{"id":195,"date":"2021-03-30T16:24:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T16:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-englishcomp2\/?post_type=chapter&p=195"},"modified":"2022-07-25T19:30:57","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T19:30:57","slug":"your-research-process","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-englishcomp2\/chapter\/your-research-process\/","title":{"raw":"What Is a Research Question?","rendered":"What Is a Research Question?"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\nIdentify the qualities of an effective research question\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn the past few pages, we've claimed that all research begins with questions. By a kind of chicken-and-egg logic, though, you might wonder where the research questions come from. As we've seen, the initial impulse for the question tends to come from our interests and experience.\r\n\r\nResearch questions aren't quite the same as everyday questions, however.\u00a0To be an effective research question, a question has to have a few special qualities.\r\n
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  1. A research question is a question that CAN be answered in an objective way, at least partially and at least for now.<\/strong>\r\n
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    • Questions that are purely values-based (such as \u201cShould assisted suicide be legal?\u201d) cannot be answered objectively because the answer varies depending on one\u2019s values.\u00a0 Be wary of questions that include \u201cshould\u201d or \u201cought\u201d because those words often (although not always) indicate a values-based question. However, note that most values-based questions can be turned into research questions by judicious reframing.\u00a0 For instance, you could reframe \u201cShould assisted suicide be legal?\u201d as \u201cWhat are the ethical implications of legalizing assisted suicide?\u201d\u00a0 Using a \u201cwhat are\u201d frame turns a values-based question into a legitimate research question by moving it out of the world of debate and into the world of investigation.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
    • A good research question is arguable.<\/strong>\r\n
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      • Ask yourself: could your research question be answered in a number of ways, or it it a question with only one answer? A question like \"Are video games popular?\" can really only be answered \"yes,\" so it should be eliminated right off the bat. If your research question seems like it has a consensus answer, it might be a sub-ideal question.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
      • A good research question is one that can be answered using information that already exists or that can be collected.<\/strong>\r\n
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        • The question, \u201cDoes carbon-based life exist outside of Earth\u2019s solar system?\u201d is a perfectly good research question in the sense that it is not values-based and therefore could be answered in an objective way, IF it were possible to collect data about the presence of life outside of Earth\u2019s solar system.\u00a0 That is not yet possible with current technology; therefore, this is not (yet) a research question because it\u2019s not (now) possible to obtain the data that would be needed to answer it. We could reframe this as \"How could we know if carbon-based life exists outside of Earth's solar system?\" and it becomes a potential research question investigating how scientists look for extraterrestrial life.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Note: A term paper is meant to demonstrate your grasp of an issue and ability to include different points of view by drawing on first and second-hand sources. It\u2019s important to check that the research question you pose will allow you to find enough sources to cite, reference, and engage in discussion.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
        • A good research question is a question that hasn\u2019t already been answered, or hasn\u2019t been answered completely, or hasn\u2019t been answered for your specific context.<\/strong>\r\n
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          • If the answer to the question is readily available in a good encyclopedia, textbook, or reference book, then it is a homework question, not a research question. It was probably a research question in the past, but if the answer is so thoroughly known that you can easily look it up and find it, then it is no longer an open question. However, it is important to remember that as new information becomes available, homework questions can sometimes be reopened as research questions.\u00a0 Equally important, a question may have been answered for one population or circumstance, but not for all populations or all circumstances.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
          • A good research question is specific.<\/strong>\r\n
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            • You want your question to be focused on a specific sector, population, social trend, legislation, program, approach or behavior, in order to effectively write about the issue in a term paper. The more narrow the topic, the more room there is to contextualize it, examine different perspectives, present an argument, and defend a thesis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
            • A good research question can be stated clearly and directly.<\/strong>\r\n
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              • Avoid multi-part questions, and find simple, specific language.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
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                Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/4131625e-88fa-42b8-b7c3-edbec7b7fac7\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

                Research Questions vs. Regular Questions<\/h2>\r\nMost of us look for information to answer questions every day, and we often act on the answers to those questions. Are research questions any different from most of the questions for which we seek information? Yes.\r\n\r\nSee how they\u2019re different by looking over the examples of both kinds below and answering questions about them in the next activity.\r\n
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                EXAMPLES:\u00a0Regular vs. Research Questions<\/h3>\r\nRegular Question:\u00a0<\/strong>What time is my movie showing at Lennox on Friday?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:\u00a0<\/strong>How do \u201csleeper\u201d films end up having outstanding attendance figures?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:\u00a0<\/strong>What can I do about my insomnia?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0How do flights more than 16 hours long affect the reflexes of commercial jet pilots?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:<\/strong>\u00a0How many children in the U.S. have allergies?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0How does his or her country of birth affect a child\u2019s chances of developing asthma?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:<\/strong>\u00a0What year was metformin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administration?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0Why are nanomedicines, such as doxorubicin, worth developing?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:\u00a0<\/strong>Could citizens register to vote at branches of the Columbus Public Library in 2016?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0How do public libraries in the United States support democracy?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:<\/strong>\u00a0What is the Whorfian Hypothesis?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0Why have linguists cared about the Whorfian hypothesis?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:\u00a0<\/strong>Where is the Apple, Inc. home office?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0Why are Apple\u2019s marketing efforts so successful?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:<\/strong>\u00a0What is Mers?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0How could decision making about whether to declare a pandemic be improved?\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\r\nRegular Question:\u00a0<\/strong>Does MLA style recommend the use of generic male pronouns intended to refer to both males and females?\r\n\r\nResearch Question:<\/strong>\u00a0How do age, gender, IQ, and socioeconomic status affect whether students interpret generic male pronouns as referring to both males and females?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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                Try It<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
                Examples of Regular Questions<\/strong><\/th>\r\nExamples of Research Questions<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                Which colors has House Beautiful<\/em> designated as trends for Fall, 2022?<\/td>\r\nIs it possible to teach good taste?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                How fast can a Fiat 500 go from 0-60 mph?<\/td>\r\nHow does driving performance affect consumers' decisions whether or not to buy an eco-friendly car?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                Who won the NBA championship in 1977?<\/td>\r\nHow do championships in professional sports affect residents' sense of civic engagement?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                What are my school's plagiarism policies?<\/td>\r\nHow do college students' understanding of plagiarism vary, depending on which countries they come from?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                What are the most-read peer-reviewed journals for historians?<\/td>\r\nHow could journal reading be increased among undergraduate history majors?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                Is there still time to vote in the upcoming election?<\/td>\r\nHow do US citizens who are registered to vote decide how to vote in presidential elections?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                What jobs are available in my area?<\/td>\r\nHow is a person's health threatened by working the night shift?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n