Statement of the Problem– is one of the most important parts of the research

report. This is the focus of the study and all questions stated should be categorically
answered. Research problem refers to a researchable problem vividly and explicitly
stated in an interrogative or declarative sentence from where it possesses the
characteristics of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-
bound.

The problem must be stated precisely, accurately, and clearly. It can be either one
main statement/question, or a combination of these forms.

The problem should be defined in terms of the data that can be obtained or
empirically researchable.

Statement of the Problem (Research Objectives) consists of the following:

main problem (general objective)
and sub-problems (specific objectives).

Main problem is the focal point of the study. It is also called general objective of
the study. Both maybe stated in interrogative or question form or declarative form.

Sub-problems are problems related to the main problem identified. They flow from
the main problem and make up the main problem. It is the means to reach the set
goal in a manageable way and contribute to solving the problem. They are also
called specific objectives. They are either in interrogative or declarative forms.
The Heart of a Dissertation

 l The heart of a doctoral dissertation IS the PROBLEM

STATEMENT. This is the place where most committee
members go first to understand and assess the merits of a
proposal or a dissertation.
 After reading the problem statement, the reader will know
why you are doing this study and be convinced of its
importance.
 The reader will NOT be left with an unanswered: “So What?”
question at the studies conclusion.
Select a Real Problem
 That which is not worth doing is not worth doing well–
Abraham Maslow
 Simple curiosity is not a good enough reason to do scholarly
research, i.e. research for research sake.
 The fact that nothing like this has ever been done before
might tell you something.
 You must know thoroughly the body of research and the
techniques related to the chosen methodology.
 Naivety might be a source of joy in an artistic field but is not
the case in valued research efforts.
 You must know: What you are doing + Why you are doing it!
According Mikijanis and Thomas:
http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/guide/question.html>

 1. Do not use a problem in 3. Finding only a coefficient of

correlation between two sets of data
research as a ruse for to describe a relationship between
those data sets is not acceptable as
achieving self a problem for scholarly research
enlightenment. 4. A problem that leads to a question
that can be answered with “yes” or
 2. Do not look at a problem “no” is not suitable for formal,
whose only purpose is to scholarly research. “Determining if
stock options are beneficial for
compare two sets of data. employee morale,” is not a problem
(actually it is a proposed solution)
and is not appropriate for research,
since this statement leads to a binary
conclusion (either it is beneficial or
not).
Metaphors: A Problem Statement
is like…
metaphor -a novel or poetic linguistic expression where one or more
words for a concept are used outside normal conventional meaning
to express a similar concept. Aristotle
 The DNA of the research
 A snapshot of the research
 The foundation of the research
 The Heart of the research
 A “taste” of the research
 A blueprint for the study
Problem Statement
 In 200 words or less (about
1-2 paragraphs) you need to
convince the reader that this
study MUST be done! L
 Society, or one of its
institutions has some
pressing problem that needs
closer attention. You will
provide evidence that this
problem is serious and in
need of further investigation.
 You will convince the reader
that the problem can be
solved with the methodology
selected.
 The researcher (you) will
solve some part of this
serious problem in a unique
and clever way.
 You will explain what
specific methodology you
will use to solve the
problem.
 The reader will know that it
is important that this study
be done with the
methodology you have
chosen to solve it!
A Problem Statement Must Pass
ROC Test. Show the Study Is:
 Researchable - the problem can be answered by collecting
and analyzing data. (Doable)
 Original. • Has not been done previously and creates new
knowledge. • Can be a repetitive study with new
population/passage of time.
 Contributory. • Make a difference in profession. • In society.
Examples of General and Specific
Objectives
 Research Statement/Problem: “A research study designed to assess
the accessibility and acceptability of Voluntary Counselling and
Testing (VCT) Services for HIV infection in kebele X .”
 General Objectives:To identify factors that affects the acceptability of
VCT services and to assess community attitudes towards
comprehensive care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
 Specific Objectives:
1. To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the community
towards HIV/AIDS and VCT services.
2. To identify barriers and concerns related to VCT and its uptake .
3. To assess the awareness and perception of the study community
regarding comprehensive care and support for people living with
HIV/AIDS
3. Hypotheses and assumptions-Hypothesis is a conjectural statement of
relationships between 2 or more variables. These statements are based on existing
information and are tested experimentally or empirically. It is an educated guess that
is formulated and temporarily adopted to explain the observed facts covered by the
study.

Forms of hypothesis are:

Null Hypothesis (Ho) – means the independent variable does not affect the
dependent variable.
Alternative hypothesis (Research hypothesis) (Ha) – means that the independent
variable affects the dependent variable.

Assumption– is a reasonable but presently improbable factor. It is a mere guess. It is

presumed to be a true statement of facts related to the research problem.
Hypothesis
 The American Heritage dictionary defines a hypothesis as “a
tentative explanation for an observation,phenomenon, or
scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation.”
 This means a hypothesis is the stepping stone to a soon-to-
be proven theory.

Example:
Little Susie speculates, or hypothesizes, that the flowers she
waters with club soda will grow faster than flowers she waters
with plain water. She waters each plant daily for a month
(experiment) and proves her hypothesis true!

Statement of Hypothesis:
Flowers watered with club soda grow faster than flowers
watered with plain water.
Variables in Hypothesis
 First, we take a moment to define independent and dependent
variables.
An independent variable is the cause and the dependent
variable is the effect. The independent variable can be changed
whereas the dependent variable is what you’re watching for
change.

Example:
Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor’s visit.

*In this example, the independent variable is apple consumption

— the assumed cause. The dependent variable is the frequency
of doctor’s visits — the assumed effect.
How does the amount of makeup one applies affect how clear
their skin is?
*Here, the independent variable is makeup and the dependent
variable is the skin.
Developing a Good Hypothesis
 Writing a hypothesis begins with a research question
that you want to answer. The question should be
focused, specific, and researchable within the
constraints of your project.

Example:
Do students who attend more lectures get better exam results?
Do some preliminary research

 Your initial answer to the question should be based on

what is already known about the topic. Look for theories
and previous studies to help you form educated
assumptions about what your research will find.
 At this stage, you might construct a conceptual
framework to identify which variables you will study and
what you think the relationships are between them.
Formulate your hypothesis
 Now you should have some idea of what you expect to
find. Write your initial answer to the question in a clear,
concise sentence.
Example:
 Attending more lectures leads to better exam results.

 Refine your hypothesis

 You need to make sure your hypothesis is specific and

testable. There are various ways of phrasing a
hypothesis, but all the terms you use should have clear
definitions, and the hypothesis should contain:
 The relevant variables
 The specific group being studied
 The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis
Three ways to phrase a hypothesis
 To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in
if…then form. The first part of the sentence states the
independent variable and the second part states the
dependent variable.
 If a first-year student starts attending more lectures, then
their exam scoreswill improve.
 In academic research, hypotheses are more commonly
phrased in terms of correlationsor effects, where you directly
state the predicted relationship between variables.
 The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a
positive effecton their exam scores.
 If you are comparing two groups, the hypothesis can state
what difference you expect to find between them.
 First-year students who attended most lectures will have
better exam scores than those who attended few lectures.
Forms of Hypothesis
 Null Hypothesis (H0)

 Alternative Hypothesis (H1)

 Assumptions/Pridictions
Null Hypothesis (H0)
 Exists when a researcher believes there is no relationship
between the two variables (independent and dependent), or
there is lack of information to state a scientific hypothesis.
 There is something to attempt to disprove or discredit.

EXAMPLE:
*There is no statistically significant relationship between the
type of water I fed the flowers and growth of the flowers.

*There is no significant change in my health during the times

when I drink green tea only or root beer only.
Write a null hypothesis
 If your research involves statistical testing, you will also have
to write a null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is the default
position that there is no association between the variables.
The null hypothesis is written as H0, while the alternative
hypothesis is H1.
 H0: The number of lectures attended by first-year students
has no effect on their final exam scores.
H1: The number of lectures attended by first-year students
has a positive effect on their final exam scores.
Alternative Hypothesis (H1)
-means that the independent variable affects the dependent
variable.
 After the null hypothesis, this is where alternative hypothesis
enters the scene.
 In an attempt to disprove a null hypothesis, researchers will
seek to discover an alternative hypothesis.
 Inverse or opposite of null hypothesis

EXAMPLE:
Null: If one plant is fed by club soda for one month and another
plant is fed plain water, there will be no difference in growth
between two plants.
Alternative: If one plant if fed club soda for one month and
another plant is fed plain water, the plant that is fed club soda will
grow better than the plant that is fed plain water.

*My health improves during the times when I drink green tea only,
as opposed to root beer only.
Assumptions
 The Importance of Assumptions in a Thesis

One of the first and most important tasks when writing

a research is to decide what assumptions your readers
are likely to have. Research is built on assumptions,
which is why they are so important and necessary for
your study to be valid and credible. The research
problem itself cannot exist without assumptions
because those assumptions directly influence what
kind of inferences you can reasonably draw from your
research.
Assumptions/Predictions/simple
hypothesis
 – is a reasonable but presently improbable factor. It is a mere
guess. It is presumed to be a true statement of facts related
to the research problem.
 It is a prediction of the relationship between two variables.
EXAMPLE:
Drinking sugary drinks daily leads to obesity.