Research Methods
for Urban & Public Policy

Dr. Danilo Yanich

Assignment 1

Formulating Research Questions

A fundamental task in conducting research is the careful articulation of one or more research questions that can be examined using the scientific method. The process of formulating a research question starts with making observations about some aspect of the world around us. Those observations then form the basis for research questions we develop about the topic of interest to us. A research question must be stated in a manner which does not bias the answer we seek. That is, it must allow for as objective an examination of the topic as possible. After their initial development, research questions must then be modified and refined as the researcher strives to better define concepts and terms, identify independent and dependent variables, and formulate the overall research design and methods to be used to answer the questions.

Here are some examples of observations and research questions taken from the recent work of researchers in the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy:

Observation	Research Question	Variables
Homelessness in Delaware has become a serious social problem.	What is the point prevalence of homelessness in Delaware? What are the socio-economic characteristics of homeless households in Delaware? How do these characteristics differ from those of the general population? How long do homeless persons in Delaware tend to be homeless, and how often are they homeless?	1. Prevalence of homelessness 2. Socio-economic characteristics of... 3. Homeless households
The processing of criminal cases in Delaware's courts seems to require a long time.	How much time is required for the processing of criminal cases from arrest to disposition in Delaware's Superior Court? What are the different phases in the process? How long is each phase? What proportion of cases is processed within the 120-day mandate of the Delaware Supreme Court?	1. Criminal cases 2. Disposition 3. Phases in the process
Hunger and food insecurity in Delaware presents a problem for a significant number of Delaware's citizens.	What is the period prevalence of hunger in Delaware's population? What is the geographical distribution of persons experiencing food insecurity in Delaware in 1999? What public assistance benefits are they receiving?	1. Period prevalence of hunger 2. Food insecurity 3. Public assistance benefits
The historic architectural resources of African-American communities in Wilmington are being destroyed at a rapid rate due to real estate development pressures.	What African-American historic architectural resources exist within Wilmington? Are they being lost? If so, how rapidly are they being lost? Why are they being lost?	1. African-American cultural resources 2. Loss of resources
Air pollution along the east coast of the United States seems to be increasing.	What is the change in air pollution, if any, as measured by the air pollution index of the U.S. Weather Service, along the northeast corridor of the U.S. from Washington, D.C. to Boston between 1975 and 1995?	1. Air pollution index of U.S. Weather Service 2. Northeast corridor

Your assignment: Step 1: Make an observation about an issue or problem in the community that you find interesting and that you would like to examine systematically. Step 2: Formulate one research question based on this observation. Step 3: Indicate the variables that you would examine to conduct the research. Carry out steps 1-3 a total of three times and send your completed assignment to the instructors in HTML format by the announced deadline.