My dear thesis student, it suffice to say that your field of study, the university's standards, and your supervisors have a role to play in writing a thesis that is generally acceptable. Once they reviewed your thesis and advice you to improve, there is need to follow all the guidelines given to you. Meanwhile, research question in addition to the objectives direct design of study tools and the kinds of data to collect at the field for analysis.
My dear thesis student, it suffice to say that your field of study, the university's standards, and your supervisors have a role to play in writing a thesis that is generally acceptable. Once they reviewed your thesis and advice you to improve, there is need to follow all the guidelines given to you. Meanwhile, research question in addition to the objectives direct design of study tools and the kinds of data to collect at the field for analysis.
However, pure statistics or empirical studies are rooted in questions
I would think so. I may be out-of-date, but I would expect that you would design your whole thesis around a research question (which usually gets refined a bit in the process of situating your question in the existing literature).
Exploratory research aims to investigate an area where little is known, often to generate ideas or hypotheses; hence, may not have a question. This type of research is more flexible and open-ended. Researchers might gather data through interviews, observations, or literature reviews to understand trends, patterns, or phenomena. The findings from exploratory research can help formulate specific research questions for future studies. However, a good thesis is often rooted in a clear research question which will lead the researcher to an appropriate methodology/method. A clear research question is essential for developing a strong thesis, as it provides the foundation for the entire research process.
I would say 'yes'. Every research starts with a question and the ideas around it become the guideline logic in a research. The hypotheses (if you use it, depending of que type of research) the objectives of the research, and the methodology are rooted in that question.
If I have no research question, I also have no phenomenon of interest, and it would be difficult to proceed with my research, whether qualitative or quantitative in nature. The type of research question determines the appropriate methodology that should be embraced in the study.
Is it ethical for a researcher with a published phenomenological research study to use the same data but view it through another lens of Narrative Inquiry, and have it published in a journal ?
We can say it is common. While the question-based approach is common and provides a clear direction for research, it's not the only way to develop a thesis. The key is that the thesis presents a central idea or argument that guides the research and writing process.
In some cases, a thesis might not be rooted in a question but in a desire to explore or describe a particular phenomenon or subject.