Statement of the Problem

Writing the General Problem in a

Qualitative Research

 It should use single and not compound sentences

 It should clearly express the purpose of the study
 It should include the central phenomenon
 It should use qualitative words, e.g., explore, discover, and explain
 It should identify the participants in the study
 It should state the research site
Principles of Qualitative Research: Designing a Qualitative Study, Creswell
and Clark (2014)
Sample pattern

The purpose of this (narrative, phenomenological,

grounded theory, ethnographic, case) is to
(understand, describe, develop, discover) the
(central phenomenon of the study) for (the
participants) at (the site). At this stage in the
research, the (central phenomenon) will generally
defined as (a general definition of the central
concept)
(Creswell and Clark, 2014)
The general problem is followed by an enumeration of the
specific problems. These problems are usually stated as
questions that the researcher seeks to answer. Therefore, the
specific problems must meet the following criteria:
1. They must be in question form.
2. They must define the population and the samples of the study
(respondents).
3. They must identify the variables being studied.
Creswell and Clark (2014) Two Types of
Research Questions

1. Central
questions – These are the most
general questions that can be asked.
2. Sub-questions– The questions subdivide
the central question into more specific
topical questions and are only limited in
number.
Guidelines in formulating the research
question

1. The question should begin with words such as “how” or “what”.

2. The readers should be informed of the information that will be discovered,
generated, explored, identified, or described in the study.
3. The question “ What happened?” should be asked to help craft the
description.
4. The question “What was the meaning to people of what happened?”
should be asked to understand the results.
5. The question “What happened over time?” should be asked to explore
the process.
Central question script

a. “What is the meaning of/what does it mean to (central

phenomenon)?”
Examples:
i. What is the meaning of intrapersonal competencies?
ii. What does it mean to differentiate the customs and
traditions of Aetas to those of the locals?
iii. What does it mean to characterize the study habits of
the top 10 students of the class?
Continuation...

b. “How would (participants)describe (central phenomenon)?”

Examples:
i. How would school managers describe intrapersonal
competencies?
ii. How would the Aetas and locals of Zambales differentiate
their customs and traditions?
iii. How would the top ten high school students characterize
their general study habits?
2. Sub-question script

“What (aspect) does(participant) engage in as a (central

phenomenon)?”
Examples:
a. What level of self-concept does the school managers engage in
as a characteristic of interpersonal competencies?
b. What nature of practices do the Aetas and locals of Zambales
engage in as a part of their customs and traditions?
c. What kind of preparation does the top 10 high school students
engage in as an indicator of their general study habits?