Expert Tips on How to Write a Research Question with Real Examples

The Five Types of Research Questions

There are 5 major types of research questions, explained below:

1.    Descriptive Research Questions

Descriptive research questions collect data that describe a phenomenon or behaviour. These research questions are typically used to collect data about a population, such as how many people in a certain age group suffer from a particular disease.

2.    Correlational Research Questions

Correlational research questions are used to collect data that can be used to determine the relationship between two or more variables. For example, a correlational research question might be used to determine whether or not there is a relationship between smoking and lung cancer.

3.    Causal Research Questions

Causal research questions are used to collect data that can be used to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between two or more variables. A causal research question might be used to determine whether smoking causes lung cancer.

4.    Experimental Research Questions

Experimental research questions are used to collect data that can be used to test a hypothesis. These research questions are typically used in laboratory settings, where variables can be controlled and manipulated.

5.    Qualitative Research Questions

Qualitative research questions collect data that cannot be quantified, such as people's opinions, beliefs, or experiences. Qualitative research is often used in social science disciplines, such as sociology or anthropology.

How to come up with a Research Question Relevant to your Topic?

How to write a research question relevant to your topic is an important aspect of research. The research question is the starting point for any research project, whether a small-scale study or a large-scale experiment. The question must be well formulated, as this will determine the direction and focus of the entire project. There are multiple strategies to keep in mind when writing a research question:

• The question should be specific and focused. It should not be too broad or too narrow.
• The question needs to be relevant to your topic of interest.
• The question should be something you can reasonably answer with the data and resources available.

Once you have written a research question, reflecting on its feasibility is important. Can the question be answered with the data and resources that are available to you? If not, it may be necessary to revise the question or consider a different research topic altogether.

Identifying the Key Components of A Research Question

Before we dive into how to write a research question, let's look at what makes a good research question. A good research question should be:

• Community-driven:

The question should be relevant to the needs of your community.

• Investigative:

A good research question will ask something that has not been answered before or that builds on existing knowledge in new ways.

• Achievable:

The question should be something that can be answered within the scope of your project.

• Clear and concise:

A good research question should be focused and not try to answer too many things simultaneously.

How to Write A Research Question?

Now that we know what characteristics make up a good research question, let's talk about how you can go about writing one. There are four steps to writing a good research question:

1. Pick your topic area
2. Define your population
3. Determine your variables
4. Develop your hypotheses

We will elaborate on each of these steps below.

Pick your Topic:

Start by thinking about the topics that interest you or the problems you want to solve in your community. Once you have settled on a general topic area, you can begin narrowing it down to something more specific. For example, if you're interested in health disparities, you might narrow it down to inequalities in access to care among rural populations or health disparities among racial minorities.

Define your Population:

After you have chosen your topic area, it's time to think about who or what will be affected by your study. This is where you define your population of interest (e.g., low-income women, children under the age of 5, etc.).

Determine your Variables:

Variables are the factors that can affect your population of interest in some way. For example, if you're interested in studying health disparities, some variables could include race, ethnicity, income level, education level, etc.

Develop Hypothesis:

Hypotheses are educated guesses about how two or more variables might be related. For example, based on what you know about health disparities, you might hypothesize that low-income individuals are more likely to experience health disparities than those with higher incomes.

Tips for Writing Strong Research Questions

Follow these tips for writing strong research questions for 5 major types of research questions discussed above.

1.    Start with a Topic you're Interested In

Another important tip to keep in mind when writing a research question is to ensure that it's something you're interested in. If you're not interested in the topic, staying motivated through the entire research process won't be easy. So, if you're having trouble coming up with a good research question, try thinking about a topicthat you find interesting and see if there are any related questions that you'd like to explore further.

2.    Make Sure your Question can't be Answered with a Simple "Yes" or "No"

A good research question should be complex and open-ended. This means that it can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no"--you'll need to do some research to answer the question fully. If your question is too simplistic, it likely won't merit a detailed answer.

3.    Avoid Questions that are Too Broad

In addition to being open-ended, your question should also be focused. This means avoiding questions that are too broad and require an entire book to answer adequately. Try narrowing your focus by thinking about a specific aspect of your topic that you'd like to learn more about.

4.    Do Some Preliminary Research

Once you've got a rough idea of the question you want to answer, it's time to do some preliminary research on the topic. It will help you refine your question and make sure that it's something that can actually be answered, given the resources available to you.

What are Some Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing A Research Question (and Hypothesis)?

1. Vague or too broad research questions can be difficult to answer and may lead to inconclusive results.
2. Be sure to consider the scope of your research question and ensure it is achievable within the time frame and resources available to you.
3. Make sure your research question is specific enough to allow you to focus your research and produce a clear and concise answer.
4. Be sure to consider the relevance of your research question and whether it is likely to be of interest to others.
5. Avoid asking a question that has already been answered in previous research. Try to find a unique angle or approach that has not been explored before.

Conclusion

Asking a good research question is an essential first step in any research project, as it determines the direction the project will take. A good question should be focused, interesting, and complex enough to merit a detailed answer--but not so broad or simplistic that it can't be adequately answered given the available resources. Keep these things in mind when crafting your own research question, and you'll be well on your way to conducting successful research!