Frame a research question + methods
Turn a broad interest into one specific, measurable, testable question and a method that can actually answer it.
- Identifying what you change vs. what you measure: A testable question names a variable you change and a variable you measure; you must be able to tell them apart first.
- Narrowing a broad topic to one idea: A specific question comes from cutting a wide interest down to a single, focused claim you can actually check.
Prerequisites are inferred: pending teacher review.
Re-learn the skill with worked practice and clear examples.
A good research question is specific (one clear focus), measurable (the answer can be counted or scored), and testable (a study could actually answer it). The method is then chosen to fit the question.
Which is the strongest research question: specific, measurable, and testable?
Reviewed- A.Is exercise good for people?
- B.How does 20 minutes of daily walking affect resting heart rate over four weeks?
- C.Why is health important?
- D.Does everyone like to exercise?
Show the worked solution ▾
Answer: B. How does 20 minutes of daily walking affect resting heart rate over four weeks?
- Step 1: Check each one: Run all three tests: specific focus, measurable answer, and possible to study.
- Step 2: Find the one that passes all three: The walking question names one specific activity, a measurable outcome (resting heart rate), and a setup you could actually run.
Why it's right: It focuses on one specific activity, has a measurable outcome (resting heart rate over four weeks), and could be tested with a real study.
- A: 'Is exercise good?' is a broad opinion question with no measurable outcome.
- C: 'Why is health important?' is too broad and cannot be measured.
- D: Asking if everyone 'likes' exercise is an opinion, not a measurable test.
Aligned to BI research: question quality · reading level ~grade 9
- A science-fair mentor sends a student back to rewrite 'Is pollution bad?' until it names a measurable pollutant and effect.
Fill these in as you work through the lesson.
- Research question (the one thing the study is trying to answer):
- Methodology (the plan for how you will answer it):
- Variable (something that can change or be measured):
- Measurable (can be turned into a number or clear category):
A strong research question is (about one clear thing), (its answer can be counted or scored), and (you could actually run a study to check it).
- What changes when you turn 'Is exercise good?' into a measurable question?
- Why does naming the variable you measure make a question testable?
- How should the method match the question instead of being chosen first?
Rewrite the broad topic 'sleep and grades' into one research question that is specific, measurable, and testable, then name the one method you would use to answer it.