Research question canvas
A one-page planning aid for testing whether the question, evidence and intended claim actually align before data collection begins.
- Version
- 1.0
- Published
- 4 August 2026
- Licence
- Free for non-commercial research and teaching use with attribution
1. Decision
What decision, explanation or action will this research inform?
2. Unit of analysis
Who or what is being observed, compared or explained?
3. Population and setting
For whom, where and during what period should the claim hold?
4. Constructs
Which concepts require measurement, and how will each be operationalised?
5. Comparison
What contrast, counterfactual, sequence or variation makes inference possible?
6. Evidence
What data can be accessed ethically, accurately and within the available time?
7. Claim boundary
What can the design support—and what must it not claim?
8. Failure test
What result, bias or missing evidence would weaken the intended conclusion?
Complete the canvas before choosing software, statistical tests or sample-size rules. Method follows the question and claim.
Use the result. Check the reasoning.
This interface is a decision aid—not an automatic verdict. The 1 linked Library entry explain the source workflow, assumptions and boundary conditions that should travel with the result.