banking security
The first three examples highlight that while the name of the dependent variable is the same, namely daily calorific intake, the way that this dependent variable is written out differs in each case.
All comparative research questions have at least two groups . You need to identify these groups. In the examples below, we have identified the groups in the green text .
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women ?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university students ?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners ?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased ?
It is often easy to identify groups because they reflect different types of people (e.g., men and women, adolescents and pensioners), as highlighted by the first three examples. However, sometimes the two groups you are interested in reflect two different conditions, as highlighted by the final example. In this final example, the two conditions (i.e., groups) are pirated music that is freely distributed and pirated music that is purchased. So we are interested in how the attitudes towards music piracy differ when pirated music is freely distributed as opposed to when pirated music in purchased.
Before you write out the groups you are interested in comparing, you typically need to include some adjoining text. Typically, this adjoining text includes the words between or amongst , but other words may be more appropriate, as highlighted by the examples in red text below:
Once you have these details - (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of the groups you are interested in comparing, and (4) any potential adjoining words - you can write out the comparative research question in full. The example comparative research questions discussed above are written out in full below:
In the section that follows, the structure of relationship-based research questions is discussed.
There are six steps required to construct a relationship-based research question: (1) choose your starting phrase; (2) identify the independent variable(s); (3) identify the dependent variable(s); (4) identify the group(s); (5) identify the appropriate adjoining text; and (6) write out the relationship-based research question. Each of these steps is discussed in turn.
Identify the independent variable(s)
Identify the dependent variable(s)
Identify the group(s)
Write out the relationship-based research question
Relationship-based research questions typically start with one or two phrases:
Name of the independent variable | Starting phrase |
Two | What is the relationship between? |
Three or more | What are the relationships of? |
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
All relationship-based research questions have at least one independent variable . You need to identify what this is. In the examples that follow, the independent variable(s) is highlighted in the purple text .
What is the relationship of career prospects , salary and benefits , and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
When doing a dissertation at the undergraduate and master's level, it is likely that your research question will only have one or two independent variables, but this is not always the case.
All relationship-based research questions also have at least one dependent variable . You also need to identify what this is. At the undergraduate and master's level, it is likely that your research question will only have one dependent variable. In the examples that follow, the dependent variable is highlighted in the blue text .
All relationship-based research questions have at least one group , but can have multiple groups . You need to identify this group(s). In the examples below, we have identified the group(s) in the green text .
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents ?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students ?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers ?
Before you write out the groups you are interested in comparing, you typically need to include some adjoining text (i.e., usually the words between or amongst):
Number of groups | Adjoining text |
One | amongst? [e.g., group 1] |
Two or more | between? of? [e.g., group 1 and group 2] |
Some examples are highlighted in red text below:
Once you have these details ? (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of the independent variable, (4) the name of the group(s) you are interested in, and (5) any potential adjoining words ? you can write out the relationship-based research question in full. The example relationship-based research questions discussed above are written out in full below:
In the previous section, we illustrated how to write out the three types of research question (i.e., descriptive, comparative and relationship-based research questions). Whilst these rules should help you when writing out your research question(s), the main thing you should keep in mind is whether your research question(s) flow and are easy to read .
Table of contents, introduction.
How are statistical research questions for quantitative analysis written? This article provides five examples of statistical research questions that will allow statistical analysis to take place.
In quantitative research projects, writing statistical research questions requires a good understanding and the ability to discern the type of data that you will analyze. This knowledge is elemental in framing research questions that shall guide you in identifying the appropriate statistical test to use in your research.
Thus, before writing your statistical research questions and reading the examples in this article, read first the article that enumerates the four types of measurement scales . Knowing the four types of measurement scales will enable you to appreciate the formulation or structuring of research questions.
In writing the statistical research questions, I provide a topic that shows the variables of the study, the study description, and a link to the original scientific article to give you a glimpse of the real-world examples.
A study was conducted to determine the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement. The subjects of the study include school children in urban schools.
Is there a significant relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement?
To allow statistical analysis to take place, there is a need to define what is physical fitness, as well as academic achievement. The researchers measured physical fitness in terms of the number of physical fitness tests that the students passed during their physical education class. It’s simply counting the ‘number of PE tests passed.’
On the other hand, the researchers measured academic achievement in terms of a passing score in Mathematics and English. The variable is the number of passing scores in both Mathematics and English.
Given the statistical research question, the appropriate statistical test can be applied to determine the relationship. A Pearson correlation coefficient test will test the significance and degree of the relationship. But the more sophisticated higher level statistical test can be applied if there is a need to correlate with other variables.
In the particular study mentioned, the researchers used multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the probability of passing the tests, controlling for students’ weight status, ethnicity, gender, grade, and socioeconomic status. For the novice researcher, this requires further study of multivariate (or many variables) statistical tests. You may study it on your own.
Most of what I discuss in the statistics articles I wrote came from self-study. It’s easier to understand concepts now as there are a lot of resource materials available online. Videos and ebooks from places like Youtube, Veoh, The Internet Archives, among others, provide free educational materials. Online education will be the norm of the future. I describe this situation in my post about Education 4.0 .
This study attempted to correlate climate conditions with the decision of people in Ecuador to consume bottled water, including the volume consumed. Specifically, the researchers investigated if the increase in average ambient temperature affects the consumption of bottled water.
Is there a significant relationship between average temperature and amount of bottled water consumed?
Now, it’s easy to identify the statistical test to analyze the relationship between the two variables. You may refer to my previous post titled Parametric Statistics: Four Widely Used Parametric Tests and When to Use Them . Using the figure supplied in that article, the appropriate test to use is, again, Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient.
Source: Zapata (2021)
Statistical research question no. 3.
Note that this study on COVID-19 looked into three variables, namely 1) number of unique employees working in skilled nursing homes, 2) number of weekly confirmed cases among residents and staff, and 3) number of weekly COVID-19 deaths among residents.
We call the variable number of unique employees the independent variable , and the other two variables ( number of weekly confirmed cases among residents and staff and number of weekly COVID-19 deaths among residents ) as the dependent variables .
A simple Pearson test may be used to correlate one variable with another variable. But the study used multiple variables. Hence, they produced regression models that show how multiple variables affect the outcome. Some of the variables in the study may be redundant, meaning, those variables may represent the same attribute of a population. Stepwise multiple regression models take care of those redundancies. Using this statistical test requires further study and experience.
Scientific evidence has shown that surrounding greenness has multiple health-related benefits. Health benefits include better cognitive functioning or better intellectual activity such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering things. These findings, however, are not well understood. A study, therefore, analyzed the relationship between surrounding greenness and memory performance, with stress as a mediating variable.
As this article is behind a paywall and we cannot see the full article, we can content ourselves with the knowledge that three major variables were explored in this study. These are 1) exposure to and use of natural environments, 2) stress, and 3) memory performance.
As you become more familiar and well-versed in identifying the variables you would like to investigate in your study, reading studies like this requires reading the method or methodology section. This section will tell you how the researchers measured the variables of their study. Knowing how those variables are quantified can help you design your research and formulate the appropriate statistical research questions.
This recent finding is an interesting read and is available online. Just click on the link I provide as the source below. The study sought to determine if income plays a role in people’s happiness across three age groups: young (18-30 years), middle (31-64 years), and old (65 or older). The literature review suggests that income has a positive effect on an individual’s sense of happiness. That’s because more money increases opportunities to fulfill dreams and buy more goods and services.
If you click on the link to the full text of the paper on pages 10 and 11, you will read that the researcher measured happiness using a 10-point scale. The scale was categorized into three namely, 1) unhappy, 2) happy, and 3) very happy.
An investigation was conducted to determine if the size of nursing home staff and the number of COVID-19 cases are correlated. Specifically, they looked into the number of unique employees working daily, and the outcomes include weekly counts of confirmed COVID-19 cases among residents and staff and weekly COVID-19 deaths among residents.
Is there a significant relationship between income and happiness?
I do hope that upon reaching this part of the article, you are now well familiar on how to write statistical research questions. Practice makes perfect.
Lega, C., Gidlow, C., Jones, M., Ellis, N., & Hurst, G. (2021). The relationship between surrounding greenness, stress and memory. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening , 59 , 126974.
Måseide, H. (2021). Income and Happiness: Does the relationship vary with age?
© P. A. Regoniel 12 October 2021 | Updated 08 January 2024
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Formulating your research question (rq).
In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Formulating Your Research Question Return to Writing Studio Handouts
In a research paper, the emphasis is on generating a unique question and then synthesizing diverse sources into a coherent essay that supports your argument about the topic. In other words, you integrate information from publications with your own thoughts in order to formulate an argument. Your topic is your starting place: from here, you will develop an engaging research question. Merely presenting a topic in the form of a question does not transform it into a good research question.
1. broad topic versus narrow question, 1a. broad topic.
“What forces affect race relations in America?”
“How do corporate hiring practices affect race relations in Nashville?”
The question “What is the percentage of racial minorities holding management positions in corporate offices in Nashville?” is much too specific and would yield, at best, a statistic that could become part of a larger argument.
2a. neutral topic.
“How does KFC market its low-fat food offerings?”
“Does KFC put more money into marketing its high-fat food offerings than its lower-fat ones?”
The latter question is somewhat better, since it may lead you to take a stance or formulate an argument about consumer awareness or benefit.
Objective subjects are factual and do not have sides to be argued. Subjective subjects are those about which you can take a side.
“How much time do youth between the ages of 10 and 15 spend playing video games?”
“What are the effects of video-gaming on the attention spans of youth between the ages of 10 and 15?”
The first question is likely to lead to some data, though not necessarily to an argument or issue. The second question is somewhat better, since it might lead you to formulate an argument for or against time spent playing video games.
4a. open-ended topic.
“Does the author of this text use allusion?”
“Does the ironic use of allusion in this text reveal anything about the author’s unwillingness to divulge his political commitments?”
The second question gives focus by putting the use of allusion into the specific context of a question about the author’s political commitments and perhaps also about the circumstances under which the text was produced.
The answer to a good research question will often be the THESIS of your research paper! And the results of your research may not always be what you expected them to be. Not only is this ok, it can be an indication that you are doing careful work!
Adapted from an online tutorial at Empire State College: http://www.esc.edu/htmlpages/writerold/menus.htm#develop (broken link)
Last revised: November 2022 | Adapted for web delivery: November 2022
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The “Golden Thread” Explained Simply (+ Examples)
By: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | June 2022
The research aims , objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are arguably the most important thing you need to get right when you’re crafting a research proposal , dissertation or thesis . We receive questions almost every day about this “holy trinity” of research and there’s certainly a lot of confusion out there, so we’ve crafted this post to help you navigate your way through the fog.
The golden thread simply refers to the collective research aims , research objectives , and research questions for any given project (i.e., a dissertation, thesis, or research paper ). These three elements are bundled together because it’s extremely important that they align with each other, and that the entire research project aligns with them.
Importantly, the golden thread needs to weave its way through the entirety of any research project , from start to end. In other words, it needs to be very clearly defined right at the beginning of the project (the topic ideation and proposal stage) and it needs to inform almost every decision throughout the rest of the project. For example, your research design and methodology will be heavily influenced by the golden thread (we’ll explain this in more detail later), as well as your literature review.
The research aims, objectives and research questions (the golden thread) define the focus and scope ( the delimitations ) of your research project. In other words, they help ringfence your dissertation or thesis to a relatively narrow domain, so that you can “go deep” and really dig into a specific problem or opportunity. They also help keep you on track , as they act as a litmus test for relevance. In other words, if you’re ever unsure whether to include something in your document, simply ask yourself the question, “does this contribute toward my research aims, objectives or questions?”. If it doesn’t, chances are you can drop it.
Alright, enough of the fluffy, conceptual stuff. Let’s get down to business and look at what exactly the research aims, objectives and questions are and outline a few examples to bring these concepts to life.
Simply put, the research aim(s) is a statement that reflects the broad overarching goal (s) of the research project. Research aims are fairly high-level (low resolution) as they outline the general direction of the research and what it’s trying to achieve .
True to the name, research aims usually start with the wording “this research aims to…”, “this research seeks to…”, and so on. For example:
“This research aims to explore employee experiences of digital transformation in retail HR.” “This study sets out to assess the interaction between student support and self-care on well-being in engineering graduate students”
As you can see, these research aims provide a high-level description of what the study is about and what it seeks to achieve. They’re not hyper-specific or action-oriented, but they’re clear about what the study’s focus is and what is being investigated.
The research objectives take the research aims and make them more practical and actionable . In other words, the research objectives showcase the steps that the researcher will take to achieve the research aims.
The research objectives need to be far more specific (higher resolution) and actionable than the research aims. In fact, it’s always a good idea to craft your research objectives using the “SMART” criteria. In other words, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound”.
Let’s look at two examples of research objectives. We’ll stick with the topic and research aims we mentioned previously.
For the digital transformation topic:
To observe the retail HR employees throughout the digital transformation. To assess employee perceptions of digital transformation in retail HR. To identify the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR.
And for the student wellness topic:
To determine whether student self-care predicts the well-being score of engineering graduate students. To determine whether student support predicts the well-being score of engineering students. To assess the interaction between student self-care and student support when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students.
As you can see, these research objectives clearly align with the previously mentioned research aims and effectively translate the low-resolution aims into (comparatively) higher-resolution objectives and action points . They give the research project a clear focus and present something that resembles a research-based “to-do” list.
Finally, we arrive at the all-important research questions. The research questions are, as the name suggests, the key questions that your study will seek to answer . Simply put, they are the core purpose of your dissertation, thesis, or research project. You’ll present them at the beginning of your document (either in the introduction chapter or literature review chapter) and you’ll answer them at the end of your document (typically in the discussion and conclusion chapters).
The research questions will be the driving force throughout the research process. For example, in the literature review chapter, you’ll assess the relevance of any given resource based on whether it helps you move towards answering your research questions. Similarly, your methodology and research design will be heavily influenced by the nature of your research questions. For instance, research questions that are exploratory in nature will usually make use of a qualitative approach, whereas questions that relate to measurement or relationship testing will make use of a quantitative approach.
Let’s look at some examples of research questions to make this more tangible.
Again, we’ll stick with the research aims and research objectives we mentioned previously.
For the digital transformation topic (which would be qualitative in nature):
How do employees perceive digital transformation in retail HR? What are the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR?
And for the student wellness topic (which would be quantitative in nature):
Does student self-care predict the well-being scores of engineering graduate students? Does student support predict the well-being scores of engineering students? Do student self-care and student support interact when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students?
You’ll probably notice that there’s quite a formulaic approach to this. In other words, the research questions are basically the research objectives “converted” into question format. While that is true most of the time, it’s not always the case. For example, the first research objective for the digital transformation topic was more or less a step on the path toward the other objectives, and as such, it didn’t warrant its own research question.
So, don’t rush your research questions and sloppily reword your objectives as questions. Carefully think about what exactly you’re trying to achieve (i.e. your research aim) and the objectives you’ve set out, then craft a set of well-aligned research questions . Also, keep in mind that this can be a somewhat iterative process , where you go back and tweak research objectives and aims to ensure tight alignment throughout the golden thread.
Alignment is the keyword here and we have to stress its importance . Simply put, you need to make sure that there is a very tight alignment between all three pieces of the golden thread. If your research aims and research questions don’t align, for example, your project will be pulling in different directions and will lack focus . This is a common problem students face and can cause many headaches (and tears), so be warned.
Take the time to carefully craft your research aims, objectives and research questions before you run off down the research path. Ideally, get your research supervisor/advisor to review and comment on your golden thread before you invest significant time into your project, and certainly before you start collecting data .
In this post, we unpacked the golden thread of research, consisting of the research aims , research objectives and research questions . You can jump back to any section using the links below.
As always, feel free to leave a comment below – we always love to hear from you. Also, if you’re interested in 1-on-1 support, take a look at our private coaching service here.
This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...
Thank you very much for your great effort put. As an Undergraduate taking Demographic Research & Methodology, I’ve been trying so hard to understand clearly what is a Research Question, Research Aim and the Objectives in a research and the relationship between them etc. But as for now I’m thankful that you’ve solved my problem.
Well appreciated. This has helped me greatly in doing my dissertation.
An so delighted with this wonderful information thank you a lot.
so impressive i have benefited a lot looking forward to learn more on research.
I am very happy to have carefully gone through this well researched article.
Infact,I used to be phobia about anything research, because of my poor understanding of the concepts.
Now,I get to know that my research question is the same as my research objective(s) rephrased in question format.
I please I would need a follow up on the subject,as I intends to join the team of researchers. Thanks once again.
Thanks so much. This was really helpful.
I know you pepole have tried to break things into more understandable and easy format. And God bless you. Keep it up
i found this document so useful towards my study in research methods. thanks so much.
This is my 2nd read topic in your course and I should commend the simplified explanations of each part. I’m beginning to understand and absorb the use of each part of a dissertation/thesis. I’ll keep on reading your free course and might be able to avail the training course! Kudos!
Thank you! Better put that my lecture and helped to easily understand the basics which I feel often get brushed over when beginning dissertation work.
This is quite helpful. I like how the Golden thread has been explained and the needed alignment.
This is quite helpful. I really appreciate!
The article made it simple for researcher students to differentiate between three concepts.
Very innovative and educational in approach to conducting research.
I am very impressed with all these terminology, as I am a fresh student for post graduate, I am highly guided and I promised to continue making consultation when the need arise. Thanks a lot.
A very helpful piece. thanks, I really appreciate it .
Very well explained, and it might be helpful to many people like me.
Wish i had found this (and other) resource(s) at the beginning of my PhD journey… not in my writing up year… 😩 Anyways… just a quick question as i’m having some issues ordering my “golden thread”…. does it matter in what order you mention them? i.e., is it always first aims, then objectives, and finally the questions? or can you first mention the research questions and then the aims and objectives?
Thank you for a very simple explanation that builds upon the concepts in a very logical manner. Just prior to this, I read the research hypothesis article, which was equally very good. This met my primary objective.
My secondary objective was to understand the difference between research questions and research hypothesis, and in which context to use which one. However, I am still not clear on this. Can you kindly please guide?
In research, a research question is a clear and specific inquiry that the researcher wants to answer, while a research hypothesis is a tentative statement or prediction about the relationship between variables or the expected outcome of the study. Research questions are broader and guide the overall study, while hypotheses are specific and testable statements used in quantitative research. Research questions identify the problem, while hypotheses provide a focus for testing in the study.
Exactly what I need in this research journey, I look forward to more of your coaching videos.
This helped a lot. Thanks so much for the effort put into explaining it.
What data source in writing dissertation/Thesis requires?
What is data source covers when writing dessertation/thesis
This is quite useful thanks
I’m excited and thankful. I got so much value which will help me progress in my thesis.
where are the locations of the reserch statement, research objective and research question in a reserach paper? Can you write an ouline that defines their places in the researh paper?
Very helpful and important tips on Aims, Objectives and Questions.
Thank you so much for making research aim, research objectives and research question so clear. This will be helpful to me as i continue with my thesis.
Thanks much for this content. I learned a lot. And I am inspired to learn more. I am still struggling with my preparation for dissertation outline/proposal. But I consistently follow contents and tutorials and the new FB of GRAD Coach. Hope to really become confident in writing my dissertation and successfully defend it.
As a researcher and lecturer, I find splitting research goals into research aims, objectives, and questions is unnecessarily bureaucratic and confusing for students. For most biomedical research projects, including ‘real research’, 1-3 research questions will suffice (numbers may differ by discipline).
Awesome! Very important resources and presented in an informative way to easily understand the golden thread. Indeed, thank you so much.
Well explained
The blog article on research aims, objectives, and questions by Grad Coach is a clear and insightful guide that aligns with my experiences in academic research. The article effectively breaks down the often complex concepts of research aims and objectives, providing a straightforward and accessible explanation. Drawing from my own research endeavors, I appreciate the practical tips offered, such as the need for specificity and clarity when formulating research questions. The article serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers, offering a concise roadmap for crafting well-defined research goals and objectives. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced researcher, this article provides practical insights that contribute to the foundational aspects of a successful research endeavor.
A great thanks for you. it is really amazing explanation. I grasp a lot and one step up to research knowledge.
I really found these tips helpful. Thank you very much Grad Coach.
I found this article helpful. Thanks for sharing this.
thank you so much, the explanation and examples are really helpful
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A research question is the main query that researchers seek to answer in their study. It serves as the basis for a scholarly project such as research paper, thesis or dissertation. A good research question should be clear, relevant and specific enough to guide the research process. It should also be open-ended, meaning that it allows for multiple possible answers or interpretations.
If you have located your general subject and main sources but still aren’t quite sure about the exact research questions for your paper, this guide will help you out. First, we will explore the concept of it together, so you could answer it in your work. Then some simple steps on composing your inquiry will be suggested. In the end, we will draw your attention to some specific details which can make your work good or bad. Sometimes it’s just easier to delegate all challenging tasks to a reliable research paper service . StudyCrumb is a trustable network of qualified writers ready to efficiently solve students’ challenges.
Good research questions provide a concise definition of a problem. As a scholar, your main goal at the beginning is to select the main focus. It should be narrow enough so you could examine it within your deadline. Your work should be focused on something specific. Otherwise, it will require too much work and might not produce clear answers. At the same time your answer should be arguable and supported by data you’ve collected. Take a look at this example:
In this section we will examine the process of developing a research question. We will guide you through it, step by step. Keep in mind that your subject should be important for your audience. So it requires some preliminary study and brainstorming. Let’s take a closer look at the main steps.
First, you need to decide on your general direction. When trying to identify your research paper questions, it is better to choose an area you are really interested in. You should be able to obtain enough data to write something about this topic. Therefore, do not choose something out of your reach. At the same time, your broad topic should not be too simple. Research paper questions that can be answered without any study would hardly make any sense for your project.
Next, it is time we explore the context of the selected topic. You wouldn’t want to choose research questions that have already been examined and answered in detail. On the other hand, choosing a topic that is a complete ‘terra incognita’ might be a bridge too far for your project. Browse through available sources that are related to this topic. You should try and find out what has been discovered about it before. Do you see a gap that you can fill with your study? You can proceed with developing your exact inquiry! Have no time for in-depth topic exploration? Leave this task to professionals. Entrust your “ write my research paper ” order to StudyCrumb and get a top-notch work.
It is good to know your reader well to be able to convey your ideas and results to them in the best possible way. Before writing research questions for your projects, you might need to perform a brief analysis of your audience. That's how you'll be able to understand what is interesting for them and what is not. This will allow you to make better decisions when narrowing your broad topic down. Select a topic that is interesting for your reader! This would contribute much to the success for writing a research paper .
After you have considered your options, go ahead and compose the primary subject of your paper. What makes a good research question? It should highlight some problematic and relevant aspects of the general topic. So, after it is answered, you should have obtained some new valuable knowledge about the subject. Typically scholars start narrowing down their general topic by asking ‘how’, ‘why’ or ‘what’s next’ questions. This approach might help you come up with a great idea quickly.
Finally, after you have composed a research paper question, you should take a second look at it and see if it is good enough for your paper. It would be useful to analyze it from the following sides:
You might use the help of your peers or your friends at this step. You can also show it to your tutor and ask for their opinion.
A number of research questions types are available for use in a paper. They are divided into two main groups:
Qualitative questions:
Quantitative questions:
Selecting a certain type would impact the course of your study. We suggest you think about it carefully. Below you can find a few words about each type. Also, you can seek proficient help from academic experts. Buy a research paper from real pros and forget about stress once and for all.
When doing qualitative research, you are expected to aim to understand the different aspects and qualities of your target problem. Therefore, your thesis should focus on analyzing people’s experience, ideas and reflections rather than on obtaining some statistical data and calculating trends. Thus, this inquiry typically requires observing people’s behavior, interacting with them and learning how they interpret your target problem. Let’s illustrate this with an example:
Contextual research revolves around examining your subject in its natural, everyday environment. It may be watching animals living in their usual habitats or people doing their normal activities in their familiar surroundings (at home, at school or at office). This academic approach helps to understand the role of the context. You'll be able to better explain connections between your problem, its environment and outcomes. This type of inquiry ought to be narrow enough. You shouldn’t have to examine each and every aspect of the selected problem in your paper. Consider this example:
Evaluative research is performed in order to carefully assess the qualities of a selected object, individual, group, system or concept. It typically serves the purpose of collecting evidence that supports or contradicts solutions for a problem. This type of inquiry should focus on how useful a certain quality is for solving the problem. To conduct such study, you need to examine selected qualities in detail. Then, you should assume whether they match necessary criteria. It might include some quantitative methods such as collecting statistics. Although, the most important part is analyzing the qualities. If you need some examples, here’s one for you:
Your paper can be dedicated to explaining a certain phenomenon, finding its reasons and important relationships between it and other important things. Your explanatory research question should aim to highlight issues, uncertainties and problematic aspects of your subject. So, your study should bring clarity about these qualities. It should show how and why they have developed this way. An explanation may include showing causes and effects of issues in question, comparing the selected phenomenon to other similar types and showing whether the selected qualities match some predefined criteria. If you need some examples, check this one:
This type of research is conducted in order to better understand the subject. With its help, you can find some new solutions or opportunities for improvement. Therefore, its main purpose is to develop a theoretical basis for further actions. You need to compose your generative research questions in a way that facilitates obtaining new ideas. It would help to begin with asking ‘why’, ‘what is the relationship between the subject and the problems X, Y, and Z’, ‘what can be improved here’, ‘how we can prevent it’ and so on. Need relevant examples? We’ve got one for you:
Ethnography research is focused on a particular group of people. The aim is to study their behavior, typical reactions to certain events or information, needs, preferences or habits. Important parameters of this group which are most relevant to your general subject are taken into consideration. These are age, sex, language, religion, ethnicity, social status and so on. Main method in this case is first-hand observation of people from the selected group during an extended period of time. If you need strong examples, here’s one:
Quantitative research deals with data – first of all, it is numeric data. It involves mathematical calculations and statistical analysis. It helps to obtain knowledge which is mostly expressed in numbers, graphs and tables. Unlike the qualitative type, the purpose of quantitative research is finding patterns, calculating probabilities, testing causal relationships and making predictions. It is focused on testing theories and hypotheses. (We have the whole blog on what is a hypothesis .) It is mostly used in natural and social sciences. These are: chemistry, biology, psychology, economics, sociology, marketing, etc. Here are a couple of examples:
This is probably the most widespread type of quantitative research question. Such inquiries seek to explain when, where, why, or how something occurred. They describe it accurately and systematically. These inquiries typically start with ‘what’. You are expected to use various methods to investigate one or more variables and determine their dependencies. Note, however, that you cannot control or manipulate any of these variables. You can only observe and measure them. Looking for some interesting examples? Here is one:
Comparative research question is used to highlight different variables and provide numerical evidence. This type is based on comparing one object, parameter or issue with another one of a similar kind. It can help to discover the differences between two or more groups by examining their outcome variables. Take a look at these two examples:
We conduct this type of research when we need to make it clear whether one parameter of a selected object causes another one. A relationship based quantitative research question should help us to explore and define trends and interactions between two or more variables. Are these two things mutually dependent? What kind of dependence is it? How has it developed? And what are possible outcomes of this connection? Here is an example of relationship-based quantitative research questions:
This section contains a number of helpful examples of research questions. Feel free to use them as inspiration to create your own questions and conduct productive study. Let’s start with two simple ones:
Are you interested in well written and inspiring questions? Do you want to learn what to avoid in your study? Just stay with us – there will be more of them below.
Everyone is interested in getting the best possible appraisal for their study. Choosing a topic which doesn't suit your specific situation may be discouraging. Thus, the quality of your paper might get affected by a poor choice. We have put together some good and bad examples so that you could avoid such mistakes.
It is important to include clear terms into your questions. Otherwise, it would be difficult for you to plan your investigation properly. Also, they must be focused on a certain subject, not multiple ones. And finally, it should be possible to answer them. Let’s review several good examples:
It is difficult to evaluate qualities of objects, individuals or groups if your purpose is not clear. This is why you shouldn’t create unclear research questions or try to focus on many problems at once. Some preliminary study might help to understand what you should focus on. Here are several bad examples:
In case you may need some information about the discussion section of a research paper example , find it in our blog.
In this article we have made a detailed review of the most popular types of research questions. We described peculiarities. We also provided some tips on conducting various kinds of study. Besides, a number of useful examples have been given for each category of questions.
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1. what is an example of a weak research question.
Here is an example of the weakest research question:
What kinds of animals live in the USA? |
An answer would be simply making a list of species that inhabit the country. This subject does not require any actual study to be conducted. There is nothing to calculate or analyze here.
Most effective type of research question is the one that doesn't have a single correct answer. However, you should also pay close attention to your audience. If you need to create a strong effect, better choose a topic which is relevant for them.
If you need an idea for a nursing research question, here are a few helpful examples you could use as a reference:
How do you analyze the development of telehealth? |
How to evaluate critical care nursing? |
What are some cardiovascular issues? |
Sociological questions are the ones that examine the social patterns or a meaning of a social phenomenon. They could be qualitative or quantitative. They should target groups of people with certain parameters, such as age or income level. Keep in mind that type of study usually requires collecting numerous data about your target groups.
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Stuck formulating a research question? Try the tool we’ve made! With our research question generator, you’ll get a list of ideas for an academic assignment of any level. All you need to do is add the keywords you’re interested in, push the button, and enjoy the result!
Now, here comes your inspiration 😃
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The choice of research topic is a vital step in the process of any academic task completion. Whether you’re working on a small essay or a large dissertation, your topic will make it fail or fly. The best way to cope with the naming task and proceed to the writing part is to use our free online tool for title generation. Its benefits are indisputable.
Using our research question generator tool, you won’t need to crack your brains over this part of the writing assignment anymore. All you need to do is:
The results will be preliminary; you should use them as an initial reference point and refine them further for a workable, correctly formulated research question.
Depending on your type of study (quantitative vs. qualitative), you might need to formulate different research question types. For instance, a typical quantitative research project would need a quantitative research question, which can be created with the following formula:
Variable(s) + object that possesses that variable + socio-demographic characteristics
You can choose among three quantitative research question types: descriptive, comparative, and relationship-based. Let's consider each type in more detail to clarify the practical side of question formulation.
Descriptive
As its name suggests, a descriptive research question inquires about the number, frequency, or intensity of something and aims to describe a quantitative issue. Some examples include:
Comparative
Comparative research questions presuppose comparing and contrasting things within a research study. You should pick two or more objects, select a criterion for comparison, and discuss it in detail. Here are good examples:
Relationship-based
Relationship-based research is a bit more complex, so you'll need extra work to formulate a good research question. Here, you should single out:
Let’s illustrate how it works:
In a nutshell, a research question is the one you set to answer by performing a specific academic study. Thus, for instance, if your research question is, “How did global warming affect bird migration in California?," you will study bird migration patterns concerning global warming dynamics.
You should think about the population affected by your topic, the specific aspect of your concern, and the timing/historical period you want to study. It’s also necessary to specify the location – a specific country, company, industry sector, the whole world, etc.
A great, effective research question should answer the "who, what, when, where" questions. In other words, you should define the subject of interest, the issue of your concern related to that subject, the timeframe, and the location of your study.
If you don’t know how to write a compelling research question, use our automated tool to complete the task in seconds. You only need to insert your subject of interest, and smart algorithms will do the rest, presenting a set of workable, interesting question suggestions.
Designing research for meaningful results in educational leadership.
Making appropriate methodological and analytic decisions in educational research requires a thorough grounding in the literature and a thorough understanding of the chosen methodology. Detailed preplanning is important for all method types and includes an understanding of the assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study. For quantitative research, researchers should be cautious with data analysis decisions that give preference to statistically significant results, noting that quantitative research can proceed with intents other than confirmatory hypothesis testing. Decisions and procedures that are used to search for low p values, rather than answer the driving research question, are especially problematic. Presentation of quantitative results should include components that clarify and account for analytic choices, that report all relevant statistical results, and that provide sufficient information to replicate the study. Consideration should also be given to joining recent initiatives for more transparency in research with the use of preregistered studies and open data repositories. For qualitative research, researchers should be thoughtful about choosing a specific method for their project that appropriately matches the method’s framework and analytic procedures with the research aim and anticipated sample. Qualitative researchers should also strive for transparency in their method description by allowing for a view of the analytic process that drove the data collection and iterative dives into the data. Presentation of qualitative results requires a balance between providing a compelling narrative that establishes the trustworthiness of results with the judicious use of participant voices. Mixed methods research also requires appropriate integration of different data types.
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date: 29 June 2024
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Order in which these are presented. For example, the independent variable before the dependent variable or vice versa. 4. Draft the Complete Research Question. The last step involves identifying the problem or issue that you are trying to address in the form of complete quantitative survey questions.
Learn how to create descriptive, comparative and relationship-based quantitative research questions based on four steps: choosing the type of question, identifying the variables and groups, selecting the structure, and writing out the problem. See examples and explanations for each step and type of question.
INTRODUCTION. Scientific research is usually initiated by posing evidenced-based research questions which are then explicitly restated as hypotheses.1,2 The hypotheses provide directions to guide the study, solutions, explanations, and expected results.3,4 Both research questions and hypotheses are essentially formulated based on conventional theories and real-world processes, which allow the ...
Choose a broad topic, such as "learner support" or "social media influence" for your study. Select topics of interest to make research more enjoyable and stay motivated. Preliminary research. The goal is to refine and focus your research question. The following strategies can help: Skim various scholarly articles.
A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis. All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or issue. Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources. Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints. Specific enough to answer thoroughly.
The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer comparative question, but note that it may not be practically feasible. For a smaller research project or thesis, it could be narrowed down further to focus on the effectiveness of drunk driving laws in just one or two countries.
A good research question is: Clear: The purpose of the study should be clear to the reader, without additional explanation. Focused: The question is specific. Narrow enough in scope that it can be thoroughly explored within the page limits of the research paper. It brings the common thread that weaves throughout the paper.
Types of quantitative questions. When you try to get numerical answers, the only option is not the multiple-choice one. You can use different types of quantitative research questions to make the form more interesting, visually appealing, and detailed if you use a smart survey creator, such as forms.app, you can make use of its multiple smart form fields to build your form.
A research question is the driving question (s) behind your research. It should be about an issue that you are genuinely curious and/or passionate about. A good research question is: Clear: The purpose of the study should be clear to the reader, without additional explanation. Focused: The question is specific.
1. Start with a broad topic. A broad topic provides writers with plenty of avenues to explore in their search for a viable research question. Techniques to help you develop a topic into subtopics and potential research questions include brainstorming and concept mapping.
Most quantitative research falls into one or more of these three categories. The most rigorous form of quantitative research follows from a test of a theory (see Chapter 3) and the specification of research questions or hypotheses that are included in the theory. The independent and dependent variables must be measured sepa-rately.
How to Find Quantitative Research Design . Finding a quantitative research design involves several steps to ensure that the chosen method is suitable for your research question and objectives. Here's a step-by-step guide: 1. Define Your Research Question. Identify the Problem: Clearly define the problem or phenomenon you want to study.
Revised on June 22, 2023. Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations. Quantitative research is the opposite of qualitative research, which involves collecting and analyzing ...
Formulating a quantitative research question can often be a difficult task. When composing a research question, a researcher needs to determine if they want to describe data, compare differences among groups, assess a relationship, or determine if a set of variables predict another variable. The type of question the researcher asks will help to ...
Understanding Quantitative Research Questions. Quantitative research involves collecting and analyzing numerical data to answer research questions and test hypotheses. These questions typically seek to understand the relationships between variables, predict outcomes, or compare groups. Let's explore some examples of quantitative research ...
Assess your chosen research question using the FINER criteria that helps you evaluate whether the research is Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant. 1. Formulate the final research question, while ensuring it is clear, well-written, and addresses all the key elements of a strong research question.
Quantitative descriptive questions will often ask for percentage, count the number of instances of a phenomenon, or determine an average. Descriptive questions may only include one variable, such as ours about debt load, or they may include multiple variables. Because these are descriptive questions, we cannot investigate causal relationships ...
Structure of comparative research questions. There are five steps required to construct a comparative research question: (1) choose your starting phrase; (2) identify and name the dependent variable; (3) identify the groups you are interested in; (4) identify the appropriate adjoining text; and (5) write out the comparative research question. Each of these steps is discussed in turn:
Central Question Guidelines. 1. Begin with "How" or "What". Avoid "Why". 2. List the central phenomenon you plan to explore. 3. Identify the participants and research site [this is a quantitative term that implies cause and effect] Qualitative Central Question Script:
Introduction. Five Examples of Statistical Research Questions. Topic 1: Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement. Statistical Research Question No. 1. Topic 2: Climate Conditions and Consumption of Bottled Water. Statistical Research Question No. 2. Topic 3: Nursing Home Staff Size and Number of COVID-19 Cases.
In a research paper, the emphasis is on generating a unique question and then synthesizing diverse sources into a coherent essay that supports your argument about the topic. In other words, you integrate information from publications with your own thoughts in order to formulate an argument. Your topic is your starting place: from here, you will ...
Similarly, your methodology and research design will be heavily influenced by the nature of your research questions. For instance, research questions that are exploratory in nature will usually make use of a qualitative approach, whereas questions that relate to measurement or relationship testing will make use of a quantitative approach.
Quantitative Research Questions: Full Definition With Examples . Quantitative research deals with data - first of all, it is numeric data. It involves mathematical calculations and statistical analysis. It helps to obtain knowledge which is mostly expressed in numbers, graphs and tables. Unlike the qualitative type, the purpose of ...
For instance, a typical quantitative research project would need a quantitative research question, which can be created with the following formula: Variable(s) + object that possesses that variable + socio-demographic characteristics. You can choose among three quantitative research question types: descriptive, comparative, and relationship-based.
Decisions and procedures that are used to search for low p values, rather than answer the driving research question, are especially problematic. Presentation of quantitative results should include components that clarify and account for analytic choices, that report all relevant statistical results, and that provide sufficient information to ...
This can involve statistical analysis for quantitative data or content analysis for qualitative data. The aim is to interpret the data in a way that provides clear answers to the research ...