THE BASIC STEPS

FORMULATING A
RESEARCH QUESTION
 FORMULATING A RESEARCH QUESTION
THE BASIC S TEPS

• Choose a broad topic

• Do some preliminary reading to find out about topical debates

and issues

• Narrow down a specific niche that you want to focus on

• Identify a practical or theoretical research problem that you will

address
 UNDERSTANDING A RESEARCH QUESTION
DEFINITION

• What is a research question?

• A research question is the question around which you center your research. It should be:

• clear: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without needing
additional explanation.

• focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.

• concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.

• complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of ideas
and sources prior to composition of an answer.

• arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.

• You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious and/or passionate about.

• 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.
RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTION
THE DIFFERENCES

• The teachers at school X do not have the skills to recognize or

properly guide gifted children in the classroom.

• What practical techniques can teachers at school X use to better

identify and guide gifted children?
• Descriptive research - What are the characteristics of X?

• Comparative research - What are the differences and similarities between X &
Y?

• Correlational research - What is the relationship between variables X & Y?

• Exploratory research - What are the main factors in X? What is the role of Y in
Z?

• Explanatory research - Does X have an effect on Y? What is the impact of Y on

Z? What are the causes of X?

• Evaluation research - What are the advantages and disadvantages of X? How

well does Y work? How effective or desirable is Z?

• Action research - How can X be achieved? What are the most effective
strategies to improve Y?
 CHOOSING AN INTERESTING TOPIC
S TEP ONE

• Choose an interesting general topic. Most professional

researchers focus on topics they are genuinely interested in
studying. Writers should choose a broad topic about which they
genuinely would like to know more. An example of a general topic
might be “Slavery in the American South” or “Films of the 1930s.”
 REVIEWING LITERATURE
S TEP T WO

• Do some preliminary research on your general topic. Do a few

quick searches in current periodicals and journals on your topic to
see what’s already been done and to help you narrow your focus.
What issues are scholars and researchers discussing, when it
comes to your topic? What questions occur to you as you read
these articles?
 CONSIDERING THE AUDIENCE
S TEP THREE

• Consider your audience. For most college papers, your audience

will be academic, but always keep your audience in mind when
narrowing your topic and developing your question. Would that
particular audience be interested in the question you are
developing?
 ASKING THE QUESTIONS
S TEP FOUR

• Start asking questions. Taking into consideration all of the above,

start asking yourself open-ended “how” and “why” questions
about your general topic. For example, “Why were slave
narratives effective tools in working toward the abolishment of
slavery?” or “How did the films of the 1930s reflect or respond to
the conditions of the Great Depression?”
 EVALUATING THE RESEARCH QUESTION
S TEP FIVE

• Evaluate your question. After you’ve put a question or even a couple of

questions down on paper, evaluate these questions to determine whether they
would be effective research questions or whether they need more revising and
refining.

• 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? Research questions should not be answerable

with a simple “yes” or “no” or by easily-found facts.  They should, instead,
require both research and analysis on the part of the writer. They often begin
with “How” or “Why.”
 BEGINNING THE RESEARCH
S TEP SIX

• Begin your research. After you’ve come up with a question, think

about the possible paths your research could take. 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?
 UNCLEAR AND CLEAR
CL ARIT Y OF THE RESEARC H QUES TION

• Unclear: How should social networking sites address the harm they
cause?
Clear: What action should social networking sites like MySpace and
Facebook take to protect users’ personal information and privacy?

• The unclear version of this question doesn’t specify which social

networking sites or suggest what kind of harm the sites might be
causing. It also assumes that this “harm” is proven and/or accepted.
The clearer version specifies sites (MySpace and Facebook), the type
of potential harm (privacy issues), and who may be experiencing that
harm (users). A strong research question should never leave room for
ambiguity or interpretation.
 UNFOCUSSED AND FOCUSSED
FOCUSSING THE RESEARC H QUES TION

• Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment from global

warming?

• Focused: What is the most significant effect of glacial melting on the

lives of penguins in Antarctica?

• The unfocused research question is so broad that it couldn’t be

adequately answered in a book-length piece, let alone a standard
college-level paper. The focused version narrows down to a specific
effect of global warming (glacial melting), a specific place (Antarctica),
and a specific animal that is affected (penguins). It also requires the
writer to take a stance on which effect has the greatest impact on the
affected animal. When in doubt, make a research question as narrow
and focused as possible.
 SIMPLE AND COMPLEX
APPROPRIATELY COMPLEX RESEARC H QUES TION

• Too simple: How are doctors addressing diabetes in the U.S.?

• Appropriately Complex:  What main environmental, behavioral, and

genetic factors predict whether Americans will develop diabetes,
and how can these commonalities be used to aid the medical
community in prevention of the disease?

• The simple version of this question can be looked up online and

answered in a few factual sentences; it leaves no room for analysis.
The more complex version is written in two parts; it is thought
provoking and requires both significant investigation and evaluation
from the writer. As a general rule of thumb, if a quick Google
search can answer a research question, it’s likely not very effective.
• What effect does social media have on people’s minds?

• What effect does daily use of Twitter have on the attention span
of under-16s?

• The first question is not specific enough: what type of social

media? Which people? What kind of effects? The second question
defines its concepts more clearly. It is researchable through
qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Why is there a housing crisis in the Netherlands?

• What impact have university internationalisation policies had on

the availability and affordability of housing in the Netherlands?

• Starting with “why” often means that your question is not focused
enough: there are too many possible answers and no clear
starting point for research. By targeting just one aspect of the
problem and using more specific terms, the second question
offers a clear path to finding an answer.
• Does the US or the UK have a better healthcare system?

• How do the US and the UK compare in health outcomes and

patient satisfaction among low-income people with chronic
illnesses?

• The first question is too broad and overly subjective: there’s no

clear criteria for what counts as “better”. The second question is
much more researchable. It uses clearly defined terms and
narrows its focus to a specific population.
• What should political parties do about low voter turnout in region
X?

• What are the most effective communication strategies for

increasing voter turnout among under-30s in region X?

• It is generally not feasible for academic research to answer broad

questions about “what should be done”. The second question is
more specific, and aims to gain an understanding of possible
solutions in order to make informed recommendations.
• Has there been an increase in homelessness in San Francisco in
the past ten years?

• How have economic, political and social factors affected patterns

of homelessness in San Francisco over the past ten years?

• The first question is too simple: it can be answered with a simple

yes or no. The second question is more complex, requiring in-
depth investigation and the development of an original argument.
• What factors led to women gaining the right to vote in the UK in
1918?

• How did Irish women perceive and relate to the British women’s
suffrage movement?

• The first question is too broad and not very original. It has been
extensively researched by historians, and it would be very difficult
to contribute new knowledge. The second question identifies an
underexplored aspect of the topic that requires investigation and
discussion of various primary and secondary sources to answer.
• How can sexual health services and LGBT support services in
district X be improved?

• How can sexual health clinics in district X develop their services

and communications to be more LGBT-inclusive?

• The first question is not focused enough: it tries to address two

different practical problems (the quality of sexual health services
and LGBT support services). Even though the two issues are
related, it’s not clear how the research will bring them together.
The second integrates the two problems into one focused,
specific question.
• Where do the majority of immigrants to Germany come from?

• What are the similarities and differences in the experiences of

recent Turkish, Polish and Syrian immigrants in Berlin?

• The first question is too simple, asking for a straightforward fact

that can be easily found online. The second is a more complex
comparative question that requires data collection and detailed
discussion to answer.
• How is race represented in Shakespeare’s Othello?

• How have modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s Othello dealt

with the theme of racism through casting, staging and allusion to
contemporary events?

• The first question is not original or relevant — it has been

answered so many times that it would be very difficult to
contribute anything new. The second question takes a specific
angle with scope to make an original argument, and has more
relevance to current social concerns and debates.
• How can drunk driving be prevented?

• What effect do different legal approaches have on the number of

people who drive after drinking in European countries?

• The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not

focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer
comparative question, but note that it may not be practically
feasible. For a smaller research project or thesis, it could be
narrowed down further to focus on the effectiveness of drunk
driving laws in just one or two countries.
• Consider the following two related questions.

• 1. Is there a relationship between today’s clouds and tomorrow’s

weather?

• 2. How reliable is a prediction of tomorrow’s weather based on

today’s cloud observations?
• It is grounded in a theoretical framework.
It is builds on, but also offers something new to, previous
research.
It has the potential to suggest directions for future research.
It is a purpose or question that the researcher is sincerely
interested and/or invested in. It addresses directly or indirectly
some real problem in the world.
It takes ethical issues into consideration.
It clearly states the variables or constructs to be examined.
It is not biased in terminology or position.
It has multiple possible answers.
It is simple, or at least manageable.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH QUESTION
FINER
• Feasible

• Adequate number of subjects, Adequate technical expertise, Affordable in time and money,
Manageable in scope

• Interesting

• Getting the answer intrigues the investigator and her friends

• Novel

• Confirms, refutes or extends previous findings

• Provides new findings

• Ethical

• Amenable to a study that institutional review board will approve

• Relevant

• To scientific knowledge, To clinical and health policy, To future research

THANKS