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Research Questions/Hypotheses must be crystal clear and measurable
Quality research hinges
on the precision of the research questions. The hypotheses
or research questions must be crystal clear and measurable,
or the research will be meaningless. Let's critique a few
research questions:
Is substance abuse treatment effective?
Sounds good, doesn't it? That's really
what we want to know. However, there are major problems with
a broad research question like this.
- First,
what do we mean by treatment? Are we talking
about detoxification, inpatient, outpatient, or on-line
treatment? What approach-- psychoanalytic, 12 step, motivational
enhancement therapy,cognitive behavioral, aversive, pharmacological,
or some eclectic combination of approaches? For what length
of time: a week, a month, or three months? Group or individual?
For children, adolescents, young adults,
 middle-aged
people, or older adults, men or women?
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Second, what do we mean by "effective treatment"?--
abstinence, reduction in use, fewer lost work days, or
a happier spouse?
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Finally, what is "substance abuse"?
Does that mean Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV)
criteria or something else? Dependence on or abuse of
alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, or marijuana gambling addiction.
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