Chapter 3

Formulating Research
Problem

Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

What is a Research Problem?

2

Any question that you want to answer or any

assumption or statement that you want to investigate or
examine can become a research problem.

1. Questions to answer:
a. Is there any relationship between decentralization
and productivity levels?
b. What are the effects of TV programs on children
behavior?
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

What is a Research Problem?

3

2. Assumptions
a.

b.

The average age of the male students in this class is

higher than that of the female students.
A total of 60 per cent of females and 30 per cent of
males obtain ICDL certificates.

3. Statement / Challenge to investigate

a.
Exploring phenomenon, customer satisfaction with
products, service or program.
b.
Improving productivity, quality of service or program
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

The importance of formulating a

research problem
4

Formulation of a research problem is the most important

step of the research process.
According to Kerlinger :
If one wants to solve a problem, one must generally know
what the problem is. It can be said that a large part of the
problem lies in knowing what one is trying to do (1986:17).
In the absence of a clear research problem, a clear and
economical plan is impossible.
A research problem is like the foundation of a building.

Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Sources of Research Problem

5

Everyday life
Practical issues
Past research (perhaps most important)
TheoryExplanation or explanatory system that discusses
how a phenomenon operates and why it operates as it does.
Personal experience and interests of researchers.
Various theories in the discipline of the researcher.
Related Literature- Literature from ones own area of
interest.
A reproduction of past research studies.
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Considerations in Selecting
a Research Problem

Interest : you must select a topic that interests you most.

Magnitude: you should have sufficient knowledge about the

research process to be able to estimate the work needed to
complete the proposed topic.

Measurement of concepts: if you are using a concept in your

study make sure you are clear about its indicators and their
measurements.

Level of expertise: make sure you have an adequate level of

expertise for the task you are proposing.
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Considerations.(Cont.)
7

Relevance: select a topic that is of relevance to you as a

professional..
Availability of data: if your topic requires collection of
information from secondary sources (office records, client
records, census or other already-published reports, etc.),
make sure that these data are available and in the format
you want.
Ethical issues: determine how ethical issues can affect the
study population, and how ethical problems can be overcome should be thoroughly examined at the problemformulation stage.
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

WHAT IS A PROBLEM STATEMENT?

A problem statement is the description of an issue
currently existing which needs to be addressed.

It provides the context for the research study and

generates the questions which the research aims to answer.

Steps in formulating a research problem

9

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Identify subject area of interest to you

Dissect the subject area into sub-areas
Select the most interest to you
Raise research questions
Formulate objectives
Assess your objectives
Double-check

Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Steps in formulating a research problem - Alcoholism

Suppose you want to conduct a study in the area of alcoholism. In formulating
your research problem take the following steps:
Step 1
Identify
Alcoholism

Step 2
Dissect
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
10

Profile of alcoholism
The cause of it
The process of becoming an alcoholic
The effect of alcoholism on the family
Community attitudes toward alcoholism
The effectiveness of a treatment model, etc.

Step 3
Select
1. Effects of alcoholism on the family

Step 4
Raise questions
1. What impact has alcoholism on marital relationships?
2. How does it affect the various aspects of childrens lives?
3. What are the effects on the family finance?

11

Step 5
Formulate objectives
Main objectives:
To find out the effects of alcoholism on
the family
Specific objectives:
1.To ascertain the impact of alcoholism
on marital relationships
2.To determine the ways in which
alcoholism affects the different aspects
of childrens lives
3.To find out the effects of alcoholism on
the financial situation of the family, etc.

12

Step 6
Make sure
Assess these objectives
in the light of:
1.The work involved
2.The time available to
you
3.The financial resources
4.Your (and your
research supervisors)
technical expertise in the
area

Step 7
Double-check
1. That you are really interested in the study.
2. That you agree with the objectives .
3. That you have adequate resources.
4. That you have the technical expertise to
undertake the study

13

Research Objectives
14

Main objective : is an overall statement of the thrust

of your study. It is also a statement of main
associations and relationships that you seek to
discover or establish.

Sub-objectives : are the specific aspects of the topic

that you want to investigate within the main
framework of your study.

Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Characteristics of Objectives
15

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Clear
Complete
Specific
Identify the main variables to be correlated
Identify the direction of relationship

Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Sub-objectives
16

Should be numerically listed

Should be worded clearly and
unambiguously
Each sub-objective should contain only
one aspect of the study.
Should start with words such as To
determine, To find out, To ascertain,
To measure, To explore, etc.
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Establishing Operational Definition

17

In many cases you need to develop operational

definitions for the variables you are studying and for
the population that becomes the source of the
information for your study.
It is the definition of a variable in terms of the specific
activities to measure or indicate in the empirical world
Operational definition may differ from dictionary
definition as well as from day-to-day meanings. These
meanings may not be helpful in either identifying your
study population or the concepts you are studying.
Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa

Establishing Operational Definition

18

Operational definitions give an operational meaning to the

study population and the concepts used.
It is only through making your procedures explicit that you
can validly describe, explain, verify and test. The following
example studies help to explain this.
The main objectives are:
To find out the number of families living below the
poverty line
To ascertain the impact of immigration on family roles
among immigrants
To measure the effectiveness of a training program
Research skills
Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa
designed to help young
people

Operationalisation of
Concepts and the Study
Populations

19

Stu Concept
dy

Issue

Study
Populatio
n

Issues

Poverty
line

What
constitutes
poverty line?

Children

Who would you

consider a
child

Family
roles

What
constitutes
Family roles?

Immigrants

Who would you

consider and
immigrant?

Effectivene
ss

What
constitutes
effectiveness
?

The young

Who would you

consider a
young

You
must

Operationalise the concepts:

Operationalise the study
define in practical, observable
population: define in identifiable
and measurable terms poverty,
terms children, immigrants, and
Research skills Dr. Fawzi
Ishtaiwa
family roles and effectiveness.
young.

Operational Definitions
20
Concept

Definition

Conce
pt

Definition

Poverty
line

Total value of
assets, annual
income below AED
50,000.00

Child

A person who has not

attained puberty

Family
roles

Ability of family to
protect, guide,
educate, and
support its
members

Immigr
ant

A person who leaves

his native country to
live elsewhere

Effective
ness

Ability to achieve
decided, decisive,
and desired results

The
young

An individual aged
between 18 and 35.

Research skills Dr. Fawzi Ishtaiwa