Ways of constructing research questions: gap-spotting or problematization?
(2011) In Organization 18(1). p.23-44- Abstract
- This article examines ways of constructing research questions from existing literature, which are likely to promote the development of interesting and influential theories. We review 52 articles in organization studies and develop a typology of how researchers construct their research questions from existing literature. The most common way across paradigmatic camps is to spot various 'gaps' in the literature and, based on that, to formulate specific research questions. The dominance of gap-spotting is surprising, given it is increasingly recognized that theory is made interesting and influential when it challenges assumptions that underlie existing literature. The article discusses why assumption-challenging approaches are rare, and it... (More)
- This article examines ways of constructing research questions from existing literature, which are likely to promote the development of interesting and influential theories. We review 52 articles in organization studies and develop a typology of how researchers construct their research questions from existing literature. The most common way across paradigmatic camps is to spot various 'gaps' in the literature and, based on that, to formulate specific research questions. The dominance of gap-spotting is surprising, given it is increasingly recognized that theory is made interesting and influential when it challenges assumptions that underlie existing literature. The article discusses why assumption-challenging approaches are rare, and it identifies a range of social norms that favour gap-spotting. Finally, the article proposes some ways of constructing research questions that move beyond gap-spotting, and discusses how these ways are likely to promote more interesting and significant theories. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1925769
- author
- Sandberg, Jorgen and Alvesson, Mats LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2011
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- interesting theories, problematization, research methods, research, problems, research questions, theory development
- in
- Organization
- volume
- 18
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 23 - 44
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000287233000002
- scopus:79951498156
- ISSN
- 1350-5084
- DOI
- 10.1177/1350508410372151
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b3784fb2-62b8-4e2a-af84-e18c9cb079b3 (old id 1925769)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 14:21:53
- date last changed
- 2022-04-22 02:40:19
@article{b3784fb2-62b8-4e2a-af84-e18c9cb079b3,
abstract = {{This article examines ways of constructing research questions from existing literature, which are likely to promote the development of interesting and influential theories. We review 52 articles in organization studies and develop a typology of how researchers construct their research questions from existing literature. The most common way across paradigmatic camps is to spot various 'gaps' in the literature and, based on that, to formulate specific research questions. The dominance of gap-spotting is surprising, given it is increasingly recognized that theory is made interesting and influential when it challenges assumptions that underlie existing literature. The article discusses why assumption-challenging approaches are rare, and it identifies a range of social norms that favour gap-spotting. Finally, the article proposes some ways of constructing research questions that move beyond gap-spotting, and discusses how these ways are likely to promote more interesting and significant theories.}},
author = {{Sandberg, Jorgen and Alvesson, Mats}},
issn = {{1350-5084}},
keywords = {{interesting theories; problematization; research methods; research; problems; research questions; theory development}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{23--44}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Organization}},
title = {{Ways of constructing research questions: gap-spotting or problematization?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1350508410372151}},
doi = {{10.1177/1350508410372151}},
volume = {{18}},
year = {{2011}},
}