main research question and subquestions

• Researching
• 3. Sub-questions

How to develop research sub-questions

Once you have become familiar with your topic through your background research , you can begin to think about how to approach answering your Key Inquiry Question .

However, the Key Inquiry Question is usually too broad to answer at this early juncture.

Therefore, you need to break your Key Inquiry Question into smaller questions (called 'sub-questions') in order to answer it sufficiently.

Sub-questions are secondary questions that are related to a primary or main inquiry question and are used to break down and further explore a particular aspect of the main question.

They help to clarify the main question and provide more specific direction for the research.

How to create sub-questions

A good Key Inquiry Question can easily be divided into three separate parts which can be turned into sub-questions.

Based upon good background research , you should be able to identify the three divisions of your Key Inquiry Question .

For example:

If your Key Inquiry Question was:

Why did Martin Luther King believe that social problems could be fixed through non-violent means?  

The three parts that need to be answered separately can be highlighted as follows:

Why did Martin Luther King believe that social problems could be fixed through non-violent means ?  

Each of these parts can be turned into three sub-questions (with the same three elements highlighted).

What were Martin Luther King’s beliefs about society?

For what social problems did Martin Luther King want to find a solution?

How did Martin Luther King imagine that non-violent practices could help ?

The importance of good sub-questions

Spend time thinking of good sub-questions. Well thought-out sub-questions can mean the difference between an average and an excellent essay.

Good sub-questions should:

• Be 'open' questions (This means that they cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. Usually this means starting the question with:  what, why, or how)
• Incorporate terms and concepts that you learnt during your background research

In answering each of your three sub-questions through source research , you will ultimately have an answer for your Key Inquiry Question .

Watch a video explanation on the History Skills YouTube channel:

Watch on YouTube

Improving your sub-questions

Even though you are required to create sub-questions at the beginning of your research process , it does not mean that they do not change.

As you begin finding sources that help answer your original sub-questions, you will find that you will need to modify your questions.

This is usually the result of discovering further, more specific, information about your topic.

Improving your sub-questions during your source research stage will result in better topic sentences and, as a result, a better essay .

 What role did the bombings of Tokyo , Hiroshima and Nagasaki have on Japan’s decision to surrender at the end of World War Two?

An initial and simplistic set of sub-questions could be:

•   What role did the bombing of Tokyo have on Japan’s decision to surrender at the end of World War Two?
• What role did the bombing of Hiroshima have on Japan’s decision to surrender at the end of World War Two?
• What role did the bombing of Nagasaki have on Japan’s decision to surrender at the end of World War Two?

However, after conducting further research, they could be improved by including specific dates and historical information :

• What role did the March 9th incendiary bombings of Tokyo have on Japan's decision to surrender at the end of World War Two ?
• What role did the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th have on Japan's decision to surrender at the end of World War Two ?
• What role did the atomic bombing of Nagasaki August 9th have on Japan's decision to surrender at the end of World War Two ?

Finally, after finding some detailed primary and secondary sources, they could be further improved by citing the role that key people played :

• How did the March 9th incendiary bombings of Tokyo motivate emperor Hirohito to become more involved in ending the Second World War?
• Why did the Japanese government not surrender after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on the 6th of August, 1945 ?
• Why did Hirohito finally decide to surrender after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945 ?

Test your learning

No personal information is collected as part of this quiz. Only the selected responses to the questions are recorded.

What's next?

Need a digital Research Journal?

What do you need help with?

Download ready-to-use digital learning resources.

Copyright © History Skills 2014-2024.

Contact  via email

Formulating Your Research Question

• First Online: 26 May 2018

Cite this chapter

• Eva O. L. Lantsoght 2 , 3  

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education ((SPTE))

193k Accesses

In this chapter, the research question is studied. We focus on how to find a research question that is specific enough, so that you are not tempted to explore paths that are only tangentially related to your research question. The literature review identifies gaps in the current knowledge, and you will learn how to frame a research question within these gaps. We then explore how to subdivide the research question into subquestions. These subquestions become the chapters of your dissertation. We also look at creative thinking, a skill necessary to think out of the box to formulate your research question. This chapter discusses how to convince your supervisor of your research question. It can happen that your supervisor already has an idea of the direction in which your research should be going, but if you can provide technically sound arguments based on your literature review why this approach is not ideal, and why you propose a different road, you should be able to have the freedom to explore your proposed option. Once you have outlined your research question, it is necessary to turn the question and subquestions into practical actions. These practical actions link back to the planning skills you learned in Chap. 3 .

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Time blocks of 25 minutes during which you concentrate on one single task. You can find more information about the Pomodoro technique in the glossary of Part II.

I often work with noise-cancelling headphones.

The course is sweet and short, and runs frequently. I highly recommend it!

Refer to Chap. 4 for examples on how I use mindmaps to structure documents, such as a literature review report.

Further Reading and References

Kara, H. (2015). Creative research methods in the Social Sciences: A practical guide . Bristol: Policy Press.

Google Scholar  

Kara, H. (2015). How to choose your research question. PhD Talk . http://phdtalk.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-choose-your-research-question.html

Lantsoght, E. (2012). The creative process: The importance of questions. PhD Talk . http://phdtalk.blogspot.nl/2012/11/the-creative-process-importance-of.html

Feynman, R. P., Leighton, R., & Hutchings, E. (1997). “Surely you’re joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a curious character (1st pbk ed.). New York: W.W. Norton.

Lantsoght, E. (2012). The creative process: The creative habit. PhD Talk . http://phdtalk.blogspot.nl/2012/11/the-creative-process-creative-habit.html

Rose, C. (2016). 15 minute history . http://15minutehistory.org /

Oakley, B. (2014). A mind for numbers: How to excel at Math and Science (even if you flunked algebra) . New York: TarcherPerigree.

Lantsoght E (2011). Book review: Starting research: An introduction to academic research and dissertation writing – Roy Preece. PhD Talk . http://phdtalk.blogspot.nl/2011/07/book-review-starting-research.html .

Preece, R. (2000). Starting research: An introduction to academic research and dissertation writing . London: Continuum.

Lantsoght, E. (2014). An example outline diagram for structuring your dissertation. PhD Talk . http://phdtalk.blogspot.nl/2014/08/an-example-outline-diagram-for.html

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador

Eva O. L. Lantsoght

Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Lantsoght, E.O.L. (2018). Formulating Your Research Question. In: The A-Z of the PhD Trajectory. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77425-1_5

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77425-1_5

Published : 26 May 2018

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-77424-4

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-77425-1

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

How to Write a Research Question: Types and Examples 

The first step in any research project is framing the research question. It can be considered the core of any systematic investigation as the research outcomes are tied to asking the right questions. Thus, this primary interrogation point sets the pace for your research as it helps collect relevant and insightful information that ultimately influences your work.   

Typically, the research question guides the stages of inquiry, analysis, and reporting. Depending on the use of quantifiable or quantitative data, research questions are broadly categorized into quantitative or qualitative research questions. Both types of research questions can be used independently or together, considering the overall focus and objectives of your research.  

What is a research question?

A research question is a clear, focused, concise, and arguable question on which your research and writing are centered. 1 It states various aspects of the study, including the population and variables to be studied and the problem the study addresses. These questions also set the boundaries of the study, ensuring cohesion. 

Designing the research question is a dynamic process where the researcher can change or refine the research question as they review related literature and develop a framework for the study. Depending on the scale of your research, the study can include single or multiple research questions. 

A good research question has the following features: 

• It is relevant to the chosen field of study. 
• The question posed is arguable and open for debate, requiring synthesizing and analysis of ideas. 
• It is focused and concisely framed. 
• A feasible solution is possible within the given practical constraint and timeframe. 

A poorly formulated research question poses several risks. 1   

• Researchers can adopt an erroneous design. 
• It can create confusion and hinder the thought process, including developing a clear protocol.  
• It can jeopardize publication efforts.  
• It causes difficulty in determining the relevance of the study findings.  
• It causes difficulty in whether the study fulfils the inclusion criteria for systematic review and meta-analysis. This creates challenges in determining whether additional studies or data collection is needed to answer the question.  
• Readers may fail to understand the objective of the study. This reduces the likelihood of the study being cited by others. 

Now that you know “What is a research question?”, let’s look at the different types of research questions. 

Types of research questions

Depending on the type of research to be done, research questions can be classified broadly into quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies. Knowing the type of research helps determine the best type of research question that reflects the direction and epistemological underpinnings of your research. 

The structure and wording of quantitative 2 and qualitative research 3 questions differ significantly. The quantitative study looks at causal relationships, whereas the qualitative study aims at exploring a phenomenon. 

• Quantitative research questions:  
• Seeks to investigate social, familial, or educational experiences or processes in a particular context and/or location.  
• Answers ‘how,’ ‘what,’ or ‘why’ questions. 
• Investigates connections, relations, or comparisons between independent and dependent variables. 

Quantitative research questions can be further categorized into descriptive, comparative, and relationship, as explained in the Table below. 

• Qualitative research questions  

Qualitative research questions are adaptable, non-directional, and more flexible. It concerns broad areas of research or more specific areas of study to discover, explain, or explore a phenomenon. These are further classified as follows: 

• Mixed-methods studies  

Mixed-methods studies use both quantitative and qualitative research questions to answer your research question. Mixed methods provide a complete picture than standalone quantitative or qualitative research, as it integrates the benefits of both methods. Mixed methods research is often used in multidisciplinary settings and complex situational or societal research, especially in the behavioral, health, and social science fields. 

What makes a good research question

A good research question should be clear and focused to guide your research. It should synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument, and should ideally be something that you are interested in. But avoid questions that can be answered in a few factual statements. The following are the main attributes of a good research question. 

• Specific: The research question should not be a fishing expedition performed in the hopes that some new information will be found that will benefit the researcher. The central research question should work with your research problem to keep your work focused. If using multiple questions, they should all tie back to the central aim. 
• Measurable: The research question must be answerable using quantitative and/or qualitative data or from scholarly sources to develop your research question. If such data is impossible to access, it is better to rethink your question. 
• Attainable: Ensure you have enough time and resources to do all research required to answer your question. If it seems you will not be able to gain access to the data you need, consider narrowing down your question to be more specific. 
• You have the expertise 
• You have the equipment and resources 
• Realistic: Developing your research question should be based on initial reading about your topic. It should focus on addressing a problem or gap in the existing knowledge in your field or discipline. 
• Based on some sort of rational physics 
• Can be done in a reasonable time frame 
• Timely: The research question should contribute to an existing and current debate in your field or in society at large. It should produce knowledge that future researchers or practitioners can later build on. 
• Novel 
• Based on current technologies. 
• Important to answer current problems or concerns. 
• Lead to new directions. 
• Important: Your question should have some aspect of originality. Incremental research is as important as exploring disruptive technologies. For example, you can focus on a specific location or explore a new angle. 
• Meaningful whether the answer is “Yes” or “No.” Closed-ended, yes/no questions are too simple to work as good research questions. Such questions do not provide enough scope for robust investigation and discussion. A good research question requires original data, synthesis of multiple sources, and original interpretation and argumentation before providing an answer. 

Steps for developing a good research question

The importance of research questions cannot be understated. When drafting a research question, use the following frameworks to guide the components of your question to ease the process. 4  

• Determine the requirements: Before constructing a good research question, set your research requirements. What is the purpose? Is it descriptive, comparative, or explorative research? Determining the research aim will help you choose the most appropriate topic and word your question appropriately. 
• Select a broad research topic: Identify a broader subject area of interest that requires investigation. Techniques such as brainstorming or concept mapping can help identify relevant connections and themes within a broad research topic. For example, how to learn and help students learn. 
• Perform preliminary investigation: Preliminary research is needed to obtain up-to-date and relevant knowledge on your topic. It also helps identify issues currently being discussed from which information gaps can be identified. 
• Narrow your focus: Narrow the scope and focus of your research to a specific niche. This involves focusing on gaps in existing knowledge or recent literature or extending or complementing the findings of existing literature. Another approach involves constructing strong research questions that challenge your views or knowledge of the area of study (Example: Is learning consistent with the existing learning theory and research). 
• Identify the research problem: Once the research question has been framed, one should evaluate it. This is to realize the importance of the research questions and if there is a need for more revising (Example: How do your beliefs on learning theory and research impact your instructional practices). 

How to write a research question

Those struggling to understand how to write a research question, these simple steps can help you simplify the process of writing a research question. 

Sample Research Questions

The following are some bad and good research question examples 

• Example 1 
• Example 2 

References:  

• Thabane, L., Thomas, T., Ye, C., & Paul, J. (2009). Posing the research question: not so simple.  Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d’anesthésie ,  56 (1), 71-79. 
• Rutberg, S., & Bouikidis, C. D. (2018). Focusing on the fundamentals: A simplistic differentiation between qualitative and quantitative research.  Nephrology Nursing Journal ,  45 (2), 209-213. 
• Kyngäs, H. (2020). Qualitative research and content analysis.  The application of content analysis in nursing science research , 3-11. 
• Mattick, K., Johnston, J., & de la Croix, A. (2018). How to… write a good research question.  The clinical teacher ,  15 (2), 104-108. 
• Fandino, W. (2019). Formulating a good research question: Pearls and pitfalls.  Indian Journal of Anaesthesia ,  63 (8), 611. 
• Richardson, W. S., Wilson, M. C., Nishikawa, J., & Hayward, R. S. (1995). The well-built clinical question: a key to evidence-based decisions.  ACP journal club ,  123 (3), A12-A13 

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

Related Reads:

• Scientific Writing Style Guides Explained
• Ethical Research Practices For Research with Human Subjects
• 8 Most Effective Ways to Increase Motivation for Thesis Writing 
• 6 Tips for Post-Doc Researchers to Take Their Career to the Next Level

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in the World of Research

Language and grammar rules for academic writing, you may also like, mla works cited page: format, template & examples, academic editing: how to self-edit academic text with..., measuring academic success: definition & strategies for excellence, phd qualifying exam: tips for success , quillbot review: features, pricing, and free alternatives, what is an academic paper types and elements , 9 steps to publish a research paper, what are the different types of research papers, how to make translating academic papers less challenging, 6 tips for post-doc researchers to take their....

Research Aims, Objectives & Questions

The “Golden Thread” Explained Simply (+ Examples)

By: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | June 2022

The research aims , objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are arguably the most important thing you need to get right when you’re crafting a research proposal , dissertation or thesis . We receive questions almost every day about this “holy trinity” of research and there’s certainly a lot of confusion out there, so we’ve crafted this post to help you navigate your way through the fog.

Overview: The Golden Thread

• What is the golden thread
• What are research aims ( examples )
• What are research objectives ( examples )
• What are research questions ( examples )
• The importance of alignment in the golden thread

What is the “golden thread”?  

The golden thread simply refers to the collective research aims , research objectives , and research questions for any given project (i.e., a dissertation, thesis, or research paper ). These three elements are bundled together because it’s extremely important that they align with each other, and that the entire research project aligns with them.

Importantly, the golden thread needs to weave its way through the entirety of any research project , from start to end. In other words, it needs to be very clearly defined right at the beginning of the project (the topic ideation and proposal stage) and it needs to inform almost every decision throughout the rest of the project. For example, your research design and methodology will be heavily influenced by the golden thread (we’ll explain this in more detail later), as well as your literature review.

The research aims, objectives and research questions (the golden thread) define the focus and scope ( the delimitations ) of your research project. In other words, they help ringfence your dissertation or thesis to a relatively narrow domain, so that you can “go deep” and really dig into a specific problem or opportunity. They also help keep you on track , as they act as a litmus test for relevance. In other words, if you’re ever unsure whether to include something in your document, simply ask yourself the question, “does this contribute toward my research aims, objectives or questions?”. If it doesn’t, chances are you can drop it.

Alright, enough of the fluffy, conceptual stuff. Let’s get down to business and look at what exactly the research aims, objectives and questions are and outline a few examples to bring these concepts to life.

Research Aims: What are they?

Simply put, the research aim(s) is a statement that reflects the broad overarching goal (s) of the research project. Research aims are fairly high-level (low resolution) as they outline the general direction of the research and what it’s trying to achieve .

Research Aims: Examples  

True to the name, research aims usually start with the wording “this research aims to…”, “this research seeks to…”, and so on. For example:

“This research aims to explore employee experiences of digital transformation in retail HR.”   “This study sets out to assess the interaction between student support and self-care on well-being in engineering graduate students”  

As you can see, these research aims provide a high-level description of what the study is about and what it seeks to achieve. They’re not hyper-specific or action-oriented, but they’re clear about what the study’s focus is and what is being investigated.

Need a helping hand?

Research Objectives: What are they?

The research objectives take the research aims and make them more practical and actionable . In other words, the research objectives showcase the steps that the researcher will take to achieve the research aims.

The research objectives need to be far more specific (higher resolution) and actionable than the research aims. In fact, it’s always a good idea to craft your research objectives using the “SMART” criteria. In other words, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound”.

Research Objectives: Examples  

Let’s look at two examples of research objectives. We’ll stick with the topic and research aims we mentioned previously.  

For the digital transformation topic:

To observe the retail HR employees throughout the digital transformation. To assess employee perceptions of digital transformation in retail HR. To identify the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR.

And for the student wellness topic:

To determine whether student self-care predicts the well-being score of engineering graduate students. To determine whether student support predicts the well-being score of engineering students. To assess the interaction between student self-care and student support when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students.

  As you can see, these research objectives clearly align with the previously mentioned research aims and effectively translate the low-resolution aims into (comparatively) higher-resolution objectives and action points . They give the research project a clear focus and present something that resembles a research-based “to-do” list.

Research Questions: What are they?

Finally, we arrive at the all-important research questions. The research questions are, as the name suggests, the key questions that your study will seek to answer . Simply put, they are the core purpose of your dissertation, thesis, or research project. You’ll present them at the beginning of your document (either in the introduction chapter or literature review chapter) and you’ll answer them at the end of your document (typically in the discussion and conclusion chapters).  

The research questions will be the driving force throughout the research process. For example, in the literature review chapter, you’ll assess the relevance of any given resource based on whether it helps you move towards answering your research questions. Similarly, your methodology and research design will be heavily influenced by the nature of your research questions. For instance, research questions that are exploratory in nature will usually make use of a qualitative approach, whereas questions that relate to measurement or relationship testing will make use of a quantitative approach.  

Let’s look at some examples of research questions to make this more tangible.

Research Questions: Examples  

Again, we’ll stick with the research aims and research objectives we mentioned previously.  

For the digital transformation topic (which would be qualitative in nature):

How do employees perceive digital transformation in retail HR? What are the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR?  

And for the student wellness topic (which would be quantitative in nature):

Does student self-care predict the well-being scores of engineering graduate students? Does student support predict the well-being scores of engineering students? Do student self-care and student support interact when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students?  

You’ll probably notice that there’s quite a formulaic approach to this. In other words, the research questions are basically the research objectives “converted” into question format. While that is true most of the time, it’s not always the case. For example, the first research objective for the digital transformation topic was more or less a step on the path toward the other objectives, and as such, it didn’t warrant its own research question.  

So, don’t rush your research questions and sloppily reword your objectives as questions. Carefully think about what exactly you’re trying to achieve (i.e. your research aim) and the objectives you’ve set out, then craft a set of well-aligned research questions . Also, keep in mind that this can be a somewhat iterative process , where you go back and tweak research objectives and aims to ensure tight alignment throughout the golden thread.

The importance of strong alignment 

Alignment is the keyword here and we have to stress its importance . Simply put, you need to make sure that there is a very tight alignment between all three pieces of the golden thread. If your research aims and research questions don’t align, for example, your project will be pulling in different directions and will lack focus . This is a common problem students face and can cause many headaches (and tears), so be warned.

Take the time to carefully craft your research aims, objectives and research questions before you run off down the research path. Ideally, get your research supervisor/advisor to review and comment on your golden thread before you invest significant time into your project, and certainly before you start collecting data .  

Recap: The golden thread

In this post, we unpacked the golden thread of research, consisting of the research aims , research objectives and research questions . You can jump back to any section using the links below.

As always, feel free to leave a comment below – we always love to hear from you. Also, if you’re interested in 1-on-1 support, take a look at our private coaching service here.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

You Might Also Like:

39 Comments

Thank you very much for your great effort put. As an Undergraduate taking Demographic Research & Methodology, I’ve been trying so hard to understand clearly what is a Research Question, Research Aim and the Objectives in a research and the relationship between them etc. But as for now I’m thankful that you’ve solved my problem.

Well appreciated. This has helped me greatly in doing my dissertation.

An so delighted with this wonderful information thank you a lot.

so impressive i have benefited a lot looking forward to learn more on research.

I am very happy to have carefully gone through this well researched article.

Infact,I used to be phobia about anything research, because of my poor understanding of the concepts.

Now,I get to know that my research question is the same as my research objective(s) rephrased in question format.

I please I would need a follow up on the subject,as I intends to join the team of researchers. Thanks once again.

Thanks so much. This was really helpful.

I know you pepole have tried to break things into more understandable and easy format. And God bless you. Keep it up

i found this document so useful towards my study in research methods. thanks so much.

This is my 2nd read topic in your course and I should commend the simplified explanations of each part. I’m beginning to understand and absorb the use of each part of a dissertation/thesis. I’ll keep on reading your free course and might be able to avail the training course! Kudos!

Thank you! Better put that my lecture and helped to easily understand the basics which I feel often get brushed over when beginning dissertation work.

This is quite helpful. I like how the Golden thread has been explained and the needed alignment.

This is quite helpful. I really appreciate!

The article made it simple for researcher students to differentiate between three concepts.

Very innovative and educational in approach to conducting research.

I am very impressed with all these terminology, as I am a fresh student for post graduate, I am highly guided and I promised to continue making consultation when the need arise. Thanks a lot.

A very helpful piece. thanks, I really appreciate it .

Very well explained, and it might be helpful to many people like me.

Wish i had found this (and other) resource(s) at the beginning of my PhD journey… not in my writing up year… 😩 Anyways… just a quick question as i’m having some issues ordering my “golden thread”…. does it matter in what order you mention them? i.e., is it always first aims, then objectives, and finally the questions? or can you first mention the research questions and then the aims and objectives?

Thank you for a very simple explanation that builds upon the concepts in a very logical manner. Just prior to this, I read the research hypothesis article, which was equally very good. This met my primary objective.

My secondary objective was to understand the difference between research questions and research hypothesis, and in which context to use which one. However, I am still not clear on this. Can you kindly please guide?

In research, a research question is a clear and specific inquiry that the researcher wants to answer, while a research hypothesis is a tentative statement or prediction about the relationship between variables or the expected outcome of the study. Research questions are broader and guide the overall study, while hypotheses are specific and testable statements used in quantitative research. Research questions identify the problem, while hypotheses provide a focus for testing in the study.

Exactly what I need in this research journey, I look forward to more of your coaching videos.

This helped a lot. Thanks so much for the effort put into explaining it.

What data source in writing dissertation/Thesis requires?

What is data source covers when writing dessertation/thesis

This is quite useful thanks

I’m excited and thankful. I got so much value which will help me progress in my thesis.

where are the locations of the reserch statement, research objective and research question in a reserach paper? Can you write an ouline that defines their places in the researh paper?

Very helpful and important tips on Aims, Objectives and Questions.

Thank you so much for making research aim, research objectives and research question so clear. This will be helpful to me as i continue with my thesis.

Thanks much for this content. I learned a lot. And I am inspired to learn more. I am still struggling with my preparation for dissertation outline/proposal. But I consistently follow contents and tutorials and the new FB of GRAD Coach. Hope to really become confident in writing my dissertation and successfully defend it.

As a researcher and lecturer, I find splitting research goals into research aims, objectives, and questions is unnecessarily bureaucratic and confusing for students. For most biomedical research projects, including ‘real research’, 1-3 research questions will suffice (numbers may differ by discipline).

Awesome! Very important resources and presented in an informative way to easily understand the golden thread. Indeed, thank you so much.

Well explained

The blog article on research aims, objectives, and questions by Grad Coach is a clear and insightful guide that aligns with my experiences in academic research. The article effectively breaks down the often complex concepts of research aims and objectives, providing a straightforward and accessible explanation. Drawing from my own research endeavors, I appreciate the practical tips offered, such as the need for specificity and clarity when formulating research questions. The article serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers, offering a concise roadmap for crafting well-defined research goals and objectives. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced researcher, this article provides practical insights that contribute to the foundational aspects of a successful research endeavor.

A great thanks for you. it is really amazing explanation. I grasp a lot and one step up to research knowledge.

I really found these tips helpful. Thank you very much Grad Coach.

I found this article helpful. Thanks for sharing this.

thank you so much, the explanation and examples are really helpful

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

• Memberships

Research questions explained plus examples

Research questions: This article provides a practical explanation of the topic of research questions . The article begins with a general definition of the term “research question” and an explanation of the different types of research questions. You will also find several useful tips for developing your own research question and sub-questions, for example, for a thesis or other research project. Enjoy reading!

What is a research question?

When conducting research, the research question and sub-questions are essential. The research question reflects the main question of the research, and the sub-questions contribute to answering this main question. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider the formulation of the questions.

A good research question is concrete, relevant, and well-defined. It should be clear what is being researched and what the purpose of the research is. The sub-questions should match this and should be specific enough to be answered within the research. The sub-questions should also contribute to answering the main question.

Example research question

An example of a research question with sub-questions could be: “How can communication between employees and managers be improved within organization X?” The sub-questions could be:

• What does the current communication structure look like within organization X?
• What are the obstacles to communication between employees and managers?
• What communication tools are currently used, and are they effective?
• What are the best practices for improving communication between employees and managers?

Creating good research questions and sub-questions is important for carrying out a clear and relevant study. By paying sufficient attention to this, the research can be carried out efficiently and effectively, and valuable results can be achieved.

Common types of research questions

Figure 1 – 4 types of Research questions

1. Descriptive research questions

These questions focus on describing a phenomenon, situation, or population. They are aimed at gathering information about what is going on and what is known about the research topic. An example of a descriptive research question is: “What percentage of students at university X have a part-time job alongside their studies?”

2. Explanatory research questions

These questions focus on finding explanations for a particular phenomenon or situation. They aim to find causal relationships between different variables. An example of an explanatory research question is: “What is the relationship between stress and sleep deprivation among healthcare workers?”

3. Predictive research questions

These questions focus on predicting future events or outcomes based on certain variables or factors. They aim to find patterns and trends that can help make predictions. An example of a predictive research question is: “How much is the sales of product X expected to increase in the coming year?”

4. Evaluative research questions

These questions focus on evaluating the effectiveness or efficiency of a particular intervention, policy, or program. They aim to assess the impact of a particular action or change. An example of an evaluative research question is: “What is the effect of introducing a new teaching method on the academic performance of students?”

It is important to choose the right type of research question that fits the purpose of the research and the research method used. By formulating a clear and specific research question, a researcher can work more effectively and achieve the desired results.

Research Methods For Business Students Course A-Z guide to writing a rockstar Research Paper with a bulletproof Research Methodology!   More information

What criteria should a good research question meet?

Below you will find six criteria that a good research question should meet. These criteria are specificity, clarity, relevance, feasibility, significance, and interest.

The research question must be formulated clearly and specifically, so that it is clear what the subject of the research is.

The research question must be relevant to the field and build upon existing knowledge and insights.

The research question must be feasible within the available time, resources, and knowledge of the researcher.

The research question must be verifiable through empirical research or data analysis, so that the results can be objectively evaluated.

The research question must be original and contribute to expanding existing knowledge or developing new insights.

The research question must be challenging and inspiring, so that it motivates the researcher to work hard and perform at a high level.

How to write a good research question?

With the following steps, you can formulate a good research question that is relevant to the field in which you are conducting research.

Step 1: choose a topic

Choose a topic that is relevant to your field and contains keywords that people search for. Use a tool such as Google Keyword Planner to find keywords.

Step 2: prepare

Read literature and articles about the topic and identify gaps in knowledge or conflicting results that are worth further investigation.

Step 3: develop a preliminary research question

Formulate a general preliminary research question based on the findings from the literature. Make sure that this question is clear, concise, and relevant. Use relevant terms in your question.

Step 4: refine

Refine the general question into a specific question that can be answered through empirical research or data analysis. Use clear and simple language, and avoid jargon.

Step 5: check

Check if the question meets the characteristics of a good research question: is the question specific, relevant, feasible, verifiable, original, and inspiring?

Other tips for developing a research question for your thesis

Developing a good research question is essential for a successful thesis. Here are some tips that can help you develop a research question:

Choose a relevant topic

Choose a topic that is relevant to your field of study and that you are passionate about. This will increase your motivation and help you make a meaningful contribution to your field.

Determine the purpose of your research

Ask yourself what you want to achieve with your research. Do you want to discover a new problem, solve an existing problem, or introduce a new concept? Be specific Make sure that your research question is specific and not too broad. It should have a clear purpose and focus on a limited topic.

Use clear language

Make sure that your research question is clear and understandable to others. Avoid jargon and technical terms, unless they are necessary for the context of your research.

Make it measurable

Ensure that your research question is measurable, so that you can evaluate and analyze the results of your research.

Consider data availability

Now it’s your turn

What do you think? Do you recognize the explanation about research questions? Have you often worked with research questions? Like during the process of writing your thesis or another type of research? Do you find the tips and recommendations in this article helpful? Do you have other tips or comments?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

• Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: A reflective process . International journal of qualitative studies in education, 22(4), 431-447.
• Andrews, R. (2003). Research questions . Bloomsbury Publishing .
• Barick, R. (2021). Research Methods For Business Students . Retrieved 02/16/2024 from Udemy.
• Dillon, J. T. (1984). The classification of research questions . Review of Educational Research, 54(3), 327-361.
• White, P. (2017). Developing research questions. Bloomsbury Publishing.

How to cite this article: Janse, B. (2023). Research questions . Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/research/research-questions/

Original publication date: 05/12/2023 | Last update: 01/02/2024

Add a link to this page on your website: <a href=”https://www.toolshero.com/research/research-questions/”>Toolshero: Research questions</a>

Did you find this article interesting?

Your rating is more than welcome or share this article via Social media!

Average rating 4.2 / 5. Vote count: 5

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Ben Janse is a young professional working at ToolsHero as Content Manager. He is also an International Business student at Rotterdam Business School where he focusses on analyzing and developing management models. Thanks to his theoretical and practical knowledge, he knows how to distinguish main- and side issues and to make the essence of each article clearly visible.

Related ARTICLES

Respondents: the definition, meaning and the recruitment

Market Research: the Basics and Tools

Gartner Magic Quadrant report and basics explained

Univariate Analysis: basic theory and example

Bivariate Analysis in Research explained

Contingency Table: the Theory and an Example

Also interesting.

Content Analysis explained plus example

Field Research explained

Observational Research Method explained

Leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

BOOST YOUR SKILLS

Toolshero supports people worldwide ( 10+ million visitors from 100+ countries ) to empower themselves through an easily accessible and high-quality learning platform for personal and professional development.

By making access to scientific knowledge simple and affordable, self-development becomes attainable for everyone, including you! Join our learning platform and boost your skills with Toolshero.

POPULAR TOPICS

• Change Management
• Marketing Theories
• Problem Solving Theories
• Psychology Theories

ABOUT TOOLSHERO

• Free Toolshero e-book
• Memberships & Pricing

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• J Indian Assoc Pediatr Surg
• v.24(1); Jan-Mar 2019

Formulation of Research Question – Stepwise Approach

Simmi k. ratan.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India

1 Department of Community Medicine, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Medical College, New Delhi, India

2 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Batra Hospital and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

Formulation of research question (RQ) is an essentiality before starting any research. It aims to explore an existing uncertainty in an area of concern and points to a need for deliberate investigation. It is, therefore, pertinent to formulate a good RQ. The present paper aims to discuss the process of formulation of RQ with stepwise approach. The characteristics of good RQ are expressed by acronym “FINERMAPS” expanded as feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant, manageable, appropriate, potential value, publishability, and systematic. A RQ can address different formats depending on the aspect to be evaluated. Based on this, there can be different types of RQ such as based on the existence of the phenomenon, description and classification, composition, relationship, comparative, and causality. To develop a RQ, one needs to begin by identifying the subject of interest and then do preliminary research on that subject. The researcher then defines what still needs to be known in that particular subject and assesses the implied questions. After narrowing the focus and scope of the research subject, researcher frames a RQ and then evaluates it. Thus, conception to formulation of RQ is very systematic process and has to be performed meticulously as research guided by such question can have wider impact in the field of social and health research by leading to formulation of policies for the benefit of larger population.

I NTRODUCTION

A good research question (RQ) forms backbone of a good research, which in turn is vital in unraveling mysteries of nature and giving insight into a problem.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] RQ identifies the problem to be studied and guides to the methodology. It leads to building up of an appropriate hypothesis (Hs). Hence, RQ aims to explore an existing uncertainty in an area of concern and points to a need for deliberate investigation. A good RQ helps support a focused arguable thesis and construction of a logical argument. Hence, formulation of a good RQ is undoubtedly one of the first critical steps in the research process, especially in the field of social and health research, where the systematic generation of knowledge that can be used to promote, restore, maintain, and/or protect health of individuals and populations.[ 1 , 3 , 4 ] Basically, the research can be classified as action, applied, basic, clinical, empirical, administrative, theoretical, or qualitative or quantitative research, depending on its purpose.[ 2 ]

Research plays an important role in developing clinical practices and instituting new health policies. Hence, there is a need for a logical scientific approach as research has an important goal of generating new claims.[ 1 ]

C HARACTERISTICS OF G OOD R ESEARCH Q UESTION

“The most successful research topics are narrowly focused and carefully defined but are important parts of a broad-ranging, complex problem.”

A good RQ is an asset as it:

• Details the problem statement
• Further describes and refines the issue under study
• Adds focus to the problem statement
• Guides data collection and analysis
• Sets context of research.

Hence, while writing RQ, it is important to see if it is relevant to the existing time frame and conditions. For example, the impact of “odd-even” vehicle formula in decreasing the level of air particulate pollution in various districts of Delhi.

A good research is represented by acronym FINERMAPS[ 5 ]

Interesting.

• Appropriate
• Potential value and publishability
• Systematic.

Feasibility means that it is within the ability of the investigator to carry out. It should be backed by an appropriate number of subjects and methodology as well as time and funds to reach the conclusions. One needs to be realistic about the scope and scale of the project. One has to have access to the people, gadgets, documents, statistics, etc. One should be able to relate the concepts of the RQ to the observations, phenomena, indicators, or variables that one can access. One should be clear that the collection of data and the proceedings of project can be completed within the limited time and resources available to the investigator. Sometimes, a RQ appears feasible, but when fieldwork or study gets started, it proves otherwise. In this situation, it is important to write up the problems honestly and to reflect on what has been learned. One should try to discuss with more experienced colleagues or the supervisor so as to develop a contingency plan to anticipate possible problems while working on a RQ and find possible solutions in such situations.

This is essential that one has a real grounded interest in one's RQ and one can explore this and back it up with academic and intellectual debate. This interest will motivate one to keep going with RQ.

The question should not simply copy questions investigated by other workers but should have scope to be investigated. It may aim at confirming or refuting the already established findings, establish new facts, or find new aspects of the established facts. It should show imagination of the researcher. Above all, the question has to be simple and clear. The complexity of a question can frequently hide unclear thoughts and lead to a confused research process. A very elaborate RQ, or a question which is not differentiated into different parts, may hide concepts that are contradictory or not relevant. This needs to be clear and thought-through. Having one key question with several subcomponents will guide your research.

This is the foremost requirement of any RQ and is mandatory to get clearance from appropriate authorities before stating research on the question. Further, the RQ should be such that it minimizes the risk of harm to the participants in the research, protect the privacy and maintain their confidentiality, and provide the participants right to withdraw from research. It should also guide in avoiding deceptive practices in research.

The question should of academic and intellectual interest to people in the field you have chosen to study. The question preferably should arise from issues raised in the current situation, literature, or in practice. It should establish a clear purpose for the research in relation to the chosen field. For example, filling a gap in knowledge, analyzing academic assumptions or professional practice, monitoring a development in practice, comparing different approaches, or testing theories within a specific population are some of the relevant RQs.

Manageable (M): It has the similar essence as of feasibility but mainly means that the following research can be managed by the researcher.

Appropriate (A): RQ should be appropriate logically and scientifically for the community and institution.

Potential value and publishability (P): The study can make significant health impact in clinical and community practices. Therefore, research should aim for significant economic impact to reduce unnecessary or excessive costs. Furthermore, the proposed study should exist within a clinical, consumer, or policy-making context that is amenable to evidence-based change. Above all, a good RQ must address a topic that has clear implications for resolving important dilemmas in health and health-care decisions made by one or more stakeholder groups.

Systematic (S): Research is structured with specified steps to be taken in a specified sequence in accordance with the well-defined set of rules though it does not rule out creative thinking.

Example of RQ: Would the topical skin application of oil as a skin barrier reduces hypothermia in preterm infants? This question fulfills the criteria of a good RQ, that is, feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant.

Types of research question

A RQ can address different formats depending on the aspect to be evaluated.[ 6 ] For example:

• Existence: This is designed to uphold the existence of a particular phenomenon or to rule out rival explanation, for example, can neonates perceive pain?
• Description and classification: This type of question encompasses statement of uniqueness, for example, what are characteristics and types of neuropathic bladders?
• Composition: It calls for breakdown of whole into components, for example, what are stages of reflux nephropathy?
• Relationship: Evaluate relation between variables, for example, association between tumor rupture and recurrence rates in Wilm's tumor
• Descriptive—comparative: Expected that researcher will ensure that all is same between groups except issue in question, for example, Are germ cell tumors occurring in gonads more aggressive than those occurring in extragonadal sites?
• Causality: Does deletion of p53 leads to worse outcome in patients with neuroblastoma?
• Causality—comparative: Such questions frequently aim to see effect of two rival treatments, for example, does adding surgical resection improves survival rate outcome in children with neuroblastoma than with chemotherapy alone?
• Causality–Comparative interactions: Does immunotherapy leads to better survival outcome in neuroblastoma Stage IV S than with chemotherapy in the setting of adverse genetic profile than without it? (Does X cause more changes in Y than those caused by Z under certain condition and not under other conditions).

How to develop a research question

• Begin by identifying a broader subject of interest that lends itself to investigate, for example, hormone levels among hypospadias
• Do preliminary research on the general topic to find out what research has already been done and what literature already exists.[ 7 ] Therefore, one should begin with “information gaps” (What do you already know about the problem? For example, studies with results on testosterone levels among hypospadias
• What do you still need to know? (e.g., levels of other reproductive hormones among hypospadias)
• What are the implied questions: The need to know about a problem will lead to few implied questions. Each general question should lead to more specific questions (e.g., how hormone levels differ among isolated hypospadias with respect to that in normal population)
• Narrow the scope and focus of research (e.g., assessment of reproductive hormone levels among isolated hypospadias and hypospadias those with associated anomalies)
• Is RQ clear? With so much research available on any given topic, RQs must be as clear as possible in order to be effective in helping the writer direct his or her research
• Is the RQ focused? RQs must be specific enough to be well covered in the space available
• Is the RQ complex? RQs should not be answerable with a simple “yes” or “no” or by easily found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis on the part of the writer
• Is the RQ one that is of interest to the researcher and potentially useful to others? Is it a new issue or problem that needs to be solved or is it attempting to shed light on previously researched topic
• Is the RQ researchable? Consider the available time frame and the required resources. Is the methodology to conduct the research feasible?
• Is the RQ measurable and will the process produce data that can be supported or contradicted?
• Is the RQ too broad or too narrow?
• Create Hs: After formulating RQ, think where research is likely to be progressing? What kind of argument is likely to be made/supported? What would it mean if the research disputed the planned argument? At this step, one can well be on the way to have a focus for the research and construction of a thesis. Hs consists of more specific predictions about the nature and direction of the relationship between two variables. It is a predictive statement about the outcome of the research, dictate the method, and design of the research[ 1 ]
• Understand implications of your research: This is important for application: whether one achieves to fill gap in knowledge and how the results of the research have practical implications, for example, to develop health policies or improve educational policies.[ 1 , 8 ]

Brainstorm/Concept map for formulating research question

• First, identify what types of studies have been done in the past?
• Is there a unique area that is yet to be investigated or is there a particular question that may be worth replicating?
• Begin to narrow the topic by asking open-ended “how” and “why” questions
• Evaluate the question
• Develop a Hypothesis (Hs)
• Write down the RQ.

Writing down the research question

• State the question in your own words
• Write down the RQ as completely as possible.

For example, Evaluation of reproductive hormonal profile in children presenting with isolated hypospadias)

• Divide your question into concepts. Narrow to two or three concepts (reproductive hormonal profile, isolated hypospadias, compare with normal/not isolated hypospadias–implied)
• Specify the population to be studied (children with isolated hypospadias)
• Refer to the exposure or intervention to be investigated, if any
• Reflect the outcome of interest (hormonal profile).

Another example of a research question

Would the topical skin application of oil as a skin barrier reduces hypothermia in preterm infants? Apart from fulfilling the criteria of a good RQ, that is, feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant, it also details about the intervention done (topical skin application of oil), rationale of intervention (as a skin barrier), population to be studied (preterm infants), and outcome (reduces hypothermia).

Other important points to be heeded to while framing research question

• Make reference to a population when a relationship is expected among a certain type of subjects
• RQs and Hs should be made as specific as possible
• Avoid words or terms that do not add to the meaning of RQs and Hs
• Stick to what will be studied, not implications
• Name the variables in the order in which they occur/will be measured
• Avoid the words significant/”prove”
• Avoid using two different terms to refer to the same variable.

Some of the other problems and their possible solutions have been discussed in Table 1 .

Potential problems and solutions while making research question

G OING B EYOND F ORMULATION OF R ESEARCH Q UESTION–THE P ATH A HEAD

Once RQ is formulated, a Hs can be developed. Hs means transformation of a RQ into an operational analog.[ 1 ] It means a statement as to what prediction one makes about the phenomenon to be examined.[ 4 ] More often, for case–control trial, null Hs is generated which is later accepted or refuted.

A strong Hs should have following characteristics:

• Give insight into a RQ
• Are testable and measurable by the proposed experiments
• Have logical basis
• Follows the most likely outcome, not the exceptional outcome.

E XAMPLES OF R ESEARCH Q UESTION AND H YPOTHESIS

Research question-1.

• Does reduced gap between the two segments of the esophagus in patients of esophageal atresia reduces the mortality and morbidity of such patients?

Hypothesis-1

• Reduced gap between the two segments of the esophagus in patients of esophageal atresia reduces the mortality and morbidity of such patients
• In pediatric patients with esophageal atresia, gap of <2 cm between two segments of the esophagus and proper mobilization of proximal pouch reduces the morbidity and mortality among such patients.

Research question-2

• Does application of mitomycin C improves the outcome in patient of corrosive esophageal strictures?

Hypothesis-2

In patients aged 2–9 years with corrosive esophageal strictures, 34 applications of mitomycin C in dosage of 0.4 mg/ml for 5 min over a period of 6 months improve the outcome in terms of symptomatic and radiological relief. Some other examples of good and bad RQs have been shown in Table 2 .

Examples of few bad (left-hand side column) and few good (right-hand side) research questions

R ESEARCH Q UESTION AND S TUDY D ESIGN

RQ determines study design, for example, the question aimed to find the incidence of a disease in population will lead to conducting a survey; to find risk factors for a disease will need case–control study or a cohort study. RQ may also culminate into clinical trial.[ 9 , 10 ] For example, effect of administration of folic acid tablet in the perinatal period in decreasing incidence of neural tube defect. Accordingly, Hs is framed.

Appropriate statistical calculations are instituted to generate sample size. The subject inclusion, exclusion criteria and time frame of research are carefully defined. The detailed subject information sheet and pro forma are carefully defined. Moreover, research is set off few examples of research methodology guided by RQ:

• Incidence of anorectal malformations among adolescent females (hospital-based survey)
• Risk factors for the development of spontaneous pneumoperitoneum in pediatric patients (case–control design and cohort study)
• Effect of technique of extramucosal ureteric reimplantation without the creation of submucosal tunnel for the preservation of upper tract in bladder exstrophy (clinical trial).

The results of the research are then be available for wider applications for health and social life

C ONCLUSION

A good RQ needs thorough literature search and deep insight into the specific area/problem to be investigated. A RQ has to be focused yet simple. Research guided by such question can have wider impact in the field of social and health research by leading to formulation of policies for the benefit of larger population.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

R EFERENCES

Dissertations & projects: Research questions

• Research questions
• The process of reviewing
• Project management
• Literature-based projects

Jump to content on these pages:

“The central question that you ask or hypothesis you frame drives your research: it defines your purpose.” Bryan Greetham, How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation

This page gives some help and guidance in developing a realistic research question. It also considers the role of sub-questions and how these can influence your methodological choices. 

Choosing your research topic

You may have been provided with a list of potential topics or even specific questions to choose from. It is more common for you to have to come up with your own ideas and then refine them with the help of your tutor. This is a crucial decision as you will be immersing yourself in it for a long time.

Some students struggle to find a topic that is sufficiently significant and yet researchable within the limitations of an undergraduate project. You may feel overwhelmed by the freedom to choose your own topic but you could get ideas by considering the following:

Choose a topic that you find interesting . This may seem obvious but a lot of students go for what they think will be easy over what they think will be interesting - and regret it when they realise nothing is particularly easy and they are bored by the work. Think back over your lectures or talks from visiting speakers - was there anything you really enjoyed? Was there anything that left you with questions?

Choose something distinct . Whilst at undergraduate level you do not have to find something completely unique, if you find something a bit different you have more opportunity to come to some interesting conclusions. Have you some unique experiences that you can bring: personal biography, placements, study abroad etc?

Don't make your topic too wide . If your topic is too wide, it will be harder to develop research questions that you can actually answer in the context of a small research project.

Don't make your work too narrow . If your topic is too narrow, you will not be able to expand on the ideas sufficiently and make useful conclusions. You may also struggle to find enough literature to support it.

Scope out the field before deciding your topic . This is especially important if you have a few different options and are not sure which to pick. Spend a little time researching each one to get a feel for the amount of literature that exists and any particular avenues that could be worth exploring.

Think about your future . Some topics may fit better than others with your future plans, be they for further study or employment. Becoming more expert in something that you may have to be interviewed about is never a bad thing!

Once you have an idea (or even a few), speak to your tutor. They will advise on whether it is the right sort of topic for a dissertation or independent study. They have a lot of experience and will know if it is too much to take on, has enough material to build on etc.

Developing a research question or hypothesis

Research question vs hypothesis.

First, it may be useful to explain the difference between a research question and a hypothesis. A research question is simply a question that your research will address and hopefully answer (or give an explanation of why you couldn't answer it). A hypothesis is a statement that suggests how you expect something to function or behave (and which you would test to see if it actually happens or not).

Research question examples

• How significant is league table position when students choose their university?
• What impact can a diagnosis of depression have on physical health?

Note that these are open questions - i.e. they cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. This is the best form of question.

Hypotheses examples

• Students primarily choose their university based on league table position.
• A diagnosis of depression can impact physical health.

Note that these are things that you can test to see if they are true or false. This makes them more definite then research questions - but you can still answer them more fully than 'no they don't' or 'yes it does'. For example, in the above examples you would look to see how relevant other factors were when choosing universities and in what ways physical health may be impacted.

For more examples of the same topic formulated as hypotheses, research questions and paper titles see those given at the bottom of this document from Oakland University: Formulation of Research Hypothesis

Which do you need?

Generally, research questions are more common in the humanities, social sciences and business, whereas hypotheses are more common in the sciences. This is not a hard rule though, talk things through with your supervisor to see which they are expecting or which they think fits best with your topic.

What makes a good research question or hypothesis?

Unless you are undertaking a systematic review as your research method, you will develop your research question  as a result of reviewing the literature on your broader topic. After all, it is only by seeing what research has already been done (or not) that you can justify the need for your question or your approach to answering it. At the end of that process, you should be able to come up with a question or hypothesis that is:

• Clear (easily understandable)
• Focused (specific not vague or huge)
• Answerable (the data is available and analysable in the time frame)
• Relevant (to your area of study)
• Significant (it is worth answering)

You can try a few out, using a table like this (yours would all be in the same discipline):

A similar, though different table is available from the University of California: What makes a good research topic?   The completed table has some supervisor comments which may also be helpful.

Ultimately, your final research question will be mutually agreed between yourself and your supervisor - but you should always bring your own ideas to the conversation.

The role of sub-questions

Your main research question will probably still be too big to answer easily. This is where sub-questions come in. They are specific, narrower questions that you can answer directly from your data.

So, looking at the question " How much do online users know and care about how their self-images can be used by Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook? " from the table above, the sub-questions could be:

• What rights do the terms and conditions of signing up for Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook accounts give those companies regarding the use of self-images?
• What proportion of users read the terms and conditions when creating accounts with these companies?
• How aware are users of the rights they are giving away regarding their self-images when creating accounts with these companies?
• How comfortable are users with giving away these rights?

Together, the answers to your sub-questions should enable you to answer the overarching research question.

How do you answer your sub-questions?

Depending on the type of dissertation/project your are undertaking, some (or all) the questions may be answered with information collected from the literature and some (or none) may be answered by analysing data directly collected as part of your primary empirical research .

In the above example, the first question would be answered by documentary analysis of the relevant terms and conditions, the second by a mixture of reviewing the literature and analysing survey responses from participants and the last two also by analysing survey responses. Different projects will require different approaches.

Some sub-questions could be answered by reviewing the literature and others from empirical study.

• << Previous: Home
• Next: Searching >>
• Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 1:09 PM
• URL: https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/dissertations
• Login to LibApps
• Library websites Privacy Policy
• University of Hull privacy policy & cookies
• Website terms and conditions
• Accessibility
• Report a problem

How to Craft a Research Question

In the following we will work on crafting a successful research question. At this point, don't be committed to a methodology, and beware that you are not writing a question that unconsciously leans to a particular methodology.

The process you follow is critical, not the methodology, at least not yet.

In the following, you will:

• Learn the process of writing a successful research question.
• Apply this process to your own research topic and questions.
• What research questions are.
• Types of research questions and subquestions.
• Ways qualitative and quantitative questions differ.
• How hypotheses go with questions in quantitative methodology.

Let's get started.

Developing a Research Question

Learning to write good research questions is a skill that takes practice. Developing a research question is a developmental process. As you read the literature and gain a greater understanding about your research problem, you will rework your research question until you are able to focus more specifically on what you want to explore and learn about during the formal research process. Keep in mind that a question typically goes through several iterations. So don't worry if your first attempts may not be the final product. This is normal.

Getting Oriented to Research Questions

Let's get oriented first. The research question is what the researcher seeks to answer by collecting data. It is the foundation of the entire study, because the question embodies the method by which the research problem—called for by the existing literature—will be solved. It's simple: You are going to solve your research problem by collecting information, and you collect that information by asking about a specific question or set of questions.

Simply by reading a well-formed research question, you can usually tell:

• What concept(s), phenomena, or variables are going to be measured in quantitative research or described in qualitative research.
• What research design will be used.
• What the sample will consist of.

As we proceed you will need to have knowledge of a variety of research terms. If you don't recognize and understand these terms, there are handouts in the Dissertation Research Seminar Courseroom that you can refer to. We strongly encourage you to take notes as you work your way through this document, and make sure that you understand each section.

Let's work on quantitative questions first.

What Quantitative Research Questions Do

Quantitative research questions address the:

• description of variables being investigated,
• measurement of relationships between (at least two) variables,
• differences between two or more groups' scores on a variable or variables, and so on.

They also clearly identify the sample that will be questioned. Most importantly, they use the same language for these elements as the research problem used. Your research question needs to cover all three items.

Quantitative questions that are appropriate for a dissertation are worded to seek verification of a hypothesis, that is, a prediction. These predictions are based on the existing literature, and should be entirely consistent with the research problem (which comes from the literature).

Quantitative questions are written in two formats: conceptual and operational.

• Conceptual questions appear in chapter 1 of the proposal (and dissertation). They name the concepts being investigated as concepts.
• Operational questions name the concepts as variables, that is, as something that can vary or change; the research question is written operationally in chapter 3 of the proposal.

An example of Conceptual vs. Operational Questions

Let's take a subject like the relationship between depression and alcoholism as our example. First, here is a simple conceptual version:

What is the relationship between depression and alcoholism?

Okay. Now here is an example of an operational version of the same question:

Is there a statistically significant correlation between levels of depression and degree of alcoholism?

Notice three changes: between the conceptual and the operational versions of the question:

• The concept of "relationship" is operationalized as "a statistically significant correlation" (which is a specific, statistical form of a relationship).
• The concept "depression" is operationalized as "levels of depression." It might have been rewritten as "types of depression" too.
• The concept "alcoholism" is operationalized as "degree of alcoholism." It might have been written as "stage of alcoholism."

Because quantitative questions seek verification, a critical piece of the analysis will be to discover whether or not the results (e.g., the correlation between two variables) are due to chance or whether they can be considered real. Therefore, operational quantitative questions will always contain some way of asking about "statistical significance." They will not ask, "Is there a correlation between A and B?" They will ask, "Is there a statistically significant correlation …?"

Quantitative Main Questions and Subquestions

Quantitative studies usually pose more than one question. Indeed, all quantitative questions will have a set of subquestions. But some studies require additional main questions (and their subquestions).

Here's a conceptual question as an example:

Which psychological and organizational factors associated with employee burnout are most predictive of reduced productivity?

If it was found that a gap exists in the current literature as to what psychological and organizational factors are associated with employee burnout, then in that question there are really two questions:

• What are the psychological and organizational factors associated with employee burnout? And
• Which of those factors are most predictive of reduced productivity?

You'll note that the first question asks for a correlation, and the second one asks for a prediction. You can consider these to be two main questions, then.

Quantitative Main Questions Require Subquestions

Now, each quantitative main question requires subquestions. In qualitative methodology, you only have the main question and there is almost never any reason for more than one main question. But we're talking about quantitative here, so let's look at examples of subquestions. Take this conceptual main question:

Is being managed by an authoritarian manager a better predictor of employee burnout than being managed by a transformational manager?

Now we can transform that into an operational main question:

Is there a statistically significant difference in levels of burnout in employees managed by authoritarian managers compared with employees managed by transformational managers?

Before we can answer the main question, we need information on all the variables. First, we need to measure management style so we can create groups based on that concept:

• Who are the authoritarian managers?
• Who are the transformational managers?

Answering those two questions will allow us to group employees in either the authoritarian or the transformational group.

Next, we need to measure the levels of burnout in our two groups of employees:

• What are the levels of burnout in employees managed by authoritarian managers?
• What are the levels of burnout in employees managed by transformational managers?

Once we get the answers to those subquestions, we can proceed to the statistical analysis that will answer the main question about which management style better predicts employee burnout.

Main Questions are Complex, Subquestions Simpler

You will notice that in our examples, each subquestion describes a variable. Subquestions are almost always descriptive questions (and nearly all qualitative questions are descriptive). Very complex main questions asking for quite complicated statistical tests might require correlational subquestions to support the main analysis, but in general, subquestions typically are descriptive. Main questions, on the other hand, must, for a Capella dissertation, be at least correlational or predictive.

Let's see what these types of questions look like.

DESCRIPTIVE Quantitative Questions

Descriptive questions ask what a single measure is. For example:

What are the reading scores of 3rd graders receiving special education assistance in rural Minnesota schools?

Here, there is only one variable being described: reading scores. The most common subquestions are descriptive, obtaining the measures of each of the main question's variables.

Notice too, that a descriptive question can be framed conceptually or operationally:

• Conceptual version: What are the reading scores . . . ? is conceptual.
• Operational version: What are the mean reading scores . . .? is operational.

CORRELATIONAL Quantitative Questions

The word "quantitative" in the title of this section is actually redundant, because qualitative questions never ask for relationships between variables, or correlations. Correlational questions ask for a calculation of a relationship between two or more variables and its statistical significance. For example:

Is there a statistically significant correlation between time spent in the school bus each day and the reading scores of rural special education 3rd graders?

Usually, a dissertation will not be this simple. Successful dissertations ask somewhat more complicated questions, either asking about multiple variables or asking about a predictive or causal relationship. However, in a complex causal question, there may need to be some correlational subquestions in order to compare groups, for example. And of course, for each correlation, there will need to be two or more descriptive subquestions.

Here too, the correlational question can be framed either conceptually or operationally:

• Conceptual version: What is the relationship between . . .? is conceptual.
• Operational version: Is there a statistically significant correlation . . .? is operational.

DIFFERENCE (or PREDICTIVE) Questions

Difference questions form a set of questions that look for causal relationships between two or more conditions. Depending on the type of relationship being examined, different words are used. The general conceptual framework is:

Does A cause B?

The word "cause" has different meanings, and capturing those meanings will express a more precise question. For example,

What is the influence of A on B?

Other words indicate specific kinds of causal relationships, such as:

When the question asks for "effects," it is asking for a cause-effect relationship between or among variables.

The conceptual version of the causal or predictive questions is straightforward:

What is the effect of A on B?

Or you might ask, what is the influence of A on B? To what extent is B affected by A?

Does A predict B?

The operational version of the question needs to be carefully framed to detect precisely the kind of causal relationship you're interested in.

Is there a statistically significant difference between mean reading scores of rural special education 3rd graders who spend more than 60 minutes a day on the school bus as compared with those who spend fewer than 30 minutes a day on the school bus?

This operational question would be asked when a cause-effect relationship is suspected. If a statistically significant difference is found and if that difference is reasonably strong, the conclusion might be that time on the school bus affects, influences, impacts, predicts, perhaps even causes differences in the reading scores.

Quantitative Research Questions Measure Variables

Very simply, quantitative questions measure variables. We have found that a large number, perhaps a majority, of doctoral learners do not really understand variables, and this lack of understanding causes them significant time loss when writing their proposals. Remember, the research question is the "driver" of your methodology and design, and if you do not understand your variables, your question will be off-track and the design may be wrong.

If you have any confusion about any of these terms please take a minute and study the handout on variables available in the courseroom or refer to the discussions of variables in your statistics and research methods texts.

We have one more element to consider regarding quantitative research questions, namely, hypotheses.

Again, you may be familiar with hypotheses, but if you are not, please review your research methods and statistical textbooks to refresh your understanding. Discussing why hypotheses are necessary in quantitative research is beyond the scope of this particular document.

First, here are the characteristics of hypotheses.

• Hypotheses are declarative sentences, not questions.

There will be a statistically significant correlation between time spent in the school bus each day and the reading scores of rural special education 3rd graders.

• Hypotheses should mimic exactly the language and sentence structure of the research question. They should be exact transformations from the question into a declarative sentence, with no difference words, word order, or sentence structure.
• Hypotheses are only made for correlational questions and above.
• There are always two hypotheses for each research question, the
• Null hypothesis, which is conventionally stated first and declares that there will be no statistically significant finding, and the
• Alternate hypothesis, which declares that there will be a statistically significant finding.

Examples of the Hypotheses

The Null hypothes is states the research question in the negative. Using our 3rd grade reading example, the null hypothesis would be:

H 0 : There will be no statistically significant correlation between time spent in the school bus each day and the reading scores of rural special education 3rd graders.

The Alternate hypothesis states the research question in the positive. For example,

H 1 : There will be a statistically significant correlation between time spent in the school bus each day and the reading scores of rural special education 3rd graders.

Note how the two symbols for the null and the alternate are constructed. H 0 always indicates the null, and H 1 always indicates the alternate. H of course stands for hypothesis.

Having considered how to construct quantitative research questions, let's turn our attention to qualitative research questions.

Qualitative Research Seeks Discovery and Description

Qualitative research seeks discovery. Qualitative research questions often are chosen because the research problem indicates that little is known about the topic. Perhaps a great deal of statistical knowledge exists, but no one yet has inquired into how the people involved experience the topic. There are cases in which the topic is meaningful but no one yet has begun to investigate it. In both instances, the researcher decides to go into the field and discover how people describe their experience of the phenomenon.

In other words, qualitative research questions are always descriptive in some way or another and are written so that they obtain descriptive verbal information from participants.

Just like quantitative questions, the way the qualitative question is written suggests the specific qualitative design. For example:

• Qualitative case study questions: show a bounded system, ask for multiple sources of data, and seek "lessons learned."
• Grounded theory questions ask participants who have experienced some process to describe the process they experienced.
• Generic qualitative questions: ask people to share verbal information about experiences, events, opinions, attitudes, beliefs, and the like.
• Phenomenological questions ask participants to describe the lived experience of some psychological experience.

All qualitative questions inquire into descriptions, observations, and interpretations. They do not inquire into relationships between variables or seek causal explanations.

What Qualitative Questions Do

Qualitative research questions seek to discover the:

• Participant's verbal descriptions of a phenomenon being investigated, or
• Researcher's observations of the phenomenon being investigated, or
• An integrated interpretation of participant's descriptions and researcher's observations.

In only one qualitative design, namely Grounded theory, the researcher seeks to explain a process by relying on verbal descriptions of that process by participants who have undergone it. This is the one kind of qualitative design that goes beyond simple description.

Qualitative questions also identify the sample that will be questioned. Most importantly, they use the same language for these elements as were used in the research problem.

What Qualitative Questions Do Not Do

Qualitative questions do not:

• Measure variables or values. The data of qualitative inquiry are words or images only.
• Measure relationships between variables.
• Compare differences between scores or groups.
• Seek statistical significance.

As a result, qualitative questions also do not:

• Require operational versions.
• Require subquestions.
• Require hypotheses.

On a side note, many qualitative studies use interviews to collect their data, and of course, interviews will require that questions be asked. But these data collection questions are not our topic here. Here, we're concerned with how to craft the main research question only. So let's talk about that next.

Examples of Successful Qualitative Research Questions

Here are some examples of good qualitative questions, with the probable research design that would spring from them.

If one wished to learn how monks describe the everyday experience of being lonely, a good research question might be:

How do religious monks describe the lived experience of monastic loneliness?

This would lead to a phenomenological study.

Suppose the research problem is that it is not known how persons suffering from early-onset dementia come to terms with having the disorder. A research question for this might be:

How do persons diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease describe their processes of coming to terms with the disease?

Because this asks about a process, that is, a movement from one condition, being diagnosed, to another condition, coming to terms with the diagnosis, and because it asks for evidence from those who have experienced the process, it would trigger a Grounded theory study.

What if the research problem is that although much is known statistically about best treatments for a given psychological problem, too little is known about what the experience of receiving that treatment is like. For this, a good research question might be:

What can be learned from patients with dissociative identity disorder, their caregivers, and their families about the various aspects of the experience of inpatient treatment at a specialized large urban treatment facility?

Because this question asks for verbal information from a number of sources (patients, caregivers, and families), clearly identifies a "bounded system" (a specific facility for treating dissociative identity disorder), and asks for "lessons learned," it clearly specifies qualitative case study for its design.

One might be interested in what factors shape and inform the careers of successful business leaders. A good qualitative research question for this topic could be:

How do successful business leaders describe the forces, experiences, and influences that shaped and informed their careers?

Because the subject matter is about external factors—forces, experiences, and influences—and because the question does not flow naturally to the other designs, this would be an excellent generic qualitative inquiry question.

Words that Characterize Qualitative Research Questions

Here is a list of words that are commonly used in qualitative questions:

• Understand.
• Experience.
• Experiences.
• Perceive . . . or perceptions.
• Attitudes . . . beliefs . . . opinions.

All these share the common characteristics: that they inquire about subjective experience and require verbal answers.

Now you will have the opportunity to practice the working with the information from this document by actually craft your own research questions, one qualitative, one quantitative.

Doc. reference: phd_t2_u04s4_craftrq.html

Information Literacy: 1. The research question: Main & Sub-questions

• Introduction
• Refining and Focussing
• Main & Sub-questions
• Search Terms

1. Research Question ►  |   2. Searching and finding ►  |   3. Assessing and selecting ►  |   4. Processing and evaluation ►

Main question.

The main research question is the question that your thesis is intended to answer. 

Main questions are generally broken down into sub-questions that enable you to tackle your research in a more step-by-step manner. Together your findings for these components will provide an answer to the main question.

What characterizes a good main question?

• The question is clear . The concepts in the question are also clear. With a vague question you will lose focus
• The question is specific . After all, you want to be able to search specifically. With a too general, broad, poorly defined question you will soon get lost in a slew of information
• The question is relevant . The answer to the question must therefore contribute directly to the solution of your "information problem" and the achievement of your objective.
• The question is " open ". So it is not a question to which only "yes" or "no" can be the answer
• The question is realistic . It is possible to find an answer within the time available and with sufficient resources
• If it is possible to find an answer within the available time
• If there are sufficient means to find the answer

Keep in mind:

You can only search in a focused and effective manner if it is exactly clear as to what it is you want to know. So formulate a specific question that gives direction to your search process.

Sub-questions

Once you have formulated your main research question, you should focus on identifying the sub-questions that will enable you to answer it.

Example of a main research question

What is Airbnb's influence on the hotel industry?

Examples of sub-questions

Possible sub-questions:

• What is Airbnb?
• How does the hotel market work?
• H ow does the consumer respond to the price / quality ratio of Airbnb versus hotels?

Sometimes you can further specify the sub-questions to search queries . Search queries are aspects of sub-questions. They view the subject from different angles. For example, in the sub-question "What is Airbnb?" you could think of the following search queries:

• What is the history of Airbnb?
• is there also an Airbnb for the business market?
• << Previous: Refining and Focussing
• Next: Search Terms >>
• Last Updated: Feb 23, 2023 9:02 AM
• URL: https://saxionbibliotheek.libguides.com/researchquestion

Root out friction in every digital experience, super-charge conversion rates, and optimize digital self-service

Uncover insights from any interaction, deliver AI-powered agent coaching, and reduce cost to serve

Increase revenue and loyalty with real-time insights and recommendations delivered to teams on the ground

Know how your people feel and empower managers to improve employee engagement, productivity, and retention

Take action in the moments that matter most along the employee journey and drive bottom line growth

Whatever they’re are saying, wherever they’re saying it, know exactly what’s going on with your people

Get faster, richer insights with qual and quant tools that make powerful market research available to everyone

Run concept tests, pricing studies, prototyping + more with fast, powerful studies designed by UX research experts

Track your brand performance 24/7 and act quickly to respond to opportunities and challenges in your market

Explore the platform powering Experience Management

• Free Account
• For Digital
• For Customer Care
• For Human Resources
• For Researchers
• Financial Services
• All Industries

Popular Use Cases

• Customer Experience
• Employee Experience
• Net Promoter Score
• Voice of Customer
• Customer Success Hub
• Product Documentation
• Training & Certification
• XM Institute
• Popular Resources
• Customer Stories
• Artificial Intelligence

Market Research

• Partnerships
• Marketplace

The annual gathering of the experience leaders at the world’s iconic brands building breakthrough business results, live in Salt Lake City.

• English/AU & NZ
• Español/Europa
• Español/América Latina
• Português Brasileiro
• REQUEST DEMO
• Experience Management
• Qualitative Research Questions

Try Qualtrics for free

How to write qualitative research questions.

11 min read Here’s how to write effective qualitative research questions for your projects, and why getting it right matters so much.

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research is a blanket term covering a wide range of research methods and theoretical framing approaches. The unifying factor in all these types of qualitative study is that they deal with data that cannot be counted. Typically this means things like people’s stories, feelings, opinions and emotions , and the meanings they ascribe to their experiences.

Qualitative study is one of two main categories of research, the other being quantitative research. Quantitative research deals with numerical data – that which can be counted and quantified, and which is mostly concerned with trends and patterns in large-scale datasets.

What are research questions?

Research questions are questions you are trying to answer with your research. To put it another way, your research question is the reason for your study, and the beginning point for your research design. There is normally only one research question per study, although if your project is very complex, you may have multiple research questions that are closely linked to one central question.

A good qualitative research question sums up your research objective. It’s a way of expressing the central question of your research, identifying your particular topic and the central issue you are examining.

Research questions are quite different from survey questions, questions used in focus groups or interview questions. A long list of questions is used in these types of study, as opposed to one central question. Additionally, interview or survey questions are asked of participants, whereas research questions are only for the researcher to maintain a clear understanding of the research design.

Research questions are used in both qualitative and quantitative research , although what makes a good research question might vary between the two.

In fact, the type of research questions you are asking can help you decide whether you need to take a quantitative or qualitative approach to your research project.

Discover the fundamentals of qualitative research

Quantitative vs. qualitative research questions

Writing research questions is very important in both qualitative and quantitative research, but the research questions that perform best in the two types of studies are quite different.

Quantitative research questions

Quantitative research questions usually relate to quantities, similarities and differences.

It might reflect the researchers’ interest in determining whether relationships between variables exist, and if so whether they are statistically significant. Or it may focus on establishing differences between things through comparison, and using statistical analysis to determine whether those differences are meaningful or due to chance.

• How much? This kind of research question is one of the simplest. It focuses on quantifying something. For example:

How many Yoruba speakers are there in the state of Maine?

• What is the connection?

This type of quantitative research question examines how one variable affects another.

For example:

How does a low level of sunlight affect the mood scores (1-10) of Antarctic explorers during winter?

• What is the difference? Quantitative research questions in this category identify two categories and measure the difference between them using numerical data.

Do white cats stay cooler than tabby cats in hot weather?

If your research question fits into one of the above categories, you’re probably going to be doing a quantitative study.

Qualitative research questions

Qualitative research questions focus on exploring phenomena, meanings and experiences.

Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research isn’t about finding causal relationships between variables. So although qualitative research questions might touch on topics that involve one variable influencing another, or looking at the difference between things, finding and quantifying those relationships isn’t the primary objective.

In fact, you as a qualitative researcher might end up studying a very similar topic to your colleague who is doing a quantitative study, but your areas of focus will be quite different. Your research methods will also be different – they might include focus groups, ethnography studies, and other kinds of qualitative study.

A few example qualitative research questions:

• What is it like being an Antarctic explorer during winter?
• What are the experiences of Yoruba speakers in the USA?
• How do white cat owners describe their pets?

Qualitative research question types

Marshall and Rossman (1989) identified 4 qualitative research question types, each with its own typical research strategy and methods.

• Exploratory questions

Exploratory questions are used when relatively little is known about the research topic. The process researchers follow when pursuing exploratory questions might involve interviewing participants, holding focus groups, or diving deep with a case study.

• Explanatory questions

With explanatory questions, the research topic is approached with a view to understanding the causes that lie behind phenomena. However, unlike a quantitative project, the focus of explanatory questions is on qualitative analysis of multiple interconnected factors that have influenced a particular group or area, rather than a provable causal link between dependent and independent variables.

• Descriptive questions

As the name suggests, descriptive questions aim to document and record what is happening. In answering descriptive questions , researchers might interact directly with participants with surveys or interviews, as well as using observational studies and ethnography studies that collect data on how participants interact with their wider environment.

• Predictive questions

Predictive questions start from the phenomena of interest and investigate what ramifications it might have in the future. Answering predictive questions may involve looking back as well as forward, with content analysis, questionnaires and studies of non-verbal communication (kinesics).

Why are good qualitative research questions important?

We know research questions are very important. But what makes them so essential? (And is that question a qualitative or quantitative one?)

Getting your qualitative research questions right has a number of benefits.

• It defines your qualitative research project Qualitative research questions definitively nail down the research population, the thing you’re examining, and what the nature of your answer will be.This means you can explain your research project to other people both inside and outside your business or organization. That could be critical when it comes to securing funding for your project, recruiting participants and members of your research team, and ultimately for publishing your results. It can also help you assess right the ethical considerations for your population of study.
• It maintains focus Good qualitative research questions help researchers to stick to the area of focus as they carry out their research. Keeping the research question in mind will help them steer away from tangents during their research or while they are carrying out qualitative research interviews. This holds true whatever the qualitative methods are, whether it’s a focus group, survey, thematic analysis or other type of inquiry.That doesn’t mean the research project can’t morph and change during its execution – sometimes this is acceptable and even welcome – but having a research question helps demarcate the starting point for the research. It can be referred back to if the scope and focus of the project does change.
• It helps make sure your outcomes are achievable

Because qualitative research questions help determine the kind of results you’re going to get, it helps make sure those results are achievable. By formulating good qualitative research questions in advance, you can make sure the things you want to know and the way you’re going to investigate them are grounded in practical reality. Otherwise, you may be at risk of taking on a research project that can’t be satisfactorily completed.

Developing good qualitative research questions

All researchers use research questions to define their parameters, keep their study on track and maintain focus on the research topic. This is especially important with qualitative questions, where there may be exploratory or inductive methods in use that introduce researchers to new and interesting areas of inquiry. Here are some tips for writing good qualitative research questions.

1. Keep it specific

Broader research questions are difficult to act on. They may also be open to interpretation, or leave some parameters undefined.

Strong example: How do Baby Boomers in the USA feel about their gender identity?

Weak example: Do people feel different about gender now?

2. Be original

Look for research questions that haven’t been widely addressed by others already.

Strong example: What are the effects of video calling on women’s experiences of work?

Weak example: Are women given less respect than men at work?

3. Make it research-worthy

Don’t ask a question that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or with a quick Google search.

Strong example: What do people like and dislike about living in a highly multi-lingual country?

Weak example: What languages are spoken in India?

4. Focus your question

Don’t roll multiple topics or questions into one. Qualitative data may involve multiple topics, but your qualitative questions should be focused.

Strong example: What is the experience of disabled children and their families when using social services?

Weak example: How can we improve social services for children affected by poverty and disability?

4. Focus on your own discipline, not someone else’s

Avoid asking questions that are for the politicians, police or others to address.

Strong example: What does it feel like to be the victim of a hate crime?

Weak example: How can hate crimes be prevented?

5. Ask something researchable

Big questions, questions about hypothetical events or questions that would require vastly more resources than you have access to are not useful starting points for qualitative studies. Qualitative words or subjective ideas that lack definition are also not helpful.

Strong example: How do perceptions of physical beauty vary between today’s youth and their parents’ generation?

Weak example: Which country has the most beautiful people in it?

Related resources

Qualitative research design 12 min read, primary vs secondary research 14 min read, business research methods 12 min read, qualitative research interviews 11 min read, market intelligence 10 min read, marketing insights 11 min read, ethnographic research 11 min read, request demo.

Ready to learn more about Qualtrics?

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Chapter 5: Asking Research Questions

Research Sub-Questions

Often, in order to answer our main research question, we need to answer a series of smaller sub-questions.

Take a look at this image of a tree. It’s a drawing by Bruno Munari, an Italian writer and artist. According to Munari (2013), we can observe two patterns of growth for a tree with two branches:

• The branch that follows is always slenderer than the one before.
• Starting with the trunk dividing into two limbs, each limb will subsequently divide into two

Think of research questions and research sub-questions like this tree. Your main question is the trunk. Your research sub-questions are narrower, more specific questions that branch off the trunk, your main question, but are still connected to the trunk. Like the branches in this tree, your research sub-questions can even yield sub-questions of their own.

Munari, B. (2013). Drawing a Tree . Mantua, Italy: Edizioni Corraini.

Media Attributions

• Drawing a tree (by Bruno Munari) © Bruno Munari is licensed under a All Rights Reserved license

Writing Place Copyright © 2022 by Lindsay Cuff is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Think Like a Researcher: Instruction Resources: #6 Developing Successful Research Questions

• Guide Organization
• Overall Summary
• #1 Think Like a Researcher!
• #2 How to Read a Scholarly Article
• #3 Reading for Keywords (CREDO)
• #4 Using Google for Academic Research
• #4 Using Google for Academic Research (Alternate)
• #5 Integrating Sources
• Research Question Discussion
• #7 Avoiding Researcher Bias
• #8 Understanding the Information Cycle
• #9 Exploring Databases
• #10 Library Session
• #11 Post Library Session Activities
• Summary - Readings
• Summary - Research Journal Prompts
• Summary - Key Assignments
• Jigsaw Readings
• Permission Form

Course Learning Outcome:   Develop ability to synthesize and express complex ideas; demonstrate information literacy and be able to work with evidence

Goal:  Develop students’ ability to recognize and create successful research questions

Specifically, students will be able to

• identify the components of a successful research question.
• create a viable research question.

What Makes a Good Research Topic Handout

These handouts are intended to be used as a discussion generator that will help students develop a solid research topic or question. Many students start with topics that are poorly articulated, too broad, unarguable, or are socially insignificant. Each of these problems may result in a topic that is virtually un-researchable. Starting with a researchable topic is critical to writing an effective paper.

Research shows that students are much more invested in writing when they are able to choose their own topics. However, there is also research to support the notion that students are completely overwhelmed and frustrated when they are given complete freedom to write about whatever they choose. Providing some structure or topic themes that allow students to make bounded choices may be a way mitigate these competing realities.

These handouts can be modified or edited for your purposes.  One can be used as a handout for students while the other can serve as a sample answer key.  The document is best used as part of a process.  For instance, perhaps starting with discussing the issues and potential research questions, moving on to problems and social significance but returning to proposals/solutions at a later date.

• Research Questions - Handout Key (2 pgs) This document is a condensed version of "What Makes a Good Research Topic". It serves as a key.
• Research Questions - Handout for Students (2 pgs) This document could be used with a class to discuss sample research questions (are they suitable?) and to have them start thinking about problems, social significance, and solutions for additional sample research questions.
• Research Question Discussion This tab includes materials for introduction students to research question criteria for a problem/solution essay.

Additional Resources

These documents have similarities to those above.  They represent original documents and conversations about research questions from previous TRAIL trainings.

• What Makes a Good Research Topic? - Original Handout (4 pgs)
• What Makes a Good Research Topic? Revised Jan. 2016 (4 pgs)
• What Makes a Good Research Topic? Revised Jan 2016 with comments

Topic Selection (NCSU Libraries)

Howard, Rebecca Moore, Tricia Serviss, and Tanya K. Rodrigues. " Writing from sources, writing from sentences ." Writing & Pedagogy 2.2 (2010): 177-192.

Research Journal

Assign after students have participated in the Developing Successful Research Topics/Questions Lesson OR have drafted a Research Proposal.

Think about your potential research question.

• What is the problem that underlies your question?
• Is the problem of social significance? Explain.
• Is your proposed solution to the problem feasible? Explain.
• Do you think there is evidence to support your solution?

Keys for Writers - Additional Resource

Keys for Writers (Raimes and Miller-Cochran) includes a section to guide students in the formation of an arguable claim (thesis).  The authors advise students to avoid the following since they are not debatable. 

• "a neutral statement, which gives no hint of the writer's position"
• "an announcement of the paper's broad subject"
• "a fact, which is not arguable"
• "a truism (statement that is obviously true)"
• "a personal or religious conviction that cannot be logically debated"
• "an opinion based only on your feelings"
• "a sweeping generalization" (Section 4C, pg. 52)

The book also provides examples and key points (pg. 53) for a good working thesis.

• << Previous: #5 Integrating Sources
• Next: Research Question Discussion >>
• Last Updated: Apr 26, 2024 10:23 AM
• URL: https://libguides.ucmerced.edu/think_like_a_researcher

Search form

You are here, developing sub-questions that can be researched: operationalization.

Operationalization is the process of translating a research idea, (which may focus on an abstract theme), into something that can actually be researched in practice (Cohen, et al. 2011). This process can be subdivided into five stages:

This process of operationalisation can be subdivided into five stages:

Stage 1: starting from your central research focus, identify the factors that could have an impact on the focus you want to study within your education context.

Stage 2: begin to frame research questions to explore these factors.

Stage 3: develop an operational definition or indicator for each of the factors you want to study to enable you to identify this practically (Newby, 2014) (particularly useful for factors that represent abstract concepts).

Stage 4: identify the kind of evidence you need to answer your research questions and select most appropriate research methods that will enable you to collect this evidence.

Stage 5: design the research tools that you will use to collect this evidence.

Creating operational definitions for the factors that are influencing your research focus involves identifying indicators that enable you to research these factors (Matthews and Ross, 2010). Creating an operational definition for each of the factors which are important in your research enables the research question to be translated into a form that can be researched i.e. it becomes operational. Therefore the purpose of operational definitions is to create indicators which enable you “to tell when the thing you are researching happens” (Matthews and Ross, 2010: 61). Also where terms in research questions describe complex ideas or processes or there is the possibility that different people may interpret terms differently, it is important to establish a working definition of key terms (Kumar, 2011). Factors that are based on abstract concepts for which operational definitions need to be developed include: attitude to learnin’; creatitvity; resilience; curiosity. These abstract concepts need to operational definitions which provide indicators that translate them into a form which can be studied. Collecting data about these indicators will enable you to explore the impact of variables / factors within the context that you are researching. These indicators are measured or explored through the use of research tools such as questionnaires or interview schedules.

The development of indicators for the variables or factors you want to research is particularly important where these are not easy to represent. In the example below possible indicators have been identified for variables exploring differences in questions that can be investigated through a quantitative or qualitative approach:

• Research Design

Creative Commons

Research Mentor Learning Communities (Fall, 2024)

Course Description

Delta’s Research Mentor Learning Communities  are designed for graduate students and postdocs who are mentoring an undergraduate researcher or for whom mentoring may be an important part of their future career. They give you space to reflect and reinvigorate, as you receive concrete tools to support a successful mentor/mentee relationship.

Unless otherwise indicated, this discussion-based seminar can be taken for one credit or no credit (for-credit option requires that you have a mentee).

If your section of interest is waitlisted, please register anyway. We monitor the waitlist regularly to determine whether to open additional capacity.

Section 1 (in-person)

Days and times: Wednesdays, September 4 – November 6 Times: 1:55-2:45 Facilitator: Beth Meyerand Location: Room 3001A, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate : Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 1 (in-person)

Section 2 (in-person)

Dates:  Tuesdays, September 10-November 12 Times: 9:55-10:45 Facilitator: Andrew Greenberg Location : Room 1164, Mechanical Engineering Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 2 (in-person)

Section 3 (online) 

Dates:  September 16-November 18  Times:  1:55-2:45 Facilitator: Eric Hooper Location: Zoom (link will be sent upon registration) Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 3 (online)

Section 4 (in-person) 

Dates:   Mondays, September 23-November 25 Times : 9:55-10:45 Facilitator: Jules Whitaker Location:  Room 117, WISCIENCE, 445 Henry Mall Satisfies prerequisite toward the Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 4 (in-person)

What do past participants say?

“One of the best classes I took in my PhD. It prepared me to work well with different types of mentees. I feel much more comfortable with mentoring and advising now.”

“Now I have better strategies regarding how to approach difficult conversations or use appropriate questions for the mentees.”

Contact [email protected]

Offered in collaboration with WISCIENCE.

STEMM faculty/staff mentor training sections are available here through WISCIENCE.

• Facebook Logo
• Twitter Logo
• Linkedin Logo

Henri Bella Schaeffer and the Women of 1950s New York City

As a processing intern with the Archives of American Art, I organized donated collections into a standardized arrangement, to make them accessible to researchers. I personally think processing archivists have the best job in the field; we get to immerse ourselves in stories and shape how the materials which hold them will be understood. I get to see an artist’s process, from journaled ideas to preliminary sketches to exhibition. I get to read their most intimate self-reflections. I get to hold snapshots of their community.

Of the collections which I processed this past summer, my favorite was the papers of Henri Bella Schaeffer . Despite being a relatively obscure artist without—as of this writing—her own Wikipedia page, Schaeffer led an impressive life, both as an artist and a philanthropist. Born in 1908, she studied at the Académie André Lhote and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, and under the tutelage of muralist William A. Mackay. She would go on to become an admired postimpressionist painter, notably included in the International Women’s Salon and the Salon d'Automne.

Much of Schaeffer’s collection surrounds her dedication to the Artists Equity Association (AEA) , a national organization that, according to their constitution and by-laws , “formed to advance, foster, and promote the interests of those who work in the Fine Arts.” Schaeffer began this philanthropic commitment in 1950 as a member of the AEA New York Chapter’s Welfare Committee. She would advance steadily within the organization over the next decade, serving as a member of the National Welfare Committee from 1953 to 1959; director of the New York Chapter from 1954 to 1956; AEA director-at-large from 1956 to 1959; and AEA national secretary from 1961 to 1963.

The AEA formed its chapter-level and national welfare committees during a period of political change and American artistic redefinition; in New York City where Schaeffer worked, this change was embodied in the invention of Abstract Expressionism. Following the end of World War II and the uptick of the Cold War, the United States’ new status as a strong ally led many European Modernists to immigrate to New York City. Art historian Michael Leja argues that American artists in New York City were influenced by this imported Modernism, a broad genre that embraces experimentation, to create art that encapsulated individualistic reactions to America’s rising role as an imperialist force. The rise of this new artistic genre in combination with America’s increasing global influence lifted New York City as a new center of the art world scene, supported by a booming postwar economy and the Works Progress Administration’s recent federal legitimization of artistic careers.

Using the example of abstract expressionism, we can gain insight into how women artists fared in 1950s New York City. In her book, Abstract Expressionism: Other Politics , Ann Eden Gibson argues that Abstract Expressionism is remembered as a “triumph of the outsider,” a daring venture by artists to take their political messages from the margins to the global art scene. However, because Abstract Expressionism fundamentally relies on the personhood of the artist, those with societal advantages ironically became the dominant voices in a genre defined by its supposed marginalization. As Joan Marter notes in her essay “Missing in Action: Abstract Expressionist Women,” women abstract expressionists in New York City were largely excluded from the commercial art scene, limited in their participation within key artist clubs, and their portrayals of postwar existentialism were largely dismissed. With white women experiencing this level of discrimination, it is no surprise that artists of color saw even less recognition within the budding genre of abstract expressionism.

Due to professional dismissal, some women artists in 1950s New York City were desperate for work. As a member of the New York Chapter’s Welfare Committee, Schaeffer received many letters from women artists or the wives of artists, asking for financial and professional assistance. Common stressors included debt, medical access, and housing insecurity. The women writing to Schaeffer and the New York Welfare Committee expressed their lack the references and connections needed to apply for jobs and their desperation to support their families.

Schaeffer heard the pleas of these women and with the help of the New York Chapter Welfare Committee provided support in a variety of ways. Oftentimes this took the form of loans, to cover the rent and debts of recipients. When the situation was less immediate, the Committee connected women to job opportunities that could provide immediate cash. When a Mr. Loius Ferstad was sent to a sanitorium, the Welfare Committee covered the cost and, unable to find artistic employment on such short notice, set his wife up with “some typewriting work to do at home” to support their children in his absence. The Committee’s support always came with the expectation that its recipients would work hard to better their situations and would repay the AEA in time.

The Committee also supported women artists when the strain of poverty and personal losses to war became too much to bear. When Mrs. Dasha, the wife of a deceased veteran, wrote in requesting a same-day loan to purchase coal and clothes for her son, the Committee provided loans, artistic employment, and relocation assistance, hoping that the support would create “a possible incentive to her to try and help herself.” And when sculptor Irma Rothstein lived through a suicide attempt after losing her brother in World War II, the Committee covered her hospital bill, sold some of her artwork, and kept her company, as she had no family in the country. Schaeffer and the AEA stood with these women when they had no one else to which they could turn.

Henri Bella Schaeffer would continue to support artists through her other roles with the AEA, but her work with the New York Welfare Committee allowed her compassionate nature to directly reach women creatives in need. In the words of Schaeffer, “the right human relationship is … of utmost importance.” People like Henri Bella Schaeffer, a woman and an artist and an impactful philanthropist with a small digital footprint, are the reason I am training to be an archivist: to discover their stories, to place their legacies in the hands of others.

Emma Eubank is earning an M.A. in Public History at North Carolina State University and a M.S. in Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She interned with the Collections Processing department of the Archives of American Art in 2023.

Add new comment

• No HTML tags allowed.
• Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Get Involved

Internship, fellowship, and volunteer opportunities provide students and lifelong learners with the ability to contribute to the study and preservation of visual arts records in America .

Archives of American Art in the Smithsonian Transcription Center

You can help make digitized historical documents more findable and useful by transcribing their text .

Visit the Archives of American Art project page in the Smithsonian Transcription Center now.

Terra Foundation Center for Digital Collections

A virtual repository of a substantial cross-section of the Archives' most significant collections.

Visit the Terra Foundation Center for Digital Collections

Alumni Day 2024 Remarks

As delivered.

I hope that Harvard will always continue to be a place where free speech continues to thrive. Greetings, fellow travelers. What a long strange trip it’s been.

With a special shoutout to the Class of 1974. And many of you will remember that you first heard those words on an album that was released during your first semester of college. And I bet they’ve gone through your heads many many times since then.

This has been an difficult year for all of us who love Harvard and who cherish our connection to this extraordinary institution and to one another. I cannot recount everything that’s happened over these past two semesters—we would be here through Sunday no doubt—but I can tell you that I have never felt more grateful for what usually happens here.

We learn, and we teach. We devote ourselves to research and scholarship. We ask questions—and more questions. We expand knowledge. We discover and innovate. And—in too many ways to count—we make life better than it was yesterday.

All of that happens every year. It happened this year, too. Across the University, students had the kinds of experiences and conversations—with friends and with faculty—that set the course of my future when I was an undergraduate. Across fields and disciplines, faculty had the kinds of insights and breakthroughs that expand the frontiers of knowledge and propel humanity forward. Despite challenging circumstances—despite conflict and upheaval—despite relentless scrutiny and public criticism—Harvard never stopped humming with the energy of possibility.

When I spoke with the Harvard College Class of 2024 last week, I focused on some of the ways in which they saw and seized possibilities over these past four years, and I encouraged them to look to one another for inspiration in the years to come, as you surely look to your own classmates and contemporaries. And, when I spoke with the entire Harvard Class of 2024 two days later, I encouraged them to look to research universities for inspiration because no other institution can do what they do to make the world a better place.

Individuals and institutions: This gathering—our gathering—represents the power that exists at that intersection. Harvard is each of us, and each of us is Harvard. It is impossible to imagine all that has been achieved by everyone in this space—and the many more of us who are making contributions around the world. That thought—of effort and excellence that surpasses measurement—makes me incredibly proud to be part of this place, even when times are tough. Especially when times are tough.

I trust that our community can emerge from our trials better and stronger. To do that, we must work to value generous listening at least as much as informed speaking, to celebrate passionate discourse and reasoned debate, to champion decency, empathy, and integrity, particularly in times of conflict and division. We have, perhaps, taken these skills for granted as they have eroded in wider society. Now is the time to think creatively and ambitiously about how we can expand our efforts to rebuild a culture of civility and respect, a culture that empowers people to come together in a spirit of goodwill.

We have just taken an essential step forward on this front. In April, Provost Manning and I asked a working group to consider whether and when Harvard should speak on public issues. On Tuesday, the group’s final report was released. Going forward, in accordance with recommendations accepted by the president, the provost, and the deans—and endorsed by the Corporation—neither the University nor its leadership will issue official statements on matters that do not directly affect our core functions. This approach is intended to preserve open inquiry and academic freedom by making it easier for all members of the community to express their views. It is a foundational commitment, and I am eager to see it implemented.

I will have more to share with you when we meet one year from now—all good things, I hope. I look forward to charting our path forward, keeping our community on firm footing, and ensuring that the University succeeds in its core mission of excellence in teaching, learning, and research.

Finally, some words of gratitude. You, the alumni community, have been a source of wisdom, inspiration, and joy for me over the decades. Never more so than in the past five months. When days seemed longer and stranger than I could have dreamed, there always seemed to be a Harvard person who had just said or done something wonderful—islands of calm through change and through storm.

Enjoy your precious time together. And enjoy this precious place, which is better beyond measure for your being part of it.

University of Utah Hospital

General questions.

• Billing & Insurance

• Health Care Home

Research Reveals How Heavy Metal Singers Scream and Squeal

Media contact:.

Sophia Friesen Manager, Science Communications Email: [email protected]

Deep within the labyrinthine halls of the imaging research center, a gaggle of voice scientists crowded around a small window with expressions of utter astonishment. Trading theories in hushed voices, they peered into the tiny, soundproofed room where their current study participant got ready to do what he did best. As they watched, he cupped his ears, opened his mouth, and roared: a guttural, crocodilian rattle that rolled out from the two-way mic.

Will Ramos sings.

To those unfamiliar with Will Ramos’ oeuvre, the sound seemed almost inhuman. But as one of the biggest names in deathcore belted out another note—this one strangely resonant, as if he stood in a cave instead of a cramped recording lab—he proved that the human voice is an instrument that defies expectations.   To understand that instrument, the researchers were embarking upon a comprehensive scientific study of the harsh vocals that characterize deathcore and many other musical genres, revealing for the first time the complex internal acrobatics that produce these unique sounds.   “We’re still in the infancy of being able to understand harsh vocals,” said Amanda Stark, PhD, speech-language pathologist in otolaryngology in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (SFESOM) and the lead researcher on the study. “The goal is to begin to understand how a scream or a harsh vocal is different from a clean vowel, a spoken sentence, or other singing styles.”

Stark hopes that by breaking down the technique of skilled harsh vocalists like Ramos, she can lay the groundwork for artists to learn harsh vocals safely, prove to the skeptical that these singing styles aren’t inherently damaging, and empower everyday people to explore the full potential of their voices.

Sound Strategy

Collecting high-quality sound recordings was the first step in the process. Capturing each note in the absence of background noise or instrumental accompaniment let the researchers define the precise acoustic differences between, for instance, a “moose scream” and a “pterodactyl scream.”   They could also start to predict which parts of the vocal anatomy, from the larynx to the lips, control different aspects of each sound. But especially in cases like Ramos’s, whose singing styles are understudied in voice science, understanding how the sounds were produced—and whether they’re causing damage—required taking a look at the complex internal workings of the throat.    
This is where the expertise of the Voice, Airway, Swallowing Translational (VAST) research lab came to the fore, as techniques routinely used for patients with voice disorders were repurposed to understand Ramos’s unique sound. The research team looked at Ramos’s vocal cords with an internal camera and used a technique called electromyography to measure the activity of his throat muscles. Finally, they captured video of his internal vocal acrobatics in real time using dynamic MRI. Together, this panel of tests provided a comprehensive view of how Ramos sings, screams, and squeals.

Dynamic MRI of Ramos singing a "clean" (not harsh) note.

Ramos singing harsh vocals.

Elizabeth Zharoff, producer of the YouTube channel The Charismatic Voice, said that electromyography and dynamic MRI analysis were firsts for the musical genre. “Nobody has done this before. Ever,” she added.   The results were stunning, according to Derrik Legler, speech-language pathologist in otolaryngology in SFESOM and a researcher on the study. Song and speech are produced in large part by vibrations of specialized tissue in the throat called the vocal folds. These are attached to cartilage-based structures that normally just open to allow us to breathe and close when we use our voice, but Ramos was torquing his to one side as he sang. “It’s so fascinating,” Legler said. “Watching his throat do that was—it doesn’t usually do that. The human body just doesn’t usually do that.”

Stark hopes that studying vocal specialists like Ramos can expand the scope of what’s possible for everyone with a voice. Professional singers have the expertise to demonstrate a wide range of vocal strategies in a research setting, revealing new aspects of the human voice that are applicable to the population at large.   “If we study these ‘unicorns’ that have this diversity in their sound, it can empower other people to say, ‘I can have that diversity in my own voice,’” Stark said. “‘Holy cow, I don’t have to just expect my voice to sound like this. I can do this.’”

Changing the Landscape

There’s a common perception that harsh vocals are physically unhealthy. To the untrained ear, the rough-edged growls of deathcore sound like they must be painful. But while some metal vocalists do damage their voices, others have careers that last for decades with no apparent harm.

Partway through the voice recording session, after Ramos had sung dozens of acoustically distinct vocals, Stark asked him to rank his level of vocal fatigue on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most fatigued he’d ever felt. “Maybe a two,” Ramos replied, in a completely normal speaking voice. 

Unlike an untrained scream, Ramos's singing doesn't cause vocal strain.

The voice scientists in attendance judged Ramos’ vocal health as “fantastic,” an assessment that was later borne out by the dynamic MRI scans. Ramos had learned how to scream, squeal, and hiss like a teakettle, all without jeopardizing his vocal cords.   By demonstrating that harsh vocals can be sung safely, the researchers hope to reduce the stigma around deathcore and related musical genres. Having a clear picture of how to produce those sounds without compromising vocal health could also help teach aspiring artists to master these styles. “How cool would it be if someone could go to Juilliard to learn harsh vocals?” mused Kirk McCune, COO of The Charismatic Voice. “It changes the landscape of how music can be created.”

Watch Ramos in action in the VAST Lab here.

• research news