Research questions

Top tips

The following are some top tips to help you develop your research question, aims and objectives:

1. Look at examples of how research questions are articulated in Curtin published theses. You’ll find them in CURATE, Curtin’s research repository. As you read, notice:

   • Where the RQ appears - usually stated explicitly in the abstract, and again (often word-for-word) in the introduction chapter
   • How the surrounding literature review builds a case for why that particular question is worth asking
   • How specific and bounded the wording is, compared to the broader topic area the thesis sits within
2. Say your draft research question aloud to a peer or supervisor who isn’t familiar with your topic. If they can’t tell you what you’re investigating and why it matters after hearing it once, it likely needs to be clearer or more focused.
3. Watch some HDR support videos on how to write a research question such as:
   • Dr Tara Brabazon - Vlog 264: How to write a research question
   • Dr Elizabeth Yardley - PhD Aims and Objectives, how to write them
   • Dr Elizabeth Yardley - How to write Research Questions
   • Dr Saeed Shariff - How to Write Research Objectives and Research Questions Like a Pro: A Step-by-Step Guide