ABSTRACT
The ideas for research typically emerge from reflection on issues encountered in professional practice. This chapter takes the reader on a journey from thinking of the original research idea (trigger) to formulate a clearer, answerable research question. Research themes may be either broader or more specific than the original triggers, but they make the forming of clear research questions easier. Research themes are still generally too broad to be specific research questions, and in fact may lead to several possible research questions for each theme. Getting the research question right is a key step in developing a research project, as selection of supervisors, identifying the necessary facilities and resources, and choosing the research design and methods, all depend substantially on the research question to be addressed. Even in an era of evidence-based health care, there is still a substantial proportion of professional practice for which there is no, little or conflicting research evidence.
