What makes a good research question?

“If we knew what we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”

– Albert Einstein

What makes a good research Question?

Conducting research is the backbone of scientific discovery. As Dahlberg and McCaig write in the book, Practical Research and Evaluation, “The mission of research is to provide us with knowledge. Research describes and explains phenomena surrounding us”(Dahlberg & McCaig, 2010). For many aspiring students who want to learn how to conduct proper research reading this book can provide them with sound advice, namely suggesting that for students to best understand how research is conducted it is important for them to understand the fundamentals of research. Upon reading Practical Research and Evaluation it becomes evident that these fundamentals begin with a good research question. Dahlberg and McCaig (2010) discuss the importance of this by saying, “research projects and evaluations start with a question or problem. This may be both broad and vague. To make it possible to illuminate the problem through research, the problem has to become specific and focused, that is, it has to be developed into one or several research questions. Research questions are closely linked to the purpose of the research study. The identification of research questions and the purpose of the study is part of the planning of the study” (Dahlberg & McCaig, 2010). Here the authors provide a clear understanding on the meaning of a good research question and why understanding this process is important. In order to make clear the process of formulating a good research question, the authors provide several well explained points that a potential researcher must follow in order to have their research be of top quality. Of the examples highlighted in the book I have looked closely at two points here in my blog as they seemed very relevant; that is the need for a focused and researchable question.

Focused – This means a research question needs to be specific, narrow and precise. It needs to concentrate on a particular part of a larger topic and avoid being too broad. This allows for an in depth peer reviewable investigation on a topic rather than a generalization leading to a much clearer informational outcome. “Vaguely stated theories and hypotheses serve no purpose… theories that are stated precisely and make specific predictions can be shown more easily to be wrong and are therefore better” (Dahlberg & McCaig, 2010).

Researchable – This means that the research topic should be something that can be answered through systematic investigation and research. It should not look into topics that are considered pseudoscientific because information in these areas cannot be researched or even verified by peer reviewing. Similarly, philosophical questions are inherently opinion-based and do not lend themselves to observable research which is required in the peer reviewing process.

It is evident that the nature of a good research question can be summarized by its specificity and its ability to be effectively researched. The development of a precise and focused research question is essential when beginning to conduct a comprehensive research that would provide peer reviewable results. Moreover, as Dahlberg & McCaig point out, a research question should be researchable, which means that the answer to the question should be achievable through research and based on evidence that can be observed by others (Dahlberg & McCaig, 2010). Thus, by following these principles researchers will be able to meet global scientific standards for quality and bring valuable findings to the scientific community.

Sources

Dahlberg, L., & McCaig, C. (2010). Practical research and evaluation: A start-to-finish guide for practitioners. SAGE Publications Ltd.

Fisher, S. (2021, February 4). 17 Research quotes to inspire and amuse you. Qualtrics. © 2024. Retrieved from https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/research-quotes/