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So you want to do research? 2: developing the research question.

Keith A Meadows¹

¹City and Hackney Primary Care Trust, London. keith.meadows@chpct.nhs.uk

British Journal of Community Nursing

|September 26, 2003

Summary

Developing a clear research question is crucial for successful studies. This guide details creating a focused hypothesis, reviewing literature, and assessing feasibility for robust scientific inquiry.

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Area of Science:

Scientific methodology
Research design

Background:

A well-defined research question or hypothesis is essential for meaningful research findings.
Lack of specificity can lead to inconclusive results and data collection issues.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive guide on developing a research question or hypothesis.
To illustrate key principles with practical examples.

Main Methods:

Literature review approaches (hand searching, electronic sources) with pros and cons.
Explanation of deductive and inductive research approaches.
Discussion of null hypothesis and one/two-tailed tests.

Main Results:

The process of refining an initial idea into a final research question.
Consideration of literature search strategies and their impact.
Analysis of feasibility factors including time, cost, and relevance.

Conclusions:

A tightly focused research question guides data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Feasibility assessment is integral to the research question development process.

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