Week5b writing research questions

WEEK 5 - Writing Research Questions

Adapted from the original slides by:

Josephine Patiño - Latip

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lecture, students should be able to:1.differentiate between independent variables and dependent variables2.differentiate between descriptive RQ, comparative RQ and relationship/correlation RQ.3. demonstrate the steps in constructing the 3 types of RQ4. use the appropriate language for the 3 types of RQ5. write RQs for a descriptive quantitative paper

VARIABLES

Quantitative research questions are based on one of three basic approaches to examining the variables the researcher is interested in:

3 basic approaches

• Describing = descriptive RQ• Comparing = comparative RQ• Relating = relationship/correlation RQ

Variable 1 / Independent Variable and

Variable 2 / Dependent VariableAn independent variable is something that you control (Descriptive

research) or manipulate (experimental research) in order to observe the relationship(descriptive) or effect (experimental) it has on a dependent variable.

It may also be referred to as Variable 1 in a Quantitative Research (Creswell, 2009)

The dependent variable (sometimes called an outcome variable),

is something that you measure as it tends to demonstrate changes or differences.

It may also be referred to as Variable 2 in a Quantitative Research (Creswell, 2009)

A. Descriptive Quantitative RQ• Descriptive RQ = aims to quantify the variables in the RQ.

Thus, the answer to the RQ should be presented in numerical form.

• The RQ usually begins with:

How much….?

How often…? to quantify

What percentage…?

What proportion…?

Descriptive Quantitative RQ

Examples:

1. How many (or what proportion) of these university students are male or female? (Answer in number)

2. What is the average age of secondary school students who have a Facebook account? (Answer in number)

3. How frequently do students use Facebook each week? (Answer in number)

CAUTION:Descriptive Qualitative RQ

• Descriptive RQ = aims to describe the variables in the RQ. This kind of RQ is open-ended and are not looking for basic, simple answers (You can get various answers to the questions). Thus, they are not required in this course.

• Descriptive Qualitative RQ usually begins with:What is…?What are ….?

For Example:

You are interested in examining Facebook usage amongst students in IIUM. You should be careful when asking questions like:

1. What are the reasons they joined Facebook in the first place? (because you may get various answers like to connect with friends, to store all their photos in one place, etc.).

2. What are the factors that encourage students to join Facebook? (you will get many different factors that you will have problems to quantify)

3. What do students think about advertising in Facebook? ( there are many reasons that you may have difficulties to report)

* You may proceed if the reasons, factors and thoughts are obtained from a replicated survey (s). Otherwise, you may be facing a complex set of invalid data.

EXAMPLES…


General Purposestatement

To investigate the use of Facebook among IIUM students.

Research Question:

How often do IIUM students use Facebook each week? (‘often’ indicates that your answer is in frequency)

Variable 1/IV: IIUM students

Variable 2/DV : Weekly Facebook usage



To investigate the use of Facebook among IIUM students.

Research Question:

How frequent do male and female IIUM students upload photos and comment on other users’ photos on Facebook each week? (‘frequent’ indicates that your answer is in frequency)

Variable 1/IV: 1. Male, IIUM students2. Female, IIUM students

Variable 2/DV :

1. Weekly photo uploads on Facebook2. Weekly comments on other users’ photos on Facebook

Descriptive Quantitative RQ to replicate a study


To investigate the most favourable criterion used by IIUM students to choose a career.

Research Question:

What is the most favourable criterion used by Malaysian learners of IIUM when they apply for a job? (most favourable indicate answer may be in percentage)

Variable 1/IV: IIUM Malaysian students

Variable 2/DV : Criteria for career choice

Descriptive Quantitative RQ to replicate a study


To investigate the social network sites regularly visited by Malaysian IIUM students

Research Question:

What proportion of Malaysian female IIUM students use the top 5 social networks? (Answer in percentage)

Variable 1/IV: Female, Malaysian IIUM students

Variable 2/DV :Use of top 5 social networks (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Classmates)

B. Comparative Quantitative RQ• Comparative RQ = aims to examine the differences between two or more variables 1 (V1) and one or more variables 2 (V2)

• The RQ usually begins with:1.What is/are the difference(s) … ?2.Is there a difference between ….?

Example: The researcher is interested in examining Facebook usage amongst

students in IIUM.

Possible RQs:*1. Is there a difference in the Facebook usage patterns (V2) of male (V1) and

female students (V1)?2. What are differences in the reasons that encourage students to join

Facebook (V2) between male (V1) and female students (V2)?3. Is there a difference between the Facebook usage patterns (V2) of male

students (V1) and female students (V1)?

EXAMPLES

Examples of comparative research questions


To investigate the usage behaviour on Facebook among Malaysian IIUM students.

Research Question:

What are the differences in usage behaviour on Facebook between Malaysian male and female IIUM students?

Variable 1/IV:1. Male, Malaysian IIUM university students2. Female, Malaysian IIUM university students

Variable 2/DV:

Usage behaviour on Facebook (e.g. logins, weekly photo uploads, status changes, commenting on other users’ photos, app usage, etc.)


General Purposestatement To investigate the daily calorific intake of Malaysians.

Research Question:

What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of Malaysian men and women?

Variable 1/IV:1. Malaysian men2. Malaysian women

Variable 2/DV: Daily calorific intake



To investigate the usage behaviour on Facebook among Malaysian IIUM students.

Research Question:

Is there a difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between Malaysian male and female IIUM students?

Variable 1/IV: . Male, Malaysian IIUM students2. Female, Malaysian IIUM students

Variable 2/DV: Weekly photo uploads on Facebook



To investigate the level of acceptance towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners.

Research Question:Is there a difference in the level of acceptance towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?

Variable 1/IV: 1. Adolescents2. Pensioners

Variable 2/DV: Perceptions towards Internet banking security



To investigate the acceptance level of IIUM students towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased.

Research Question:What are the differences in the acceptance level of Science students towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?

Variable 1/IV:1. Freely distributed pirated music2. Purchased pirated music

Variable 2/DV: Attitudes towards music piracy

C. Relationship/Correlation RQ• Relationship RQ = aims to identify if there exists any

relationship/ correlation/ association between one or more independent variables and one or more dependent variables (usually only one).

• The RQ usually begins with:

1.Is there a relationship…?

2.What is the relationship…?

Relationship/ correlation RQExample:

The researcher is interested in examining Facebook usage amongst students in IIUM.

Possible RQ:

1.Is there a correlation between the major of the students (IV) and the frequency of using Facebook (DV)?

2.What is the relationship between the frequency of using Facebook (IV) and the students’ CGPA (DV)?

MORE EXAMPLES

Examples of relationship-based/ correlation research questions are:


To investigate the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students.

Research Question: Is there a correlation between study time and exam scores amongst university students?

Variable 1/IV: Study time of university students

Variable 2/DV: Exam scores



To investigate the relationship between career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions with job satisfaction of managers.

Research Question:What is the relationship between career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions with job satisfaction of managers?

Variable 1/IV:

1. Career prospects 2. Salary and benefits 3. Physical working conditions

Variable 2/DV: Job satisfaction of managers



To investigate music piracy amongst adolescents.

Research Question:What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?

Variable 1/IV: Gender of adolescents

Variable 2/DV: Attitudes towards music piracy

Let’s practise.

Steps required in structuring Descriptive Quantitative Research

Questions1. Choose your starting phrase

You can start descriptive research questions with any of the following phrases:

How many…How often…How frequently…How much…What percentage…What proportion…To what extent…What is the most/ the highest…

Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:

• How many calories do Malaysian men and women consume per day?How often do Malaysian IIUM students use Facebook each week?What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of IIUM Malaysian students?What proportion of IIUM male and female students use the top 5 social networks?

What percentage of Malaysian men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?

2. Identify and name the dependent variable

All descriptive research questions have a dependent variable.

You need to identify what this is.

However, how the dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different things.

In the following examples, the name of the dependent variable is illustrated and how it would be written out is highlighted in the blue text.

Name of the dependent variable

How the dependent variable is written out

Daily calorific intakeHow many calories do Malaysian men and women consume per day?

Daily calorific intake What percentage of Malaysian men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?

Weekly Facebook usageHow often do IIUM students use Facebook each week?

Factors influencing career choices

What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of IIUM Malaysian students?

Use of the top 5 social networks

What proportion of IIUM male and female university students use the top 5 social networks?

3. Identify the group(s) or the independent variable (s) you are interested in

All descriptive research questions have at least one group, but can have multiple groups. You need to identify this group(s).

In the examples below, we have identified the group(s) in the green text

1.How many calories do Malaysian men and women consume per day?

2. How often do IIUM students use Facebook each week?

3.What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of IIUM students?

4. What proportion of IIUM male and female students use the top 5 social networks?

5. What percentage of Malaysian men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?

4. Decide whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two

parts

Sometimes it makes more sense for the dependent variable to appear before the group(s) you are interested in, but sometimes it is the opposite way around.

The following examples illustrate this, with the group(s) in green text and the dependent variable in blue text:

Group 1st; dependent variable 2nd:How often do IIUM students use Facebook each week?

Dependent variable 1st; group 2nd:What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Malaysian IIUM students?

5. Include any words that provide greater context to your question

• Sometimes the name of the dependent variable provides all the explanation we need to know what we are trying to measure.

Take the following examples:

How many calories do Malaysian men and women consume per day?How often do IIUM students use Facebook each week?

In the first example, the dependent variable is daily calorific intake (i.e. calories consumed per day). Clearly, this descriptive research question is asking us to measure the number of calories Malaysian men and women consume per day.

In the second example, the dependent variable is Facebook usage per week.

Again, the name of this dependent variable makes it easy for us to understand that we are trying to measure the often (i.e. how frequently; e.g. 16 times per week) IIUM students use Facebook.

6. Write out the descriptive research question

Once you have these details –

(1)the starting phrase,

(2) the name of the dependent variable,

(3) the name of the group(s)/ independent variable(s) you are interested in, and

(4) any potential joining words – you can write out the descriptive research question in full. :

Steps in Writing Comparative Research Questions

Number of dependent variables

Starting phrase

Two What is the difference in…

Three or more What are the differences in

1. Decide the starting phrasesComparative research questions typically start with one of two phrases:

Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of Malaysian men and women?What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between IIUM male and female university students?

2. Identify and name the dependent and independent variables

All comparative research questions have a dependent variable and independent variable. You need to identify what they are.

However, how the dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different thing

In the examples below, we have illustrated the name of the dependent variable and highlighted how it would be written out in the blue text. The independent variable is in red.

Name of the dependent variable

How the dependent variable is written out

Daily calorific intakeWhat is the difference in the daily calorific intake of Malaysian men and women?

Perceptions towards Internet banking security

What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?

Attitudes towards music piracy

What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?

Weekly Facebook photo uploads

What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between IIUM male and female students?

Name of the independent variable

Starting phrase

Two What is the relationship between…

Three or more What are the relationships of…

Steps required to construct a Relationship/Correlation - based research

question

Is there a relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?What is the relationship between career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions and the job satisfaction of managers.

1. State the starting phrase

2. Identify and name the independent and dependent variable

• What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?

• What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?

What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers

IV

DV

3. Identify the appropriate adjoining text

Number of groups Adjoining text

One amongst…[e.g. group 1]

Two or morebetween…of…[e.g. group 1 and group 2]

What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?

What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?

What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers

4. Write out the relationship-based research question

Once you have these details

(1) the starting phrase,

(2) the name of the dependent variable,

(3) the name of the groups/ independent variables,

(4) any potential adjoining words –

you can write out the relationship-based research question

Task

• Evaluate the RQs seen in Sample 1 and 2. Discuss them with your lecturer

• With your partner, formulate the possible research questions for your own study.

You must refer to the SOtP and research purpose that you have drafted so that there is a link/flow between the SOtP, research purpose and RQs.

References:•http://dissertation.laerd.com/how-to-structure-quantitative-research-questions-p2.php•http://dissertation.laerd.com/types-of-quantitative-research-question.php#two

http://dissertation.laerd.com/how-to-structure-quantitative-research-questions-p2.php

Week5b writing research questions

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