## Examples of poor research questions

### 1. Too vague

How does social media influence people?

- It’s unclear what you mean by “influence” (emotions, behavior, opinions, health?).

- “People” is far too broad – which group are you referring to?
  Improvement: How does daily use of Instagram affect the self-image of Dutch teenage girls aged 14–16?

### 2. Too broad

What are the causes of poverty?

- Poverty is an extremely complex topic with economic, political, social, and cultural dimensions.

- For a bachelor-level study, this is far too large to investigate with the time and resources available.
  Improvement: What is the relationship between education level and poverty among single parents in Rotterdam?

### 3. Too specific / closed

What percentage of students at our university has a part-time job?

- This is purely descriptive and only provides a number.

- There is no analysis or explanation; you are only answering a factual question.
  Improvement: Which factors explain why some students at our university have a part-time job while others do not?

### 4. Biased / leading

Why is online education worse than classroom education?

- The question already assumes that online education is “worse,” which biases the research.

- This can lead to bias in data collection and analysis.
  Improvement: What are the differences in academic outcomes between students who take online courses and those who attend classroom courses?

### 5. Not researchable

Does life exist after death?

- This is a philosophical or religious question that cannot be answered empirically using scientific methods.

- There are no measurable, observable data to provide a conclusive answer.
  Improvement: What beliefs do Dutch people hold about life after death, and which factors are associated with these beliefs?