UX Research Questions: The 'Why' Before the 'What'

Research questions are your study's North Star, not questions you ask users directly. They are high-level strategic inquiries (e.g., "How do users make a decision?") that guide your entire plan. You must define these before writing an interview guide to ensure every question serves a purpose and you cover all critical topics, preventing you from collecting irrelevant data. The biggest footgun is confusing these strategic goals with the specific, open-ended questions you'll actually ask participants during an interview.