Research questions form the guiding bases for the investigator to focus on during the study. These are systematically stated alongside the purpose statement and central intent sections of a research paper; these fundamentally define, describe and determine the direction of the study. In research write-ups, these form the scope frameworks for arguing the significance of the study about academic value addition and real-life application. Query areas zero in on variables of the study phenomenal or concept.
The resulting formulated questions are concerning the nature of study methodology applied: qualitative (studies explore a phenomenal or concept); quantitative (studies confirm truth based on hypothesized phenomenal), or the mixed-method approach (blend strategies of the quantitative and qualitative approaches appropriately). This paper discusses research questions with a bias to the qualitative type. According to Creswell, when stating study questions for qualitative research, two forms exist central question and associated sub-questions. In addition, in a qualitative study, the use of research questions may negate the need for stating study objectives and/or hypotheses.
Hypotheses are speculative statements about the variables of a study phenomenal for testing. Objectives focus on the study intentions and are characteristically measurable. Research questions are such that the consequent answers reflect the possible solutions concerning the study’s problem statement. Thus, the structure of questions factors in specific alternative solutions for investigation, inference formed in the study, and criteria for prioritizing the alternative solutions in the recommendation.
Central questions state the general specifics of the research concerning the study phenomenal or concept.
This forms the umbrella within which the whole study answers are to be restricted. The designs of questions in this form are in a manner to reflect the overall scope of the study. Associated sub-questions research questions form the building blocks for central questions. Thus, each sub-question is narrow in perspective and attached to a specific central question.