Research Question: Examples, Types, & Criteria (2024)

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As a student, you're probably no stranger to essays, presentations, and other projects. The odds are that most of these projects will have required you to do some research. Solid research is so important as we can use it to formulate, investigate, and evidence an argument, topic, or hypothesis.

It can sometimes be tricky to know what we should be asking when we do research, which is why it's important to understand how to formulate effective research questions. This article will cover everything you need to know about research questions.

Fig. 1 - Research is a key part of writing essays and other assignments.

Without further ado, let's dive in!

Research Question Definition

Before we look at research questions, it's important to note that there are two main types of research: qualitative and quantitative. These are called research methodologies. The kind of research question you need to ask will depend on the type of research methodology you're using:

• Qualitative research is based on first-hand evidence gathered by the researcher through means such as observation, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and recordings of natural life. Research questions for qualitative research will likely be more open-ended as they are designed to help understand different events and phenomena. More detailed answers are required to satisfy qualitative research.

• Quantitative research is a range of strategies and techniques for quantifying or measuring certain variables being investigated and analysing this information. Research questions for quantitative research will likely be based on comparisons and relationships. A quantitative research question will aim to achieve objective and measurable answers.

Now that we have those definitions out of the way, we can look at our main definition. What is a research question?

You already know what a question is – you probably use them all the time! But what makes a research question?

A research question is a specific type of question that aims to help a person investigate a research topic and eventually draw a conclusion. In other words, the research question is the question that the research aims to answer.

Research Question vs Hypothesis

We've seen what a research question is in the above section, but how does it differ from a hypothesis? You might have heard both terms used during your studies.

A hypothesis is a formal and often detailed statement that aims to predict the relationship between two or more investigated variables.

The key differences between a hypothesis and a research question are that a hypothesis is a statement rather than a question, and a hypothesis predicts whereas a research question enquires (or asks!).

Fig. 2 - Before beginning your research, decide whether you need a hypothesis or a research question.

Research Question Types

There are three key types of research questions: descriptive, relational, and causal.

We'll look at the definitions of each one in turn:

Descriptive research question

A descriptive research question is used when a study has the purpose of describing what is happening or existing with regard to a particular topic.

'How many hours per week does the average British teenager spend watching Love Island?'

Relational research question

'How does increasing the hourly pay rate of workers within the educational field affect job performance?'

Causal research question

A causal research question is when a study is designed to investigate whether one or several variables affect an outcome, or whether one variable affects an outcome more than another variable.

'What effect does alcohol consumption have on driving reaction time?'

Research Question Formation Process

Before you start formulating your research question, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you to make your research question more targeted and effective:

• What problem do I want to solve, or what information am I interested in finding out?

• Why is this problem important, or why do I care about this?

• Will my research be qualitative or quantitative?

• What research have others done on this topic?

• What variables can I include in my question that will get me the results I want?

• How can I ensure all parts of my question are relevant to the information I want to know?

• Is the research viable and realistic? Do I have a good chance of answering this question?

When you've thought about these questions and have some answers in mind, you're then ready to start formulating your research question.

Research Question Criteria

When thinking about your research question, there are a few criteria you should consider as you formulate it. Making sure the question hits these criteria will help to ensure the question is as helpful and effective as possible.

Your question should be:

• Feasible – There's no sense in researching something that's impossible or non-existent.
• Measurable – Your question needs to have a goal.
• Clear – If the question is confusing, your research will be too.
• Specific – You can't be vague or too general in your research, or you'll end up with too much information.
• Focused – If your question doesn't have a focus, your research will be irrelevant and muddied.

These qualities will make it much easier to nail down exactly what information you need to find out, and should make it easier to search for your answers.

Fig. 3 - Research questions should be measurable, feasible, clear, specific, and focused.

It also helps if your research question is interesting and engages you, as this will help you to stay motivated and invested in the research project.

Examples of Research Questions

So, now that we have a better understanding of what constitutes a good research question, let's look at some examples:

'What effect does TikTok have on the mental health of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 when used daily?'

This question is feasible as it is possible to set up an investigation or survey to ascertain how TikTok users feel after using the app. It's measurable because, through the survey (or another method), you would be able to get data to draw a conclusion. It is clear, as there is nothing confusing or overly complicated in the question, and it is specific because it is concerned with a particular demographic and particular app. Likewise, it is also focused rather than vague, which will mean the results of the research will be more helpful.

This question could produce a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data could come from seeing how many adolescents have noticed or reported mental health struggles as a result of TikTok use, and the qualitative data would come from analysing the different reasons for these mental health struggles.

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