The document discusses developing strong research questions and hypotheses. It explains that research questions should specify the population, variables, and relationships being studied. Variables come from literature and theory, and one variable may influence another. Research questions should fill gaps in existing literature. Hypotheses should logically follow from literature reviews and theory, and be testable based on the study design and analysis. Defining independent and dependent variables, the population, and developing questions using a PICO format help design rigorous research.

1. The Research Question
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Presents the idea that will be studied
Also called the “problem statement”
Research questions focus on:
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Specifying the population being studied
Describing variables
Examining testable relationships among variables
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2. Study Purpose, Aims, or
Objectives
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Purpose
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Overall goal that the research can achieve
Suggests the level of evidence to be obtained
Aims
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How this particular project will achieve the goal
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3. Research Questions Should:
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Arise from the systematic review
Define specific question area
Fill a gap or clarify a conflict in the literature?
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4. Variables
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Come from the literature
Come from theoretical framework
Something that varies
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Age, weight, height, religion, ethnicity
Can be observed, measured, and analyzed.
One variable influences another variable
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Is X related to Y?
What is the effect of X on Y?
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5. Variables
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Independent variable—X—
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Comes from the theory
Manipulated
Controlled
Dependent variable—Y
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Outcome within the population
Varies depending on X
Observed
This is the variable we are interested in promoting or
causing
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6. Population
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Must be clearly specified
The setting is also usually clearly described
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Breast cancer survivors who have completed
treatment
Adolescents in substance abuse treatment
Nursing students in the first year of nursing school
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7. Developing a Clinical Question
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Clinical questions have four components:
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Population
Intervention
Comparison
Outcome
PICO
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8. Critiquing the Research Question
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Is the population being studied described?
Is there an implied relationship between two or
more variables? Between an independent (X) and
dependent (Y) variable?
Can the implied relationships be tested?
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9. Critiquing the Hypothesis
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Might not be explicitly stated—you may have
to infer it
Even if stated it should be reexamined in the
Results or Discussion sections
Data analysis should answer the hypothesis
The hypothesis should logically follow from
the literature review and theoretical
framework
Mosby items and derived items © 2010, 2006, 2002 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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10. Critiquing the Hypothesis
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Might not be explicitly stated—you may have
to infer it
Even if stated it should be reexamined in the
Results or Discussion sections
Data analysis should answer the hypothesis
The hypothesis should logically follow from
the literature review and theoretical
framework
Mosby items and derived items © 2010, 2006, 2002 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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