ELECTIVE STUDY

RESEARCH QUESTION,
OBJECTIVE AND
HYPOTHESES

I Putu Gede ADIATMIKA

RESEARCH QUESTION

Overview

What is a research question?

How does one develop one?
How does one evaluate one?

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

RESEARCH QUESTION

The research question is the starting point of the

study. Everything flows from the research
question. It will determine the population to be
studied, the setting for the study, the data to be
collected, and the time period for the study.

A clear and concisely stated research question

is the most important requirement for a
successful study.

Origins of a Research Question

Careful Observation of People

Application of New Technology
The Annoyance Principle
Build on Experience
Scientific Communications
Skeptical Attitude (questioning peers and status quo)

Characteristics of a good research

question

FINER
Feasible
Adequate numbers of subjects?
Adequate technical expertise?
Affordable in time and money?
Is it possible to measure or manipulate the

variables?
Interesting
To the investigator?
Novel
To the field?

Characteristics of a good research

question

FINER
Ethical
Potential harm to subjects?
Potential breech of subject confidentiality?

Relevant
To scientific knowledge/theory?
To organizational, health or social management

and policy?
To individual welfare?

Developing Your
Research Question

I know what general area, but

Im not sure of my research question?
O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research. London: Sage.

Chapter Three

The Importance of Good

Questions
A good research question:
Defines the investigation
Sets boundaries
Provides direction

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

From Interesting Topics to

Researchable Questions
An angle for your research can come
from insights stemming from:

personal experience
theory
observations
contemporary issues
engagement with the literature

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

10

Narrowing and Clarifying

Narrowing, clarifying, and even

redefining your questions is essential to
the research process.
Forming the right questions should be
seen as an iterative process that is
informed by reading and doing at all
stages.

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

11

Cycles of Research
Question Development

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

12

Good Question Checklist

Is the question right for me?
Will the question hold my interest?
Can I manage any potential
biases/subjectivities I may have?

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

13

Good Question Checklist

Is the question right for the field?

Will the findings be considered

significant?
Will it make a contribution?

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

14

Good Question Checklist

Is the question well articulated?
Are the terms well-defined?
Are there any unchecked assumptions?

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

15

Good Question Checklist

Is the question doable?
Can information be collected in an attempt to answer
the question?
Do I have the skills and expertise necessary to access
this information? If not, can the skills be developed?
Will I be able to get it all done within my time
constraints?
Are costs likely to exceed my budget?
Are there any potential ethics problems?
O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential
Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

16

Good Question Checklist

Does the question get the tick of
approval from those in the know?
Does my supervisor think I am on the
right track?
Do experts in the field think my
question is relevant/ important/ doable?
O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential
Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

17

OBJECTIVE

General objective

To show a general objective of your

research
Adapted from research question
Formulated into positive statement
Can be broke down into specific
objective

Specific objective

Dibangun dari research question

Dibuat dalam kalimat pernyataan

HINT :

Copied from research question

Change into positive statement

HYPOTHESES

RQ and Hypotheses

Examples
RQ: Is a happy worker a productive worker?
H1: Happier workers are more productive than

unhappy workers.

RQ: Does increasing the happiness of workers

make them more productive?

H1: Increasing the happiness of workers does not
increase productivity.

Hypotheses should be
developed before data are
collected.

The Hypothesis Dilemma

Hypotheses are designed to express

relationships between variables. If this is
the nature of your question, a
hypothesis can add to your research
If your question is more descriptive or
explorative, generating a hypothesis
may not be appropriate

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential

Guide to Doing Research. London:
Sage.
Chapter
Three

24

Good hypotheses
Constructs are clear
Relationship (sign, direction if experimental, type
of moderation) is clear
Population often included
Design/statistical method often clear

Mean differences
Compared to who? (cant have a more without a

than
Related (correlation)

The word significant is unnecessary

Good hypotheses construction

Statistical test is clear (usually one per

hypothesis)
With mediator hypothesis may be
X will positively relate to Y
M will positively relate to Y
X will positively relate to M
X will not relate to Y when controlling for M
OR
M will mediate the positive relationship
between X and Y

Questions

Is hypotheses needed?

Answer
Yes
No

Hypotheses must be tested ?

Hypotheses Yes

Related to verification among :

Problem
Hypotheses
Data
Analysis
Conclusion

Formulated into a theory framework

Hypotheses No

The study is explorative and descriptive

Commonly as a preliminary study

Definition

A temporary answer to research

question that must be investigated for
the truth
State the relationship of what we should
study
As a base of verification

The benefit of hypotheses

Limitation and specific coverage for the

researcher
To aware the researcher to the fact
founded and relationship between fact
As a tool to focus the facts
As a guide in hypotheses testing and
meet the fact and among the facts

Good hypotheses
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

State the relationship

According to the facts
Related to the knowledge
Can be tested
Simple
Can explain the facts

Contoh hipotesis

Tingkat pendidikan ibu berperan dalam

tumbuh kembang anak
Tingkat pendidikan ibu berhubungan

dengan pertumbuhan anak

Tingkat pendidikan ibu berhubungan
dengan perkembangan anak

Contoh hipotesis

Perbaikan sikap kerja duduk

menurunkan keluhan muskuloskeletal
karyawan pelinting rokok

Hypotheses null

Formulated to be REJECTED AFTER

TESTED
Means : no different
Rejected Null hypotheses means
ACCEPT alternative hypotheses

difficulty formulating hypotheses

The absence of a theoretical framework

Unable to use the theoretical framework

Unable to master the techniques of

research

Hypotheses testing

Function hypothesis: give a conjectural

statement of the relationship
Its validity can be tested by appropriate
testing techniques
HYPOTHESIS MUST BE TESTED
Hypothesis has never been tested truth,
but its validity tested

Hypotheses testing

Match with the facts or testing the

consistency
required experiments
Using a research design

logical consistency
using logic
Research is non experiment

Hypotheses testing

Rejecting hypotheses
Iis not means that the study failed
Giving more value if researchers can

reveal the source of rejection of the

hypothesis
Make way for the next research

THANK YOU