Research Question Formulation

This module develops the postgraduate skill of turning a vague curiosity into a disciplined research question. Students learn to apply FINER and PICO heuristics, narrow a topic until it is feasible, and distinguish descriptive, correlational and causal framings. They leave able to defend a question's novelty, relevance and feasibility to a supervisor or examiner.

Learning Outcomes

Apply the FINER criteria (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant) to candidate questions.

Decompose a broad topic into a hierarchy from theme to answerable research question.

Translate a clinical or applied question into PICO components.

Differentiate descriptive, comparative, correlational and causal research questions.

Distinguish a research question from a hypothesis and from an aim.

Audit a question for feasibility given time, data access and ethics constraints.

Identify genuine research gaps rather than citation gaps or unread work.

Revise a draft question across at least two iterations in response to feedback.

Topics Covered

The FINER criteria for research questions

PICO and PICOS for applied and clinical questions

Topic funnel: theme to question to sub-questions

Descriptive, comparative, correlational and causal questions

Research question versus hypothesis versus aim

Null and alternative hypotheses in testable questions

Identifying research gaps versus citation gaps

Feasibility: time, access, data and ethics

Scope: too broad, too narrow, and 'just right'

Operationalising abstract concepts into measurable constructs

Qualitative versus quantitative question framings

Mixed-methods questions and their structure

Avoiding leading, double-barrelled and value-laden questions

The role of theory in generating questions

Iterative refinement with supervisor feedback

Skills Developed

Topic narrowing FINER appraisal PICO translation Question-hypothesis distinction Feasibility auditing Gap-spotting Operationalisation Iterative revision

Suggested Resources

{'title': 'Designing Clinical Research', 'author': 'Hulley, Cummings, Browner et al.', 'source': 'Wolters Kluwer, 2013, 4th edition'}

{'title': 'The Craft of Research', 'author': 'Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams', 'source': 'University of Chicago Press, 2016, 4th edition'}

{'title': 'How to Write a Better Thesis', 'author': 'David Evans, Paul Gruba, Justin Zobel', 'source': 'Melbourne University Press, 2014'}

{'title': 'Research Design', 'author': 'John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell', 'source': 'Sage, 2018, 5th edition'}

{'title': 'Doing Your Research Project', 'author': 'Judith Bell and Stephen Waters', 'source': 'Open University Press, 2018, 7th edition'}

{'title': 'The PICO framework', 'author': 'Richardson, Wilson, Nishikawa, Hayward', 'source': 'ACP Journal Club, 1995, 123(3)'}

{'title': 'The Elements of Research Questions', 'author': 'Alvesson and Sandberg', 'source': 'Journal of Management Studies, 2011, 48(2)'}

Assessment

A staged portfolio in which the learner evolves a vague topic into a defended research question with FINER appraisal and feasibility note.

Component20%

Component25%

Component30%

Practice bank: 200 MCQs · Timed mock & self-paced modes

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