211008P - CONSTRUCT RESEARCH AIMS, OBJECTIVES, QUESTIONS (HYPOTHESES, PROPOSITIONS, and SPECIFIC QUESTIONS)

Presented at Alfaisal University Scholar Program in Research Excellence (ASPIRE) on October 8, 2021 by Dr Omar Hasan Kasule Sr MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Bioethics King Fahad Medical City.

 

INCREASINGLY NARROWING FOCUS

· Level 1: Aim: where the research will go. Non-specific, abstract, ambitious

· Level 2:Research objectives: what the research will do. Will apply existing knowledge to solve a problem or will develop new knowledge to solve the problem

· Level 3: Research questions: what the research will look at. Take the form of hypotheses, propositions, and specific questions.

o Hypotheses state the variables and predict causal relationships among them, are based on theories or previous research, and are testable (but not provable).

o Propositions are declarative statements that propose things that can be checked to determine whether they hold true or not but unlike hypotheses they have non-specific predictions.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS

· Questions address: WHAT, WHY, WHEN, WHO of research and add on + DO.

· Questions are specific, relevant, precise, and concrete.

· Questions are about key indicators and relevant variables.

· Questions may briefly mention the data where necessary

· Questions can go beyond existing theories.

· The normal number of research questions is 1-7.

· Questions must be straightforward and arranged in a logical/sequential way.

· Questions must be open and not dogmatic

 

HOW ARE RESEARCH QUESTIONS DEVELOPED?

· Questions are developed in an iterative way from aims, literature review, and research problems.

· Questions should not restate aims, research objectives, or research problems.

· Aims should not be included in the questions.

· Questions may be a separate section or may be part of the literature review or the methods section

· The context from which the questions were developed must be provided such as: existing evidence, literature review, theories etc.

 

QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONS vs QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS

· Questions of quantitative research address:

o what event will be observed;

o variable(s) that will be measured,

o indicators to be used, and

o behavior that will be monitored

· Questions of qualitative research addresses:

o belief or motive that will be interpreted;

o experience that will be described;

o attitude or opinion that will be detected;

o lifestyle or culture that will be portrayed.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH QUESTIONS

· Are apparent as a distinct feature within the research proposal?

· Are self-contained: they do not combine questions or include questions that beg other questions, nor do they make unwarranted presumptions?

· Are straightforward: Each question/proposition/hypothesis deals with a distinct issue or idea – one sentence, one issue?

· They avoid foregone conclusions: they should be ‘open’ and not presume an outcome;

· They are presented in a logical sequence.