TO P I C :P R O B L E M S TAT E M E N T

By : Dr. Dolhadi Zainudin

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ECON 7999RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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Researchers- What’s your issues? Encounter problems State problem Propose hypotheses Deduce outcomes Formulate rival hypotheses Devise and conduct empirical tests Draw conclusions

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The Research Process

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Problem Statement in the Research Paper

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Problem Statement in the Research Paper (1/2)

Research study and generates questions which the research hopes to answer.

Next step - to move forward with a research project (research problem), generally spend some time considering the problem. Statement of the problem is the first part of the paper

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Problem Statement in the Research Paper (2/2)

You need to be able to clearly answer the question:

"what is the problem"? "why is this problem worth my

attention"?

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Problem Statement in the Research Paper (4/4)

Limits scope by focusing on some variables and not others.

Provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate why these variables are important.

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How Important is the Problem

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How Important is the Problem) ? (1/4)

Problem should receive considerable and persuasive attention.

Clearly indicate why your problem is an important one by answering questions such as :

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How Important is the Problem ?(2/4)

Current interest? Topical? Likely to continue into the future? Will more information about the

problem have practical application? Will more information about the

problem have theoretical importance?

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How Important is the Problem ?(3/4)

How large is the population affected by the problem?

How important, influential, or popular is this population?

Would this study substantially revise or extend existing knowledge?

Would this study create or improve an instrument of some utility?

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How Important is the Problem ?(4/4)

Would research findings lead to some useful change in best practice?

Is there evidence or authoritative opinion from others to support the need for this research?

Should persuasively indicate that major variables can be measured in some

meaningful way

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Problem Statement Question

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Problem Statement Question ( 1/2)

Should close with a question. Contains two variables, a measurable

relationship, and some indication of population.

The purpose of the literature search that follows is to answer the research

problem question. If the literature cannot answer the question, the research is needed to do so.

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Problem Statement Question ( 2/2)

An example question might be: "What is the relationship between the

grade point average of IIUM Undergraduate and their use of the library"?

The information needed is cumulative grade point average

and some measure of library use.

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Bad example might be:

“ What is the best way to teach teaching instruction"?

This is insufficient because: What are the variables? What will be measured? What relationships will be examined? What is the population?

The title and the problem statement question are often nearly identical.

For example, the title of this research project would be something like this:

"Library Circulation Use by International Islamic University Malaysia and Their Grade Point Average"

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• Before you begin writing a grant proposal, take some time to map out your research strategy.

• A good first step is to formulate a research question.

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Research Question is a statement that identifies the

phenomenon to be studied. For example,

“ What resources are helpful to new and minority substance

abuse researchers?”

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Developing Good Research Questions

Ask ANSWERABLE QUESTIONSResearch ideas must be framed as questions that

can be answered with the scientific methodAsking empirical questions

Can be answered via objective observation Must be able to operationally define variables

Defining a variable in terms of the operations required to measure it

Question must be translated into an empirically testable research hypothesis

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Reasons for Reviewing the Literature

Avoiding needless duplication of effort

Getting ideas about variables to include, design, materials and procedures

Keeping yourself up to date on empirical and theoretical issues

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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Questions must justify the expense and time involved in doing the research

Important questions Focus on variables known to affect behavior Clarify theoretical or empirical issues Address practical issues

Unimportant questions Already have firmly established answers Focus on variables that have small effects Focus on variables that have no theoretical interest Focus on variables that you have no good reason to believe are related

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How to develop a strong research question from your ideas ?

Ask yourself about these things: Do I know the field and its literature well? What are the important research

questions What areas need further exploration? Could my study fill a gap? Lead to greater

understanding? Has a great deal of research already been

conducted in this topic area?

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Has this study been done before? If so, is there room for improvement?

Is the timing right for this question to be answered? Is it a hot topic, or is it becoming

obsolete? Most importantly, will my study have a

significant impact on the field?

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Refining and Concretizing your ideas:

Ask yourself: “Why is this research important? What have other people done? What have they found?”

Based on this information, formulate a specific research question.

Develop a hypothesis/hypotheses that stems from your research question.

Indentify the specific aims, that is the steps you are going to take to test your hypothesis.

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Think about the potential impact of the research you are proposing. What is the benefit of answering your research question? If you cannot make a definitive statement

about the purpose of your research, it is unlikely to be funded.

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It would be better to begin with a more focused question such as

“What is the relationship between specific early childhood experiences and subsequent substance-abusing behaviors?”

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THANK YOU

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