UNIT-IIRESEARCH PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

What is a Research Problem?

Research problem A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition

to be improved, a difficulty to be eliminated, 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. In some social science disciplines the research problem is
typically posed in the form of a question. A research problem does not state how to do
something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value question.
The purpose of a problem statement is to:
1. Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The reader is oriented
to the significance of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow.
2. Places the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be
investigated.
3. Provides the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably
necessary to conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.
Basic characteristics of research problem
For your research problem to be effective, make sure that it has these basic characteristics:
 Reflecting on important issues or needs;
 Basing on factual evidence (it’s non-hypothetical);
 Being manageable and relevant;
 Suggesting a testable and meaningful hypothesis (avoiding useless answers).
How to Formulate a Research Problem?
Formulating your research problem enables you to make a purpose of your study clear to
yourself and target readers. Focus your paper on providing relevant data to address it. A
problem statement is an effective and essential tool to keep you on track with research and
evaluate it.
There are Five ways to formulate the research problem:
I. Specify your research objectives;
II. Review its context or environment;
III. Explore its nature;
IV. Determine variable relationships;
V. Alternative approaches.
I. Specify research objectives :A clear statement that defines all objectives can help you
conduct and develop effective and meaningful research. They should be manageable to
bring you success. A few goals will help you keep your study relevant. This statement also
helps professors’ evaluation the questions your research project answers and different
methods that you use to address them.

II. Review the context of your research problem: It’s necessary to work hard to define
and test all kinds of environmental variables to make your project successful. Why do you
need to do that? This step can help you define if the important findings of your study will
deliver enough data to be worth considering. Identify specific environmental variables that
may potentially affect your research and start formulating effective methods to control all
of them.

III. Explore the nature of research problem. Research problems may range from simple
to complex, and everything depends on a range of variables and their relationships. Some
of them can be directly relevant to specific research questions, while others are completely
unimportant for your project. Why should you understand their nature? This knowledge
enables you to develop effective solutions. To get a deep understanding of all dimensions,
think about focus groups and other relevant details to provide the necessary insight into a
particular question.

IV. Determine variable relationships Scientific, social, and other studies often focus on
creating a certain sequence of repeating behaviors over time. What does your project
entail? Completing the entire process involves:

 Identifying the variables that affect possible solutions to your research problem;

 Deciding on the degree to which you can use and control all of them for study purposes;

 Determining functional relationships between existing variables;

 Choose the most critical variables for a solution of your research problem. During the
formulation stage, it’s necessary to consider and generate as many potential approaches
and variable relationships as you can.

V. Alternative approaches Anticipate the possible consequences of alternative

approaches There are different consequences that each course of action or approach can
bring, and that’s why you need to anticipate them. Why communicate possible outcomes?
It’s a primary goal of any research process.

Basic Steps in Formulating a Research Problem

What is the most essential part of your research project? It is obviously the formulating of
a research problem or selecting your research topic. This is because of the quality &
relevancy of your research work completely depends on it. The process of formulating a
research problem requires a series of steps. Look at 7 basic steps in formulating a research
problem.

(i) Identify the Broad Study Area -This is a great idea to thinking about the subject
area of your interest. You should identify the field in which you would like to work
a long time after your academic study or graduation. It will help you tremendously
to get an interesting research topic. For example- if you do graduation in sociology,
you must decide your research study area in sociology. You might choose social
problems like unemployment, road accident, community health, HIV/AIDS, etc.
For example- if you do post graduation in Computer Science with specialisation in
Cyber Security , you must decide your research study area in Cyber security. You
might choose problems related with cyber threats, cyber crimes, cyber trends etc.
(ii) Dissect the Broad Study Area into Subareas -In this stage, you need to dissect
and specify your research broad study area into some subareas. You would consult
with your supervisor in this regard. Write down subareas. For example- if you
select unemployment as your broad study area, then dissect it into unemployment
& social stability, unemployment & crime, unemployment & individual frustration,
etc. In this case, your research title maybe how unemployment produces criminal
activities. Or how it creates frustration in mind among unemployed people. For
example- if you select Cyber security as your broad study area, then dissect it into
network security, web security, database security related with cyber crime , etc.
(iii) Mark-up your Interest- It is almost impossible to study all subareas. That’s why
you must identify your area of interest. You should select issues in which you are
passionate about. Your interest must be the most important determinant of your
research study. Once you selected your research study of interest, you should delete
other subareas in which you do not feel interested. Keep in mind that if you lose
your interest in your research study it won’t bring any results eventually.
 (iv) Study Research Questions -In this step in formulating a research problem, you
would point out your research questions under the area of interest as you decided
in the previous stage. If you select unemployment as your study area, your
questions might be “how unemployment impacts on individual social status?”
“How it affects social stability?” “How it creates frustration on individuals?”
Define what research problem or question you are going to study? The more you
study the research problem it will be just as relevant and fruitful to solve the
problem indeed.
(v) Set Out Objectives -Set out conspicuously your research root objectives and sub-
objectives. Research objectives essentially come from research questions. If you
do study “Impact of unemployment on individual social status” as your research
problem or research question. Then, set out what would you like to explore to
address. For Example- your main objective might be to examine the unemployment
status in a particular society or state. And sub-objectives would be its effects on
individuals’ social life. Setting out specific main and sub-objectives are so crucial.
(vi) Assess your Objectives -Now, you should evaluate your objectives to make sure
the possibility of attaining them through your research study. Assess your
objectives in terms of time, budget, resources and technical expertise at your hand.
You should also assess your research questions in light of reality. Determine what
outcome will bring your study. If you can assess accurately the purpose of the
research study it will bring significant results in the long run. In fact, research
objectives determine the value of the study you are going to work out.
(vii) Check Back -Before you go on research work you should review all steps in
formulating a research problem and all the things that you have done till now for
the purpose of your research study. Then, ask yourself about your enthusiasm. Do
you have enough resources to step up? If you are quite satisfied, then you forward
to undertake your research work. You can change any of your plans in the light of
reality if it requires.

What are the techniques involved in defining a Research Problem?

The techniques Involved in defining a Research Problem is a crucial part of a research study
and must in no case be accomplished hurriedly. However, in practice this a frequently
overlooked which causes a lot of problems later on. Hence, the research problem should be
 defined in a systematic manner, giving due weightage to all relating points. The technique for
the purpose involves the undertaking of the following steps generally one after the other:

i. statement of the problem in a general way;

ii. understanding the nature of the problem;
iii. surveying the available literature
iv. developing the ideas through discussions; and
v. rephrasing the research problem into a working proposition.
A brief description of all these points will be helpful.

1. Statement of the problem in a general way: First of all the problem should be stated in a
broad general way, keeping in view either some practical concern or some scientific or
intellectual interest. For this purpose, the researcher must immerse himself thoroughly in
the subject matter concerning which he wishes to pose a problem. In case of social research,
it is considered advisable to do some field observation and as such the researcher may
undertake some sort of preliminary survey or what is often called pilot survey. Then the
researcher can himself state the problem or he can seek the guidance of the guide or the
subject expert in accomplishing this task. Often, the guide puts forth the problem in general
terms, and it is then up to the researcher to narrow it down and phrase the problem in
operational terms. In case there is some directive from an organizational authority, the
problem then can be stated accordingly. The problem stated in a broad general way may
contain various ambiguities which must be resolved by cool thinking and rethinking over
the problem. At the same time the feasibility of a particular solution has to be considered
and the same should be kept in view while stating the problem.
2. Understanding the nature of the problem: The next step in defining the problem is to
understand its origin and nature clearly. The best way of understanding the problem is to
discuss it with those who first raised it in order to find out how the problem originally came
about and with what objectives in view. If the researcher has stated the problem himself, he
should consider once again all those points that induced him to make a general statement
concerning the problem. For a better understanding of the nature of the problem involved,
he can enter into discussion with those who have a good knowledge of the problem
concerned or similar other problems. The researcher should also keep in view the
environment within which the problem is to be studied and understood.
3. Surveying the available literature: All available literature concerning the problem at hand
must necessarily be surveyed and examined before a definition of the research problem is
 given. This means that the researcher must be well-conversant with relevant theories in the
field, reports and records as also all other relevant literature. He must devote sufficient time
in reviewing of research already undertaken on related problems. This is done to find out
what data and other materials, if any, are available for operational purposes. “Knowing what
data are available often serves to narrow the problem itself as well as the technique that
might be used.”. This would also help a researcher to know if there are certain gaps in the
theories, or whether the existing theories applicable to the problem under study are
inconsistent with each other, or whether the findings of the different studies do not follow
a pattern consistent with the theoretical expectations and so on. All this will enable a
researcher to take new strides in the field for furtherance of knowledge i.e., he can move up
starting from the existing premise. Studies on related problems are useful for indicating the
type of difficulties that may be encountered in the present study as also the possible
analytical shortcomings. At times such studies may also suggest useful and even new lines
of approach to the present problem.
4. Developing the ideas through discussions: Discussion concerning a problem often
produces useful information. Various new ideas can be developed through such an exercise.
Hence, a researcher must discuss his problem with his colleagues and others who have
enough experience in the same area or in working on similar problems. This is quite often
known as an experience survey. People with rich experience are in a position to enlighten
the researcher on different aspects of his proposed study and their advice and comments are
usually invaluable to the researcher. They help him sharpen his focus of attention on specific
aspects within the field. Discussions with such persons should not only be confined to the
formulation of the specific problem at hand, but should also be concerned with the general
approach to the given problem, techniques that might be used, possible solutions, etc.
5. Rephrasing the research problem: Finally, the researcher must sit to rephrase the research
problem into a working proposition. Once the nature of the problem has been clearly
understood, the environment (within which the problem has got to be studied) has been
defined, discussions over the problem have taken place and the available literature has been
surveyed and examined, rephrasing the problem into analytical or operational terms is not a
difficult task. Through rephrasing, the researcher puts the research problem in as specific
terms as possible so that it may become operationally viable and may help in the
development of working hypotheses.
In addition to what has been stated above, the following points must also be observed while
defining a research problem:
 Technical terms and words or phrases, with special meanings used in the statement of the
problem, should be clearly defined.
 Basic assumptions or postulates (if any) relating to the research problem should be clearly
stated.
 A straight forward statement of the value of the investigation (i.e., the criteria for the
selection of the problem) should be provided.
 The suitability of the time-period and the sources of data available must also be considered
by the researcher in defining the problem.
 The scope of the investigation or the limits within which the problem is to be studied must
be mentioned explicitly in defining a research problem.

Selection of a Problem

The Research problem undertaken for study must be carefully selected the task is a difficult
one, although it may not appear to this. So in this connection researcher can seek the help of a
guide. However the research problem cannot be borrowed. A problem must spring from the
mind of researcher like a plant spring from its seed. A research guide can only help a researcher
to choose the subject.

The following paints may be observed by the researcher in selecting a research problem.

1. Subject which is overdone should not be chosen.

2. Controversial subjects should not be taken.

3. Too narrow or too wide problems should be avoided.

4. The subject selected for research should be familiar and feasible.

5. The subject should be within our time limit.

6. The subject should be within our affordable budget.

Sources of Problem

The sources from which one may be able to identity research problems are

1. Reading- When we critically study and articles relating to subject of our interest, pertinent
questions may arise in our mind. Similarly areas of research may strike to our mind when we
read research reports. Academic Experiences Classroom lectures, class discussions seminar
discussions and out -of-class exchanges of ideas with fellow students and professors will
suggest many stimulating problems to be studied.

2.Daily Experience -Life is dynamic. We learn new things and undergo new experiences every
day. It we are all inquisitive and sensitive to like situation we may bit upon questions worth of
investigation. The story about Newton testifies to this. Apples have fallen on the beads of
people before Newton. But it was sensitive Newton alone raised the question regarding fall of
apple which led to the discovery of Law of gravitation.

3.Consultation - Discussion with experts, researchers etc. will help to identify meaningful
problems of research.

4.Field situation- Field visits, training and extension work provide exposure to problems
which call for study.

5.Brain storming- Intensified discussion within a group of interested person may often be a
means of identifying pertinent questions and of developing new ideas about a problem.

6.Intuition - Sometimes new ideas may strike to one's mind like a flash reflective mind is
spring of knowledge.