Research Questions (RQ’s),

Objectives (RO’s) and

hypotheses (H’s)
Dr. Rogis Baker
Learning Outcomes
• Able to develop/formulate research question, objective,
and hypotheses for quantitative research.
• Able to translate research questions to research
objectives for quantitative research.
• Able to identify and differentiate different types of
hypotheses for quantitative research.
• Able to develop or formulate research hypotheses from
research questions or research objectives for
quantitative research.
• Able to design and write central question, sub-
questions: issue and procedural for qualitative research.
Research Questions
• Research questions are questions in research that narrow
the problem statement to specific questions that
researchers seek to answer.
• Researchers typically develop the research questions before
identifying the methods of study.
• Researchers normally state multiple research questions to
answer selected research objectives.
• This is to ensure that all areas of the relevant objectives and
areas of research objectives are achieved.
Developing research questions:
1. Researcher should have strong personal interest in the
research
2. The research questions that fills a gap in the literature
3. (Indicate) what methods have been used to study your
topic?
4. Research questions should be innovative, clear, feasible
and timely.
5. Make sure research question is short, conceptually
straightforward, and jargon-free.
FORMULATING RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
Brainstorm issues, questions, puzzles
• Starting with a particular business
problem may suggest a research idea
Example: one organisation’s survival
and change.
• Business opportunities may prompt
research.
Example : Business Alliance (e.g.,
through share swap) between MAS
and Air Asia
RESEARCH issues AND RESEARCH
questions, puzzles
sym ptom may lead you into potential
• Starting with a
I ssues and then into Research Questions (RQ’s) :

Example:
• Sym ptom : Labour costs are higher than the competitor’s
• P otential I ssues: Productivity too low? Medical leaves too
high?
• RQ’s : Do flexible schedules increase labour efficiency?

Symptom Issues Research

• Labour costs are higher • Productivity too low Questions
than the competitor’ • Medical leaves too • Do flexible work
high schedules increase
labour efficiency?
Activity: formulation of research
questions
Starting with a sym ptom may lead you into potential issues
and then into Research Questions (RQ’s) . CHOOSE an
example relevant to YOUR research/field:

• Symptom(s): ……………………………..?

• Potential Issues: ……………………?

• Research Questions: ……………………………………?

Symptom(s) Issues Research

• ___________ • ______________ Questions
• _______________ • ______________ • _______________
• _______________
Sources of Research Questions
• Intellectual puzzles and contradictions
• The existing literature
• Replication of previous research
• Opposition to existing practices and ideas
• Social or business problems
• Atypical (abnormal/unusual/uncommon) cases and atypical
events
• New methods and theories
• Political/Economic/Social/Technological developments and
trends
• Personal experience, including a placement
• Others (e.g., sponsors, senior researchers, etc.)
FORMULATING RESEARCH QUESTIONS FROM
IDEAS (BUSINESS, RESEARCH etc.)
Developing General Focus Questions from Research ideas.
Example 1:
Job recruitment via the Internet (Research Idea)
How effective is recruiting for new staff via the Internet in comparison
with traditional methods? (RQ)

Example 2:
The use of internet banking (Idea)
What effect has the growth of Internet banking had upon the uses
customers make of branch facilities? (RQ)
Developing General Focus Questions from Research
ideas

Advertising and share prices (Idea)

How does the running of a TV advertising campaign
designed to boost the image of a company affect the
share price? (RQ)

Your example…………………(Idea)
Your example………………(RQ)
Research questions should…
1. be clear. They must be understandable to you and to
others.
2. be researchable.
3. be linked to each other.
4. have potential for making a contribution to
knowledge.
5. be neither too broad nor too narrow.

Consider the following examples from academic articles.

How far do they fit the criteria above?

Examples of Research Questions: Wrigley et al
(2000) – MULTIPLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS (RQ)

• RQ1: Do women in corporate public relations

and communications management perceive a
glass ceiling to be in place?
• RQ2: What factors do women think help to
create or maintain the glass ceiling for
women in public relations and
communications?
• RQ3: What strategies are there for women in
public relations and communications who
want to work to eliminate the glass ceiling?
Note: Glass Ceiling – a metaphor to describe an unacknowledged discriminatory barrier
that prevents women and minority groups from rising to positions of power or
responsibility, as within a corporation.
Examples of research questions
1. Does leadership has any relationship with
knowledge sharing……?
2. What is the relationship between leadership and
knowledge sharing?
3. Does leadership has a positive relationship with
knowledge sharing?
4. What is the relationship/influence/effect/impact…..
5. What are the factors/antecedents ….
6. How does…..
7. Who are involved/responsible for…….
8. Why is ……
9. What type/level….
10.What is the nature…..
Remember that:
• We cannot answer all the research questions that
occur to us – 3 or 4 may be enough!
• We therefore have to select from the possible
research questions at which we arrive
• We should be guided by the principle that the
research questions we choose should be
related to one another
• When there is some legitimate (real) doubt over
the existence of objective facts, be cautious e.g.
use “perceptions of”, “perceived effectiveness” etc.
Translating research questions (RQ) into research
Objectives (RO) for quantitative research
the case: main RQ – main RO

Research Questions (RQ) Research Objectives (RO)

RQ1: What can be done to RO1:To identify factors that
improve employee morale? influence employee morale

RQ2: When has employee RO2: To describe the

training been effective? situations and criteria when
employee training has been
effective
RQ3: Where should we sell RO3: To determ ine in which
our products? geographic areas our
products are most likely to
sell
 Another example – based on a single issue
(promotion program x)
Research Questions (RQ) Research Objectives (RO)
Main RQ1: Why have firms introduced Main RO1:To identify firms objectives for
Promotion Program “X”? introducing Programme“X”

RQ2: How can the effectiveness of RO2: To establish suitable effectiveness criteria
program“X” be measured? for “X”

RQ3: Has program “X” been effective? RO3: To describe the extent to which the
effectiveness criteria for “X” have been met.

RQ4: How can the effectiveness of RO4: To determine the factors associated with
program “X” be explained? the effectiveness of program “X”

RQ5: Can the explanation be RO5: To develop an explanatory theory that

generalised? associates certain factors with the effectiveness
of program“X”.
General rule: translating research questions (RQ) into
research Objectives (RO)
Now, convert YOUR research questions into a set of objectives:

Research Questions (RQ) Research Objectives (RO)

RQ1: What ……? RO1:To identify/ describe/
determine/develop/explain/compare ……
RQ2: When …….? RO2: To identify/describe/
determine/develop/explain/compare …….
RQ3: Where ……..? RO3: To identify/describe/
determine/develop/explain/compare ……
RQ4: How ….? RO4: To identify/describe/ determine/
develop/ explain/ compare ….
RO5: To identify/describe/
RO5: Who …..? determine/develop explain/compare ….
Objectives of the Study for quantitative
research
• A research objective is a statement of intent used in
research that specify the goals that the researcher plans to
achieve in the study.
• Researchers often subdivide objectives into
general/purpose statement and specific objectives.
• And these objectives normally are written at the end of the
or after the problem statement.
General Objective
• A general objective/purpose statement of a research
specifies the big picture of the study.

• For example, “The general objective/purposes of this study

is to identify major factors influencing the use of English in
tertiary education”
Specific Objective
• A specific objective of a research specifies the sub-
objectives of the general objectives.

• The specific objective is a statement describing the

objective of each of the variable/factor/issue in a
study.
Quantitative research objective statements
(general form..)
• To conceptualize……
• To formulate………
• To produce………
• To evaluate ……..
• To establish ……..
• To enhance ……
• To develop….
• To identify…
• To determine….
Quantitative research objective
Statements (may start with..)
• To identify/describe/determine/
develop/explain/compare ………..
EXAMPLE OF SPECIFIC RESEARCH OBJECTIVES FOR
OUR NRGS PROJECT
1. TO IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS/COMPONENTS OF THE MORALE
CONSTRUCT OF INFANTRY PERSONNEL.

2. TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATIVE MORALE FRAMEWORK AND

INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE MORALE OF MALAYSIAN INFANTRY
PERSONNEL.

3. TO EXPLORE AND CONFIRM THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS/COMPONENTS

AND THE MORALE CONSTRUCT OF INFANTRY PERSONNEL.
4. TO MEASURE THE MORALE OF THE INFANTRY PERSONNEL AND
DEVELOP GUIDELINES ON THE MANAGEMENT OF MORALE.

NRGS-4B 23
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE SPECIFIC RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES OF OUR LRGS PROJECT
1.To describe the process and measure the degree of technology transfer that
has taken place through the procurement of armoured vehicles for the
Malaysian Army.

2.To estimate the extent of benefits obtained by the local defence industry
including SMEs from the transfer of technology through the armoured vehicles
procurement.

3.To assess the socio-economic impacts on the local defence industry including
SMEs and local community via armoured vehicles procurement in Malaysia.
A typical example of Research Objectives (RQ’s) for quantitative
research
General Objectives/purpose statement of the study:
The main purpose of this paper is to gain an improved understanding
of the factors that help to explain the variation of quality of life (QOL)
among employees in Malaysian public sector.
The specific research objectives (RQ’s) of this study are:
1. To determine the level of physical and financial (X1), human (X2),
social (X3), natural capital (X4) and quality of life (Y).
2. To determine relationship between physical and financial (X1),
human (X2), social (X3), natural capital (X4) and quality of life (Y).
3. To compare the quality of life (Y) by Job category.
4. To determine to what extent the proposed four-factor regression
model helps to explain the variation of QOL (Y) among employees
in Malaysian public sector.
Hypotheses in quantitative research
• Hypotheses are statements in quantitative research in which the
researcher makes a prediction on the outcome of a relationship
among variables.
• Traditionally used in research, they serve like research questions
to narrow the problem statement to specific predictions.
• These predictions are not simply a ‘guess’ or assumption or self-
hypothesize but they are based on results from past research
and literature where researchers have found certain results and
can now offer predictions as to what other researchers will find
when they repeat the study with different respondents or
research settings.
Hypotheses in quantitative research
• Typically, these hypotheses are stated at the beginning of a
study at the end of the introduction (Chapter 1, after the
research objectives, and also in chapter 2).

• Researcher may also place them immediately after the

review of the literature or in a separate section in chapter 2
of the research proposal or research report usually in the
section on synthesis of the earlier findings (relationship and
comparison) and also after the theoretical framework).
Definition of a quantitative research hypothesis
• A research hypothesis can be defined as a tentative (unconfirm
proposition), yet testable, statement, which predicts what you expect
to find in your empirical data.
• Hypotheses are derived from the theory on which your conceptual
model or theoretical framework is based and are often relational in
nature (berbentuk perhubungan).
• Along these lines, hypotheses can be defined as logically conjectured
(speculated) relationships between two or more variables expressed in
the form of testable statements.
• A hypothesis can also test whether there are differences/comparison
between two groups (or among several groups) with respect to any
variable or variables.
• By testing the hypotheses and confirming the conjectured
relationships, it is expected that solutions can be found to correct the
problem encountered.
Statement of hypotheses: Formats
1. Propositions/If-then statements
2. Directional hypotheses
3. Non-directional hypotheses
1. Proposition/If-then statements
• To examine whether or not conjectured (speculated)
relationships or differences exist, hypotheses can be set
either as proposition or in the form of if-then statement.

• The two formats can be seen in the following two examples:

• Proposition: Employees who are more healthy will take sick
leave less frequently.

• If-then statement: If employees are more healthy, then they

will take sick leave less frequently.
2. Directional hypotheses
If, in stating the relationships between two variables or comparing
two or more groups, terms such as positive, negative, more than,
less than, and the like are used, then these are directional
hypotheses because the direction of the relationship between the
variables (positive or negative) or differences between groups
(more than, less than) is indicated.

Examples
a. Relationship:
There is a positive/negative linear relationship between X (IV) and
Y (DV).

b. Difference/Comparison:
Women are more motivated than men.
3. Non-directional hypotheses
• Non directional hypotheses are those that do postulate a relationship or
difference, but offer no indication of the direction of these relationships or
differences.
• In other words, though it may be conjectured that there is relationship
between two variables, we may not be able to say whether the relationship
positive or negative.
• Non-directional hypotheses are formulated either because the relationships
or differences have never been explored and hence there is no basis for
indicating the direction, or because there have been conflicting findings in
previous studies on the variables.
Examples
a. Relationship:
• There is linear relationship between X (IV) (e.g. motivation) and Y (DV) (e.g.
income).

b. Difference/Comparison:
• There is difference in the level of motivation between women and men.
Null and alternate hypotheses in quantitative
research
• The null (H0) and alternate (HA/H1) hypotheses are used in
conjunction (together with) with any inferential statistical
tests (Pearson correlation, t-test, ANOVA, moderation and
mediation analysis, etc).

• In any statistical test you always make decision on the null

hypothesis (H0) – either to support (failed to reject) or reject
the null hypothesis.

• If you have rejected the null hypothesis (H0), then you have
to support the alternate hypothesis (HA/H1).
Null hypothesis in quantitative research
• The null hypothesis (H0) is a hypothesis of no relationship or no
difference.
• Typically, the null hypothesis is expressed in terms of there being no
relationship between two variables, or no significant difference
between two or more groups for a variable.

Examples
a. Relationship:
• (H0): There is no linear relationship between X (IV) (motivation) and Y
(DV) (e.g. income).

b. Difference/Comparison:
• (H0): There is no difference in the level of motivation between women
and men.
Alternate hypothesis in quantitative research
• The alternate hypothesis (HA/H1), which is the opposite of the null, is a
statement expressing a relationship between two variables or indicating
differences between groups compared.
• If you have rejected the null hypothesis (H0), then you have to support the
alternate hypothesis (HA/H1).
• Your conclusion is always based on the hypothesis you support for the
statistical test you conducted.

Examples
a. Relationship:
• (HA/H1) : There is linear relationship between X (IV) and Y (DV).

b. Difference/Comparison:
• (HA/H1): There is significant difference in the level of motivation between
women and men
FORMULATING RESEARCH HYPOTHESES from
research questions
• A hypothesis is a formal statement of some unproven supposition/proposition
that tentatively explains certain facts or phenomenon.
• A hypothesis can be tested against the data in such a way as to refine theory
using the scientific method.

Example 1:
RQ: Does advertising influence sales?
Hypothesis: Advertising is positively related to sales

Example 2:
RQ: Are company share prices affected by unexpected capital investment
announcements?
Hypothesis: Share price performance is positively and instantaneously impacted
by unexpected capital investment announcements.
The Qualitative Research Questions (RQs)
• The purpose statement is often followed by a set of research
questions.
• These questions reflect the researcher’s thinking on the most
significant factors to study.
• They guide the inquiry in that they “explain specifically what
your study will attempt to learn or understand” (Merriam, 2009,
p. 67).
The Research Questions in qualitative study (RQs)
• They also determine how data are to be collected.
• In qualitative research they often identify areas of inquiry
for what to observe in a field observations.
• RQs are not interview questions; research questions are
broader, identifying areas to ask questions about.
• Research questions that guide a qualitative inquiry should
not be confused with the question, curiosity, or puzzlement
that gave rise to the study in the first place (and that is
reflected in the problem statement and purpose of the
study).
Distinguishing among the Topic, Research
Problem, Purpose, and Research Questions
General
Topic Distance learning

Research Lack of students in distance education classes

Problem

Purpose To understand why students do not attend distance

Statement education classes at a community college

Research Does the use of web site technology in the

Question classroom deter students from enrolling in a distance
education classes?
Specific
Writing qualitative research questions
• Research questions in qualitative research help narrow the
purpose of a study into specific questions.
• Qualitative research questions are open-ended, general
questions that the researcher would like answered during
the study.
Guideline for writing qualitative research
questions
• Expect your qualitative questions to change and to emerge
during a study to reflect the participants’ views of the central
phenomenon and your growing (and deeper) understanding
of it.
• Ask only a few, general questions, five to seven questions
are enough to permit the participants to share information.
• Using only a few questions places emphasis on learning
information from participants, rather than learning what the
researcher seeks to know.
Guideline for writing qualitative research questions
• Ask questions that use neutral, exploratory language and
refrain/avoid from conveying an expected direction (or non-
directional outcome if you are thinking like a quantitative
researcher).
• For example, use action verbs such as to generate, discover,
understand, describe, and explore instead of words conveying
cause-and-effect relationships, such as affect, relate, compare,
determine, cause, and influence.
• Design and write two types of qualitative research questions:
the central question and sub-questions.
The Central Question
• It is the overarching/main/primary question you explore in
a research study.
• To arrive at this question, consider stating the most general
question you can ask.
• The intent of this approach is to open up the research for
participants to provide their perspectives and not to narrow
the study to your perspective.
Designing and writing central question: Several
strategies
• Begin with the word how or what rather than why so that
you don’t suggest probable cause-and-effect relationship but
instead suggest exploration in qualitative research.
• Specify the central phenomenon you plan to explore.
• Identify the participants in the study.
• Mention the research site for the study.
A sample script
• A script for a central research question that combines these
elements is:
• What is (the central phenomenon) for (participants) at
(research site/unit of analysis)?
An Example
• The following example illustrates the application of this
script to the study of creativity:
• What is (creativity) for (five students) at (Roosevelt High
School)?
• Beginning word: “What”
• Central phenomenon: creativity
• Participants: five students
• Research site: Roosevelt High School
Sub-questions
• In addition to a central question, qualitative researcher
pose sub-questions.
• These sub-questions refine the central question into sub-
questions to be addressed in the research.
• These sub-questions possess the same qualities as central
question (i.e., open ended, emerging, neutral in language,
and few in number), but they provide greater specificity
to the questions in the study.
• Writers refer to these sub-questions as issue and
procedural sub-questions (Creswell, 2012, p. 132).
Issue Sub-questions
• Are questions that narrow the focus of the central question
into specific questions (or issues) the researcher seeks to
learn from participants in a study.
• A script for an issue sub-question is:
• What is (the sub-question issue) for (participants – optional
information) at (research site – optional information).
Example of Issue Sub-questions
• What is self-esteem for high school students?
(central question)
• What is self-esteem as seen through friends?
(sub-question)
• What is self-esteem for the participant’s family? (sub-
question)
• What is self-esteem as experienced in extracurricular
activities in schools?
(sub-question)
Procedural Sub-questions
• As an alternative form of writing sub-questions, procedural
sub-questions indicate the steps to be used in analyzing the
data in a qualitative study.
• Researchers use this form of writing sub-questions less
frequently than issue questions because the procedures for a
qualitative study will evolve during a study.
• To write them, the researcher needs to know what these
steps of analysis will be.
Procedural Sub-questions
• To study this central question, the following questions will
be addressed in order in this study:
• (What question will be answered first?)
• (What question will be answered second?)
• (What question will be answered third?)
Example
• What are students’ experience with weapons in high
schools? (Central question)
• What are the categories of experiences of students? (sub-
question)
• What process occurs that reflect these experiences? (sub-
question)
• What propositions or hypotheses reflect the relationship
among the categories? (sub-question)
Data Analysis and sub-questions
• These three sub-questions trace a procedure for analyzing
the data, from identifying categories to tracing a process
that students experience to advancing some hypotheses
that test this process.
• Procedural sub-questions help readers visualize the steps to
be taken in data analysis, but they do not provide specific
material for interview or observation questions.
Example of Issue Sub-questions
Intent: To subdivide the central questions into detailed
questions
Example
Central question:
What does it mean to be a professional teacher?
Issue sub-questions:
1. What do professional teachers do?
2. What is difficult/easy about being a professional educator?
3. When did the teacher first become aware of being a
professional?
Example of Procedural Sub-questions
Intent: To subdivide the central questions into steps for data collection
during the study
Example
Central question:
What is the change process in the revision of a general education
curriculum on a college campus?
procedural sub-questions:
1. How did the process unfold?
2. Who were the people involved?
3. What events occurred?
4. What was the outcome?
References
• Cresswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning,
conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative
research (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
• Dewey, J. (1933). How to think. Lexington, MA: Heath.
• Maxwell, J. A. (2005). Qualitative research design: An
interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design
and implementation. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass.
Thank
You