What is this article about?
This guide is about using questions in different ways throughout the research process. It aims to provide:
- an overview of the uses of questions in research
- different types of questions and how to use them
- questions to avoid or use with caution
- guidance on question wording and sequencing
- links to further sources of information.
Why focus on questions?
I know that many readers will be contemplating their School Evaluation Forms and wondering what evidence to provide. Gathering the views of pupils and parents can be particularly challenging, and a good quality self-evaluation depends on asking the right questions. This article aims to help you think about some of the issues involved in asking questions, whether for self-evaluation or a broader investigation.
Doing research is a wonderful excuse for nosiness: it gives you permission to ask questions of complete strangers and their answers provide a fascinating insight into another world. But asking questions is an art-form in itself. There is nothing more frustrating than getting to the end of a research project and realising that you asked too many of the wrong questions and not enough of the right ones. It is for this reason that I thought it might be useful to focus on questioning as a fundamental part of the research process.