Research question

Specifying the research question is the methodological point of departure of scholarly research in both the natural and social sciences. The research will answer the question posed. At an undergraduate level, the answer to the research question is the thesis statement. The answer to a research question will help address a "Research Problem" which is a problem "readers think is worth solving".

Specifying the research question is one of the first methodological steps the investigator has to take when undertaking research. The research question must be accurately and clearly defined.

Choosing a research question is the central element of both quantitative and qualitative research and in some cases it may precede construction of the conceptual framework of study. In all cases, it makes the theoretical assumptions in the framework more explicit, most of all it indicates what the researcher wants to know most and first.

The student or researcher then carries out the research necessary to answer the research question, whether this involves reading secondary sources over a few days for an undergraduate term paper or carrying out primary research over years for a major project.

When the research is complete and the researcher knows the (probable) answer to the research question, writing up can begin (as distinct from writing notes, which is a process that goes on through a research project). In term papers, the answer to the question is normally given in summary in the introduction in the form of a thesis statement.

The research question serves two purposes:

Therefore, the writer must first identify the type of study (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed) before the research question is developed.

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