Defining a Research Problem

Formulating the research problem begins during the first steps of the scientific process.
As an example, a literature review and a study of previous experiments, and research, might throw up some vague areas of interest.
Many scientific researchers look at an area where a previous researcher generated some interesting results, but never followed up. It could be an
interesting area of research, which nobody else has fully explored.

A scientist may even review a successful experiment, disagree with the results, the tests used, or the methodology, and decide to refine the research
process, retesting the hypothesis.
This is called the conceptual definition, and is an overall view of the problem. A science report will generally begin with an overview of the previous
research and real-world observations. The researcher will then state how this led to defining a research problem.
The Operational Definitions

The operational definition is the determining the scalar properties of the variables.
For example, temperature, weight and time are usually well known and defined, with only the exact scale used needing definition. If a researcher
is measuring abstract concepts, such as intelligence, emotions, and subjective responses, then a system of measuring numerically needs to be
established, allowing statistical analysis and replication.
For example, intelligence may be measured with IQ and human responses could be measured with a questionnaire from ‘1- strongly disagree’, to ‘5 -
strongly agree’.
Behavioral biologists and social scientists might design an ordinal scale for measuring and rating behavior. These measurements are always
subjective, but allow statistics and replication of the whole research method. This is all an essential part of defining a research problem.
Examples of Defining a Research Problem

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.
The Bandura Bobo Doll Experiment is a good example of using deductive reasoning to arrive at a research problem and hypothesis.
Anecdotal evidence showed that violent behavior amongst children was increasing. Bandura believed that higher levels of violent adult role models on
television, was a contributor to this rise. This was expanded into a hypothesis, and operationalization of the variables, and scientific measurement
scale, led to a robust experimental design.

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Full reference:
Martyn Shuttleworth (Oct 2, 2008). Defining a Research Problem. Retrieved Apr 17, 2018 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/defining-a-
research-problem

3.2 Formulating the research problem

Once the general topic or problem has been identified, this should then be stated as a clear research problem, that is, taken from just a statement

about a problematic situation to a clearly defined researchable problem that identifies the issues you are trying to address.
It is not always easy to formulate the research problem simply and clearly. In some areas of scientific research the investigator might spend years

exploring, thinking, and researching before they are clear about what research questions they are seeking to answer. Many topics may prove too wide-

ranging to provide a researchable problem. Choosing to study, for instance a social issue such as child poverty, does not in itself provide a researchable

problem. The problem is too wide-ranging for one researcher to address. Time and resources would make this unfeasible and the results from such a

study would consequently lack depth and focus.

Statement of research problem

An adequate statement of the research problem is one of the most important parts of the research. Different researchers are likely to generate a variety

of researchable problems from the same situation since there are many research issues that can arise out of a general problem situation. Your research

will be able to pursue only one in depth.

For a problem statement to be effective in the planning of applied research it should have the following characteristics (Andrew and Hildebrand 1982).

1. The problem reflects felt needs

2. The problem is non-hypothetical, ie it must be based on factual evidence

3. It should suggest meaningful and testable hypotheses - to avoid answers that are of little or no use to the alleviation of the

problem

4. The problems should be relevant and manageable

Formulating the research problem allows you to make clear, both to yourself and the reader, what the purpose of your research is. Subsequent

elaboration of method should be oriented to providing information to address that problem. The problem statement is therefore a very important device

for keeping you on track with your research. It is also one means by which your research will be evaluated - does the research address the problem as

stated.

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In all research projects, on whatever subject, there is a need to define and delineate the research problem clearly. The research problem is a general statement of an
issue meriting research. Its nature will suggest appropriate forms for its investigation. Here are several forms in which the research problem can be expressed to
indicate the method of investigation.

The research problem in some social science research projects using the hypothetico-deductive method is expressed in terms of the testing of a
particular hypothesis. It is therefore important to know what makes good hypotheses and how they can be formulated. However, it is not appropriate to use the
hypothetico-deductive method, or even scientific method, in every research study. Much research into society, design, history, philosophy ..