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Writing Research Questions

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Lesson objective

Write research topic

Formulate research questions

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Where are we

Observation/

Background

surveyBroad area of

research

Literature

review

Problem

definition

Topic

Problem

statement

Research

questions

Theoretical

framework

Variables clearlyidentified

Hypothesis

generation

Research

design

Methods

Data

collection

Analysis

Interpretation

Deduction

Hypothesis

substantiated?

RQ answered?

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Research Topics -Examples

Research topics 1

Research topics 2

Research topics 3 http://www.manchesteruniversit

ypress.co.uk/

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/RED%20Volume%2061.htmhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/RED%20Volume%2076.htmhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/RED%20Volume%2068.htmhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/RED%20Volume%2068.htmhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/RED%20Volume%2076.htmhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/RED%20Volume%2061.htm

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Research questions

Guides your purpose

Each research question give clear idea

of your researchQuantitative or qualitative?

Experimental? Survey?

Should you interview people, or would thedata from a survey answer it?

With RQs, easier to identify theassumptions underlying the question,

and the theories behind it

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Writing research questions

Basically

Re-formulate your topic as a research

question - one that ends with ? Ask preliminary questions about this title

Ask as many

Generate several questions

Formulate a direct question - be precise

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How to derive research questions..

Questions you can ask What are the characteristics of this thing?

What happens? And in what order do things happen?

When does it happen? To whom?

When does it NOT happen?

For whom is it a problem? Why is it aproblem for them?

How can one tell it is a problem?

Keep those you can answer

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How to derive research questions..

Shortlist the questions

What exactly IS the research problem here?

Why is it important? Why does it need to be solved?

How could I go about solving it?

What exactly would I have to do, to solve it?

If I did that, what would my data look like? What would my findings look like?

Answer the last three as precise as you can

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Ask what you would have to do

to solve the research problem

What or who will form my sample?

Why those/that, rather than others?

How will I select them?

How will I gain access to them?

What exactly will I use?

Why that/those, rather than otherequipment/instruments/analyticalmethods?

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EXAMPLE -Research Questions

What are the factors that contributetowards the disruptive behaviours of

Pre-TESL students? What are the Pre-TESL students (with

disruptive behaviours) attitudes

towards authority? Is there a relationship between

disruptive behaviour and previous

schooling of Pre-TESL students ?

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Differences Among Area, Problem,

Purpose and Questions

General

Specific

Topic Area

Research

Problem

Purpose

Statement

Research

Question

Online Learning

Isolation in the online learningenvironment

To study how students perceive

social presence in the online

learning environment

What is the online learners

perception of social presence in an

online learning community?

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Questions into hypothesis

Strategy to unpack the question

highlight some of its different aspects

make it easier to identify an angle fromwhich the research question can beanswered

Deriving a statement that can be trueor false

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EXAMPLES

Topic Questions Hypotheses

Disruptivebehaviour inreligious highschools

Is there arelationshipbetween parentseducational leveland disruptive

behaviours ofreligious highschool students?

There is arelationshipbetween parentseducational leveland the religious

high schoolstudents displayof disruptivebehaviour

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Examples of hypotheses

There is a relationship betweenindividual motivational characteristics

and cognitive learning outcomes

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Fitting things together

Research questions

Background

survey

Research

problem

Theoretical

framework

Problems

RESEARCHINTEREST/AREA

Issues

Concerns

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Next- Literature review

Observation/

Background

survey

Broad area of

research

Literature

review

Problemdefinition

Problem

statement

Research

topic

Research

questions

Theoretical

framework

Variables clearlyidentified

Hypothesis

generation

Research

design

Methods

Data

collection

Analysis

Interpretation

Deduction

Hypothesis

substantiated?

RQ answered?

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Tasks

Task 1

Write your problem statement

Write your research questions Write hypothesis if you are studying

relationship/differences

Task 2 Read the reflection

Identify one researchable problem

Write two(2) research questions