How to properly define a research question

A good research question must be distilled from a topic then refined further to be made more specific.

A properly defined research question sets the basis for excellent research and can help guide an entire project.

But first, a little overview as to what research is fundamentally about… at its core, research is a balance between academic inquiry and practical application. It enables us to build a testable body of knowledge through observation and reasoning. It is ultimately about making a contribution to a field, creating knowledge for the larger community.

Research can be conducted by observing others or looking at your own practice (reflexive interrogation). It is made up of 2 things.

Method (way of conducting the research).

Methodology (Purpose of a certain method. How and why we used method X).

Research generally follows 6 steps:

1. Initial observation
2. Generate theory
3. Generate hypotheses
4. Collect data to test the theory
5. Analyse data.

Now, creating a research question is a whole task in itself, but it is very important as it helps guide the research project and assist in the construction of a logical argument.

To best define a research question, you first start with a general topic, frame as a more specific question, then refine (topic > general question> more specific research question).

The strategy could look like this: Pick a topic > narrow into a certain area> explore questions around this area (mindmap)> pick> refine question.

So, that all sounds great… but, what does it look like in practice?

Topic

First, a general topic:

Topic: Women‘s football.

Next, focus in on a certain area of interest, framed as a question:

Question

Question: Why do women in some countries get paid less than men in professional football?

Notice this is now a specific area of the topic. Now, we must focus the question to narrow the topic but remain open-ended so that there is room to argue. So on reflection; ‘some countries’ is far too broad.

Refined Question

Why is the women’s professional football game more recognised in the US than in Europe?

Now, it is easier to see what is necessary to conduct the research:

Reasons: to generate a theory.

Statistics: to generate hypotheses to support the theory.

Now we have generated a research question. The next step would be to develop a thesis:

‘Until the 1970s, organized women’s soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis. The U.S. is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women’s soccer, and FIFA ranked its national team #1 in the world after its back-to-back Women’s World Cup victory in 2015 and 2019.’

The rest of the research would look to support this statement with more detailed arguments.

One more example…

Topic: workspace of design teams.

Question: How do different factors of workspaces affect the psychology and dynamics of design teams?

Refined Question: This question could be defined in a myriad number of ways akin to a shared workspace, such as; Arrangement, Functionality, Amenities, Colours, Textures, Lighting, Furniture, Proximity, Modulation, Flexibility etc.

How do plants affect the wellbeing of a workplace?

This could finally be framed as a research title:

Understanding how green workspaces can affect the wellbeing of design teams.

Summary

To summarise, signs of a great research question, are:

1. Focused on one issue.
2. The question is not subjective e.g. based on a bias.
3. Open-ended and appropriately complex to allow to build arguments
4. Clear
5. Manageable/feasible to conduct with necessary time/resources

Hopefully, this article will help you in refining your next research question. Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck with any research you may be undertaking in the future, it can be a daunting task!