Here is a list of discussion questions that researchers from various fields can use to engage with one another. These are framed to help participants understand, appreciate, and potentially collaborate across disciplinary boundaries by probing key aspects of the research process.
What motivated you to choose this research question?
How did you determine that your question was significant in your field?
How does your question relate to real-world issues or societal needs?
In your field, how open-ended or specific do research questions tend to be?
Does your question challenge any existing assumptions or paradigms?
What led you to form your hypothesis in that way?
Is it common in your field to formally state a hypothesis? Why or why not?
How do you distinguish between a hypothesis and an assumption?
In your field, how much flexibility is there for revising hypotheses mid-research?
What kind of evidence would lead you to reject or revise your hypothesis?
How did you choose your research design or method?
What is considered a rigorous or valid approach in your discipline?
How do you ensure reliability and/or validity in your work?
Is your approach more exploratory, confirmatory, interpretive, or intervention-based?
How do ethical considerations influence your methodology?
What surprised you most about your findings?
How are findings typically evaluated or validated in your field?
How do you present findings—qualitative narratives, quantitative results, models, or something else?
How do you decide what counts as a 'meaningful' or 'significant' finding?
Were there any findings that challenged your expectations or previous literature?
What do you consider the most important limitations of your study?
How does your field typically handle or discuss limitations?
Are there limitations that are considered ‘acceptable’ trade-offs in your methodology?
How might someone from another discipline interpret your limitations differently?
Are there future research directions that could address these limitations?
How might your findings be applied in real-world contexts?
Who benefits most from your research in a practical sense?
Is implementation of your findings feasible, or does it require more research?
How do stakeholders outside academia engage with your work?
Have you encountered resistance or enthusiasm from practitioners?
Could your research contribute to changes in public opinion, policy, or practice?
What social groups are most affected—positively or negatively—by your work?
How do you balance scientific inquiry with potential social consequences?
Are there ethical concerns about how your findings might be used?
How do you communicate the broader social relevance of your work?