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Writing an Effective Research

Question

Video Title: Writing an Effective Research Question

Originally Published: 2017

Publishing Company: SAGE Publications Ltd.

City: London, United Kingdom

ISBN: 9781526402516

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526402516

(c) SAGE Publications Ltd., 2017

This PDF has been generated from SAGE Research Methods.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SPEAKER: Your research question is the central puzzle that your study aims to investigate. It governs

every component of your research project defining what data you collect and how you analyze that. It

also needs to be both feasible and worthy of academic attention. Your first step in finding an effective

research question is to choose a workable research topic.

SPEAKER [continued]: While some of the best research is motivated by a strong personal interest in

an issue, you should ensure that your topic has also general interest in your academic field. Does it

address an important theoretical concept or could it open up new avenues for research? Interesting

topics are often those that pursue unexpected angles or that could achieve surprising outcomes.

SPEAKER [continued]: Toiling away on a subject that motivates you, but is of limited interest to your

field, can undermine the value of your efforts and make securing funding, research participation and

a positive outcome from your project more difficult. Crafting a strong, relevant and worthy research

question for your topic is an iterative process. Aim to start with a solid, but not necessarily perfect,

research question.

SPEAKER [continued]: Then as you move back through your research design and encounter barriers

and opportunities along the way, you can double back and adjust your research question accordingly.

This iterative approach is effective because you won't know at the outset what exciting turns in the

road you'll counter on your research journey. As you craft your research question, ask yourself, what

are you looking to find out?

SPEAKER [continued]: What are your key explanatory, also known as independent variables, and

what are your outcome or dependent variables? What data do you need in order to answer your

research question, and can you gather these data in the time you have available? You will also want

to consider whether your research results would add to the established knowledge by shedding light

on a new or under researched dimension of the topic.

SPEAKER [continued]: There are some principles to guide the development of your research

question. In your research question, add a gap in the existing research literature that you can

demonstrate to your readers. Ensure that your question is answerable. A narrow and specific

research question with clear boundaries means you're creating a manageable and feasible research

task for yourself.

SPEAKER [continued]: Your question should be analytical and demonstrate more than mere

description in order to contribute to general knowledge about your topic. Ensure that your research

question is clear, focused and easy to understand. It should simply and briefly communicate the key

information about what variables you will be exploring. Remember, it is nearly impossible to have a

research question that is too focused.

SPEAKER [continued]: Developing an encircle research question is the crucial first step in the

research design process, and will be the foundation of your project. [MUSIC PLAYING]

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SAGE Research Methods Video

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