CHAPTER 6: Research Problem Vs.

Research Question

Meaning of Research Problem

The ultimate goal of the research is not only to propose ways of studying things, people, places, and
events, but also to discover and introduce new practices, strategies, or techniques in solving a problem. The
word “problem” makes you worry or pushes you to exert considerable effort in finding a solution for it. When
you feel perplexed or anxious about what to do about something you are doubtful of or about a question you
are incapable of answering, you then come to think of conducting research, an investigation, or inquiry. You
consider research as the remedy for getting over any problem.

When you decide to do research, you begin with a problem that will lead you to a specific topic to focus
on. For instance, you are beset by a problem of year-by-year flash floods in your community. This problem
drives you to think of one topic you can investigate or focus on for the solution to your community’s flood
problem. Perhaps, you can research only one aspect of the flood problem, like examining only the
neighborhood lifestyle in relation to floods in the area, the need to construct anti-flood structures, or the
practicability of more footbridges in the area. (Gray 2013)

Background of the Problem

You must not rush into gathering ideas and information about your topic. First, spend time getting
background knowledge about the problem that triggered off your research topic to discover its relation to what
the world, particularly the experts, professionals, and learned people know about your topic. Also, reading for
rich background ideas about the problem is also another way to discover some theories or principles to support
your study. (Braun 2014; Woodwell 2014)

Research Questions

The research problem enables you to generate a set of research questions. However, your ability to
identify your research problem and to formulate the questions depends on the background knowledge you
have about the topic. To get a good idea of the problem, you must have a rich background knowledge about
the topic through the RRL (Review of Related Literature), which requires intensive reading about your topic.
Apart from having a clearer picture of the topic, it will also help you in adopting an appropriate research method
and have a thorough understanding of the knowledge are of your research.

A research problem serving as an impetus behind your desire to carry out a research study comes from
many sources. Difficulties in life are arising from social relationships, governmental affairs, institutional
practices, cultural patterns, environmental issues, marketing strategies, etc. are problematic situations that will
lead you to identify one topic to research on. Centering your mind on the problem, you can formulate on
general or mother problem of your research work. (Punch 2014)

To give your study a clear direction, you have to break this big, overreaching, general question into
several smaller or specific research questions. The specific questions, also called sub-problems, identify or
direct you to the exact aspect of the problem that your study has to focus on. Beset by many factors, the
general question or research problem is prone to reducing itself to several specific questions, seeking
conclusive answers to the problem.

The following shows you the link among the following: research problem, research topic, research
question, and the construction of one general question and specific questions in a research paper.

Research Problem: The need to have a safer, comfortable, and healthful walk or transfer of students from
place to place in the UST campus

Research Topic: The Construction of a Covered Pathway in the UST Campus

General Question: What kind of covered path should UST construct in its campus?

Specific Questions:

1. What materials are needed for the construction of the covered pathway to the UST campus?
2. What roofing material is appropriate for the covered path?
3. In what way can the covered pathway link all buildings in the campus?
4. What is the width and height of the covered path?
5. How can the covered path realize green architecture?

Research questions aim at investigating specific aspects of the research problem. Though deduced from the
general or mother question, one specific question may lead to another sub-problem or sub-question, requiring
a different data-gathering technique and directing the research to a triangulation or mixed method approach.
Referring to varied aspects of the general problem, a set of research questions plays a crucial part in the
research work. They lay the foundation for the research study. Therefore, they determine the research design
or plan of the research. Through sub-questions, you can precisely determing the type of data and the method
of collecting, analyzing and presenting data.

Any method or technique of collecting, collating and analyzing data specified by the research design
depends greatly on the research questions. The correct formulation of research questions warrants not only
excellent collection, analysis, and presentation of data, but a credible conclusion as well. (Layder 2013)
 Hence, the following are the things you have to remember in research question formulation (Barbie
2013, Litchman 2013; Silverman 2013)

Guidelines in Formulating Research Questions

1. Establish a clear relation between the research questions and the problem or topic.
2. Have your research questions on your RRL or Review of Related Literature because existing published
works help you get good background knowledge of the research problem and help you gauge the
people’s current understanding or unfamiliarity about the topic, as well as the extent of their knowledge
and interest in it. Convincing solutions to research problems or answers to research questions stem
from their alignment with what the world already knows or what previous research studies have already
discovered about the research problem or topic.
3. Formulate research questions that can arouse your curiosity and surprise you with your discoveries or
findings. This is true for research questions asked about a problem that was never investigated upon.
4. State your research questions in such a way that they include all dependent and independent variables
referred to by the theories, principles, or concepts underlying your research work.
5. Let the set of research questions or sub-problems be preceded by one question expressing the main
problem of the research.
6. Avoid asking research questions that are answerable with “yes” or “no” and use the “how” questions
only in a quantitative research.
7. Be guided by the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) in
formulating the research questions. Applying SMART, you must deal with exact answers and
observable things, determine the extent or limit of the data collected, be aware of the timeframe and
completion period of the study, and endeavor to have you research stud arrive at a particular
conclusion that is indicative of what are objective, factual, or real in this world.