A research question is a clear, focused, and specific query that guides the direction of a research study. It defines what the researcher intends to discover, explore, or analyze within the scope of the research. A well-formulated research question helps to frame the research objectives and determine the methodology, data collection, and analysis approaches.
An effective research question should:
- Be Specific: It should be narrow enough to allow for in-depth analysis.
- Be Researchable: The question should be answerable through empirical data collection or analysis.
- Be Relevant: It should contribute to the existing body of knowledge and address gaps in the field.
- Be Feasible: The question should be possible to investigate within the time and resource constraints of the research project.
For example:
- Instead of a broad topic like "climate change," a well-defined research question could be, "How do rising sea levels affect coastal biodiversity in Southeast Asia?"
In summary, the research question is foundational to the research process, guiding the entire inquiry.