04/05/2025
We recently discussed how to start thinking about your research topic and how reviewing other people’s work ,what academics call a “literature review” can help you refine your research question. So, what exactly is a research question? In simple Zambian English( for my cousins in Chipata), a research question is the specific question you’re trying to answer based on a problem you’ve observed. This problem might be something you’ve seen in your community or something you’ve come across while reading what other researchers have written. That reading part, looking at what other people found, what they missed, and what they recommend for future studies is what we call a literature review. It's not that complicated; it's just reading smart and asking smart follow-up questions.
Once you have your research question refined, the next thing you need to think about is how you're going to answer it. That’s where your research approach comes in. You have to decide whether you’ll use a qualitative approach, a quantitative approach, or a mix of both. And let’s be clear here: it is not your supervisor who decides this for you. It’s the research question itself that tells you what kind of method you should use. Some research questions are best answered using numbers and statistics—that’s quantitative. Others are best answered by listening to people’s stories and exploring experiences—that’s qualitative. And sometimes, the question demands that you use both. That’s mixed methods. if you want to know how many people from Chiptaa eat Mbeba, you want to count how many; that's quantitative. if you want to understand why they eat these poor creatures( as there is nothing else to eat) and also understand how they prepare them, you want methods that allows them to to you stories about this; you need qualitative methods
Here’s how to make the call. If your research question uses phrases like “I want to explore,” “I want to document experiences,” “understand perceptions,” or “capture lived experiences,” then that question is calling for a qualitative approach. This method helps you go deeper into human feelings, beliefs, and experiences. On the other hand, if your question says things like “I want to determine the impact,” “measure how many,” or “test for a difference,” then you’re dealing with a quantitative question. Here you’ll be working with numbers, measurements, and statistical tests.
Another example: if you want to understand how beneficiaries of a water and sanitation program feel about the intervention, what they experienced, and what challenges they faced, a qualitative approach is best. It helps you bring their voices into your study. But if your aim is to determine whether that program reduced waterborne diseases or improved access to safe water, then a quantitative approach is what you need. It allows you to calculate the effect size and show if there is a measurable change from baseline to endline.
In short, the nature of your research question—not your supervisor—should guide your choice of methods. The next topic we’ll explore is: What exactly is qualitative research? What is quantitative research? And how do we use them properly in our research designs? Stay with me, because this journey is just getting started.
