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The Daily Insight

How do you write a strong research question?

Author

John Thompson

Published May 16, 2026

In general, however, a good research question should be:

  1. Clear and focused. In other words, the question should clearly state what the writer needs to do.
  2. Not too broad and not too narrow.
  3. Not too easy to answer.
  4. Not too difficult to answer.
  5. Researchable.
  6. Analytical rather than descriptive.

How do you structure a research question?

Structure of descriptive research questions

  1. Choose your starting phrase.
  2. Identify and name the dependent variable.
  3. Identify the group(s) you are interested in.
  4. Decide whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts.
  5. Include any words that provide greater context to your question.

What are some qualitative questions?

Use good qualitative wording for these questions.

  • Begin with words such as “how” or “what”
  • Tell the reader what you are attempting to “discover,” “generate,” “explore,” “identify,” or “describe”
  • Ask “what happened?”
  • Ask “what was the meaning to people of what happened?”
  • Ask “what happened over time?”

How do you introduce a research question in a paper example?

In the last paragraph of your introduction, consider giving a section-by-section overview of your paper if it is appropriate for your field….

  1. State your hypothesis or research question.
  2. Briefly describe how you will accomplish your aims.
  3. Give a preview of your main results and state the contribution of the work (optional)

How do you ask qualitative questions?

Use good qualitative wording for these questions.

  1. Begin with words such as “how” or “what”
  2. Tell the reader what you are attempting to “discover,” “generate,” “explore,” “identify,” or “describe”
  3. Ask “what happened?”
  4. Ask “what was the meaning to people of what happened?”
  5. Ask “what happened over time?”

What are the qualitative methodology?

The three most common qualitative methods, explained in detail in their respective modules, are participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. Each method is particularly suited for obtaining a specific type of data.

Is yes or no qualitative or quantitative?

The quantitative questions might take the form of yes/no, or rating scale (1 to 5), whereas the qualitative questions would present a box where people can write in their own words.

What are qualitative questions?

qualitative questions, ask “why” in a way that is open-ended, giving respondents the space to provide greater detail about their motivations and reasoning in their own words. These responses are more difficult to analyze because, for the most part, the answers cannot be quantified using hard numbers.