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Problem Formulation 1

This document discusses problem formulation and statement of research objectives in social science research. It defines a research problem as a difficulty experienced by a researcher in a theoretical or practical situation that they want to solve. Key components of a research problem include an individual or group, objectives to be attained, alternative means of achieving the objective, and an environment where the difficulty exists. The document also discusses sources of research problems, considerations for selecting a problem such as interest, magnitude, expertise and data availability, and techniques for defining the problem statement and research objectives.

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Vandana Verma
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51 views

Problem Formulation 1

This document discusses problem formulation and statement of research objectives in social science research. It defines a research problem as a difficulty experienced by a researcher in a theoretical or practical situation that they want to solve. Key components of a research problem include an individual or group, objectives to be attained, alternative means of achieving the objective, and an environment where the difficulty exists. The document also discusses sources of research problems, considerations for selecting a problem such as interest, magnitude, expertise and data availability, and techniques for defining the problem statement and research objectives.

Uploaded by

Vandana Verma
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PROBLEM

FORMULATION & STATEMENT


OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Problem Formulation
 It is the first and most crucial step in the research
process
- Main function is to decide what you want to find
out about.
- The way you formulate a problem determines
almost every step that follows.
What is Research Problem?

A research problem 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.
Components of research problem
 An individual or group
 There must be some objectives to be attained
 Alternate means for obtaining the objective
 There must be some doubt in the mind of
researcher with regard to the selection of
alternatives
 There must be some environments to which
difficulty pertains
Sources of research problems
Research in social sciences revolves around four Ps:
 People- a group of individuals

 Problems- examine the existence of certain issues

or problems relating to their lives; to ascertain


attitude of a group of people towards an issue
 Programs- to evaluate the effectiveness of an

intervention
 Phenomena- to establish the existence of a

regularity.
Considerations in selecting a research
problem:

These help to ensure that your study will remain manageable and
that you will remain motivated.
1. Interest: a research endeavour is usually time consuming, and
involves hard work and possibly unforeseen problems. One
should select topic of great interest to sustain the required
motivation.
2. Magnitude: It is extremely important to select a topic that
you can manage within the time and resources at your
disposal. Narrow the topic down to something manageable,
specific and clear.
3. Measurement of concepts: Make sure that you are clear
about the indicators and measurement of concepts (if used) in
your study.
Considerations in selecting a research
problem:
4. Level of expertise: Make sure that you have adequate level of
expertise for the task you are proposing since you need to do
the work yourself.
5. Relevance: Ensure that your study adds to the existing body
of knowledge, bridges current gaps and is useful in policy
formulation. This will help you to sustain interest in the study.
6. Availability of data: Before finalizing the topic, make sure
that data are available.
7. Ethical issues: How ethical issues can affect the study
population and how ethical problems can be overcome should
be thoroughly examined at the problem formulating stage.
Technique in defining the problem
 Statement of the problem in general way
 Understanding the nature of the problem

 Surveying the available literature

 Developing the ideas through discussion

 Rephrasing the research problem


Statement of research objectives
 To discover answer to questions through
the application of scientific procedures
 To find the truth which is yet to discover

 To gain familiarity with a phenomenon

or to achieve new insights into it


(exploratory)
Statement of research objectives
 To determine the frequency with which something
occurs or with which it is associated with
something else (diagnostic research)
 To test a hypothesis of a casual relationship
between variables (hypothesis testing)
 To portray accurately the characteristics of a
particular individual, situation or a group
(descriptive research).
THANK YOU

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