A good research question needs alignment: the problem, purpose, and question all point the same way. One student finished their dissertation faster after clarifying a single question instead of juggling multiple ones.
I've seen one student finish their entire dissertation quickly by ultimately changing one question in order to make it much more clear. From that point, they move forward quickly and finished. And that's what you want. Ultimately, what does make a good research question or research questions? And how do you do it? The simple answer is what we call alignment. And by alignment we mean does everything go in the same direction? Does your problem say one thing, your purpose say another thing? And your research questions still go in another direction? You're not in alignment, but when they all start answering or leading in the same direction, you have alignment. And if you're looking for assistance with your research questions, join our free Dissertation Help community to get help from dissertation chairs who've helped many people get through this process and graduate.
