Application Week 3: Writing the Research Questions

Prompt:For this Application, resubmit the problem statement you created last week, and describe the specific research question(s) based on this problem. Based on your colleagues' feedback, indicate the methodology you would use to research your question(s).

Questions, Clarifications, and Comments

This week we have taken our research to the next step. Dr. Canipe expressed the importance placed on research questions. He explained that research questions help to create a solid base for the rest of one's research to be built upon (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). As I have begun refining the first draft of my research questions, I am beginning to understand the importance of creating clear, concise questions that are able to be researched. Without clarity someone looking at the questions may not know what items the researcher is comparing, the key variables that will be focused on, etc. When Sonia posed a question regarding a research question on posted on the Week 3: Discussion board, I examined the question and reworded it so that the reader new what items were being compared and contrasted. Without Sonia's feedback, who knows how long it would have taken me to realize that I had written a discombobulated research question.


When I was brainstorming and creating my research questions this week, I began to create a mind-map to try to help organize my thoughts. I know many people find mind-maps useful when organizing his/her thoughts and ideas, but because I'm a random sequential thinker rather than a linear thinker, I have never really used this type of learning tool. I have found that it has actually been beneficial in organizing my questions and ideas for this research project. The research design, methods, and types of questions help to support the triangulation design of the mixed-method study (McMillan & Schumacher,  2008).

In the spirit of my research, I decided to share my information through the use of a mind-map generated using bubbl.us.

If you would like to see this mind-map in its original format please visit: http://bubbl.us/view.php?sid=580444&pw=ya8VsE4HmEQhwMjZraWRxUUJxNlBZZw

 Reference:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program three. Research Questions [Motion picture]. Introduction to educational research. Baltimore: Author.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.