This study aims to develop a more accurate opinion mining model for analyzing social media data and decision-making by addressing problems related to perspectivism and uncertainty. It proposes integrating social network analysis and opinion mining within a unified framework that includes an uncertainty classifier to account for various types of environmental uncertainty. The goal is to generate results from opinion mining that more closely mimic human reasoning and avoid misleading conclusions due to social influence or an uncertain environment.

1. Research
Problem
Dr. Reem Essameldin

2. Location in the Research Process
- Formulating a research problem is the first step of the research process.
- You can’t solve an unknown problem.
- It guides your research work.
- Thus, a problem forms the basis of every study.
- If you formulate your study problem correctly, you will achieve better results
and the ultimate aim of your research. This lecture explains the process of
preparing a research problem.

3. If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 59 minutes
defining the problem and one minute finding a solution.
To go faster slow down.
“Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems
handily available, they will create their own problems” .
ScottAdams
………….
Albert
Einstein

4. What is a Research Problem?
● A research problem, in general, refers to some difficulty which a researcher experiences
in the context of either a theoretical or practical situation and wants to obtain a solution
for. It is a specific issue or concern that a researcher would like to investigate
● Thus, a research problem is one which requires a researcher to find out the best solution
by which cause of action the objective can be attained optimally in the context of a given
environment.
● It is important to define the research problem clearly, as it will provide guidance and
focus for the rest of the research project. The research problem should be something
that can be addressed through research, and it should be narrow enough to be
manageable. Once the research problem has been identified, the researcher can begin
to develop a research question, which will guide the rest of the project.

5. Components of a Research Problem
- There are three main components of a research problem:
- Topic
- There must be an individual or a group which has some difficulty or the problem.
- Research Topics: observations, behaviors, concepts, ..etc.
- Objective
- There must be some objective (s) to be attained at. If one wants nothing, one cannot have
a problem.
- Research question/Hypotheses
- There must remain some doubt in the mind of a researcher with a regard to the solution
of alternatives. This means that research must answer the questions concerning the
relative efficiency of the possible alternatives.

6. Your Research Problem …
Walliman (2001) suggests a list of features that one should follow and look for it in order
to obtain a research problem. This list concerns the following ideas:
• The research problem should be a great interest to you.
• The research problem should be significant.
• The research problem should be described.
• The researcher should be able to obtain the information required.
• The researcher should be able to draw conclusions related to the problem.
• The researcher should be able to state the problem clearly and briefly

7. Selecting a Research Problem
Singh referred to McShan who has proposed an objective guide for judging the merits of a problem.
A set of questions may be raised for this purpose. These are:
• Is the problem really important?
• Is the problem interesting to others?
• Is the chosen problem a real problem?
• Am I able to state hypotheses from the problem?
• Do I understand something new from this problem?
• Will I be able to select a sample from which I can target the population?
• Will my proposed data-gathering instruments actually give the information which I want?
• Is the study, including the application of its results, practical?

8. Characteristics of Good Topics
● Interesting – keeps the researchers interested throughout the research
process.
● Researchable – can be investigated through the collection and analysis of
data.
● Significant – contributes to the improvement and understanding of educational
theory and practice.
● Manageable – fits the level of researcher’s level of research skills, needed
resources, and time restrictions.
● Ethical – does not embarrass or harm participants.

9. Narrowing the Research Topic
● Idea
● Brainstorming
● Literature review
● Identifying the variables for study
● Formulate research problems and questions/hypotheses
● You need to have an inquisitive and imaginative mind.
● You need a questioning attitude.
● Wonder why?
Main Requirements

10. Defining a Problem
According to a number of research methodologies,
 a problem clearly stated is a problem half-solved.
 This means that there is a need for defining a research problem as an initial step in a research
process.
 Besides, it is usually recommended by research methodologists that the investigated problem
must be defined clearly to distinguish the relevant data from irrelevant data.
 A proper definition of a research problem will enable the researcher to be on the right track;
whereas, an ill-defined problem may create hurdles (Kothari, 1990).

11. The Purpose of Problem Statement
A problem statement in research seeks to achieve the following:
● Introduce the importance of the topic in the research proposal.
● Position the problem in an appropriate context.
● Provide a framework to analyze and report results.

12. Research Problem Statement
● A research problem statement is defined as an issue that needs to be
addressed.
● It is described as the gap in knowledge about a particular problem or issue.
● A functional research problem helps close the gap in knowledge in a field that
can lead to more research.
● An accurate statement to the problem helps you identify the motive of the
research work.

13. Characteristics of Problem Statement
A problem statement is a concise and concrete summary of the research problem
you seek to address. It should:
● Contextualize the problem.
○ What do we already know?
● Describe the exact issue your research will address.
○ What do we still need to know?
● Show the relevance of the problem.
○ Why do we need to know more about this?
● Set the objectives of the research.
○ What will you do to find out more?

14. Characteristics of Problem Statement
Step 1: Contextualize the problem
The problem statement should frame your research problem, giving some
background on what is already known. E.g.:
● Where and when does the problem arise?
● Who does the problem affect?
● What attempts have been made to solve the problem?
Voter turnout in the Southeast has been decreasing steadily over the past ten years, in contrast to other areas of the country. According to surveys
conducted by local nonprofits, turnout is lowest among those under 25 years of age. There have been some effective attempts at engaging these
groups in other regions, and in the last two elections, major parties increased their campaigning efforts. However, these interventions have yet to
haveanysignificanteffectonturnout.
Example

15. Characteristics of Problem Statement
Step 2: Show why it matters
● The problem statement should also address the relevance of the research.
Why is it important that the problem is addressed?
○ this doesn’t mean you have to do something groundbreaking or world-changing. It’s more
important that the problem is researchable, feasible, and clearly addresses a relevant issue in
your field.
● To make it clear why your research problem matters, you can ask yourself:
○ What will happen if the problem is not solved?
○ Who will feel the consequences?
○ Does the problem have wider relevance? Are similar issues found in other contexts?

16. Characteristics of Problem Statement
Step 2: Show why it matters
● To make it clear why your research problem matters, you can ask yourself:
○ What will happen if the problem is not solved?
○ Who will feel the consequences?
○ Does the problem have wider relevance? Are similar issues found in other contexts?
Low voter turnout has been shown to have negative associations with overall civic engagement. It is becoming an area of increasing concern in many
European democracies. When specific groups of citizens lack political representation, they arelikely to becomemore excludedover time, leading to an
erosion of trust in democratic institutions. Addressing this problem will have practical benefits for the Southeastern US as well, and will contribute
to understanding ofthiswidespread phenomenon.
Example

17. Characteristics of Problem Statement
Step 3: Set your aims and objectives
● Finally, the problem statement should frame how you intend to address the
problem. Your goal here should not be to find a conclusive solution, but rather to
propose more effective approaches to tackling or understanding it.
● The research aim is the overall purpose of your research. It is generally written in
the infinitive form:
○ The aim of this study is to determine…
○ This project aims to explore…
○ This research aims to investigate…
● The research objectives are the concrete steps you will take to achieve the aim:
○ Qualitative methods will be used to identify…
○ This work will use surveys to collect…
○ Using statistical analysis, the research will measure…

18. Characteristics of Problem Statement
Step 3: Set your aims and objectives
● Finally, the problem statement should frame how you intend to address the
problem. Your goal here should not be to find a conclusive solution, but rather
to propose more effective approaches to tackling or understanding it.
● The research aim is the overall purpose of your research. It is generally written
in the infinitive form:
○ The aim of this study is to determine…
○ This project aims to explore…
○ This research aims to investigate…
The aim of this research is to investigate effective engagement strategies to increase voter turnout in the Southeast. It will identify the most
significantfactorsin non-voting using surveysandinterviews, followedbyconducting experimentsto measurethe effectivenessofdifferentstrategies.
Example

19. Precautions are to be taken
The following precautions should be taken into consideration for identifying a
problem.
● The words used for defining a problem should have a single meaning.
● The statement of the problem must be brief but comprehensive.
● The assumptions are to be recognised for the study.
● The problem should have practical importance in the field.
● The definition or statement of the problem should have certain rationale.

20. Mistakes to Avoid
● Beware of circular reasoning. Don’t state that the research problem as simply the
absence of the thing you are suggesting. For example, if you propose, "The
problem in this community is that it has no hospital.“ This only leads to a research
problem where:
○ The need is for a hospital
○ The objective is to create a hospital
○ The method is to plan for building a hospital, and
○ The evaluation is to measure if there is a hospital or not.
● This is an example of a research problem that fails the "so what?" test because it
does not reveal the relevance of why you are investigating the problem of having
no hospital in the community [e.g., there's a hospital in the community ten miles
away] and because the research problem does not elucidate the significance of
why one should study the fact that no hospital exists in the community [e.g., that
hospital in the community ten miles away has no emergency room].

21. Mistakes to Avoid
● A research problem question is the most important aspect of the research. You
must spend time to refine and assess the research questions before getting
started with the research activities.
● A research question must be straightforward, to the point, focused, and
appropriately complex to capture the most relevant information.
● Follow these examples to write a problem statement:
Example
Incorrect: What are the effects of social media on people?
Correct: …?!

22. Example (1)
Incorrect: What are the effects of social media on people?
Correct: What effect does using Facebook everyday have on teenagers?
• In the above example, the first question is not specific enough to capture accurate feedback. Nobody knows what social media you’re
talking about and what ‘people’ you’re referring to.
Example (2)
Incorrect: What will help political parties address the issues of low voter turnout?
Correct: What communication strategies can political parties apply to increase the voter turnout
among people between the age of 25-30?
• Again, comparing both the statements, the second one is more direct and implies to only a specific group of people, thus collecting
actionable information.
Example (3)
Incorrect: Who has a better healthcare system? The US or the UK?
Correct: How do low-income earning people feel about the healthcare system, and how does the UK
and the US compare?
• The first question is comprehensive and does not draw a definite conclusion about the healthcare systems of both countries..

23. Exercise
One main incentive for the utilization of opinion mining (OM) in social media is the
impossibility of manually analyzing millions of opinions. However, applying OM for
decision-making requires imitating human brain reasoning for more pragmatic
results. Analyzing opinions in human-like intelligence is vital for avoiding
misleading results. This occurs when the process can properly excogitate social
influence and environmental uncertainty. This study attempts to overcome the
problems of perspectivism and uncertainty to provide more accurate OM results
from social media data that are suitable for any decision-making process. It
proposes an integrated model that adopts SNA and OM processes in a unified
framework using an uncertainty classifier to handle different types of
environmental uncertainty.