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Formulating specific research questions

Handout for the Qualitative Research Module – Anna Voce, November 2004

The selection of a high priority public health problem and its analysis, and a
clear formulation of the overall research question are essential to the further
development of the research proposal. The next step is to develop specific,
researchable questions that will guide the implementation of the study.

Purpose of specific research questions

Specific research questions:
 Summarise what will be achieved by the study and should be closely
related to the statement of the problem and the overall research question
(which is usually very broad)
 Help to focus the study
 Help to organise the study in clearly defined parts/components or phases
 Facilitate the development of the research methodology
 Uncover the deeper layers of a problem

Reference: Varkevisser et al. (1991) Analysis and statement of the problem.

Module 4 In: Designing and conducting Health Systems Research
Projects. Health Systems Training Series Volume 2 Part 1 International
Research Development Centre. Canada.

Types of research questions

There are different types of qualitative research questions. The analysis of
the research problem will help to focus your design on one or two or more of
the following types of questions (Timyan 1991 quoted from Ulin et al. 2002
p44):

 Experience/behaviour questions – intended to elicit descriptions of

experiences, behaviours, actions, activities, what a person has done,
seen, heard or thought.
 Opinion/value questions – aimed at how people interpret specific
events or issues; answers reflect a decision-making process and may
reveal goals, opinions, norms, intentions, desires, and values
 Feeling questions – probe emotional responses to experiences.
Typically spontaneous, often not the result of a decision, often non-
rational. May emerge in response to other kinds of questions.
 Knowledge questions – Intended to discover what people consider as
factual information – what people think is true.

The iterative nature of developing specific research questions

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 Specific researchable questions may arise from reading the literature,

which will give an indication of what has been well-covered, and what still
requires investigation/exploration
 You may select a specific questions at the beginning of your study, but
later data collection may uncover new and more insightful questions,
which may help to elucidate better the research problem
 Different stakeholders may bring to your attention additional issues that
require exploration, which will lead to the development of additional
questions.
 Thus the iterative nature of developing research questions in a qualitative
study design permits you to refine and build on your research questions
in the light of new insights.
 Vigilance is needed in order to ensure that emerging research questions
retain an internal consistency and a clear relationship to the basic
problem and overall purpose of doing the research.

References:
 Morse JM (1994) Designing funded qualitative research. Chapter 13. In:
Denzin NK and Lincoln YS Editors (1994) Handbook of qualitative
research. Sage. New York.
 Ulin et al. (2002) Designing the study. Chapter 3 In: Ulin et al. (2002)
Qualitative methods: A field guide for applied research in sexual
and reproductive health. Family Health International. USA.

Example of specific questions

Example 1

The research problem: The need to prevent both pregnancy and STI/HIV
among individual couples who are at risk for both.

Overall research question

What is the feasibility of introducing dual method use (DMU) among couples
at risk of pregnancy and STI/HIV?

Specific research questions

 How and to what extent do women perceive themselves to be at risk of
pregnancy and STI/HIV?
 How do women view DMU?
o What experience have women had with the simultaneous use of
condoms and another method?
o What do they know about DMU?
o How do they describe negative and positive aspects of DMU?
o How do they perceive others’ experiences of DMU?
o To what extent will women accept DMU?
o Under what circumstances do women believe DMU is an
appropriate choice?
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o If a woman believes DMU is appropriate and effective, why

might she not use it?
o Whose decision does she believe it is to use two methods?
 How do men view DMU?
o What do men believe is the purpose of using two methods?
o Under what circumstances do they believe couples should or
should not rely on two methods?
o What do they see as the partner’s role in promoting or
discouraging DMU?
 What are providers’ opinions of DMU?
o How do providers describe their current practice regarding
recommendations of DMU to couples?
o Under what circumstances do providers believe DMU is indicated
and not indicated?
o What obstacles do providers identify in promoting DMU?
o How do they think providers can circumvent these obstacles?

Adapted from Ulin et al. (2002) From research problem to research questions:
A qualitative study on Dual Method Use. Table 3.2. Chapter 3. p47. In: Ulin
et al. (2002) Qualitative methods: A field guide for applied research
in sexual and reproductive health. Family Health International. USA.

Example 2

The research problem: High failure rate amongst students who are defined
as “problem” students.

Overall research question

What meaning does school have for “problem” students?

Specific research questions

 How is education perceived by “problem” students?
 What has been the experience of school of “problem” students?
o What have been good experiences?
o What have bad experiences?
 How do “problem” students perceive expectations of them?
o Expectations of parents
o Expectations of teachers
o Expectations of administrators
o Expectations of self
 What do the “problem” students think are the perceptions of them?
o How do they see themselves?
o How do they think their parents see them?
o How do they think the teachers’ see them?
o How do they think the administrators’ see them?

Adapted from: Pifer DA (2000) getting in trouble: The meaning of school for
“problem’ students. The qualitative Report Vol. 5.
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Available on: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR5-1/pifer.html (Accessed

9/11/2004)