Research Handout 4

Identifying the Inquiry and Statement of the Problem

Objectives
Design a research project related to daily life
Research Title
Justifications/reasons for conducting the research
Statement and delamination of research
Significance of the study

Guide Questions
What are good topics for qualitative research?
Discussion Questions
How to formulate a clear statement of the problem in a qualitative research?

Research Problem and Title

 Qualitative research studies can provide you with details about human behavior, emotions, and personality characteristics
that quantitative studies cannot match.
 In every research stating research topic or a problem is the very basic and the very first step in making research.
 It is always based on the researcher’s knowledge, experience, skills, interests and expertise in selecting a good research
topic and problem

A research problem may come from:

Social issues-topics can be from the social and political arena
Existing theories – research aims to develop and test theories
Folklores- beliefs can be right or wrong
Brainstorming- it is a key in finding new techniques and new questions that the researchers are very curious of
Consultation with experts- experts can help give more knowledge on what they have experienced in the past.
Exposure to field situations- these can help the researchers get a variety of experience in fields
Personal and Practical experiences can be a good source of creating a research problem
Critical Appraisal of literature- this may from books and articles which may trigger researchers curiosity
Question Seeking Answer- these may refers to areas of concern to improve or eliminate difficulty.

In selecting a good research problem, the following points will serve as a guide:

Significant It should add more on the body of knowledge in specific area. It should serve a purpose on the area
of knowledge
Original Every research has to be unique and the problem should be new. The researcher must possess an
innovative knowledge.
Feasible It could help if the research is appropriate or not. It would help if the study could be carried out.
Researchable There are some problems that are very ambiguous and somehow unsolved for example the existence
of God.
Current More researchers would be interested in the study based on current problems
Interesting The study must be fascinating to the researcher
Ethical The research question is anchored on a morally good perspective.
WRITING THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In every aspects in any kind of research, questions arise and may be a catalyst for further research. in a research paper the
Statement of the Problem is simply where all the questions pertaining to finding all the results of the proposed topic or
problem can be found.
SOP, is also known as Thesis Statement. It clearly states the problem as a main problem, written either as a declarative
statement or as a question, broken down into specific subproblems (research questions)
A research problem is basically the situation that is need of a solution, improvement or alteration what is currently
happening and what the researcher ought for things to happen.
However, we must remember that despite research problems uprooting different and multitudes of questions to be
answered, not all questions that arise are considered to be good and significant research questions.
o To be able to know if your research question and research problem is worthy enough to be studied, they should be
able to:
 Ask questions that guide the researcher in gaining a conclusion to their hypothesis
 Be able to help find results and conclusions
 Have a valid significance in relation to the study
These research questions should provide answers that explain, describe, identify predict or qualify conclusions for the
research.
Problem statements generally start out as something general that is narrowed down into a more specific topic or objectives
or research questions.
 In order to make the process if writing the statement of the problem easier, providing a good background of the study is
imperative. “background of the Study” should:
 Offer a “ background” or the “context” for the current situation presented and if necessary.
 Describe how the current situation needs to be changed. Describe an ideal situation for the issue at hand.
 Summarize the issue/phenomenon that the research wants to study.

WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROBLEM?

Generally speaking a research problem is a situation that needs a solution and for which there are possible solutions. If a situation
has no possible solutions then it makes little or no sense expending resources researching it. Take this statement, “everybody wants
to go to heaven but nobody wants to die”. Dying looks like a problem that needs a solution yet there is no possible solution to it.
People must die. A research on how people can live forever makes little or no sense.

A research problem may be described as an incongruence; a discrepancy between what is and what ought to be. It may be also
described as the gap in knowledge that needs to be filled.

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. The statement of the problem is the focal point of
any research. A good problem statement is just one sentence (with several paragraphs of elaboration). For example it could be:
"The frequency of job layoffs is creating fear, anxiety, and a loss of productivity in middle management workers."

While this problem statement is just one sentence, it should be accompanied by a few paragraphs that elaborate on the problem.
The paragraphs could cover present persuasive arguments that make the problem important enough to study. They could include
the opinions of others (politicians, futurists, other professionals); explanations of how the problem relates to business, social or
political trends via presentation of data that demonstrates the scope and depth of the problem.

WHAT ARE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE STATEMENT PROBLEM?

Problem statements often have three elements:

1. The problem itself, stated clearly and with enough contextual detail to establish why it is important

2. The method of solving the problem, often stated as a claim or a working thesis

3. The purpose, statement of objective and scope of the project being proposed.

These elements should be brief so that the reader does not get lost. One page is enough for a statement problem.

Criteria for Research Problem Statements:

• The statement of the problem should clearly indicate what is to be investigated.

• The actual statement may be in a declarative or in a question form.

• The statement should indicate the variables of interest and the specific relationship between the variables that are to be
studied.

• Please note: In some qualitative methodologies, a statement of variables will not be possible and should not be done.
However, an explanation of the qualitative methodology and the parameters of the research methodology should be explained.

PROBLEM STATEMENT 4 required parts

1. Start with a general problem identifying the need for the study. E.g. The problem of this study is ______

2. State the specific problem proposed for research. (use citation & usually a number to make it clear to the reader, e.g.
30% of the farms have been affected by the Napier grass disease

3. Introductory words describing Methodological approach (i.e. Research Design) are given and are appropriate to the
specific proposal problem, e.g. this qualitative study will explore... or this quantitative study will examine ...

4. General population group of proposed study is identified. Small scale farmers in affected locations will be surveyed to
determine ...
 Writing a Research Title

A research title is the first thing a person will see, when reading your research paper. Because of this, it should be short, sharp and
describe what your research is about. While the research is an area of concern where there is a gap in the knowledge base needed
for professional purposes.

The research title should explain the contents of your paper, at the same time it should not be too long. If you think that the title is
too long, you can remove the unnecessary words. It should also not be short and generalized. The title needs important details with
regards to your study.

Example:

Life After Incarceration: Discrimination Experienced and Behavioral Adjustments of Selected Ex-convicts from Negros
Occidental

Statement of the Problem

Thesis statement is written to expresses the main idea of your paper. You should make your reader agree with your opinion and to
do this, you should provide evidences to prove your opinion. This sentence may call it a thesis statement. A thesis statement is
written in the form of statement not a question. Your thesis should express true opinion not exaggerated. Like for example, we can
say that cellphone is amazing or cellphone is awful. This statement is seem to be exaggerated, instead , you can say that cellphone
has more advantages that disadvantages or cellphone do good than harm. To prove this statement you should provides evidence.
Your thesis statement should be debatable as much as possible. For instance, we cannot say that there are high numbers of drug
addicts living in Sta Rosa, because it is not debatable and it stated as a fact, instead, we can say that “There are lots of drug addicts in
Sta. Rosa.” This statement can be answerable by yes or no and it is debatable.
A good thesis statement should be supported by well research supporting document to prove your claim. Like for example, “People
should live to other planets.” This statement cannot be research because no person is living in other planet to prove this statement
so how you should defend this claim
Other characteristic of thesis statement is that it should be specific. Specific topic example includes: “Marijuana should be legalized”,
“Cause of autism can be linked to gut”, |School Official should fight cyberbullying” and “Dependence to technology makes the
students lazy”.
Always makes sure that if you choose a topic in your thesis, it should be an interesting for both of you and the reader.

Scope and Delimitations of the research

What is Scope of Study Section?

The Scope of study in the thesis or research paper is contains the explanation of what information or subject is being analyzed. It is
followed by an explanation of the limitation of the research. Research usually limited in scope by sample size, time and geographic
area.  While the delimitation of study is the description of the scope of study. It will explain why definite aspects of a subject were
chosen and why others were excluded. It also mention the research method used as well as the certain theories that applied to the
data..
It is important to narrow down your thesis topic and limit the scope of your study.  The researcher should inform the reader about
limits or coverage of the study. The scope identifies the boundaries of the study in term of subjects, objectives, facilities, area, time
frame, and the issues to which the research is focused.
Sample phrases that help express the scope of the study:
The coverage of this study……….
The study consists of ……..
The study covers the ……….
This study is focus on……
The delimitation of the study is delimiting a study by geographic location, age, sex, population traits, population size, or other similar
considerations. Delimitation is used to make study better and more feasible and not just for the interest of the researcher. It also
identifies the constraints or weaknesses of your study which are not within the control of the researcher.
Sample phrases that expressed the delimitations of the study

The study does not cover the……

The researcher limited this research to……
This study is limited to………
Here are some hints and tips in writing the Scope and Delimitation:
– Indicate the principal variables, locale, timeframe and justification.
– To whom you research is directed to?
– What is the subject matter of the study?
– Where the study will take place?
– Indicate the timeframe. State the time coverage of the study.
– Don’t forget the limitation. What is the limitation of your study?
– What is the incapability of your research?
– Is it beneficial to all? Or to a certain person/institution only?

Sample Scope and Delimitations

The main focus of this project was the design of an efficient Energy Recovery System of Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant.  The
system will be using pressure technology by application of pressure exchanger as an energy recovery device.  Pressure exchanger
transfer pressure from a high pressure stream to slow pressure stream in a ceramic motor. The proposed system is limited only in
reducing high power consumption of the high pressure pump. The project can be used in all existing Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant
in the Philippines.  Some calculations, assumptions, and selections were made as a consideration of a proper and realistic design.

Purpose of the Study

Writing Effective Purpose Statements

A purpose statement is a declarative sentence which summarizes the specific topic and goals of a document. It is typically included in
the introduction to give the reader an accurate, concrete understanding what the document will cover and what he/she can gain
from reading it. To be effective, a statement of purpose should be:

 Specific and precise - not general, broad or obscure

 Concise - one or two sentences
 Clear - not vague, ambiguous or confusing
 Goal-oriented - stated in terms of desired outcomes

Some common introductory phrases for purpose statements include:

 "The purpose of this paper/letter/document is to..."

 "In this paper, I will describe/explain/review/etc. the..."
 "My reason for writing is to..."
 "This paper will discuss the..."
 "The purpose of this paper is twofold: to ___ and ___"

Examples of Ineffective Purpose Statements:

(1) "The purpose of this paper is to describe the changes that are occurring in corporate America."

Critique: too vague and broad. No clear expectation of what the reader will learn. Questions: What specific changes in
corporate America will be described? What types of changes? What aspects of corporate America will be discussed? Will
this paper also discuss the effects of these changes?

Significance of the study

2 Tips in Writing the Significance of the Study

1. Refer to the statement of the problem

Your problem statement can guide you in identifying the specific contribution of your study. You can do this by observing a one-to-
one correspondence between the statement of the problem and the significance of the study.

For example, if you ask the question “Is there a significant relationship between the teacher’s teaching style and the students’ long
quiz scores in Mathematics?” then the contribution of your research would probably be a teaching style or styles (among say, three
teaching styles you evaluated) that can help students perform better in Mathematics. Your research will demonstrate that that
teaching style really works. That could be a groundbreaking approach that will change the way teachers teach Mathematics which
many students abhor.
2. Write from general to specific contribution

I learned this technique from a former professor while in pursuing my masters degree. It works this way:

Write the significance of the study by looking into the general contribution of your study, such as its importance to society as a
whole, then proceed downwards—towards its contribution to individuals and that may include yourself as a researcher. You start off
broadly then taper off gradually to a specific group or person.

Coupled with reference to the problem statement, this effectively stimulates the mind to think in a deductive mode, i.e., from
general to specific.
For example, in the study on teaching style given in #1, you may write:

Example significance of the study.

These two techniques will prevent your mind from wandering wildly or aimlessly as you explore the significance of your study.
Applying them will save time thus allow you to focus on the next section of your thesis. Who knows, this section may also help justify
why your study deserves a grant.

Significance of the study is written as part of the introduction section of a thesis.  It provides details to the reader on how the
study will contribute such as what the study will contribute and who will benefit from it. It also includes an explanation of the
work’s importance as well as its potential benefits.  It is sometimes called rationale.
Tips in Writing the Significance of the Study
 

1. Statement of the problem will guide you to write a significance of the study.  Based on your statement of the problem
you will see the potential benefits of your study. Just answer this question, “What are the benefits or advantages of
the study based on statement of the problem?”
2. Determine the specific contribution of your thesis study to the society as well as to the individual

Significance of the Study  

       The study of dehydration technology and fabrication can be a learning paradigm in the secondary level and vocational
schools to enhance the students’ knowledge and entrepreneurial skills as well. The project’s goal is designed to help students
improve academic competence, develop employability skills, implement a career plan and participate in a career pathway in
preparation for post secondary education or careers in the food manufacturing or services sector after graduating from high
school.