2. IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions you formulate gives focus to the
research, as well as guide the appropriacy of the decisions
make.
If the research questions are not clearly formulated, or have
no direction, you will find yourself with too much data and
yet not knowing what to do with them.
The research question express clearly the specific direction
or focus of your research problem or inquiry.
3. Types of Research Questions
1. Problem Questions-are general and explanatory and have
a crucial influence on the form and content of topic
questions.
2. Topic Questions- are specific and descriptive.
4. EXAMPLE OF PROBLEM QUESTIONS
1. How are a person’s identity, feelings, ideas and attitudes
related to his or her social environment?
A research project tackling this questions might focus on the
individual’s attitudes towards emotions and intimacy in
friendship or romantic partnerships, and how they are
influenced by TV programmes, films and magazines.
Another project might concentrate on whether or not
certain individuals, such as those with low self-esteem are
more susceptible than others to drug addiction.
5. EXAMPLE OF PROBLEM QUESTIONS
2. How do people influence each other’s behavior in social
interaction either face to face or mediated through text,
emails and mobile phones?
Consider the following scenario: Two friends meet up and
one reveals for the first time that they find the other
attractive. A routine peck on the cheek suddenly becomes
full-blown, passionate kiss, thus changing forever their
relationship and their feelings towards one another.
6. EXAMPLE OF PROBLEM QUESTIONS
3. How does power influence human behavior and social
activity?
Power is everywhere in social life in different shapes and
sizes and is an especially fruitful theme for small scale
research. Thus, a research on intimacy might focus on the
way the balance of control in close relationship determines
whether or not they survive in the longer term.
7. TOPIC QUESTIONS
Topic questions involve specific issues about the topic or the
area of research interest.
So topic questions about family for instance might include
such things as how particular individuals define their roles
or how family members relate to one another.
