Identification of Research Problems

1. UNIT – 2
Identification and delimitation of
research problems

2. Contents
• Research topic selection
• Identification and prioritization of research problem
• Writing study background and problem statement

3. Research Process

4. Research Topic
• The first step and one of the most important requirements
of the research process is to delineate the research study
area clearly and state the problem concisely.
• Research on any topic should, ultimately, be directed to
bring changes towards health of the population;

5. Whether a problem situation requires research
depends on three conditions:
1. There should be a perceived difference or discrepancy
between what exists and the ideal or planned situation;
2. The reason(s) for this difference should be unclear (so that it
makes sense to develop research questions); and
3. There should be more than one possible answer to a question
or more than one solution to the problem.

6. Cont …
The sources for generating appropriate research
question/problems may be;
• Personal experiences
• Literature sources
• Existing theories and
• Previous researches.
A good title;
• short, accurate, and concise
• make the central objectives of the study clear to the reader
• specify what population will be investigated, and where it will be
conducted

7. Criteria for selecting a research topic
1. Relevance: What is the magnitude of the problem? Who is
affected? How severe is the problem? Who perceives the problem?
2. Avoidance of duplication: not been investigated before
3. Urgency of data needed: for decision or intervention
4. Feasibility of study: affordability (resources/money), access
5. Applicability of results:
6. Ethical acceptability: consent, cultural sensitivity
7. Political acceptability of study: support authorities

8. Criteria for prioritization and selection of research topic
Rating scale: 1=low, 2=medium, 3=high
*The topic with highest ranking should be selected for the research.

9. Writing the background
• Background should begin with defining a topic and audience.
• It is important that you identify which topic you need to review and what
your audience already knows about the topic.
• It is helpful to use one of the research paper management systems such as
Papers, Mendeley, Evernote, or Sente.
• Be careful when copying quotes verbatim and make sure to put them in
quotation marks and cite the sources.
• Aside from these, your background should be critical, consistent, and
logically structured.
• The background of the study is the key to introduce your audience to your
research topic

10. Problem Statement
• A problem statement is an explanation in research that
describes the issue that is in need of study.
• It is expected to be brief and concise, and should not
include the findings of the research or detailed data.
• The average length of a research statement is generally about one
page.
• It is going to define the problem, which can be thought of as a gap
in the information base.

11. Problem Statement …
• The purpose of the problem statement is to identify the
issue that is a concern and focus it in a way that allows it to
be studied in a systematic way.
• It defines the problem and proposes a way to research a
solution, or
• Demonstrates why further information is needed in order for a
solution to become possible.

12. What is Included in a Problem Statement?
Besides identifying the gap of understanding or the weakness of
necessary data, it is important to explain the significance of this lack.
• How will your research contribute to the existing knowledge base in
your field of study?
• How is it significant?
• Why does it matter?

13. How to write a problem statement in research?
The problem statement should not drag on needlessly. Despite the absence of a
fixed format, a good research problem statement usually consists of three main
parts:
• Context: describes an ideal scenario that could exist in the absence of the
problem. It also includes any past attempts and shortcomings at solving the
problem.
• Significance: This section defines how the problem prevents the ideal
scenario from being achieved,
• Solution: This section describes the aim and objectives of your research, and
your solution to overcome the problem.

14. Thank You