RESEARCH QUESTION Moazzam Ali 1 Research Question Defined

RESEARCH QUESTION Moazzam Ali 1

Research Question Defined 2 l The word RESEARCH means "finding out" or "discovery", by use of systematic effort, information or answers to something one wants to know l One RESEARCHES by asking questions and by searching for answers to those questions which are satisfactory, methodologically valid and balanced

Research Question Defined l A Research Question is a statement that identifies the phenomenon to be studied l It is one of the first methodological steps the investigator has to take when undertaking a research l 3 The research question must be accurately and clearly defined

The Purpose of a Research Question l Choosing a research question is the central element of both quantitative and qualitative research l It makes theoretical assumptions in the framework more explicit, indicating what the researcher wants to know most and first 4

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION l l 5 A research question is the most critical part of a research proposal—it defines the proposal, it guides the researcher’s arguments and inquiry, and it provokes the interests of the reviewer If the research question does not work well, no matter how strong the rest of the proposal, the proposal is unlikely to be successful Because of this, it is common to spend more time on researching, conceptualizing and forming of each individual word of the research question than on any other part of the proposal Characteristics of a research question are explained in the following slides

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l 6 The research question should be evocative – Evocative questions are ones that catch the interest of the reviewer and draw her/him into the proposal – They easily adhere in the reviewers’ memory after reading the proposal – Questions tend to be evocative because of the ways they engage with challenging topics: they pose innovative approaches to the exploration of problems, and because of this the answers found are far from obvious – There is no single way to form a conceptually innovative question. However, some of the qualities discussed on following slides are common to successful proposals

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l Make it timely – Evocative questions are often extracted from very contemporary social or theoretical concerns – For example, questions regarding the energy crisis, international tribunals, nationalism, or the rise of antiglobalization protests are likely to peak the interests of others because they are questions whose relevance will be clearly determinable for reviewer 7

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l 8 Frame it as a paradox – Frame your question around a provocative paradox. – For example, why have violent conflicts over forest resources increased in the last ten years while the very people involved in these conflicts have become less and less dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods? – There are many potential answers to this question – These types of paradoxes pull the reader into the proposal and set up a situation whereby the research will fill in a provocative piece of the puzzle and make clear a muchneeded broader understanding

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l 9 Take a distinctive approach – A question that approaches an old problem in a refreshingly new way is likely to prove evocative for reviewers – This could involve a new methodology, a new conceptual approach, or the linking of two previously disparate fields of knowledge – These innovative approaches both develop confidence in the intellect of the researcher and hold promise for new understandings and insights to old and difficult questions

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l The research question should be relevant – l 10 Questions that clearly demonstrate their relevance to society, a social group, or scholarly literature and debates are likely to be given more weight by reviewers The research question should be clear – Clear questions tend to be short, conceptually straightforward, and jargon-free – In contrast, the most complicated questions tended to appear in proposals where the researcher seemed more interested in demonstrating his/her theoretical knowledge than in engaging the research itself

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l l Ground the questions – Keep questions close to the topic – Questions that are too abstract or obtuse make it difficult for the reader to determine the question’s relevance and intent Limit variables – 11 If a question is burdened with too many variables or too many clauses it becomes both difficult to read and difficult to research

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH QUESTION (contd. ) l The research question should be researchable – Research questions need to be clearly “doable” – Above all else, the researcher should consider his/her limitations TIP Remember that writing a research question is an iterative process and the above mentioned points need to be carefully considered in your research design 12

HOW TO DEVELOP A RESEARCH QUESTION? l To develop a strong research question, the researcher should ask him/herself the following: – – – – – 13 – Do I know the field and its literature well? What are the important research questions in my field? What areas need further exploration? Could my study fill a gap? Lead to greater understanding? Has a great deal of research already been done in this topic area? Has this study been done before? If so, is there room for improvement? Is the timing right for this question to be answered? Is it a hot topic, or is it becoming obsolete? What type of information do I need to answer the research question? If proposing a service program, is the target community interested? Most importantly, will my study have a significant impact on the field?

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH QUESTION Exercise 1: Can the Topic be Researched? 1. Does Mc. Donald's or Burger King make a better burger? Answer: This question 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 2. Is Prozac a good way to treat clinical depression in certain cases? Answer: This question is researchable. Researcher 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 his/her own point of view, but the point is that there is at least enough information to sift through 14 3. Is there a link between hours of television viewing and violent behavior in children aged 8 -14? Answer: This question is also researchable. The researcher 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.

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH QUESTION Exercise 2: Is the Question Too Broad or Too Narrow? 1. Do children sent to day care or preschool start kindergarten with more developed skills? Answer: This question is too broad since it focuses on all skills (e. g. , language, social, small motor skills, large motor skills, etc). One would have to gather too much diverse information to answer question 1. 2. Do children sent to day care or preschool start kindergarten with larger vocabularies? Answer: There may or may not be enough information to answer this question. The researcher would need to find more than just one or two studies. If he/she feels that there are enough sources dealing with vocabulary only, then he/she could choose to pursue question 2. 15 3. Do children sent to day care or preschool start kindergarten with more highly developed language skills? Answer: The is the best research question. The topic is broad enough to find more than just one or two sources, but it's limited to one focus - the development of preschool language skills.

THE RESEARCH PROCESS 16

THE RESEARCH PROCESS (contd. ) l 17 The following process can be helpful in refining research ideas: i. Ask yourself: “Why is this research important? What have other people done? What have they found? ” ii. Based on this information, formulate a specific research question iii. Develop a hypothesis/hypotheses that stems from your research question iv. Identify the specific aims, i. e. the steps you are going to take to test your hypothesis

SUMMARY l The research question you start out with forms the basis for your review of related research literature l This general question also evolves into your hypothesis l When you draw conclusions, they should address this question. In the end, the success of your research depends on how well you answer this 18 question

THANK YOU 19