A specific, focused inquiry that guides a research project and shapes the information needed is called what?

• A. Research Question
• B. Hypothesis
• C. Thesis
• D. Objective

Answer: (A)

A focused inquiry that guides a research project and shapes the information needed is the research question. This question determines what you’re trying to learn, sets the boundaries of the study, and dictates which data, sources, and methods are relevant. It keeps the project purposeful and helps decide what to measure and what counts as enough information to answer it.

A hypothesis is a testable prediction about a relationship or outcome that you examine with data. A thesis is a central claim or argument you plan to defend in your writing. An objective states a specific goal you aim to achieve, but it doesn’t by itself frame the study’s scope or direct data collection the way a research question does.