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A research question is a clear, focused, and specific query that guides your study. It defines what you want to learn or find out through your research, serving as the foundation for your entire project.

Why is it important?

  • Provides direction and focus to your investigation.
  • Helps in narrowing down the topic, making it manageable and specific.
  • Helps to addresses a significant problem or gap in the existing literature.
  • Allows you to communicate your research purpose effectively to others.

How to develop a research question

  1. Identify a broad topic
  2. Review the existing literature to understand what’s already been studied and identify gaps in knowledge.
  3. Based on the gaps you find, narrow down the topic.
  4. Ensure that your question is researchable within your resources, time frame, and ethical considerations.
  5. Rework your question to be as clear and specific as possible. 
Example
If your broad topic is "nutrition in diabetes management," a possible research question could be, "How does a low-carbohydrate diet affect blood glucose levels in adults with type 2 diabetes?"

Recommended resources:

Literature Searching Guide - Formulating a Question


National Institute of Health. (2022). Choosing a Research Question.

A research question is a clear, focused, and specific query that guides your study. It defines what you want to learn or find out through your research, serving as the foundation for your entire project.

Why is it Important?

  • Helps you understand what has already been studied and identify gaps in the literature that your research could fill.
  • Reviewing previous studies can guide you in choosing appropriate research methods and designs.
  • Places your research within the broader context of your field.
  • Enhances credibility: a thorough literature search demonstrates diligence and enhances the credibility of your work by citing relevant and authoritative sources.

How to Conduct a Literature Search

Below is a very brief overview of the literature searching process for planning a research project.

  1. Define your topic
  2. Choose databases
  3. Develop search strategies 
    1. Use keywords, synonyms, subject headings, and Boolean operators to refine your searches.
  4. Review and refine search results
    1. Skim through the titles and abstracts to identify relevant articles. Be prepared to adjust your search terms.
  5. Keep detailed records of the literature you find, using reference management software, like EndNote.
  6. Read the selected articles in detail, taking notes on key findings, methodologies, and how they relate to your question.
  7. Summarise relevant findings and trends from the literature.

 

 

The Library offers a wide range of support for searching the literature, from webinars and online guidance, to one-on-one research consultations and a literature search request service.

Recommended resources:

Literature Searching Guide

Library Education & Training

Request research support

A research hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about the expected outcome of your study, derived from your research question. It posits a relationship between two or more variables.

The aim of your research outlines the primary purpose or goal of the study. It provides a broad statement about what you hope to achieve.

Why is it Important to develop a hypothesis and aim?

  • Provide a clear focus for your research, guiding your methodology and data collection efforts.
  • Allows you to conduct experiments or studies that can either support or refute it, contributing to scientific knowledge.
  • They establish a framework for analysing and interpreting your data, making it easier to draw conclusions.
  • Clearly defined aims and hypotheses facilitate easy communication of your research objectives to others, especially for grants.

 How to develop a research hypothesis and aim?

  1. Identify your research question
  2. Determine the key variables involved in your study (e.g. independent, dependent, and any confounding variables)
  3. Formulate the hypothesis
    1. Make a prediction about the anticipated relationship between the variables. 
    2. Use a clear and concise format (e.g., "Increasing physical activity will reduce symptoms of depression in adolescents").
  4. Establish the aim
    1. Express the overarching goal of your research in one or two sentences.
    2. The aim should be broad enough to encompass the hypothesis but clear enough to guide your study (e.g., "This research aims to evaluate the impact of physical activity on mental health outcomes in adolescents").
  5. Ensure that both your hypothesis and aim are specific, measurable, and achievable. 

Example
If your research question is, "Does physical activity improve mental health in adolescents?"

  • Your aim may be: to explore the relationship between physical activity levels and mental health outcomes in adolescents
  • Your hypothesis may be: increased levels of physical activity are associated with a decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents.

Recommended resources:

National Institute of Health. (2022). Choosing a Research Question: Developing a Hypothesis and Objectives.

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