CBEAN STUDIES RESEARCH PROBLEM/RESEARCH OBJECTIVES/CHARACTERISTICS M3.T2/3.

CIC

TOPIC
2. The Research Problem
a. Identification of a research problem.

Notes
a. Identification of a Research Problem.
 A research problem is a specific issue, difficulty, contradiction, or gap in knowledge that you
will aim to address in your research. You might look for practical problems aimed at
contributing to change, or theoretical problems aimed at expanding knowledge.

 Bear in mind that some research will do both of these things, but usually the research
problem focuses on one or the other. The type of research problem you choose depends on
your broad topic of interest and the type of research you want to do.

 Read more: https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-problem/#:~:text=The

%20type%20of%20research%20problem,statement%20and%2For%20research
%20questions.

TOPIC
3. (a) Research Objectives
I. Writing a research question, a problem statement or hypothesis
II. Significance of the study.

(b) Characteristics of Research Objectives

I. Relevance
II. Direct link to research problem
III. Informed by sources
IV. Clarity.

Notes:
3. (A) Research Objectives

(i) Writing a research question, a problem statement or hypothesis;

 What is a Research Question? - A Research Question is a statement that identifies the

phenomenon to be studied. For example, “What resources are helpful to new and minority
drug abuse researchers?” To develop a strong research question from your ideas, you should
ask yourself these things: Do I know the field and its literature well?

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 How do you develop a usable research question? - Choose an appropriate topic or issue for
your research, one that actually can be researched (Activity 1). Then list all of the questions
that you'd like answered yourself. Choose the best question, one that is neither too broad nor
too narrow. Sometimes the number of sources you find will help you discover whether your
research question is too broad, too narrow, or okay.

 For example, if you choose juvenile delinquency (a topic that can be researched), you might
ask the following questions:

a. What is the 2014 rate of juvenile delinquency in Trinidad?

b. What can we do to reduce juvenile delinquency in Trinidad?

c. Does education play a role in reducing juvenile delinquents' return to crime?

 Once you complete your list, review your questions in order to choose a usable one that is
neither too broad nor too narrow. In this case, the best research question is "c." Question
"a" is too narrow, since it can be answered with a simple statistic. Question "b" is too
broad; it implies that the researcher will cover many tactics for reducing juvenile
delinquency that could be used throughout the country. Question "c," on the other hand, is
focused enough to research in some depth. (Activity 2).

 Problem statement :

 Write an issue statement that describes the problem and why solving the problem is important.
This two-sentence statement simply describes the problems that you are encountering and
specific issues related to the problem.

 You should be thinking about:

 Who the problem affects
 What the outcome would be if the problem was not solved
 Where the problem is taking place
 When the problem needs to be fixed
 Why is it important for the problem to be fixed?

 Here are a few examples of questions to be answered:

 Is the problem short-term or will it continue into the future?
 How many people are affected by this problem?
 Would this research revise existing knowledge or practices? If so, how?

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 Hypothesis: A proposed answer to a question or problem that can be verified or rejected

through testing. A hypothesis statement is typically an educated guess as to the
relationship between factors, and serves as the basis for an experiment to test whether the
relationship holds true.

(ii) Significance of the study;

 This section, often referred to as the "rationale" is crucial, because it is one place in which
the researcher tries to convince an audience that the research is worth doing. It should
establish why the audience should want to read on. It could also persuade someone of why
he or she would want to support, or fund, a research project. One way to do this is by
describing how the results may be used.

 Overall, this section answers several questions. Why is this work important? What are the
implications of doing it? How does it link to other knowledge? How does it stand to inform
policy making? Why is it important to our understanding of the world? What new
perspective will you bring to the topic? What use might your final research paper have for
others in this field or in the general public? Who might you decide to share your findings
with once the project is complete?

 Think about how your research:

 May influence public policy

 May change the way people do their jobs in a particular field, or may change the way people
live.

 Are there other contributions your research will make? If so, describe them in detail. Look at
the following example:
 In the economic example of micro-enterprises in rural communities, the researcher
might argue that the research will:
 Provide an understanding of the economic impact of micro-enterprises.
 Support the government's plans for start-up loans to micro-enterprises.
 Demonstrate the usefulness of micro-enterprises as part of rural development, thereby
contributing to the work of government and non-government rural development
organizations.

(Details regarding each of these three points should be added to produce a convincing argument as to
the usefulness of the research.)

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(b) Characteristics of Research Objectives:

I. relevance
II. direct link to research problem
III. informed by sources
IV. clarity

Activity 3: Define what the above FOUR sub-topics would mean in relation to investigative research
within Caribbean Studies.

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PAST PAPERS P1 MCQ:

2019
1. In research, the process of identifying a problem to be investigated, involves
a. Interpreting data
b. Formulating a feasible topic
c. Conducting an archival search
d. Making inferences from statistical data

Also appears in 2016, 2015

2018
1. Which of the following activities is involved in identifying the research problem?
a. Hypothesizing
b. Interpreting data
c. Observing subjects
d. Reviewing the literature

Similar to the 2017 question below

2017
1. Which of the following actions is NOT involved in identifying the research problem?
a. Observing
b. Hypothesizing
c. Interpreting data
d. Formulating research questions

2019
1. Which of the following terms is used to describe a statement that is tested by collecting and
analyzing objective evidence?
a. Premise c. Hypothesis
b. Indicator d. Assumption

2018
1. Which of the following statements satisfies the criteria for a hypothesis?
a. How are the residents of Craiginsh Road affected by crime?
b. An investigation into the causes of crimes committed in Craiginsh Road.
c. The residents of Craiginsh Road continue to be victims of crime.
d. The rise in crime in Craiginsh Road has resulted from high unemployment.

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2. Why is it important to clarify a research problem in the initial stage of the process?
a. To give insight into the issue being investigated
b. To provide a solution to the problem being investigated
c. To prohibit the formation of multiple problem statements
d. To provide the basis for conducting an empirical investigation

Also appears in 2016

3. Which of the following is of LEAST importance when refining a research problem?

a. Relevance
b. Feasibility
c. Sample size
d. Availability of information

Also appears in 2016

2017
1. A hypothesis may be described as a
a. Finding of the research
b. Question to be answered
c. Limitation of the research
d. Prediction of the an outcome

Also appears in 2016, 2015

2. The following statement was written in a research report:
“Teenagers who bleach their skin have low self-esteem.”

What aspect of the research project is this likely to be?

a. Hypothesis
b. Research Questions
c. Problem Statement
d. Dependent variable

Also appears in 2016