Correct research questions are the foundation of great inventions, technological development, and strong academic projects. When the brainstorming and efforts are focused on the right problems, some very basic yet crucial questions arise.

Having research questions paves a roadmap for designing objectives and further establishing a hypothesis.

For example, you got curious about the sudden failure of Li-ion batteries.

Research question: Why do Li-based batteries suddenly get short-circuited?

Objective: To mitigate the sudden short circuits in Li batteries.

Hypothesis: Dendrite formation could be the reason for the sudden battery failure

Finally, research can be on mitigation strategies like SEI, solid-state electrolytes, or using additives. Hence, to find meaningful insights and solve real problems, one has follow the pathway of:

Research question → Objective → Hypothesis → Conclusions

Many early-stage researchers struggle to define the right research questions and then remain confused while analysing data, building projects, or writing manuscripts.

FINER Framework

The FINER framework is a very helpful tool for developing research questions that are impactful and draw attention from the world. FINER stands for feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant.

Feasible: The questions should be decided that are realistic and are solvable from the resources and financial assistance available to you. Just imagine you come up with a problem associated with the fuel efficiency of rockets in a state-level institute with limited funding. It might be solving an important problem, but it is not feasible for research implementation.

Interesting: It is a relative parameter, but very crucial individually. One has to have an interest in the topic and find answers to those research questions. Citing from the previous article, personal passion keeps you moving forward.

Novel: The question should be new and must address the problem prevailing in the present. For example, having a question related to increasing the speed of wood wheel is not new and useful to the technology development for today’s society. On the other hand, a research question that can help in the sustainability and efficiency of car fuels is novel and useful.

Ethical: Of course, the question and its solution should solve an ethical and law-abiding problem.

Relevant: The research question should be relevant and not fictional or useless to the world. For example, having a question regarding the superpowers, like don’t try to research Thanos and his snapping power to just destroy the world 🌝.

If your research questions have all these five attributes, it is worth for brain storming, investigating, and looking for answers.

Types of research questions

Research questions can be categorised into five types depending on the research area and the kind of investigation you want to execute.

Descriptive

If your research area is something that requires coming up with mechanisms, elucidating concepts, and without reasoning them, your research question could be a descriptive type. It can include descriptions of characteristics, patterns, or trends in scientific, social, or political genres.

For example, what is the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among adults aged 25–40 in urban India?

Relational

As the name suggests, this is the question that answers the relation between any two quantities or variables. It is mainly used to describe the effect of one variable on another, how strongly they are related, and whether it is proportional or inverse.

For example, is there a relationship between physical activity levels and blood glucose control in adults with Type 2 diabetes?

Causal

A causal research question is asked to determine the effect of any cause. It is mostly about understanding implication of changing any variable, policy, or technology on, say, the outcome, energy, society, and consumption. Unlike relational question which tell the correlation between identities, causal questions focus on identifying the outcomes and impacts resulting from changes in one variable on another.

For example, does regular aerobic exercise reduce HbA1c levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes?

Evaluative

The evaluative research question answers the efficiency, or effectiveness, of any product or policy on the energy, society, or environment. It is basically used for the evaluation and understanding of whether the theory, policy, or technology meets the intended objective or to what extent it serves the purpose of its invented.

For example, to what extent does a community-based diabetes management program improve medication adherence among adults?

Normative

Normative question answers are based on opinions, ethical frameworks, and values rather than objective measurement. More than certainity it investigates:

1. What is good or preferable?
2. What principles can be used for fair evaluation?

They don’t give results in terms of impacts, efficiency, or numbers, but rather if something should be done or not. For example, should regular diabetes screening be made mandatory for adults above 30 years of age?

Shreya’s TakeAway

The above theoretical framework and categories of research questions can assist you in having a significant question and defining an approach to your investigation.

Apart from this, one should always be flexible in their mindset and approach, as research is an ever-evolving field. Any new insight can completely change the direction and nature of your investigation.

Our focus should be on getting some meaning from our research rather than just proving it right.

Let me give you a quick test to identify if your question is really impactful. Can you explain it to a layperson who is not from the field in simple words?

If yes, then your research is FINER than many :)

How to Ask the Right Research Questions? was originally published in New Writers Welcome on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s okay to be useless,

Yes, it’s okay to be useless.

Because the world has enough useful trade,

The give and take, or always caring about,

What’s at stake?

It’s okay to be useless,

Because a good heart is great,

No need to be a useful fake, or overthink on,

Why can’t I relate?

It’s okay to be useless,

Because bigger homes admire empty space.

Space to walk and play games,

which design their quality days.

Its outside might look showoff place,

but at its core, it's an answer to,

Where can I have my happy state?

So, just like a selfless trade,

good heart and that empty space,

It's okay to be useless.

Useless was originally published in Write A Catalyst on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.