How to Arrive at a Good Research Question
Here are some ideas, approaches and frameworks on how to develop a research question effectively
Funneling Approach
Identify broad areas of interest and generate initial research ideas. This involves exploring the scope of the field, identifying knowledge gaps, and understanding the landscape of the topic.
Steps:
Conduct a general exploration of topics to identify relevant areas of interest.
Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate a variety of ideas or questions that may be worth investigating.
Review existing literature or case studies to gain insights and spot gaps in knowledge.
Narrow down the broad ideas into more focused research questions or themes that are worth further refinement.
Example
Sample process description:
1. The student began with a general interest in encryption and security, inspired by their computer science class discussions about secure communication protocols. They explored topics such as public-key cryptography, hashing algorithms, and secure key exchanges. They read introductory materials about the importance of secure key exchange mechanisms in modern networking and how they underpin protocols like HTTPS. |
2. During brainstorming, the student noted potential questions such as:
They recognized that key exchange protocols are foundational and merit further exploration. |
3. The student reviewed existing papers and case studies related to Diffie-Hellman (DH) and Elliptic-Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH). They noted that while both protocols are widely used, ECDH is often mentioned as being more efficient for certain scenarios. However, they found limited direct comparisons of time complexity in the specific steps of key generation and shared secret derivation. |
4. They noted and reflected on the gap in the literature regarding a systematic comparison of the time complexity of DH and ECDH in specific steps. |
Research question: To what extent does Elliptic-Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) outperform traditional Diffie-Hellman (DH) in terms of time complexity, computational efficiency, and key size for equivalent security levels?
Iterative Questioning Method
Use iterative questioning to drill down into the topic and identify a research focus.
Steps:
Start with a broad topic and ask "Why?" or "How?" repeatedly.
Stop when you arrive at a specific, researchable issue.
Example
Broad concept: How fast are the contents of webpages loaded?
Why are web pages loading at different speeds? | Webpages load at different speeds due to various factors, such as internet speed, server response time, and the complexity of the webpage. |
How do these factors affect webpage load times? | Factors like the size of the webpage, the number of scripts and media elements, and the server’s capacity impact load times. |
Why does the size of a webpage impact load times? | Larger files (images, scripts, etc.) require more time to download, especially on slower networks or less powerful devices. |
How can webpage load times be optimized? | Compressing images, using content delivery networks, and minimizing the number of server requests can optimize load times. Text-based compression methods focus on reducing the size of the textual content (like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) sent from the server to the browser, which in turn can improve load speeds. |
Why do different compression methods have varying effects on load times? | Some compression algorithms reduce file size more effectively than others without sacrificing quality, directly affecting load time. |
We arrive at a specific, researchable issue and phrasing the RQ becomes possible at this point.
Research question: To what extent do text-based compression methods, Gzip, Snappy or Brotli, improve webpage load speeds, and which method proves to be the most effective in real-world applications?
Comparative Method
Build a research question by comparing two or more variables, techniques, or methods.
Steps:
Identify two entities you want to compare (e.g., algorithms, datasets, or approaches).
Narrow down to specific aspects of comparison (e.g., accuracy, efficiency, scalability).
Frame the question to explore similarities, differences, or trade-offs.
Example
Research question: To what extent does ARIMA or LSTM demonstrate superior accuracy in predicting air quality trends based on empirical evidence?
Problem-Solution Approach
Frame the research question around a specific problem and explore potential solutions.
Steps:
Identify a real-world problem in your area of interest.
Consider how your research could contribute to solving or understanding the issue.
Refine the problem into a question that invites analysis or evaluation.
Example
Problem: Slow page load times due to unoptimized image content on websites.
Research question: What image compression techniques offer the best balance between quality and speed for web content delivery?
Outcome-First Approach
Start with the outcome you want to achieve and work backwards to frame your question.
Steps:
Envision the ideal conclusion or findings you want to present in your essay.
Identify the knowledge, experiments, or data needed to support that conclusion.
Frame a research question that leads naturally to that outcome.
Example
Desired outcome: Prove the extent of the superiority of a liquid cooling system over a stock cooling system. Upgrade a PC cooling system from an air cooling system to a liquid cooling system and examine the PC’s cooling performance, noise, and cost change.
Research question: How do a stock air cooling system and a modern liquid cooling solution compare in terms of thermal performance, noise levels, and cost-effectiveness in a gaming PC?
Hypothesis-Driven Approach
Begin with a hypothesis you want to test, then craft a question to evaluate it.
Steps:
Formulate a testable hypothesis based on prior research or intuition.
Frame the hypothesis as a question that guides your investigation.
Ensure the question allows for analysis and validation of the hypothesis.
Example
Hypothesis: ARIMA will have superior accuracy in predicting air quality trends compared to LSTM.
Research question: To what extent does ARIMA demonstrate superior accuracy in predicting air quality trends over LSTM based on empirical evidence?
Technology-Driven Approach
Let a specific technology or innovation guide your question.
Steps:
Choose a technology, cutting-edge tool, technique, or algorithm.
Frame a question that evaluates its capabilities, limitations, or impact.
Example
Technology: Desktop and mobile graphics cards
Research question: To what extent do the performance, power consumption, and thermal management capabilities of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (desktop) and RTX 3080 Laptop differ in real-world applications?