Title: Developing a research question
Course: EDPS0009: Researching Education and Society: Qualitative Methods 2020/2021 > Section: 2. Ethics

The role of a research question

In Getting started with developing a research question we have explored the importance of research questions for the entire design of the research. The research question, not unlike the theoretical frameworks, allows the researcher to focus on a specific theme and to put these themes into context with other scholarly conversations.

In practice, research questions do not "develop". Researchers consciously work at formulating what they think would be a feasible question.

Yes, the research question may determine the research methods. But sometimes, the researcher is committed to a particular framework and that determines the kinds of questions that can be asked (Bryman, 2007). For example, phenomenology looks at experiences and research questions tend to start with the phrases "What is the lived experience of...?" or "What does it feel like to...?".

Bryman (2007) has also found that research questions are determined by research funders. And really it should not surprise us that the people who provide the money for a research project to be carried out may have a view on what needs to be found out.

Reflect on what the role of the research question is in funded projects and what the consequences may be if a funder decides on the research question.

Reference:
Bryman, A. (2007). The research question in social research: what is its role?. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 10(1), 5-20.

Criteria for a good research question

From the video in the introduction section, we know that research questions need to be clear, not too broad, but also not too narrow, interesting and relevant for others, not just for ourselves.

As such, we already have an indication of what makes a good research question. But within qualitative and quantitative research many acronyms are used to define what makes a good research question. Here are three such examples. Before you check what the letters stand for, try to guess what they could be:

For the purpose of this module, we need the research questions to be:
- Clear
- Researchable
- Answerable
- Neither too broad, nor too narrow
- Relevant
- Justified

Reflect on your own research project and research question. Does it meet these criteria? If not, is there a way that you can reformulate your question to make it work?

Formulating a research question

In the previous section, you were asked to think about what makes a good question. Here you are given some more guidance and support to develop your question. Ultimately, the question needs to fit with what you are trying to achieve with your research project.

Depending on what you are interested in, there are different kinds of "researches" you may be able to undertake.

Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, and also some researches combine two different kinds of explorations in one. But this basic framework of thinking about what you are interested in, is a good starting point. Some of us enjoy finding cause-effect relationships, whereas others are more fascinated by seeing what people do and how they behave.

A good starting point is always your personal interest and from there to read around the topic to identify an area that you would like to explore.

For further information see:

The resources of the Writing Center of the George Mason University in the US.

This article by Ratan et al. (2019) relates to medical research, but provides a good step-by-step guide on how to move from a topic to a research question.

A video [6:25] from the Laurier Library in Waterloo, Canada:

Reference:
Ratan, S. K., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of research question–Stepwise approach. Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, 24(1), 15.