How to…write a good research question

Abstract

This paper, on writing research questions, is the first in a series that aims to support novice researchers within clinical education, particularly those undertaking their first qualitative study. Put simply, a research question is a question that a research project sets out to answer. Most research questions will lead to a project that aims to generate new insights, but the target audience and the methodology will vary widely. The term 'evaluation question' is used less commonly, but the same principles apply. The key difference is that evaluation questions are typically more focused on the immediate context: for example, the effectiveness of an educational intervention in a particular setting. Whether your ambition is for research or evaluation, we hope that you will find this paper helpful for designing your own educational projects. A research question is a question that a research project sets out to answer.

How to…do research interviews in different ways

“…So, what is a ‘good’ interview? The obvious response is: a good interview gives you data to help answer your research question . It generates data that allow for thorough analysis or description, and are aligned with the research goal and theoretical framework .…”

“…The obvious response is: a good interview gives you data to help answer your research question. 4 It generates data that allow for thorough analysis or description, and are aligned with the research goal and theoretical framework. 5 The less obvious, but more salient, answer is that a good interview unlocks insights into people ' s experiences, viewpoints, opinions, thoughts and feelings.…”

How to… get started with theory in education

“…The questions that can be asked will depend fi rst of all on which grand theory the researcher espouses: positivist research lends itself well to measuring, observing and 'what' questions, whereas interpretivist research lends itself to analysis of context, process and 'how' or 'why' questions. 15 This in turn will dictate the sort of theory and methods that might be most useful. Are you looking at cognitive performance in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs)?…”

Lessons learned from an overambitious undergraduate research project

“…I read with interest the article by Mattick et al summarising how to write a good qualitative research question. 1 My only regret is that I did not read the article before embarking on my own, extracurricular, qualitative, medical education research project.…”

“…Furthermore, the analysis was time consuming and lacked any clear theory based methodol ogy. I suspect that if I had read the article by Mattick et al 1 prior to conducting my study, I would have tried to refine my research question. This could have focused the study, reduced the size of the questionnaire and subsequently may have increased the response rate.…”