Research Methodology

Lecture 2 : Defining the Research

Problem
 What Is a Research Problem?
A research problem is an issue or concern that an
investigator presents and justifies in a research
study.

A research problem refers to some difficulty that

a researcher experiences in the context of either a
theoretical or practical situation and wants to
obtain a solution for the same.
 Locating the Research Problem
Look in the opening paragraphs of the study
for one or more of the following:

• What is the issue or problem?

• What controversy leads to the need for a
study?
• What concern is being addressed behind the
study?
• Is there a sentence such as, “The problem
being addressed in this study is…”?
 Why the Research Problem Is
Important
• It establishes the importance of the topic.
• It creates reader interest.
• It focuses the reader’s attention on how the
study will add to the literature.
 How the Problem Differs From Other
Parts of Research
• A research problem is an issue or problem in
the study.
• A research topic is the broad subject matter
being addressed in a study.
• A purpose is the major intent or objective of
the study.
• Research questions are those that the
researcher would like answered or addressed
in the study.
 Differences among the Topic,
Problem, Purpose, and Questions

General Topic Distance learning

Research Lack of students in distance

Problem classes

Purpose To study why students do not

attend distance education classes at
Statement
a community college

Research Does the use of Web site technology

in the classroom deter students
Question
Specific from enrolling in a distance
education class?
Determining Whether a Problem Should
Be Researched
• Can you study the problem?
– Do you have access to the research site?
– Do you have the time, resources, and skills to
carry out the research?
• Should you study the problem?
– Does it advance knowledge?
– Does it contribute to practice?
Determining Whether a Problem Should
Be Researched (cont’d)
• Will your study fill a gap or void in the existing
literature?
• Will your study replicate a past study but
examine different participants and different
research sites?
• Will your study extend past research or
examine the topic more thoroughly?
• Will your study give voice to people not heard,
silenced, or rejected in society?
• Will your study inform practice?
 How Research Problems Differ for
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Use quantitative research if Use qualitative research if your
your research problem research problem requires you
requires you to: to:
• Measure variables • Learn about the views of the
• Assess the impact of these people you plan to study
variables on an outcome • Assess a process over time
• Test theories or broad • Generate theories based on
explanations participant perspectives
• Apply results to a large • Obtain detailed information
number of people about a few people or research
sites
 Five Elements of a “Problem
Statement”
FLOW OF IDEAS

What
Remedying
Evidence Deficiencies
the Deficiencies
Topic Issue for the in the
Will Do for
Issue Evidence
Select
Subject •A concern •Evidence from •In this body of Audiences
area •A problem the literature evidence, what How will addressing
•Something •Evidence from is missing? what we need to
that needs practical •What do we know help:
a solution experiences need to know – researchers
more about? – educators
– policy makers
– individuals such as
those in the study
 Advancing the Topic
• The topic is introduced in the first paragraphs.
• The topic includes the general subject matter.
• The topic must be introduced so that the
reader can relate to it.
 The Narrative Hook
• The narrative hook should be the first sentence of the study.
• Functions of the narrative hook
– Causes the reader to pay attention
– Elicits an emotional or attitudinal response from
the reader
– Causes the reader to continue reading
• Information that can be included in the narrative hook
– Statistics
– A provocative question
– Need for research
– Intent of the study
 Stating the Research Problem
• State the problem in the opening paragraph
• Identify an issue
– Research-based research problems
– Practical problems
• Reference the problem using the literature
 Justifying the Importance of the
Research Problem
• Justification based on what other researchers
have found
• Justification based on personal or workplace
experiences
• Justification based on the experiences others
have had in the workplace
Identifying Deficiencies in the Evidence
• What do we still need to know?
• What else do we need to know to improve
practice?
 Identify the Audience
Ask the following question: “Who will profit
from reading our study?”

• Other researchers
• Practitioners
• Policy makers
• Special populations (e.g., parents)
 Writing the
Statement of the Problem Section
• Include one paragraph for each of the five
elements
• Heavily reference this section to the
literature
• Provide statistics to support trends
• Use quotes from participants (in
moderation)
 Example of the Flow of Ideas in the
Problem Statement
Flow of Ideas

Justification Deficiencies in Relating the

Topic Research
for Research the Evidence Discussion
Problem
Problem to Audiences
Subject •Concern or issue •Evidence from the •In this body of •How will addressing
area •A problem literature evidence what is what we need to know
•Something that •Evidence from missing or what help researchers,
needs a solution practical experience do we need to educators, policy
know more about? makers, and other
individuals?
An Example

Ethical Ethical •Gap in the literature Description •Assessing violations

issues violations •Reports of violations identifying and •Helps recruiters develop
in among football characterizing better ethical standards
colleges recruiters violations •Helps athletes
understand ethical issues
The technique of defining a research
problem

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 State the problem
• Read up, talk to various people concerned, talk to experts, do
field observations, perhaps even a preliminary survey, find
people who may already be doing research in the same area,
seek out a guide who can help you grasp the scope and the
scale of the subject at hand, immerse yourself into the
subject.
• The problem stated in a general way may contain ambiguities
that need to be resolved with cool and rational thinking.
• The feasibility of a particular solution should be considered
and kept in mind while stating the problem.

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 Understanding the nature of the problem

• How did the problem come to you? Where did you

hear it first, from whom? What induced you to
consider the problem at all? Discuss, talk it out with
colleagues, find out the various perspectives to the
problem.
• Always consider the environment, the surrounding
within which the problem is to be studied and
understood.
• Identify ‘who’ is ‘concerned’ with the problems and
talk, talk and talk to the people involved.

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 Survey available literature
• You have to be conversant with existing research,
relevant theories, reports, data and records of the
problem.
• Look for logical, factual flaws, identify the limitations
of existing research. Are there any questions
unanswered, any perspective missing, an angle that
has not been considered?
• Are there any related problems that can help shed
some light on the problem at hand?

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 Develop ideas through discussion
• An experience survey means talking to ‘relevant’
people in the field, those with the experience. Such
people are in a position to enlighten you on aspects
of the study and their advice and comments are
invaluable.
• You can not only define the problem more
specifically, but also arrive at a general approach to
the problem, techniques that might be used and
even possible solutions.

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 Also observe
• Technical language, jargon, words or phrases that are
typical to the problem. Define these clearly.
• State clearly the basic assumptions or postulates
relating to the research.
• Why was the problem selected? What is the value of
the investigation?
• Consider the suitability of the time-period and the
sources of data available. Your research must be
credible.
• Be explicit with the scope or limits of the
investigation.

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 Rephrasing the research problem
• The generalised statement of the problem now
becomes a working proposition. This is more
focused, clear and well defined. Once the nature of
the problem is clearly understood, the environment
within which the problem has got to be studied has
been defined, discussions over the problem have
taken place and the available literature has been
surveyed and examined, rephrasing the problem into
analytical or operational terms is easy.

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 An Illustration
Suppose that a research problem in a broad general way is as follows:

Why do North Sulawesi entrepreneurs lack

behind other business communities?

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 Ambiguities in the question
• Who is an entrepreneur?
• Who is a North Sulawesi entrepreneur?
• Which are the ‘other communities’ in business?
• Are we speaking of a specific business or all businesses?
• Do self employed professionals like lawyers and doctors fall in
the category of business?
• Define success and failure in business.
• What is the scope of the enquiry in terms of area? Are we
looking at one suburb of Manado, a few suburbs of Manado,
all of Greater Manado or the entire province of North
Sulawesi?

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 How would you explore the topic?
• What made you think of it?
• What is your perception about the problem?
• Why do you think it is a problem?
• Whose problem is it?
• Who would you talk to about this problem?
• Has something been written on it?
• Where would you find data, reports etc to help you
understand the topic better?
• Whose experience do you think would be of help in
understanding the problem?
• What are the different perspectives to the same problem?

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 Talk to whom?
• Yourself, your friends, family, teachers
• Economists
• Sociologists
• Entrepreneurs
• Professionals
• Writers
• Editors
• Icons within the community
• Business associations and groups

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 Read what?
• Member-directories of all registered business
and trading associations to find out ‘obvious’
people of North Sulawesi names and those
from other communities.

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 What is a Good Research Problem?
• Well-defined: Would we be able to tell whether you’ve solved the
problem?
• Highly important: Who would really care about the solution to the
problem? Does it solve a big pain?
– Identify fundamental problems
– Dream big to identify novel application opportunities
• Solvable: Is there any clue about how to solve it? Do you have a
baseline approach? Do you have the needed resources?
• Matching your strength: Are you good at solving this kind of
problems?
 Challenge-Impact Analysis
Level of Challenges High impact
High risk (hard)
Difficult Good long-term
basic research research problems
Problems,
but questionable impact High impact Novel application
Low risk (easy) research problems
Good short-term
research problems
Low impact
Low risk
Bad research problems
(May not be publishable)

Unknown
Good applications
Not interesting
Known for research

“entry point” problems

Impact/Usefulness
 Optimizing “Research Return”:
Pick a Problem Best for You

High (Potential)
Impact
Your
Passion

Your Strength
Best problems for you
Find your passion: If you don’t have to work/study for money, what would you do?
Test of impact: If you are given $1M to fund a research project, what would you fund?
Find your strength/Avoid your weakness: What are you (not) good at?
 How to Find a Problem?
• Application-driven (Find a nail, then make a hammer)
– Identify a need by people/users that cannot be satisfied well currently
(“complaints” about current data/information management systems?)
– How difficult is it to solve the problem?
• No big technical challenges: do a startup
• Lots of big challenges: write a research proposal
– Identify one technical challenge as your topic
– Formulate/frame the problem appropriately so that you can solve it
• Aim at a completely new application/function (find a high-
stake nail)
 How to Find a Problem? (cont.)
• Tool-driven (Hold a hammer, and look for a nail)
– Choose your favorite state-of-the-art tools
• Ideally, you have a “secret weapon”
• Otherwise, bring tools from area X to area Y
– Look around for possible applications
– Find a novel application that seems to match your tools
– How difficult is it to use your tools to solve the problem?
• No big technical challenges: do a startup
• Lots of big challenges: write a research proposal
– Identify one technical challenge as your topic
– Formulate/frame the problem appropriately so that you can solve it
• Aim at important extension of the tool (find an unexpected
application and use the best hammer)
 How to Find a Problem? (cont.)
• In practice, you do both in various kinds of ways
– You use your imagination, or talk to people in
application domains to identify new “nails”
– You take courses and read literature to acquire newest
or powerful “hammers”
– You check out related areas for both new “nails” and
new “hammers”
– You read visionary papers and the “future work”
sections of research papers, and then take a problem
from there
–…