There are five steps required to construct a comparative research question: (1) choose your starting phrase; (2) identify and name the dependent variable; (3) identify the groups you are interested in; (4) identify the appropriate adjoining text; and (5) write out the comparative research question. Each of these steps is discussed in turn:
Choose your starting phrase
Identify and name the dependent variable
Identify the groups you are interested in
Identify the appropriate adjoining text
Write out the comparative research question
Comparative research questions typically start with one of two phrases:
| Number of dependent variables | Starting phrase |
| Two | What is the difference in? |
| Three or more | What are the differences in? |
Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?
All comparative research questions have a dependent variable. You need to identify what this is. However, how the dependent variable is written out in a research question and what you call it are often two different things. In the examples below, we have illustrated the name of the dependent variable and highlighted how it would be written out in the blue text.
| Name of the dependent variable | How the dependent variable is written out |
| Daily calorific intake | What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women? |
| Perceptions towards Internet banking security |
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners? |
| Attitudes towards music piracy | What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased? |
| Weekly Facebook photo uploads | What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university students? |
The first three examples highlight that while the name of the dependent variable is the same, namely daily calorific intake, the way that this dependent variable is written out differs in each case.
All comparative research questions have at least two groups. You need to identify these groups. In the examples below, we have identified the groups in the green text.
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?
It is often easy to identify groups because they reflect different types of people (e.g., men and women, adolescents and pensioners), as highlighted by the first three examples. However, sometimes the two groups you are interested in reflect two different conditions, as highlighted by the final example. In this final example, the two conditions (i.e., groups) are pirated music that is freely distributed and pirated music that is purchased. So we are interested in how the attitudes towards music piracy differ when pirated music is freely distributed as opposed to when pirated music in purchased.
Before you write out the groups you are interested in comparing, you typically need to include some adjoining text. Typically, this adjoining text includes the words between or amongst, but other words may be more appropriate, as highlighted by the examples in red text below:
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?
Once you have these details - (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of the groups you are interested in comparing, and (4) any potential adjoining words - you can write out the comparative research question in full. The example comparative research questions discussed above are written out in full below:
What is the difference in the daily calorific intake of American men and women?
What is the difference in the weekly photo uploads on Facebook between British male and female university students?
What are the differences in perceptions towards Internet banking security between adolescents and pensioners?
What are the differences in attitudes towards music piracy when pirated music is freely distributed or purchased?
In the section that follows, the structure of relationship-based research questions is discussed.
There are six steps required to construct a relationship-based research question: (1) choose your starting phrase; (2) identify the independent variable(s); (3) identify the dependent variable(s); (4) identify the group(s); (5) identify the appropriate adjoining text; and (6) write out the relationship-based research question. Each of these steps is discussed in turn.
Choose your starting phrase
Identify the independent variable(s)
Identify the dependent variable(s)
Identify the group(s)
Identify the appropriate adjoining text
Write out the relationship-based research question
Relationship-based research questions typically start with one or two phrases:
| Name of the independent variable | Starting phrase |
| Two | What is the relationship between? |
| Three or more | What are the relationships of? |
Some of these starting phrases are highlighted in blue text in the examples below:
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
All relationship-based research questions have at least one independent variable. You need to identify what this is. In the examples that follow, the independent variable(s) is highlighted in the purple text.
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
When doing a dissertation at the undergraduate and master's level, it is likely that your research question will only have one or two independent variables, but this is not always the case.
All relationship-based research questions also have at least one dependent variable. You also need to identify what this is. At the undergraduate and master's level, it is likely that your research question will only have one dependent variable. In the examples that follow, the dependent variable is highlighted in the blue text.
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
All relationship-based research questions have at least one group, but can have multiple groups. You need to identify this group(s). In the examples below, we have identified the group(s) in the green text.
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
Before you write out the groups you are interested in comparing, you typically need to include some adjoining text (i.e., usually the words between or amongst):
| Number of groups | Adjoining text |
| One | amongst? [e.g., group 1] |
| Two or more | between? of? [e.g., group 1 and group 2] |
Some examples are highlighted in red text below:
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
Once you have these details ? (1) the starting phrase, (2) the name of the dependent variable, (3) the name of the independent variable, (4) the name of the group(s) you are interested in, and (5) any potential adjoining words ? you can write out the relationship-based research question in full. The example relationship-based research questions discussed above are written out in full below:
What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?
What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?
What is the relationship of career prospects, salary and benefits, and physical working conditions on job satisfaction between managers and non-managers?
In the previous section, we illustrated how to write out the three types of research question (i.e., descriptive, comparative and relationship-based research questions). Whilst these rules should help you when writing out your research question(s), the main thing you should keep in mind is whether your research question(s) flow and are easy to read.