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Developing a research question

Information drawn from Leedy/Ormrod’s Practical Research Planning & Design. Developing a research question. Start with a research problem. Basic or applied Does it address an important question? Will knowing the answer make a difference? Does it advance scientific knowledge?

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Developing a research question

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  1. Information drawn from Leedy/Ormrod’s Practical Research Planning & Design Developing a research question

  2. Start with a research problem • Basic or applied • Does it address an important question? • Will knowing the answer make a difference? • Does it advance scientific knowledge? • Will other researchers be interested in your investigations? • Not just collecting data, but interpreting data

  3. A good research problem: • Is well-defined • How do we know that we solved it? • Is highly important • Is solvable • Are there known approaches? Do you have the necessary resources? • Matches your need • Appropriate size for your program, appropriate topic for your skill set • For a thesis, want high impact, low risk

  4. Types of Research • Exploratory/Descriptive: What does it look like? How does it work? • Outcome: Framework/Principles • Evaluative: How well does a method solve a problem • Outcome: Empirical results • Explanatory: Why does something happen the way it happens? • Outcome: Causes • Predictive: What would happen if X? • Outcome: Models

  5. Research question != hypothesis Research Question Hypothesis • Do not offer any speculative answers related to the research problem • Applicable to a many types of research • Intelligent, tentative guesses about how the research question may be resolved • Essential to experimental research

  6. Handout • Chapter 3, The Problem: The Heart of the Research Process from Practical Research: Planning and Design. Leedy & Ormrod • In-class activity: • Individual: Write your research problem • Pairs: Swap problems, discuss (repeat if time)

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