Chapter 2 focuses on formulating research problems and purposes in nursing research. It outlines learning objectives, discusses the identification and features of research topics and problems, and details the steps for problem formulation and criteria for selecting research problems. Furthermore, it differentiates between problem statements for quantitative and qualitative research and provides examples of purpose statements for each type.

1. Chapter 2
Formulating Research Problems
and Purpose
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2. ---Fekadu Aga--- 2
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this chapter the learner will be able
to:
• Describe research topic and research problem
• Identify sources of research problems
• Describe the features of problem statement
• Differentiate between the statements of purpose for
quantitative research and for qualitative research.

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Research topics
• Concepts or broad problem areas that researchers
can focus on for research.
• Contain numerous potential research problems
• Some examples of research topics are as follow:
✓Stress
✓Pain
✓Coping patterns
✓Self-care deficits
✓Health promotion
✓Rehabilitation
✓Prevention of
illness
✓Disease
management
✓Social support
✓Cost-effective care
✓Quality of life
✓Quality of care
✓Palliative care

4. Research problem
• A perplexing or troubling condition or an issue of
concern where there is a knowledge gap in a
particular topic area needed for nursing practice.
• Asking the following question can help to identify a
research problem:
➢What is wrong or is of concern in this situation?
➢What information do we need to improve this
situation?
➢Will a particular intervention work to improve this
situation?
➢What are the outcomes of the intervention?
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Sources of Research Problems
• Experience and clinical fieldwork
• Literature
• Social issues
• Theory
• Ideas from external sources, e.g., research
priorities put forward by Ministry of Health,
NGO, hospitals, nursing association, etc.

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Research Problem Formulation Steps
• Potential nursing research problems often emerge
from observation of real-world situations.
• The following steps can be implemented in
formulating a research problem:
1. Examine a real-world situation
• A situation is a significant combination of
circumstances that occur at a given time.
2. Identify research topics

7. 3. Generate questions
• The questions fit into one of these two categories:
a) None-researchable question:
✓ Questions answered by existing knowledge
✓ Questions answered by problem solving
b) Researchable question:
✓ Research-generating question  requires further
knowledge to answer
4. Clarify and refine a research problem
• Address factors need to be considered to decide
upon a research problem.
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8. Observation of real-world situation
(Nursing practice)
Identify research topics
Generate questions
Noneresearchabl
e question
Researchabl
e
Question
RESEARCH PROBLEM
Clarification & refinement
Input
from
others
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Review of
literature
RESEARCH PUPOSE
Objectives, Questions, or Hypothesis

9. Criteria for Research Problem Selection
• Before deciding on a research problem, each proposed
problem must be compared with all other options.
• Criteria for selecting a research problem
➢Relevance
➢Avoidance of duplication
➢Urgency of data needed (timeliness)
➢Significance of the study
➢Feasibility of the study
➢Applicability of results
➢Ethical acceptability
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10. Criteria --- Continued
1. Relevance
• The study you choose should be a priority problem.
• Question to be asked include:
➢ How large or widespread is the problem?
➢ Who is affected/
➢ How severe is the problem?
• If you do not consider a problem relevant, it not
worthwhile to continue rating it.  Drop it from your
list!
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11. ---Fekadu Aga--- 11
Criteria --- Continued
2. Avoidance of duplication
• Before you decide to carry out a study, find out
whether the suggested problem has been
investigated before
• If it has been researched, review the result to
explore whether major questions that deserve
further investigation remain unanswered  If not
choose another research problem!

12. Criteria --- Continued
3. Urgency of data needed (timeliness)
• Ask yourself question concerning the urgency of the
data needed  i.e., How urgently are the
results needed for making a decision or
developing interventions?
• Consider which research should be done first &
which can be done later.
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13. ---Fekadu Aga--- 13
Criteria --- Continued
4. Significance of the study
• Every health study should have significance for the
society & science
• The research problem is expected to have
significance for the society & science if:
Clients or health care professionals benefit from
the findings of the study
The findings of the study increase the body of
knowledge

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Criteria --- Continued
There is political acceptability of the study which
increases the likelihood of the implementation of
its findings  i.e., the study has the interest &
support of the local/national authorities
5. Feasibility of the study
• The researcher should consider the complexity of
the problem & make sure that the necessary
resources are available to actually be carried out
the study.

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Criteria --- Continued
• The feasibility of the study is determined by
examining the following:
➢Tim_ ]ommitm_nt  it is wise to allow
more time than seems to be needed because
unexpected delays usually occur.
➢Cost  can range from few Birr to hundreds of
thousands of Birr. Make realistic estimate of the
cost of your research project item-by-item, e.g.,
personnel, equipment, travel, etc. cost

16. ---Fekadu Aga--- 16
Criteria --- Continued
➢Equipm_nt [n^ Suppli_s  make an
accurate determination of the needed
equipment & supplies before making the final
decision to conduct a study.
➢@^ministr[tiv_ Support  make sure that
your superiors support your research efforts in
terms of time, money, equipment & supplies, &
psychological support.

17. Criteria --- Continued
➢P__r Support  one of the best ways to
determine a researchable problem is sharing the
idea with collegial peer.
➢@v[il[ility of Suj_]ts  thoughtfully
consider the type & number of subjects needed
for the study.
Sometimes potential subjects may not meet
the study criteria, may be unwilling to
participate, or may already be participating in
other studies.
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18. ---Fekadu Aga--- 18
Criteria --- Continued
6. Applicability of possible results
• Is it likely that the recommendations from
the study will be applied?
• This depends on the management capability
of the research team, political acceptability
of the study, & availability of resources for
implementation

19. ---Fekadu Aga--- 19
Criteria --- Continued
7. Ethical acceptability of the study
• Always consider the possibility that you may inflict
harm on others while carrying out research
• Review the ethical soundness of the your proposed
study by considering important ethical issues such
as:
➢ How acceptable is the research to those who will
be studied?
➢ Is the problem shared by target group &
healthcare staff/researchers?

20. ---Fekadu Aga--- 20
Criteria --- Continued
➢Can informed consent be obtained from the
research participants?
➢Will the conditions of the participants be taken
into account?  e.g., if individuals with treatment
need identified during the study, will this
treatment be given? What if such treatment
interferes with your study results?
➢Will the results be shared with those who are
being studied? Will it be helpful improve their
lives

21. Criteria --- Continued
• These criteria can be measured by using a nominal
group technique (NGT) and rating scale.
• NGT is a group discussion technique used to make
decision by obtaining group consensus with voting or
rating.
See the annexed rating scale as an example
• In addition to the above criteria a researcher need to
determine own personal motivation on the topic
area & qualification to carry out the study
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22. Problem statement
• A statement articulating the research problem and
indicating the specific gap in the knowledge & need a
study
• A problem statement should:
➢identify the nature, context, and significance of
problem being addressed
➢be broad enough to include central concerns
➢be narrow enough to serve as a guide to study
design
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23. ---Fekadu Aga--- 23
Problem Statement (PS) Criteria
• The important criteria for a research problem
statement is that it should be:
Written in Interrogative Sentence Form
• The use of a question format to state the research
problem is the clearest way to identify the problem
area of a study.
• When questions are asked, answers are sought.
• However, note that many problem statements in
the literature are written in the declarative form.

24. PS Criteria --- Continued
• Example of Problem Statement
Declarative form:
“Although ambulatory care is noted as being the
fastest growing site for care, there is little research on
the topic in general or as it relates to nursing. Some
research has been done on the effectiveness of
nursing care delivery models in intensive care units,
inpatient settings,
---Fekadu Aga--- 24
operating rooms, and psychiatric
setting,
yet
little
research has been done on the effectiveness of
nursing care delivery models in an ambulatory care
setting.”
Source: http://evolve.elsevier.com/Burns/practice

25. PS Criteria --- Continued
• The statement could be written as follow:
Interrogative form:
“Although ambulatory care is noted as being the
fastest growing site for care, there is little research on
the topic in general or as it relates to nursing. Some
research has been done on the effectiveness of
nursing care delivery models in intensive care units,
inpatient settings, operating rooms, and psychiatric
setting.” What nursing care delivery models are
effective in an ambulatory care setting?
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26. Statement of purpose
• A clear, concise statement of the overall goal or aim
of the study that generated from the research
problem.
• The purpose usually indicates the type of study
(quantitative, qualitative, outcomes, or intervention)
to be conducted.
• Statements of purpose for quantitative & qualitative
studies are worded differently.
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27. ---Fekadu Aga--- 27
Statements of Purpose for Quantitative
Studies
• Identify key study variables
• Identify possible relationships among
variables
• Indicate the population of interest
• Suggest, through use of verbs, the nature of
the inquiry (e.g., to test…, to compare…, to
evaluate…)

28. Example of Quantitative Study Statement of Purpose
Problem:
“Although ambulatory care is noted as being the fastest
growing site for care, there is little research on the topic in
general or as it relates to nursing. Some research has been
done on the effectiveness of nursing care delivery models in
intensive care units, inpatient settings, operating rooms, and
psychiatric setting.” What nursing care delivery models are
effective in an ambulatory care setting?
Purpose:
“The purpose of this study is to test the effect of a team
nursing care delivery model on nursing job satisfaction in an
ambulatory care setting at a pediatric academic institution.”
Source: http://evolve.elsevier.com/Burns/practice
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29. ---Fekadu Aga--- 29
Statements of Purpose for Qualitative
Studies
• Identify the central phenomenon
• Indicate the research tradition (e.g., grounded
theory, ethnography, phenomenology, etc.)
• Indicate the group, community, or setting of
interest
• Suggest, through use of verbs, the nature of
the inquiry (e.g., to describe…, to discover…,
to explore…)

30. Example of Qualitative Study Statement of Purpose
Problem:
»
… Between2
0
%and4
0
%of PLHIV/AIDSacknowledgenoncompliancewith their
medicationregimen(Chesney&Ickovis,1997;Hecht,Colfax,Swanson,&Chesney
,
1998).Whilediscouraging,thesefindingscanalsobeinterpreted to m
e
a
nthat 6
0
%
to 8
0
%of PLHIV/AIDS are taking their medications correctly
. W
hat can w
elearn
from persons w
h
oare taking their medications correctly? Within the community of
PLHIV/AIDS,therearerolemodelsofmedicationcompliance.Couldthe stories of
thesemodelsbecapturedandsharedwithpersonsw
h
ostrugglewith adherence?»
Purpose:
»
T
h
e purpose of this [phenomenological] study is to describe the medication
adherence experiences of persons with HIV/AIDS w
h
o have been taking
antiretrovirals foratleast6 m
o
n
t
h
s
»
Source: http://evolve.elsevier.com/Burns/practice
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