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How to develop good research questions

Nature Human Behaviour volume 9, pages 1759–1761 (2025)Cite this article

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Designing good research questions goes well beyond the standard definitions of clarity, focus and tractability, and even beyond ‘novelty’ in the strictest sense. This Comment describes the iterative creative process for designing good research questions, and includes practical suggestions and ways to avoid common traps.

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References

  1. Dennett, D. C. I’ve Been Thinking (WW Norton, 2025).

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Acknowledgements

I thank G. Blohm for helpful comments on early versions of this piece.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Megan A. K. Peters

  2. Department of Logic & Philosophy of Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Megan A. K. Peters

  3. Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Megan A. K. Peters

  4. Center for Theoretical Behavioral Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Megan A. K. Peters

  5. Program in Brain, Mind, & Consciousness, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Megan A. K. Peters

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  1. Megan A. K. Peters
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Correspondence to Megan A. K. Peters.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Peters, M.A.K. How to develop good research questions. Nat Hum Behav 9, 1759–1761 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02292-5

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