What is Research Problem?

A research problem refers to an area or issue that requires investigation, analysis, and resolution
through a systematic and scientific approach. It is a specific question, gap, or challenge within a
particular field of study that researchers aim to address through their research endeavors
Concept of a Research Problem
The first step in any research project is to identify the problem. When we specifically talk about
research related to a business organisation, the first step is to identify the problem that is being
faced by the concerned organisation. The researchers need to develop a concrete, unambiguous
and easily comprehensible definition of the problem that requires research.
If the research problem is not well-defined, the research project may be affected. You may also
consider defining research problem and carrying out literature review as the foundation on which
the entire research process is based
In general, a research problem refers to a problem that a researcher has witnessed or experienced
in a theoretical or real-life situation and wants to develop a solution for the same. The research
problem is only a problem statement and it does not describe how to do something. It must be
remembered that a research problem is always related to some kind of management dilemma
Need to Define a Research Problem
The researchers must clearly define or formulate the research problem in order to represent a
clear picture of what they wish to achieve through their research. When a researcher starts off his
research with a well-formulated research problem, it becomes easier to carry out the research.
Some of the major reasons for which a research problem must be defined are:
Select useful information for research
Segregate useful information from irrelevant information
Monitor the research progress
Ensure research is centred on a problem
Find answers to questions of interest such as:
What data should be collected?
What data attributes are relevant and need to be analysed?
What relationships should be investigated?
Determine the structure of the study
Ensure that the research is centred around the research problem only
Defining a research problem well helps the decision makers in getting good research results if
right questions are asked. On the contrary, correct answer to a wrong question will lead to bad
research results.
Conditions and Components of a Research Problem
Conditions necessary for the existence of a research problem are:
Existence of a problem whose solution is not known currently
Existence of an individual, group or organisation to which the given problem can be attributed
Existence of at least two alternative courses of action that can be pursued by a researcher
At least two feasible outcomes of the course of action and out of two outcomes, one outcome
should be more preferable to the other
A research problem consists of certain specific components as follows:
Manager/Decision-maker (individual/group/institution) and his/ her objectives
The individual, group or an institution is the one who is facing the problem. At times, the
different individuals or groups related to a problem do not agree with the problem statement as
their objectives differ from one another. The decision makers must agree on a concrete and
clearly worded problem statement.
Environment or context of the problem
Nature of the problem
Alternative courses of problem
A set of consequences related to courses of action and the occurrence of events that are not under
the control of the manager/decision maker
A state of uncertainty for which a course of action is best
Identifying a Research Problem
Identifying a research problem is an important and time-consuming activity. Research problem
identification involves understanding the given social problem that needs to be investigated in
order to solve it. In most cases, the researchers usually identify a research problem by using their
observation, knowledge, wisdom and skills. Identifying a research problem can be as simple as
recognising the difficulties and problems in your workplace.
Certain other factors that are considered while identifying a research problem include:
Potential research problems raised at the end of journal articles
Large-scale reports and data records in the field may disclose the findings or facts based on data
that require further investigation
Personal interest of the researcher
Knowledge and competence of the researcher
Availability of resources such as large-scale data collection, time and finance
Relative importance of different problems
Practical utility of finding answers to a problem
Data availability for a problem
Formulating a Research Problem
Formulating a research problem is usually done under the first step of research process, i.e.,
defining the research problem. Identification, clarification and formulation of a research problem
is done using different steps as:
Discover the Management Dilemma
Define the Management Question
Define the Research Question
Refine the Research Question(s)
You have already studied why it is important to clarify a research question. The next step is to
discover the management dilemma. The entire research process starts with a management
dilemma. For instance, an organisation facing increasing number of customer complaints may
want to carry out research.
At most times, the researchers state the management dilemma followed by developing questions
which are then broken down into specific set of questions. Management dilemma, in most cases,
is a symptom of the actual problem being faced by an organisation.
Criteria in the Selection of a Research Problem and Sources of Research Problems
Introduction
“The task of selecting a research problem is often one of the most difficult steps in the research
process…” (Tuckman and Harper, 2012). Unfortunately, it is also one of the initial steps that the
beginning researcher has to undertake. The difficulty is not due to a shortage of problems but
rather, to the fact that beginners must select a problem very early, when their understanding of
how to do research is most limited. Beginners in the field of research are uncertain about the
nature of research problems and how to go about solving them. Skill in doing research is to a
large extent a matter of making wise choices about what to investigate. This skill takes time and
repeated effort to develop, but the willing beginner can do it (Ary and others, 2010). Hence, this
report aims to guide the researcher in the selection of research problems by listing some criteria
of a good research problem and by turning the attention of researchers to the right sources of
research problems. Ary and others (2010) said that we should not be surprised that this initial
stage of research would take a large part of the total time invested in a research or thesis
project. “There is no way to do research until a problem is recognized, thought through and
articulated in a useful way” (Ary and others, 2010).
II. Highlights
 Criteria in the Selection of a Research Problem
 Sources of Research Problems
 Conclusion
III.Criteria in the Selection of a Research Problem
Sridhar (2010) categorizes criteria in the selection of research problems into two areas, internal
criteria and external criteria.
Internal criteria pertain to the researcher’s characteristics regarding the research. These are as
follows:
1. Researcher’s interest.
2. Researcher’s competence
3. Researcher’s own resources (e.g. finance, time and others)
Sridhar (2010) also listed external criteria, which are criteria that pertain to the researchproblem
itself.
Below are Sridhar’s (2010) list coupled with other criteria mentioned by current authors:
1. Researchable or feasible (e.g. amenability)
2. Social Relevance (which includes importance, urgency and usefulness)
3. Novelty or originality.
4. Ethical (Ary and others, 2010)
5. Significance to theory or practice (Ary and others, 2010)
6. Clear (constituitively or operationally defined when needed, as mentioned by Fraenkel
andWallen, 2007)
A. Internal Criteria in the Selection of a Research Problem
1) Researcher’s Interest.
Realistically, you have to select something that you are interested in, because you are going to
commit yourself to a significant investment of time and energy. Thus, if you are not personally
interested, it will be difficult to sustain the effort needed to complete the research (Boudah,
2011). It should be a problem whose solution is personally important because of what it could
contribute to your own knowledge or to improving your performance as an educational
practitioner (Ary and others, 2010).
2) Researcher’s Competence.
The researcher needs to have the necessary research skills to carry the study through
completion. One may have to develop and validate instruments or do complex statistical
analyses. Another consideration is whether you will have access to participants and the data
necessary to answer the research question (Ary and others, 2010).
3) Researcher’s own resources (e.g. finance, time and others). The research problems should
not be too large or too involved, and the researcher needs to be sure to allow adequate time and
even financial resources for constructing instruments, conducting interviews or observations,
analyzing data and writing the report (Ary and others, 2010).
B. External Criteria in the Selection of a Research Problem
1) Researchable or feasible.
A researchable problem is one that can be attacked empirically; that is, it is possible to gather
data that answer the question. Many interesting questions in education cannot be answered by
scientific research. Philosophic questions, for example, that ask what should be done are not
researchable and should be avoided. Questions such as “Should schools give more attention to
character education?” cannot be answered by scientifically by gathering and analyzing data. It
should be restated as follows: “What is the effect of a character education program in the
incidence of cheating in high school?” (Ary andothers, 2010).
2) Social Relevance.
Scientific research in education, psychology and social sciences in general have an especially
urgent obligation to play a social role rendering service to society and humanity. The research
should be significant to the field of the researcher, relevant at the time of research and it should
have practical value in terms of application and implementation of the results (Singh and Bajpai,
2008). As much as possible it should in a way contribute to the economic development of the
country (Calmorin and Calmorin, 2008). A good research problem responds to the needs and
problems of the people (Calmorin and Calmorin, 2008).
3) Novelty or Originality.
Research should be innovative, novel, original and unique to attract the attention of its readers
and other experts in the field (Calmorin and Calmorin, 2008). Though, replication of research is
allowed to check the validity and reliability of previous researches, these are exemptions need to
be clearly justified. The research problem should not waste the researcher’s and other
stakeholders’ resources by providing scientific data to something that is already well established
in research literature unless with a good reason. Hence, a thorough review of the literature is
needed before the researcher formulates the research problem.
4) Ethical.
The problem should be one that you can investigate without violating ethical principles. Unlike
researchers in the physical sciences, educational researchers are dealing with human subjects
with feelings, sensitivities and rights. Hence the researcher should consider (1) consent, (2)
protection from harm and (3) privacy. In a nutshell, consent means that the researcher should
obtain consent from intended participants. The research should not cause physical harm or
psychological harm such as stress, discomfort or embarrassment that could have lasting adverse
effects. And if invasion of privacy is needed, it should be done as minimal as possible. Use of
pseudo names to preserve the anonymity of participants is crucial so as to protect the respondent
from labeling and other harm that social stigmas can provoke (especially in studies involving
sexual experiences, religious beliefs, attitude toward parents and other sensitive issues)
(Calmorin and Calmorin, 2008)
.5) Significance to theory or practice.
The solution of the research problem should make contribution to educational theory or
practice. The problem should fill in the gaps in current knowledge or help solve some
inconsistencies in previous research. The researcher should be able to answer the question “so
what?” (Calmorin and Calmorin, 2008).
6) The problem should be clear.
What is exactly being investigated should be clear for the readers to understand and
appreciate. Researchers need to be specific and consistent in their use of terms. And if they need
to use technical terms (such as core curriculum and client centered counseling), they need to
clarify these by using constitutive definition and if needed operational definitions. They can also
use examples or illustrations to convey the idea at hand. Constitutive definition is the common
literature or dictionary definition whereas operational definition require that “researchers specify
the actions or operations necessary to measure or identify the term” (Fraenkel and Wallen,
2007).Example of constitutive (or conceptual) definition of intelligence:
Intelligence
the ability to gather data and to use this data into one’s own adjustment. Example of operational
definition of intelligence:
Intelligence refers to the level of score revealed by the results of the Weschler Adult Intelligence
Test Revised (WAIS-R).
IV. Sources of Research Problems
After one has understood how to look for good research problems, the question now is “where
does one look for research problems?” Listed below are sources of research problems according
to
Zulueta and Costales (2003) and Singh and Bajpai (2008) grouped according to three important
sources of problems according to Ary and others (2010) which is (1) experience, (2) deductions
from theory and(3) review of related literature:
1) Experience is one of the most fruitful sources of research problems.
Teachers must have some intuitions or hunches about new relationships or why certain things in
school happen the way they do. Through research they can inquire if some well established
classroom practices are based on scientific research or on authority or just plain tradition. Other
specific sources of problems in experience are the following:
Actual problem Encountered.
Beginning researchers are best to tackle something that they personally encounter as a problem
in school, classroom or community. This is to make their research closer to their own experience
and less theoretical and abstract.
Technological Changes And Curricular Developments.
New technology and current trends in curricular development are often touted as necessities for
adoption into a school system often just to keep in touch with the current trends. But are these
technological changes really effective given your unique characteristic of students, resources
and personality in the school. Research can help challenge touted advancements in technology
and curriculum development.
Consideration Of Existing Practices And Needs.
Research can systematically investigate how existing practices are effective and how we can
make them more effective. There must be gaps in our knowledge as to how a system works and
proving efficacy (or disproving them on the other hand) can lend a hand to better practices and
more attention to more pressing needs.
Consultation.
Professors, research advisers, supervisors and other authorities in their respective fields may
openly share their own observations and gaps in our body of knowledge. These would be helpful
in identifying research problems.
2) Theories are a good source of problems for research.
One can check if the theory is accurate or that there are variations as to the details of the
theory. Also, researchers can use theory to become a central point of understanding to provide
intervention to social problems. One good example is Erik Erikson’s theory that those who do
not find identity formation during adolescence would feel alienated. Reports show that school
violence is often perpetrated by individuals who feel they are alienated or that they need to be
part of a group (in lack of strong self-identity). Zulueta and Costales (2003) adds the following
when it comes to theory:
Graduate Academic Experience exposes the educator to a broader perspective of study on his or
her field hence stimulating the graduate student in questioning practices or held beliefs in one’s
field.
Specialization helps the graduate student see the accomplishments in his field of study and the
problems that are still yet unresolved.
3) Review of Related Literature would help researchers identify which problems are
resolved and which are not, and also help one identify conflicts in the evidences
presented in various researches.
Included in review of related literature are the following:
Analysis of an area of knowledge.
One can focus on a reasonably limited area of scope of knowledge and seek to find areas in need
of answers (e.g. reading readiness tests, prenatal conditioning, cyber-bullying and others).
Off-Shoots of Studies Under Way.
As was said, “a good research stimulates more research.” What it means is that good researches
will recommend further investigation of the topic or field and provide direction to further add
knowledge to what was already found out or to confirm further the validity of past claims.
Replication of studies (or repetition or extension of investigation). These can help identify the
validity of a study whether the claims are really based on data or is it just internally valid and
cannot be generalized as of yet.
IV. Conclusion
There are many things that a beginning researcher has to learn. Even in the beginning of research
the neophyte researcher needs to be careful to follow the criteria in selecting research problems
so as to avoid pitfalls that can ruin the validity and significance of the study. The important thing
is to have a careful eye on how to identify if the research is even researchable and if they are
really worth investing long hours of designing research, instrumentations, gathering data,
analyzing them and making inferences out of them. It is helpful to reiterate that this initial stage
of selecting research problems take a large part of the total time invested in a research project
(Ary and others, 2010).
V. Activity.
(1) Identify if the questions below adhere to the criteria of research problems; and
(2) Provide reasons why you consider these research problems acceptable for research or not.
(figure below is from Ary and others, 2010)
VI. References
Ary, D., and others (2010). Introduction to Research in Education. Wadsworth: USABoudah,
Daniel J. (2011). Conducting Educational Research: Guide to Completing a Major
Project.Sage:USACalamorin, L.P. and Calmorin, M.A. (2008). Research Methods and Thesis
Writing' 2007 Ed.RexBookstore, Inc.: Quezon CitySingh Y.K and Bajpai R.B. (2008). Research
Methodology:techniques & Trends. Balaji Offset: DelhiSridhar, M.S. (2010). Introduction to
Research Methodology: Problem Selection, Formulation andResearch Design. Lulu
Press: Lulu.comTuckman, Bruce W. and Harper, Brian E. (2012). Conducting Educational
Research. Rowman andLittlefield Publishers: United KingdomZulueta, Francisco M. and
Costales, NE B. (2003). Methods of Research, Thesis Writing and AppliedStatistics. National
Bookstore: Metro Manila
Definition
Researchable refers to a topic or question that can be investigated through systematic inquiry,
using methods of data collection and analysis to arrive at evidence-based conclusions. For a
question to be researchable, it must be specific enough to allow for measurement or
observation and relevant to the field of study. This concept is foundational in establishing the
scope and direction of academic research.