CHAPTER 3:

identifying
research
problem
DR. WILLY O. GAPASIN
 02
Review and refine
research
01 questions to meet
Generate research information needs
questions that
intende reflect the
information needs
d for a specific
03
Break down complex
learnin project
research into
smaller, simpler
g research
outcom
es:
Identify an Appropriate Research
Problem
The research problem is the heart of a study. It
is a clear, definite statement of the area of
concern or investigation and is backed by
evidence (Bryman, 2007). It drives the
research questions and processes and
provides the framework for understanding
the research findings.
To begin, you will need to know where to look
for your research problem and how to
evaluate when a research problem for
success.
Where to Find a Research Problem
Ideas for a research problems tend to come from two sources:
real life and the scholarly arena. First, identifying a
research problem can be as simple as observing the
complications and issues in the local workplace. You may
encounter ongoing issues on a daily basis in the workplace
or observe colleagues struggle with major issues or
questions in the field. These ongoing obstacles and issues
in the workplace can be the catalyst for developing a
research problem.
\Alternatively, research problems can be identified by
reviewing recent literature, reports, or databases in your
field. Often the section of “recommendations for the future
studies” provided at the end of journal articles or doctoral
dissertations suggest potential research problems. In
addition, major reports and databases in the field may
reveal findings or data-based facts that call for additional
investigation or suggest potential issues to be addressed.
Looking at what theories need to be tested is another
opportunity to develop a research problem.
Developing Strong Research Questions
A good research question is essential to guide
research paper, project or thesis. It pinpoints
exactly what you want to find out and gives your
work a clear focus and purpose. All research
questions should be:
· Focused on a single problem or issue
· Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
· Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical
constraints
· Specific enough to answer thoroughly
· Complex enough to develop the answer over the space
of a paper or thesis
· Relevant to your field of study and/or society more
broadly
In a research paper, you will usually write a
single research question to guide your reading
and thinking. The answer that you develop is
your thesis statement — the central assertion or
position that your paper will argue for.
In a bigger research project, such as a thesis,
you might have multiple research questions, but
they should all be clearly connected and focused
around a central research problem.
How to Write a Research Question
The process of developing your research question follows several
steps:
· Choose a broad topic
· Do some preliminary reading to find out about topical debates
and issues
· Narrow down a specific niche that you want to focus on
· Identify a practical or theoretical research problem that you will
address

When you have a clearly-defined problem, you need to formulate

one or more questions. Think about exactly what you want to
know and how it will contribute to resolving the problem.
\Example Research Problem
Consumer have doubts in
purchasing Vegan products
offered in the internet
Example Research Question
What are the online offering
of Vegan products?
What are the driving factors
in purchasing Vegan
products?
How it affects in the
consumer buying
behaviour in purchasing
Vegan products?
What makes a strong research questions?
Writing questions isn’t a difficult task in itself, but it
can be hard to work out if you have a good research
question. Research questions anchor your whole
project, so it’s important to spend some time refining
them. The criteria below can help you evaluate the
strength of your research question.
 Focused and
Researchable
Criteria Explanation
Focuses on a single topic and Your central research question
problem should follow from your
research problem to keep
your work focused. If you
have multiple questions, they
should all clearly relate to
this central aim
 Criteria Explanation
Avoid subjective words
Answerable using
like good, bad, better and worse,
primary or secondary data.
as these do not give clear criteria
for answering the question. If your
question is evaluating something,
use terms with more measurable
definitions.
✕ Is X or Y a better policy?
✓ How effective are X and Y
policies at reducing rates of Z?
 Criteria Explanation
You must be able to find an answer
Does not ask for a subjective
by collecting quantitative and / or
value judgement.
qualitative data, or by reading
scholarly sources on the topic to
develop an argument. If such data
is impossible to access, you will
have to rethink your question and
ask something more concrete.
 Criteria Explanation
Why questions are usually too open
Does not ask why to serve as good research
questions. There are often so
many possible causes that a
research project cannot give a
thorough answer. Try
asking what or how questions
instead.
✕ Why does X occur?
✓ What are the main factors
contributing to X?
✓ How is X influenced by Y?
 Feasible and Specific
Criteria Explanation
Answerable within practical Make sure you have enough
constraints. time and resources to do the
research required to answer
the question. If you think you
might struggle to gain access
to enough data, consider
narrowing down the question
to be more specific.
 Criteria Explanation
All the terms you use in the research
Uses specific, well-defined question should have clear meanings.
concepts. Avoid vague language and broad
ideas, and be clear
about what, who, where and when you
r question addresses.
✕ What effect does social media
have on people’s minds?
✓ What effect does daily use of
Twitter have on the attention span of
under-16s?
 Criteria Explanation
Research is about informing, not
Does not ask for a conclusive instructing. Even if your project is
solution, policy, or course of focused on a practical problem, it
action. should aim to improve understanding
and suggest possibilities rather than
asking for a ready-made solution.
✕ What should the Board of
Directors do about low voter turnout?
✓ What are the most effective
communication strategies for
increasing voter turnout among other
shareholders?
 Complex and
Arguable
Criteria Explanation
Closed yes/no questions are too simple to
Cannot be answered work as good research questions —
with yes or no they don’t provide enough scope for
investigation and discussion.
✕ Has there been an increase in
homelessness in the UK in the past ten
years?
✓ How have economic and political
factors affected patterns of
homelessness in the UK over the past
ten years?
 Criteria Explanation
Cannot be answered with easily If you can answer the question
found facts and figures through a Google search or by
reading a single book or
article, it is probably not
complex enough. A good
research question requires
original data, synthesis of
multiple sources,
interpretation and/or
argument to provide an
answer.
 Criteria Explanation
The answer to the question should
Provides scope for debate and
not just be a simple statement of
deliberation fact: there needs to be space for
you to discuss and interpret what
you found. This is especially
important in an essay or research
paper, where the answer to your
question often takes the form of
an argumentative thesis
statement.
 Relevant and Original
Criteria Explanation
Addresses a problem relevant The research question should be
to your field or discipline developed based on initial
reading around your topic, and
it should focus on addressing a
problem or gap in the existing
knowledge.
 Criteria Explanation
Contributes to a topical social The question should aim to
or academic debate. contribute to an existing
debate — ideally one that is
current in your field or in
society at large. It should
produce knowledge that
future researchers or
practitioners can build on.
 Criteria Explanation
Has not already been answered You don’t have to ask something
groundbreaking that nobody
has ever thought of before,
but the question should have
some aspect of originality (for
example, by focusing on a
specific location or taking a
new angle on a long-running
debate).
How to define research problem?
A research problem is a specific issue, difficulty,
contradiction, or gap in knowledge that you will
aim to address in your research. You might look
for practical problems aimed at contributing to
change, or theoretical problems aimed at
expanding knowledge.
Bear in mind that some research will do
both of these things, but usually the
research problem focuses on one or the
other. The type of research problem you
choose depends on your broad topic of
interest and the type of research you
want to do.
Practical Research Problems
If you are doing practical research, you can
identify a problem by reading reports, following
up on previous research, and talking to people
who work in the relevant field or organization.
You might look for:
• Issues with performance or efficiency in an
organization
• Processes that could be improved in the
manufacturing company
• Areas of concern among practitioners in a
field
• Difficulties faced by specific groups of people
in society
 Practical Research
Problems
Budget Control and Financial
Performance of Credit Cooperatives
1. What is the extent of implementation of
budget control in the credit cooperatives
in terms of:
1.1. Budgeting and planning;
1.2. Monitoring and control; and
1.3. Analyzing and feedback?
 Practical Research
Problems
2. What is the financial performance of
the credit cooperatives as to:
2.3. Savings;
2.4. Loans; and
2.5. Profit?
3. Is there significant relationship
between the budget control and
financial performance of the credit
cooperatives?