Hatch, J. A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in education settings. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Vogt, W. P. (2007). Quantitative research methods for professionals in education and other fields. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon
Dewey Library: HA 29 V58 2007

[Abstract]The reflective and interrogative processes required for developing effective qualitative research questions can give shape and direction to a study in ways that are often underestimated. Good research questions do not necessarily produce good research, but poorly conceived or constructed questions will likely create problems that affect all subsequent stages of a study. In qualitative studies, the ongoing process of questioning is an integral part of understanding the unfolding lives and perspectives of others. This article addresses both the development of initial research questions and how the processes of generating and refining questions are critical to the shaping of a qualitative study.

[Notes]

• Qualitative inquiries involve asking the kinds of questions that focus on the why and how of human interactions. Qualitative research questions, then need to articulate what a researcher wants to know about the intentions and perspectives of those involved in social interactions.  "grasping the actors' viewpoints for understanding interaction, process, and social change". (p. 432)
  
• "Our questions change during the process of research to reflect an increased understanding of the problem." (Creswell, 2007, 43)
  
• Changes in questions should also emerge from researchers' capacities to examine their own roles and perspectives in the inquiry process, especially how they are positioned in relation to participants. (p. 432)
  
• Given these developments in qualitative research, I focus on the development of questions as part of  a larger interactive process wherein the primary premises of qualitative inquiry are more fully realized. Below I address ways of conceptualizing, developing, and writing research questions for a qualitative study: begin with the conceptualization of qualitative questions and how they evolve during different stages of a study; then describe some of the characteristics of good questions; end with suggestions for writing effective questions and situating them in a paper or a dissertation.
  
• A qualitative study does not begin with a hypothesis or a presumed outcome as is the case in a quantitative study. (p. 433) A qualitative study cannot begin without a plan. Most researchers do need at least some initial questions for dissertations and funded project proposals, I address those who need to develop questions early on as part of designing a qualitative study. However, I want to emphasize that these initial questions are only a beginning point in the inquiry process.
• Creating one or two broad questions can be a fertile starting point for thinking through the specifics of what the study is about the what the data will need to be collected. 
• The phrasing of this question is problematic as it could be answered with a yes or no and does not suggest a qualitative approach. Good qualitative research questions should invite a process of exploration and discovery, as Creswell (2007) suggests. Maxwell (2005, 67) also cautioned that starting with questions that are too focused can lead to "tunnel vision" and can inhibit a researcher's understanding and analysis. Creating discovery-oriented questions can help a researcher use the process of developing and refining questions as a basis for a more rigorous and reflexive inquiry. (p. 434)
  
• A question needs o move the researcher toward discovering what is happening in a particular situation with a particular person or group. (p. 434)
• A broadly framed question can serve as a basis for initial and emerging sub-questions. A single overarching question allows a research to capture the basic goals of the study in one major question.  A clearly stated overarching question can give direction for the study design and collection of data and offer potential for developing new, more specific questions during data collection and analysis. (pp. 434-435)
• Sometimes these broader research questions  are not stated as questions but rather as goals for the study. The statement identified her overarching focus of inquiry and could be converted to a question format. (p. 435)
• An initial generative questions can set the stage for developing related sub-questions. These sub-questions narrow the broader focus of the overarching question. The development of new questions, especially sub-questions, often occurs during the inquiry process, sometimes during data collection and analysis. Sometimes researchers construct a series of questions that flow from one another, with the possibility that additional questions may be added as data is collected. (p. 436)
• Theory is inextricably linked to research questions, whether the theory is shaping them initially or suggesting new questions as the study unfolds. An overarching question for many qualitative studies will point toward one or more of the theoretical constructs  that frame the study. (p.437)
• As Maxwell (2005, 68) explained, research questions need to account for one's 'tentative theories about...phenomena'. Those tentative theories and the questions that result from them may very well change to accommodate data collection or preliminary findings. When doctoral students write a proposal, they are drawn to grand theories as a beginning point. Theoretical framing evolves and changes during most studies and may also inspire additional questions as a research collect data. (p. 437)
• Some researchers propose that a theoretical framework should inform the research questions for case study research as the theory will help to define the selection and parameters of cases. For many researchers, selecting a theoretical framework not only shapes the questions but also connects the research to a particular field. (p.437)
• Questions can point to theory explicitly or implicitly. (p.438)
• The process of qualitative inquiry should invite the possibility for questioning personal theories and for expanding or modifying the original conceptual framework and research questions. (p. 439)
• Part of the process of developing questions in qualitative research is being reflective about how the questions will affect participants' lives and how the questions will position the researcher in relation to participants. This ethical aspect of question development is often ignored, but a central  issue when a researcher proposes  to study the lives of others, especially marginalized populations. (p. 439)
• Qualitative questions usually inform the direction of the study in both theoretical and methodological terms. One important characteristic in writing initial questions is focus. (p. 441)
• The process of focusing questions is an iterative, reflective process that leads, not just to data, but to specific data that can add knowledge to a larger field of study.  Qualitative questions should reflect the particularities of one's study. Maxwell (2005, 67) phrased it bluntly: The function of your research questions is to explain specifically what your study is about. If a researcher is going to study a group of students in an urban high school in the mid-west, the question should specify the participants as situated in the rich contexts in which they are living their lives. (p. 442)
• When writing questions, it is important to frame the words so that the phrasing implicitly or explicitly makes a link with the theory. Another important issue when writing questions is to be sure that they are answerable. If a question is focused and clearly establishes what data is needed to answer the question, the research process will likely be smooth and achieveabl

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