The Research Question
Research begins with asking a question and then finding a valid answer to that question. These questions are the culmination of the refinement process. Avoid questions that cannot be answered with the tools that are available.
—Gary Thomas (2017, p. 7)
After many months, you may be able to present a clear problem. Then, you determine the small slice of the problem to address, which you express in a purpose statement. Finally, the problem, purpose, and framework are all in alignment. The next step is to identify the specific, achievable questions that will guide most decisions that remain in the study. These are the research questions (RQ).
You are probably months away from having a finalized RQ but it is not too soon to evaluate RQs and practice developing your own. With that in mind, take careful notes in the readings, and set your course for the refinement that lies ahead.
Notes on Readings
Butin provides several tips that are valuable in developing what many think is the most difficult task of the capstone: posing the best question (in particular, read page 122).
In the selection by Thomas, pay particular attention to the various methods of narrowing your question. His questions, on page 18, no doubt reflect his experience in reading and rejecting hundreds of flawed research questions. Also note his guidance on the linear versus recursive plans on page 19. Prepare yourself for the recursive plan!
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Resources:
Butin, D. W. (2010). The education dissertation: A guide for practitioner scholars. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Chapter 3, “Focusing Your Research” (pp. 50–55 and pp. 58-61)
Chapter 6, “Putting It All Together” (p. 122)
Assignment: The Framework and Research Question
This is the week when you begin thinking about the framework that supports your study, and you begin to identify research questions. Although this is still early in your capstone process, the experience will help you appreciate how these elements are developed.
To prepare:
Further refine your paper to include a sample theoretical or conceptual framework and a sample research question. Include the following:
This is to be added into the paper you are writing…with the problem and purpose statement
THANK YOU!
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