I am writing a research design on the death penalty focusing on the christian and non christian views, and I need help coming up with a research question from a christian stand point.
Research design on the death penalty (the christian and non christian views)
Well i think there is a relationship between your study objective and the research question. Research question from my understanding should be formed in such a way that it will seek answers that will help achieve the research objectives. In other words any answer you might get from the respondents should become an achievement of an objective. What i'm saying is that you need to go back to your research objectives and change the sentences to questions. For example if you have objectives like
1, to investigate christian opinion on death penalty.
2, to examine biblical view of crime and the acompnied purnishment.
3, to determine what type of crime attracts death penalty in christianity and who should be the jurdge.
If you already have like 2 objectives, you could come out with 4 questions coined out from the objectives i.e. you could form two questions from each objective. For instance from the 1st objective you could form questions like
- how do christians view death penalty?
-is verdict of death penalty acceptable in christianity?
From the 3rd objective we could have questions like
-following christian indoctrinations, how should criminals be tried?
- who should be the jurdge?
- should criminals (such as murderers) be killed as purnishment?
I hope this will help a little. You need to also be "specific" about the variables in your research work. For instance if you are studying death penalty, you should select the type of crime that often lead to death sentence (murder should be your prime variable here) so that your work can have a sharp focus and shall aboivd ambiguity.
1, to investigate christian opinion on death penalty.
2, to examine biblical view of crime and the acompnied purnishment.
3, to determine what type of crime attracts death penalty in christianity and who should be the jurdge.
If you already have like 2 objectives, you could come out with 4 questions coined out from the objectives i.e. you could form two questions from each objective. For instance from the 1st objective you could form questions like
- how do christians view death penalty?
-is verdict of death penalty acceptable in christianity?
From the 3rd objective we could have questions like
-following christian indoctrinations, how should criminals be tried?
- who should be the jurdge?
- should criminals (such as murderers) be killed as purnishment?
I hope this will help a little. You need to also be "specific" about the variables in your research work. For instance if you are studying death penalty, you should select the type of crime that often lead to death sentence (murder should be your prime variable here) so that your work can have a sharp focus and shall aboivd ambiguity.
Great job, Kunle. We are so lucky to have you participating here!
I'll also add that this is a very difficult topic. I think you need to start by reading what Christian authorities have written about it. What articles can you find about this topic by Christians? That is your first task.
If you read 5 great articles and write a paragraph every time you finish an article, you will have a few pages of writing to look at. Look at what you wrote about those articles, and based on your contemplation of them you will have more than one question from which to choose.
I'll also add that this is a very difficult topic. I think you need to start by reading what Christian authorities have written about it. What articles can you find about this topic by Christians? That is your first task.
If you read 5 great articles and write a paragraph every time you finish an article, you will have a few pages of writing to look at. Look at what you wrote about those articles, and based on your contemplation of them you will have more than one question from which to choose.