This document discusses defining research questions and the key components of developing good research questions. It begins by explaining that well-crafted research questions guide systematic research planning and enable the design of studies that can effectively answer the questions. There are three main types of research questions: descriptive questions that seek to describe phenomena, relationship questions that investigate associations between variables, and difference questions that make comparisons between groups. The document emphasizes that good research questions should be clearly linked to research goals, guide appropriate data collection and analysis, and be feasible, interesting, novel, relevant and ethical. It provides examples of each type of research question and discusses problem distillation and writing a clear problem statement.

1. Research
Problem
By : Dian
Ndaru P.

2. Research
Question
1. The foundation of the
research process
2. It all begins with a
question

3. “
“Well-crafted questions guide the systematic
planning of research. Formulating your questions
precisely enables you to design a study with a good
chance of answering them.”
Light, Singer, Willett, By Design (1990)
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4. Finding
Research
Questiona
• Curiosity
• Information Gaps
• Controversy
• Replication
• Literature Review
• Other People
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5. Conceptualize that a
research study can ask
three types of
questions:
• Descriptive
question
• Relationship
question
• Difference question
Types of
Research
Questions
This general
classification scheme
helps not only with the
design of the study, but
also in choosing the type
of data analysis
procedure
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6. Defining a Good
Question
• be clearly linked to overall
project goal
• allow the target
population to be
identified
• guide the appropriate
level of aggregation (e.g.
class, course, curriculum,
institution)
• raise questions about how
to best collect data
• identify the outcome variables
and key predictors of those
variables
• determine what type of study is
needed (e.g. descriptive,
relational, experimental)
• identify background
characteristics that might
influence outcomes
• influence the number of
participants in the study
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7. Qualities of a
Good Question
Finer
• Feasible
• Adequate numbers of subjects?
• Adequate technical expertise?
• Affordable in time and money?
• Is it possible to measure or
manipulate the variables?
Interesting
• To the investigator?
Novel
• To the field?
• Ethical
• Potential harm to subjects?
• Potential breech of subject
confidentiality?
Relevant
• To scientific knowledge/theory?
• To organizational, health or
social management and policy?
• To individual welfare?
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8. Descriptive
Questions
Seeks to describe phenomena or characteristics of a
particular group of subjects being studied
◦ Answers the question “what is”
◦ Asking questions of the research participants
◦ Testing or measuring their performance
◦ Survey research
Example
◦ What are the attitudes of rural parents toward the
inclusion of sexuality education in the school
curriculum? (Welshimer & Harris, 1994)
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9. Relaationship
Questions
• Investigates the degree to which two or more variables
are associated with each other
• Does not establish “cause-and-effect”
• Only identifies extent of relationship between
variables
Example
Is there an association between self-esteem and eating
behaviors among collegiate female swimmers? (Fey, 1998)
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10. Difference
Questions
Seeks to make comparisons between or within groups of
interest
• Often associated with experimental research
• Is there a difference between the control group
and the experimental group?
• Comparison of one group to another on the basis
of existing characteristics
Example
◦ Does participation in Special Olympics affect the
self-esteem of adults with mental retardation?
(Major, 1998)
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11. Problem Distillation
• The process of refining the question or idea
into a problem and making it sufficiently
specific so that it is amenable to investigation
• This process should lead to the development of
a “statement of the problem” that is clear,
concise, and definitive
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12. Statement of
the Problem
• A very specific statement which clearly identifies the
problem being studied; will usually identify the key
variables as well as give some information about the
scope of the study
• May be in either question or declarative form
• May include inherent sub-problems, if appropriate
• Formulation of problem statement takes place after an
initial review of related literature and the distillation
process
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13. Problem
Statements
• “The problem of this study was to …”
• “This study was concerned with …”
• “This study is designed to …”
• “The purpose of this investigation is to …”
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14. Delimitations
• Delimitations define the scope of the study. That is, they set the
boundaries of the study
• Normally under control of the researcher
• Examples include
• number and kinds of subjects
• treatment conditions
• tests, measures, instruments used
• type of equipment
• location, environmental setting
• type of training (time and duration)
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15. Limitations
• Limitations are very similar to delimitations, but they
tend to focus on potential weaknesses of the study
• Examples include
• Sampling problems (representativeness of subjects)
• Uncontrolled factors and extraneous variables
• Faulty research design and techniques
• Reliability and validity of measuring instruments
• Compromises to internal/external validity
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16. Another
Limitations
• Possible shortcomings of the study . . . usually cannot be
controlled by the researcher
• the researcher will, of course, try to eliminate extremely
serious weaknesses before the study is commenced
• May be a result of assumptions not being met
• No study is perfect; the researcher recognizes the
weaknesses
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17. Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at @dianndaru &
viora_venus@yahoo.com
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