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7 Basic Steps in Formulating A Research Problem

The document outlines 7 basic steps for formulating a research problem: 1) Identify a broad study area of interest, 2) Dissect the area into more specific subareas, 3) Mark your areas of personal interest within those subareas, 4) Study potential research questions within your area of interest, 5) Set clear main and sub-objectives for your research, 6) Assess whether your objectives can realistically be achieved, and 7) Check your work and make any needed adjustments before beginning your research. Formulating a clear, focused research problem is the essential first step to ensuring successful research.

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18K views

7 Basic Steps in Formulating A Research Problem

The document outlines 7 basic steps for formulating a research problem: 1) Identify a broad study area of interest, 2) Dissect the area into more specific subareas, 3) Mark your areas of personal interest within those subareas, 4) Study potential research questions within your area of interest, 5) Set clear main and sub-objectives for your research, 6) Assess whether your objectives can realistically be achieved, and 7) Check your work and make any needed adjustments before beginning your research. Formulating a clear, focused research problem is the essential first step to ensuring successful research.

Uploaded by

winsome
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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7 Basic Steps in Formulating a Research

Problem

by Abdul AwalMarch 7, 2019

Research Problem is the very first step in the Research Process. It necessarily will guide you throughout
the entire research work. The research problem functions as the base of a research study in fact. If it is
well formulated, you would expect better research results to implement in practice that is the ultimate aim
of a research study. If you want to solve a problem, you must know the problem precisely. So, formulating
a research problem is much more important. We will explain clearly the nature of a research problem &
the steps of formulating a problem.

What Does Mean Research Problem?


Research Problem means questions that researchers want to answer or any assumption or assertion that
we want to challenge or to investigate. These questions can become a research problem or research
topic for your study.

However, most importantly, keep in mind that not all questions can become a research problem.
Someone can find some research questions extremely difficult to study. Significant research questions
might happen frequently to us. But, the process of transforming them into a research problem or research
topic in an effective way is not easy work at all.

If you are a newbie in research it might seem easy to formulate a research problem. But, in fact, it
requires considerable knowledge about the study area and Research Methodology.

If you examine a question closely, you will instantly realize the complexity of formulation an idea into a
problem that is researchable.

For example- if the question is “What impact does social media have on people’s minds?”

How do you transform this question into a research problem or research topic?

Well. First of all, you should specify this question. What type of social media do you like to study? Specify
people’s age. Then, what kind of effect? Is it social or psychological or economic?

But, if the question is “What impact does daily use of Facebook have on the study attention of
under-20s?

This question defines its concepts clearly. It is researchable through both qualitative and quantitative
research methods.
Objectives of the Research Problem
Objectives define specific goals we set out to achieve in our research study. The objective directs us to
what we want to reach through our study. Therefore, it is inevitable to describe objectives as clearly and
specifically as possible.

Objectives should write down under two headings. (1) main objectives, (2) sub-objectives.

The main objective is the total statement of the main goal of the study. It also provides us with the main
associations and relationships that we intend to explore and establish.

On the other hand, sub-objectives are the specific contexts of the research topic that researchers desire
to investigate within the basic framework of the study.

Key Factors to Consider


When you formulate a research problem, you should take into account some key factors which will help
you to ensure that your research study would be measurable and that you will remain motivated. These
considerations are (a) Interest, (b) Magnitude, (c) Measurement of concepts, (d) Depth of expertise, (e)
Relevancy of the study, (f) Data source, (g) Ethical issues.

7 Basic Steps in Formulating a Research Problem


What is the most essential part of your research project? It is obviously the formulating of a research
problem or selecting your research topic. This is because the quality & relevancy of your research work
completely depends on it. The process of formulating a research problem requires a series of steps. Look
at 7 basic steps in formulating a research problem.

1. Identify the Broad Study Area


This is a great idea to thinking about the subject area of your interest. You should identify the field in
which you would like to work a long time after your academic study or graduation. It will help you
tremendously to get an interesting research topic. For example- if you do graduation in sociology, you
must decide your research study area in sociology. You might choose social problems like
unemployment, road accident, community health, HIV/AIDS, etc.

2. Dissect the Broad Study Area into Subareas


In this stage, you need to dissect and specify your research broad study area into some subareas. You
would consult with your supervisor in this regard. Write down subareas. For example- if you select
unemployment as your broad study area, then dissect it into unemployment & social stability,
unemployment & crime, unemployment & individual frustration, etc. In this case, your research title may
be how unemployment produces criminal activities. Or how it creates frustration in mind among
unemployed people.

3. Mark-up your Interest


It is almost impossible to study all subareas. That’s why you must identify your area of interest. You
should select issues about which you are passionate. Your interest must be the most important
determinant of your research study. Once you selected your research study of interest, you should delete
other subareas in which you do not feel interested. Keep in mind that if you lose interest in your research
study it won’t bring any results eventually.

4. Study Research Questions


In this step in formulating a research problem, you would point out your research questions under the
area of interest as you decided in the previous stage. If you select unemployment as your study area,
your questions might be “how unemployment impacts individual social status?” “How it affects social
stability?” “How it creates frustration on individuals?” Define what research problem or question you are
going to study? The more you study the research problem it will be just as relevant and fruitful to solve the
problem indeed.

5. Set Out Objectives


Set out conspicuously your research root objectives and sub-objectives. Research objectives essentially
come from research questions. If you do study “Impact of unemployment on individual social status” as
your research problem or research question. Then, set out what would you like to explore to address. For
Example- your main objective might be to examine the unemployment status in a particular society or
state. And sub-objectives would be their effects on individuals’ social life. Setting out specific main and
sub-objectives are so crucial.

6. Assess your Objectives


Now, you should evaluate your objectives to make sure of the possibility of attaining them through your
research study. Assess your objectives in terms of time, budget, resources, and technical expertise at
your hand. You should also assess your research questions in light of reality. Determine what outcome
will bring your study. If you can assess accurately the purpose of the research study it will bring significant
results in the long run. In fact, research objectives determine the value of the study you are going to work
out.

7. Check Back
Before you go on research work you should review all steps in formulating a research problem and all the
things that you have done till now for the purpose of your research study. Then, ask yourself about your
enthusiasm. Do you have enough resources to step up? If you are quite satisfied, then you forward to
undertake your research work. You can change any of your plans in the light of reality if requires.

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