Good questions tell you a lot about a study: Does client-centered therapy produce more satisfaction in clients than traditional therapy? (Experimental or causal comparative, quantitative) What goes on in an after-school programs during the average week? (Ethnographic research; qualitative) Does behavior modification reduce aggression in autistic children? (Single-subject experimental research; quantitative) Do teachers behave differently toward students of different genders? (Causal-comparative research; quantitative; quantitative or mixed methods)
Bad Questions:
- Should questions.
- Best questions.
- Vague questions.
A research question is the question around which you center your research. It should be:
- clear: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without needing additional explanation.
- focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
- concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
- complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources prior to composition of an answer.
- arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts. Source: George Mason Writing Center https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question