What is a research question?
Fundamentals of Academic Writing

Research• Systematic investigation to establish facts andreach conclusions

Methods

DataConclusion

Research question• Helps determine appropriate methods• Helps define valuable data
• Gives a goal to work toward, and makes theconclusion sensible and worthwhile

Life, the Universe, and Everything• The ultimate answer to life, the universe, andeverything is: 42.
• (Unfortunately, no one knows what thequestion is.)Texas Sharp-shooter Fallacy

Texas Sharp-shooter Fallacy• Unless you define the question from thebeginning, you may not be doing research.

Research question• Identify some phenomena, event, or area thatinterests you.
• Ask one or more specific questions:– What– Why– etc.

─ How
─ When• (Yes/no questions tend to be less interesting,but they are also possible.)Research question• A topic (without a specific question) leaves
you with too much to study or write about.
– “Juvenile crime”• Asking a question provides focus.
– How does skipping school relate to juvenile crime?
– What factors in the home predict juvenile crime?
– How do rates of juvenile crime differ in cities
versus rural areas?

Research question• Questions can be too broad.
– Why do some teenagers commit crimes?

• Questions can be too narrow.
– How many crimes were committed in Nagoya in2013?

• A good question should be specific but nottrivial to answer.
– How do school attendance rates correlate with
rates of juvenile crime?

Two uses (at least)• While researching– A well-defined question can guide data collection,
theory selection, methods of analysis, etc.

• While writing– A well-defined question helps create the thesis
statement and structure the paper.

Research question• Literature review can help focus the question.
– Survey what is already known– Identify key theories, methods, or findings– Look for gaps in current research• (Literature review can also help you findtheories to test, or methods that have beensuccessful in the past.)

Research question• Identify some phenomena, event, or area thatinterests you.
• Ask a specific question that you can answer.
• Make sure the question is not too simple(trivial) or too difficult (impractical, nonfactual) to answer.
– Somecannotbe
beansweredansweredfactually.
objectively.
Some questions
questions cannot"EIs AKB48 as good as Morning Musume?"

Research question• There is no one right way to turn an interest
into a research question.
• But here are some things to keep in mind.
– Relevance– Manageability– Originality

─ Interest
─ Clarity─ Position in your fieldRelevance• Make your research question relevant topeople in your field.
– Your professor
─ Your colleagues– Other researchers ─ Other fields?
– Future employers? ─ Industry/Government?

• Will an answer to your question fill a gap inknowledge? Will it change understanding?
Will it affect practices?

Interest• Make your research question interesting toother people and to you.
• It can take several weeks to several years toresearch, write, and publish. Stay interested.
• Avoid common traps:– Fads. A question many people are doing now.
Those trends change; will you stay interested?
– Convenience. A project to fit a grant application or
professor’s request might not keep your interest.

Manageability• The question should be one you can answer.
– Limits on time. When will you graduate/publish?
– Limits on access. Can you access the equipment,
field sites, documents, etc. you need to study?
– Limits on resources. Do you need money, lab, etc.?
– Ethical limitations. What potential negative effects
will the research have on people or the world?
– Limits on ability. Do you have (or can you learn)
the skills necessary to answer the question?

Clarity• A complicated question might hide unclear
thinking or gaps in your own understanding.
• A vague question can lead to muddled dataand unclear or improper analysis.
• State your research question in one sentence(or one main question plus several specificsub-components).

Originality• Your research should be a (reasonably)
original contribution to your field.
• Research that simply replicates previous
findings is unlikely to be published.
• Your question should show your imagination
and/or particular interests.
• (A question based on previous research is fine,but it should differ in at least one dimension.)

Position in the field• Originality is important, but so is fitting withother research.
• How is your question similar to otherresearch? How is it different?
• (Your paper should cite and respond to otherwork in your field. Writing the literature
review is a major focus of my Developing
Academic Writing course.)

Research question• Identify some phenomena, event, or area thatinterests you.
• Ask a specific question that you can answer.
• Make sure the question is– Relevant– Manageable– Original

─ Interesting─ Clear─ Positioned in your fieldGroup work
• With your group, discuss your interest andsuggest possible research questions.
• Try to fill in the following informationResearchquestion(clarity &originality)

Justification(relevance,interest &position)

Practical
EthicalData
issuesissuessources(manageable) (manageable) andmethods