Chapter 2

Research
Problem/
Question
 Overview of the presentation
♣ Definition of terms
♣ Introduction to research problems
♣ Identification of the research problem
♣ Sources of research problems
♣ Characteristics of a good problem statement
♣ Evaluation of the research problem
♣ Research questions, objectives and variables
♣ Assumptions, limitations and delimitations
♣ Hypothesis—definition, characteristics, types
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“Far better an approximate answer to the right
question, which is often vague, than an exact
answer to the wrong question, which can
always be made precise” – JW Tukey (1962)

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 Definition of Terms
♣ Research problem: According to Robert Gerber, “It is
the situation that causes the researcher to feel
apprehensive, confused and ill at ease”.

♣ Research objectives: Specific statements that are

intended to be achieved in a research project.

♣ Research question: An interrogative statement that

subsequently leads to the development of the problem
statement.
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 Definition of Terms
♣ Hypothesis: A statement of the predicted relationship
between two or more variables.
♣ Assumptions: Statements that are taken for granted.
They are believed to be true without any valid proof.
♣ Delimitations: These are choices made by the
researcher that list the things that will not be done
during the course of the study.
♣ Limitations: Shortcomings or weaknesses of the
study that are beyond the control of the researcher.

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 Definition of Terms
♣ Operational definition: It incorporates the
operation/action/procedure/manoeuvre
required to measure a variable of interest in a
study.
♣ Population: The aggregate of subjects/objects
in which the researcher is interested.
♣ Sample: A subset of the population that
represents the entire population.
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 Introduction to Research Problems

♣ Identifying and formulating the research

problem statement is the first step of the
research process.
♣ It entails more than just choosing a topic for
the research project – it involves delving into
an idea of interest so that the researcher can
arrive at a statement for which data collection
and analysis is feasible.

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 Identification of the Research Problem

♣ Madsen’s criteria can be used to kick-start this

journey.
♣ Sustain interest and stimulate the imagination
♣ Within the competency range
♣ Having the potential to make a contribution to the body
of knowledge
♣ Based on an obtainable data

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Identification of the Research Problem

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 Identification of the Research Problem

Steps to Define the Research Problem

♣ Choose the general broad area of study or investigation.
♣ Narrow the general topic down to a specific statement
of the research problem
♣ Undertake a preliminary review of literature
♣ Make wise choices about what to investigate, describe
and explore
♣ Previously studied, much literature – quantitative
♣ Exploratory study, lacking theory base – qualitative

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 Sources of Research Problem

♣ Professional experience ♣ Interest and motivation

♣ Journal articles ♣ Data archives
♣ Magazines and ♣ Social problems
periodicals ♣ Gap in literature
♣ Supervisor/Guide ♣ Theories
♣ Funding agencies

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 Characteristics of a Good Problem
Statement
A good problem statement should:
♣ Identify the key variables under study
♣ Define operationally the key terms and variables of the
study
♣ Define a concept in terms of the operations or processes
(operational definition)
♣ Describe the nature of the population of interest
♣ Clarify exactly what you want to establish or solve
(objectives)
♣ Not be very long and very short (ideally the title should be
12–15 words long)

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 Format of the Research Problem Title

♣ The research problem title should include the

following elements:
♣ Type/Design of the study
♣ Main purpose of the study
♣ Population under study
♣ Setting of the study
Example: An experimental study (design of the study) to assess the
comparative efficacy of heparin saline and normal saline flush for
maintaining patency of intravenous lines (primary purpose of the study)
among patients admitted to DMCH, Ludhiana (population and setting of
the study).

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 Evaluation of Research Problem

‘RRFNS’ approach to evaluate a research

problem
♣ R-Researchability
♣ R-Relevance
♣ F-Feasibility (Resources + Time + Expertise +
Ethical Consideration+ Subjects)
♣ N-Novelty
♣ S-Significance
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 Feasibility Criteria of Research Project
The researcher can use the following checklist to assess the
overall

Feasibility criteria Yes No

Do you have enough funds/financial assistance to
meet the monetary requirement of your project?
Is there any violation of ethical principles in your
project?
Will you be able to collect required data in the
given timeframe?
Are the desired number of subjects available within
the given timeframe for your study?
Do you have the required expertise in the given
problem area as well as in the required statistical
operations? 15
 Research Question
♣ A research question is one that can be answered directly
through the analysis of data.
♣ Well-articulated research questions have the following
qualities:
♣ It is clear, uncomplicated and can be easily understood by
others.
♣ It should state the relationship between two or more variables.
♣ It should mention variables that are measurable.
♣ It can be answered in the available timeframe and with the
available resources.

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 Research Question

‘FINER’ criteria for a good research question

♣ F-Feasible

♣ I-Interesting

♣ N-Novel

♣ E-Ethical

♣ R-Relevant

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 Research Question

‘PICOT’ format to develop research questions

♣ P: Population (patients)
♣ I: Intervention (for intervention studies only)
♣ C: Comparison group
♣ O: Outcome of interest
♣ T: Time

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 Research Questions

Types of research questions

♣ Descriptive

♣ Relational

♣ Causal

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 Research Objectives

♣ Research objective should be ‘SMART’

♣ S - Specific
♣ M - Measurable
♣ A - Attainable
♣ R - Realistic
♣ T - Time bound

Make sure that each specific objective begins with the word “to”.

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 Research Variables
♣ A variable is a characteristic/property that varies from
one subject/object to another.
♣ There are many ways of classifying variables but the
two most common methods of classification are as
follows:
♣ Independent (Cause, Predictor, Intervention,
Experiment) and Dependent (outcome, effect)
♣ Continuous (ordinal) and Categorical (nominal)
♣ Other types of variables: Research variables,
Demographic variables, Extraneous variable etc.
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 Operational Definition of Variables

♣ According to Bridgman, 1927, operational definition

means that variables used in the study must be defined
as they are used in the context of the study and
publicly observable.
♣ This is done to facilitate measurement and to
eliminate confusion.
♣ For example, if the researcher states that she will be
studying self-esteem among patients who had
undergone radical mastectomy, she should be able to
explain what ‘self-esteem’ means in the study.
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 Assumptions

♣ Assumptions should be explicitly stated in the first

chapter of the thesis/dissertation. Assumptions are
usually made about the following:
Instrument for data collection
Methodology
Participants
Analysis
Power to detect
Results
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 Limitations and Delimitations

♣ Delimitations are the boundaries that are predefined in

the beginning phase of a research project so that the
goals do not become impossibly large.
♣ These are the choices made by the researcher that
explain what will not be done and for what reason.
♣ Limitations are the potential weaknesses in a study
that are beyond of the control of the researcher. As the
researcher cannot control these conditions, it becomes
necessary for her to explore and acknowledge the
same in the research report .
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 Hypothesis

♣ A hypothesis is a tentative prediction or explanation

of the relationship between two or more variables.

♣ The relationship between the independent and the

dependent variable is described using a connective
phrase such as ‘more than’, ‘greater than’ or ‘less
than’ or ‘no different from’ or ‘the same as’.

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 Hypothesis

Characteristics

♣ Hypothesis should be simple

♣ Hypothesis should be specific

♣ Hypothesis should be stated in advance

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 Hypothesis

Types
♣ Null hypothesis/Statistical hypothesis: It states that
there is no relationship between two or more
variables. The null hypothesis is the formal basis for
testing statistical significance.
♣ It is denoted by the symbol H0, which means:
– The researcher does not expect the groups to be different
– The researcher does not expect the variables to be related

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 Hypothesis

♣ Alternative/Research hypothesis (H1): It is the

opposite of the null hypothesis. It depicts the
relationship between variables as believed in/expected
by the researcher.

For example: There will be a significant difference between the

knowledge, attitudes and practice of Class 9 students who
receive BLS training and those who do not receive this training
as measured by a structured knowledge questionnaire, attitude
scale and observation checklist at 0.05 level of significance.

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 Hypothesis

One- and two-tailed alternative hypotheses

♣ One-tailed (or one-sided) hypothesis specifies the direction of the
association between the predictor and outcome variables.
Example: Students with previous exposure to the CPR course will have a
higher pretest mean CPR knowledge score than students with no exposure to
the CPR course.
♣ Two-tailed hypothesis states only that an association exists; it does not
specify the direction.
Example: The prediction that students with previous exposure to the CPR
course will have a different knowledge score, either higher or lower, than
those with no exposure to the CPR course .
The word ‘tail’ refers to the tail ends of the statistical distribution, that is
used to test a hypothesis.
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 Hypothesis

Simple versus complex hypothesis

♣ A simple hypothesis contains one independent

variable and one dependent variable.

For example: the post-test knowledge score of the

experimental group will be higher than the control
group at 0.05 level of significance.

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 Hypothesis

Simple versus complex hypothesis

♣ A complex (multivariate) hypothesis predicts the
relationship between three or more variables.
For example: There will be a significant association
between the knowledge, attitudes and practice and the
selected demographic variables of Class 9 students
who receive the BLS training programme and those
who do not receive the training, as measured by a
structured knowledge questionnaire, attitude scale and
observation checklist at 0.05 level.
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