Many students start writing furiously after scanning the essay question. Do not do this! Instead, try the following: Perform a "memory dump." Write down all the information you have had to memorize for the exam in note form. Read the questions and instructions Definition. The answer to a research question will help address a research problem or question. Specifying a research question, "the central issue to be resolved by a formal dissertation, thesis, or research project," is typically one of the first steps an investigator takes when undertaking research. Considerations, such as project funding or methodological approaches may influence the STEP ONE Choose the type of quantitative research question (i.e., descriptive, comparative or relationship) you are trying to create. The type of quantitative research question that you use in your dissertation (i.e., descriptive, comparative and/or relationship-based) needs to be reflected in the way that you write out the research question; that is, the word choice and phrasing that you use
Types of quantitative research question | Lærd Dissertation
There is no "one best way" to structure a quantitative research question. However, to create a well-structured quantitative research question, we recommend an approach that is based on four steps : 1 Choosing the type of quantitative research question you are trying to create i.
In this article, we discuss each of these four stepshow to do a dissertation question, as well as providing examples for the three types of quantitative research question you may want to create: descriptivecomparative and relationship-based research questions. The type of quantitative research question that you use in your dissertation i.
If you are unfamiliar with the different types of variable that may be part of your study, the article, Types of variableshould get you up to speed.
It explains the two main types of variables: categorical variables i. It also explains the difference between independent and dependent variableswhich you need to understand to create quantitative research questions. To provide a brief explanation; a variable is not only something that you measurebut also something that you can manipulate and control for. In most undergraduate and master's level dissertations, you are only likely to measure and manipulate variables. You are unlikely to carry out research that requires you to control for variables, although some supervisors will expect this additional level of complexity.
If you plan to only create descriptive research questionsyou may simply have a number of dependent variables that you need to measure. An independent variable sometimes called an experimental or predictor variable is a variable that is being manipulated in an experiment in order to observe the effect this has on a dependent variable sometimes called an outcome variable.
For example, if we were interested in investigating the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescentsthe independent variable would be gender and the dependent variable attitudes towards music piracy. This example also highlights how to do a dissertation question need to identify the group s you are interested in. In this example, the group of interest are adolescents. This is discussed next. The structure of the three types of quantitative research question differs, reflecting the goals of the question, how to do a dissertation question, the types of variables, and the number of variables and groups involved.
By structurewe mean the components of a research question i. The appropriate structure for each of these quantitative research questions is set out below:. There are six steps required to construct a descriptive research question: 1 choose your starting phrase; 2 identify and name the dependent variable; 3 identify the group s you are interested in; 4 decide whether dependent variable or group s should be included first, last or in two parts; 5 include any words that provide greater context to your question; and 6 write out the descriptive research question.
Each of these steps is discussed in turn:. How many? How often? How frequently? How much? What percentage? What proportion? To what extent? What is? How to do a dissertation question are? Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:. How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
How often do British university students use Facebook each week? What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students? What proportion of British male and how to do a dissertation question university students use the top 5 social networks? What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?
All descriptive research questions have a dependent variable. You need to identify what this is. However, how how to do a dissertation question dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different things. In the examples below, we have illustrated the name of the dependent variable and highlighted how it would be written out in the blue text.
The first two examples highlight that while the name of the dependent variable is the same, namely daily calorific intakethe way that this dependent variable is written out differs in each case. All descriptive research questions have at least one groupbut can have multiple groups. You need to identify this group s, how to do a dissertation question.
In the examples below, we have identified the group s in the green text. The examples illustrate the difference between the use of a single group e.
Sometimes it makes more sense for the dependent variable to appear before the group s you are interested in, but sometimes it is the opposite way around. The following examples illustrate this, with the group s in green text and the dependent variable in blue text :. Sometimes, the dependent variable needs to be broken into two parts around the group s you are interested in so that the research question flows.
Again, the group s are in green text and the dependent variable is in blue text :. Of course, you could choose to restructure the question above so that you do not have to split the dependent variable into two parts. For example:. How many calories are consumed per day by American men and women? When deciding whether the dependent variable or group s should be included first or last, and whether the dependent variable should be broken into two parts, the main thing you need to think about is flow : Does the question flow?
Is it easy to read? Sometimes the name of the dependent variable provides all the explanation we need to know what we are trying to measure. Take the following examples:.
In the first example, the dependent variable is daily calorific intake i. Clearly, this descriptive research question is asking us to measure the number of calories American men and women consume per day. In the second example, the dependent variable is Facebook usage per week. Again, the name of this dependent variable makes it easy for us to understand that we are trying to measure the often i, how to do a dissertation question.
However, sometimes a descriptive research question is not simply interested in measuring the dependent variable in its entirety, how to do a dissertation question, but a particular component of the dependent variable. Take the following examples in red text :. In the first example, the research question is not simply interested in the daily calorific intake of American men and women, but what percentage of these American men and women exceeded their daily calorific allowance.
So the dependent variable is still daily calorific intake, but the research question aims to understand a particular component of that dependent variable i.
In the second example, the research question is not only interested in what the factors influencing career choices are, but which of these factors are the most important. Therefore, when you think about constructing your descriptive research question, make sure you have included any words that provide greater context to your question. Once you have these details? you can write out the descriptive research question in full. The example descriptive research questions discussed above are written out in full below:.
In the section that follows, how to do a dissertation question, the structure of comparative research questions is discussed. How to structure quantitative research questions There is no "one best way" to structure a quantitative research question. STEP ONE: Choose the type of quantitative research question i. STEP ONE Choose the type of quantitative research question i. Structure of descriptive research questions Structure of comparative research questions Structure of relationship-based research questions.
Structure of descriptive research questions There are six steps required to construct a descriptive research question: 1 choose your starting phrase; 2 identify and name the dependent variable; 3 identify the group s you are interested in; 4 decide whether dependent variable or group s should be included first, last or in two parts; 5 include any words that provide greater context to your question; and 6 write out the descriptive research question.
Each of these steps is discussed in turn: Choose your starting phrase Identify and name the dependent variable Identify the group s you are interested in Decide whether the dependent variable or group s should be included first, last or in two parts Include any words that provide greater context to your question Write out the descriptive research question FIRST Choose your starting phrase You can start descriptive research questions with any of the following phrases: How many?
Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below: How many calories do American men and women how to do a dissertation question per day? SECOND Identify and name the dependent variable All descriptive research questions have a dependent variable.
Name of the dependent variable How the dependent variable is written out Daily calorific intake How many calories do American men and women consume per day? Daily calorific intake What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?
Weekly Facebook usage How often do British university how to do a dissertation question use Facebook each week? Factors influencing career choices What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students? Use of the top 5 social networks What proportion of British male and female university students use the top 5 social networks?
THIRD Identify the group s you are interested in All descriptive research questions have at least one groupbut can have multiple groups. FOURTH Decide whether the dependent variable or group s should be included first, last or in two parts Sometimes it makes more sense for the dependent variable to appear before the group s you are interested in, but sometimes it is the opposite way around.
The following examples illustrate this, with the group s in green text and the dependent variable in blue text : Group 1st; dependent variable 2nd: How often do British university students use Facebook each week?
Dependent variable 1st; group 2nd: What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students? Again, the group s are in green text and the dependent variable is in blue text : How many calories do American men and women consume per day? For example: How many calories are consumed per day by American men and women?
FIFTH Include any words that provide greater context to your question Sometimes the name of the dependent variable provides all the explanation we need to know what we are trying to measure.
Take the following examples: How many calories do American men and women consume per how to do a dissertation question Take the following examples in red text : What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance? SIXTH Write out the descriptive research question Once you have these details?
The example descriptive research questions discussed above are written out in full below: How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
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Why do professors, thesis supervisors and other seasoned dissertation writers say that a research question is the most important aspect in the entire report? Why do they insist that the research question should be the first thing to be composed after the selection of the topic and that the entire process of data collection, methodology and data Apr 18, · Research question examples. Published on April 18, by Shona McCombes. Revised on June 5, The research question is one of the most important parts of your research project, thesis or dissertation. It’s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question before you get started The Final Question: “If I answer all these questions will I have achieved the purpose?” How do African American 10th grade females and White, non-Hispanic 10th grade females compare in their plans for post-secondary education? Qualitative Research Questions Guidelines 1. Ask only a few general questions [no Yes/No questions] to permit
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