[CPE 6398 – CpE Design Project 1]

[Preliminaries]

Module 02 The Research Topic and Problems

Course Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, the student should be able to:
1. Describe a research topic and research problem.
2. Differentiate research topic from research problem.
3. Choose an area where to conduct a research.
4. Identify a research problem where he/she will start to conduct a research
study.

Identification of Research Topic

The first step in conducting a research study is to choose a suitable topic. The topic is the
subject or subject matter of a proposed study. Describe the topic in a few words or in a
short phrase. The topic becomes the central idea to learn about or to explore (Creswell,
2018).
The topic is the definition of the problem which delimits or pin points the task of a
researcher. It is the usual practice of the researcher that they select the topic of the study
from different sources especially from research abstracts. They do not identify the
problem, but a problem is made on the basis of the topic (Pandey, 2015).
The researcher should begin their topic selection by identifying two or three broad areas in
which many different types of research may be pursued (Lunenburg, 2008). Research areas
includes but not limited to:
A. Computer Studies
1. Cloud Computing
2. Cyber Security
3. Database and Data Management
4. Data Mining and Analytics
5. Computer Graphics
6. Computer Architecture
7. Artificial Intelligence Technology
8. System and Software Development
9. Networking
10. Mobile Computing
B. Engineering
1. Mechatronics/Robotics
2. MPU-based Research
3. Socio-Economic and Computer Engineering

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4. Wireless Technology
5. Environmental Science

Sources of Research Topic

Where do ideas for research studies originate? Where should you look for a
researchable idea? Some of the major sources of ideas are everyday life, practical
issues, past research, and theory (Johnson and Christensen, 2014).
Researchers initially come to a topic because of their personal interests, experiences
and values, previous research experience, and/or opportunities in the form of
funding or collaborations (Leavy, 2017).
Sources of ideas for broad topic areas include: (a) textbooks, (b) professional
journals, (c) dissertations, (d) theories, (e) current employ-ment, and (f) existing
databases (Lunenburg, 2008).

Criteria in Choosing Research Topic

The following are checklist to help you select an initial research topic (Leavy, 2017):
(i) Interest. Select a general topic about which you are interested in
learning more.
(ii) Researchable. After you have identified a general topic, you will need
to make sure it is researchable. In other words, is it feasible to conduct
research on this topic? At this early stage, consider issues such as
whether or not you’ll have access to the participants or data needed to
investigate the topic.
(iii) Significance. Consider the significance, value, or worth of the project.
To begin, does this topic align with your values system, sense of
morality, or political orientation? Is there a social justice imperative to
learning more about this topic? Is it important, in relative terms, to
learn more about this topic? Is there a need for researchers to learn
more about this topic? Can the research be applied in some real-world
setting?
(iv) Knowledge, Skills, Funding, and Time. It’s also important to take a
personal inventory to determine personal preparedness. Beyond
considering what your interests and resources are, think about your
capabilities as a researcher.
(v) Research is intended to contribute to a shortage of research on a topic,
fill a gap in the literature, or offer an alternative view to existing
research.
In selecting an appropriate topic for a thesis or dissertation, the following criteria
should be considered as important: (a) interest, (b) significance,(c) available data,
(d) knowledge and skills, (e) manageability, and (f) funding (Lunenburg, 2008).

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Identification of Research Problem

A research problem, in general, refers to some difficulty which a researcher experiences in
the context of either a theoretical or practical situation and wants to obtain a solution for
the same (Kothari, 2004).
The identification and analyzing a research problem is the most crucial step of research
process. A problem cannot be solved effectively unless a researcher possesses the intellect
and insight to isolate and understand the specific factors giving rise to the difficulty (Singh,
2006).
It is wrong to think that identification of a problem means to select a topic of a research or
statement of the problem. A topic or title and research problem are not the synonyms but
they are inclusive. The problem concerns with the functioning of the broader area of field
studied, whereas a topic or title is the verbal statement of the problem (Pandey, 2015).
The following steps are to be followed in identifying a research problem;
Step I. Determining the field of research in which a researcher is keen to do the
research work.
Step II. The researcher should develop the mastery on the area or it should be the
field of his specialization.
Step III. The researcher should review the research conducted in area to know the
recent trend and studies are being conducted in the area.
Step IV. On the basis of review, the researcher should consider the priority field of
the study.
Step V. The researcher should draw an analogy and insight in identifying a problem
or employ his personal experience of the field in locating the problem. He may take
help of supervisor or expert of the field.
Step VI. The researcher should pin point specific aspect of the problem which is to
be investigated.
Sources of the Research Problem
The following are some sources of a research problem:
(i) The classroom, school, home, community and other agencies of
education are obvious sources.
(ii) Social developments and technological changes are constantly
bringing forth new problems and opportunities for research.
(iii) Record of previous research such specialized sources as the
encyclopedias of educational, research abstracts, research bulletins,
research reports, journals of researches, dissertations and many
similar publications are rich sources of research problems.

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(iv) Textbook assignments, special assignments, reports and term papers

will suggest additional areas of needed research.
(v) Discussions-Classroom discussions, seminars and exchange of ideas
with faculty members and fellow scholars and students will suggest
many stimulating problems to be solved, close professional
relationships, academic discussions and constructive academic
climate are especially advantageous opportunities.
(vi) Questioning attitude: A questioning attitude towards prevailing
practices and research oriented academic experience will effectively
promote problem awareness.
(vii) The most practical source of problem is to consult supervisor, experts
of the field and most experienced persons of the field. They may
suggest most significant problems of the area. He can discuss certain
issues of the area to emerge a problem.
Tips in Selecting a Research Problem
According to C.R. Kothari the following points may be observed by a researcher in
selecting a research problem or a subject for research:
(i) Subject which is overdone should not be normally chosen, for it will
be a difficult task to throw any new light in such a case.
(ii) Controversial subject should not become the choice of an average
researcher.
(iii) Too narrow or too vague problems should be avoided.
(iv) The subject selected for research should be familiar and feasible so
that the related research material or sources of research are within
one’s reach.
(v) The importance of the subject, the qualifications and the training of a
researcher, the costs involved, the time factor are few other criteria
that must also be considered in selecting a problem. In other words,
before the final selection of a problem is done, a researcher must ask
himself the following questions:
(a) Whether he is well equipped in terms of his background to carry
out the research?
(b) Whether the study falls within the budget he can afford?
(c) Whether the necessary cooperation can be obtained from those
who must participate in research as subjects?
If the answers to all these questions are in the affirmative, one may
become sure so far as the practicability of the study is concerned.
(vi) The selection of a problem must be preceded by a preliminary study.

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There are five ways to assess whether you should research a problem (Creswell,
2012):
(i) Study the problem if your study will fill a gap or void in the existing
literature.
(ii) Study the problem if your study replicates a past study but examines
different participants and different research sites.
(iii) Study the problem if your study extends past research or examines
the topic more thoroughly.
(iv) Study the problem if your study gives voice to people silenced, not
heard, or rejected in society.
(v) Study the problem if your study informs practice.
Existence of the Research Problem
Research problem does exist if the following conditions are met (C.R. Kothari, 2004)
(i) There must be an individual or a group which has some difficulty or
the problem.
(ii) There must be some objective(s) to be attained at. If one wants
nothing, one cannot have a problem.
(iii) There must be alternative means (or the courses of action) for
obtaining the objective(s) one wishes to attain. This means that there
must be at least two means available to a researcher for if he has no
choice of means, he cannot have a problem.
(iv) There must remain some doubt in the mind of a researcher with
regard to the selection of alternatives. This means that research must
answer the question concerning the relative efficiency of the possible
alternatives.
(v) There must be some environment(s) to which the difficulty pertains.
If there exist a problem then analyzing the problem is the next thing to do. The
following are the major tasks to be performed in analyzing a problematic situation
as given below (Singh, 2006):
(i) Accumulating the facts that might be related to the problem.
(ii) Setting by observations whether the facts are relevant.
(iii) Tracing any relationship between facts that might reveal the key to
the difficulty.
(iv) Proposing various explanations for the cause or the difficulty.
(v) Ascertaining through observations and analysis whether these
explanations are relevant to the problem.
(vi) Tracing relationship between explanations that may give an insight
into the problem solution.

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(vii) Tracing relationship between facts and explanations.

(viii) Questioning assumptions underlying the analysis of the problem.
(ix) Tracing the irrelevant facts which are not concerned with the
problem.
(x) Locating the irrelevant explanations which are not related to the
problem.
After going through these processes, the researcher will be able to define or state
the problem.

Techniques Involved in Defining a Problem

Defining a research problem properly and clearly is a crucial part of a research
study and must in no case be accomplished hurriedly. However, in practice this a
frequently overlooked which causes a lot of problems later on. Hence, the research
problem should be defined in a systematic manner, giving due weightage to all
relating points (Kothari, 2004).
(i) State the problem in general way.
(ii) Understand the nature of the problem.
(iii) Survey the available literature.
(iv) Develop ideas through discussion
(v) Rephrase the research problem
(vi) Technical terms and words or phrases, with special meanings used in
the statement of the problem, should be clearly defined.
(vii) Basic assumptions or postulates (if any) relating to the research
problem should be clearly stated.
(viii) A straight forward statement of the value of the investigation (i.e., the
criteria for the selection of the problem) should be provided.
(ix) The suitability of the time-period and the sources of data available
must also be considered by the researcher in defining the problem.
(x) The scope of the investigation or the limits within which the problem
is to be studied must be mentioned explicitly in defining a research
problem.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
1. AMAES Student Research Manual

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2. C.R. Kothari; 2004; Research Methodology Methods and Techniques; New Delhi; New
Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers
3. Fred C. Lunenburg, Beverly J. Irby; 2008; Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation;
California; Corwin Press
4. John W. Creswell, J. David Creswell; 2018; Research Design Qualitative Quantitative,
and Mixed Method Approaches; California; SAGE Publication Inc.
5. Larry B. Christensen et al; 2015; Research Methods Design and Analysis; England;
Pearson
6. Patricia Leavy (2017). Research Design. New York. The Guilford Press
7. R. Burke Johnson, Larry Christensen (2014). Educational Research (5th Edition). USA.
SAGE Publication Inc.
8. Rabhat Pandey, Meenu Mishra Pandey; 2015; Research Methodology Tools and
Techniques; Romania; Bridge Center
9. Yogesh Kumar Singh; 2006; Fundamental of Research Methodology and Statistics;
New Delhi; New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers

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