What makes a good research question?

When conducting and reading research, there are various aspects that one looks for that are important; one of those aspects is the research question being asked. Now, one might ask what makes a good research question.

According to McCaig (2010), as cited in Dahlberg and McCaig (2010), there is one key aspect to what makes a good research question:

• A research question must clearly show readers what the authors are trying to unearth within their study. It aids in explaining what the purpose of the research is. As Maxwell (1996), as cited in Dahlberg and McCaig (2010), mentions, the research question is placed at the centre of the entire research process, showing how important research questions are within studies.

• Research questions are also not overly specific; they are not the questions that a researcher will ask a focus group; those questions will be developed as the research is conducted.

The two points mentioned above are what I believe makes a good research question: forming the purpose of the study and not being overly specific.

References

Dahlberg, L., & McCaig, C. (2010). Practical research and evaluation : A start-to-finish guide for practitioners. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446268346