In this section, we will cover two aspects of the problem that is to be explored. The first is the problem statement: The problem statement describes a problem that has been identified by others or which you identify in your own practice. It is important to know that you have to first formulate your problem statement before you can articulate your research question(s). The second component is the research question: It is important to develop a research question that is related to the problem statement, as the problem statement is a road to your primary research question.
Have a look at the video on How to formulate a research question, and then take a few minutes to think about the following questions:
- What research problem are you interested in exploring?
- Is it an important problem? Why do you think it is important? Who else thinks it is important?
- What is your research question?
- What data will you need to gather in order to answer this question.
It is important that you read and conduct research on a topic that you are interested in, and to develop your problem statement from the literature that you have read. Bear in mind that a problem statement is not limited to one sentence; it could also be a short paragraph.
The problem statement must lead to questions around possible phenomena which usually call for an explanation. These questions should be precise and require a specific answer.
It is important to consider the follow factors when formulating a problem statement:
- The source of the problem. Where did this problem come from? Curiosity, personal interest, peer suggestion, the literature?
- Selection of the problem and its factors. What is the focus, time frame and point of view from which the problem will be explored?
- The relevance of the problem statement. How practical is this problem statement?
Take a few minutes to think about the following research questions to see if they are researchable or not:
- Does Toyota or BMW make better cars?
- Are Beta-Blockers good drugs for hypertension?
- Is there a relationship between hours of gaming and violent behaviour in children from the age of 12 to 16?
Developing a research question
Spend a few minutes watching the video below, which goes through the process of developing a research question.
Short activity
- Spend a few minutes coming up with a few (2-3) problem statements that you think might be interesting or important to explore. Write them down. Where did they come from? Why are they important?
- Once you have your problem statements written down, prepare a single research question for each one. Is it clear that the answer to the question provides a solution to the problem? What data do you need in order to answer the question? Who will provide this data?
