690+Is+it+researchable?

Whether or not a question/statement is researchable.

From Marcie's slides Week 2:



From Fraenkel/Wallen Ch. 2:

resaerch problem: anything unsatisfactory, unsettling, a difficulty, state of affairs to be changed, something not working as well as it could usually is a question

nonresearchable: question of value: implying right/wrong, proper/improper,no empirical (observable) referents, don't use words like 'best', 'should', 'good', 'bad' metaphysical qeustion: beyond the physical, transcendental, answers are beyond our info

good research questions have 4 characteristics: feasible (is it possible to conduct?) clear (understand the meaning/wording of the question, unambiguous) significant (is is worth it?) ethical (it shouldn't damage anything)

when determining if the research question is significant think this: 1. how would this advance the knowledge in my field? 2. how wold this improve educational practice? 3. how would this improve the human condition?

from F/W website Ch. 2

__Research Questions__ __Characteristics of Good Research Questions__ __Defining Terms in Research__
 * A research problem is the focus of a research investigation.
 * Many research problems are stated as questions.
 * The essential characteristic of a researchable question is that there is some sort of information that can be collected in an attempt to answer the question.
 * Research questions should be feasible -- that is, capable of being investigated with available resources.
 * Research questions should be clear -- that is, unambiguous.
 * Research questions should be significant -- that is, worthy of investigation.
 * Research questions often (although not always) suggest a relationship to be investigated. The term "relationship," as used in research, refers to a connection or association between two or more characteristics or qualities.
 * Three commonly used ways to clarify ambiguous or unclear terms in a research question involve the use of constitutive (dictionary-type) definitions; definition by example, and operational definitions.
 * A constitutive definition uses additional terms to clarify meaning.
 * An operational definition describes how examples of a term are to be measured or identified.