developing research questions a research question is intended to accomplish one of the following...

DEVELOPING RESEARCH QUESTIONS

A RESEARCH QUESTION IS INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:



ANSWER A QUESTION THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN ANSWERED, HAS HAD CONTRADICTORY ANSWERS IN THE PAST, OR HAS BEEN ANSWERED IN A WAY YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE.



ANSWER A QUESTION THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN ANSWERED, HAS HAD CONTRADICTORY ANSWERS IN THE PAST, OR HAS BEEN ANSWERED IN A WAY YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE.

DEAL WITH A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS A SOLUTION.


A RESEARCH QUESTION IS NOT VALID IF IT SIMPLY COMPILES EXISTING INFORMATION. THE TASK OF RESEARCH IS NOT THIS:


BUT THIS:


THINK OF IT THIS WAY:

IN RESEARCH, GATHERED INFORMATION IS NOT YOUR GOAL; IT IS YOUR TOOL. YOU GATHER INFORMATION, NOT SO YOU CAN REPORT ON IT BUT SO THAT YOU CAN USE IT TO ANSWER A QUESTION OR SOLVE A PROBLEM WHOSE SOLUTION IS NOT OBVIOUS.


CONSIDER THIS EXAMPLE:

“WHAT FOODS ARE GOOD SOURCES OF LOW FAT PROTEIN?”

THIS APPEARS TO BE A GOOD QUESTION THAT REQUIRES YOU TO SEARCH OUT AN ANSWER.

BUT NOTE THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM HERE – ANY NUMBER OF SOURCES CAN QUICKLY PROVIDE YOU WITH THIS INFORMATION.


THUS A PROPER RESEARCH QUESTION IS NOT:

“WHAT FOODS ARE GOOD SOURCES OF LOW FAT PROTEIN?”

BUT:

“WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO INCORPORATE LOW FAT PROTEIN INTO AN EFFECTIVE DIET?”


“WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO INCORPORATE LOW FAT PROTEIN INTO AN EFFECTIVE DIET?”

NOTE THAT YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT FOODS ARE SOURCES OF GOOD LOW FAT PROTEIN IS NOW A TOOL THAT WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP A PLAN FOR USING SUCH PROTEIN WITHIN YOUR DIET.


HERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE:

“WHO ARE THE TALIBAN?”

NOTICE ONCE AGAIN THAT SUCH A QUESTION SIMPLY ASKS YOU TO GATHER INFORMATION.

ONCE AGAIN THERE IS NO CLEAR INDICATION WHY YOU WANT THIS INFORMATION OR WHAT PROBLEM IT MIGHT ADDRESS.


INSTEAD OF ASKING:

“WHO ARE THE TALIBAN?”

ASK:

“IS NATO’S APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE TALIBAN OF AFGHANISTAN THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM?”


“IS NATO’S APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE TALIBAN OF AFGHANISTAN THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM?”

THIS QUESTION WILL INDEED REQUIRE YOU TO FIND OUT WHO THE TALIBAN ARE (AMONG OTHER THINGS), BUT IT ALSO ADDRESSES A PROBLEM REQUIRING ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION. NOW THE GOAL TO WHICH YOU ARE DIRECTING YOUR INFORMATION GATHERING IS NOW CLEAR.


RESEARCH QUESTIONS NEED TO BE VERY FOCUSED AND CLEAR. CONSIDER THIS BAD EXAMPLE:

“WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF ALL THE RECENT SPECULATION ABOUT THE NATURE AND LIFE OF THE HISTORICAL JESUS?”

WHILE THE QUESTION CALLS FOR EVALUATION, ITS PROCESS IS VAGUE (‘WHAT SHALL WE MAKE OF’) AND IT COVERS A LOT OF SPECULATION WITHOUT SPECIFYING A PARTICULAR ONE.


INSTEAD, TRY THIS:

“TO WHAT EXTENT CAN WE SAY THAT THE SPECULATION ABOUT JESUS IN THE DA VINCI CODE ACTUALLY HAS MERIT?”

THIS QUESTION TAKES THE VAGUE “WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF” AND TURNS IT INTO AN EVALUATION OF WHETHER A CERTAIN SPECULATION HAS MERIT (CAN BE BELIEVED OR FOUND TRUSTWORTHY). AT IT FOCUSES ONLY ON ONE SPECULATION, THE ACCOUNT OF JESUS IN THE DA VINCI CODE.


WE COULD EVEN MAKE IT NARROWER BY ASKING:

“REGARDING THE DA VINCI CODE, TO WHAT EXTENT CAN WE SAY THAT THE SPECULATION THAT THE PAINTING “THE LAST SUPPER” DEPICTS MARY MAGDALENE AS JESUS’ CLOSEST DISCIPLE IS VALID?”


AVOID MULTI-PART QUESTIONS. THE MORE PARTS YOU HAVE TO YOUR QUESTION, THE MORE GOALS YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO MEET. THIS SPLITS YOUR PURPOSE SO THAT IT’S NOT REALLY CLEAR WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.


FOR EXAMPLE:

“WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE USE OF ILLEGAL GUNS AND HOW CAN WE PREVENT SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE DYING IN OUR CITIES?”

IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER YOU ARE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO STOP THE USE OF ILLEGAL GUNS OR YOU ARE TRYING TO PREVENT DEATHS OF YOUNG PEOPLE.


INSTEAD OF:

“WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE USE OF ILLEGAL GUNS AND HOW CAN WE PREVENT SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE DYING IN OUR CITIES?”

TRY:

“WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF SHOOTING DEATHS AMONG URBAN YOUTH?”


“WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF SHOOTING DEATHS AMONG URBAN YOUTH?”

YOU NOW HAVE A SINGLE QUESTION WHICH MAY WELL FIND ITS SOLUTION IN DEALING WITH ILLEGAL GUNS, BUT WHICH SHOWS A SINGLE GOAL – FINDING A WAY TO DECREASE SHOOTING DEATHS.

NEVER STATE SEVERAL GOALS IN A RESEARCH QUESTION.


OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ARE THOSE WHICH COULD HAVE SEVERAL POSSIBLE ANSWERS, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU APPROACH THEM:

“IF WE WERE TO LEGALIZE ALL CURRENTLY ILLEGAL DRUGS, WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR OUR COUNTRY?”

DEPENDING ON WHAT “MEAN FOR” ADDRESSES, YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT HEALTH ISSUES, LEGAL ISSUES, SOCIAL ISSUES, ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND SO ON.


TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, CLOSE UP THE END BY INCLUDING YOUR SPECIFIC GOAL IN THE RESEARCH QUESTION:

“HOW VALID IS THE ARGUMENT THAT LEGALIZING ALL CURRENTLY ILLEGAL DRUGS WOULD CUT CRIME?”

NOW YOU ARE DEALING WITH ONLY ONE POSSIBLE OUTCOME, NOT WITH MANY OF THEM.


SOMETIMES YOU HAVE WHAT LOOKS LIKE A REASONABLE QUESTION BUT IS ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE, OR NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, TO ANSWER:

WHAT RELATIONSHIP IS THERE BETWEEN RATES OF HOMELESSNESS AND THE PRICE OF BEDS?

WHAT IS THE MOST LIKELY CURE FOR BREAST CANCER?

HOW CAN WE GET THE TERRORISTS IN _______ TO ACCEPT OUR POINT OF VIEW IN ORDER TO STOP DOING ACTS OF TERROR?


WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESEARCH QUESTION AND A THESIS STATEMENT?

A THESIS STATEMENT IS A TENTATIVE ANSWER TO A RESEARCH QUESTION, E.G.:

QUESTION: “HOW COULD THE LEGAL SYSTEM DO A BETTER JOB OF KEEPING FETAL ALCOHOL YOUTH AND ADULTS OUT OF JAIL?”

THESIS: THE LEGAL SYSTEM COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF KEEPING FETAL ALCOHOL YOUTH AND ADULTS OUT OF JAIL BY PROVIDING COURT WORKERS AS SPECIAL ADVOCATES FOR SUFFERERS OF FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER.


WITH A THESIS STATEMENT, YOU STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR POSITION (AS WELL AS DEALING WITH ANY CONTRARY EVIDENCE).

IN MOST CASES, RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE MORE USEFUL. THESIS STATEMENTS CAN TEND TO BIAS THE RESEARCHER TO IGNORE CONTRARY EVIDENCE.


PREPARED BY WILLIAM BADKE: TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RESEARCH QUESTION DEVELOPMENT, SEE WILLIAM B. BADKE, RESEARCH STRATEGIES: FINDING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE INFORMATION FOG, 5TH ED. BLOOMINGTON, IN: IUNIVERSE.COM, 2014.

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