Can You Have More Than One Research Question?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can you have more than one research question? Depending on the scope of your research,

you may identify just one question or several

. You may also have one primary research question and several secondary questions or sub-questions that relate to the same problem.

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How many research questions should you have?

A typical study may be expected to have

between 1 and 6

research questions. Once the writer has determined the type of study to be used and the specific objectives the paper will address, the writer must also consider whether the research question passes the “so what” test.

How many research questions can you have?

The Research question is the Primary organizing principle guiding you to analyze further. A study should have

a minimum of 3 questions and a maximum of 6 queries

. Once the research question is determined, the researcher should plan what the method suitable is.

How many research questions is too many?

Generally speaking, the total number of research questions

should not exceed about four or five

; if there are more, sufficient analysis may not be done on each within the space constraints of a thesis (see: Perry, 1998, p. 76).

How many sub research questions should you have?

Writing it as a sub-questions insures that you will write your synthesized answer as your paper’s conclusion. You need

at least two sub-questions, three is better, you can even create more

. You can use topic keywords or alternate keywords to craft your sub-questions. Time to challenge yourself with examples !

Can I have only one research question?

Depending on the scope of your research,

you may identify just one question or several

. You may also have one primary research question and several secondary questions or sub-questions that relate to the same problem.

How many research questions should you have in qualitative research?

Here are a few tips to consider along the way. Start with

2 or 3 questions

. If too many questions are posed, a study may be simply too large to manage. That is why I generally suggest starting with 2-3 research questions; although some studies may have more.

Can a research study have more than one hypothesis?

There is no formal hypothesis, and perhaps the purpose of the study is to explore some area more thoroughly in order to develop some specific hypothesis or prediction that can be tested in future research.

A single study may have one or many hypotheses

.

What are the 3 types of research questions?

  • Descriptive. When a study is designed primarily to describe what is going on or what exists. …
  • Relational. …
  • Causal.

Are research questions the same as hypothesis?

Both are aspects of the Scientific Method, but

they are not identical

. A research question is typically a concise, focused and debatable question that will provide a clear path for research. A hypothesis is a formal statement designed to predict the relationship between two or more variables.

What makes a good research question?

A research question guides and centers your research.

It should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument

. Even if your instructor has given you a specific assignment, the research question should ideally be something that you are interested in or care about.

Why do you usually need more than one hypothesis for a question?

Why do you usually need more than one hypothesis for a question?

Observations trick you into trying only one hypothesis

. Hypotheses always come in pairs. A prediction always needs more than a single hypothesis.

How many research objectives should you have?

Normally

at least two or three

research objectives will be stated. It is good practice to put these in a numbered list so they can be clearly identified later in a proposal or report.

How many research questions should a PhD have?

Generally speaking, the total number of research questions and/or hypotheses should

not exceed about four or five

; if there are more, sufficient analysis may not be done on each within the space constraints of a PhD thesis.

What are examples of research questions?

  • What effect does social media have on people’s minds?
  • What effect does daily use of Twitter have on the attention span of under-16s?

How many research objectives can be there?

There are

two types of research objectives

; primary and secondary objectives. Research objectives describe what the researcher wants to achieve from the research/study. They are formulated after the research problem is finalized.

Is 10 participants enough for qualitative research?

While some experts in qualitative research avoid the topic of “how many” interviews “are enough,” there is indeed variability in what is suggested as a minimum.

An extremely large number of articles, book chapters, and books recommend guidance and suggest anywhere from 5 to 50 participants as adequate

.

Is 15 participants enough for qualitative research?

Mason’s (2010) analysis of 560 PhD studies that adopted a qualitative interview as their main method revealed that

the most common sample size in qualitative research is between 15 and 50 participants

, with 20 being the average sample size in grounded theory studies (which was also the type of study I was undertaking).

How many questions should a quantitative survey have?

A good questionnaire can be of

25 to 30 questions

and should be able to be administered within 30 min to keep the interest and attention of the participants intact.

Can I have 4 hypothesis?


Yes it’s acceptable to have more than one hypothesis for a study

. In fact, in many cases, it’s a good idea. Most grants and clinical trials will propose 3 or more hypotheses.

How many hypotheses can a research have?


There are no imposed limits to the number of hypotheses, unless restricted by the university or institution

. However, there are a couple guidelines to consider when developing hypotheses, as follows: One hypothesis is required for each condition tested.

Can there be more than two hypothesis?


There is always a minimum of two different hypotheses

; Null Hypothesis and Alternative Hypothesis. The hypothesis could be anything, but the most common one is the one I presented below. In the hypothesis testing, we test the hypothesis against our chosen level or p-value (often, it is 0.05).

What are the two types of research question?

Types of Research Questions. Research questions are broadly categorized into 2; that is,

qualitative research questions and quantitative research questions

. Qualitative and quantitative research questions can be used independently and co-dependently in line with the overall focus and objectives of your research.

What are 5 good research questions?

  • What is the problem to be solved? Every good research project solves some particular problem. …
  • Who cares about this problem and why? …
  • What have others done? …
  • What is your solution to the problem? …
  • How can you demonstrate that your solution is a good one?

What are the 5 types of research question?

  • Exploratory Questions. Questions that are designed to understand more about a topic are exploratory questions. …
  • Predictive Questions. …
  • Interpretive Questions. …
  • Descriptive Questions. …
  • Comparative Questions. …
  • Relationship-Based Questions.

How do you write a research question example?

  • Select a general topic. The first step to writing a research question is to choose a broad topic for your question. …
  • Conduct preliminary research. …
  • Consider your audience. …
  • Generate potential questions. …
  • Review your brainstormed questions. …
  • Construct your research question.

What is difference between research problem and research question?

The key difference between research problem and research question is that

a research problem refers to an issue, difficulty, or gap in knowledge that is being addressed in research, whereas a research question refers to a statement that is in the form of a question

.

How do you develop a research question?

  1. Clear and focused. In other words, the question should clearly state what the writer needs to do.
  2. Not too broad and not too narrow. The question should have an appropriate scope. …
  3. Not too easy to answer. …
  4. Not too difficult to answer. …
  5. Researchable. …
  6. Analytical rather than descriptive.

What makes a research question bad?

How do you state a research question in a paper?

How to State the Research Question in a Paper. Good writing begins with

clearly stating your research question (or hypothesis) in the Introduction section

—the focal point on which your entire paper builds and unfolds in the subsequent Methods, Results, and Discussion sections.

Which should you not do when writing a research question?

  1. The research question is too vague, too broad or not specified. …
  2. The structure of the paper is chaotic. …
  3. Limitations of the study are not acknowledged. …
  4. The research question is not answered. …
  5. Grammar and use of language are poor.

How many hypothesis should a research proposal have?

Why is there no hypothesis in qualitative research?

No – there can never be a null hypothesis in qualitative research.

They are purely the domain of certain approaches in quantitative research

. Qualitative research uses ‘questions’ instead. You cannot statistically test the narrative data that emerges from qualitative data collection.

When would using a hypothesis be acceptable instead of a research question?

Hypothesis can be used

if there is significant knowledge or previous research on this subject

. Research Question can be used if there is little previous research on the subject.

What is the difference between research questions and research objectives?

Research objectives are clear statements of what you aim to achieve through your research. They are specific actions that you will take and act as milestones that will help you complete your research. A research question is the specific concern that you will answer through your research.

What kind of questions should qualitative research start with?

  • Begin with words such as “how” or “what”
  • Tell the reader what you are attempting to “discover,” “generate,” “explore,” “identify,” or “describe”
  • Ask “what happened?” …
  • Ask “what was the meaning to people of what happened?” …
  • Ask “what happened over time?”
Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.