The Basics of Research Questions
What are the three types of research questions?
1. Qualitative 2. Quantitative 3. Mixed Methods
Qualitative research questions usually begin with these two words.
“How” or “what”?
Mixed methods research integrates insights from these two main approaches.
Qualitative and Quantitative
How many levels are quantitative research questions are categorized into
3 levels
How do patients with chronic pain describe their experiences managing symptoms at home?
Qualitative – Phenomenological (explores lived experiences)
In what step of the 10 Essentials of Research is developing a specific question or query?
Step 5
This qualitative approach explores lived experiences to uncover meaning.
Phenomenology
What is a concurrent/convergent parallel design?
This design collects both data types at the same time to compare and interpret results.
Level 1 quantitative questions are most appropriate when this is limited.
Empirical Knowledge
What is the relationship between daily screen time and reported sleep quality among high school students?
Quantitative – Relational (Level 2)
What is identifying the content area (big picture)?
The process of developing a research question begins with this broad step.
This qualitative approach describes and interprets cultural patterns
Ethnography
What type of design is it when one type of data collection follows the other, allowing one phase to inform the next, it’s known as this type of design.
Sequential design
These questions explore relationships between two or more variables.
Relational questions
How do follow-up interviews with teachers explain differences in student test scores observed in the survey phase?
Mixed Methods – Sequential (Phase 2 qualitative explaining quantitative results)
What do research questions do?
They give direction, focus, and coherence to everything else --> from the design you choose, to the type of data you collect, to how you interpret your findings.
This type of qualitative research develops or modifies theory based on ongoing data collection and comparison.
Grounded theory
What is integration (or mixing/linking)?
This type of mixed methods question asks specifically how the two strands will be connected or compared.
These questions test cause-and-effect relationships and often involve manipulation of variables.
Predictive Questions
Is age a significant predictor of medication adherence in adults diagnosed with hypertension?
Quantitative – Predictive (Level 3)
What is the sequence for developing research questions?
These four steps summarize the process of creating research questions: big picture → literature review → narrow focus → pose the question.
This qualitative tradition centers on storytelling and life events.
Narrative research
According to Tashakkori & Creswell (2007), what are the three main ways to write mixed methods questions?
(1) About the nature of integration, (2) overarching broken into sub-questions, and (3) for each phase as the study evolves?
This acronym ensures research questions are practical, original, and ethical.
FINER (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant)?
To what extent do quantitative measures of physical activity align with participants’ qualitative descriptions of well-being?
Mixed Methods – Convergent (integration-focused)