The Role of Research Questions – Purpose, Alignment, and Differences from Interview Questions

The Role of Research Questions – Purpose, Alignment, and Differences from Interview Questions

The research question is integral to research processes. It is the first step in the research process and not only forms the basis for the research but also guides it. The purpose of a research question is to postulate an idea that can be tested during the research process. In this respect, the research question will define the scope of the research and inform the collection of relevant data that will be used to draw meaningful conclusions.

While there exist some similarities between a research question and an interview question, they differ in multiple dimensions. The first difference is centered on the target. Interview questions target participants and may or may not have an academic value (Staller, 2022). Research questions, on the other hand, have significant value as findings from the questions are used to either approve or disapprove hypotheses. Research questions also differ from interview questions in the way they are framed and presented and the stage in which they appear in a research study. A research question is practical, actionable, and specific. They often appear in the preliminary stages of a research study as they define the scope (Staller, 2022). Conversely, interview questions appear later in the research study and are utilized to digest specific aspects of the research question. They are also framed with the intent to gather information rather than approve or disapprove of hypotheses.

Research questions align with the purpose statement by extrapolating aspects of the purpose statement. In this respect, each research question narrows down and focuses on one or two aspects of the purpose statement (Capili, 2020). This logical alignment allows the research to maintain specificity during the research process as the questions used address or are based on the identified problem and the purpose.

References

Capili, B. (2020). How does research start? AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 120(10), 41–44. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000718644.96765.b3

Staller, K. M. (2022). Confusing questions in qualitative inquiry: Research, interview, and analysis. Qualitative Social Work, 21(2), 227–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250221080533

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The Role of Research Questions – Purpose, Alignment, and Differences from Interview Questions

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