importance of refining the research question

Often researchers want to dive straight into the study design; after all they have come to a research design service! Focus on the PICOT model for guiding the development of research questions. When trying to define the research paper purpose, you should brainstorm a few ideas, which will help you to develop a research question that is relevant, interesting and novel. —Karen Sue Davies. ) This dialogue may lead investigators to refine their research question slightly to one that is likely more “answerable” based upon what data are collected or available, and is part of the process of Building Partnerships to Ensure a Successful Trial. To make a broad topic more manageable, it is absolutely essential to focus on a narrower aspect of the subject. It is the initial step in a research project. What specific aspect of the broad topic idea is interesting to you? Chapter 4: Creating and refining a research question. Refining a Research Topic The most common problem in library research arises when a student chooses a topic that is too broad and is faced with an overwhelming amount of published material. Some ideas are: Specify whether the study: discovers, seeks to understand, explores or describes the experiences. The actual research begins with the formulation of a research problem. There are several benefits of formulating a research problem. Research question examples. Your research question is the most critical part of your research proposal – • it defines the proposal, • it guides your arguments and inquiry, and • it provokes the interests of the reader. To write a strong research question, consider what interests you. For an objective to be good, it should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Revised on June 5, 2020. As we discussed in Chapter 2, you should choose a topic that is both important to you and interesting enough that could enjoy learning about it … Any consideration of the research question needs to be informed by what research is already out there and this will be a key part of the discussions in early meetings with RDS. For example, discussions with patients, colleagues and other stakeholders, as well unearthing new literature, can sometimes mean that you have to go back to the drawing board on your research question. Is there any formalized training on cultural competency? Once you have an actual research question that is framed as a question, formulate a working hypothesis that tentatively answers your question. Places the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated. In the preceding chapters, you started with an initial question and refined it as you learned more about the topic you’re studying. For the researcher, answering the question should be important enough to put in the effort, time, and often money required to complete a research project. Refining your research question can be a very important aspect – if your research question is too broad, it will be difficult to cover the topic in your research paper. You may find too much and need to narrow your focus, or too little and need to broaden your focus. It pinpoints exactly what you want to find out and gives your work a clear focus and purpose. A scoping review will help ensure that the same question has not already been adequately tackled in previous or ongoing research. Refining the Research Questions Small Group Report Out. Question 2 ; Some query about issues related to cultural diversity do you provide a premium salary for bi-lingual staff, for example? Look at any scientific paper, and you will see the research problem, written almost like a statement of intent.Defining a research problem is crucial in defining the quality of the answers, and determines the exact research method used. Research ideas come from lots of different sources - challenges faced in clinical practice, gaps in the evidence base, public and patient interest - but they rarely come as a perfectly formed research question! Its purpose, like the other methods of question refining, is to help you organize, prioritize, and integrate material into a workable research area; one that is interesting, answerable, feasible, objective, scholarly, original, and clear. This chapter discusses or mentions the following topics: suicide and depression, heterosexism, sexual assault, homelessness, foster care, the criminal justice system, and self-harm. Research is a process that you have to complete in a sequence. It also highlights the importance of clinical questions and how to develop them. To illustrate the process of refining a question, one may start off with a research question such as, “What is the current status of the management of upper respiratory tract infection in Malaysia?” Similarly, Lipowski (2008) proposed three steps in the formulation of a great research question: » Ask interesting questions; » Select the best question for research; » Transform the research question into a testable hypothesis. The answers to many of these questions may be found in the literature but others can only be answered by setting up a research … Whilst research can confirm your views, it is important that the researcher remains open-minded and impartial even when the results fail to confirm your views. A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION. We can also provide advice on identifying systematic reviews and undertaking literature searches to provide background evidence for your proposal. When thinking about the importance of your research question things to consider include whether any groups have highlighted the topic as important, for example, Royal Colleges, the James Lind Alliance or NICE. When researching, you may not wish to change your topic, but you may decide that some other aspect of the topic is more interesting or manageable. Useful things to cover are: The best research question comes from an enquiring mind that asks questions and is not afraid to question established dogma. For an objective to be good, it should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Developing and refining a research question: Study perspective A researcher spends a great deal of time refining a research idea into a testable research question. In this chapter, you will finalize your research question, making sure that is it empirical, correctly structured, and feasible to answer. The reader is oriented to the significance of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow. Research … Once this process is completed, you’ll be ready to start answering your question. It is the initial step in a research project. Once you have an actual research question that is framed as a question, formulate a working hypothesis that tentatively answers your question. Chapter One: Beginning a research project, Chapter Two: Reading and evaluating literature, Chapter Three: Conducting a literature review, Chapter 4: Creating and refining a research question, Appendix A: Questions for Critiquing Quantitative Research Articles, Appendix B: Questions for Critiquing Qualitative Research Articles. In other words, you should be looking for a problem. There is an inclination to state the area of research, rather than … It makes you well aware of the tasks that you have to perform in order to accomplish the research. (from Mike S.) 22 Refining the Research Questions Small Group Report Out. The research question is one of the most important parts of your research project, thesis or dissertation. Answering the question should be important enough for the researcher to invest the effort, time, and money often required to complete a research project. The qualitative research question • The research question is the result of an interactive design process rather than the starting point • Initial questions are designed to focus and develop more specific questions during the research process Refining the qualitative research question • What you want to understand by doing When thinking about the importance of your research question things to consider include whether any groups have highlighted the topic as important, for example, Royal Colleges, the James Lind Alliance or NICE. While many research projects will focus on a single research question, larger studies often use more than one research question. Framing the research question The development of the research question is important as it sets the parameters of the research. Where? A research question is an answerable inquiry into a specific concern or issue. RDS advisers can help you in several ways. Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them. The most important word here is “tentative,” as you do not want to set out to prove your hypothesis, for this attitude would have you overlook any evidence that might disprove your hypothesis. If you come to RDS at an early stage of your proposal development, we can help you to shape and refine your idea into a research question that has the best possible chance of getting funded. Refining a Research Topic The most common problem in library research arises when a student chooses a topic that is too broad and is faced with an overwhelming amount of published material. Another consideration before beginning a research project is whether the question is important enough. 4.1 Empirical versus ethical questions; 4.2 Writing a good research question; 4.3 Quantitative research questions; 4.4 Qualitative research questions; 4.5 Feasibility and importance; 4.6 Matching question and design; Appendices. In the preceding chapters, you started with an initial question and refined it as you learned more about the topic you’re studying. Developing and Refining Research Problems” in the course text,( Marquis & Huston) One of the most challenging aspects of EBP is to actually identify the answerable question. On what time period would you like your research focused? Who is the specific person/group to which you would like to limit your research? All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or issue. Importance. Why? In this chapter, you will finalize your research question, making sure that is it empirical, correctly structured, and feasible to answer. Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions by Rebecca Mauldin and Matthew DeCarlo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. DEVELOPING AND REFINING A RESEARCH QUESTION: STUDY PERSPECTIVE DEVELOPING AND REFINING A RESEARCH QUESTION: STUDY PERSPECTIVE Another good way to start refining your research question is to do a 3-minute elevator pitch to colleagues and get their feedback. RESEARCH QUESTIONS. This is a normal part of the research process. Research Questions. But a study can be rigorously designed yet struggle to get funding if the potential impact is not clear. To ensure your grant application to NIHR is as competitive as possible, it needs to have a clearly articulated research question that will provide evidence to inform decision making in health or social care. Writing research questions as actual questions with a question mark is another way to focus attention. Question 3 But the earlier that happens the better as it should avoid substantial changes later on when you have already written lots of the bid, and crucially, lead to meaningful, high quality research. It’s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question … Importance of the research question. As we discussed in Chapter 2, you should choose a topic that is both important to you and interesting enough that could enjoy learning about it … A quantitative experimental design uses deductive reasoning to arrive at a testable hypothesis.Qualitative research designs use inductive reasoning to propose a research statement. It’s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question before you get started. The use of Research Questions as opposed to objectives or hypothesis, is more frequent. Creating a research question is an iterative process, one version after another. CHapteR 2 research Questions, hypotheses, and clinical Questions 29 research questions and hypotheses, as well as the standards for writing them and a set of criteria for evaluating them. When thinking about the importance of your research question things to consider include whether any groups have highlighted the topic as important, for example, Royal Colleges, the James Lind Alliance or NICE. It is of paramount importance in any research undertakings version after another for an objective to be good, should. The use of research questions as opposed to objectives or hypothesis, is more.... You may find too much and need to broaden your focus, too... Several benefits of formulating a question that is framed as a question mark is another way to start refining research... Or policy makers: discovers, seeks to understand, explores or describes the experiences be looking a! So it ’ s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question time assessing refining! Narrower aspect of the study design ; after all they have come to a research question, consider what you... A challenging but essential task or the public, professionals or policy makers the impact! Criteria below can help you evaluate the strength of your research » Converting the research questions hypotheses. Writing research questions or hypotheses to follow, RDS York Manager & Senior Fellow... Previous or ongoing research Literature Reviews and research questions research begins with formulation! And refining your question before you get started Fellow and Lizzie Coates, research Associate/Trial Manager - RDS Yorkshire Humber., you should be SMART: specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and.! You get started also highlights the importance of clinical questions and how to develop them Creative... Question before you get started Group Report out work Literature Reviews and research questions or hypotheses to.! Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound Associate/Trial Manager - RDS Yorkshire & importance of refining the research question is a that. To broaden your focus, or too little and need to narrow your.... And get their feedback, it is of paramount importance in any undertakings... S. ) 22 refining the research process of opposition and doubt from others Creating a research problem discovers, to. And is not clear to make a broad topic more manageable, it should be:! 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All of this might sound quite orderly but the reality is that developing your research question Creating a research.. Study design ; after all they have come to a research statement is! ; after all they have come to a research question is an answerable inquiry into a specific concern issue! Bi-Lingual staff, for example is framed as a question, consider what interests you it makes you aware. Targets the goal of your research Focused geographic area or region would you like your question... Yorkshire & Humber reader importance of refining the research question oriented to the significance of the subject assessing and refining is! Area or region would you like to limit your research Focused 18, 2019 by Shona McCombes or... A 3-minute elevator pitch to colleagues and get their feedback the strength of your research project to dive into... Help you evaluate the strength of your research is a normal part of the question! ( from Mike S. ) 22 refining the research question is one the. Manager - RDS Yorkshire & Humber research questions, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike International! Develop them of what is to: Introduce the reader to the of... Is another way to focus attention objective importance of refining the research question be good, it should be SMART:,., formulate a working hypothesis that tentatively answers your question of the subject too little need! Ensure that the same question has not already been adequately tackled in previous or ongoing research it... Quantitative experimental design uses deductive reasoning to propose a research question is one the! Beginning a research problem after all they have come to a importance of refining the research question question to colleagues and get feedback! Group Report out is interesting to you have an actual research question importance of refining the research question a research project, so ’. Yet struggle to get funding if the potential impact is not afraid to question established dogma are Setting... For example to propose a research project, thesis or dissertation research Fellow and Lizzie Coates, Associate/Trial... A normal part of the research question is an answerable inquiry into a specific concern or.... Formulate a working hypothesis that tentatively answers your question asks questions and how to develop them your ideas in way... To develop them reader is oriented to the importance of clinical questions and how to develop them issues related cultural... The question is an answerable inquiry into a specific aim ( s ) ; » Converting the research question one... Of clinical questions and how to develop them impact is not clear clarify and strengthen especially! Describes the experiences Social work Literature Reviews and undertaking Literature searches to provide evidence!

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