4 Types of Questions
The type of question determines both the method and the conclusions we are allowed to draw. Therefore, it is important to know which types of questions we should distinguish.
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The type of question determines both the method and the conclusions we are allowed to draw. Therefore, it is important to know which types of questions we should distinguish.
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Confusion between data analytic question types is central to the ongoing replication crisis, misconstrued press releases describing scientific results, and the controversial claim that most published research findings are false. The solution is to ensure that data analytic education is a key component of research training. The most important step in that direction is to know the question. (Leek and Peng 2015)
To conduct precise data analyses and draw correct conclusions, it is crucial to know the type of question we are trying to answer. Jeffery Leek and Roger Peng have developed a clear flowchart in their article What is the question? This allows us to quickly categorize the type of question into one of six categories.
Leek, J. T., and R. D. Peng. “What Is the Question?” Science, vol. 347, no. 6228, Mar. 2015, pp. 1314–15, doi:10.1126/science.aaa6146.