Research question
Most academic writing departs from some kind of query or problem, and the goal is to provide an answer or a solution the that query. In academic writing, such a point of departure is referred to as the research question. In students' writing, the research question could be a question that the teacher has presented or a question students have been asked to formulate themselves.
In comprehensive essays and research articles, there may be several research questions which will be related to each other. While the study as a whole will depart from an overall research question, each section of the written text can depart from related sub-questions.
Formulating research questions
To develop an argument for your essay, you will need to ask questions about your essay topic. Importantly, such questions must be formulated so that they do not generate simple yes/no answers, but in a way that enables you to start collecting information or data for your project and that allows for discussion, analysis, or description. In other words, the research question needs to be based on the kind of investigation, exploration or other type of study that the author carries out in connection with the writing.
One way of beginning is to use so-called journalists' questions: who, what, where, when, why, or why.
Depending on your topic, one or more of these question words can be helpful. In the table below, you find examples of how to start formulating research questions.
| Question word | Examples of how to frame research questions |
|---|---|
| who |
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| what |
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| where |
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| when |
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| why |
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| how |
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Turning a direct question into an indirect question
Writers usually start out with direct questions like the ones in the table above. Such direct questions often start with the question word, and they end with a question mark. By the time writers start writing their text, they may be expected to turn these research questions into indirect questions in which the question word is embedded in a sentence that is a statement ending with a full stop. This is a natural development of the research question, and you will often be able to develop it regarding content and precision so that the research question gives the reader a clear indication as to what will be investigated or discussed.
| Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
| When is the ideal time for pruning fruit trees? | This essay investigates when the ideal time for pruning fruit trees is, with regard to both environmental and horticultural factors. |
| What factors need to be taken into account when replanting geraniums? | The essay examines what factors need to be taken into account in the spring replanting of geraniums. |
In the table below, you find another way of generating research questions in the form of indirect questions. Read the table from left to right: You start with an introduction followed by a verb plus a question word plus something about the topic.
| Introduction | verb | question word | something about your topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| I will | explore | how | replanting geraniums in the spring affects the timing of their blooming. |
| This essay will | examine | where | geraniums should be placed during winter. |
| The aim of this paper is to | determine | why | different geranium species may require different replanting routines. |
Note that the verb you choose indicates what you will do in the text; will you discuss, compare, or perhaps explore? Such verbs are sometimes referred to as analytical verbs, and it matters which one you choose as it signals to your reader what kind of investigation will be carried out. An online search will give lists of useful analytical verbs, but note discipline and type of assignment may decide which type pf verb to choose.
As a student you also encounter similar so-called academic verbs in exams and assignment instructions. Read more about that here:
Developing and refining the research question
It is important to recognise that during the writing process, research questions may very well need to be revised and updated. During the early stages of the project, research questions are typically rather wide, initially perhaps even based on the writer’s assumptions rather than on the specific knowledge needed for the project at hand. Once the writer has read up on the topic and carried out experiments, field work or other types of data collection, however, the research question can be rephrased and made more specific. This process from a more general question to a more specific one is an important part of the research and writing process.
Below is an example of how the research question might develop through a student project.
In this example, a student who we call Lisa is taking a course in sustainability and innovation. In this course, students carry out individual projects that will result in course papers. Lisa decides to explore ways in which students can grow their own vegetables without having access to a garden or even a balcony. Her initial research question is quite wide:
- What are the options for students wishing to grow their own vegetables?
After having conducted a literature search, Lisa realises that as a research question, this is much too vague and wide. After she has read up on the topic, she concludes that the study needs to be narrowed down and she decides to focus on hydroponics, as this is a technique which research indicates has proven successful for indoor gardening in small spaces. With this new approach, she will be able to focus on the specific angle of cultivation in student accommodations. Lisa's revised research question therefore reads,
- How can hydroponic cultivation be implemented in a student dormitory?
Having now narrowed down her research question, Lisa can use it as a starting point for the project. She will soon discover whether this research question might need to be broken down into sub-questions, and before her project is finished, she may very well have had to revise the question(s) again, depending on how the project develops.