question-refinement-loop

name	question-refinement-loop
description	Tactic: iteratively refine a research question until it passes all 5 FINER criteria
version	1.0.0
category	hypothesis-formation
type	tactic
campaign	research-question
sops	["finer-criteria-check","scope-assessment","success-criteria-definition"]
dependencies	{"sops":["finer-criteria-check","scope-assessment","success-criteria-definition"]}

Question Refinement Loop

Iteratively refine a research question — polish it repeatedly until it passes all 5 FINER criteria.

Orchestration Intent

Structure "refining the question" as a loop: check → identify problems → revise → re-check. Each round focuses on the criteria that did not pass.

Available SOPs

SOP	Responsibility	When to call
finer-criteria-check	Check each of the 5 FINER criteria item by item	The check step of each loop
scope-assessment	Assess whether the question's scope is appropriate	When F (Feasible) fails
success-criteria-definition	Define measurable success criteria	After the loop ends, to confirm the RQ is measurable

Orchestration Pattern

Standard loop:

1. finer-criteria-check → obtain the 5 verdicts
2. If all pass → call success-criteria-definition → end
3. If any fail → targeted revision:
   • F fails → scope-assessment → narrow the scope
   • I fails → strengthen the theoretical motivation
   • N fails → check the literature to confirm novelty
   • E fails → adjust the research design
   • R fails → reinforce practical significance
4. After revision, return to step 1

Max iterations: 3 rounds. If it still fails after 3 rounds → report which criterion persistently fails + suggest a fundamental change of direction.

Minimum Yield

• RQ passes FINER 5/5
• Success criteria defined (measurable)
• If 3 rounds fail: clearly report the failing criteria + suggestions

Yield Report

After execution, report:

• Number of iterations
• The FINER results of each round
• The final RQ statement
• Success criteria

Available SOPs

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.

SOP	When to use
finer-criteria-check	SOP: check research-question quality against each of the 5 FINER criteria
scope-assessment	SOP: Assess whether a research question has appropriate scope (too broad / appropriate / too narrow)
success-criteria-definition	SOP: Define measurable success criteria for a research question