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Lecture Notes: The Structure of the Quantitative Research Questions

There is no "one best way" to structure a quantitative research question. However, to create a well-structured
quantitative research question, an approach that is based on four steps:
1. Choosing the type of quantitative research question, you are trying to create (i.e., descriptive, comparative
or relationship-based);
2. Identifying the different types of variables, you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well as
any groups you may be interested in;
3. Selecting the appropriate structure for the chosen type of quantitative research question, based on the
variables and/or groups involved; and
4. Writing out the problem or issues you are trying to address in the form of a complete research question. In
this article, we discuss each of these four steps, as well as providing examples for the three types of
quantitative research question you may want to create: descriptive, comparative and relationship-based
research questions.

STEP ONE: Choose the type of quantitative research question (i.e., descriptive, comparative or relationship)
you are trying to create

The type of quantitative research question that you use in your thesis/dissertation
(i.e., descriptive, comparative and/or relationship-based) needs to be reflected in the way that you write out the
research question; that is, the word choice and phrasing that you use when constructing a research question
tells the reader whether it is a descriptive, comparative or relationship-based research question. Therefore, in
order to know how to structure your quantitative research question, you need to start by selecting the type of
quantitative research question you are trying to create: descriptive, comparative and/or relationship-based.

STEP TWO: Identify the different types of variable you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well
as any groups you may be interested in

Whether you are trying to create a descriptive, comparative or relationship-based research question, you will
need to identify the different types of variable that you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control. If you
are unfamiliar with the different types of variable that may be part of your study, the article, Types of variable,
should get you up to speed. It explains the two main types of variables:
Categorical variables (i.e., nominal, dichotomous and ordinal variables) and continuous
variables (i.e., interval and ratio variables).

It also explains the difference between independent and dependent variables, which you need to understand to
create quantitative research questions.

To provide a brief explanation; a variable is not only something that you measure, but also something that you
can manipulate and control for. In most undergraduate and master's level dissertations, you are only likely
to measure and manipulate variables. You are unlikely to carry out research that requires you to control for
variables, although some supervisors will expect this additional level of complexity. If you plan to only
create descriptive research questions, you may simply have a number of dependent variables that you need to
measure.

1 CHERRYPYN B. BARBACENA, Ed. D

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TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

However, where you plan to create comparative and/or relationship-based research questions, you will deal
with both dependent and independent variables. An independent variable (sometimes called
an experimental or predictor variable) is a variable that is being manipulated in an experiment in order to observe
the effect this has on a dependent variable (sometimes called an outcome variable). For example, if we were
interested in investigating the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst
adolescents, the independent variable would be gender and the dependent variable attitudes towards music
piracy. This example also highlights the need to identify the group(s) you are interested in. In this example, the
group of interest are adolescents.

Once you identifying the different types of variable you are trying to measure, manipulate and/or control, as well
as any groups you may be interested in, it is possible to start thinking about the way that the three types of
quantitative research question can be structured. This is discussed next.

STEP THREE: Select the appropriate structure for the chosen type of quantitative research question, based on
the variables and/or groups involved

The structure of the three types of quantitative research question differs, reflecting the goals of the question, the
types of variables, and the number of variables and groups involved. By structure, we mean the components of
a research question (i.e., the types of variables, groups of interest), the number of these different components
(i.e., how many variables and groups are being investigated), and the order that these should be presented (e.g.,
independent variables before dependent variables). The appropriate structure for each of these quantitative
research questions is set out below:

Structure of descriptive research questions

There are six steps required to construct a descriptive research question: (1) choose your starting
phrase; (2) identify and name the dependent variable; (3) identify the group(s) you are interested in; (4) decide
whether dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts; (5) include any words that
provide greater context to your question; and (6) write out the descriptive research question. Each of these steps
is discussed in turn:

Choose your starting phrase

Identify and name the dependent variable
Identify the group(s) you are interested in
Decide whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts
Include any words that provide greater context to your question
Write out the descriptive research question

FIRST: Choose your starting phrase

You can start descriptive research questions with any of the following phrases:
How many?
How often?
How frequently?
How much?
What percentage?
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COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
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What proportion?
To what extent?
What is?
What are?

Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:
How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
How often do British university students use Facebook each week?
What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?
What proportion of British male and female university students use the top 5 social networks?
What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?

SECOND: Identify and name the dependent variable

All descriptive research questions have a dependent variable. You need to identify what this is. However, how
the dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different things. In
the examples below, we have illustrated the name of the dependent variable and highlighted how it would be
written out in the blue text.

Name of the dependent How the dependent variable is written out

variable
Daily calorific intake How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
Daily calorific intake What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?
Weekly Facebook usage How often do British university students use Facebook each week?
Factors influencing career What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian
choices university students?
Use of the top 5 social What proportion of British male and female university students use the top 5 social
networks networks?

The first two examples highlight that while the name of the dependent variable is the same, namely daily calorific
intake, the way that this dependent variable is written out differs in each case.

THIRD: Identify the group(s) you are interested in

All descriptive research questions have at least one group, but can have multiple groups. You need to identify
this group(s). In the examples below, we have identified the group(s) in the green text.

How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
How often do British university students use Facebook each week?
What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?
What proportion of British male and female university students use the top 5 social networks?
What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?
The examples illustrate the difference between the use of a single group (e.g., British university students) and
multiple groups (e.g., American men and women).

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TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

FOURTH: Decide whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first, last or in two parts
Sometimes it makes more sense for the dependent variable to appear before the group(s) you are interested in,
but sometimes it is the opposite way around. The following examples illustrate this, with the group(s) in green
text and the dependent variable in blue text:

Group 1st; dependent variable 2nd:

How often do British university students use Facebook each week?

Dependent variable 1st; group 2nd:

What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?

Sometimes, the dependent variable needs to be broken into two parts around the group(s) you are interested in
so that the research question flows. Again, the group(s) are in green text and the dependent variable is in blue
text:

How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
Of course, you could choose to restructure the question above so that you do not have to split the dependent
variable into two parts. For example:
How many calories are consumed per day by American men and women?
When deciding whether the dependent variable or group(s) should be included first or last, and whether the
dependent variable should be broken into two parts, the main thing you need to think about is flow: Does the
question flow? Is it easy to read?

FIFTH: Include any words that provide greater context to your question
Sometimes the name of the dependent variable provides all the explanation we need to know what we are trying
to measure. Take the following examples:

How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
How often do British university students use Facebook each week?

In the first example, the dependent variable is daily calorific intake (i.e., calories consumed per day). Clearly,
this descriptive research question is asking us to measure the number of calories American men and women
consume per day. In the second example, the dependent variable is Facebook usage per week. Again, the name
of this dependent variable makes it easy for us to understand that we are trying to measure the often (i.e., how
frequently; e.g., 16 times per week) British university students use Facebook.

However, sometimes a descriptive research question is not simply interested in measuring the dependent
variable in its entirety, but a particular component of the dependent variable. Take the following examples in red
text:

What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?
What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?

In the first example, the research question is not simply interested in the daily calorific intake of American men
and women, but what percentage of these American men and women exceeded their daily calorific allowance.
4 CHERRYPYN B. BARBACENA, Ed. D
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TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

So the dependent variable is still daily calorific intake, but the research question aims to understand a particular
component of that dependent variable (i.e., the percentage of American men and women exceeding the
recommend daily calorific allowance). In the second example, the research question is not only interested in
what the factors influencing career choices are, but which of these factors are the most important.
Therefore, when you think about constructing your descriptive research question, make sure you have included
any words that provide greater context to your question.

SIXTH: Write out the descriptive research question

Once you have these details ? (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of
the group(s) you are interested in, and (4) any potential joining words ? you can write out the descriptive research
question in full. The example descriptive research questions discussed above are written out in full below:

How many calories do American men and women consume per day?
How often do British university students use Facebook each week?
What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?
What proportion of British male and female university students use the top 5 social networks?
What percentage of American men and women exceed their daily calorific allowance?

In the section that follows, the structure of comparative research questions is discussed.

Structure of comparative research questions

There are five steps required to construct a comparative research question: (1) choose your starting
phrase; (2) identify and name the dependent variable; (3) identify the groups you are interested in; (4) identify
the appropriate adjoining text; and (5)write out the comparative research question. Each of these steps is
discussed in turn:
Choose your starting phrase
Identify and name the dependent variable
Identify the groups you are interested in
Identify the appropriate adjoining text
Write out the comparative research question

FIRST: Choose your starting phrase

Comparative research questions typically start with one of two phrases:
Number of dependent variables Starting phrase
Two What is the difference in?
Three or more What are the differences in?

Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:

What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university
students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?
5 CHERRYPYN B. BARBACENA, Ed. D
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 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

SECOND: Identify and name the dependent variable

All comparative research questions have a dependent variable. You need to identify what this is. However, how
the dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different things. In
the examples below, we have illustrated the name of the dependent variable and highlighted how it would
be written out in the blue text.

Name of the dependent How the dependent variable is written out

variable
Daily calorific intake What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
Perceptions towards Internet What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between
banking security adolescents and pensioners?
Attitudes towards music piracy What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is
freely distributed or purchased?
Weekly Facebook photo What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male
uploads and female university students?

The first three examples highlight that while the name of the dependent variable is the same, namely daily
calorific intake, the way that this dependent variable is written out differs in each case.

THIRD: Identify the groups you are interested in

All comparative research questions have at least two groups. You need to identify these groups. In the examples
below, we have identified the groups in the green text.
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university
students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security
between adolescents and pensioners?

What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?
It is often easy to identify groups because they reflect different types of people (e.g., men and women,
adolescents and pensioners), as highlighted by the first three examples. However, sometimes the two groups
you are interested in reflect two different conditions, as highlighted by the final example. In this final example,
the two conditions (i.e., groups) are pirated music that is freely distributed and pirated music that is purchased.
So we are interested in how the attitudes towards music piracy differ when pirated music is freely distributed as
opposed to when pirated music in purchased.

FOURTH: Identify the appropriate adjoining text

Before you write out the groups you are interested in comparing, you typically need to include some adjoining
text. Typically, this adjoining text includes the words between or amongst, but other words may be more
appropriate, as highlighted by the examples in red text below:

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COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university
students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?

FIFTH: Write out the comparative research question

Once you have these details - (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of
the groups you are interested in comparing, and (4) any potential adjoining words - you can write out the
comparative research question in full. The example comparative research questions discussed above are written
out in full below:
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university
students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?

In the section that follows, the structure of relationship-based research questions is discussed.
Structure of relationship-based research questions

There are six steps required to construct a relationship-based research question: (1) choose your starting
phrase; (2) identify the independent variable(s); (3) identify the dependent variable(s); (4) identify the
group(s); (5) identify the appropriate adjoining text; and (6) write out the relationship-based research question.
Each of these steps is discussed in turn.
Choose your starting phrase
Identify the independent variable(s)
Identify the dependent variable(s)
Identify the group(s)
Identify the appropriate adjoining text
Write out the relationship-based research question

FIRST: Choose your starting phrase

Relationship-based research questions typically start with one or two phrases:
Name of the independent variable Starting phrase
Two What is the relationship between?
Three or more What are the relationships of?

Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job
satisfaction between managers and non-managers?

7 CHERRYPYN B. BARBACENA, Ed. D

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COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

SECOND: Name the independent variable(s)

All relationship-based research questions have at least one independent variable. You need to identify what this
is. In the examples that follow, the independent variable(s) is highlighted in the purple text.

What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job
satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
When doing a dissertation at the undergraduate and master's level, it is likely that your research question will
only have one or two independent variables, but this is not always the case.

THIRD: Name the dependent variable(s)

All relationship-based research questions also have at least one dependent variable. You also need to identify
what this is. At the undergraduate and master's level, it is likely that your research question will only have one
dependent variable. In the examples that follow, the dependent variable is highlighted in the blue text.

What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job
satisfaction between managers and non-managers?

FOURTH: Name of the group(s)

All relationship-based research questions have at least one group, but can have multiple groups. You need to
identify this group(s). In the examples below, we have identified the group(s) in the green text.
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job
satisfaction between managers and non-managers?

FIFTH: Identify the appropriate adjoining text

Before you write out the groups you are interested in comparing, you typically need to include some adjoining
text (i.e., usually the words between or amongst):
Number of groups Adjoining text
amongst?
One
[e.g., group 1]
between?
Two or more of?
[e.g., group 1 and group 2]

Some examples are highlighted in red text below:

What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job
satisfaction between managers and non-managers?

8 CHERRYPYN B. BARBACENA, Ed. D

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TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
Graduate Program
Manila

SIXTH: Write out the relationship-based research question

Once you have these details ? (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of
the independent variable, (4) the name of the group(s) you are interested in, and (5) any potential adjoining
words ? you can write out the relationship-based research question in full. The example relationship-based
research questions discussed above are written out in full below:

What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job
satisfaction between managers and non-managers?

STEP FOUR: Write out the problem or issues you are trying to address in the form of a complete research
question
In the previous section, we illustrated how to write out the three types of research question (i.e., descriptive,
comparative and relationship-based research questions). Whilst these rules should help you when writing out
your research question(s), the main thing you should keep in mind is whether your research question(s) flow and
are easy to read.

(Source: http://dissertation.laerd.com/how-to-structure-quantitative-research-questions.php)

9 CHERRYPYN B. BARBACENA, Ed. D

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