EXPLORING THE SYNTACTIC ASPECTS OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH ARTICLES

Abstract

This study examines the syntactic structure, variations, and inconsistencies in research question formulation within social sciences journal papers. Using a qualitative research approach, 50 research questions were extracted from 20 research papers selected through purposive sampling. The data were manually analyzed to identify common syntactic patterns, structural variations, and potential ambiguities in research question formulation. The findings indicate that Wh-questions (e.g., What are the key factors...? or How does X affect Y?) are the most frequently used structure, followed by Yes/No questions and declarative research statements. However, several inconsistencies were observed, including ambiguity, excessive complexity, and inconsistent terminology, which could affect clarity and comprehension. The study highlights the need for clear, precise, and well-structured research questions to enhance academic writing quality. Researchers are encouraged to prioritize specificity, use active voice, and simplify complex sentence structures to improve readability and research focus. While this study provides valuable insights into research question formulation, its findings are limited by a small sample size and the manual nature of the analysis. Future research could employ computational linguistic tools and a larger dataset to further explore syntactic trends in research question formulation across disciplines.