‘What makes a good research question?’ is a question posed to us in LRNT 522. After researching the topic, I have chosen to highlight a couple of important considerations below.
A good research question should be:
- Ethical. It is essential to minimize harm to the participants while upholding confidentiality and providing the right to withdraw.
- Relevant. The question should have a clear purpose within the field of study, be of intellectual or academic interest to others, and address a current issue(s) (Ratan et al., 2019).
According to Mattick et al. (2018), “a good research question will send the researcher on a quest to identify or collect data that can be analyzed and interpreted, such that it provides new insights” (para. 3).
References
Mattick, K., Johnston, J., & de la Croix, A. (2018). How to…write a good research question. The Clinical Teacher, 15(2), 104–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12776
Ratan, S. K., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of research question – Stepwise approach. Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, 24(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaps.JIAPS_76_18