Shaping the research question and hypothesis
This resource introduces approaches to writing the core parts of your thesis. It includes activities to help you apply tips and reflect on your own learning, and should take you 15-20 minutes to read and complete. Check out the further resources at the bottom of each section and references on the last page for more information on this topic.
The core part of your thesis starts with your research question or hypothesis and proceeds through your explanation of methods and results, or data analysis, and ends with a discussion of your findings.
The research question and hypothesis mark your own disciplinary territory and drive your research.
Whether you have both a research question and a hypothesis, and whether they are broken down into several sub-areas, will depend on your discipline and topic; but however they appear, it is important that they are clearly formulated.
Research question
A research question should:
- Focus on a clear, specific and significant problem or puzzle
- Be shaped in a way that allows it to be answered with different research results
- Be revisited frequently in the research process.
You can use the FINER criteria when developing a research question:
- Feasible – is the research practical and achievable given time and resources?
- Interesting – is the research intriguing, compelling and able to contribute to the field?
- Novel – is the research original?
- Ethical – are there any concerns about the impact of the research on participants or wider community?
- Relevant – is the research important or meaningful for those in the field?
Example research questions:
- What impact will climate change have on production systems in the Tasmanian dairy industry?
- What are the unique challenges and opportunities for higher education institutions that allow first-year undergraduate students to use Generative AI tools in written assessments?
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a well-reasoned proposition in response to a research question that you will test to confirm or disprove in your research. Not all research has a hypothesis.
A hypothesis should:
- Be in the form of a statement
- Be disprovable
- Be clear and specific in scope.
Example hypothesis:
- Undergraduate students who participate in a stress-reduction seminar will report an increase in their well-being after six weeks
This is a statement that argues for a relationship between two clear and specific variables that can be tested and thus disproven.
Types of research questions
In order to help you frame a research question, keep in mind that there are four basic types of research (adapted from Fahnestock & Secor, 2004).
Four general research types and their corresponding questions:
| Research type | Key question |
|---|---|
| Definition | What is it? |
| Origin | How did it get that way? |
| Evaluation | What does it do? What effect does it have? |
| Proposal | What should we do about it? |
Contextualise the research question or hypothesis
The research question or hypothesis is part of your thesis core as it guides your own research, but it is usually stated in a lead-in section, such as the thesis introduction.
Complete the activity below to learn how a research question or hypothesis can be contextualised.
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Note that some disciplines require hypotheses rather than research questions and vice versa. However, the question implied in this example seems to be ‘What role does fast food play in the childhood obesity problem in the province?’
Use the side menu to go the next section: Choosing and justifying your methods, where we look at ways to present your research design.