research questions in dissertations

Dissertations & projects: Research questions

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“The central question that you ask or hypothesis you frame drives your research: it defines your purpose.” Bryan Greetham, How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation

This page gives some help and guidance in developing a realistic research question. It also considers the role of sub-questions and how these can influence your methodological choices. 

Choosing your research topic

You may have been provided with a list of potential topics or even specific questions to choose from. It is more common for you to have to come up with your own ideas and then refine them with the help of your tutor. This is a crucial decision as you will be immersing yourself in it for a long time.

Some students struggle to find a topic that is sufficiently significant and yet researchable within the limitations of an undergraduate project. You may feel overwhelmed by the freedom to choose your own topic but you could get ideas by considering the following:

Choose a topic that you find interesting . This may seem obvious but a lot of students go for what they think will be easy over what they think will be interesting - and regret it when they realise nothing is particularly easy and they are bored by the work. Think back over your lectures or talks from visiting speakers - was there anything you really enjoyed? Was there anything that left you with questions?

Choose something distinct . Whilst at undergraduate level you do not have to find something completely unique, if you find something a bit different you have more opportunity to come to some interesting conclusions. Have you some unique experiences that you can bring: personal biography, placements, study abroad etc?

Don't make your topic too wide . If your topic is too wide, it will be harder to develop research questions that you can actually answer in the context of a small research project.

Don't make your work too narrow . If your topic is too narrow, you will not be able to expand on the ideas sufficiently and make useful conclusions. You may also struggle to find enough literature to support it.

Scope out the field before deciding your topic . This is especially important if you have a few different options and are not sure which to pick. Spend a little time researching each one to get a feel for the amount of literature that exists and any particular avenues that could be worth exploring.

Think about your future . Some topics may fit better than others with your future plans, be they for further study or employment. Becoming more expert in something that you may have to be interviewed about is never a bad thing!

Once you have an idea (or even a few), speak to your tutor. They will advise on whether it is the right sort of topic for a dissertation or independent study. They have a lot of experience and will know if it is too much to take on, has enough material to build on etc.

Developing a research question or hypothesis

Research question vs hypothesis.

First, it may be useful to explain the difference between a research question and a hypothesis. A research question is simply a question that your research will address and hopefully answer (or give an explanation of why you couldn't answer it). A hypothesis is a statement that suggests how you expect something to function or behave (and which you would test to see if it actually happens or not).

Research question examples

• How significant is league table position when students choose their university?
• What impact can a diagnosis of depression have on physical health?

Note that these are open questions - i.e. they cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. This is the best form of question.

Hypotheses examples

• Students primarily choose their university based on league table position.
• A diagnosis of depression can impact physical health.

Note that these are things that you can test to see if they are true or false. This makes them more definite then research questions - but you can still answer them more fully than 'no they don't' or 'yes it does'. For example, in the above examples you would look to see how relevant other factors were when choosing universities and in what ways physical health may be impacted.

For more examples of the same topic formulated as hypotheses, research questions and paper titles see those given at the bottom of this document from Oakland University: Formulation of Research Hypothesis

Which do you need?

Generally, research questions are more common in the humanities, social sciences and business, whereas hypotheses are more common in the sciences. This is not a hard rule though, talk things through with your supervisor to see which they are expecting or which they think fits best with your topic.

What makes a good research question or hypothesis?

Unless you are undertaking a systematic review as your research method, you will develop your research question  as a result of reviewing the literature on your broader topic. After all, it is only by seeing what research has already been done (or not) that you can justify the need for your question or your approach to answering it. At the end of that process, you should be able to come up with a question or hypothesis that is:

• Clear (easily understandable)
• Focused (specific not vague or huge)
• Answerable (the data is available and analysable in the time frame)
• Relevant (to your area of study)
• Significant (it is worth answering)

You can try a few out, using a table like this (yours would all be in the same discipline):

A similar, though different table is available from the University of California: What makes a good research topic?   The completed table has some supervisor comments which may also be helpful.

Ultimately, your final research question will be mutually agreed between yourself and your supervisor - but you should always bring your own ideas to the conversation.

The role of sub-questions

Your main research question will probably still be too big to answer easily. This is where sub-questions come in. They are specific, narrower questions that you can answer directly from your data.

So, looking at the question " How much do online users know and care about how their self-images can be used by Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook? " from the table above, the sub-questions could be:

• What rights do the terms and conditions of signing up for Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook accounts give those companies regarding the use of self-images?
• What proportion of users read the terms and conditions when creating accounts with these companies?
• How aware are users of the rights they are giving away regarding their self-images when creating accounts with these companies?
• How comfortable are users with giving away these rights?

Together, the answers to your sub-questions should enable you to answer the overarching research question.

How do you answer your sub-questions?

Depending on the type of dissertation/project your are undertaking, some (or all) the questions may be answered with information collected from the literature and some (or none) may be answered by analysing data directly collected as part of your primary empirical research .

In the above example, the first question would be answered by documentary analysis of the relevant terms and conditions, the second by a mixture of reviewing the literature and analysing survey responses from participants and the last two also by analysing survey responses. Different projects will require different approaches.

Some sub-questions could be answered by reviewing the literature and others from empirical study.

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How To Write a Research Question

Academic writing and research require a distinct focus and direction. A well-designed research question gives purpose and clarity to your research. In addition, it helps your readers understand the issue you are trying to address and explore.

Every time you want to know more about a subject, you will pose a question. The same idea is used in research as well. You must pose a question in order to effectively address a research problem. That's why the research question is an integral part of the research process. Additionally, it offers the author writing and reading guidelines, be it qualitative research or quantitative research.

In your research paper , you must single out just one issue or problem. The specific issue or claim you wish to address should be included in your thesis statement in order to clarify your main argument.

A good research question must have the following characteristics.

• Should include only one problem in the research question
• Should be able to find the answer using primary data and secondary data sources
• Should be possible to resolve within the given time and other constraints
• Detailed and in-depth results should be achievable
• Should be relevant and realistic.
• It should relate to your chosen area of research

While a larger project, like a thesis, might have several research questions to address, each one should be directed at your main area of study. Of course, you can use different research designs and research methods (qualitative research or quantitative research) to address various research questions. However, they must all be pertinent to the study's objectives.

What is a Research Question?

A research question is an inquiry that the research attempts to answer. It is the heart of the systematic investigation. Research questions are the most important step in any research project. In essence, it initiates the research project and establishes the pace for the specific research A research question is:

• Clear : It provides enough detail that the audience understands its purpose without any additional explanation.
• Focused : It is so specific that it can be addressed within the time constraints of the writing task.
• Succinct: It is written in the shortest possible words.
• Complex : It is not possible to answer it with a "yes" or "no", but requires analysis and synthesis of ideas before somebody can create a solution.
• Argumental : Its potential answers are open for debate rather than accepted facts.

A good research question usually focuses on the research and determines the research design, methodology, and hypothesis. It guides all phases of inquiry, data collection, analysis, and reporting. You should gather valuable information by asking the right questions.

Why are Research Questions so important?

Regardless of whether it is a qualitative research or quantitative research project, research questions provide writers and their audience with a way to navigate the writing and research process. Writers can avoid "all-about" papers by asking straightforward and specific research questions that help them focus on their research and support a specific thesis.

Types of Research Questions

There are two types of research: Qualitative research and Quantitative research . There must be research questions for every type of research. Your research question will be based on the type of research you want to conduct and the type of data collection.

The first step in designing research involves identifying a gap and creating a focused research question.

Below is a list of common research questions that can be used in a dissertation. Keep in mind that these are merely illustrations of typical research questions used in dissertation projects. The real research questions themselves might be more difficult.

Example Research Questions

The following are a few examples of research questions and research problems to help you understand how research questions can be created for a particular research problem.

Steps to Write Research Questions

You can focus on the issue or research gaps you're attempting to solve by using the research questions as a direction.

If you're unsure how to go about writing a good research question, these are the steps to follow in the process:

• Select an interesting topic Always choose a topic that interests you. Because if your curiosity isn’t aroused by a subject, you’ll have a hard time conducting research around it. Alos, it’s better that you pick something that’s neither too narrow or too broad.
• Do preliminary research on the topic Search for relevant literature to gauge what problems have already been tackled by scholars. You can do that conveniently through repositories like Scispace , where you’ll find millions of papers in one place. Once you do find the papers you’re looking for, try our reading assistant, SciSpace Copilot to get simple explanations for the paper . You’ll be able to quickly understand the abstract, find the key takeaways, and the main arguments presented in the paper. This will give you a more contextual understanding of your subject and you’ll have an easier time identifying knowledge gaps in your discipline.

     Also: ChatPDF vs. SciSpace Copilot: Unveiling the best tool for your research

• Consider your audience It is essential to understand your audience to develop focused research questions for essays or dissertations. When narrowing down your topic, you can identify aspects that might interest your audience.
• Ask questions Asking questions will give you a deeper understanding of the topic. Evaluate your question through the What, Why, When, How, and other open-ended questions assessment.
• Assess your question Once you have created a research question, assess its effectiveness to determine if it is useful for the purpose. Refine and revise the dissertation research question multiple times.

Additionally, use this list of questions as a guide when formulating your research question.

Are you able to answer a specific research question? After identifying a gap in research, it would be helpful to formulate the research question. And this will allow the research to solve a part of the problem. Is your research question clear and centered on the main topic? It is important that your research question should be specific and related to your central goal. Are you tackling a difficult research question? It is not possible to answer the research question with a simple yes or no. The problem requires in-depth analysis. It is often started with "How" and "Why."

Start your research Once you have completed your dissertation research questions, it is time to review the literature on similar topics to discover different perspectives.

Strong  Research Question Samples

Uncertain: How should social networking sites work on the hatred that flows through their platform?

Certain: What should social media sites like Twitter or Facebook do to address the harm they are causing?

This unclear question does not specify the social networking sites that are being used or what harm they might be causing. In addition, this question assumes that the "harm" has been proven and/or accepted. This version is more specific and identifies the sites (Twitter, Facebook), the type and extent of harm (privacy concerns), and who might be suffering from that harm (users). Effective research questions should not be ambiguous or interpreted.

Unfocused: What are the effects of global warming on the environment?

Focused: What are the most important effects of glacial melting in Antarctica on penguins' lives?

This broad research question cannot be addressed in a book, let alone a college-level paper. Focused research targets a specific effect of global heating (glacial  melting), an area (Antarctica), or a specific animal (penguins). The writer must also decide which effect will have the greatest impact on the animals affected. If in doubt, narrow down your research question to the most specific possible.

Too Simple: What are the U.S. doctors doing to treat diabetes?

Appropriately complex: Which factors, if any, are most likely to predict a person's risk of developing diabetes?

This simple version can be found online. It is easy to answer with a few facts. The second, more complicated version of this question is divided into two parts. It is thought-provoking and requires extensive investigation as well as evaluation by the author. So, ensure that a quick Google search should not answer your research question.

How to write a strong Research Question?

The foundation of all research is the research question. You should therefore spend as much time as necessary to refine your research question based on various data.

You can conduct your research more efficiently and analyze your results better if you have great research questions for your dissertation, research paper , or essay .

The following criteria can help you evaluate the strength and importance of your research question and can be used to determine the strength of your research question:

• Researchable
• It should only cover one issue.
• A subjective judgment should not be included in the question.
• It can be answered with data analysis and research.
• Specific and Practical
• It should not contain a plan of action, policy, or solution.
• It should be clearly defined
• Within research limits
• Complex and Arguable
• It shouldn't be difficult to answer.
• To find the truth, you need in-depth knowledge
• Allows for discussion and deliberation
• Original and Relevant
• It should be in your area of study
• Its results should be measurable
• It should be original

Conclusion - How to write Research Questions?

Research questions provide a clear guideline for research. One research question may be part of a larger project, such as a dissertation. However, each question should only focus on one topic.

Research questions must be answerable, practical, specific, and applicable to your field. The research type that you use to base your research questions on will determine the research topic. You can start by selecting an interesting topic and doing preliminary research. Then, you can begin asking questions, evaluating your questions, and start your research.

Now it's easier than ever to streamline your research workflow with SciSpace ResearchGPT . Its integrated, comprehensive end-to-end platform for research allows scholars to easily discover, read, write and publish their research and fosters collaboration.

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• Starting the research process

How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps to Follow

Published on November 11, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 20, 2023.

Choosing your dissertation topic is the first step in making sure your research goes as smoothly as possible. When choosing a topic, it’s important to consider:

• Your institution and department’s requirements
• Your areas of knowledge and interest
• The scientific, social, or practical relevance
• The availability of data and resources
• The timeframe of your dissertation
• The relevance of your topic

You can follow these steps to begin narrowing down your ideas.

Table of contents

Step 1: check the requirements, step 2: choose a broad field of research, step 3: look for books and articles, step 4: find a niche, step 5: consider the type of research, step 6: determine the relevance, step 7: make sure it’s plausible, step 8: get your topic approved, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about dissertation topics.

The very first step is to check your program’s requirements. This determines the scope of what it is possible for you to research.

• Is there a minimum and maximum word count?
• When is the deadline?
• Should the research have an academic or a professional orientation?
• Are there any methodological conditions? Do you have to conduct fieldwork, or use specific types of sources?

Some programs have stricter requirements than others. You might be given nothing more than a word count and a deadline, or you might have a restricted list of topics and approaches to choose from. If in doubt about what is expected of you, always ask your supervisor or department coordinator.

Start by thinking about your areas of interest within the subject you’re studying. Examples of broad ideas include:

• Twentieth-century literature
• Economic history
• Health policy

To get a more specific sense of the current state of research on your potential topic, skim through a few recent issues of the top journals in your field. Be sure to check out their most-cited articles in particular. For inspiration, you can also search Google Scholar , subject-specific databases , and your university library’s resources.

As you read, note down any specific ideas that interest you and make a shortlist of possible topics. If you’ve written other papers, such as a 3rd-year paper or a conference paper, consider how those topics can be broadened into a dissertation.

After doing some initial reading, it’s time to start narrowing down options for your potential topic. This can be a gradual process, and should get more and more specific as you go. For example, from the ideas above, you might narrow it down like this:

• Twentieth-century literature   Twentieth-century Irish literature   Post-war Irish poetry
• Economic history   European economic history   German labor union history
• Health policy   Reproductive health policy   Reproductive rights in South America

All of these topics are still broad enough that you’ll find a huge amount of books and articles about them. Try to find a specific niche where you can make your mark, such as: something not many people have researched yet, a question that’s still being debated, or a very current practical issue.

At this stage, make sure you have a few backup ideas — there’s still time to change your focus. If your topic doesn’t make it through the next few steps, you can try a different one. Later, you will narrow your focus down even more in your problem statement and research questions .

There are many different types of research , so at this stage, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what kind of approach you’ll take to your topic. Will you mainly focus on:

• Collecting original data (e.g., experimental or field research)?
• Analyzing existing data (e.g., national statistics, public records, or archives)?
• Interpreting cultural objects (e.g., novels, films, or paintings)?
• Comparing scholarly approaches (e.g., theories, methods, or interpretations)?

Many dissertations will combine more than one of these. Sometimes the type of research is obvious: if your topic is post-war Irish poetry, you will probably mainly be interpreting poems. But in other cases, there are several possible approaches. If your topic is reproductive rights in South America, you could analyze public policy documents and media coverage, or you could gather original data through interviews and surveys .

You don’t have to finalize your research design and methods yet, but the type of research will influence which aspects of the topic it’s possible to address, so it’s wise to consider this as you narrow down your ideas.

It’s important that your topic is interesting to you, but you’ll also have to make sure it’s academically, socially or practically relevant to your field.

• Academic relevance means that the research can fill a gap in knowledge or contribute to a scholarly debate in your field.
• Social relevance means that the research can advance our understanding of society and inform social change.
• Practical relevance means that the research can be applied to solve concrete problems or improve real-life processes.

The easiest way to make sure your research is relevant is to choose a topic that is clearly connected to current issues or debates, either in society at large or in your academic discipline. The relevance must be clearly stated when you define your research problem .

Before you make a final decision on your topic, consider again the length of your dissertation, the timeframe in which you have to complete it, and the practicalities of conducting the research.

Will you have enough time to read all the most important academic literature on this topic? If there’s too much information to tackle, consider narrowing your focus even more.

Will you be able to find enough sources or gather enough data to fulfil the requirements of the dissertation? If you think you might struggle to find information, consider broadening or shifting your focus.

Do you have to go to a specific location to gather data on the topic? Make sure that you have enough funding and practical access.

Last but not least, will the topic hold your interest for the length of the research process? To stay motivated, it’s important to choose something you’re enthusiastic about!

Most programmes will require you to submit a brief description of your topic, called a research prospectus or proposal .

Remember, if you discover that your topic is not as strong as you thought it was, it’s usually acceptable to change your mind and switch focus early in the dissertation process. Just make sure you have enough time to start on a new topic, and always check with your supervisor or department.

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

All research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert?
• Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 20). How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps to Follow. Scribbr. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/dissertation-topic/

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How to Write a Good Research Question (w/ Examples)

What is a Research Question?

A research question is the main question that your study sought or is seeking to answer. A clear research question guides your research paper or thesis and states exactly what you want to find out, giving your work a focus and objective. Learning  how to write a hypothesis or research question is the start to composing any thesis, dissertation, or research paper. It is also one of the most important sections of a research proposal . 

A good research question not only clarifies the writing in your study; it provides your readers with a clear focus and facilitates their understanding of your research topic, as well as outlining your study’s objectives. Before drafting the paper and receiving research paper editing (and usually before performing your study), you should write a concise statement of what this study intends to accomplish or reveal.

Research Question Writing Tips

Listed below are the important characteristics of a good research question:

A good research question should:

• Be clear and provide specific information so readers can easily understand the purpose.
• Be focused in its scope and narrow enough to be addressed in the space allowed by your paper
• Be relevant and concise and express your main ideas in as few words as possible, like a hypothesis.
• Be precise and complex enough that it does not simply answer a closed “yes or no” question, but requires an analysis of arguments and literature prior to its being considered acceptable. 
• Be arguable or testable so that answers to the research question are open to scrutiny and specific questions and counterarguments.

Some of these characteristics might be difficult to understand in the form of a list. Let’s go into more detail about what a research question must do and look at some examples of research questions.

The research question should be specific and focused 

Research questions that are too broad are not suitable to be addressed in a single study. One reason for this can be if there are many factors or variables to consider. In addition, a sample data set that is too large or an experimental timeline that is too long may suggest that the research question is not focused enough.

A specific research question means that the collective data and observations come together to either confirm or deny the chosen hypothesis in a clear manner. If a research question is too vague, then the data might end up creating an alternate research problem or hypothesis that you haven’t addressed in your Introduction section .

The research question should be based on the literature 

An effective research question should be answerable and verifiable based on prior research because an effective scientific study must be placed in the context of a wider academic consensus. This means that conspiracy or fringe theories are not good research paper topics.

Instead, a good research question must extend, examine, and verify the context of your research field. It should fit naturally within the literature and be searchable by other research authors.

References to the literature can be in different citation styles and must be properly formatted according to the guidelines set forth by the publishing journal, university, or academic institution. This includes in-text citations as well as the Reference section . 

The research question should be realistic in time, scope, and budget

There are two main constraints to the research process: timeframe and budget.

A proper research question will include study or experimental procedures that can be executed within a feasible time frame, typically by a graduate doctoral or master’s student or lab technician. Research that requires future technology, expensive resources, or follow-up procedures is problematic.

A researcher’s budget is also a major constraint to performing timely research. Research at many large universities or institutions is publicly funded and is thus accountable to funding restrictions. 

The research question should be in-depth

Research papers, dissertations and theses , and academic journal articles are usually dozens if not hundreds of pages in length.

A good research question or thesis statement must be sufficiently complex to warrant such a length, as it must stand up to the scrutiny of peer review and be reproducible by other scientists and researchers.

Research Question Types

Qualitative and quantitative research are the two major types of research, and it is essential to develop research questions for each type of study. 

Quantitative Research Questions

Quantitative research questions are specific. A typical research question involves the population to be studied, dependent and independent variables, and the research design.

In addition, quantitative research questions connect the research question and the research design. In addition, it is not possible to answer these questions definitively with a “yes” or “no” response. For example, scientific fields such as biology, physics, and chemistry often deal with “states,” in which different quantities, amounts, or velocities drastically alter the relevance of the research.

As a consequence, quantitative research questions do not contain qualitative, categorical, or ordinal qualifiers such as “is,” “are,” “does,” or “does not.”

Categories of quantitative research questions

Qualitative Research Questions

In quantitative research, research questions have the potential to relate to broad research areas as well as more specific areas of study. Qualitative research questions are less directional, more flexible, and adaptable compared with their quantitative counterparts. Thus, studies based on these questions tend to focus on “discovering,” “explaining,” “elucidating,” and “exploring.”

Categories of qualitative research questions

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Question Examples

Good and Bad Research Question Examples

Below are some good (and not-so-good) examples of research questions that researchers can use to guide them in crafting their own research questions.

Research Question Example 1

The first research question is too vague in both its independent and dependent variables. There is no specific information on what “exposure” means. Does this refer to comments, likes, engagement, or just how much time is spent on the social media platform?

Second, there is no useful information on what exactly “affected” means. Does the subject’s behavior change in some measurable way? Or does this term refer to another factor such as the user’s emotions?

Research Question Example 2

In this research question, the first example is too simple and not sufficiently complex, making it difficult to assess whether the study answered the question. The author could really only answer this question with a simple “yes” or “no.” Further, the presence of data would not help answer this question more deeply, which is a sure sign of a poorly constructed research topic.

The second research question is specific, complex, and empirically verifiable. One can measure program effectiveness based on metrics such as attendance or grades. Further, “bullying” is made into an empirical, quantitative measurement in the form of recorded disciplinary actions.

Steps for Writing a Research Question

Good research questions are relevant, focused, and meaningful. It can be difficult to come up with a good research question, but there are a few steps you can follow to make it a bit easier.

1. Start with an interesting and relevant topic

Choose a research topic that is interesting but also relevant and aligned with your own country’s culture or your university’s capabilities. Popular academic topics include healthcare and medical-related research. However, if you are attending an engineering school or humanities program, you should obviously choose a research question that pertains to your specific study and major.

Below is an embedded graph of the most popular research fields of study based on publication output according to region. As you can see, healthcare and the basic sciences receive the most funding and earn the highest number of publications. 

2. Do preliminary research  

You can begin doing preliminary research once you have chosen a research topic. Two objectives should be accomplished during this first phase of research. First, you should undertake a preliminary review of related literature to discover issues that scholars and peers are currently discussing. With this method, you show that you are informed about the latest developments in the field.

Secondly, identify knowledge gaps or limitations in your topic by conducting a preliminary literature review . It is possible to later use these gaps to focus your research question after a certain amount of fine-tuning.

3. Narrow your research to determine specific research questions

You can focus on a more specific area of study once you have a good handle on the topic you want to explore. Focusing on recent literature or knowledge gaps is one good option. 

By identifying study limitations in the literature and overlooked areas of study, an author can carve out a good research question. The same is true for choosing research questions that extend or complement existing literature.

4. Evaluate your research question

Make sure you evaluate the research question by asking the following questions:

Is my research question clear?

The resulting data and observations that your study produces should be clear. For quantitative studies, data must be empirical and measurable. For qualitative, the observations should be clearly delineable across categories.

Is my research question focused and specific?

A strong research question should be specific enough that your methodology or testing procedure produces an objective result, not one left to subjective interpretation. Open-ended research questions or those relating to general topics can create ambiguous connections between the results and the aims of the study. 

Is my research question sufficiently complex?

The result of your research should be consequential and substantial (and fall sufficiently within the context of your field) to warrant an academic study. Simply reinforcing or supporting a scientific consensus is superfluous and will likely not be well received by most journal editors.  

Editing Your Research Question

Your research question should be fully formulated well before you begin drafting your research paper. However, you can receive English paper editing and proofreading services at any point in the drafting process. Language editors with expertise in your academic field can assist you with the content and language in your Introduction section or other manuscript sections. And if you need further assistance or information regarding paper compositions, in the meantime, check out our academic resources , which provide dozens of articles and videos on a variety of academic writing and publication topics.

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How to Write Research Questions for Your Dissertation

(Last updated: 18 April 2024)

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Crafting clear and effective research questions is a crucial aspect of preparing PhD theses or undergraduate and Master’s dissertations. Research questions serve as the foundation for your study, guiding your investigation and framing your findings. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies for writing strong research questions, including the use of sub-questions and different types of research question formats.

How to Write a Strong Research Question

Here's how to develop a strong research question that is clear, focused, and relevant to your field of study.

1. Choose a Research Question Relevant to Your Field

Commence by selecting a research question that aligns with the interests and priorities of your academic field. Consider current debates, gaps in the existing literature, and emerging trends that warrant further exploration. Your research question should contribute new insights or perspectives to the field and address a meaningful issue or problem.

2. Conduct Preliminary Research

Before finalising your research question, conduct preliminary research to familiarise yourself with the existing literature and identify potential gaps or areas for investigation. Explore relevant journals, books, and academic databases to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic and identify key concepts or variables to explore further.

3. Narrow Your Research to Determine Specific Questions

Once you have identified the key concepts or variables, narrow down your focus to determine specific research questions. Consider the scope of your study and the depth of analysis required to address your research objectives effectively. Avoid overly broad or vague questions and aim for clarity and precision in formulating your research inquiries.

4. Evaluate Your Research Question

Before finalising your research question, critically evaluate it to ensure it meets the criteria of a strong research question. Assess whether the question is clear, focused, and relevant to your field of study. Consider whether it aligns with the objectives of your research project and the feasibility of addressing it within your time and resource constraints. Seek feedback from peers, tutors, or academic advisors to refine and improve your research question further.

Using Sub-Questions

In addition to your main research question, you may also include sub-questions to further clarify your focus and guide your investigation. Sub-questions can help break down complex topics into manageable components and provide a more nuanced understanding of your research area. When crafting sub-questions, ensure they are directly related to your main research question and contribute to the overall coherence of your study.

Research Question Types

Research questions can be classified into qualitative and quantitative formats, depending on the nature of your study. Qualitative research questions explore subjective experiences, meanings, and interpretations, while quantitative questions investigate relationships between variables and seek to quantify phenomena.

• Qualitative Research Question Example : "How do individuals experience and cope with chronic pain in their daily lives?"
• Quantitative Research Question Example : "What is the relationship between social media usage and mental health outcomes among adolescents?"

Crafting Strong Research Questions

Crafting strong research questions is a fundamental step in the thesis or dissertation process, setting the direction for your study and guiding your research endeavours. A well-crafted research question not only clarifies the focus of your investigation but also lays the groundwork for meaningful scholarly contribution. It serves as a roadmap, guiding the trajectory of your research and ensuring that your study remains focused and purposeful.

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Developing a Research Question

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What is a research question?

A research question is an essential tool to help guide your research paper, project, or thesis. It poses a specific question that you are seeking to answer in your paper. Research questions can be broad or narrow, and can change throughout the research process.

A good research question should be:

• Focused on a single issue
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly in your paper
• Feasible to answer within the length of your paper
• Researchable using the resources available to you
• Relevant to your field of study and/or to society at large

The length of your paper and the research you're able to locate will help to shape your research question. A longer paper, like a thesis or dissertation, may require multiple research questions.

The answer to your research question develops into your thesis statement .

Writing Your Research Question

Chose a Topic

You should choose a research topic that is interesting to you. This will make the research and writing process much more bearable.

A good way to begin brainstorming research questions is to list all the questions you would like to see answered, or topics you would like to learn more about. You may have been provided a list of potential topics by your professor, if none are interesting to you ask if you can develop your own.

It is better to start broad and narrow down your focus as you go.

Do Preliminary Research

Reference materials like encyclopedias can also be good for this purpose.

Narrow Your Topic

Now that you have a basic idea of what research exists on your topic, you can begin to narrow your focus.

Make sure that your question is specific enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the length of your paper.

Developing a Research Question Video Tutorial

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• GETTING STARTED
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How to structure quantitative research questions

There is no "one best way" to structure a quantitative research question. However, to create a well-structured quantitative research question, we recommend an approach that is based on four steps : (1) Choosing the type of quantitative research question you are trying to create (i.e., descriptive, comparative or relationship-based); (2) Identifying the different types of variables you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well as any groups you may be interested in; (3) Selecting the appropriate structure for the chosen type of quantitative research question, based on the variables and/or groups involved; and (4) Writing out the problem or issues you are trying to address in the form of a complete research question. In this article, we discuss each of these four steps , as well as providing examples for the three types of quantitative research question you may want to create: descriptive , comparative and relationship-based research questions .

• STEP ONE: Choose the type of quantitative research question (i.e., descriptive, comparative or relationship) you are trying to create
• STEP TWO: Identify the different types of variable you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well as any groups you may be interested in
• STEP THREE: Select the appropriate structure for the chosen type of quantitative research question, based on the variables and/or groups involved
• STEP FOUR: Write out the problem or issues you are trying to address in the form of a complete research question

STEP ONE Choose the type of quantitative research question (i.e., descriptive, comparative or relationship) you are trying to create

The type of quantitative research question that you use in your dissertation (i.e., descriptive , comparative and/or relationship-based ) needs to be reflected in the way that you write out the research question; that is, the word choice and phrasing that you use when constructing a research question tells the reader whether it is a descriptive, comparative or relationship-based research question. Therefore, in order to know how to structure your quantitative research question, you need to start by selecting the type of quantitative research question you are trying to create: descriptive, comparative and/or relationship-based.

STEP TWO Identify the different types of variable you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well as any groups you may be interested in

Whether you are trying to create a descriptive, comparative or relationship-based research question, you will need to identify the different types of variable that you are trying to measure , manipulate and/or control . If you are unfamiliar with the different types of variable that may be part of your study, the article, Types of variable , should get you up to speed. It explains the two main types of variables: categorical variables (i.e., nominal , dichotomous and ordinal variables) and continuous variables (i.e., interval and ratio variables). It also explains the difference between independent and dependent variables , which you need to understand to create quantitative research questions.

To provide a brief explanation; a variable is not only something that you measure , but also something that you can manipulate and control for. In most undergraduate and master's level dissertations, you are only likely to measure and manipulate variables. You are unlikely to carry out research that requires you to control for variables, although some supervisors will expect this additional level of complexity. If you plan to only create descriptive research questions , you may simply have a number of dependent variables that you need to measure. However, where you plan to create comparative and/or relationship-based research questions , you will deal with both dependent and independent variables . An independent variable (sometimes called an experimental or predictor variable ) is a variable that is being manipulated in an experiment in order to observe the effect this has on a dependent variable (sometimes called an outcome variable ). For example, if we were interested in investigating the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents , the independent variable would be gender and the dependent variable attitudes towards music piracy . This example also highlights the need to identify the group(s) you are interested in. In this example, the group of interest are adolescents .

Once you identifying the different types of variable you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well as any groups you may be interested in, it is possible to start thinking about the way that the three types of quantitative research question can be structured . This is discussed next.

STEP THREE Select the appropriate structure for the chosen type of quantitative research question, based on the variables and/or groups involved

The structure of the three types of quantitative research question differs, reflecting the goals of the question, the types of variables, and the number of variables and groups involved. By structure , we mean the components of a research question (i.e., the types of variables, groups of interest), the number of these different components (i.e., how many variables and groups are being investigated), and the order that these should be presented (e.g., independent variables before dependent variables). The appropriate structure for each of these quantitative research questions is set out below:

Structure of descriptive research questions

• Structure of comparative research questions
• Structure of relationship-based research questions

There are six steps required to construct a descriptive research question: (1) choose your starting phrase; (2) identify and name the dependent variable; (3) identify the group(s) you are interested in; (4) decide whether dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts; (5) include any words that provide greater context to your question; and (6) write out the descriptive research question. Each of these steps is discussed in turn:

Choose your starting phrase

Identify and name the dependent variable

Identify the group(s) you are interested in

Decide whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts

Include any words that provide greater context to your question

Write out the descriptive research question

FIRST Choose your starting phrase

You can start descriptive research questions with any of the following phrases:

How many? How often? How frequently? How much? What percentage? What proportion? To what extent? What is? What are?

Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:

How many calories do American men and women consume per day?

How often do British university students use Facebook each week?

What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?

What proportion of British male and female university students use the top 5 social networks?

What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?

SECOND Identify and name the dependent variable

All descriptive research questions have a dependent variable. You need to identify what this is. However, how the dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different things. In the examples below, we have illustrated the name of the dependent variable and highlighted how it would be written out in the blue text .

The first two examples highlight that while the name of the dependent variable is the same, namely daily calorific intake , the way that this dependent variable is written out differs in each case.

THIRD Identify the group(s) you are interested in

All descriptive research questions have at least one group , but can have multiple groups . You need to identify this group(s). In the examples below, we have identified the group(s) in the green text .

What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students ?

The examples illustrate the difference between the use of a single group (e.g., British university students ) and multiple groups (e.g., American men and women ).

FOURTH Decide whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts

Sometimes it makes more sense for the dependent variable to appear before the group(s) you are interested in, but sometimes it is the opposite way around. The following examples illustrate this, with the group(s) in green text and the dependent variable in blue text :

Group 1st; dependent variable 2nd:

How often do British university students use Facebook each week ?

Dependent variable 1st; group 2nd:

Sometimes, the dependent variable needs to be broken into two parts around the group(s) you are interested in so that the research question flows. Again, the group(s) are in green text and the dependent variable is in blue text :

How many calories do American men and women consume per day ?

Of course, you could choose to restructure the question above so that you do not have to split the dependent variable into two parts. For example:

How many calories are consumed per day by American men and women ?

When deciding whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first or last, and whether the dependent variable should be broken into two parts, the main thing you need to think about is flow : Does the question flow? Is it easy to read?

FIFTH Include any words that provide greater context to your question

Sometimes the name of the dependent variable provides all the explanation we need to know what we are trying to measure. Take the following examples:

In the first example, the dependent variable is daily calorific intake (i.e., calories consumed per day). Clearly, this descriptive research question is asking us to measure the number of calories American men and women consume per day. In the second example, the dependent variable is Facebook usage per week. Again, the name of this dependent variable makes it easy for us to understand that we are trying to measure the often (i.e., how frequently; e.g., 16 times per week) British university students use Facebook.

However, sometimes a descriptive research question is not simply interested in measuring the dependent variable in its entirety, but a particular component of the dependent variable. Take the following examples in red text :

In the first example, the research question is not simply interested in the daily calorific intake of American men and women, but what percentage of these American men and women exceeded their daily calorific allowance. So the dependent variable is still daily calorific intake, but the research question aims to understand a particular component of that dependent variable (i.e., the percentage of American men and women exceeding the recommend daily calorific allowance). In the second example, the research question is not only interested in what the factors influencing career choices are, but which of these factors are the most important.

Therefore, when you think about constructing your descriptive research question, make sure you have included any words that provide greater context to your question.

SIXTH Write out the descriptive research question

Once you have these details ? (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of the group(s) you are interested in, and (4) any potential joining words ? you can write out the descriptive research question in full. The example descriptive research questions discussed above are written out in full below:

In the section that follows, the structure of comparative research questions is discussed.

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What is a thesis?

What is a dissertation, getting started, staying on track.

A thesis is a long-term project that you work on over the course of a semester or a year. Theses have a very wide variety of styles and content, so we encourage you to look at prior examples and work closely with faculty to develop yours. 

Before you begin, make sure that you are familiar with the dissertation genre—what it is for and what it looks like.

Generally speaking, a dissertation’s purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking.

The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.

• PhD This site directs candidates to the GSAS website about dissertations , with links to checklists,  planning, formatting, acknowledgments, submission, and publishing options. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus . Consult with your committee chair about specific requirements and standards for your dissertation.
• DDES This document covers planning, patent filing, submission guidelines, publishing options, formatting guidelines, sample pages, citation guidelines, and a list of common errors to avoid. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus .
• Scholarly Pursuits (GSAS) This searchable booklet from Harvard GSAS is a comprehensive guide to writing dissertations, dissertation-fellowship applications, academic journal articles, and academic job documents.

Finding an original topic can be a daunting and overwhelming task. These key concepts can help you focus and save time.

Finding a topic for your thesis or dissertation should start with a research question that excites or at least interests you. A rigorous, engaging, and original project will require continuous curiosity about your topic, about your own thoughts on the topic, and about what other scholars have said on your topic. Avoid getting boxed in by thinking you know what you want to say from the beginning; let your research and your writing evolve as you explore and fine-tune your focus through constant questioning and exploration.

Get a sense of the broader picture before you narrow your focus and attempt to frame an argument. Read, skim, and otherwise familiarize yourself with what other scholars have done in areas related to your proposed topic. Briefly explore topics tangentially related to yours to broaden your perspective and increase your chance of finding a unique angle to pursue.

Critical Reading

Critical reading is the opposite of passive reading. Instead of merely reading for information to absorb, critical reading also involves careful, sustained thinking about what you are reading. This process may include analyzing the author’s motives and assumptions, asking what might be left out of the discussion, considering what you agree with or disagree with in the author’s statements and why you agree or disagree, and exploring connections or contradictions between scholarly arguments. Here is a resource to help hone your critical-reading skills:

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf

Conversation

Your thesis or dissertation will incorporate some ideas from other scholars whose work you researched. By reading critically and following your curiosity, you will develop your own ideas and claims, and these contributions are the core of your project. You will also acknowledge the work of scholars who came before you, and you must accurately and fairly attribute this work and define your place within the larger discussion. Make sure that you know how to quote, summarize, paraphrase ,  integrate , and cite secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and to show the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have.

The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed. The project can feel daunting or even overwhelming unless you break it down into manageable pieces and create a timeline for completing each smaller task. Be realistic but also challenge yourself, and be forgiving of yourself if you miss a self-imposed deadline here and there.

Your program will also have specific deadlines for different requirements, including establishing a committee, submitting a prospectus, completing the dissertation, defending the dissertation, and submitting your work. Consult your department’s website for these dates and incorporate them into the timeline for your work.

Accountability

Sometimes self-imposed deadlines do not feel urgent unless there is accountability to someone beyond yourself. To increase your motivation to complete tasks on schedule, set dates with your committee chair to submit pre-determined pieces of a chapter. You can also arrange with a fellow doctoral student to check on each other’s progress. Research and writing can be lonely, so it is also nice to share that journey with someone and support each other through the process.

Common Pitfalls

The most common challenges for students writing a dissertation are writer’s block, information-overload, and the compulsion to keep researching forever.

There are many strategies for avoiding writer’s block, such as freewriting, outlining, taking a walk, starting in the middle, and creating an ideal work environment for your particular learning style. Pay attention to what helps you and try different things until you find what works.

Efficient researching techniques are essential to avoiding information-overload. Here are a couple of resources about strategies for finding sources and quickly obtaining essential information from them.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_in_literature_detailed_discussion/reading_criticism.html

https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Finally, remember that there is always more to learn and your dissertation cannot incorporate everything. Follow your curiosity but also set limits on the scope of your work. It helps to create a folder entitled “future projects” for topics and sources that interest you but that do not fit neatly into the dissertation. Also remember that future scholars will build off of your work, so leave something for them to do.

Browsing through theses and dissertations of the past can help to get a sense of your options and gain inspiration but be careful to use current guidelines and refer to your committee instead of relying on these examples for form or formatting.

DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard.

HOLLIS Harvard Library’s catalog provides access to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .

MIT Architecture has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Rhode Island School of Design has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

University of South Florida has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Harvard GSD has a list of projects, including theses and professors’ research.

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Research Question Examples – Guide & Tips

Published by Owen Ingram at August 13th, 2021 , Revised On April 4, 2024

All  research questions should be focused, researchable, feasible to answer, specific to find results, complex, and relevant to your field of study. The research question’s factors will be; the research problem ,  research type , project length, and time frame.

Research questions provide boundaries to your research project and provide a clear approach to collect and compile data. Understanding your research question better is necessary to find unique facts and figures to publish your research.

Search and study some research question examples or research questions relevant to your field of study before writing your own research question.

Research Questions for Dissertation Examples

Below are 10 examples of research questions that will enable you to develop research questions for your research.

These examples will help you to check whether your chosen research questions can be addressed or whether they are too broad to find a conclusive answer.

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A dissertation is an important milestone no matter what academic level or subject it is. You will be asked to write a dissertation on a  topic of your choice  and make a substantial contribution to academic and scientific communities.

The project will start with the  planning and designing of a project before the actual write-up phase. There are many stages in the dissertation process , but the most important is developing a research question that guides your research.

If you are starting your dissertation, you will have to conduct preliminary research to  find a problem and research gap as the first step of the process. The second step is to write  research questions that specify your topic and the relevant problem you want to address.

How can we Help you with Research Questions?

If you are still unsure about writing dissertation research questions and perhaps want to see  more examples , you might be interested in getting help from our dissertation writers.

At ResearchProspect, we have UK-qualified writers holding Masters and PhD degrees in all academic subjects. Whether you need help with only developing research questions or any other aspect of your dissertation paper , we are here to help you achieve your desired grades for an affordable price.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of a research question.

Examples of research questions:

• How does social media influence self-esteem in adolescents?
• What are the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture?
• What factors contribute to employee job satisfaction in the tech industry?
• How does exercise frequency affect cardiovascular health?
• What is the relationship between sleep duration and academic performance in college students?

What are some examples of research questions in the classroom?

• How do interactive whiteboards impact student engagement?
• Does peer tutoring improve maths proficiency?
• How does classroom seating arrangement influence student participation?
• What’s the effect of gamified learning on student motivation?
• Does integrating technology in lessons enhance critical thinking skills?
• How does feedback frequency affect student performance?

What are some examples of research questions in Geography?

• How does urbanisation impact local microclimates?
• What factors influence water scarcity in Region X?
• How do migration patterns correlate with economic disparities?
• What’s the relationship between deforestation and soil erosion in Area Y?
• How have coastlines changed over the past decade?
• Why are certain regions’ biodiversity hotspots?

What are some examples of research questions in Psychology?

• How does social media usage affect adolescent self-esteem?
• What factors contribute to resilience in trauma survivors?
• How does sleep deprivation impact decision-making abilities?
• Are certain teaching methods more effective for children with ADHD?
• What are the psychological effects of long-term social isolation?
• How do early attachments influence adult relationships?

What are the three basic research questions?

The three basic types of research questions are:

• Descriptive: Seeks to depict a phenomenon or issue. E.g., “What are the symptoms of depression?”
• Relational: Investigates relationships between variables. E.g., “Is there a correlation between stress and heart disease?”
• Causal: Determines cause and effect. E.g., “Does smoking cause lung cancer?”

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Penning your dissertation proposal can be a rather daunting task. Here are comprehensive guidelines on how to write a dissertation proposal.

Make sure that your selected topic is intriguing, manageable, and relevant. Here are some guidelines to help understand how to find a good dissertation topic.

Find how to write research questions with the mentioned steps required for a perfect research question. Choose an interesting topic and begin your research.

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Research Question Generator: Best Tool for Students

Stuck formulating a research question? Try the tool we’ve made! With our research question generator, you’ll get a list of ideas for an academic assignment of any level. All you need to do is add the keywords you’re interested in, push the button, and enjoy the result!

Now, here comes your inspiration 😃

Please try again with some different keywords.

Why Use Research Question Generator?

The choice of research topic is a vital step in the process of any academic task completion. Whether you’re working on a small essay or a large dissertation, your topic will make it fail or fly. The best way to cope with the naming task and proceed to the writing part is to use our free online tool for title generation. Its benefits are indisputable.

• The tool generates research questions, not just topics
• It makes questions focused on your field of interest
• It’s free and quick in use

Research Question Generator: How to Use

Using our research question generator tool, you won’t need to crack your brains over this part of the writing assignment anymore. All you need to do is:

• Insert your study topic of interest in the relevant tab
• Choose a subject and click “Generate topics”
• Grab one of the offered options on the list

The results will be preliminary; you should use them as an initial reference point and refine them further for a workable, correctly formulated research question.

Research Questions: Types & Examples

Depending on your type of study (quantitative vs. qualitative), you might need to formulate different research question types. For instance, a typical quantitative research project would need a quantitative research question, which can be created with the following formula:

Variable(s) + object that possesses that variable + socio-demographic characteristics

You can choose among three quantitative research question types: descriptive, comparative, and relationship-based. Let's consider each type in more detail to clarify the practical side of question formulation.

Descriptive

As its name suggests, a descriptive research question inquires about the number, frequency, or intensity of something and aims to describe a quantitative issue. Some examples include:

• How often do people download personal finance apps in 2022?
• How regularly do Americans go on holidays abroad?
• How many subscriptions for paid learning resources do UK students make a year?

Comparative

Comparative research questions presuppose comparing and contrasting things within a research study. You should pick two or more objects, select a criterion for comparison, and discuss it in detail. Here are good examples:

• What is the difference in calorie intake between Japanese and American preschoolers?
• Does male and female social media use duration per day differ in the USA?
• What are the attitudes of Baby Boomers versus Millennials to freelance work?

Relationship-based

Relationship-based research is a bit more complex, so you'll need extra work to formulate a good research question. Here, you should single out:

• The independent variable
• The dependent variable
• The socio-demographics of your population of interest

Let’s illustrate how it works:

• How does the socio-economic status affect schoolchildren’s dropout rates in the UK?
• What is the relationship between screen time and obesity among American preschoolers?

Research Question Maker FAQ

In a nutshell, a research question is the one you set to answer by performing a specific academic study. Thus, for instance, if your research question is, “How did global warming affect bird migration in California?," you will study bird migration patterns concerning global warming dynamics.

You should think about the population affected by your topic, the specific aspect of your concern, and the timing/historical period you want to study. It’s also necessary to specify the location – a specific country, company, industry sector, the whole world, etc.

A great, effective research question should answer the "who, what, when, where" questions. In other words, you should define the subject of interest, the issue of your concern related to that subject, the timeframe, and the location of your study.

If you don’t know how to write a compelling research question, use our automated tool to complete the task in seconds. You only need to insert your subject of interest, and smart algorithms will do the rest, presenting a set of workable, interesting question suggestions.

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Doctorate of Business Administration: 10 Tips for DBA Research

• August 21, 2024

Table of Contents

Academic research is at a crossroads between tradition and innovation. The landscape is rapidly transforming, as technological advances shift educational structures and bring up tough questions on ethical integrity. For sure, it’s an exciting time to study a Doctorate of Business Administration and to do DBA Research.

This blog post delves into 10 tips to navigate the research portion of your DBA, offering insights into the evolving nature of research and its implications for scholars and practitioners alike.

Be Smart When Embracing Technology

In the academic universe, change is not just a constant; it’s a necessity . We’re on a journey where the old intersects with the new, where the traditional academic rigor meets the swift currents of technological innovation.

There’s been a significant leap forward in the tools available to researchers. Software like Mandalay represent a leap forward in DBA research efficiency, automating citation management and data organization. These advancements save researchers valuable time, allowing them to focus more on analysis and less on administrative tasks.

Learn to Balance Tech With Tradition

There’s a sort of struggle for balance between technology and fundamentals. Remember that while it streamlines DBA research, technology cannot replace the foundational understanding of research principles . 

A profound grasp of methodology and critical thinking remains essential. It ensures that scholars can effectively leverage new tools without compromising the integrity of their work.

Originality Triumphs Everything in DBA Research

There it is, the elephant in the room: plagiarism. With AI tools in hand, the line into plagiarism is blurrier than ever. That’s why it’s crucial for researchers to use technology responsibly , ensuring that their work maintains originality and credibility.

Technology should enhance, not replace, the foundational bedrock of scholarly inquiry. Aim for originality.

Develop Presentation Skills

Parallel to technological advancements, the art of presenting and communicating DBA research has gained significance. In today’s digital age, scholars must not only produce original research but also possess the skills to present it effectively. 

Scholars must bring fresh perspectives and critical analysis to their work. They need a deep engagement with their subject matter.

What’s more, they need dynamic presentation skills . Effective communication is key in presenting research. Scholars should strive to create engaging and clear presentations, showcasing their findings with confidence and clarity.

A well-structured presentation highlights the importance and implications of research findings. Clear communication helps to convey complex ideas effectively, making the research accessible and impactful.

As Structures Change, Learn To Adapt

Doctoral research programs are evolving to be more accommodating to working professionals, offering structured pathways that expedite the journey to a doctoral degree without sacrificing academic rigor.

For example, the shift towards Doctoral Research Projects (DRPs) indicates a broader trend in education towards more flexible and accessible learning models, tailored to the needs of today’s scholars and professionals.

Therefore, the future of DBA research education lies in its ability to be adaptable, accessible, and aligned with the evolving demands of the academic and professional world.

Exercise Your Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is at its most important. When you dive into literature review, make it meaningful. It lays the groundwork for meaningful research, providing the context and framework necessary for insightful analysis and discovery.

Critical thinking and analytical skills are the backbone of DBA research , enabling scholars to evaluate findings accurately and contribute valuable insights to their field.

Value Face-to-Face Interactions for your DBA Research

Direct interactions, such as oral presentations and defenses, are crucial for assessing the authenticity and depth of DBA research They underscore the importance of personal engagement in the digital age.

Remember – no matter how much technology can help you assemble an articulate paragraph, it can’t do anything for you during an oral presentation. 

Foster Collaborative Relationships

A collaborative relationship between students and advisors is fundamental to research success, as it fosters an environment of support, guidance, and mutual respect.

Reach out to those around you. Work together, request feedback, and learn from each other. There’s a lot of room to grow, and the people around you are the best source of growth .

Uphold Ethical Standards of DBA Research

Maintaining academic rigor and ethical standards is paramount. It ensures that the integrity of scholarly work remains untarnished.

Adhere to ethical DBA research practices , including thorough and accurate citations. The credibility and reliability of academic work have high standards, and you should strive to meet them.

Look Forward to Innovation

The future of DBA research is a blend of tradition and innovation , where integrating new technologies and methodologies enhances the depth and reach of scholarly inquiry. By embracing these changes while steadfastly upholding the principles of rigorous and ethical research, the academic community can confidently navigate this evolving landscape and contribute meaningful advancements to the world of knowledge.

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Accreditations & Approvals

© 2024. CIU

• School of Arts & Sciences
• College of Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Division

• Senior Honors Thesis
• Undergraduate Programs
• Research & Study Abroad

The information on this page applies to all HSOC majors in the class of 2025 and beyond.

A senior honors thesis in the Health & Societies major is a substantial independent research project completed over the course of a year (or two consecutive semesters).  The honors thesis is an analytical research essay of 12,500-20,000 words, plus bibliography, that is researched and written under supervision of an advisor, during the fall or spring of the senior year after completion of an HSOC capstone course. Students who successfully complete all the requirements will earn the distinction of “honors” upon graduating from Penn.

For information on eligibility, application requirements, and the honors thesis process, please read the information on this page in full.

Health & Societies (HSOC) Senior Honors Thesis

A senior honors thesis in the Health and Societies (HSOC) major is a substantial independent research project completed over the course of a year (or two consecutive semesters) – during the fall or spring of the senior year, after completion of an HSOC capstone course. This thesis, or analytical research essay, must be researched and written under supervision of an advisor and should be 12,500 to 20,000 words, plus bibliography. An appropriate thesis will be historically grounded and may use historical, anthropological, and/or sociological methods and approaches. For this reason, students must have an advisor in the HSSC department but may also have a co-advisor in another department*. Students who successfully complete all the requirements will earn the distinction of “honors” upon graduating from Penn.

All students who wish to write an honors thesis must first complete a capstone research paper. This introduction to a research project helps students figure out if they like doing this kind of work. It also helps students learn their strengths, weaknesses, and interests as researchers. Students accepted into the honors program enroll in an independent study with an HSOC faculty advisor that need not have been the capstone instructor.* During the independent study, students are required to meet with their faculty advisor, to submit assignments and drafts, and to meet regularly (once or twice per month) with peers in the HSOC honors program. The exact final form that the honors thesis takes is ultimately up to students to work out with their advisors, but the norm in HSOC has been for students to write a thesis in the form of three substantive chapters that total ~80 pages (or approximately 20,000 words). This style of thesis has been successful for our program, with many of our students going on to win prestigious awards for their thesis work and getting pieces of their research published in both popular and scholarly outlets. 

* If no one on the HSOC faculty has the expertise you need to help you with your project, you may request a co-advisor. Please reach out to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information on how co-advising can work.  

Application Information 

Fall completion . Applications from students in the spring of their junior year are due by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the date of Penn’s Commencement ( May 20, 2024 ). Students will be notified by early June about their status.

Spring completion . Applications from students in the fall of their senior year are due by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the fall semester ( Dec. 19, 2024 ). Students will be notified about their status in early January, after the capstone final grade has been submitted.  

Eligibility and Application Requirements

•  Students must have at least a 3.6 GPA in the HSOC major and a 3.3 GPA overall.
•  Students are eligible to apply only in the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year.
• Students must earn an “A” or higher in their HSOC capstone course completed during the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year.
• Students must obtain written letters of support from their capstone instructor AND an approved HSOC faculty advisor (they do not need to be the same person, but they can be). If a student plans to have a co-advisor outside of the History and Sociology of Science department, then they will also need them to submit a letter of support.
• Students must submit a five-page thesis proposal along with a completed capstone paper. The proposal should include: (1) the project title (2) project description (3) a discussion of how the work relates to the capstone paper (i.e. Will it expand on the capstone? Head in a different direction? Etc.) (4) a timeline and plan for completing the research and writing of the thesis and (5) a two- to three-page bibliography that includes the key primary and secondary sources.  

Application materials

• A one-page letter of interest that explains why you want to do an honors project. Please include your GPA and grade requirements in this letter.
• Your thesis proposal.
• Your capstone paper.
• Your letters of support from your capstone instructor and your advisor(s) (if this is the same person, you will only need one letter). Recommenders email these letters directly to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies.  

Selection process

All applications will be reviewed by a departmental committee. Acceptance into the honors program will be based on the following criteria:

• Applicants meet all eligibility requirements.
• Applications are completed as per the instructions outlined here and submitted by the deadline. (No late applications will be considered)
• The project described is carefully planned and fits within the goals and parameters of the HSOC major, and the applicant demonstrates a convincing ability to complete it successfully in the time available.
• The applicant has the enthusiastic support of their capstone instructor and advisor.
• If funding or other outside research support is required (i.e. the project requires travel, IRB approval, or participant enrollment), the applicant can provide evidence that this support has been—or will most likely be—secured.  

Additional considerations

Please note that, while it is possible to complete an honors project during the fall and spring of your senior year, it may be more challenging because you will not have the summer months to work on it. There are only a few short weeks between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester. For this reason, the selection committee will need to be convinced beyond all doubt that fall applicants are well-positioned to complete their project in the time available.

We advise students to take no more than three courses in addition to the thesis independent study. Previous HSOC thesis writers have also advised against courses that require substantial in-class time each week and classes in which there is a heavy research/writing commitment at the end of the semester. 

Completing an honors thesis can be a wonderful experience. However, please note that in addition to our eligibility and application review guidelines outlined above, acceptance into the honors program will necessarily be limited by the resources of our small department. Although HSOC is one of the largest undergraduate majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, we have a relatively small faculty and program staff. Please keep this in mind as you begin your application process.  

Senior Thesis Writing Project

A student will receive honors after completion of a successful and high-quality written thesis and participation in Senior Research Symposium (typically scheduled in late April or early May, during or near the spring term Reading Days).  Your thesis can build on material from your capstone, but you cannot simply submit a revised draft of your capstone paper. Your capstone might turn into a chapter of your thesis, for example, or you might decide to break your capstone paper into smaller topics which you then research and delve into more thoroughly, turning one paper into a more extensive and fully developed, three-chapter thesis. Alternatively, you may decide that your honors thesis takes you in a new direction altogether and has relatively little overlap with your capstone. Any of these options are fine, as long as you are able to complete the thesis in the time that is available to you, it is original, and it shows substantial and significant work that distinguishes it from your capstone paper.

It takes two consecutive semesters to complete an honors thesis in HSOC. In your first semester, you enroll in and complete a capstone seminar. Towards the end of your capstone course, you will decide if you want to expand or build upon what you learned through your capstone research and write an honors thesis. If you are accepted into the honors program, then the following semester you will enroll in an independent study directed by your thesis supervisor. During your independent study semester, you will be expected to meet at least once/month with your thesis advisor for regular check-ins. You will also be expected to meet once/month with your cohort to discuss your progress, trouble-shoot, and provide feedback on drafts. Along the way, there are deadlines for specific deliverables that MUST be adhered to. Failure to meet deadlines during your independent study semester will negatively affect your ability to successfully complete the honors program.

Students who apply to the program in the spring of their junior year are also expected to utilize the summer for research, idea development, and planning. Students who apply to the program in the fall of their senior year must begin research over the comparatively shorter winter break and do not have the benefit of these additional summer months.  

Honors Determination

Honors will be determined both by the grade given by your advisor and through a review by the senior thesis committee. Generally, a thesis needs to earn a grade of A- or above to be considered for honors.  

Timeline and deliverables

You must meet at least three times with your advisor and at least three times with your cohort during the semester of your independent study.  

September (after Labor Day) / January (within the first 10 days of the semester).

(by no later than Sept. 10, 2024 or Jan. 29, 2025)

(1)  first advisor meeting

(2)  first cohort meeting

Make sure you meet with your advisor first, prior to your cohort meeting, so you can discuss these questions with them and obtain their signature.

(1)  A one- to two-page write-up that answers the following questions:

• What research have you completed?
• Is there any research you still need to complete?
• What writing have you completed?
• What is your timeline for completion?

(2)  During your first meeting with your advisor, develop a list of appointment times for the semester and a calendar for completion as a contract signed by your advisor. Bring this to the cohort meeting.  

October (after Fall break) / February (last week of the month)

(by no later than Oct. 11, 2024 or Feb. 28, 2025)

(1)  advisor meeting

(2)  cohort meeting

Make sure you meet with your advisor before your cohort meeting to discuss the following materials and obtain your advisor’s approval:

(1)  A one- to two-page document that includes

• A thesis statement
• A brief outline of thesis chapters
• One paragraph stating what has been completed, what remains to be done, and dates for completing those chapters, signed by your advisor.

November (before Thanksgiving) / April (first full week)

(by no later than Nov. 22, 2024 or April 11, 2025)

(2)  cohort meeting  

Please make sure you have done the following at least one full week before your meetings:

(by no later than Nov. 15, 2024 or April 4, 2025)

• Submit a full draft (introduction, all chapters, conclusion) of your thesis to your advisor

December / May

A copy of the final draft of the thesis and of your original capstone paper are due by email to your advisor and to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the semester (Dec. 19, 2024 or May 13, 2025). There are NO extensions and NO incompletes. Failure to turn in these materials by this deadline means you will not be eligible to receive honors.

The final, polished, formatted, printed version (one bound copy each for you, for your advisor, and for the HSSC department) is due to your advisor and to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1 or June 1.

Michele Anzabi,  The Revitalization of the U.S. Menstrual Movement 

Natalie Doppelt ,  The Unsustainability of Hospital Waste: How Disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has Become Normalized Despite its Environmental Impact 

Sarah Finkelstein,   Reframing Caregiving and Medical Professionalization: Using the History of Modern Doula Care to Recognize the Value in Viewing Care Work and Professionalized Technomedicine along a Continuum 

Mae Mouritsen,   #Invisible: Identity and Community Construction Among Women with Invisible Illnesses and Disabilities on Visual Social Media Platforms 

Daryn Smith,   The Intersection of Mental Health and Gun Violence: How Discourse Surrounding it Perpetuates and Reinforces Racial Hierarchies 

Noelle Kristen Smith,   Unpacking “the American:” Opposing Neoliberal and Consumerist Ideologies in Characterizations of the Clinton Administration’s Health Security Act (1993-1994)

Nicholas Thomas-Lewis,   Recovery of the Self…from Addiction, Adolescence, and Neuromedicalization 

Nikita Zinzuwadia,   Criminal Justice, Mass Incarceration, and COVID-19: Understanding Prison Health and Prison Health Activism in the United States

Catherine Campbell,  “But if you could see the difference the library and a woman has made in that place!”: Taking Care of Men and Books in World War I" (Adviser: Dr. Meghan Crnic)

Merobi Degefa, "Redefining Dignified Maternity Care in Ethiopia" (Adviser: Dr. Adam Mohr)

John Ortega, " Nun Left: The Changing Identity of Catholic Sisters and Catholic Hospitals" (Advisers: Dr. Meghan Crnic, Dr. David Grossman, Dr. Walter Licht)

Samantha Stein, " When All Is Experimental: Marshalling Ethics Aesthetics Through Autonomy Formulations In Urban U.S. Emergency Medicine Research" (Adviser: Dr. Justin Clapp)  

Lea Eisenstein, " From Icon to Bygone: The Rise and Fall of the Diaphragm in Twentieth-Century America"  (Advisers: Dr. Beth Linker and Dr. Meghan Crnic)

Lara Jung , "Reimagining the Country: A Landscape of Children's Health and Well-being, 1875-1975"  (Adviser: Dr. Meghan Crnic)

Folasade Lapite , "TSS (Tampax's Side Story): The Influence of Menstrual Product Manufacturers on Menstrual Education and Its Perception" (Adviser: Dr. Stephanie Dick)

Phoebe Ruggles , "Livestock Over Labor: The Prioritization of Non-Human Animals in the National Organic Program"  (Adviser: Dr. Ann Greene)

Leah Sprague , "The Government's Role as a Nutrition Expert in the United States, 1945-1980"  (Adviser: Dr. Kathy Peiss)  

Rive Cadwallader , 'Medicine in the "Athens of America": Physicians and the Neoclassical Movement in late eighteenth century Philadelphia' (Adviser: Dr. David Barnes)

Alisa Feldman , "Be Fruitful and Medicalize: IVF Risk Communication and the Politics of Assisted Reproduction in Israel". (Advisers: Dr. Adam Mohr and Dr. Frances Barg)

Isabel Griffith , "Obstetric Violence: A Subtext of Voiced Experiences of Childbirth and Maternity Care in Costa Rica's Public Healthcare System" (Adviser: Dr. Ramah McKay)

Joshua A. Jordan , "A War on Two Fronts: Race, Citizenship and the Segregation of the Blood Supply during World War II" (Adviser: Dr. David Barnes)

Madeline Leonard , 'Securing "Infectious Poverty": Analyzing the 2016 Olympics-Based Zika Response in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil' (Adviser: Dr. Andria Johnson)

Lauren Murski , "The System Will See You Now: Redefining Quality Care in the Era of the Electronic Health Record" (Adviser: Dr. Stephanie A. Dick)  

Mary Cerulli
 , “Go Ask the Midwife: Professional Identity in Cape Town, South Africa”
(Adviser: Dr. Kimberly Trout)

Hannah Fagen , 
“The Happiest Place in the Hospital: Newborn Nurseries in American Hospitals, A History”  (Adviser: Dr. Meghan Crnic)


Cassidy Golden,  
“The Mother in the NICU” 
(Adviser: Dr. Renee Fox)

Alexandra Kimmel ,  
“Medicalizing Meditation: The Incorporation of Buddhist Practice into the American Clinic, 1960-2000” 
(Adviser: Dr. Beth Linker)

Will Schupmann , 
“Public Schools as a Loci for Human Experimentation” 
(Adviser: Dr. Jonathan Moreno)

Katherine Senter, 
“The Life Cycles of Health Ministries” 
(Adviser: Dr. Rosemary Frasso)

Randa Som 
, "Re-Imaging Transgender Health Care: Affirming and Promoting Optimal Evidence-Based Transgender Health Care" 
(Adviser: Dr. Lance Wahlert)

Andrea Maria Vargas Guerra , 
‘“Latinos Don’t Look After Each Other”: The Social Cohesion of Latin American Immigrants in North Carolina’ 
(Adviser: Dr. David Barnes)

Olivia Webb , “Voiceless: The Construction of Homelessness Policies, 1980-2016” (Adviser: Dr. Andria Johnson)  

Joia Brosco , “A Tale Of Two Theories: How The Methods Of Scientific Evaluation Are Still Not Helping Our Children, As We Turn Theories Of Child Uplift Into Practice” (Adviser: Chris Feudtner)

Lucia Calthorpe , “Implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: A Case Study of Philadelphia and Two Neighboring Suburban Districts” (Adviser: Mary Summers)

Emma Chessen ,“Following Doctors’ Orders: The Medical Community’s Shift and Influence on U.S. Abortion Policy, 1955-1973” (Adviser: Beth Linker)

Imran Cronk , “From a Land Down Under: Improving U.S. Diabetes Care Through Cross-National Learning” (Adviser: Patricia Danzon)

Chloe Getrajdman ,“Triage: Historical Legacies and Contemporary Perspectives in Global Health” (Adviser: Adam Mohr)

Perry Goffner , “Medical Power: W.W. Keen (1837-1932) and the Defense of Vivisection” (Adviser: Beth Linker)

Kurt Koehler ,“Stress, Agency and Hypertension: Perspective Among Hypertensive African Americans in Philadelphia” (Adviser: Lisa Lewis)

Jenny Markell , “The Long Road to the Establishment of the Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Amendments of 1963” (Adviser: Cynthia Connolly)

Ruchita Pendse , “The Experience of Medical Debt Among the Under-Insured” (Adviser: Peter Reese)

Eileen Wang , “Choice, Control and Childbirth: Cesarean Deliveries on Maternal Request in Shanghai, China” (Adviser: Adriana Petryna)  

Jacquelyn Andrews , “Exploring Potential Health Disparities in Urban Low-Income School Food Environments” (Adviser: Mary Summers)

Bakizada, Zayna , “Getting a Word in Edgewise: The Role of Medical Journals in the Malpractice Discussion”  (Adviser: Robert Aronowitz)

Biegacki, Emma , “Creating the Disaster Space: Social Mapping as a Novel Tool for Aid Delivery” (Advisor: Alison Buttenheim)

Emmanuel Cordova , “Interfacing Immigration and Health: Undocumented Latino Males, Health Status, and Perceptions of Health Care”  (Adviser: Emilio Parrado)

Caroline Kee , “Borrowing from Biomedicine, Trading with Traditional: How Medical Providers in the Kumaon region of the Indian Himalayas Defy Medical Pluralism Paradigms with a System of Specialized Care” (Adviser: Projit Mukharji)

Kim, Eun Kyung Ellen , “Exercising Towards A Cure: The Gymnasium of the Friends Asylum, 1889-1893”  (Adviser: Aaron Wunsch)

Gabriella Meltzer , “A Manufactured Global Health Crisis: Electronic Waste in Accra, Ghana”  (Adviser: Adam Mohr)

Danielle Mohabir , "Provider Perspectives on College Mental Health: Evaluating Structural Barriers to Care from the Inside" (Adviser: Jason Schnittker)

Katherine Sgarro , ‘The Social Construction Of Celiac Disease: How Biomedical Definitions Of “Diagnosis” And “Treatment” Affect Low-Income Americans With Celiac Disease’ (Adviser: Herbert Smith)  

Kathryn Barth , “Weighing On Energy-Dense Food Taxes: How Food Preferences Relate To Obesity” (Advisor: Catherine Maclean)

Janan Dave , “Having A Daughter Is Like Watering Your Neighbor's Garden": Migration's Effect On Gender Ideologies Of South Asian Americans In Philadelphia” (Advisor: Deborah Thomas)

Mia Garuccio , “Organ Transplants And HIV: A Historical Comparison And Policy Review”  (Advisor: Andria Johnson)

Victoria Goldman , “Intersexuality: How Cultural Expectations, Medical Innovations And Language Created The Perception Of Variant Genitalia As A Disorder” (Advisor: Ann Greene)

Monica Kang , “Inappropriate Consumers: The Construction Of Gender Through Eating Behavior In Children's Literature”  (Advisor: Jason Schnittker)

Megan McCarthy-Alfano , “Driving Without A Roadmap: Parents' Treatment Decisions In Autism Care”  (Advisor: Fran Barg)

Gina Orlando , “The Road To Water Filtration In Philadelphia” (Advisor: David Barnes)

Katherine Peck , “The Social Life Of Millennium Development Goal 5: Local Interpretations Of A Global Paradigm”  (Advisor: Fran Barg and Andria Johnson)

Maxwell Presser , “A Matter Of Lives And Deaths: The Transition Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation From Physician To The Public” (Advisor: Benjamin Abella)

Sarah Schulte , “Why Are Hispanic Americans Getting Bigger? Understanding The Link Between Greater Acculturation And Higher BMI” (Advisor: Jason Schnittker)

Stephen Smilowitz , “Safe Spaces And Perilous Places: The Environmental Origins Of Fear Of Crime In Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala”  (Advisor: David Barnes)

Gabrielle Stoller , “Evolving Access To HIV Medications Under Medicare And Medicaid”(Advisor: Jalpa Doshi)

Abigail Worthen , “'Trust In God, But Tie Up Your Camel': Perceptions Of Cervical Cancer Screening Among African American Muslim Women In Philadelphia"  (Advisor: Jonathan Moreno)

Christina Wu , “Comparing “Culturally Specific” Conceptions Of Barriers-To-Care: Eye Care Among Chinese Immigrant And African American Elderly Populations In Philadelphia” (Advisor: Giang Nguyen)  

Charlotte Ezratty, “Bulimia: Multi-Causal Perspectives and a Look to the Future”

Courtney Ng, “Womanhood and Maternal Health-Seeking Behaviors in Periphery China: A Hani Perspective”

Pallavi Podapati,  “Invisible Coalfields and the Politics of Knowledge: The Struggle to Ensure the Health and Safety of Coal Miners”

Line Stenland, “Feast on Fat to Look Fab: The Scandinavian LCHF Diet Phenomenon and Its Implications for Food Beliefs and Health in Norway”  

Maria Bellantoni , “Factors Affecting Age-of-Entry into Long-Term Care” (Adviser: Jason Schnittker)

Erica Catalano , “The Social Perceptions of Infant Feeding Practices: A Study of Penn Undergraduates" (Adviser: Claudia Valeggia)

Andrea Cheung , “Accounting for the Low Usage of Drug Addiction Treatment Services by Aboriginals Living in British Columbia, Canada” (Adviser: James McKay)

Reni Ellis , “Comfortable, Safe, Supported and Cared For: Exploring Conceptual Definitions of Child-Friendliness in Children’s Advocacy Centers” (Adviser: Carolyn Cannuscio) Alina Kim , “South Korean and U.S. American International Health Volunteers: The Nature of the Relationship between Country of Origin and Volunteer Variables” (Adviser: Kent Bream)

Regina Lam , “Dissecting the Trust in Acupuncturist-Patient Relationships: Experiences of  Breast Cancer Survivors”  (Adviser: Jun Mao)

Aileen Palmer , “Possible Effects of Observing Kashrut on the Conceptualization of Food, Dieting and Body Image in Jewish American Women” (Adviser: Jane Kauer)

Lora Rosenblum , “Obesity, Public Health Legislation and the Role of Industry: A Closer Look at the Calorie Labeling Mandate and the Soda Tax” (Adviser: Mary Summers)  

Matt Amalfitano , “For Better or For Worse: Coverage of Sexual Assault on a college campus and reporting of sexual assault” (Advisor, Susan Sorenson)

Andrea Frantz , “Understanding Oral Health from A Caregiver's Perspective” (Adviser, Fran Barg)

Melissa Gradilla , “Comparing Childbirth Practices: Connections, variations, and conflicts in traditional and biomedical obstetric care in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala" (Adviser, Claudia Valeggia)

Pavithra Jaisankar ,  “Anandibai Joshee at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania: Negotiating Representations of Birth” (Adviser, David Barnes)

Masha Jones , “The Community Navigator Experience: A Case Study of the Community-Based Navigator Program for Cancer Control” (Adviser, Fran Barg)

Alexandra Lipschultz , “Euthanasia in Disguise?: An Interview Study of Hospice Families’ Experiences with Pallative Sedation” (Adviser, Autumn Fiester)

Emer Lucey , “Autism in the News, 1943-1983”  (Adviser, Michael Yudell)

Brian Mertens , “The Crusade for Pure Milk Has Begun: Science, Politics, and Municipal Milk,Regulation in Philadelphia, 1889-1914”  (Adviser, David Barnes)  

Elena Blebea , “The Latin American Diet Pyramid: Serving the Latino Population?” (Advisor, Fran Barg)

Anup Das , “Obesity: Attitudes and Beliefs of Indian Physicians”  (Advisor, Robert Aronowitz)

Shayleigh Dickson , “”The Experience of Latina Mothers of Children Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder” (Advisor, Ellen Giarelli)

Andrew Gaffney , “ Abortion in the Case of Anencephaly: How Brazilian Bioethics is Affecting the Debate   “ (Advisor, Jonathan Moreno)

George Karandinos , ‘”You Ridin’?”: The Moral Economy of Violence in North Philadelphia’ (Advisor, Philippe Bourgeois)

Sheyla Medina , “The Relationship between Parental Educational Attainment and Perceived Racial Discrimination among African-American Female Adolescents.” (Advisor, Susmita Pati)

Clara Ng , “Opportunity Amid Crisis: Development of Social Enterprise as a Response to Diabetes in Mali” (Advisor, Adriana Petryna)

Alix Pruzansky , “How Pre-operative Depressive Symptoms and Aberrant Eating in Adolescents Affect Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery”  (Advisor, David Sarwer)

Alix Winter , “Adolescents’ Perceptions of Their Futures and Cigarette Smoking” (Advisor, Jason Schnittker)

Fan Zhou , “The Effect of the 2007 Recession on Health Behaviors” ( Advisor, Arnold Rosoff)  

Janene Brown , “Human Interaction in the Asthma Clinic of the Children's Hospital of      Philadelphia."                        Rachel Crystal , “Food-Insecurity, Coping Strategies, and Health in Las Vegas      Consumers During the Current Economic Crisis.”             Daniel Eisenberg , "The Impact of Select Characteristics of Government on Life      Expectancy at Different Levels of Economic Development."            Christina Eklund , “HIV Testing: A Qualitative Study on the Perspectives of Philadelphia      Health Care Providers.”            Sara Flanagan, "Examining Funding and Need in Humanitarian Action: The 2004        South-Asian Tsunami Response."            Markley Foreman , "The TRIPS Agreement and Developing Countries: India's       Experience With Patent Law and Public Health." Lena Gottesman , “Transplant Access and Success in a Pediatric Renal Unit: An Ethical       Perspective on Social Support.”            Jessica Ho , "The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Population Health: An       Aggregate Analysis."            Ashley LeMaire , “Student Motivations for Binge-Drinking at the University of       Pennsylvania.”            Lavanya Madhusudan, “A Mixed-Methods Study of Child Nutritional Status in the Urban       Slums of Bangalore, India.”          

Research Topics & Ideas: Education

170+ Research Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring education-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas , including examples from actual dissertations and theses..

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Education Research Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• List of 50+ education-related research topics/ideas
• List of 120+ level-specific research topics 
• Examples of actual dissertation topics in education
• Tips to fast-track your topic ideation (video)
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

Education-Related Research Topics & Ideas

Below you’ll find a list of education-related research topics and idea kickstarters. These are fairly broad and flexible to various contexts, so keep in mind that you will need to refine them a little. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

• The impact of school funding on student achievement
• The effects of social and emotional learning on student well-being
• The effects of parental involvement on student behaviour
• The impact of teacher training on student learning
• The impact of classroom design on student learning
• The impact of poverty on education
• The use of student data to inform instruction
• The role of parental involvement in education
• The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The use of technology in the classroom
• The role of critical thinking in education
• The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
• The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
• The use of gamification in education
• The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
• The impact of school leadership on student achievement
• The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
• The implementation of blended and online learning
• The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
• The effects of standardized testing on student learning
• The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
• The effects of school culture on student achievement
• The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
• The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
• The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
• The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
• The use of project-based learning in the classroom
• The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
• The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
• The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
• The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
• The use of positive reinforcement in education
• The impact of school climate on student engagement
• The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
• The effects of school choice on student achievement
• The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

• Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
• Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
• The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
• The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
• The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
• Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
• The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
• The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
• The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
• Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
• The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
• Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
• Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
• The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
• Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
• Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
• The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
• Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
• Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
• The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
• The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
• Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
• The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
• The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
• The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
• The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
• Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
• The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
• Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
• The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
• Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

• Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
• The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
• The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
• The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
• The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
• Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
• The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
• The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
• The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
• The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
• The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
• The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
• The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
• The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
• Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
• The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
• The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
• The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
• Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
• The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
• Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
• The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

• The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
• The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
• The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
• Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
• The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
• The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
• The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
• Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
• The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
• The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
• The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
• The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
• Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
• Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
• Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
• The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
• Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
• Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
• The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
• Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
• The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
• The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
• The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
• Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
• Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
• The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
• The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
• Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
• A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
• A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
• Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
• Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
• Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
• Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
• Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
• The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
• Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
• Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
• How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
• The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

70 Comments

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Special education

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Research title related to school of students

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Research title related to students

My field is research measurement and evaluation. Need dissertation topics in the field

Assalam o Alaikum I’m a student Bs educational Resarch and evaluation I’m confused to choose My thesis title please help me in choose the thesis title

Good idea I’m going to teach my colleagues

You can find our list of nursing-related research topic ideas here: https://gradcoach.com/research-topics-nursing/

Write on action research topic, using guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

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parental involvement and students academic performance

Science education topics?

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Hi i am an Deputy Principal in a primary school. My wish is to srudy foe Master’s degree in Education.Please advice me on which topic can be relevant for me. Thanks.

Thank you so much for the information provided. I would like to get an advice on the topic to research for my masters program. My area of concern is on teacher morale versus students achievement.

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Kindly help me with the research questions on the topic” Effects of workplace conflict on the employees’ job performance”. The effects can be applicable in every institution,enterprise or organisation.

Greetings, I am a student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Administration. I’m considering any recommended research topic in the field of Sociology.

I’m a student pursuing Mphil in Basic education and I’m considering any recommended research proposal topic in my field of study

Research Defense for students in senior high

Kindly help me with a research topic in educational psychology. Ph.D level. Thank you.

Project-based learning is a teaching/learning type,if well applied in a classroom setting will yield serious positive impact. What can a teacher do to implement this in a disadvantaged zone like “North West Region of Cameroon ( hinterland) where war has brought about prolonged and untold sufferings on the indegins?

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration PhD level

I am also looking for such type of title

I am a student of undergraduate, doing research on how to use guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

the topics are very good regarding research & education .

Am an undergraduate student carrying out a research on the impact of nutritional healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools

Can i request your suggestion topic for my Thesis about Teachers as an OFW. thanx you

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education,PhD level

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l would like to request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

I would to inquire on research topics on Educational psychology, Masters degree

I am PhD student, I am searching my Research topic, It should be innovative,my area of interest is online education,use of technology in education

request suggestion on topic in masters in medical education .

Look at British Library as they keep a copy of all PhDs in the UK Core.ac.uk to access Open University and 6 other university e-archives, pdf downloads mostly available, all free.

May I also ask for a topic based on mathematics education for college teaching, please?

Please I am a masters student of the department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education Please I am in need of proposed project topics to help with my final year thesis

Am a PhD student in Educational Foundations would like a sociological topic. Thank

please i need a proposed thesis project regardging computer science

Greetings and Regards I am a doctoral student in the field of philosophy of education. I am looking for a new topic for my thesis. Because of my work in the elementary school, I am looking for a topic that is from the field of elementary education and is related to the philosophy of education.

Masters student in the field of curriculum, any ideas of a research topic on low achiever students

In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

Amazing guidelines

I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

Hi, I am an Early childhood trainer as well as a researcher, I need more support on this topic: The impact of early childhood education on later academic success.

I’m a student in upper level secondary school and I need your support in this research topics: “Impact of incorporating project -based learning in teaching English language skills in secondary schools”.

Although research activities and topics should stem from reflection on one’s practice, I found this site valuable as it effectively addressed many issues we have been experiencing as practitioners.

Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.

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Research: Consumers Spend Loyalty Points and Cash Differently

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Your loyalty strategy needs to consider four ways people value points.

Do consumers treat loyalty points the same way that they treat traditional money? And, how do they choose to spend one versus the other?  The authors of this article present research findings from their analysis of  data describing over 29,000 unique loyalty points earning and spending transactions made during two recent years by 500 airline loyalty program consumers.  They found that points users fell into four distinct categories: 1) Money advocates, who prefer cash over points, even when their value is identical in terms of purchasing power; 2)  Currency impartialists, who regard points and cash interchangeably, valuing them equally based on their financial worth; 3) Point gamers, who actively seek out the most advantageous point redemption opportunities, opting to spend points particularly when their value significantly surpasses that of cash; and 4) Point lovers, who value points more than money even if their purchase power is the same or lower. This article explores the strategic implications of these findings for companies that manage loyalty programs.

In the years since The Economist  spotlighted the astonishing scale of loyalty points — particularly frequent-flyer miles — as a potential global currency rivaling traditional money in 2005, usage has grown rapidly in size and scope. For example, the number of flight redemptions at Southwest Airlines doubled from 5.4 million in 2013 (representing 9.5% of revenue passenger miles) to 10.9 million in 2023 (representing 16.3% of revenue passenger miles).

• SC So Yeon Chun is an Associate Professor of Technology & Operations Management at INSEAD, a  global business school with campuses in Abu Dhabi, France, and Singapore.
• FL Freddy Lim is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Analytics at the National University of Singapore, School of Computing in Singapore
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Applications for New Awards; Special Education Dissertation Research Fellowship Program

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Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.

The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Special Education Dissertation Research Fellowship Program.

Application Package Available: August 29, 2024.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 14, 2024.

For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 ( 87 FR 75045 ) and available at www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs .

Courtney Pollack. Telephone: 202-987-0999. Email: [email protected] .

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Purpose of Program: In awarding research training grant programs, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) aims to prepare individuals to conduct rigorous and relevant education and special education research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners.

Assistance Listing Number: 84.324G.

OMB Control Number: 4040-0001.

Competition in This Notice: The IES National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) is announcing one competition: Special Education Dissertation Research Fellowship Program (ALN 84.324G). Under the Dissertation program, doctoral students will receive support for conducting their dissertation and participating in related training with guidance from a sponsor at their institution. NCSER will consider only applications that address one or more of the following topics:

• Education Systems
• Education Technologies
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Multiple Submissions: You may submit applications to more than one of the FY 2025 research and research training grant programs offered through the Department, including those offered through IES as well as those offered through other offices and programs within the Department. You may submit multiple applications to the grant program announced here as long as they specify different doctoral students and dissertation research. However, you may submit a given application only once for the IES FY 2025 grant competitions, meaning you may not submit the same application or similar applications to multiple grant programs within IES, to multiple topics within a grant competition, or multiple times within the same topic. If you submit multiple similar applications, IES will determine whether and which applications will be accepted for review and/or will be eligible for funding. In addition, if you submit the same or similar application to IES and to another funding entity within or external to the Department and receive funding for the non-IES application prior to IES scientific peer review of applications, you must withdraw the same or similar application submitted to IES, or IES may otherwise determine you are ineligible to receive an award. If reviews are happening concurrently, IES staff will consult with the other potential funder to determine the degree of overlap and which entity will provide funding if both applications are being considered for funding.

Exemption from Proposed Rulemaking: Under section 191 of the ( print page 66373) Education Sciences Reform Act, 20 U.S.C. 9581 , IES is not subject to section 437(d) of the General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d) , and is therefore not required to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on matters relating to grants.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.

Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 77 , 81 , 82 , 84 , 86 , 97 , 98 , and 99 . In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR part 75 are applicable, except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100 , 75.101(b) , 75.102 , 75.103 , 75.105 , 75.109(a) , 75.200 , 75.201 , 75.209 , 75.210 , 75.211 , 75.217(a)-(c) , 75.219 , 75.220 , 75.221 , 75.222 , 75.230 , 75.250(a) , and 75.708 . (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180 , as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485 . (c) The Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR part 200 , as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474 .

Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not apply to this competition.

Note: The Department will implement the provisions in the OMB final rule OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance, which amends 2 CFR parts 25 , 170 , 175 , 176 , 180 , 182 , 183 , 184 , and 200 , on October 1, 2024. Grant applicants that anticipate a performance period start date on or after October 1, 2024 should follow the provisions in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance ( 89 FR 30046 ) when preparing an application. For more information about these updated regulations please visit: www.cfo.gov/​resources/​uniform-guidance/​ .

Type of Awards: Discretionary grants.

Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an appropriation for FY 2025, IES is inviting applications for this competition now so that applicants can have adequate time to prepare their applications. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. IES may announce additional competitions later in 2024.

Estimated Range of Awards: Up to $50,000 for the entire project period of 1 year.

Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards will depend on the quality of the applications received and the availability of funds.

IES may waive any of the following limits on awards in the special case that the peer review process results in a tie between two or more grant applications, making it impossible to adhere to the limits without funding only some of the equally ranked applications. In that case, IES may make a larger number of awards to include all applications of the same rank.

IES intends to fund up to eight grants. However, should funding be available, IES may consider making additional awards to high-quality applications that remain unfunded after eight awards are made.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 1 year.

1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education in the United States and its territories that confer doctoral degrees.

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: The competition in this notice does not require cost sharing or matching.

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c)(2) , indirect cost reimbursement on a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or 8 percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ocfo/​intro.html .

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application.

1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 ( 87 FR 75045 ) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs , which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. Other Information: Information regarding program and application requirements can be found in the currently available IES Application Submission Guide and in the Request for Applications (RFA), which will be available on or before August 29, 2024, on the IES website at: https://ies.ed.gov/​funding/​ . The application package will also be available on or before August 29, 2024.

3. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA. The forms that must be submitted are in the application package.

4. Submission Dates and Times: The deadline date for transmittal of applications is November 14, 2024.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

5. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79 .

6. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

1. Selection Criteria: For all of its grant competitions, IES uses selection criteria based on a peer review process that has been approved by the National Board for Education Sciences. The Peer Review Procedures for Grant Applications can be found on the IES website at https://ies.ed.gov/​director/​sro/​application_​review.asp .

Peer reviewers will be asked to evaluate the significance of the application, quality of the research plan, quality of the career plan, and quality of the management plan. These criteria will be described in greater detail in the RFA.

Applications must include budgets no higher than the maximum award as set out in the RFA. IES will not make an award exceeding the maximum award amount as set out in the RFA.

2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, IES may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3) , the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, compliance with the IES policy regarding public access to research, and compliance with grant conditions. IES may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, IES requires various ( print page 66374) assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department ( 34 CFR 100.4 , 104.5 , 106.4 , 108.8 , and 110.23 ).

3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 200.206 , before awarding grants under this competition, the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208 , IES may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10 , in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D ; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards—that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant—before we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.

Please note that, if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII , require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII , if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

5. In General: In accordance with the OMB's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200 , all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting applications in accordance with:

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications ( 2 CFR 200.205 );

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 ( Pub. L. 115-232 ) ( 2 CFR 200.216 );

(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States ( 2 CFR 200.322 ); and

(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities ( 2 CFR 200.340 ).

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We also may notify you informally.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for an annual meeting of four days for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.

4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under the competition announced in this notice, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b) .

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by IES. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by IES under 34 CFR 75.118 . IES may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c) . For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html .

5. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its special education research grant programs, IES annually assesses the percentage of projects that result in peer-reviewed publications, the number of newly developed or modified interventions with evidence of promise for improving learner education outcomes, and the number of IES-supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in improving learner education outcomes. School readiness outcomes include pre-reading, reading, pre-writing, early mathematics, early science, and social-emotional skills that prepare young children for school. Developmental outcomes for infants and toddlers (birth to age three) include cognitive, communicative, linguistic, social, emotional, adaptive, functional, or physical development. Student academic outcomes include learning and achievement in academic content areas, such as reading, writing, math, and science, as well as outcomes that reflect students' successful progression through the education system, such as course and grade completion; high school graduation; and postsecondary enrollment, progress, and completion. Social and behavioral competencies include social and emotional skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are important to academic and post-academic success. Functional outcomes include behaviors and skills that learners need to participate in developmentally appropriate routines and activities. Transition outcomes include transition to employment, independent living, and postsecondary education. Employment and earnings outcomes include hours of employment, job stability, and wages and benefits, and may be measured in addition to student academic outcomes.

6. Continuation Awards: There is no option for a continuation award under this competition.

Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT , as well as in the RFA and application package, individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the RFA in an accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format. ( print page 66375)

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register . You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov . At this site you can view this document, as well as all other Department documents published in the Federal Register , in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access Department documents published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at www.federalregister.gov . Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Matthew Soldner,

Acting Director, Institute of Education Sciences.

[ FR Doc. 2024-18271 Filed 8-14-24; 8:45 am]

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US government report says fluoride at twice the recommended limit is linked to lower IQ in kids

FILE - Water flows from a water fountain in Concord, N.H., on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jim Cole]

NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children.

The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined — “with moderate confidence” — that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

“I think this (report) is crucial in our understanding” of this risk, said Ashley Malin, a University of Florida researcher who has studied the effect of higher fluoride levels in pregnant women on their children. She called it the most rigorously conducted report of its kind.

The long-awaited report released Wednesday comes from the National Toxicology Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It summarizes a review of studies, conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico, that concludes that drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter is consistently associated with lower IQs in kids.

FILE - A child rinses a toothbrush in San Francisco on June 18, 2019. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Gabrielle Lurie

The report did not try to quantify exactly how many IQ points might be lost at different levels of fluoride exposure. But some of the studies reviewed in the report suggested IQ was 2 to 5 points lower in children who’d had higher exposures.

Since 2015, federal health officials have recommended a fluoridation level of 0.7 milligrams per liter of water, and for five decades before the recommended upper range was 1.2. The World Health Organization has set a safe limit for fluoride in drinking water of 1.5.

The report said that about 0.6% of the U.S. population — about 1.9 million people — are on water systems with naturally occurring fluoride levels of 1.5 milligrams or higher.

“The findings from this report raise the questions about how these people can be protected and what makes the most sense,” Malin said.

The 324-page report did not reach a conclusion about the risks of lower levels of fluoride, saying more study is needed. It also did not answer what high levels of fluoride might do to adults.

The American Dental Association, which champions water fluoridation, had been critical of earlier versions of the new analysis and Malin’s research. Asked for comment, a spokeswoman late Wednesday afternoon emailed that the organization’s experts were still reviewing the report.

Fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in water and soil. About 80 years ago, scientists discovered that people whose water supplies naturally had more fluoride also had fewer cavities, triggering a push to get more Americans to use fluoride for better dental health.

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first U.S. city to start adding fluoride to tap water. In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Though fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.

Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.

Separately, the Environmental Protection Agency has maintained a longstanding requirement that water systems cannot have more than 4 milligrams of fluoride per liter. That standard is designed to prevent skeletal fluorosis, a potentially crippling disorder which causes weaker bones, stiffness and pain.

But more and more studies have increasingly pointed to a different problem, suggesting a link between higher levels of fluoride and brain development. Researchers wondered about the impact on developing fetuses and very young children who might ingest water with baby formula. Studies in animals showed fluoride could impact neurochemistry cell function in brain regions responsible for learning, memory, executive function and behavior.

In 2006, the National Research Council, a private nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., said limited evidence from China pointed to neurological effects in people exposed to high levels of fluoride. It called for more research into the effect of fluoride on intelligence.

After more research continued to raise questions, the National Toxicology Program in 2016 started working on a review of the available studies that could provide guidance on whether new fluoride-limiting measures were needed.

There were earlier drafts but the final document has repeatedly been held up. At one point, a committee of experts said available research did not support an earlier draft’s conclusions.

“Since fluoride is such an important topic to the public and to public health officials, it was imperative that we made every effort to get the science right,” said Rick Woychik, director of the National Toxicology Program, in a statement.

Malin said it makes sense for pregnant women to lower their fluoride intake, not only from water but also from certain types of tea. It might also make sense to have policy discussions about whether to require fluoride-content on beverage labels, she said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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