Formulating Effective Research Questions

This video tutorial from the University of Melbourne's Academic Skills team explains the importance of developing a strong research question. It outlines the features of a good research question, such as relevance, specificity, and measurability. The video provides steps to formulate a research question, including identifying a broad subject and narrowing it down. It also offers examples and language tips for crafting effective questions. The tutorial emphasizes the 'so what' factor, ensuring the question's significance and relevance. Finally, it guides viewers through a process of creating and refining research questions with practical examples.

Why is a research question considered fundamental in research?

• It guides the entire research process.

• It provides a summary of the research.

• It is the most interesting part of the research.

• It is the easiest part to formulate.

What is the primary feature of a good research question?

• It should be broad and general.

• It should be complex and difficult to answer.

• It should be relevant and manageable.

• It should be based on personal interest.

Which of the following is NOT a feature of a good research question?

• It should be clear and simple.

• It should be interesting to the researcher only.

• It should be legitimate and investigable.

• It should be specific and measurable.

What should you do to formulate a research question?

• Focus on a topic that is too narrow.

• Avoid asking how and why questions.

• Choose a topic that has no existing data.

• Identify a broad subject of interest.

Why is it important to consider the 'so what' factor in research questions?

• To limit the scope of the research.

• To establish the importance and relevance of the research.

• To make the research question more complex.

• To ensure the question is easy to answer.

What is the purpose of drafting a purpose statement?

• To list all the research questions.

• To explain why the research is being conducted.

• To summarize the research findings.

• To provide a conclusion to the research.

In the chicken crossing the road example, what was the issue with the first research question?

• It was too specific.

• It was too broad.

• It was based on quantitative data.

• It was irrelevant to the topic.

What was the problem with the second version of the chicken crossing the road research question?

• It was not measurable.

• It was not interesting.

• It was too specific.

• It was too broad.

How does the final version of the chicken crossing the road question improve upon the previous versions?

• It is more specific and investigable.

• It is based on assumptions.

• It is broader and more general.

• It focuses on qualitative data.