[Where to begin?: the qualitative research question]

A qualitative research question reflects the researcher's paradigm and should be consistent with the proposed research method. A research question implies engaging in a process that defines the research area, subject, question, and place of the study. Because this process is interactive and changes during the course of the investigation, the beginnings are necessarily provisional. The qualitative research question is constructed, is central to the research process, and differs from what is commonly expected of a research question. Once formulated, the pertinence of the research question must be argued. Justifying a study does not imply an exhaustive literature review, but rather a selective one, by selecting the data that support the need for the study and the relevance of the research question. In practice, constructing a research question involves two phases: a first phase of intuitive reasoning and a second phase of theoretical and practical reasoning. A qualitative study can be prompted by distinct factors, common ones being personal experience, conversations with colleagues, lines of research, and the library.