The research question: Error type 2

The second most common research question error is to have a question that is too broad, lacking specificity, clarity, and not foreseeing future demands. The formulation of a research question should not result in a question that seems like a career path when in a job interview nor should it be a long term project, and even less, seem like as a massive endeavor that makes it unbelievable.
A research question must be a statement that prevents the researcher from going, in any way, beyond the scope of what a dissertation or a thesis should be. That is a 1 to 2 year project, that is lead by 1 single researcher, who is a full time faculty juggling other demands, and which will read by a group of 3 to 4 other faculty. Also, the resources at the disposal of the researcher should be secured, ideally in writing with tentative agreements, and not oral promises. By all means, what a research question asks for to offer a satisfactory answer should not go beyond what a dissertation or thesis entails for a graduate student, often without external funding, often without a team of collaborators, and most commonly within a time constrain timetable. Moreover, a research question must be answered within a study (thesis or dissertation) to the best of its capacity. How disappointing it is to read a study to conclude at the end as a researcher or as a reader that nothing can be said. And while no study will answer all questions, a study should definitely answer at least one, and that is the research question. Otherwise, the research question should have been reformulated before it was offered to the reader. Therefore, to analyze and to avoid this type of error, I suggest to take into account three considerations that will be discussed in this posting.
First, a research question must be specific, clear, and attainable. Beginner researchers often have so much enthusiasm, passion for the topic, and often, are personally involved and committed with the participants of a study that they tend to overlook the limitations of their study from the very start. Rather, the beginner researchers should not confuse the articulation long term goals for a research question. A research question leads to a study as part of a larger concept, idea, career path, etc.
Moreover, a research question also should be a contribution to advancement of a field of study, help a population, bring awareness on a social concern, and accept above all, that a research question as part of a study that is proposed it is only a piece within the complex and vast fabric of life, society, a human experience, etc. Therefore, questions such as: “What is the experience of rape victims in college?” could be better served as in a qualitative study as, “What is the experience of female college students of color in public university who are raped during a date?” or “How do female college students of color in a public university cope with the experience of date rape?” or “What is like for first-year female college students of color in public university who experience date rape?
Other examples can be made, but the point is this: a research question must provide a feasible answer within a study. The claims made should be according to the information collected or being feasible to collect, because the inferences one can make are restricted to those who participate in a study and what they say and can say about a human experience, often one they have lived personally.
Thus, for a more assertive research question I suggest adding a location, pointing at a group, including demographic identification, locating a time, and including as much as possible specificity in the experience that the study aims at revealing or describing. These conditions will add a narrower focus and thus make the study and subsequent claims, interpretations, descriptions, etc., from the study more believable, assertive, and accurate.
Second, a research question must be a promise that a single researcher can handle. I recall one experience that brought me to this point. An eager and dedicated student once wanted to do an ethnographic study of church goes in relation disaster preparation. This study included church leaders’ response and their preparedness to help as well. This was a daunting task beyond the scope of a dissertation, not matter how skilled and engaged this doctoral student was.  
First of all, of all qualitative traditions and approaches, ethnography is one that demands the longest time, asks for massive investments from the researcher in terms of collection of data. Moreover, the question asked to both church goers’ and church leaders’ experiences required a multitask approach that is more than a single research question implies. Furthermore, if we talked about church, and this student referred to a protestant denomination, it meant that the research question was about a specific group. This identifier was not given in the initial research question. Even more, her study intended to use interviews, surveys, documentations, artifacts, and other elements, which are common in ethnography, but this also meant… much to consider, multiple source of data in order to articulate an answer as required in an ethnographic study. Even more, let us consider transcriptions alone. They require many hours of laborious work per hour of recording, then imagine going through multiple conversation for each one of the participants. Thus, not matter what, this study involved not a few weeks, not a few months, but a year of data collection at least. Have you read articles in the national Geographic magazine and read, how many years certain studies take, the tank you note to the organizations and patrons that funded the study, the amount or resources taken for the study, and another example the movie,  “Gorillas in the midst”??? These are examples of ethnography. How about this talented but single doctoral student trying to embark into such a massive ethnographic study?
As a dissertation project, it offered the awareness to a serious concerned, but to obtain the answer of such a massive question, and for a single student clearly… Well, it was ill advised to accept such a study as it was.
After multiple revisions, this student narrowed down the project, the question, and the scope of the study. The result was a 2 year dissertation project nevertheless, and multiple revisions after the defense. The lesson learned was this: ethnography is long as many other qualitative approaches, and the research question needs to be answered. For that… do not be afraid to make it as specific as possible, and to create two long lists as you develop and implement your study: One list is for the limitations of the study, and the other list about the delimitations of the study. A narrative for each list will save you time and prevent you from much trouble.   
Third, a research question must not underestimate the resources needed to find an answer. Often it is the case the researchers, not only beginners, underestimate resources for a study. Resources refers to: time, personal commitment, money, participants’ willingness to participate, compensation, attrition, faculty changes and moves, reading time, editing time and editor’s feedback, appointments, technical support and challenges, transcriptions, appointments, data loss, unexpected events. No one wants to sound negative, we are quite dreary of sounding bad or pessimistic, but life happens, and when we engage in a 1 year long, or a 2 year long project, we must accept that it is not all going to be as planned.  Therefore, all the resources we anticipate are often less than we will actually need.
Here is another example from my teaching experience. There was a student who wanted to carry out a study, but she needed to graduate within one year. As a dedicated student with excellent record, she embarked in a 1 year long process. 2 months into the project, it came as a revelation that she needed to meet with the editor of her dissertation more than once per week. Then, her reading time came to be over 20 hours per week, at the very least. Also, she needed at least 5 hours a day of writing time to produce something worth showing to the editor. Therefore, for her holding on to a relationship, having a full time job, volunteering at church, and having a leadership position in school were not all compatible with her dissertation goal. One by one each one of these items and demands were being crossed off from her life or negotiated and some simply cancelled. Eventually, she gave up everything, except working on her dissertation 12 hours a day, including Sundays. The result was a successful dissertation defense; however, it was not the best research project yet. Not the one, she wanted to have. However, she graduated on time as scheduled. The lesson learned was: do not underestimate the physical, emotional, and intellectual resources that a study may require from you. Do not underestimate the toll on you that a major research endeavor will ask from you to come to fruition.
I trust all can be done, but with the willingness to do what it needs to be done is something you and only you can answer.