Chapter 3

Research Topic Selection

and Problem Formulation

1
 Points of Focus
• Introduction
• Research Topic Selection
• Research Problem Formulation
• Steps in Problem Formulation
• Research Questions Specification
• Problem Statement Evaluation
• Summary
2
 Introduction
• In research process, the first and the
foremost step is selecting and properly
defining a research problem.
• A researcher must find the problem and
formulate it so that it becomes susceptible to
research.
• Like a medical doctor, a researcher must
examine all the symptoms concerning a
problem before he can diagnose correctly the
cause or the real problem.
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 Introduction ….Cont’d

• To define a problem correctly, a

researcher must know:
• What a problem is?

4
Introduction ….Cont’d
• A research problem, refers to some difficulty
which a researcher experiences in the context
of either a theoretical or practical situation
and wants to obtain a solution for the same.
• It is a cornerstone of any research process
• Poor definition of a research problem will lead
to poor conclusion and poor
implementation

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• Research Topic Selection

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 Research Topic Selection
• Research topic must clearly show the
area of investigation in succinct
manner
• Interesting – keeps the researcher
interested in it throughout the research
process
• Researchable – can be investigated
through the collection and analysis of
data 7
 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• Significant – contributes to the improvement
and understanding of educational theory and
practice
• Manageable – fits the level of researcher’s
level of research skills, needed resources, and
time restrictions
• Ethical – does not embarrass or harm
participants

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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• It is not advisable to select the
following topics:
1. Common/over-used topics
2. Topics related to religion/controversy
3. General/ broad topics
4. Topics that are Too Narrow
5. Controversial Politics related topics

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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• Common/over-used topics
• A number of research areas are very common and
have been researched several times by numerous
other students.
• Most importantly, try to be original. You can pick an
over-used topic but you can place it in another context
or sector.

•For example, if internet banking in Ethiopia has been

well-researched, you may consider a topic on internet
banking among rural banks in Ethiopia.
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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• Topics related to religion, politics/controversy
• Controversies have the propensity to arouse
emotions in people, usually because the
surrounding issues are highly subjective.
• Select this topic – if required by program of
study.
• Most importantly – you want to make sure
you can complete the research on time and
with relevant and appropriate data!

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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• General/Too broad topics
• Some topics are too broad and general in
scope, and thus should be avoided.
• A research on service marketing is too
broad, however, service marketing in the
insurance industry may be more
appropriate.

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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
Too narrow topics
• Picking a topic that is too narrow should be avoided,
because it will be near impossible to find enough
information to conduct the research.
• For example, consider the research topic ‘Why Ayele
broke up with Ayelech’. This topic is too narrow and
focused on a single event.

• If this topic is changed to: ‘Determinants of break-ups

in relationships among undergraduate students’ –
the topic will become more researchable.
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• What are the variables that influence a
research topic selection?

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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
You a researcher
• the researcher values, belief, interests, relevance, and
personal experiences can influence the choice of a
research topic
Supervisor
• Find out the research interests of the potential
supervisors; have a discussion with them; read their
publications
Data Sources
• researchers are sometimes restricted to particular
topics because of access to or lack of access to data in
the specific field of study or time availability
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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
Current trends
• researchers can select a topic based on how important a
particular issue is perceived to be to society at that point in
time
Sponsor
• researchers can also restricted by the sponsor or funding
agency. Most funding agencies have specific topics of
interests which are based on their goals and objectives.
Research Gaps
• Discrepancies in existing research literature which need to be
addressed or areas of study where there are reasonable gaps
in the existing literature. The potential contribution to
literature lies in the research gap.
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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• The good research topic must:
1. Be original
2. Be of interest to both the researcher and the supervisor
3. Be timely and relevant
4. It must make a contribution to existing knowledge or
respond to a research gap
5. Be specific and distinct, not too broad
6. Incorporate the main purpose of the research
7. Be clever, captivating and unforgettable; and
8. The research questions that flow from it must be
possible to address through a research design.
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 Research Topic Selection...Cont’d
• 6 Steps to Creating a Title for Research
1. Identify broad topic and academic discipline
2. Determine the scope
3. Conduct Preliminary Literature Review-(in the
chapter 4)
4. Formulate Research Problem
5. Determine Research Questions & Objectives
6. Revisit your Topic to create a Title which
fits your purpose and questions
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 Exercise 1
• Identify one possible research topic for yourself (Each
Member)
• Evaluate the topic you have selected using the criteria for
title selection
• Present your topic to your group members
• Discussion should be made on each topic of a group
member
• Select one topic which can serve as a group topic
(consensus must be made by all group member on a
selected topic)
• Please, submit you topic on piece of paper with list of
group members. 19
• Research Problem Formulation

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• What is research Problem?

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 Research Problem Formulation
Important quotes
– “The formulation of the problem is often
more essential than its solution”
Albert Einstein
– “A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved”
• Since research problem is the cornerstone
of a research we need to identify
• What is a Research Problem?
• What is not a research Problem?
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 Research Problem Formulation...
• A Research problem is the focal point of
every research activity
• A research problem refers to some
difficulty which a researcher experiences
in the context of either a theoretical or
practical situation and wants to obtain a
solution/explanation for the same (Kotari
1990:30).
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 Research Problem Formulation...
• Research problem is a situation in
need of
– A solution, improvement, or alteration; or
– A discrepancy between the way things are and
the way they ought to be.
– A situation or circumstance that requires a
solution to be described, explained, or
predicted.
– It is an unsatisfactory situation that wants you
to confront.
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 Research Problem Formulation...
• What is not a research problem?
1. Do not look at a problem whose sole purpose
is to compare two sets of data.     
2. Finding a coefficient of correlation to show
a relationship between two sets of data is not
acceptable as a problem for research
3. A problem that leads to a question that can
be answered with “yes” or “no” is not
suitable for formal, scholarly research.
4. Do not use a problem in research as a ruse
for achieving self-enlightenment.
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 Research Problem Formulation...
What are the sources of a problem?
• Experience or observation of a situation
• Discussion with the People or
knowledgeable persons
• Attending professional conferences
• Your company internal and external
environment

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 Research Problem Formulation...
• What are the sources of a problem?.....
• Reading the Literature:
• Helps to get future research areas suggested by
other researchers
• Replicate a research project in a different settings
• Apply an existing view to a new situation
• Explore unexpected or contradictory findings in
previous studies
• Challenge research findings that contradict what
you know or believe to be true
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• Steps in the formulation of a research problem

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Steps in of a research problem formulation
1. Identify a broad field or subject area of
interest to you.
2. Dissect the broad area into subareas.
3. Select what is of most interest to you.
4. Raise research questions.
5. Formulate objectives
6. Assess your objectives
7. Double-check

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 Step 1: Identify a broad field or subject
area of interest to you.

• Example
• Assume you are studying business & you
might be interested in researching
customer satisfaction.

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Step 2: Dissect the broad area into subareas.

1- Profile of satisfied customers

2- Causes for customers satisfaction
3- The effect of customer satisfaction on
consumer related outcomes
4- Measurement of customer
satisfaction

31
 Step 3: Select what is of most interest to
you.
• It is neither advisable nor feasible to
study all subareas.
• Go through your list and delete all
those subareas in which you are not
very interested.
•  select: Effects of customers
satisfaction
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 Step 4: Raise research questions

1- What is the effect of customer expectation

on customer satisfaction?
2- What is the effect of service quality on
customer satisfaction?
3- What is the effect of word of mouth
communication on customer satisfaction?

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 Step 5: Formulate objectives

• Your objectives grow out of your research

questions.
• The main difference between objectives and
research questions is the way in which they are
written.
• Research questions are obviously that—”WH”
questions.

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 Step 5: Formulate objectives

• Objectives transform these questions into behavioral

aims by using action-oriented words such as
– to find out
– to determine
– to ascertain
– to examine
– to measure
– to explore
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Step 5: Formulate objectives… cont’d
• Changing the RQ into RO
• To examine the effect of customer expectation
on customer satisfaction
• To explore the effect of service quality on
customer satisfaction
• To find out the effect of word of mouth
communication on customer satisfaction

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 Additional examples…
• To describe the types of incentives provides by five star hotels in
their employees.

• To find out the opinion of the employees about the medical

facilities provided by five star hotels in Addis Ababa.

• To ascertain the impact of training on employee retention.

• To compare the effectiveness of different loyalty programmers on

repeat clientele.

• To ascertain if an increase in working hours will increase the

incidence of drug abuse.

• To demonstrate that the provision of company accommodation to

employees in hotels will reduce staff turnover.
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 Paraphrasing research questions as research
objectives
Research Question Research Objective

Why have organizations To identify organization’s

introduced early retirement ?objectives for introducing retirement
schemes.

What are the consequences To describe the consequences of

of early retirement schemes ? Early recruitment for employees.
To explore the effects of early retirement for the
organization.

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 Step 6: Assess your objectives

• Examine your objectives to ascertain

the feasibility of achieving them in
the light of
– Time
– Resources (financial and human) and
– Technical expertise at your disposal.
– Specific objectives should be SMART
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 Step 7: Double-check
• Double check the formulated research
problem in terms of:
1. that you are really interested in the study
2. that you agree with the objectives
3. that you have adequate resources
4. that you have the technical expertise to
undertake the study

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• Research Questions Specification

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 Research Questions
• Research questions are interrogative
statements that focus on what variables
or concepts are to be described and what
relationships might exist among them.

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 Research Questions-Examples

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the main risks of using social
media in government?
2. What are the potential benefits of using
social media in government?
3. What could be some strategic guidelines
to take advantage from social media in
government?
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 Research Questions …Cont’d
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
• The objectives of this study are:
1. To investigate the main risks of using social
media in government
2. To investigate the potential benefits of
using social media in government.
3. To investigate strategic guidelines to take
advantage from social media in
government.
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 Hypothesis
The word hypothesis consists of two words:
• Hypo + thesis = Hypothesis
– ‘Hypo’ means tentative or subject to the verification
and
– ‘Thesis’ means statement about solution of a problem.
• It is a tentative statement about the solution of the
problem.
• Hypothesis offers a solution of the problem that is to be
verified empirically and based on some rationale.
• It is a brilliant guess about the solution of a problem.

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 The Hypotheses

• It is a proposition that is stated in testable form and predicts a

particular relationship between two (or more) variables.
• By test we mean either to confirm it to our satisfaction
or to prove it wrong.

• A clearly written hypothesis helps researchers to decide

what data to collect and how to analyze them.
– It typically implies that a change in one variable is
caused by change in another variable.
Example:
Employees who perceive greater opportunities for
participation in decision making would have a higher level
of commitment. 46
 The Hypotheses…. Cont’d

Two Types of Hypothesis:

 For hypothesis testing: It is common to state research and null
hypotheses
 A null hypothesis (H0) is a statement about a status quo
 Alternative hypothesis (H1) is the opposite of the null
hypothesis
 Alternative hypothesis is the research hypothesis- what a
researcher wants to investigate
Examples:
H0 : There is no academic performance difference between men and
women.
H1 : There is significant academic performance difference between
men and women. 47
 Research questions versus Hypothesis
• Research questions are usually broad in nature,
and may lend themselves to a number of
answers, but a hypothesis is capable of being
tested and is predictive.

• For example, the statement ‘Why is street crime

more common in inner-city areas’ is a research
question and not a hypothesis.
• Hypothesis:
– ‘High street crime in inner-city areas is a product of
liberal policing policies’.
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 • Customer satisfaction
1- Identify

• 1- Profile of satisfied customers

• 2- Antecedents of customers satisfaction
• 3- The effect of customer satisfaction on consumer
2- Dissect related outcomes
• 4- Measurement of customer satisfaction

• Effects of customers satisfaction

3- Select

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 • 1- what is the effect of customer expectation on customer
satisfaction?
• 2- What is the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction?
• 3- what is the effect of word of mouth communication on customer
4- Raise research satisfaction?
questions

• 1- To determine the effect of customer expectation on customer

satisfaction
• 2- To find out the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction
• 3- To identify how word of mouth communication impact on
5- formulate customer satisfaction
objectives

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 • Assess your objectives in the light of:
• 1 work involved
• 2 time available to you
• 3 financial resources available
6- Make sure • 4 your technical expertise in the area

• 1 that you are really interested in the study

• 2 that you agree with the objectives
• 3 that you have adequate resources
7- Double- • 4 that you have the technical expertise to undertake
check the study

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• Evaluating Research Problem

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 Evaluating Research Problem
• Was the problem statement introduced
promptly?
• Is the problem stated clearly and
unambiguously?
• Does the problem statement specify the
nature of the population being studied?

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 Evaluating research problem, Cont’d
• Has the problem been substantiated with
adequate experiential and scientific background
material?
• Has the significance of the problem been
identified?
• Have pragmatic issues, such as feasibility, been
addressed?
• Have the purpose, aims, or goals of the study
been identified?
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 Evaluating research problem .. Cont’d
• Finalizing a research problem
• Significance
• Researchability
– Nature of the problem
– Ethical considerations
• Feasibility
– Time
– Funding for the study
– Researcher expertise
– Availability of advisors (Theses/Dissertation)
– Availability of participants
– Availability of facility and equipment
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 Summary
• “The formulation of the problem
is often more essential than its
solution” Albert Einstein

• A researcher must find the problem

and formulate it so that it becomes
susceptible to research.
56
 Summary….Cont’d
• It is a cornerstone of any research
process
• As a beginner researcher you have to
understand how to define a research
problem which is a corner stone of a
research
• Poor definition of a research problem
will lead to poor conclusion
57
 Summary….Cont’d
• We may conclude that the task of defining a
research problem, very often, follows a
sequential pattern
– The problem is stated in a general way,
– The ambiguities are resolved,
– Thinking and rethinking process results in a
more specific formulation of the problem so
that it may be a realistic

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 Summary….Cont’d
• Introduction
• Research Topic Selection
• Research Questions Specification
• Steps in Problem Formulation
• Problem Statement Evaluation

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 Exercise 2
• Formulation of research problem is a
cornerstone of a research process. In
light of the topic that you have selected
1. Each member needs to formulate a
research problem
2. Each group member should evaluate the
appropriateness of research problem
which she/he formulated.
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 Exercise 2 ….. Cont’d
3. Presented you problem statement to a group
member for discussion
4. Group members should improve or modify
the problem by active participation of each
group members
5. Finally group problem statement should be
developed by consensus
6. Submit your problem statement with your
topic you have already submitted to the
instructor
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 Exercise 2...Cont’d
• State a problem about what you observed or felt in
your organisation or community or society from which
you came.
1. What is the overriding problem (in one sentence)?
2. What is the population that is affected by this
problem?
3. Break the problem into its main components
4. Formulate the research questions and the specific
objectives.
5. What type of study will this be? qualitative or
quantitative?
6. What are the variables to be measured or what type
of data will be collected?
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• The End Chapter 3

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