ABSTRACT
The research question is the guiding principle for each and every researcher. At the same time, the research question is perhaps the most unelaborated topic in literature on practical theological research designs. This chapter addresses the challenge of formulating an adequate research question in Practical Theology. Two functions of a research question are explained: pinpointing the contribution of the research project to the whole endeavor of solving the research problem, and having the best possible guiding principle during the research process. Furthermore, different kinds of research objects in the research question are described. The chapter pays attention to descriptive, interpretative, normative, and pragmatic dimensions in practical theological research questions. Also, in this chapter the role of normativity is discussed, here with a particular eye on the process of formulating a research question.
