Research Problem

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RESEARCH

PROBLEM
RESEARCH PROBLEM

A research problem is exactly that – a problem that


someone would like to research (Fraenkel and Wallen,
2010). A problem can be anything that a person finds
unsatisfactory or unsettling, a difficult of some sort, a
state of affairs that needs to be changed, anything that is
not working as well as it might. Problems involve areas of
concern to researchers, conditions they want to improve,
difficulties they want to eliminate, questions for which
they seek answers.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following examples of possible research in
education are not sufficiently developed for actual use
in a research project but would be suitable during the
early stage of formulating a quantitative research
question.
• Do teachers behave differently towards students of
different genders? (Causal-comparative research)
• How can we predict which students might have
trouble learning certain kinds of subject matter?
(Correlational research).
There are other kinds of questions, however, that
cannot be answered by collecting and analyzing data.
The following are the examples:
• Should philosophy be included in the high school
curriculum?
[This is a question of value. It implies notions of right and wrong,
proper, and improper- and therefore does not have any empirical (or
observable) referents.]
• What is the meaning of life?
[This is metaphysical in nature – that is beyond the physical,
transcendental. Answers to this sort of question lie beyond
the accumulation of information].
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1. The question is feasible (i.e., it can be
investigated without expending an undue
amount of time, energy, or money)
2. The question is clear (i.e., most people would
agree as to what the key words in the question
mean).
3. The question is significant (i.e., it is worth
investigating because it will contribute
important knowledge about the human
condition).
4. The question is ethical (i.e., it will not involve
physical or psychological harm or damage to
human beings or to the natural or social
environment of which they are a part).
THE PURPOSES OF A PROBLEM STATEMENT
1. Introduces the reader to the importance of the
topic being studied. The reader is oriented to the
significance of the study and the research
questions or hypotheses to follow.
2. Places the problem into a particular context that
defines the parameters of what is to be
investigated.
THE PURPOSES OF A PROBLEM STATEMENT

3. Provides the framework for reporting the results


and indicates what is probably necessary to
conduct the study and explain how the findings
will present this information.
A research question is not the same as a thesis title,
research problem, hypothesis or research focus,
although they are interrelated and support one
another.
• A research question summarizes the significant
issue your research will investigate.
• The title consists of the topic and outcome of a
research project.
• The research problem explains the knowledge
gap your research will address.
• A hypothesis is a predicted answer to the
research question that can be tested and is
based on prior research.
• A research focus specifies the scope or domain
of inquiry.
THE VALUE OF RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF
INTEREST
It is helpful for investigator to keep in mind the
following aspects while selecting the area of problem
for research.
• The problem to be chosen should be such as to be
meaningfully related to the interest of the
investigator himself/herself.
• The problem having alliance with the chain of
thinking or research already in existence can be
handled more confidently.
• The ambitious problems covering a wide range of
area of interest should be avoided and the
problems of manageable size and limits should be
taken up.
• An important consideration for selecting the
problem area relates to its feasibility in terms of
the application of scientific techniques, availability
of resources in terms of money, personnel, and
equipment.
RESEARCH TOPIC TO BE AVOIDED
1. Controversial topics
➢ These are topics that depend greatly on the
writer’s opinion, which tend to be biased or
prejudicial. Facts cannot support controversial
topics
2. Highly technical subjects
➢ For a beginner, researching on topics that require
an advance study, technical knowledge and vast
experience is very difficult.
RESEARCH TOPIC TO BE AVOIDED
3. Hard-to-investigate subjects
➢ A topic or a subject is hard to investigate if there
is no available data or reading materials about it
and such materials are not updated (obsolete).
4. Too broad subjects
➢ A subject or a topic that are too broad will
prevent the researcher from giving a concentrated
or in-depth analysis of the subject matter of the
research paper.
RESEARCH TOPIC TO BE AVOIDED
5. Too narrow subjects
➢ The subjects are so limited or specific that an
extensive or thorough searching or reading for
information about the subject is necessary.
6. Vague subjects
➢ Choosing topics like these will prevent you from
having a clear insight or focus on your study.
RESEARCH BACKGROUND
Research background is a brief outline of the
most important studies that have been conducted so
far presented in a chronological order. Research
background should also include a brief discussion of
major theories and models related to the research
problem. When writing research background, you
also need to demonstrate how your research relates
to what has been done so far in the research area.
The scope and delimitations of a thesis,
dissertation or research paper define the topic and
boundaries of the research problem to be investigated.
The scope details how in-depth your study is to
explore the research question and the parameters in
which it will operate in relation to the population and
timeframe.
The delimitations of a study are the factors
and variables not to be included in the investigation.
In other words, they are the boundaries the
researcher sets in terms of study duration,
population size and type of participants, etc.
TASK 1:
Directions: Fill in the blank with the choices found
inside the box. Write your answer in your activity
notebook
Research Problem Scope Delimitation
Research Background Hypothesis
Problem Statement Sources
1. Usually, a ______ is initially posed as a question
which serves as the focus of the researcher’s
investigation.
Research Problem Scope Delimitation
Research Background Hypothesis
Problem Statement Sources
2. A ______ introduces the reader to the importance
of the topic being studied.
3. A ______ is a predicted answer to the research
question that can be tested and based on prior
research.
4. The ______ for identification of problem are
diverse and would largely depend upon the area
of interest of the investigator and the nature of
the problem under investigation.
Research Problem Scope Delimitation
Research Background Hypothesis
Problem Statement Sources
5. ______ is a brief outline of the most important
studies that have been conducted so far
presented in a chronological order.
6. The ______ details how in-depth your study is to
explore the research question and the parameter
in which it will operate in relation to the
population and timeframe.
7. The ______ of a study are the factors and
variables not to be included in the investigation.
ASSESSMENT
Directions: Read each item carefully. Write TRUE if the
statement is true and write FALSE if the statement if
false.
1. One of the characteristics of good research
questions is not feasible.
2. “A comparison between the identical twins….” is a
good example of research title.
3. The sources for identification of problem are
diverse and would largely depend upon the area
of interest of the investigator.
4. Research questions should be clear, concise, and
as simple as possible, focused and empirically
answerable.
5. The problem statement provides the framework
for reporting the results and indicates what is
probably necessary to conduct the study and
explain how the findings will present this
information.
6. Good research question is practicable.
7. A good research question helps to- guide the
research process; construct a logical argument;
write a literature review; plan thesis chapters; and
devise efficient search strategies.
8. The purpose of research question is to introduce
the reader to the importance of the topic being
studied.
9. A hypothesis is a predicted answer to the research
question that can be tested and is based on prior
research.
10. An important consideration for selecting the
problem area relates to its feasibility.

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