Formulating the Research Question and Objectives

Course Description:

Welcome to this introductory course on formulating research questions and objectives. Whether you are preparing your very first research protocol, a master’s dissertation, a doctoral thesis, or you are an experienced researcher looking to strengthen your foundational skills, this course will guide you in transforming a broad idea into a clear, structured, and feasible research question.

Many studies encounter challenges not because of a lack of scientific relevance, but because the initial research question is poorly formulated—too broad, unrealistic, insufficiently focused, or poorly aligned with the study objectives and methodology. These challenges are avoidable, and this course is designed to help you overcome them.

Through two complementary modules, you will learn how to use the PICO(T)(S) framework to structure research questions, the FINER criteria to assess their quality and relevance, and the SMART criteria to develop clear, measurable, and achievable objectives. Each concept is illustrated with practical examples drawn from the African context to facilitate application in your own research projects.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• • Distinguish between a research topic, a research question, a research objective, and a hypothesis.
  • Formulate a clear and structured research question using the PICO(T)(S) framework.
  • Adapt the PICO framework to the six major types of research questions: descriptive, etiological, diagnostic, prognostic, interventional, and qualitative.
  • Evaluate the quality and relevance of a research question using the FINER criteria.
  • Develop a general objective and specific objectives that are aligned with the research question.
  • Apply the SMART criteria to create objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
  • Ensure alignment between the research question, objectives, and hypothesis as part of developing a robust research protocol.