Module 2 FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM LEANI G. BONGAYON, RN MANObjectives * Atthe end of the Module, the nursing students should be able to: * 1. identify and explain the sources of research problems * 2. discuss the characteristics of a good research problem * 3. generate a list of researchable descriptive and experimental types of research problems * 4. formulate a research problem title (topic) and the corresponding specific problems and hypothesis(es). —_—_ -——__—_—-1. SOURCES OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS a)the various phases of the instructional program, b)analysis of an area of knowledge or of existing needs, and ‘c)gap between expectations and actual situations or conditions (d)gaps in knowledge ‘e)extension/repetition of completed researches f) “Off-shoots” of studies under way. (g) Research Agenda: ( ( ( ( ( ( ( —_—_ -——__—_—-1.1. Instructional program pursued. * Possible research problems can crop up as a result of stimulating class lectures, class discussions, reports, professional readings, and stimulating contacts between professors and students inside and outside the classroom. ' —_—_ -——__—_—-1.2. Analysis or breaking up of a broad topic or area of knowledge. * This is both a source of a problem and a method of delimiting the scope of a problem so as to be manageable but large enough to be meaningful in the development and integration of theories, concepts, and principles or the provision of information necessary for improvement of practice. , —_—_ -——__—_—-For example: Family Health, a broad topic, can be broken down or analyzed into specific areas, as illustrated below: Level 1: Broad Topic Level 2: Narrowed down Level 3: Further narrowed down Family Health Health Habits and Hygiene + Matemal and Child Health + Reproductive Health + Population Adolescent Health —7——* _ ARH Teen Centers ——+» Youth Health and Fitness Figure 2-1 At Level 3, itis becomes easier to identify some researchable problems such as the following: a. Effectiveness of ARH Teen Centers in Promoting Youth Development b. Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Health Problems3. Gap between expectations and actual situations or conditions. * Asystematic analysis of existing needs in a particular field is a challenging intellectual exercise whether the area examined is local, provincial, regional, or national. The gaps between ‘what is” and “what should be” in certain situations are worthwhile investigating. 4 —_—_ -——__—_—-4. Gaps in knowledge. * Review of the literature and studies in a certain field may reveal areas where little or nothing is known. These gray areas are rich sources of researchable problems. ° 4 —_—_ -——__—_—-5. Repetition or extension of completed researches * or the “budding out” of studies in progress. 4 —_—_ -——__—_—-6. “Off-shoots” of studies under way. * Sometimes, a problem, method, or discovery “buds out” from an on-going investigation, and proves more fruitful than the original line of research. 4 —_—_ -——__—_—-7. Research Agenda. * Often, institutions, organizations and other bodies formulate a research agenda, which is an outline or framework of suggested researches that address identified needs. 4 —_—_ -——__—_—-8. General Reconnaissance and Surveilance * Observation of present conditions arounduswould provide interesting researchable problems. For example, there are seemingly new diseases that people are afflicted to. To them, these are “emerging diseases” that could be studied in a research. 4 ———_—_ |] ——_—_——2. CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD PROBLEM * 2.1. Sufficient and significant contribution to the field of knowledge * 2.2. Novelty and avoidance of unnecessary duplication. * 2.3. Practical Value. ° 2.4. Feasible. * 2.5. Invites complex designing. —_—_ -——__—_—-Why are certain problems not considered research problems? The reasons are (Padua, 1998): * 1. The problem is trivial and does not require the application of the right steps of a scientific process. * 2. The problem already has an answer in the past and is therefore not new * 3. The problem, when solved, does not contribute anything substantial to the body of knowledge or does not improve an existing condition ‘ —_—_ -——__—_—-3. FORMULATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM * Formulation of a research Problem is a general term that includes: 1. Identifying a research topic, and writing it in the form of a title 2. Developing the theoretical, conceptual, and analytical framework. This involves identifying the concepts and the variables, and drawing (graphically, by means of a model), the possible interrelations among these concepts and variables. 3. Formulating the specific problems (Statement of the Problem, or Purposes of the Study) 4. Formulating the hypothesis(is) - as needed. ' —_—_ -——__—_—-3.1. Descriptive Research Defined. * It is concerned with describing and interpreting what_is (Aquino, 1992; Best, 1981; Sanchez, 1995). The principal aims are * (a) to describe the nature of a situation as it exists at the time of the study and * (b) to explore the causes of particular phenomena (Travers, 1978). —_—_ -——__—_—-as, Et «ess aro + ipdstel ate ys cnn rein shape : eS 0 at + lends aeceeong mv oraiues are toes we tan eer teThus, this type of research has two dimensions: * 1. Descriptive — or description of what is. * 2. Relational or Inferential Analysis — or interpreting why, by analyzing some relations between or among the variables which aims to explain the situation. 4 —_—_ -——__—_—-3.1.2. Types and Samples of Descriptive Research Problems * Descriptive research has been classified in various ways using. The most common are the following (Aquino, 1992; Best, 1981; De Jesus and others, 1984; Good and Scates, 1972; Gay, 1987; Mouly, 1970, Sanchez, 1980; Sevilla and others, 1984): 4 ———_—_ |] ——_—_——Descriptive-Normative. * This type establishes standards (norms or measures) through the study of what is prevalent (Sanchez, 1980). The most common application is to provide descriptive information on the demographic nature of the population as in the case of profile studies, mass and census surveys. Sample Title: . Common Diseases Among Children in Environmentally Hazardous Communities —_—_ -——__—_—-Case Study. * It seeks to achieve a deep and involved understanding and description of individuals, situations, and communities, which are purposively selected. It takes a long period because it is done intensively. ' —_—_ -——__—_—-Correlational Study * It determines the extent to which different variables are related to one another in the population of interest. The distinct characteristic is the effort to estimate a relationship (technically called association or correlation) as distinguished from simple description. Sample Title: Mothers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Problems Concerning Adolescent Reproductive Health in Relation to their Profile Characteristics —_—_ -——__—_—-Descriptive-Evaluative). + In addition to describing a condition, this research makes a judgment on the situation based on a set of evaluative criteria. (De Jesus and others, 1984) Sample Title: The Health Service Delivery Capabilities of Barangay Health Centers in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya: an Evaluation. (Note: The term evaluation may not be necessary; if added, it is to make the scope 4 of the study clear —_—_ -——__—_—-Descriptive-Comparative * In addition to describing, this type of research contrasts two or more entities in order to identify significant differences or the variables that are the sources of variation between/among the entities/groups. Sample Title: . Differences in Self-Concept Among Six-Year Olds Across SES, IQ, and Sex —_—_ -——__—_—- 43.2. Experimental Research Problem * Experimental Research Defined. This research is concerned with what will happen when certain variables are carefully manipulated or controlled. The focus is on cause-and-effect relationship. The cause is called treatment, intervention, independent, or experimental variable, while the effect is a change that is determined or measured on the dependent variable as a result of the independent variable , —_—_ -——__—_—-Types and Samples of Research ProblemsOne-Group Pre-test - Post-test Design. * This is a type where one group is subjected to a pre-experimental evaluation (pre-test), followed by exposure to the experimental variable (treatment), then followed again by a post-experimental evaluation (post-test). Sample Tit! * The Effectiveness of Environment Alteration in Reducing Perceived Pain Among Pediatric Patients Subject to Intravenous Insertion and Lumbar Puncture. —_—_ -——__—_—-Two-Group (Experimental and Control) Pre-test and Post-test Design. * This is a type where two groups (one experimental, and the other a control group) are both subjected to a pre-experimental evaluation (post-test). After that. the experimental group is subjected to an experimental variable while the control group is not. Thereafter, both groups are subjected to a post-test. * Sample Tit Comparative Effectiveness of Axillaries Cold Sponge Management (ACSM) and Tepid Sponge Bath (TSB) as Independent Nursing Interventions for Hyperthermia in Pediatric Patients t —_—_ -——__—_—-GROUP OUTPUT FOR THIS MODULE * The students are divided into groups. Each group should come up with a research problem. At this stage, the research problem is embodied in the form of a tentative: * 1.Title * 2. Statement of the Problem (Purposes of the Study / Objectives of the Study) * 3. Hypothesis (es) * 3. Drawing of the Conceptual/Analytical Framework showing the variables. \ —_—_ -——__—_—-ENRICHMENT READING and REFERENCES Cortes, Josefina R., and Annadaisy J. Carlota, ‘Theoretical framework, Concepts, Constructs and Variables. Diliman, Quezon City: UPROBE, 1985. Aquino, Gaudencio V. Fundamentals of Research. Metto Manila: National Book Store, 1992, * Best, John. W. Research in Education. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1981 ampbell, William G., Stephen V. Ballou, and Carole Slade. Form and Style: ‘Thesis, Reports, ‘Term Papers. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982. De Jesus, Belen and others. Guidebook on Thesis Writing. Manila: Philippine Association for Graduate Education, 1984. , eS