What Makes a Good Research Question? What is a Research ...
What Makes a Good Research Question? 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.
How to Develop a Good Research Question: Identify a subject/topic of interest – obesity If needed, narrow the subject down to a subtopic of the original subject/topic – childhood obesity, obesity among adults, or obesity among the poor 3. The next step is to do preliminary research on the general topic to find out what research has already been done and what literature already exists. 4. Then begin to narrow the topic by asking open-ended “what,” “how,” and “why” questions. For example, a researcher may want to consider the factors that are contributing to childhood obesity or the success rate of intervention programs. Create a list of potential questions for consideration and choose one that interests you and provides an opportunity for exploration. 1. 2.
YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION CAN NEVER BE ANSWERED BY A SIMPLE YES OR NO. YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH.
Developing a Research Question Examples: 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 Broad Street in Durham, NC, on February 6, 2014? (Ostensibly, this question could be answered in one sentence and does not leave room for analysis. It could, however, become data for a larger argument.) 3. A more precise question might be the following: What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in Durham, NC between January and February 2014 that would cause chickens to cross Broad 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.) Examples: 1. Social networking sites 2. Why are social networking sites harmful? 3. 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). Too narrow: What is the childhood obesity rate in Less narrow: How does the education level of the Phoenix, AZ? parents impact childhood obesity rates in Phoenix, AZ? This is too narrow because it can be answered with a simple statistic. Questions that can be answered This question demonstrates the correct amount of with a "yes" or a "no" should also typically be specificity and the results would provide the avoided. opportunity for an argument to be formed. Unfocused and too broad: What are the effects of More focused: How does childhood obesity childhood obesity in the United States? correlate with academic performance in elementary school children? This question is so broad that research methodology would be very difficult and the question is too broad This question has a very clear focus for which data to be discussed in a typical research paper. can be collected, analyzed, and discussed. Too objective: How much time do young children More Subjective: What is the relationship between spend doing physical activity per day? physical activity levels and childhood obesity? This question may allow the researcher to collect data but does not lend itself to collecting data that can be used to create a valid argument because the data is just factual information. Too simple: How are school systems addressing childhood obesity? This information can be obtained without the need to collect unique data. The question could be answered with a simple online search and does not provide an opportunity for analysis.
This is a more subjective question that may lead to the formation of an argument based on the results and analysis of the data. More Complex: What are the effects of intervention programs in the elementary schools on the rate of childhood obesity among 3rd - 6th grade students? This question is more complex and requires both investigation and evaluation which will lead the research to form an argument that may be discussed.
Topic: Divorce Narrowing focus: What are the short-term and long-term effects of divorce on children? Research Question: How does divorce affect the academic achievement of children? What is the relationship between divorce and disciplinary issues with children at school? Topic: Juvenile Delinquency Narrowing focus: What is the 2015 rate of juvenile delinquency in the U.S.? What can we do to reduce juvenile delinquency in the U.S.? Research Question: Does education play a role in reducing juvenile delinquents' return to crime? What role does a parent’s educational background play in the rate of juvenile delinquency? What can schools do to reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency among ____________ students?
Compliments of Duke University Writing Lab and Northern Arizona University Library Services
How to Develop a Good Research Question: Identify a subject/topic of interest – obesity If needed, narrow the subject down to a subtopic of the original subject/topic – childhood obesity, obesity among adults, or obesity among the poor 3. The next step is to do preliminary research on the general topic to find out what research has already been done and what literature already exists. 4. Then begin to narrow the topic by asking open-ended “what,” “how,” and “why” questions. For example, a researcher may want to consider the factors that are contributing to childhood obesity or the success rate of intervention programs. Create a list of potential questions for consideration and choose one that interests you and provides an opportunity for exploration. 1. 2.
YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION CAN NEVER BE ANSWERED BY A SIMPLE YES OR NO. YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH.
Developing a Research Question Examples: 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 Broad Street in Durham, NC, on February 6, 2014? (Ostensibly, this question could be answered in one sentence and does not leave room for analysis. It could, however, become data for a larger argument.) 3. A more precise question might be the following: What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in Durham, NC between January and February 2014 that would cause chickens to cross Broad 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.) Examples: 1. Social networking sites 2. Why are social networking sites harmful? 3. 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). Too narrow: What is the childhood obesity rate in Less narrow: How does the education level of the Phoenix, AZ? parents impact childhood obesity rates in Phoenix, AZ? This is too narrow because it can be answered with a simple statistic. Questions that can be answered This question demonstrates the correct amount of with a "yes" or a "no" should also typically be specificity and the results would provide the avoided. opportunity for an argument to be formed. Unfocused and too broad: What are the effects of More focused: How does childhood obesity childhood obesity in the United States? correlate with academic performance in elementary school children? This question is so broad that research methodology would be very difficult and the question is too broad This question has a very clear focus for which data to be discussed in a typical research paper. can be collected, analyzed, and discussed. Too objective: How much time do young children More Subjective: What is the relationship between spend doing physical activity per day? physical activity levels and childhood obesity? This question may allow the researcher to collect data but does not lend itself to collecting data that can be used to create a valid argument because the data is just factual information. Too simple: How are school systems addressing childhood obesity? This information can be obtained without the need to collect unique data. The question could be answered with a simple online search and does not provide an opportunity for analysis.
This is a more subjective question that may lead to the formation of an argument based on the results and analysis of the data. More Complex: What are the effects of intervention programs in the elementary schools on the rate of childhood obesity among 3rd - 6th grade students? This question is more complex and requires both investigation and evaluation which will lead the research to form an argument that may be discussed.
Topic: Divorce Narrowing focus: What are the short-term and long-term effects of divorce on children? Research Question: How does divorce affect the academic achievement of children? What is the relationship between divorce and disciplinary issues with children at school? Topic: Juvenile Delinquency Narrowing focus: What is the 2015 rate of juvenile delinquency in the U.S.? What can we do to reduce juvenile delinquency in the U.S.? Research Question: Does education play a role in reducing juvenile delinquents' return to crime? What role does a parent’s educational background play in the rate of juvenile delinquency? What can schools do to reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency among ____________ students?
Compliments of Duke University Writing Lab and Northern Arizona University Library Services
