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How to write a research question

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Research Question. Research Question Second step after determining the topic.

Research Question

Your research question is the most critical part of your research -- it defines the whole process, it guides your arguments and inquiry, and it provokes the interests of the reviewer. If your question does not work well, no matter how strong the rest of the research, the endeavor is unlikely to be successful. To write a strong research question you will need time. Step away from your computer; consider what drew you to your topic. Next, extensively research your topic. After you have done this you can go back to your computer or note pad and start crafting the question itself. 1- The research question should be problematic and evocative. Evocative questions are ones that catch the interest of the reviewer and draw her/him into the proposal. Make it timely. Frame it as a paradox. Take a distinctive approach. 2- The research question should be relevant. Fill in the missing piece. Make connections. Ground the questions. 1.

The Writing Center at George Mason University. Writing Good Qualitative Research Questions. Got a great handout a while back that I stumbled over today, hopefully it’s as helpful to you as it was to me.

Writing Good Qualitative Research Questions

Here are the steps for writing good (mass communication of course) qualitative research questions: Specify the research problem: the practical issue that leads to a need for your study. Complete these sentences: “The topic for this study will be…”“This study needs to be conducted because…” How to write a good qualitative purpose statement: a statement that provides the major objective or intent or roadmap to the study. Single sentenceInclude the purpose of the studyInclude the central phenomenonUse qualitative words e.g. explore, understand, discoverNote the participants (if any)State the research site A good place to start: The purpose of this ______________ (narrative, phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographic, case, etc.) study is (was? Writing Research Questions. .pdf version of this page This review is a collection of views and advice on composing research questions from problem statements.

Writing Research Questions

It mostly reads as a list of tips and suggestions. A research question is the fundamental core of a research project, study, or review of literature. It focuses the study, determines the methodology, and guides all stages of inquiry, analysis, and reporting. The research question begins with a research problem, an issue someone would like to know more about or a situation that needs to be changed or addressed, such as: Areas of concernConditions that could be improvedDifficulties that need to be eliminatedQuestions seeking answers.

Formulating a Research Question. Before you begin writing a grant proposal, take some time to map out your research strategy.

Formulating a Research Question

A good first step is to formulate a research question. A Research Question is a statement that identifies the phenomenon to be studied. For example, “What resources are helpful to new and minority drug abuse researchers?” To develop a strong research question from your ideas, you should ask yourself these things: Do I know the field and its literature well? D. Developing Research Questions. It's absolutely essential to develop a research question that you're interested in or care about in order to focus your research and your paper (unless, of course, your instructor gives you a very specific assignment).

Developing Research Questions

For example, researching a broad topic such as "business management" is difficult since there may be hundreds of sources on all aspects of business management. On the other hand, a focused question such as "What are the pros and cons of Japanese management style? " is easier to research and can be covered more fully and in more depth. Developing a Research Question. Writing@CSU Guide Midway through a semester is no time to discover that your research topic is too broad or too narrow, or that your available sources are too skimpy or too difficult to locate.

Developing a Research Question

A preliminary search of your broad category will provide an overview from which to begin narrowing your topic. The process will help you identify aspects that trigger your curiosity, establish some boundaries with which to limit your inquiry and lead you to some manageable research questions. Before selecting a topic for your research project you'll want to consider its scope: you'll want to narrow it from a broad category to a specific inquiry with some well defined boundaries. Once you've narrowed your research topic, you can begin shaping your question. If you begin with a broad, general interest in social problems in large cities, for instance, you might ask more specifically: "What happens to teenage runaways on the streets of Manhattan? "