WHAT MAKES A

GOOD
RESEARCH
QUESTION?
Practical Research 1
WHAT IS A RESEARCH
QUESTION?
 A research question guides and centers your research. It
should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize multiple
sources to present your unique argument. Even if your
instructor has given you a specific assignment, the research
question should ideally be something that you are
interested in or care about. Be careful to avoid the “all-
about” paper and questions that can be answered in a few
factual statements.
1. FOR INSTANCE, THE FOLLOWING
QUESTION IS TOO BROAD AND DOES
NOT DEFINE THE SEGMENTS OF THE
ANALYSIS:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
(The question does not address which chicken or
which road.)
2. SIMILARLY, THE FOLLOWING
QUESTION COULD BE ANSWERED BY A
HYPOTHETICAL INTERNET SEARCH:
How many chickens crossed Rizal Street in Legazpi
City,PH on February 6, 2016?
(Ostensibly, this question could be answered in one
sentence and does not leave room for analysis. )
3. A MORE PRECISE QUESTION MIGHT BE
THE FOLLOWING:
What are some of the environmental phenomena that
occurred in Legazpi City in the months of January-
February that would cause chickens to cross Rizal
Street?
(This question can lead to the author taking a stand
on which factors are significant, and allows the
writer to argue to what degree the results are
beneficial or detrimental.)
LET`S HAVE A MORE SERIOUS
EXAMPLE:
Topic: Social Networking Sites
Possible Question: Why are social
networking sites harmful?

What can you say about the question?

An evaluation of this question reveals that the
question is unclear: it does not specify which
social networking sites or state what harm is
being caused. Moreover, this question takes as
a given that this "harm” exists.
 CONSIDER THIS:
Revised Question: How are online users
experiencing or addressing privacy issues on
such social networking sites as Facebook and
Twitter?
This version not only specifies the sites
(Facebook and Twitter), but also the type of
harm (privacy issues)and who is harmed (online
users).
A Phenomenological Study Of The Behavior
Of Students With Absentee Parents.

A Case Study of Self-Confidence Levels of

Children Transferring to a New School.

A Grounded Theory on the Eating Habits of

Patients with Type II Diabetes
 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF
THE BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS WITH
ABSENTEE PARENTS
1. What are we looking at?
Behavior of students with absentee parents
2. Who are the subjects?
Students with absentee parents.
3. Is it going to be a qualitative study, and we know which will be used,
Phenomenology
4. Size of the samples?
5. How to obtain information?
Interviews, observation, open-ended questionnaires etc.
6. Data analysis will not be statistical
1. What are we looking at?
2. Who are the subjects?
3. Is it going to be ____________study, and we know
which will be used, _____________
4. Size of the samples?
5. How to obtain information?
6. Data collection will involve obtaining
information from the participants in some
way__________________.
 CONSIDERATIONS IN FORMULATING
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Internal Criteria
1. Expertise of the researcher
2. Motivation, interest, curiosity and perceptiveness-
attitude
3. Time factor
4. Costs and Returns
5. Hazards, penalties & handicaps
ASK YOURSELF THESE
QUESTIONS:
 1) Is the research question something I/others care about? Is it
arguable?
 2) Is the research question a new spin on an old idea, or does it
solve a problem?
 3) Is it too broad or too narrow?
 4) Is the research question researchable within the given time frame
and location?
 5) What information is needed?
ACTIVITY: THINK TANK
Think of two topics per person, be able to write a
research question from the topic .
Discuss your topics with your research group.
Finally, narrow down your topic choices to three.
Write the research questions for each topic.
 RESEARCH PROBLEM DEFENSE ON
THURSDAY
(DECEMBER 6, 2018)
1:00 PM- 3:15 PM
 Prepare your chosen topics with the research problems
included in a Slidex.
 Discuss why you chose the specific topics and what you
hope to contribute to the existing pool of knowledge.
(Knowledge gap to be filled by research)
 Be ready to answer questions asked by the panel.