The important thing is, you should not be conducting "qualitative research" if you don't already have a "research question to ask". Otherwise, why would one even collect data in the first place? The objectives of the research are the checkpoints that let you know if you are answering the question, but you still must ask the question in the first place.

Hi,

To my mind no matter the research is qualitative or quantitative, the point is objectives are narrower than goals (though in many articles no special distinction is made between them) and the research question is most likely to be a guess one makes at the quality of relationship between two concepts in an interrogative sentence form. Questions can be made in both qualitative and quantitative research and it is not at all logical to elaborate that a qualitative research must not have question(s) for which the research is conducting.

Another point: the research question is different from the research goal or objective as the former methodologically facilitates the path through which we want to gain the latter.         Mohammad   

Interesting suggestion you were given in your studies. Is new for me. What almost every QR methods course will suggest is that QR does not "test hypotheses" on its data. You will need a research question, the difference to quantitative research is the kind of question you will ask. Where quant asks "what" and "how many", qualitative asks "how" and more explorative, open-ended kind of questions.

The best set of books on qualitative research are te Sage Handbooks of Qualitative Inquiry. Currently on fourth edition, each edition is pretty much a completely new volume. http://www.uk.sagepub.com/refbooks/Book233401 (Although be warned: these are not only qualitative researchers but post-qualitative researchers.)

I do not believe that it is true that it is necessary to have a research question to be able to pursue qualitative research. Or indeed quantitative research either for that matter. There are a number of issues however related to any research activity. Research can either be goal oriented or method oriented. IF it is goal oriented the selection of method comes as a consequence of the researchers effort to problematize the problem space and the intended goal. One of the big questions is then related to *what method is suitable for what I wish to achieve*? IF however the research is *not* goal oriented (e.g. *blue sky research*) then the researcher does not need a (specific) goal for their effort. Usually I such research is based on the application of some method - and then reflection over what came out of it - thus not goal oriented but instead *discovery* oriented. In simple terms one can either do research with a goal in mind and put effort into trying to figure out / discover what method is useful for that purpose. OR one can pursue the application of some method -and put effort into trying to figure out what goal was discovered as a consequence. These issues are however not limited by any particular method - any method, quantitative or qualitative can be discussed in this way.

To put it in yet another way: either scientific rigour is put on *what you are pursuing* and this can be used to justify the method chosen OR scientific rigour is put on the application of method and this can be used to justify what was discovered. One or the other - I am not familiar with any other approach or strategy that would be acceptable or recognized as academically valid.

One more thing: it is *very* doubtful if anyone ever *collects* qualitative data. What does that even mean in the relation to the use and application of qualitative methods?

Research questions do inform objectives

Yes I agree, I would also expect that research question is related to research objectives. This is however not always explored in research grounded in positivist philosophy. The confusion of research question with objective is not all that unusual in research using quantitative methods. However there should be no excuse for those who suggest that their research is based upon an *interpretivist* philosophy of science. The difference between research question and objective can be as simple as the difference between *what questions you ask* and *why you ask those questions".

Thank you all for your comments. If anyone is familiar with literature that elaborates on this topic I would be more than greatful.

I have an article to critique: it is a comparison between 2 frameworks. A and B.

1- The author explain the 2 frameworks.

2- After that he puts a question: why should one stick to Framework A?

3- and then he chose Framework B.

Now, I am confused about :

- Where is the Research Question / Research Objective

- The ANALYSIS : Quantitative/Qualitative, Inductive/Deductive

Research objective is the overall purpose of study. whereas, research question inform the objectives. objective is represented by research question.

To summarize/highlight their definitions:

• Research questions "arise out of a perceived knowledge deficit within a subject area or field of study." These may be answered either using literature reviews or primary research.
• Research hypothesis are the formal ideas one seeks to test. (The linked article focuses on null hypothesis test, Chamberlin (reprinted in Science 1965, first published in Science in the late-1800s)) does a better job of explaining hypotheses. Chamberlin advocates for multiple working hypotheses where you have multiple competing ideas.,
• Research objectives "should be coupled with the hypothesis of the study". These are what the study specifically seeks to do. (e.g., what is to be measured to test a hypothesis?)

https://www.slideshare.net/aloysiushs/research-questions-and-research-objectives-46130519With the best wishesMr Rezaei Ahvanooei.