Ways in Stating Research

Problem

By: Daisy Ann P. Rasonabe

 Research problem

- a statement about an area of concern, a

condition to be improved, a difficulty to be
eliminated, or a troubling question that
exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in
practice that points to the need for
meaningful understanding and deliberate
investigation.
Suppose you're a politician running for
re-election. A right-to-life organization
is pressuring you to oppose abortion.
You ask yourself, "Will I lose if I don't?"
You take a poll. You discover, "My
constituents support abortion rights."
Now, decide whether to reject the right-
to-life organization's request.
A practical problem happens in the real world.
It costs you something in time, money,
happiness, etc. You'll solve that problem by
doing something to change something out
there in the real world.

Propose a Research Problem

To solve that real-world problem, you first must

propose and solve a research problem. Of
course, we're not always aware we are posing
and resolving a research problem when we
solve a practical problem.
The knowledge gained from solving the
research problem is applied toward finding
the solution to the practical problem.

Here's another example:

We would like to solve the practical problem
of the AIDS epidemic. Medical researchers
first must solve a research question about
how the virus' mechanisms work. But, even
with that problem resolved someday,
governments will have to apply that
knowledge in solving the practical problem in
society.
 STATEMENT

• A problem statement is the description of an issue

currently existing which needs to be addressed.
• It provides the context for the research study and
generates the questions which the research aims to
answer.
• A good problem statement is just one sentence It is
written in a general problem statement followed by
sub-problems.
General Problem:

The study aims to assess the difference on

the level of organizational commitment and its
impact to job involvement between permanent
and contractual instructors of BISU.
While this problem statement is just one sentence, it
should be accompanied by a few paragraphs that
elaborate on the problem.

Example:
1. Is there a significant difference on the level of job
involvement between permanent and contractual
instructors in BISU :
1.1. affective commitment;
1.2. continuance commitment;
1.3. normative commitment?
 FORMAT
Format of problem: • how you state the problem
• Question – • relationship between two or
more variables
Ex. “Is there a significant difference on the level of job
involvement between permanent and contractual
instructors in BISU?

• Statement – • describes the scope of your work

Ex. The difference on the level of job involvement
between permanent and contractual instructors in
BISU?
• Hypothesis -- •
relationships
Ex. “There is no significant difference on the level
of job involvement between permanent and
contractual instructors in BISU.”

• Objective – •
achieve, measure
Ex. “To determine the significant difference on
the level of job involvement between permanent
and contractual instructors in BISU.”
How to Write the Research Problem

• The problem statement should persuasively indicate

that major variables can be measured in some
meaningful way.

• The problem statement could close with a question.

Typically, the question could contain two variables, a
measurable relationship, andsome indication of
population.
Example 1:
“What is the difference on the level of organizational
commitment between permanent and contractual
instructors in BISU”?

Example 2:
"What is the best way to attain optimum
commitment from the instructors of BISU"?
Key Components of the Statement of the Problem

1. The problem itself, stated clearly and with enough

contextual detail to establish why it is important

2. The method of solving the problem, often stated

as a claim or a working thesis

3. The purpose, statement of objective and scope of

the project being proposed.

These elements should be brief so that the reader

does not get lost. One page is enough for a
statement problem.
Criteria for Research Problem Statements:

• The statement of the problem should clearly indicate

what is to be investigated.
• The actual statement may be in a declarative or in
question form.
• The statement should indicate the variables of interest
and the specific relationship between the variables
that are to be studied.