the feelings, perceptions,
and practices of teachers who are knowledgeable about Title IX and who implement the spirit of gender
equality in their classrooms,” two research questions are likely:
1. What does the spirit of gender equality look like when teachers live it out in their classrooms?
2. What are the feelings, perceptions, and practices of teachers who are knowledgeable to Title IX and who
implement the spirit of gender equality in their classrooms?

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:

 Focused on a single problem or issue

 Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
 Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
 Specific enough to answer thoroughly
 Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
 Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

You can follow these steps to develop a strong research question:

 Choose your topic

 Do some preliminary reading about the current state of the field
 Narrow your focus to a specific niche
 Identify the research problem that you will address
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 objectives Research question formulations

Describing and exploring  What are the characteristics of X?

 How has X changed over time?
 What are the causes of X?
 How has X dealt with Y?

Explaining and testing  What is the relationship between X and Y?

 What is the role of X in Y?
 What is the impact of X on Y?
 How does X influence Y?

Evaluating and acting  What are the advantages and disadvantages of X?

 How effective is X?
 How can X be improved?

Using your research proble m to develop your research question

Example research problem Example research question(s)

Teachers at the school do not have the skills to recognize or What practical techniques can teachers use
properly guide gifted children in the classroom. to better identify and guide gifted
children?

Young people increasingly engage in the “gig economy,” rather What are the main factors influencing
than traditional full-time employment. However, it is unclear young people’s decisions to engage in the
why they choose to do so. gig economy?
 Characteristics of a research question

focused &
feasible & specific
researchable

Research
question

complex & arguable relevant & original

Using sub-questions to strengthen your main research question

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:

 Less complex than the main question

 Focused only on 1 type of research
 Presented in a logical order

Here are a few examples of descriptive and framing questions:

 Descriptive: According to current government arguments, how should a European bank tax be
implemented?
 Descriptive: Which countries have a bank tax/levy on financial transactions?
 Framing: How should a bank tax/levy on financial transactions look at a European level?

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.
Exercise : Match each research problem with its research question :

Research problem Research question

Teachers at school do not have skills to recognize or What are the main factors influencing young
property guide gifted children in the classroom . people’s decisions to engage in the gig economy ?

Young people increasingly engage in the gig How can online courses result in better learning
economy rather than traditional full time achievement than traditional courses ?
employment . However , it is unclear why they
choose to do so .

Online learning has a positive effect on learners What practical techniques can teachers use to better
outcomes . identify and guide gifted children ?

Exercise : Identify the best research question from A and B . Justify your choice .

A/ What effect does social media have on your mind ?

B/ What effect does daily use of Twitter have on the attention span of 12 to 16 year-old ?

A/ Why is there a housing crisis in the Netherlands ?

B/ What impact have university internationalization policies in the Netherlands ?

A/ Does the US or UK have a better healthcare system ?

B/ How do the US and the UK compare in health outcomes among low- income people with chronic
illnesses ?

A/ Has there been an increase in homelessness in San Fransisco in the past ten years ?

B/ How have economic , political and social factors affected patterns of homelessness in San Fransisco over
the past ten years ?

A/ What factors led to women gaining the right to vote in the UK in 1918 ?

B/ How did Irish women perceived and relate to the British women’s suffrage movement ?