Scientific Research Methods

HWRE 7042

Dr. Abebe Worku

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 3. Problem statement; objective
formulation; Research hypothesis
and writing
Literature review of a study

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 Problem statement
• A problem clearly stated is a problem half
solved.
• A problem to be investigated must be defined
in order to discriminate relevant data from
irrelevant.
• Ill-defined problem may create hurdle.

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 Research Problem
Research Problem Can be:
• an area of concern,
• a condition to be improved,
• a difficulty to be eliminated,
• a gap in knowledge,
• or a troubling question that exists in scholarly
literature, in theory, or in practice that points to
the need for meaningful understanding and
deliberate investigation.
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 Sources of problems to research
• Reading
• Academic Experience
• Daily experience
• Exposure to field
situation
Observe
• Consultation critically.
• Brainstorming
• Research
• Intuition
• New Innovation

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 Defining Research problem
Defining a research is prerequisite for any study :

• It is number one step,

• Formulation a problem is often more essential than its

solution,

• It is only through carefully detailing research

problem, that we can work out the research design.

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• It is crucial part of a research

• when the problem is clearly defined ,answer for the

following and the like questions will be found.

-what data are to be collected?

-what relations are to be explored?

-What techniques are to be used? etc.

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Techniques in defining a problem(steps)
1. Statement of the problem in a general way,

2. Understanding the nature of the problem,

3. Surveying the available literature,

4. Developing idea through discussion,

5. Rephrasing the research problem,

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1.Statement of the problem in a general way:
• It should be stated in broad general way,
• The research must be immerse himself
thoroughly in the subject matter,
• May be relation between two variables, (?)
• Carryout preliminary survey (pilot study).
• To resolve ambiguities the researcher need
cool thinking and rethinking over the
problem.

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 2. Understanding the nature of the problem

• understanding the organization and nature, of

the problem to state the research problem,
• consider once again all those points that induce
you to make a general statement concerning
the problem.

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 3.Surveying the available literature
Knowing what data are available.
To narrow:
 the problem;
the technique used,
instruments;
related problems and
 their solutions
4.Developing idea through discussion:
experience survey
5.Rephrasing the research problem

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 Criteria for Problem selection

Internal:
-Researcher’s interest
-Researcher’s competence
-Researchers’ own resources
External:
-Researchability
-Importance and urgency
-Novelty or originality
-Feasibility
-Facilities
-Usefulness &social relevance
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 Delimiting a Problem
Focusing on a certain variables,
•Delimit the area or level

•Delimit size of sample

•Delimit method of research

•Delimit measuring instruments

•Delimit techniques of research

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 Writing the Statement of the Problem

• Problem statement – a specific, definitive statement that

specifies the question or issue to be investigated in a
research study (Baumgartner & Hensley, 2006)
• A "Problem Statement" is a description of a difficulty
or lack that needs to be solved or at least researched to
see whether a solution can be found.
• It can also be described as either a gap between the
real and the desired or a contradiction between
principle and practice.
• The problem statement should be a single sentence that
describes the problem (with several paragraphs of
elaboration).
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 What is the goal of a statement of problem?

• The ultimate goal of a problem statement is to transform a

generalized problem (something that bothers you; a perceived
lack) into a targeted, well-defined problem, one that can be
resolved through focused research.
• Writing a Problem Statement should help you clearly identify
the purpose of the project you will propose.
• It will also serve as the basis for the introductory section of
your final proposal, directing your readers attention quickly
to the issues that your proposed project will address and
providing the reader with a concise statement of the proposed
project itself.

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 key characteristics of a statement of problem
• A good research problem should at minimum:
1. Address a gap
2. be significant enough to contribute to the existing
body of research
3. be one that will lead to more research
4. be interesting to the researcher and suit his/her
skills, time and resources
5. be ethical
• A statement problem need not be long and windy.
• One page is more than enough for a good statement of
problem (one and a half, probably)
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 What is the format (parts of a problem
statement)?

• A persuasive problem statement consists of three

parts:
1. Part A- the ideal: Describes a desired goal or ideal
situation; explains how things should be.
2. Part B -the reality: Describes a condition that
prevents the goal, state, or value in Part A from being
achieved or realized at this time; explains how the
current situation falls short of the goal or ideal.
3. Part C-the consequences: Identifies the way you
propose to improve the current situation and move it
closer to the goal or ideal

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 Simple four steps to write a statement
problem
• Step 1 (statement 1): Construct statement 1 by describing a
goal or desired state of a given situation, phenomenon etc.
This will build the ideal situation (what should be, what is
expected, desired)
• Step 2 (statement 2): Describe a condition that prevents the
goal, state, or value discussed in step 1 from being achieved or
realized at the present time. This will build the reality, the
situation as it is and establish a gap between what ought to be
and what is
• Step 3: Connect steps 1 and 2 using a term such as "but,"
"however,“ "Unfortunately," or "in spite of“;

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 Simple four steps to write a statement
problem
• Step 4 (statement 3): Using specific details show how the
situation in step 2 contains little promise of improvement
unless something is done. Then emphasize the benefits of
research by projecting the consequences of possible solutions
as well.
OR
• The first step is to write down your problem or the current
state. Don’t worry too much about quality at this point –
simply making a start is significant. Next, expand on
your problem by asking the following questions:
• who does it affect / does not affect.
• what does it effect / does not affect.

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 Example
• STEP 1 (statement 1)
• The government of Kenya has a goal to industrialize by the year 2030
(quote). In this regard it has encouraged growth oriented micro and small
enterprises (MSEs) that should graduate into medium and large enterprises
capable of contributing to the industrialization goal. There are several
sessional papers (quote/cite) that contain specific measures to encourage
and support MSEs.
• Step 2 and 3 (STATEMENT 2)
• Despite the said government efforts there is slow growth of micro into
small enterprises and even slower growth of small into medium scale
enterprises(quote, show statistics). The government has officially
acknowledged that there exists a missing middle in Kenya meaning that
there is a gap between small and large enterprises in the country (cite,
quote).
• STATEMENT 3
• Should the missing middle gap persist then the industrialization goal may
be difficult to achieve. Need therefore arises to investigate why despite
government efforts there is a persistent missing middle.

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How to Write a Literature
Review

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 Literature review
• Literature review is an organized critical
account of information that has been published
on a specific topic and provides an organized
synthesis of the information, idea and knowledge
providing the content for a literature review is the
literature search;
• a comprehensive investigation of reports and
articles that has been written about the topic
• A Literature review is a thorough analysis of
research articles on a particular topic.
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 Functions of Literature review
Literature reviews serve several important
functions:
• to provide a foundation or to situate research
in reference to the larger body of work that has
been done in the field;
• to ensure the research ability of the topic by
knowing how it is different from what has been
done before;
• to identify gaps in theory, methodology or
results which may be notable; to demonstrate a
high level of scholarship by analyzing the
strengths and weaknesses of a topic.
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• The best way to learn this genre, like all
writing, is to practice.
• Fortunately, graduate students are given
ample opportunity to practice because
many classes require students to write
them.

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• The research, synthesis, and writing parts
take lots of time.
• If your literature review is a small part of a
larger piece of research for a class, then the
best advice is to do the literature review
as early in the semester as possible in order
to dedicate the remaining portion to the
data.

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• Literature review is an extremely important
part of your dissertation and it proves that
you have learned and understood the matter
published on a particular topic collection,
analysis, and write-up Dominic Corey(1992).
• Your literature review is not a mere
summary of publications by other authors.
• It actually demonstrates your understanding
of different arguments, advancements and
theories 26
 Five helpful tips for writing a literature review

1. Prepare a statement of the topic.

2. Conduct the literature search.
3. Developing a Literature screening and review
tool.
4. Write the literature Review.

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 1.prepare a statement of the topic
The statement can include the following:
•what will be included and excluded in the
review,
•Keywords used for searching,
•Time range of the studies or reports,
•Population included,
•Type of study included.

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 2.Conduct the literature search
• A Literature search requires a comprehensive search
of ;
•Published academic,
•Peer reviewed,
•Professional literature using a variety of data
basis,
•Journal articles,
•Conference proceedings,
•Books,
•Dissertations, and
•Technical papers.
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 3. Developing a Literature screening and
review tool
• Set standards for screening the literature and
consider the following:
How recent is the article?
Is the study setting appropriate for
literature review?
What measurement tools are used in the
study?
How applicable is the study to your topic?

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Determine if the:
1. The authors provide evidence the study was
carried out as intended,
2. Research design, methods or measurement
instruments are relevant for your topic,
3. Study has outcome measures that fit your are of
interest,
4. Study appears in a peer-reviewed journal or
books,
5. Publishers are credible,
• Internet source are linked with reputable
organizations,

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 4. write the literature Review
• When writing the literature review, remember
to:
•Create outline,
•Structure your literature review,
•Always include references at the end of the
review,

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 key points: to start writing your
literature review
 In your literature review, you compare how
relevant the work of previous authors was.
 You also talk about the agreement and
disagreement of different authors.
 You need to mention the relationship of your
work with the previous work, relevant to your
area of study.
 You talk about the gaps in current research and
also recommend where further research is needed.
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 The aim of a literature review
• The aim of a literature review is to show your
reader (your tutor) that you have read, and
have a good grasp of, the main published work
concerning a particular topic or question in
your field.
• In the latter cases in particular, the review will
be guided by your research objective or by the
issue or thesis you are arguing and will provide
the framework for your further work.

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• It is very important to note that your review
should not be simply a description of what
others have published in the form of a set of
summaries,
• but should take the form of a critical
discussion, showing insight and an awareness
of differing arguments, theories and
approaches.
• It should be a synthesis and analysis of the
relevant published work, linked at all times to
your own purpose and rationale.
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 The purposes of the review are:
• to define and limit the problem you are working on
• to place your study in an historical perspective
• to avoid unnecessary duplication
• to evaluate promising research methods
• to relate your findings to previous knowledge and suggest
further research
• A good literature review, therefore, is critical of what has
been written, identifies areas of controversy, raises questions
and identifies areas which need further research.

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According to Caulley (1992) of La Trobe University,
the literature review should:
1. compare and contrast different authors' views on
an issue,
2. group authors who draw similar conclusions,
3. criticize aspects of methodology,
4. note areas in which authors are in disagreement,
5. highlight exemplary studies,
6. highlight gaps in research,
7. show how your study relates to previous studies,
8. show how your study relates to the literature in
general,
9. conclude by summarizing what the literature says,
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 Writing an APA Literature Review:

• APA ( Author, date) is a writing style and it

has its own way of citing sources.
• When you are required to write in APA style,
make sure you go through the APA manual to
understand how this writing style can be used.
• It is crucial to comprehend the proper APA
citation style to ensure you cite the sources
accurately.

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Consider the following when writing the
literature review:

•Introduction
•Body
•Conclusion

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 A good literature survey ensure that:
1. Important variables that are likely to influence the
problem situation are not left out of the study.
2. A clearer idea emerges as to what variable would be
most important to consider, why they would be
considered important, and how they should be
investigated to solve the problem.
3. The problem statement can be made with precision
and clarity.
4. Testability and replicability of the findings of the
current research are enhanced.
5. One does not run the risk of “reinventing the wheel”
6. The problem investigated is perceived by the
scientific community as relevant and significant.

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 Final checklist
1.Selection of Sources:
Have you indicated the purpose of the review?
Are the parameters of the review reasonable?
Why did you include some of the literature and
exclude others?
Which years did you exclude?
Have you emphasized recent developments?
Have you focused on primary sources with only
selective use of secondary sources?
Is the literature you have selected relevant?
Is your bibliographic data complete?
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 Final checklist
2.Critical Evaluation of the Literature
-Have you organized your material according to
issues?
-Is there logic to the way you organized the material?
-Does the amount of detail included on an issue
relate to its importance?
-Have you been sufficiently critical of design and
methodological issues?
-Have you indicated when results were conflicting or
inconclusive and discussed possible reasons?
-Have you indicated the relevance of each reference
to your research?

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 Final checklist
• 3.Interpretation
-Has your summary of the current literature
contributed to the reader's understanding of the
problems?
-Does the design of your research reflect the
methodological implications of the literature review?
• Note
The literature review will be judged in the context of
your completed research.
The review needs to further the reader's
understanding of the problem and whether it
provides a rationale for your research.
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• The OBJECTIVES of a research project summarize what
is to be achieved by the study.

• Objectives should be closely related to the statement of

the problem.

• For example, if the problem identified is low utilization of

University Guest house, the general objective of the study
could be to identify the reasons for this low utilization, in
order to find solutions.

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 I. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
• The general objective of a study states what
researchers expect to achieve by the study in general
terms.

• It is possible (and advisable) to break down a general

objective into smaller, logically connected parts-specific
objectives.

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 Parts-Specific Objectives.
• Specific objectives should systematically address the
various aspects of the problem as defined under
‘Statement of the Problem’ and the key factors that are
assumed to influence or cause the problem.

• They should specify what you will do in your study, where

and for what purpose.

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 parts-specific objectives.
• A study into the cost and quality of home-based care for
HIV/AIDS patients and their communities in Zimbabwe,
developed at a workshop, for example, had as its General
Objective:

• “To explore to what extent community home-based care

(CHBC) projects in Zimbabwe provide adequate, affordable
and sustainable care of good quality to people with
HIV/AIDS, and to identify ways in which these services can
be improved”.
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 It was split up in the following specific objectives:
1. To determine the extent to which formal and informal support
systems address these needs from the viewpoint of service
providers as well as patients.
2. To determine the economic costs of CHBC to the patient and
family as well as to the formal CHBC program themselves.
3. To relate the calculated costs to the quality of care provided to
the patient by the family and to the family/patient by the CHBC
program.
4. To determine how improved CHBC and informal support
networks can contribute to the needs of persons with AIDS and
other chronically and terminally ill patients.
5. To use the findings to make recommendations on the
improvement of CHBC to home care providers, donors and other
concerned organizations, including government.
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• In the example given, the needs of AIDS patients
and their relatives for care and support have been
defined in the first objective.
• The objectives which follow concentrate on
adequacy, cost and quality of care provided whereas
the last two objectives specify possible
improvements with respect to CHBC, and to whom
the results and recommendations of the study will be
fed back.

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 Note:
• It may be helpful to use the diagram as a point of
departure and check
 whether the problem and all major, directly
contributing factors (analytic study) or
 major components (descriptive or evaluation study)
have been covered by the objectives.
• An objective indicating how the results will be used
should be included in every operational study, either
as part of the general objective or as a specific
objective.

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 Why should Research Objectives be developed?
• The formulation of objectives will help you to:
o Focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials);
o Avoid the collection of data which are not strictly
necessary for understanding and solving the problem
you have identified; and
o Organize the study in clearly defined parts or
phases.
Properly formulated, specific objectives will facilitate
the development of your research methodology and
o will help to orient the collection, analysis,
interpretation and utilization of data
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 How should you state your objectives?
Take care that the objectives of your study:
Cover the different aspects of the problem
 and its contributing factors in a coherent
way and in a logical sequence;
Are clearly phrased in operational terms,
specifying exactly what you are going to do,
where, and for what purpose;
Are realistic considering local conditions;
and
Use action verbs that are specific enough to
be evaluated.
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 Examples of action verbs are:
to determine,
to compare,
to verify,
to calculate,
to describe, and
to establish.
• Avoid the use of vague non-action verbs such as to
appreciate, to understand, or to study.
• Keep in mind that when the project is evaluated, the
results will be compared to the objectives.
• If the objectives have not been spelled out clearly, the
project cannot be evaluated.
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 Title of the study

• Now you can finalize the title of your study.

• The title should be in line with your general objective.
• Make sure that it is specific enough to tell the reader
what your study is about and where it will be calculated.
• NOT: ‘A study on community home-based care’
• BUT: ‘A study on cost and quality of community
home-based care for HIV/AIDS patients and their
communities in Zimbabwe’
• You might also consider fancier titles:
• ‘Do We Care? A study on cost and quality of CHBC for
HIV/AIDS patients in Zimbabwe’
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