DEVELOPING

YOUR RESEARCH
QUESTION
 At the end of this module,
students should be able to:

 identify the components of an

Learning effective research question.
Outcomes  use key concepts to formulate
a research topic or question
 develop a well-formed
research question that is
neither too broad nor too
narrow in scope
What is a research
question?
What is a research question?

A research question is the question around which you

center your research.

It is essential to guide you in your research paper,

project or thesis/dissertation.

It underpins exactly what you want to find out or

solve and provides your work with a clear and
definitive focus and purpose.
What is a research question?

In your 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.
What is a research question?
However, in a larger research project, such as a
thesis or dissertation, you might have multiple
research questions or sub-research questions.

These multiple research questions or subsidiary

questions should all be clearly connected and
focused around your main or central research
question.

Source: McCombes, 2020.

What is a research question?
There is no universal set of criteria for a good research
question.

Different disciplines have different priorities and

requirements.

A good research question for a history paper will differ

from a good research question for a biology paper.
Source: Monash University, 2020.
 Characteristics of a
Good Research Question
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

1. Clear and focused: the question should clearly

state what the writer needs to do.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question
2. Not too broad and not too narrow: The question
should have an appropriate scope.

If it is too broad it would not be possible to answer

your question thoroughly.

If it is too narrow you would not have enough to write

about, and you struggle to develop a strong argument.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

3. Concise: The question is expressed in the

fewest possible words.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

4. Not too easy to answer/Complex:  The

question should require more than
a simple yes or no answer, but
rather requires synthesis and
analysis of ideas and sources prior
to composition of an answer.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

5. Not too difficult to answer: The question

could be answered thoroughly
within the given timeframe and
word limit.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

6. Researchable: To be able to answer the

question, you must have access to a
suitable amount of quality research
materials, such as academic books
and refereed journal articles.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

7. Arguable: The potential answers to the

research question are open to debate rather
than accepted facts.
Characteristics of a Good Research Question

8. Analytical rather than descriptive. The

research question should allow the researcher
to produce an analysis of an issue or problem
rather than a simple description of question.
Creating Your
Research Question
 Steps in Developing Your Research Question
1. Determine the requirements

You need to determine the requirements of your assignment

by asking some questions:

What is the purpose of this assignment?

Is it to test a proposition?

 Is it to evaluate a set of data?

Is it to state and defend an argument?

Steps in Developing Your Research Question

Determining the purpose could help you to

choose the most appropriate topic and
word your question in the most useful way.

You need to remember that the purpose

differs from discipline to another
discipline.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

2. Choose a topic
The best approach is to choose a topic that
you are interested in.

If you are interested in your topic you are

more likely to invest more time, effort,
and creativity into your research and
writing.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

The greater your interest, the more likely

it is that you could produce an
assignment that is interesting to read.
Steps in Developing your Research Question
3. Conduct preliminary research

Before you write your research question, it

is advisable to read a small number of
relevant academic sources.
Steps in Developing your Research Question
Limit your reading to material or sources
published within the last five (5) years,
and perhaps one or two influential works
on the topic.

The goal here is to familiarize yourself

with the key debates or issues in
academic writing on the topic.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

 Reading in order to develop a research question

is different from reading in order to answer it.

 Here, you need to focus on the main ideas and

arguments, which are usually found in the
introduction and the conclusion.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

 Youdo not have to read every word or take

down extensive notes at this stage, as you
would probably come back to the material or
source later.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

4. Narrow down your topic

After conducting your preliminary

research, you should now be ready to
narrow down your topic.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

In most cases, you need to narrow down

your focus to a specific issue or debate
within the broader topic because it is
much more effective to cover a single
issue or aspect of a topic in depth than to
skim the surface.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

Consider the following ways to narrow

down your topic:

Think about the subtopics, specific

issues, and key debates that exist within
the broader topic.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

Think about the value of focusing on a

particular period, a particular
geographical location, a particular
organization, or a particular group of
people.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

Think about what you want to say in your

research work:
 What are the key points and arguments
that you want to get across?

 Which subtopic, timeframe or other

limitations would allow you to make these
points in the most effective way?
Steps in Developing your Research Question

5. Write your question

Now that you have narrowed down your

topic, you can turn your attention to the
wording of your research question.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

Remember that you will need to keep the

purpose of your research work in mind
when you think about the wording of your
question.

Remember also that the purpose will

differ from discipline to discipline.
Steps in Developing your Research Question

Remember that a good research question

requires you to analyze an issue or problem. 

How and why questions are therefore more

useful than what or describe questions. Other
useful words that you might use are critique,
argue, examine and evaluate.
 Examples of
Good and Bad
Research
Questions
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

1.Questions should have complex answers:

 

Bad: Does owning a pet improve quality of life

for older people?

Good: In what ways does owning a pet improve

quality of life for older people?
 
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions
2. Good research questions need focus:
 
 Bad: Does medication help alleviate attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms?
And do kids need more exercise?

 Good: How effective are the various types of

medication in treating elementary students with
ADHD?
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

3. You can answer a good question

 
Bad: Is there a higher power in the universe?

Good: What factors affect people's belief in a

higher power?
 
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

4. Good questions do not ask for opinions:

 
Bad: Which national park is the best?

Good: What features do the most popular

national parks have in common?
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

5. Questions should be specific

 
Bad: How do artificial sweeteners affect people?

Good: How does aspartame affect post-

menopausal women who suffer from
migraines?
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

6. Good research questions are original:

 
Bad: What are the advantages and disadvantages
of cell phone use in schools?

Good: How does restricting cell phone use in

school affect student social interaction?
 
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

7. A good question does not ask WHY:

 
Bad: Why do some corporations pollute the water
if they are not regulated?

Good: How do government regulations prevent

corporations from polluting the water
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

8. Great questions need research

 
Bad: Has the population of the world increased in
the past century?

Good: What factors have influenced population

growth in the fastest growing countries?
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

9. Good research questions are open to debate:

 
Bad: Are illicit drugs bad for kids?

Good: Which effective education strategies prevent

drug abuse in teens?
 
Examples of Good and Bad Research
Questions

10. You can answer good questions with

sources:
 
Bad: Are white mice better than gray mice?

Good: When tested for intelligence and longevity,

how do white mice and gray mice
compare?
 Evaluating Your
Research Question
Evaluating Your Research Question

If your preliminary investigation into the

literature is inconclusive or you cannot
make headway, then it is time to re-
evaluate your research question.  
Evaluating Your Research Question

To evaluate your research question, try

answering the following questions:

Source: York University, 2013; Duke University Thompson Writing Program, 2015.
Evaluating Your Research Question

 Is your research question clear?

 Is your research question focused?
 Is your research question complex?
 Is the research question something others care
about? 
 Is it arguable?
Evaluating Your Research Question

 Is the research question a new spin on an old

idea, or does it solve a problem?
 Is the question too broad or too narrow?
 Is there any ambiguity to the question?
 Is the research question researchable within
the given time frame and location?
 What information is needed to answer the
question?
Q and A
Activity 1: Practice: Research Questions

1. Which of the following is the better

research question?
How does trash pollute the environment?
What is the environmental impact of
plastic water bottles?
What is the impact of bottled water on
the environment?
 
 Activity 1: Practice: Research Questions

2. Decide whether the following working thesis

statements are good or bad:

 Man has had a major impact on the environment.

 Marijuana use in Manila has been a problem for
law enforcement since the 1970s.
 Miley Cyrus is a horrible singer.
 Profilers have played a necessary role in catching
serial killers.
Activity 2: Is the question researchable?

Pretend you are writing a research paper right now. Look at the
following questions and decide whether they can or cannot be easily
researched.

Question A: Do the economies that result from a trash

burning plant outweigh or not outweigh its
environmental impact?
 
Question B: Is sexual preference a result of nature
(physically based) or nurture (socially-
culturally based)?
 
 
Activity 2: Is the question researchable?

Question C: Does McDonald's or Burger King make a

better burger?

Question D: Is Prozac a good way to treat clinical

depression in certain cases?

Question E: Is there a link between hours of television

viewing and violent behavior in children aged
8-14?
 
 
Notes on Activity 2: Is the question researchable?

Question A: Do the economies that result from a trash burning plant

outweigh or not outweigh
its environmental impact?
 
Question "a" is researchable. You would have to sift through a lot of
information, both pro and con, valid and invalid, in order to choose the best
information to answer the research question and support your own point of
view, but the point is that there is at least enough information to sift
Notes

Question B: Is sexual preference a result of nature (physically

based) or nurture (socially culturally based)?
Question "b" is somewhat researchable. There have been some
recent experiments dealing with the physical (genetic) basis of
sexual preference, but not enough research to support a credible
view one way or the other.
Notes

Question C: Does McDonald's or Burger King make a better

burger?
Question "c" is not researchable as it is worded, since it has no
concrete meaning. What does "better" mean? Better in terms
of nutrition? Better tasting? Better value? Fewer calories?
Better for making your kids happy? This question could
become researchable only if you define its terms.
Notes

Question D: Is Prozac a good way to treat clinical depression in

certain cases?
Question "d" is researchable. As with question “a,” you'd have to
sift through a lot of information, both pro and con, valid and
invalid, in order to choose the best information to answer the
research question and support your own point of view, but the
point is that there is at least enough information to sift through.
Notes

Question E: Is there a link between hours of television viewing

and violent behavior in children aged 8-14?

Question "e" is researchable. Again, you'd have to sift through a

lot of information, both pro and con, valid and invalid, in order
to choose the best information to answer the research question
and support your own point of view, but the point is that there
is at least enough information to sift through.
References/Resources
Duke Writing Studio (2015). Duke University Thompson Writing Program.
Retrieved from https://twp.duke.edu/

Eastern Michigan University (2020). Developing a good research question.

Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2S4gCIM

Examples of Good and Bad Research Questions. (2020). Retrieved from

https://bit.ly/3bGiS0u

Hemmings, S. & Hollows, A. (2005). Developing a research question. UK:

Sheffield Hallam University.

McCombes, S. M. (2020). Developing strong research questions. Retrieved from

https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/
References/Resources
Monash University (2020). Developing research questions. Retrieved
from https://bit.ly/3eR53yi

Palmquist, M. & Connor P. (2020). Developing a research question:

Honing your question. Retrieved from
https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/contrib.cfm

Plan Your Research: Developing a Research Question. (2019). Retrieved

from  https://library.ulethbridge.ca/plan
References/Resources
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. doi: 10.4103/jiaps.JIAPS_76_18

The Writing Center. (2018). How to write a research question.

Retrieved from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/

York University (2013). Evaluating your research question. Retrieved

from https://bit.ly/3bE2b6b
  
 References/Resources
 
 Links:

https://libraryguides.griffith.edu.au/systematic-literature-r
eviews-for-education

http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/research-question.html
 
https://library.ulethbridge.ca/plan