A good research question should be:

  • Relevant: Derived from an idea or a concern related to a practical topic within my area of study or work, dealing with an academic and intellectually intriguing topic.
  • Manageable: Easy to access data, information or other research work allowing me to provide a complete answer or provoke more research.
  • Substantial and original: The question should demonstrate my appetitive to explore a solution to an emerging issue that remains unresolved but is based on existing literature.
  • Fit for assessment: Satisfy the academic research requirements for my course and merits an A+ grade based on the RRU assessment rubric.
  • Clear and simple: Because a question can lead to additional questions risking derailing me from my path, the research question should be simple and clear while further complexity should be anticipated. Like an onion, the question can have multiple layers for the reader to fully appreciate.
  • Interesting: An interesting research question should grab attention without being overly predictive.

Reference

Hemmings, S., & Hollows, A. (n.d).  Formulating the research question [blog]. Retrieved from http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/research-question.html