Research begins with a focused research question. Sometimes we must expand our inquiry and refocus. Describe what your research question should do.
Your research question should do the following:
1. Provide clarity: Your research question should clearly state what you intend to investigate or explore. It should be concise and specific to avoid any ambiguity.
2. Set a clear goal: Your research question should set a clear objective or goal that you aim to achieve through your research. It should identify the problem or gap in knowledge that you seek to address.
3. Guide your research process: Your research question should act as a guide for your entire research process. It should help you determine what data or information you need to collect, what methods you should use, and what analysis or evaluation you should conduct.
4. Establish scope and boundaries: Your research question should establish the boundaries or limitations of your research. It should define the scope of your study, whether it is a specific time period, population, geographic location, or any other relevant factors.
5. Stimulate critical thinking: Your research question should be thought-provoking and should encourage critical thinking. It should be open-ended enough to allow for various interpretations and perspectives, while still being focused enough to provide meaningful results.
6. Be feasible and manageable: Your research question should be feasible and manageable within the resources, time, and constraints you have. It should be realistic and attainable, considering the available data, methods, and ethical considerations.
7. Contribute to knowledge: Finally, your research question should have the potential to contribute to existing knowledge in your field. It should address a significant gap and have relevance and importance in advancing understanding or addressing a practical problem.