Identifying the Research Problem          

This is the initial phase of research. During this process observations, belief, information and general knowledge etc. guide us about a new idea or different way of thinking about phenomena. Researcher interesting subareas is identifying the gaps and raising research questions, within an area, list all the questions the researcher wants to find answers to.

After choosing the topic and having a list of broad objectives of research, the next step is to define the research problem. Research problem is a statement which introduce the topic of research, explains the problem, situation or an activity for which soluation is to be obtained through research. It should be well written so as to provide clarity about the topic. It is like drawing boundaries within which the study will be conducted. It should help in the identification of research concepts, variables, etc. unnecessary technical language should be avoided while writing the research problem. It should convey the importance, benefits and justification of the study.

A well identified problem will lead the researcher to accomplish all-important phases of the research process, starting from setting objectives to the selection of the research methodology. But the core question is whether all problems require research. Researcher need to identify two problem like -

i. Non-research Problem

A non-research problem is one that does not require any research to arrive at a solution. Intuitively, a non-researchable problem consists of vague datails and cannot be resolved through research. like - flood, outbreak of cholera,

ii. Research Problem

In contrast to non-research problem, a research problem is of primary concern to a researcher. A research problem is a perceived difficulty, a feeling of discomfort or discrepancy between the common belief and reality. As noted by fisher et al (1993), a problem will qualify as a potential research problem when the following three conditions exist.

1. There should be a perceived discrepancy between "what it is" and "what it should have been". This implies that there should be a difference between 'what exists' and the 'ideal or planned situation'.

2. A question about 'why' discrepancy exists. This implies that the reason for this discrepancy is unclear to the researcher.

3. There should be at least two possible answers or solutions to the questions or problems.

Example -

While visiting a rural area, the UNICEF team observed that some villages have female school attendance rates as high as 75%. While some have as low as 10% althrough all villages should have a nearly equal rate of attendance. What factors are associated with this discrepancy?

We may enumerate several reasons for this -------

1. Villages differ in their socio-economic background.

2. In some village, the muslim population. constitutes a large proportion of the total population. Religion might play a vital role.

3. Schools are far away from some villages. The distance thus may make this difference. 

Because there is more than one answer to the problem, it is considered a research problem and a study can be undertaken to find a solution. 

The choice of a research problem is not as easy as it appears. It is generally guided by the researchers;

a. own intellectual orientation

b. level of training

c. experience.

d. knowledge on the subject matter.

e. Intellectual curiosity

Theoretical and Practical considerations also play a vital role in choosing a research problem. Societal needs also guide to choose a research problem.

Once we have chosen a research problem, a few more related steps are required to be followed before a decision is taken to undertake a research study.

These include, among others, the following :

1. Statement of the problem

2. Justifying the problem

3. Analyzing the Problem

Other issues of Problem Identification                                                

To identifying, defining and analyzing a problem there are several ways of obtaining insights and gething a clearer idea about these issues. Exploratory research is one of the way of accomplishing this. The purpose of the exploratory research proces is to progressively narrow the scope of the topic and to transform the undefined problems into defined ones, incorporating specific research objectives.

The exploratory study entails a few basic strategies in gaining insights into the problem. It is accomplished through such efforts as :

1. Pilot Survey

2. Case studies

3. Focus group interview

4. Experience survey

1. Pilot Surrey / Study.

A Pilot Survey collects proxy data from the ultimate subjects of the study to serve as a guide for the large study. A Pilot study generates primary data, usually for qualitative analysis.

This characteristic distinguishes a pilet survey from secondary data analysis, which gathers background information.

When a study is carried out to determine its feasibility is also called a feasibility study or a Pilot study.

It is usually carried out when a researcher wants to explore areas about which she/he has little or no Knowledge.

A Small-scale study is undertaken to decide if it is worth carrying out a detailed investigation.

2. Case Studies

Case Studies are quite helpful in the diagnosis of a problem and paving the way to defining the problem.

Case studies intensively investigate one or a few situations identical to the researcher problem situation.

3. Focus Group Interviews

Focus group interviews, an unstructured free flowing interview with a small group of people, may also be conducted to understand and define a research problem.

4. Experience Survey

Experience Survey is another strategy to deal with the problem of identifying and defining the research problem. It is an exploratory research endeavor, in which individuals who are knowledgeable and experienced about a particular research problem are intimately consulted in an attempt to understand the problem.

These persons are sometimes known as key informants, and an interview with them is popularly known as the key informant interview.

The main function of formulation a research problem is to decide what you want to find out about.

It is extremely important to evaluate the research problem in the light of the

1. Financial Resources.

and

2. The time available.

and

3. Your own and your research supervisors expertise and knowledge in the field of Study.

and

4. Whether you have sufficient knowledge about computers and software if you plan to use them.

Example

* Suppose your broad area of interest is depression, and suppose you want to conduct a research study.

* If your focus is to find out the types of service available to patients with depression, the study will dominantly be descriptive and qualitative in nature.

* On the other hand, if you want to find out the extent of use of these services, that is the number of people using them, it will dominantly use quantitative methodologies.

* If your focus is to determine the extent of use in relation to the personal attributes of the patients, the study will be classified as correlational (and quantitative).

* Similarly, if your aim is to find out the effectiveness of these services; the study will again be classified as correlational and the study design used, methods of collecting data and its analysis will be a part of the quantitative methodology.

* The formulation of a problem is like the 'input' to a study the 'output' the quality of the contents of the research report the validity of the associations or causation established.

* Hence, the famous saying about computers, 'garbage in garbage out' is equally applicable to a research problem. And Remember : confusion is often but a first step to wards clarity.

People 1           Programmes 2

                  4Ps

Problem 3         Phenomenon 4

Notes :

Question :

Coming Soon