## 2.2. How can I come up with a good research question?

A very common issue at the beginning of research projects among many students, PhD candidates Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and even among senior academics is uncertainty about the question that the project should answer.

A good research question addresses an important problem, the answer to which contributes to both societal needs and to science. Your contribution to science and society should answer a question that is both unresolved and important. It should be a question that we do not yet have the answer to or an incorrect answer, and it should be a question that matters. We will get to the societal and scientific relevance in sections 2.4 and 2.5 below.

Your research question should be an interesting question. That is: the answer should be relevant for yourself, for society as well as for science.

It is important that you are personally intrigued by the question you are asking, because you will devote a substantial amount of time to your research. You better work on something you find interesting. One way to avoid getting bored is by asking a question that is relevant to you personally. This will keep you motivated when you get a lot of feedback, when you are waiting for your data to come in, or when have to engage in repetitious work to prepare the analyses.

How then do you find your question? Start by reading literature recommended to you by your supervisor. As you are reading these materials, see which of these spark your interest. If your supervisor has not yet provided a review article that presents the state of the art on the topic, try to find it. Section 3.4.2 provides suggestions that help you find such an article. Research reports and review articles often end with suggestions for future research. Which of these questions are most appealing to you? Which questions do you think are most relevant for science and society?

Next, draft your research question using the suggestions below. Write down the reasons why you find the question important for science and society. Don’t worry if you find it difficult to do this. Talk about your motivation with friends, not only to see whether they find the question important, but also to see whether you are able to make the case. If you can’t explain why it is an important question, it may not be an important question, or you have not mastered it yet. Through further discussions you discover which arguments are convincing. Revise the question using the feedback you get.

Finally, send your revised research question to your supervisor. Be prepared to revise the text. Don’t be disappointed by the comments and suggestions that you will undoubtedly get – they do not mean that you have not thought it through or that you are on the wrong track. It is simply your supervisor’s role to improve your research ideas.