Research Question
The research question is the foundation of any research project. It is the starting point for any investigation and guides the researcher in the process of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. A well-formulated research question is clear, concise, and focused, and it helps to define the scope and objectives of the study.
In this document, we will discuss what a research question is, why it is important, and how to formulate a good research question. We will also provide examples of research questions and common traps to avoid when formulating your research question.
What is a Research Question?
- A question about your topic that can be answered through research.
- A good research question generates a list of possible answers.
What is the Difference Between Search and Research?
- Search: Can real-time tracking reduce delivery delays in supply chains?
- Research: In what ways does real-time tracking reduce delivery delays in supply chains?
- Way #1 it reduces delays
- Way #2 it reduces delays
- Way #3 it reduces delays
- Way #1 it reduces delays
- Search: How much did urban freight volumes increase during the pandemic?
- Research: What factors caused urban freight volumes to increase during the pandemic?
- Factor #1: Surge in e-commerce
- Factor #2: Increased reliance on home deliveries
- Factor #3: Changes in consumer behavior
- Factor #1: Surge in e-commerce
Narrowed Version:
What advances in warehouse automation have contributed to improved order fulfillment speed in e-commerce?
- Advance #1
- Advance #2
- Advance #3
Broadened Version:
- Too narrow: How did automated guided vehicles (AGVs) reduce picking times in warehouse Zone B during peak season 2023?
- Just right: How do AGVs improve efficiency in warehouse order picking?
- Improvement #1
- Improvement #2
- Improvement #3
Review Examples
- Bad: Do driverless trucks improve logistics performance? (The question lacks depth for building a list.)
- Good: What positive impacts do driverless trucks have on logistics performance?
- Impact #1
- Impact #2
- Impact #3
- Impact #1
- Bad: Does route optimization reduce fuel costs in fleet operations?
- Good: How effective is route optimization in reducing fuel costs in fleet operations?
- Effectiveness Factor #1
- Effectiveness Factor #2
- Effectiveness Factor #3
- Effectiveness Factor #1
Common Traps
- Unanswerable:
- How can logistics operations achieve perfection under all conditions?
- Opinion-Based:
- Which warehouse layout is the best?
- “Why-O-Why” Questions:
- Why do companies still rely on manual inventory counting?
Checklist for a Strong Research Question
- Approved? Has it been reviewed by an instructor, thesis adviser, or relevant authority?
- Objective? Is it free from bias and not cause-driven?
- Answerable? Can it be addressed with your research design and methods?
- Feasible? Do you have the time, resources, personnel, and equipment to answer it?
PICO Framework (for Empirical/Quantitative Research)
- Population: Who or what are you studying? (e.g., warehouses, logistics hubs, urban delivery zones)
- Intervention: What is being implemented? (e.g., route optimization, inventory tracking system)
- Comparison: Is there a control or comparison group? (e.g., pre-implementation vs. post-implementation data)
- Outcome: What results do you expect or are you measuring? (e.g., reduced costs, increased throughput)
Example from Document
Original:
“What is the optimal adaptive storage location assignment policy and pick policy combination to minimize costs under restrictions in the XYZ warehouse?”
- Problems:
- “Optimal” is too restrictive, implying there is only one best solution.
- “Costs” is too broad and lacks specificity—does it refer to labor costs, storage costs, or overall expenses?
- “Restrictions” lacks detail about what is limiting (e.g., space, labor availability, or operational constraints).
- “Optimal” is too restrictive, implying there is only one best solution.
Revised:
“What are effective adaptive storage location assignment and picking policy combinations that minimize operational costs, considering space and labor restrictions in the XYZ warehouse?”
- Why it’s better:
- Replaces “optimal” with “effective”, allowing for multiple possible solutions.
- Specifies the type of costs as operational costs.
- Clarifies the restrictions as space and labor-related.
- Replaces “optimal” with “effective”, allowing for multiple possible solutions.
PICO Analysis:
- Population: The XYZ warehouse’s operations team and environment
- Intervention: Adaptive storage location assignment and picking policy combinations
- Comparison: Different policy combinations (e.g., current methods vs. proposed solutions)
- Outcome: Minimizing operational costs
Example 2:
Original:
“How can warehouses reduce costs with automation?”
- Problems:
- “How can” is vague and does not allow for a structured analysis.
- “Costs” is too broad—does it mean operational, labor, or capital costs?
- “Automation” lacks specificity—does it refer to robotic picking, automated sorting, or something else?
- “How can” is vague and does not allow for a structured analysis.
Revised:
“What types of automation technologies are most effective in reducing labor costs in multi-zone warehouse order picking?”
- Why it’s better:
- Focuses on types of automation technologies.
- Specifies the target as labor costs.
- Narrows the context to multi-zone warehouse order picking.
- Focuses on types of automation technologies.
PICO Analysis:
- Population: Multi-zone warehouse environments
- Intervention: Introduction of automation technologies
- Comparison: Manual picking vs. automated picking
- Outcome: Reduction in labor costs
Example 3:
Original: “How can a hybrid slotting model, integrating re-slotting and healing, be developed for Company X, and how does its performance compare to existing slotting strategies in minimizing picker travel and associated costs?”
- Problems:
- picker travel time or distance?
- associated costs is too broad—does it refer to labor, fuel, or overall operational costs?
Revised: “How can a hybrid slotting model, integrating re-slotting and healing, be developed for Company X, and how does its performance compare to existing slotting strategies in minimizing picker travel distance and labor costs?”
- Why it’s better:
- Specifies picker travel distance instead of just travel.
- Clarifies associated costs as labor costs.
Final Tip: Use ChatGPT to Critique and Improve Your Research Question
ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for refining your research question (RQ). It can help you identify weaknesses, suggest improvements, and ensure the question aligns with your research goals. Here are some example prompts to use effectively:
Example Prompts for Critiquing and Improving Research Questions
- General Feedback:
- “Can you critique this research question for clarity, feasibility, and specificity: ‘What are effective strategies to minimize fuel consumption in last-mile delivery trucks during peak hours?’”
- “What are the weaknesses in this research question: ‘How does warehouse automation impact labor efficiency?’ How can it be improved?”
- Improving Precision:
- “This is my research question: ‘What is the best warehouse design to maximize storage space?’ Can you suggest a more specific or measurable version of this question?”
- “Can you rephrase this question to make it more actionable: ‘How can supply chain costs be reduced?’?”
- Aligning with Feasibility:
- “Does this research question seem feasible within a 6-month timeframe: ‘What are the most effective order-picking strategies for reducing error rates in multi-zone warehouses?’”
- “Are there elements of this question that may be too broad or difficult to answer: ‘What is the optimal routing algorithm for urban freight logistics?’”
- Generating Alternatives:
- “Can you suggest three alternative research questions for this topic: ‘How can predictive analytics improve inventory management in e-commerce?’”
- “If my focus is on automation in logistics, what are some alternative research questions related to reducing operational costs?”
- Using Frameworks:
- “This is my research question: ‘How do autonomous vehicles affect logistics performance in urban areas?’ Can you analyze it using the PICO framework?”
- “Can you rewrite this research question to better fit a cause-effect study: ‘How does route optimization affect delivery times?’”