INTRODUCTION

METHODS OF RESEARCH

LESSON III:

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

A problem is (1) any significant, perplexing and challenging situation, real or artificial, the solution of
which requires reflective thinking; (2) a perplexing situation after it has been translated into question or
series of questions that help determine the direction of subsequent inquiry. The foregoing definitions are
according to Dewey. (Good, p.414)

ELEMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM

The term research problem implies that an investigation, inquiry or study is to be conducted, or that
the problem is ready for investigation, inquiry or study. There are certain elements that a problem must
possess before it becomes a research problem ready for investigation. These elements are:

1. Aim or purpose of the problem for investigation. This answers the question “Why?” Why is there
an investigation, inquiry or study?
2. The subject matter or topic to be investigated. This answers the question “What?” What is to be
investigated or studied?
3. The place or locale where the research is to be conducted. This answers the question “Where?”
Where is the study to be conducted?
4. The period or time of the study during which the data are to be gathered. This answers the
question “When?” When is the study to be carried out?
5. Population or universe from whom the data are to be collected. This answers the question “Who?”
or “From whom?” Who are the respondents? From whom are the data are gathered?

GUIDELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM OR TOPIC

There are certain guidelines or criteria in the selection of a research problem to make it more
interesting and the research work more enjoyable to the researcher as well as to ensure the completion
of the study.
1. The research problem or topic must be chosen by the researcher himself. This is to avoid blaming
others or offering excuses for any obstacle encountered.
2. It must be within the interest of the researcher. This is to make sure that the researcher will focus
his full attention on the research work.
3. It must be within the specialization of the researcher. This will in some way make the work easier
for him because he is working on familiar grounds. Besides, this may improve his specialization,
skill, and competence in his profession.
4. It must be within the competence of the researcher to tackle. The researcher must know the
method of research and other research procedures applicable to his problem and he must know
how to apply them. He must have a workable understanding of his study.
5. It must be within the ability of the researcher to finance, otherwise he must be able to find funding
for his research. Research involves not a small amount of expense and the researcher must be
able to foot the bills until his study is completed. There must be a budget which he must be able
to shoulder.
6. It is researchable and manageable. That is,
a. Data are available and accessible. The researcher must be sure that the participants in his
investigation possess the needed data and that they are within his reach. So, one must not
choose a problem in which the locations of the data are too far away, say foreign lands.
b. The data must meet the standards of accuracy, objectivity, and verifiability. This is important.
The data gathered must be accurate, objective and not biased, and can be verified if there
arises a need, otherwise, the results of the study will not be valid and the generalization
formulated will be faulty.
c. Answers to the specific questions (sub-problems) can found. The data to be collected must
supply the necessary answers to the specific questions.
d. The hypothesis formulated are testable, that is, they can be accepted or rejected. Hypothesis
are not proved; they are only determined as true or not. If the findings from the data do not
conform to the hypotheses, the latter are rejected. If the findings conform to the hypotheses,
the latter are accepted as true and valid.
e. Equipment and instruments for research are available and can give valid and reliable results.
7. It can be completed within a reasonable period of time, unless it is a longitudinal research which
takes a long time for its completion.
8. It is significant, important, and relevant to the present time and situation, timely, and of current
interest. This means that the research project must be able to make a substantial impact upon
situation and people it is intended for or addressed to. It must be able to arouse the interest of the
people concerned.
9. The results are practical and implementable.
10. It requires original, critical, and reflective thinking to solve it.

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 11. It can be delimited to suit the resources of the researcher but big enough to be able to give
significant, valid, and reliable results and generalizations.
12. It must contribute to the national development goals for the improvement of the quality of human
life. This is the ultimate aim of research, to improve the quality of human life. Research must
improve or show how to improve unsatisfactory conditions.
13. It must contribute to the fund of human knowledge. All the facts and knowledge that we have are
mostly the products of research. Any study to be conducted must add a new bit of knowledge to
what we already have.
14. It must show or pave the way for the solution of the problem or problems intended to be solved.
15. It must not undermine the moral of and spiritual values of the people. It must not advocate the
promotion of antisocial values such as drug addiction, cruelty, hatred, divisiveness, multiple sex
mating, etc. as much as possible it must advocate the promotion of divine values and those
admirable human values such as love, peace, goodwill, etc.
16. It must not advocate any change in the present order of things by means of violence but by
peaceful means. It must not advocate subversion, revolution, or the like to wrest control of the
government. If there is a needed change, it must be made by any means but the means must be
peaceful and legitimate.
17. There must be a return of some kind to the researcher, either one or all of the following, if the
research report is completed:
a. Monetary, either increase in salary or publication of the results in which there is some kind of
royalty.
b. Advancement of position, promotion.
c. Improved specialization, competence, and skill in professional work especially if the research
subject is related to the profession.
d. Enhanced prestige and reputation.
e. Satisfaction of intellectual curiosity and interest, and being able to discover the truth.
18. There must be a consideration of the hazards involved, either physical, social or legal.

THE TITLE

Guidelines in writing the title. The thesis writer should be guided by the following in the formulation
of his title. These are also the characteristics of the title.

1. Generally, the title is formulated before the start of the research work. It may be revised and
refined later if there is a need.

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 2. The title must contain the subject matter of the study, the locale of the study, the population
involved, and the period when the data were gathered or will be gathered.
3. It must be broad enough to include all aspects of the subject matter studied or to be studied.
Hence, the title indicates what is expected to be found inside the thesis report.
4. It must be brief and concise as possible.
5. Avoid using the terms “An Analysis of,” “A Study of,” “An Investigation of,” and the like. All these
things are understood to have been done or to be done when a research is conducted.
6. If the title contains more than one line, it must be written like an inverted pyramids, all words in
capital letters.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Guidelines in formulating the general problem and the specific sub-problems or specific questions.
The following are suggested to guide the researcher in the formulation of his general as well as his
specific sub-problems or questions. These are also the characteristics of specific questions:
1. The general statement of the problem and the specific sub-problems or questions should be
formulated first before conducting the research.
2. It is customary to state specific sub-problems in the interrogative form. Hence, sub-problems are
called specific questions.
3. Each specific question must be clear and unequivocal, that is, it has only one meaning. It must
not have dual meanings.
4. Each specific question is researchable apart from the other questions, that is, answers to each
specific question can be found even without considering the other questions.
5. Each specific question must be based upon known facts and phenomena. Besides, data from
such known facts and phenomena must be accessible to make the specific question
researchable.
6. Answers to specific question can be interpreted apart from the answers to other specific
questions.
7. Answers to each specific question must contribute to the development of the whole research
problem or topic.
8. Summing up the answers to all the specific questions will give a complete development of the
entire study.
9. The number of specific questions should be enough to cover the development of the whole
research problem or study.
10. Generally, there should be a general statement of the problem and then this would be broken up
into a many sub-problems or specific questions as necessary.

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