Finding the right research question is the first step to successful publication
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The most important steps when writing an academic paper are:
1. Choose a topic that will advanceknowledge.
2. Add another building block to the study of science and humanity.
As a corollary, it’s quite unlikely that a journal editor will accept a paper that does not have a good research question.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
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• A clearly defined research question increasesthe chances of publication because it gives the researchers greater clarity on developing thestudy protocol, designing the study, and analyzing the data.1,2
• A well-defined research question also makes a good initial impression on journal editors andpeer reviewers.
• In contrast, a poorly formulated research question can seriously harm your chances of publication, among other adverse effects, because it can easily lead to the perception that the research wasn’t well thought out.3
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
WOW!
4
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
• Although a single paper can address more than one research question, it is good practice to focus on one primary research question.3
So what makes a good research question? • While the answer may vary for different
types of papers and across disciplines, there are a few overall criteria that you should keep in mind whether you are writing about Shakespeare, stem cells, or steel processing.
?
What makesa good research
question?
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Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
First and foremost, any research question should pass the “so what?” test4:
So what?
• The findings that result from pursuing this question must be important, interesting, and meaningful.
• Once you have determined the possible outcomes of your research, always ask yourself
Important
Inte
rest
ing
Meaningful So what?
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Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
For example, the research question “Are good surgeons likely to have long fingers?” is highly unlikely to yield any meaningful knowledge.
On the other hand, a targeted question like “Do dexterity tests predict surgical performance among residents?” could help medical training professionals improve training programs in surgical techniques.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
• The lack of originality in findings or “novelty” is one of the most common reasons for rejection by journals. Editors of scientific journals stress on novelty and “unobviousness” ; the research question should not already have an obvious or undisputed answer.
2 + 2 = [OBVIOUS]
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
UnobviousnessAs some journals reject up to 90% of the papers submitted for publication,it is important to ensure that your paper stands out and provides value in one of these ways:
Provides findings that contradict the literature or critically reviews and analyzes the literature
Contributes new information that has real-
world application or leads to further lines of
researchCorroborates existing
information and extends their generalizability or
applicability
1
2
3
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Replication is acceptable…sometimes
Not all papers convey absolutely unknown information.
For instance, it may be interesting to know whether other researchers’ observations can be replicated (especially if the observations were controversial or weak but significant), whether the findings in one population also apply to others,or to clarify known relationships by using new methodologies. A study that validates others’ findings while doing away with their limitations can also be very useful.7
If your findings are likely to fulfill the above three requirements, you’ve probably got a worthwhile research question.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Tips for finding and formulating good research questionsField experience
Clinical or field experience as well as your own research interests is obviously important in identifying potential lines of research. However, a thorough review of the existing literature is always critical to make sure your question hasn’t become irrelevant.
In addition, keep abreast of current developments in the field to avoid doing the very same thing someone else has done (with the enormous amount of scientific output being produced nowadays, this is not an unlikely scenario).
EXPERIENCE
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Tips for finding and formulating good research questionsLiterature searchYou can also find new research questions from the literature. For instance, the Discussion section of many papers often mentions unresolved questions and additional experiments or studies that can be performed. In particular, if the conclusions or generalizability of another study has attracted a lot of controversy, you could attempt to replicate the study in order to validate its results.4 In sum, a good research question can arise when you identify gaps and weaknesses in the existing literature.
LITERATURE SECTION
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Tips for finding and formulating good research questionsAttending conferencesThere are a number of other ways of finding a good research question. Attending conferences is one of them. Recent advances in a particular field may be presented at academic conferences or just be known to active researchers in a particular field long before they are published.7
Thus, participating in such conferences and networking with experts in the field can be a valuable aid in your own research. Invitations for research proposals by funding bodies can also give you specific research ideas that are likely to be approved for funding.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Tips for finding and formulating good research questionsResearch question frameworks• Specific frameworks have been developed to help
researchers formulate research questions step by step and factor by factor. Examples of such frameworks are PICOT, PESICO, and FINER.3,8 Using these templates can give researchers, especially novice researchers, a structured method for brainstorming and finalizing their research questions.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Population
Intervention
Control
Outcome
Time Frame
Person/problem
Environments
Stakeholders
Intervention
Comparison
Outcomes
Feasible
Interesting
Novel
Ethical
Relevant
Setting
Population
Intervention
Comparison
Evaluation
PICOT PESICO FINER SPICE
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Using PICOT to build the research question
Source: Thabane et al. (2009)3
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Using PESICO to build the research question Person/Problem
(P)
Environment(E)
Stakeholders (S)
Intervention (I)
Comparison(C)
Outcomes(O)
in a 10-year old child with developmental disabilities and little or no functional speech but good fine-motor skills
who is currently attending a self-contained classroom and part time included in regular class activities
whose interdisciplinary support team has determined to target manual signing as an appropriate mode of communication
what strategy is most effective or efficient for introducing manual signs
as compared to other strategies
in terms of expressive signing, and/or expressive natural speech, and/or receptive speech?
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Source: Schlosser, Koul, & Costello (2007)8
Finally, a novice researcher can greatly benefit from having a good mentor. A senior colleague who not only has more research experience but also has work published in peer-reviewed journals can provide very valuable advice. Another excellent guide would be a statistician who can guide you in choosing the right sample size, units of analysis, and determinants of statistical significance.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
Conclusion
To conclude, the research question is the most crucial element of any academic paper and the first and most important stage in the publication process. A paper with results that are unoriginal, predictable, or trivial is less likely to be published. Further, it may be of no use to rewrite or change the presentation of your paper if your study has “used the wrong model or study design, collected data in a manner that would not allow a meaningful examination of the hypothesis, or made too few measurements to permit confident conclusions to be drawn.” Spending time to develop a well-formulated research question will help you avoid these problems.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
REFERENCES:1. Sackett DL & Wennberg JE (1997). Choosing the best research design for each question. BMJ,
315: 1636. [Publisher]2. Stone P (2002). Deciding upon and refining a research question. Palliative Medicine, 16: 265–7.3. Thabane L, Thomas T, Ye C, Paul J (2009). Posing the research question: Not so simple. Canadian
Journal of Anaesthesia, 56(1): 71-9. doi: 10.1007/s12630-008-9007-4.4. Kwiatkowski T & Silverman R (1998).
Research fundamentals: II. Choosing and defining a research question. Academic Emergency Medicine,5(11): 1114-7.
5. Ali J (2010). Manuscript rejection: causes and remedies. Journal of Young Pharmacists, 2(1): 3-6. doi: 10.4103/0975-1483.62205.
6. Cook C, Brismée J-M, Courtney C, Hancock M, May S (2009). Publishing a scientific manuscript on manual therapy. The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 17(3): 141-
7. Cummings SR, Browner WS, & Hulley SB (2006). Conceiving the research question. Designing Clinical Research, Third Edition, pp. 17-23. Wolters Kluwer Health: Philadelphia.
8. Schlosser RW, Koul R, Costello J (2007). Asking well-built questions for evidence-based practice in augmentative and alternative communication. Journal of Communication Disorders, 40(3): 225-38. doi: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2006.06.008.
9. Pierson DJ (2004). The top 10 reasons why manuscripts are not accepted for publication. Respiratory Care, 49(10), 1246-52.
Finding the right research question is thefirst step to successful publication
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