Research question feature: clarity
Name:
Date:
Class:
A
Quick Questions
Shade in the A or B circle for each question.
1. Which research question is clearer?
2. A question asks: 'Is social media bad for young people?' What is the main clarity problem?
3. Which step makes the term 'active' clearer in a research question?
4. Which research question asks about one thing only?
5. A research question is 'How do students travel to school and why do they choose that way?' How should it be fixed for clarity?
B
Match the Pairs
Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.
| Left column | Right column | |
|---|---|---|
| 1"How do students feel about school?" | AAsks two things at once (social media use and the effect on sleep), so it is not clear what to investigate | |
| 2"What percentage of Year 11 students at our school use the library at least once a week?" | B"How many days per week do Year 10 students play video games?" | |
| 3Defining a key term removes ambiguity, so 'often' is replaced by a set number | CQ1: "How many hours do students sleep on school nights?" Q2: "What is the average Maths mark of students?" | |
| 4A clear research question asks about one thing only, so a double question must be split | DUnclear: 'feel' and 'school' are vague, so different people would read the question differently | |
| 5"Do students use social media a lot and does it harm their sleep?" | EClear: it is specific, uses defined terms and asks about one thing | |
| 6"Are young people happy with local transport?" | FVague terms: 'young people', 'happy' and 'local transport' are not defined, so they can be read in different ways |
C
Definitions
Clarity
D
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.
1.
A clear question is ________, not vague.
2.
Key terms must be ___________ to readers.
3.
A clear question asks about ___ thing only.
4.
Defining a key term removes _________.
5.
Fix: split 'A and B' into ___ questions.
E
Spot the Error
Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.
Question 1
A
Topic: Student sleep
B
Group: Year 11 students
C
Q: Mean weeknight sleep hours?
D
Sleep = getting enough rest
Question 2
A
Topic: School canteen
B
Group: Year 9 students
C
Measure: weekly spend in $
D
Q: Mean spend and best food?
Question 3
A
Topic: Phones in class
B
Q: Is phone use a big problem?
C
Phone use = minutes on phone
D
Group: Year 10 students
Question 4
A
Topic: Teen exercise
B
Q: Mean active days per week?
C
Active = being active
D
Group: Year 12 students
Question 5
A
Q: Is screen time bad?
B
Group: Year 8 students
C
Screen time = hours on devices
D
Measure: survey, daily hours
Answer Key
Research question feature: clarity
Section A: Quick Questions
Q1
A — How many Year 11 students at Lakeview College use the school canteen at least twice a week?
Q2
B — Vague wording: 'bad' and 'young people' can be read in many ways
Q3
A — Defining it, e.g. 'at least 30 minutes of exercise per day'
Q4
B — What is the average number of hours Year 12 students sleep on a school night?
Q5
A — Split it into two separate questions
Section B: Match the Pairs
Q1
"How do students feel about school?" → Unclear: 'feel' and 'school' are vague, so different people would read the question differently
Q2
"What percentage of Year 11 students at our school use the library at least once a week?" → Clear: it is specific, uses defined terms and asks about one thing
Q3
Defining a key term removes ambiguity, so 'often' is replaced by a set number → "How many days per week do Year 10 students play video games?"
Q4
A clear research question asks about one thing only, so a double question must be split → Q1: "How many hours do students sleep on school nights?" Q2: "What is the average Maths mark of students?"
Q5
"Do students use social media a lot and does it harm their sleep?" → Asks two things at once (social media use and the effect on sleep), so it is not clear what to investigate
Q6
"Are young people happy with local transport?" → Vague terms: 'young people', 'happy' and 'local transport' are not defined, so they can be read in different ways
Section C: Definitions
Q1
Clarity — A research question feature: it is specific, uses unambiguous key terms and asks about one thing only, so everyone reads it the same way.Section D: Fill in the Blanks
Q1
A clear question is specific, not vague.Q2
Key terms must be unambiguous to readers.Q3
A clear question asks about one thing only.Q4
Defining a key term removes ambiguity.Q5
Fix: split 'A and B' into two questions.Section E: Spot the Error
Q1
D — The key term 'sleep' is defined vaguely. 'Enough rest' means different things to different people and can't be measured. It should be defined clearly, for example 'Sleep = hours asleep per night'.
Q2
D — This question asks about two things, spending and favourite food. A clear research question asks about one thing only. It should be 'Mean weekly canteen spend?'.
Q3
B — 'Big problem' is vague wording that people will read differently, so the question can't be answered clearly. It should be specific, for example 'Mean phone mins per lesson?'.
Q4
C — This definition is circular. It uses the word 'active' to define 'active', so it doesn't make the key term unambiguous. It should give a clear standard such as '30+ mins of exercise'.
Q5
A — 'Bad' is vague and a matter of opinion, so readers will interpret the question differently. A clear question names exactly what is measured, for example 'Mean weekly screen hours?'.