Research Problem: How to Make It Really Significant
All students have to handle various studies during their studies. Before tackling this task, it is essential to identify the research problem and only then write a paper. That it is such a problem or question that will determine your entire scientific process. They will be the main one for your experimental methods, will help to conduct both theoretical research and real experiments.
Why we can call the research problem so important? It is needed in order to narrow the research to a specific industry. It also shows how you are working on a hypothesis. The better your task, the more successful the study will be.
We offer a more detailed understanding of this issue and start with a definition.
Research problem definition
The research problem is a clear formulation of the field you have chosen, a challenge, complexity, a question that needs to be improved or an alarming aspect that exists in different formats: theory, literature or practice.
The research problem shows that it must be thoroughly and meaningfully investigated. However, it does not provide specific methods or steps. She rather claims to have an issue to be resolved. Many researchers formulate this problem as a question that needs to be answered. However, the question of the value of this problem does not arise.
This is why you need to formulate the problem of your research paper:
• This way you can show what your topic is important to readers. The audience focuses on these issues and problems, choosing studies to study;
• The wording will help you identify a more specific context for the study;
• Using a clear problem, you will get a structure explaining how you will conduct research and what results you will get.
Defining a research problem
After you have decided on a topic for your academic research, you need to set a clear task. Students do not always succeed the first time. Sometimes you have to spend a lot of time before you achieve a result and find the right questions.
Some topics may be too broad. For example, if you want to speak about essential social problems, such as human poverty, remember that it is not possible to delve deep into the question. After all, this topic is too broad. You need to present your research problem adequately and this will make your academic paper truly successful.
How to define a research problem?
To identify a research problem, you can use the following tips:
• Firstly, it is important to study material on the topic of work in the form of various review articles. You will get information about what was studied before you.
• Secondly, try to make a list of problems that have not been resolved previously or not fully understood. Carefully analyze them, weighing the pros and cons. Do not tackle the solution to the global comprehensive problem. It should reflect the answer to one question.
• Thirdly, try to ensure that the problem reflects the topic of research, and does not go beyond its scope. One of your important tasks is to determine the direction of work. Then you’ll find the proper way and follow it.
• Do not choose dead ends or the situations that are difficult to resolve. You must understand the essence of the problem, be interested in it, have sufficient information on it, and you should have at least two or three ways to solve it successfully in your head. In this case, your choice of the problem can be considered successful. You can safely start writing a term paper.
Lifehack for the student: the topic of the term paper can help to identify the research problem: you need to find in the topic what you need to remove/research/change. This will be the problem of research.
Key features of a research problem
So that you can achieve success in this matter, make sure that your research problems have the following characteristics:
• they address significant needs or issues;
• they are based not on hypothetical, but on factual information;
• they are relevant and manageable;
• they avoid useless answers; the hypothesis is significant and verifiable.
How to formulate a problem without difficulties
The earlier you formulate your research task, the sooner you will understand what your research goal is. This is a significant process that helps you control your paper and evaluate it correctly. We offer you 5 ways from professional authors that will help you set the task:
1. Indicate what goals you pursue;
2. View the context of your research;
3. Explore nature explore;
4. Determine which variables exist in this respect;
5. Think about whether there will be consequences from an alternative approach and which ones.
Let’s consider each of these points in more detail.
Indicate what goals you pursue
A clear wording that helps identify the objectives of the study will help you to carry out meaningful and effective work. It’s important that the wording is manageable and that the goals remain relevant to your research. After you prepare a thesis statement, it will also help the teacher evaluate the quality of your paper and the methods that you use to research and solve problems.
View the context of your research
To achieve real success with your project, you will have to make a lot of effort. A very important step is the identification and testing of all kinds of environmental variables. Why does this task matter? It will help you understand if you have enough information when the study is over. Identify variables that can directly or indirectly affect the work, and develop methods so that you can effectively control these variables.
Explore nature explore
Each study may have different tasks. Among them will be very simple and complex. Some of them will greatly affect the results of your project, while others will be completely unimportant. That is why you need to understand what the nature of these tasks is. Without them, you cannot work on truly effective solutions. Focus groups and other relevant details will help sort out a specific issue.
Determine which variables exist in this respect
Researches both scientific and social, as well as other species, often focus on developing a sequence of actions that repeat over time. What are the consequences of your project? This process should include:
• search for variables important for various solutions to your research problems;
• making decisions about the level at which you can control all the variables;
• search for functional relationships between found variables;
• choosing the most important values for your research.
While you are working on the problem statement, you need to write down all the potential approaches and variables of the relationship. Only after that, you will be able to analyze them and draw the necessary conclusions.
Think whether there will be consequences from an alternative approach and which ones
For each study, there are several different consequences that you would like to foresee. This is the basis of the goal of any experimental process.
Examples of research problems
Below you can find some examples of the correct formulation of the problem.
Topic: Different types of economics.
Problem: What are the benefits of different types of economies?
Topic: Market economy.
Problem: What are the levers of a market economy?
Topic: Principles of taxation.
Problem: Tax principles: What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Topic: Tax policy in Russia.
Problem: What are the weaknesses of tax policy in Russia?
Topic: Teaching styles.
Problem: What is the correct observance of teaching styles in elementary school?
How to check the quality of your research problem?
At the very beginning of your scientific process, you will need to formulate a problem. Use as many sources as possible for this: other studies and experiments, literature reviews, etc.
We have prepared for you a short checklist with questions that will help you understand whether you have identified the problem correctly. Then you’ll know if you can manage it appropriately.
• Does your problem allow several possible answers?
• Is your question testable, flexible, and open-ended?
• Do you have evidence to help solve problems?
• Can you break the problem down into several parts?
• Can it be called accurate and clear?
• Do you use too vague terms?
• Does your problem fit the scope of your research?
• Can you explain why your decisions are significant?
It is also important that your problem is not too philosophical or complex. It must be solvable. Otherwise, it simply will not make sense, as in your research.
To summarize: what should be the research problem?
Any research work begins with a question that attracts the attention of the audience. Most faculty members at a college or university offer several common topics, but you can narrow them down to consider more specifically. So you can raise a really important question that will resonate with people.
To succeed, you need to make your problem:
• Intriguing;
• Topical;
• Specific;
• Purposeful;
• Interesting.
Make sure that your question is relevant to the topic and meets the requirements set by your teachers. Choose a topic that will be of interest to you personally. It will be a great engine for your motivation. Also, check that the selected problem is not too wide. If so, consider specific periods, aspects, events.
Before you begin, try to access as many information materials as possible. This data can be both on the Internet and in libraries. Use proven databases, books, magazines and other sources that will help you take a fresh look at your research and determine which problem you want to study.
Also, you can always get expert help. Our professional authors will provide you with competent advice or ready-made paper. This will save you a ton of time and effort. Of course, you can follow our recommendations and determine the research problem yourself. This will be the best option for your training. But if you feel doubt, trust us and we will provide A-grade paper.
