What term refers to the basic question that guides an investigation?

The term that refers to the basic question guiding an investigation is the Research Question. This question is crucial because it defines the scope and focus of the study, providing a clear direction for what the researcher seeks to discover or address. A well-formed research question lays the foundation for the entire investigation, guiding the methodology and influencing the type of data to be collected and analyzed.

While other terms like "hypothesis" and "experimental question" are related to the scientific process, they serve different purposes. A hypothesis is a specific prediction or statement that can be tested based on the research question, and an experimental question often relates to a specific part of the research methodology. The investigative question might also be used informally to describe a similar idea, but "research question" is the most widely accepted term within scientific inquiry.