Despite the fact that this is a research methods book, you should not assume that research begins with methods; it does not. Research begins with questions and researchers often care very deeply about both the questions and the potential answers. e identication of a viable research question is not, however, a straightforward process; the selection of questions is inuenced by myriad factors including personal background, interest and skills, personal preference, available funding, sociopolitical factors and current trends. e primary purpose of this chapter, therefore, is to focus on how and why research questions are developed, and to encourage you to identify two or three questions against which the methods chapters that follow can be considered.