How to choose a promising research question?
Selecting a promising research question involves identifying inquiries that are significant, original, feasible, and have the potential to yield impactful results. A strong question effectively addresses a genuine knowledge gap within a specific field.
Crucial principles include assessing the question's novelty and contribution to existing scholarship, ensuring its scope is sufficiently focused to manage within constraints, and verifying its theoretical and practical significance. Viability depends critically on the researcher's capabilities and access to necessary resources, methodologies, data, and time. Furthermore, the question must align with ethical standards and be answerable through rigorous empirical investigation or theoretical analysis.
Begin by conducting a comprehensive literature review to pinpoint unresolved issues and current debates. Clearly define the problem, then assess the question's feasibility regarding methods, data availability, resources, and timeframe. Consult with peers, mentors, or subject experts for feedback on its originality and importance. Finally, refine the question iteratively to ensure precision, relevance, and clarity regarding the intended research approach and expected contribution.
