When Every Strong Study Begins with the Right Question

On the morning of November 22, 2025, under the coordination of Dr. Phung Thi Viet Bac and Dr. Than Thi Trang Uyen, VinUniversity successfully organized the seminar “Nurturing Your Research Question”, attracting faculty members, researchers, and students interested in research methodology.

Opening the session, Prof. Nguyen Thanh Liem, MD, PhD, emphasized that the foundation of every scientific study does not lie solely in technology or data, but begins with the research question itself, the element that shapes the study design, methodology, and academic value of an entire project. According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, a study that lacks a feasible research question and clear objectives will find it difficult to create real value, even when substantial resources are invested or advanced techniques are employed.

In his main presentation, Prof. Liem introduced the FINER framework (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant) as essential criteria for evaluating the quality of a research question before developing a project. Drawing from landmark discoveries in medical science—such as the identification of Helicobacter pylori as the cause of gastritis, the development of penicillin, CAR-T cell therapy, and breakthroughs in stem cell research, he illustrated how transformative scientific advancements often originate from very simple, everyday observations. He also discussed how to narrow a broad idea into an actionable research question through identifying areas of interest, reviewing the literature, locating knowledge gaps, and refining the question into something specific, clear, and testable.

The Q&A session was lively, with students, clinicians, and young researchers raising questions about uncertainty in research, differences between practice-driven and theory-driven questions, and how to balance scientific curiosity with real-world constraints such as time and resources. Other key questions relating to predicting research outcomes, identifying research gaps, choosing between frameworks like FINER and PICOT, and strategies for translating theoretical ideas into practical studies also received significant attention. Prof. Liem emphasized that uncertainty is inherent to science, but a strong research question serves as the compass that determines the quality and direction of the entire research journey.

The seminar concluded on an inspiring note, offering motivation and clarity for young researchers at VinUni as they continue to pursue meaningful research questions and long-term scientific impact.