Formulation of Research Question

A good research question (RQ) forms backbone of a good research, which in turn is vital in
unraveling mysteries of nature and giving insight into a problem.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION

“The most successful research topics are narrowly focused and carefully defined but are important
parts of a broad-ranging, complex problem.”

A good RQ is an asset as it:

• Details the problem statement

• Further describes and refines the issue under study
• Adds focus to the problem statement
• Guides data collection and analysis
• Sets context of research.

Types of research question

A RQ can address different formats depending on the aspect to be evaluated.[6] For example:

• Existence: This is designed to uphold the existence of a particular phenomenon or to rule out rival
explanation, for example, can neonates perceive pain?
• Description and classification: This type of question encompasses statement of uniqueness, for
example, what are characteristics and types of neuropathic bladders?
• Composition: It calls for breakdown of whole into components, for example, what are stages of
reflux nephropathy?
• Relationship: Evaluate relation between variables, for example, association between tumor rupture
and recurrence rates in Wilm's tumor
• Descriptive—comparative: Expected that researcher will ensure that all is same between groups
except issue in question, for example, Are germ cell tumors occurring in gonads more aggressive
than those occurring in extragonadal sites?
• Causality: Does deletion of p53 leads to worse outcome in patients with neuroblastoma?
• Causality—comparative: Such questions frequently aim to see effect of two rival treatments, for
example, does adding surgical resection improves survival rate outcome in children with
neuroblastoma than with chemotherapy alone?
• Causality–Comparative interactions: Does immunotherapy leads to better survival outcome in
neuroblastoma Stage IV S than with chemotherapy in the setting of adverse genetic profile than
without it? (Does X cause more changes in Y than those caused by Z under certain condition and
not under other conditions).

Research objectives should be closely related to the statement of the problem and summarise what
you hope will be achieved by the study.
Objectives can be general or specific. The general objective of your study states what you expect
to achieve in general terms. Specific objectives break down the general objective into smaller,
logically connected parts that systematically address the various aspects of the problem.

How should your objectives be stated?

Your objectives should be stated using action verbs that are specific enough to be measured, for
example: to compare, to calculate, to assess, to determine, to verify, to calculate, to describe, to
explain, etc.

RESEARCH PROCESS is a set of ordered steps a researcher takes to ensure that all parts of an
investigation are completed to a high standard.
RESEARCH PROCESS STEPS
The key steps to think about are as follows:

1. Identify the purpose or research question

2. Design a research plan
3. Collect the required data
4. Interpret the collected data
5. Present the research findings
How To Define a Research Problem in 6 Steps (With Types)

There are several steps involved in a research process that help individuals associated with a study
conduct successful testing. Defining a research problem is an important step in any research
process and can help outline the process of your study. There are several types of research problems
you may encounter, and understanding how they differ may help you decide which approach is
best for you.

In this article, we discuss what a research problem is, list different types of research problems,
describe how to define one.

Key takeaways:

A research problem introduces a reader to a study's topic and its significance.

This problem contextualizes a research topic and helps define what researchers plan to investigate.
It also provides a framework for reporting research results that highlight the information
discovered.

& nbsp;
What is a research problem?
A research problem is a statement that addresses a gap in knowledge, a challenge or a contradiction
in a particular field. Scientists use research problems to identify and define the aim of their study
and analysis. You may decide to conduct research based on a problem if you're interested in
contributing to social or scientific change or supplying additional knowledge to an existing topic.
A research problem may also help identify key concepts and terms, overarching questions and
variables associated with a study.

How to define a research problem

Consider following these steps when aiming to define your own research problem:

1. Identify a general area of interest

As you determine an area of study, consider areas that haven't been explored thoroughly or present
challenges within a particular field. Assess how you might address the area of concern and whether
you can develop a research problem related to this issue. If your research is action-based or applied,
consider contacting those who work in a relevant field to attain feedback about problems to
address. You can also follow up on research that others have already conducted. Consider these
various aspects when choosing an area of interest:

Contradictions between two or more theoretical perspectives

Situations or natural relationships that haven't been investigated thoroughly
Processes in an institution or organization that you and your research team could improve

Areas of concern raised by individuals who work or are experts in a particular industry
2. Learn more about the problem

The next step is to learn more about the area of interest. Ask yourself what you need to know about
a particular topic before you begin your study. Assess who or what it might affect and how your
research could address those relationships. Consider whether other research groups have already
tried to solve the problem you're interested in analyzing and how your approach might differ.

3. Review the context of the information

Reviewing the context of your research involves defining and testing the environmental variables
in your project, which may help you create a clear and focused research problem. It may also help
you note which variables are present in the research and how to account for the impact that they
may have on it. By reviewing the context, you may easily estimate the amount of data your research
is likely to require.

4. Determine relationships between variables

After identifying the variables involved in your research, you can learn how they're related to one
another and how these relationships may contribute to your research problem. Consider generating
as many potential perspectives and variable interactions as possible. Identifying the relationships
between variables may be useful when deciding the degree to which you can control them in your
study and how they might affect potential solutions to the problem you're addressing.

5. Select and include important variables

A clear and manageable research problem typically includes the variables that are most relevant to
the study. A research team summarizes how they plan to consider and use these variables and how
they might influence the results of the study. Selecting the most important variables can help the
study's audience better understand the trajectory of your research and the potential impact of the
solution.

6. Receive feedback and revise

Consider contacting mentors, teachers or industry experts for feedback on your research problem.
They may present you with new information to consider or suggest you edit a particular aspect of
your research design. Revising your research problem can be a valuable step in creating impactful
and precise research, as well as developing beneficial research skills. However, before asking for
feedback, try asking yourself these guiding questions:

Does my research problem allow for several solutions and outcomes?

Am I creating a study that has a testable hypothesis or theory?
Am I defining all the terms correctly?
Is my research objective comprehensive?

Are all parts of my project understandable?

If you answer affirmatively to most or all of these questions, it's likely that you have an effective
research problem and can progress with your study.
How can you identify a research question?

Reading regularly is the most common way of identifying a good research question. This enables
you to keep up to date with recent advancements and identify certain issues or unsolved problems
that keep appearing.
A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research
question iS essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis.
All research questions should be:

Focused on a single problem or issue

Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources

Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints

Specific enough to answer thoroughly

Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis

Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

Writing Strong Research Questions

You will usually write a single research question to guide your progress in a research paper or
academic essay. Your answer then forms your thesis statement—the central assertion or position
that your paper will argue for.A bigger research project, such as a thesis or dissertation, may
necessitate multiple research questions or problem statements. However, they should all be clearly
connected and focused around a central research problem.
Developing Research Objectives

• 1. Pinpoint the major focus of your research

• 2. Break down your research focus into research objectives

• General objectives
• Specific objectives

• 3. Write your research objectives in the SMART format

• specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based
Tips:
• Be concise
• Keep your number of objectives limited
• Use action verbs
• Be realistic
• Ask for feedback
• Proofread and review your objectives

HYPOTHESIS

- Hypothesis is an idea or proposition used as a basis for research, which sets a foundation
for further investigation.
- Is a idea that is not necessarily assumed to be correct but is simply used as a basis for further
exploration.