Conceptualising a research study : Formulation of

a Research Problem
Learning Objectives

By the end of this lecture we will be able to:

1. Understand the sources of a research problem

2. Understand the considerations in selecting a research problem
3. Understand the main aspects of a research problem and be able
to formulate a research problem
4. Formulate purpose statements for qualitative, quantitative and
mixed methods studies
5. Formulate research questions and or hypothesises

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FORMULATION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM

What is a research problem?

Gay (1996) defines a research problem as an issue of concern
which attracts the researcher and needs investigation. Initially a
general problem area is identified from which a specific problem is
selected for focused investigation. A good problem has a number of
identifiable characteristics.
Sources of research problems
 Research in social sciences revolves around four Ps:

 People- a group of individuals,

 Problems- examine the existence of certain issues or problems

relating to their lives; to ascertain attitude of a group of people

towards an issue
 Programs- to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention

 Phenomena- to establish the existence of regularity.

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FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Cont’d

In practice most research studies are based upon at least a

combination of two Ps.
1. Study population
People: individuals, organizations, groups, communities (they provide
you with the information or you collect information about them)

2. Subject area
 Problems: issues, situations, associations, needs, profiles

 Program: content, structure, outcomes, attributes, satisfactions,

consumers, Service providers, etc.

 Phenomenon: cause-and-effect relationships, the study of a

phenomenon itself

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Formulation of a Research Problem Cont’d

Creswell and Creswell (2018) argue that a research problem originates

from:
 A void in the literature,
 Contradiction in research results in the literature,
 Topics that have been neglected or received little focus in literature;
 The desire to lift up the voice of marginalized participants;
 Practical challenges in the workplace, the home, the community
among others.

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FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Cont’d

Considerations in selecting a research problem:

There are a number of considerations a researcher should put into

consideration to ensure manageability of the study and also to ensure that
the research remains motivated.

 High degree of personal interest: The research process is time

consuming, and may involve unforeseen problem. Therefore the researcher
should be interested and motivated by the topic to ensure timely
completion of the research study. It should also be noted that, little
learning occurs without a high degree of personal interest.

 Magnitude: The researcher should narrow down his or her topic to

something manageable, specific and clear. Consideration of time and
resources at the researcher’s disposal should also be put into consideration
to ascertain the feasibility or practicability of undertaking the study.

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IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Cont’d

 Measurement of concepts: The researcher should ensure

that, he/she is clear about the concepts used in the study and
their indicators or measurement. One should not use concepts
that cannot be measured.

 Level of expertise: Make sure that you have adequate level of

expertise for the task you are proposing since you need to do
the work yourself.

 Relevance: Ensure that your study adds to the existing body of

knowledge, bridges current gaps and is useful in policy
formulation. This will help you to sustain interest in the study.
 

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FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Cont’d

 Availability of data/information: The researcher should

ensure that the required data is available and in the right
format. Some of the questions to ask are: Will the researcher be
able to obtain the necessary data for the study? Will the student/
the researcher be able to conduct interviews and have access to
the necessary respondents? Will the researcher be able to obtain
sensitive information which the study may require?

 Ethical issues: In the process of conducting research, the

population of study may be adversely affected by some of the
questions or expected to share sensitive and private information.
Therefore, an examination of ways of overcoming ethical
problems should be carried out at problem formulation stage.

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Formulation of Research Problem Cont’d

A problem statement usually have four parts:

1. State the ideal situation: Contextualize the problem by framing

the research problem in its particular context while giving some
background on what is already known about it. Alternatively, describe
a desired goal or ideal situation by explaining how things should be.

2. State the reality: Provide a description of the conditions that

hinders that above from being realized. Explain how the current
situation(s) falls short of the ideal or desired goal.

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Formulation of Research Problem Cont’d

3. State the consequences: Explain how your proposed research

will improve the current state of fairs.

In case of a Applied/Action/practical research problem-directly

relevant to a specific problem that affects an organization, institution,
social group, or society more broadly. Explain what will happen if the
problem is not solved; who will benefit, and provide the wider
relevance of the problem.

In case of a theoretical research problem-a problem that leads to

generation of theory, or understanding of a specific issue or problem,
and not necessarily meant for immediate practical use.

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Formulation of Research Problem Cont’d

Here the researcher should explain how the proposed research will
advance the knowledge about the issue of focus; the relevancy of the
study for future research among others.

4. State the purpose of your proposed research: The researcher need

to state how the proposed research will address the problem.

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