Shaping Inquiry: Bridging the Rhetoric, Ethics, and Design of Research Questions in Technical Communication Studies

Research question formulation shapes inquiry, methodology, and contributions in technical and professional communication (TPC) studies. This content analysis examined research questions from five leading TPC journals (2015–2024) across rhetorical, ethical, and design dimensions using a systematic framework. Analysis of 110 articles reveals patterns broadly consistent with theoretical accounts of TPC’s evolution: research questions frequently appear to challenge power structures, target multiple audiences simultaneously, and signal primarily qualitative or mixed-methods approaches. These patterns align with scholarly narratives about the field’s social justice turn and methodological pluralism. A fraction of published research questions lacks clear methodological alignment, a pattern with implications for research practice and editorial review. This study offers empirical documentation of research question patterns in contemporary TPC scholarship and introduces a multi-dimensional framework that offers a shared vocabulary for constructing, reviewing, and discussing research questions.