Writing a Research Problem

Prof. Dr. Fadzli Adam

Research Institute for Islamic
Products And Civilization (INSPIRE)
UniSZA
Four sources of knowledge or truth

• Mythical

• Authoritative

• Logical

• Scientific
 Goal of Science:
Seek truth or create knowledge
• Science is the pursuit of truth, of explanation, prediction,
and control a phenomenon.
• Truth obtained from the scientific method contains both
logic and evidence that are consistent with each other.
• Science is about the creation of knowledge, not the
application of knowledge
• Science cannot settle debate about values (good or bad,
right or wrong, e.g. stem cell research) - objectivity
• Ultimate goal of science is to better the human condition
Problem Discovery Problem Selection of
discovery exploratory research
and Definition technique
Sampling
Selection of
exploratory research
technique Probability Nonprobability

Secondary
Experience Pilot Case Collection of
(historical) Data
survey study study data
data
Gathering (fieldwork)

Data Editing and

Problem definition coding
(statement of Processing
data
research objectives) and Analysis
Data
Selection of processing
Research Design basic research
method Interpretation
Conclusions
of
and Report findings
Experiment Survey
Secondary
Laboratory Field Interview Questionnaire Observation
Data Study Report
 Two Types of Empirical
Research
• Theory testing empirical research
– Surveys (interview, mail, internet, phone)
– Experiments (university setting)
– Quasi experiments (university or company)
– Secondary data (financial, operational, personnel)

• Theory building empirical research

– Qualitative research (interview, observation, text)
– Case methods (interviews, text, secondary data)
 A Simplified Scientific Research Process
and Types of Research
1. Research
Question Deductive research

Inductive research
4. The empirical 2. Literature
study review

Theoretical research

3. Theory and
Hypotheses Descriptive research
 Elements of the Scientific Process
Theories
Concept formation
Logical
Propositions
Deduction
Induction
Logical Inference

Empirical Accept or
Generalization Hypotheses
reject Hs

Tests of
hypotheses
Measurement, Research Design,
sample summarization, instrumentation,
parameter estimation scaling, sampling
Observations

From W.L. Wallace, The Logic of Science in Sociology, Figure 1

 The Scientific Process -
Review
Curiosity
or puzzle Deductive
Yes Design

Research
Theory? Observation
Question

No Inductive
Literature Design
review
• To define a problem
correctly, a researcher must
know:
–what a problem is?
 Problem Formulation

A well-defined study begins with a clearly defined

problem

“The formulation of a problem is often more essential

than its solution” - Albert Einstein
 Problem Formulation
• Slight variations in research questions can
lead to substantial differences in later stages
the research process (so be careful)
• Problem formulation drives decisions related
to….
– Research design
• Is exploratory research needed?
• Survey or experiment?
– Measurement
• Study measures flow directly out of problem
statement and research objectives
– Sampling
• Can we obtain the sample necessary to answer the
research questions
– Availability? Cost?
 Problem Formulation
• This “first step” in the research process includes
– Defining the problem
– Developing research objectives
– Developing hypotheses

• Most important part of the research process

– But also one of the most difficult
• Problem is rarely “clear cut”
 Problem Formulation
• Differentiate between a decision problem and a
research problem
• Try to get beyond an “info request”
Decision Problems Research Problems
Develop package for a new Evaluate alternative package
product designs
Increase store traffic Measure current image of the store
Increase market penetration Evaluate prospective locations
through the opening of new stores

Decide which merchandise will be Determine consumers’ confidence

available for purchase over the in purchasing different categories
Internet of products unseen
 Problem Formulation
• First step is to invest in understanding the decision context
– Time investment is significant if the research topic is outside the
researchers area of expertise
• Eg, nontraditional conjoint study on the impact of social media on investment
manager decisions
• Understand what is known and what is not
– In depth discussions with decision makers
– Exploratory research
• Lit reviews
• focus groups, etc. with experts in the field
• It is imperative to know what has been studied in order to advance
knowledge in the area

• Find a “gap” in understanding

 The Research Problem
• Try to develop a concise “statement” that clearly states
the problem to be addressed by the research
• “Justification” for the research

• This should be the specific research problem that the

research will address
– Not a “problematic situation” or broader problem area (eg,
customer retention, decreasing market share)

• Usually an iterative process with the client or decision

maker
 The Research Problem
• If possible, include…
– What knowledge is needed
– Who needs it
– How it will be useful to make a decision

Veterinarians’ disposition toward the state of the profession is not well

understood. Furthermore, while significant efforts are underway by the
profession (ie, AVMA, AAHA) to support the industry, it is unclear how
veterinarians are responding to these efforts. An understanding of how
veterinarians view industry trends and the potential solutions (at both the
profession and individual veterinarian levels) to adverse industry trends will
help the PHP board develop initiatives to ensure the long term sustainability of
the profession.
 Research Objectives
• Once you understand what is known and what is not known,
determine what can be answered through primary research
– Avoid trying to answer too many questions in one study
– Lots of questions require multiple studies or complex designs
• Prioritize questions as “primary” and “secondary”
– Try to stick to 1-2 primary questions and never compromise the primary
questions
 FINER Criteria
• Feasibility
– Do you have the capability (skills/funds) to answer the question?
– Is the proposed sample of interest accessible?
– Can the research be conducted in a reasonable timeframe?
• Interesting
– Are the results going to excite the decision maker?
• Novel
– Will the results tell the decision maker something new?
• Ethical
– Institutional review board
– Not as relevant for social science studies
• Relevant
– Be sure to note the expected outcomes of the research
– Will results lead to a decision
– Strive for “actionable” research
Problem Formulation – A Different Approach
(Andreasen)

• “Actionable marketing research”

– Identify the intended action FIRST; avoid
“these are the things that would be nice to
know”
Problem Formulation – A Different Approach
(Andreasen)
“Backward Approach”
1. How will the research results be implemented?
(i.e., what action will be taken)
2. Determine what information will make up the
final report
3. Specify analyses that will need to be done to “fill
in the blanks” in the report
4. Determine what kind (format) of data is needed
to run the particular analyses (simple as
possible)
5. Does this data already exist?
6. If primary data is needed, design sampling
strategy and instruments
7. Collect data
8. Fill in the blanks from above
• SELECTING THE PROBLEM
– The research problem undertaken for study
must be carefully selected.
– The task is a difficult one, although it may not
appear to be so.
• SELECTING THE PROBLEM
– 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.
– Controversial subject should not
become the choice of an average
researcher.
– Too narrow or too vague (fuzzy)
problems should be avoided.
– 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.
• SELECTING THE PROBLEM
– Contact an expert or a professor in the
University who is already engaged in
research.
– Read articles published in current
literature available on the subject and
may think how the techniques and ideas
discussed there in might be applied to
the solution of other problems.
– Discuss with others what he has in mind
concerning a problem. In this way he
should make all possible efforts in
selecting a problem.
• SELECTING THE PROBLEM
– The importance of the subject, the qualifications and the
training of a researcher, the costs involved, the time factor
• Whether he is well equipped in terms of his background
to carry out the research?
• Whether the study falls within the budget he can afford?
• Whether the necessary cooperation can be obtained
from those who must participate in research as
subjects?
– The selection of a problem must be preceded by a
preliminary study. This may not be necessary when the
problem requires the conduct of a research closely similar
to one that has already been done.
• But when the field of inquiry is relatively new and does
not have available a set of well developed techniques, a
brief feasibility study must always be undertaken.
• TECHNIQUE IN DEFINING A PROBLEM
– statement of the problem in a general way;
– understanding the nature of the problem;
– surveying the available literature
– developing the ideas through discussions;
and
– rephrasing the research problem into a
working proposition.
• (i) Statement of the problem in a general way:
– the problem should be stated in a broad
general way, keeping in view either some
practical concern or some scientific or
intellectual interest.
– In case of social research, it is considered
advisable to do some field observation, some
sort of preliminary survey or what is often
called pilot survey.
– Then the researcher can himself state the
problem or he can seek the guidance of the
guide or the subject expert in accomplishing
this task.
• (ii) Understanding the nature of the problem:
– Understand its origin and nature clearly
– to discuss it with those who first raised it in
order to find out how the problem originally
came about and with what objectives in view
– A discussion with those who have a good
knowledge of the problem concerned or
similar other problems.
– The researcher should also keep in view the
environment within which the problem is to be
studied and understood.
• (iii) Surveying the available literature:
– All available literature concerning the problem must
necessarily be surveyed and examined
• It will be well-conversant with relevant theories in
the field, reports and records
• To find out what data and other materials --
“Knowing what data are available often serves to
narrow the problem itself as well as the technique
that might be used.”
• If there are certain gaps in the theories, or whether
the existing theories applicable to the problem
under study are inconsistent with each other, or
whether the findings of the different studies do not
follow a pattern consistent with the theoretical
expectations and so on.
• for indicating the type of difficulties that may be
encountered in the present study as also the
possible analytical shortcomings.
• (iv) Developing the ideas through discussions:
– often produces useful information
– Various new ideas can be developed
– Discuss problem with colleagues and others who
have enough experience in the same area or in
working on similar problems --- known as an
experience survey.
– People with rich experience are in a position to
enlighten the researcher on different aspects of
his proposed study and their advice and
comments are usually invaluable to the
researcher --- sharpen his focus of attention on
specific aspects within the field.
• (v) Rephrasing the research problem:
– to rephrase the research problem into a
working proposition
– rephrasing the problem into analytical or
operational terms is not a difficult task
– Through rephrasing, the researcher puts
the research problem in as specific terms
as possible so that it may become
operationally viable and may help in the
development of working hypotheses
• The following points must also be
observed while defining a research
problem:
– (a) Technical terms and words or phrases,
with special meanings used in the statement
of the problem, should be clearly defined
– (b) Basic assumptions or postulates (if any)
relating to the research problem should be
clearly stated
• Defining a research problem:
– (c) A straight forward statement of the value of
the investigation (i.e., the criteria for the
selection of the problem)
– (d) The suitability of the time-period and the
sources of data available
– (e) The scope of the investigation or the limits
within which the research
• An example :
• Let us suppose that a research problem in a broad
general way is as follows:
– “Why is productivity in Japan so much higher than in
India”?
– It has a number of ambiguities such as
• What sort of productivity is being referred to?
• With what industries the same is related?
• With what period of time the productivity is being
talked about?
• In view of all such ambiguities the given statement
or the question is much too general to be
amenable to analysis.
• Rethinking and discussions about the problem
may result in narrowing down the question to:
• Example
– “What factors were responsible for the higher
labour productivity of Japan’s manufacturing
industries during the decade 1971 to 1980
relative to India’s manufacturing industries?”
• Further rethinking and rephrasing might place
the problem on a still better operational basis as
shown below:
– “To what extent did labour productivity in 1971
to 1980 in Japan exceed that of India in
respect of 15 selected manufacturing
industries?
– What factors were responsible for the
productivity differentials between the two
countries by industries?”
• Example:
– With this sort of formulation, the various terms
involved such as ‘labour productivity’, ‘productivity
differentials’, etc. must be explained clearly.
– The researcher must also see that the necessary data
are available.
– In case the data for one or more industries selected
are not available for the concerning time-period, then
the said industry or industries will have to be
substituted by other industry or industries.
– The suitability of the time-period must also be
examined. Thus, all relevant factors must be
considered by a researcher before finally defining a
research problem
– Look at any scientific paper, and you will see
the research problem, written almost like a
statement of intent.
– Defining a research problem is crucial in
defining the quality of the answers, and
determines the exact research method used.
– A quantitative experimental design uses
deductive reasoning to arrive at a testable
hypothesis.
– Qualitative research designs use inductive
reasoning to propose a research statement.
• CHECKLIST FOR TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

YES NO

1 Is the problem of current interest? Will the research results have social, educational or scientific value?

2 Will it be possible to apply the results in practice?

3 Does the research contribute to the science of education?

4 Will the research opt new problems and lead to further research?

5 Is the research problem important? Will you be proud of the result?

6 Is there enough scope left within the area of reseach (field of research)?

Can you find an answer to the problem through research? Will you be able to handle the research
7
problem?

8 Will it be pratically possible to undertake the research?

9 Will it be possible for another researcher to repeat the research?

10 Is the research free of any ethical problems and limitations?

11 Will it have any value?

12 Do you have the necessary knowledge and skills to do the research? Are you qualified to undertake the research?

13 Is the problem important to you and are you motivated to undertake the research?

14 Is the research viable in your situation? Do you have enough time and energy to complete the project?

15 Do you have the necessary funds for the research?

16 Will you be able to complete the project within the time available?

17 Do you have access to the administrative, statistic and computer facilities the research necessitates?

TOTAL:
• Example
– An anthropologist might find references to a
relatively unknown tribe in Papua New Guinea.
– Through inductive reasoning, she arrives at
the research problem and asks, ‘How do
these people live and how does their culture
relate to nearby tribes?’
– She has found a gap in knowledge, and she
seeks to fill it, using a qualitative case study,
without a hypothesis
Getting Started: :
Gettrted
The absolute requirement for a research project is a
good idea.

The hypotheses formulated from this idea must be:

Clear and testable

Of limited scope (i.e., can be completed in less than

a
lifetime)

Important as well as interesting

New, unique, extend knowledge, solve an important

problem.

Focus the research on a better understanding

HOW TO GET A GOOD :IDEA
How to get a good idea
Talk to mentor, others knowledgeable about
research area

Develop research problem that matches your

interests, background, training, publications

Base research problem on current knowledge,

research problem should present logical
next step in progression from what is known,
to important issue that is not

Determine that the research problem is

addressable by experimental (hypothesis
driven) approach

Identify research resources as well as any

constraints
 Qualities
Qualities of a fundable
of a Fundable Researchresearch
Problem
• Research must problem
address important
question
• Scope of research must be appropriate
(time available)
• Research must be relevant
• Research design must be feasible
(testable by you at your institution using
available resources, affordable in terms of
time and money)
Qualities of an outstanding research
Qualities of an Outstanding
problem Research
Problem
• Research must contribute new knowledge to
field
• Question must be seminal
• Research problem should represent a
sustainable research interest
• Research is basis of peer-reviewed publications,
recognition
 Common mistakes in developing a
research problem
Common Mistakes in Developing a
Research Problem

• Don’t try to be “research-trendy”

• Avoid topics as opposed to clearly
defined “research problems”
 Ten commandments for Picking a
10 Commandments for Picking
Research Projecta Research
Project
• Anticipate the results before doing the study
• Pick an area on the basis of the interest of the
outcome
• Look for an underoccupied niche that has
potential
• Go to talks and read papers outside your area of
interest
• Build on a theme
 Ten commandments for Picking a
• Find a balance
Research Project
between low-risk and high-
risk projects
• Be prepared to pursue a project to any
depth necessary
• Differentiate yourself from your mentor
• Do not assume that clinical research is
easier than basic research
• Focus, focus, focus