The Research Question in Social Research: What is its Role?

Abstract

This paper addresses the role of the research question in social research. It outlines what is taken to be the conventional view in many methodological discussions, namely, that research questions guide decisions about research design and research methods. This position is taken to imply that social researchers typically take the view that research methods need to be tailored to the research questions that guide an investigation. The paper questions how far this position pertains to actual research practice. Drawing on interviews with researchers about their practices in relation to mixed‐method research, two discourses were found in the transcripts. A particularistic discourse that reflects the traditional view, whereby mixed‐method research is viewed as only appropriate when research questions warrant it, was uncovered. In addition, a universalistic discourse, which sees mixed‐method research as more generally superior, was also uncovered. The implications of these viewpoints for understanding the role of research questions are then discussed.