Abstract
Abstract This chapter addresses how to choose a research question. A research question, as distinct from a broader research topic, is the specific problem that researchers are trying to shed light on through the inquiry they conduct for a specific product (paper, thesis, article, book). The chapter discusses advantages and disadvantages of several different types of research questions: those that seek primarily to fill gaps in the literature; those that are driven by the researcher’s methodological skills; those animated mainly by interest in a particular problem. It also discusses the important role of our puzzles and of passions, both positive and negative, in the choice of research questions. Because no one type of question is optimal for all situations, the best research question for the researcher is likely to be the one that meets their specific needs as a scholar and as a person. However, all good research questions share a characteristic discussed in the final section of the chapter: they provide enough analytic leverage to be worth pursuing.
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