problemstatementofresearch-210805034823 (1).pptx

PROBLEM STATEMENT
OF RESEARCH
PREPAREDBY
RICHARDOPOKUASARE
MPhil, M.Ed (Coursework), B.Ed(Hons), Dip (RMN),Cert.Ed, RN

The Basics of Writing a Statement
of the Problem for your Research
Proposal
asareor@yahoo.com © 2021 2
 Statement of the Problem

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Introductio
n
•Research is a systematic investigative process
employed to increase or revise current
knowledge by discovering new facts. It can be
divided into two general categories:
1) Basic research, which is inquiry
aimed at increasing scientific knowledge,
and
2) Applied research, which is effort aimed at
using basic research for solving problems or
developing new processes, products, or
techniques.

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•The first and most important step in any
research is to identify and delineate the
research problem: that is, what the
researcher wants to solve and what
questions he/she wishes to answer.
•In other words, Identification of
research problem leads in conducting
a research.

•From these general descriptions we can deduce
that research is used to:
1) Establish or confirm facts,
2) Reaffirm the results of previous research
work,
3) Solve new or existing problems,
4) Support theorems, or develop new theories,
5) Expansion on past work in the field,
6) Test the validity of instruments,
procedures, or experiments, and/or,
7) Replicate elements of prior projects, or the
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Definition of Research
Problem
• A research problem may be defined as an area of
concern, a gap in the existing knowledge, or a
deviation in the norm or standard that points to the
need for further understanding and investigation
(Bwisa, 2018).
• Although many problems turn out to have several
solutions (the means to close the gap or correct
the deviation), difficulties arise where such means
are either not obvious or are not immediately
available. This then necessitates some research
to reach a viable solution.

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What is a Research Problem?
•It is the topic we would like to address,
investigate, or study, whether descriptively
or experimentally.
•It is the focus or reason for engaging in
our research.
•It is typically a topic, phenomenon, or
challenge that we are interested in and with
which we are at least somewhat familiar
with its applications.

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Sources of Research
Problem
Potential sources of research problems
include:
•School library (reading through literature
or archival material)
•Community (consultations or
narrations or public participation
processes)
•Own experiences (observations)
•Classroom lectures (narration and

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•Seminars/workshops/paper presentations
(narrations, disputations, argumentation)
•Internet (narrations or observations)
•Research reports and term papers
(investigations)
• Theory of one’s own interest
•Daily problems
•Technological changes
•Unexplored areas
•Discussions with other people

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Guidelines for Selecting a Research
Problem
1) The research problem should be such (or one) in which
researcher may be deeply interested.
2) The research problem should be focused in the sense of
being related to the researcher’s overall logic. A diffuse
and unfocused problem reduces the efficiency of the effort
put in a research project.
3) The problem selected should not necessarily be a new
one. It may be old problem or one on which work has
already been done.
4) The problem should be within meaningful limits, i.e., it
should not be too comprehensive.

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Considerations in Selecting a Research
Problem
1. Interest: a research endeavor is usually time
consuming, and involves hard work and possibly
unforeseen problems. One should select topic of great
interest to sustain the required motivation.
2. Magnitude: It is extremely important to select a topic
that you can manage within the time and resources at
your disposal. Narrow the topic down to something
manageable, specific and clear.
3. Level of expertise: Make sure that you have an
adequate level of expertise for the task you are
proposing since you need to do the work yourself.

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4. Relevance: Ensure that your study adds
to the existing body of knowledge,
bridges current gaps and is useful in
policy formulation. This will help you to
sustain interest in the study.
5. Availability of data: Before finalizing the
topic, make sure that data are
available.
6. Ethical issues: How ethical issues can
affect the study and how ethical problems
can be overcome should be thoroughly

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Criteria of a Good Research
Problem
1) Novelty: It should be original. It should not involve
duplication of prior research.
2) Interest: The problem should be interesting for the
researcher and their team.
3) Importance: If the research is not worthwhile, if neither adds
to knowledge nor leads to any improvements in the current
practices then it should not be done.
4) Immediate Application: The investigator should ask
himself the question, will my research help in solving an
urgent or practical problem.
5) Feasibility or Amenability: Feasibility in research
includes the following:

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a) Availability of data required for a meaningful
research.
b) Potential of cooperation from participants
and relevant institutions.
c) Availability of expertise and guidance in the
field of research.
d) Availability of requisite research facilitates
and instruments.
e) Experience and creativity of the researcher or
research team.
f) Coverage or scope of the research and
confidence of the researcher in embarking on

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What is the Statement of the
Problem?
•A statement of the problem is used in
research work as a claim that outlines
(or points to) the problem addressed
by a study.
•The statement of the problem briefly
addresses the question: What is the
problem that the research will
address?

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What are the Goals of a Statement of
the Problem?
•The ultimate goal of a statement of the
problem is to transform a generalized
problem (something that bothers you; a
perceived lack) into a targeted, well-
defined problem; one that can be
resolved through focused research and
careful decision- making.

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•Writing a statement of the problem should
help you clearly identify the purpose of the
research project you will propose.
•Often, the statement of the problem will also
serve as the basis for the introductory
section of your final proposal (i.e., research
project),
directing your reader’s attention quickly to
the issues that your proposed project will
address
and providing the reader with a

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•A statement of problem need not
be long and elaborate: one page
is
mor
e than enough for a good
statement of problem.

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What are the Key Characteristics
of a Statement of the
Problem?
A good research problem should have
the following characteristics:
1.It should address a gap in
knowledge.
2. It should be significant
enough to contribute to the

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3. It should lead to further research.
4. The problem should render itself to
investigation through collection of
data.
5. It should be of interest to the
researcher and suit his/her skills,
time, and resources.
6. The approach towards solving
the problem should be ethical.

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What is the Format for Writing a
Statement of the Problem?
•A persuasive statement of
problem is usually written in
three parts:

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Part A (The Ideal):
Statement 1
•It describes a desired goal or
ideal situation;
•It explains how things should
be.

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Part B (The Reality):
Statement 2
•It describes a condition that
prevents the goal, state, or value in
Part A from being achieved or
realized at this time;
•It explains how the current situation
falls short of the goal or ideal.

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Part C (The Consequences):
Statement 3
•It identifies the way you propose to
improve the current situation and
move it closer to the goal or ideal.

EXAMPLES OF STATEMENT OFTHE
PROBLEM
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STATEMEN
T 1
•The Ministry of Youth and Sports is
dedicated to allocating funds to both
the GFA and NSC. These funds are
made available in order to start
ventures that create and expand
employment. (Provide relevant
statistics and quote)

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STATEMENT 2
•One of the main focuses of the ministry is
consistency. Unfortunately, consistency in
allocating funds to the next generation of
recipients requires prior knowledge of
previous allocations and established
practices. The current continuous
disbursement method does not allow for
adequate analysis of previous
disbursements before a current
disbursement is done.

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STATEMEN
T 3
•Continuing with this current disbursement
method prevents consistency and causes
decisions to become grossly political,
which in turn inhibits the achievement of
the goals of the funds. Developing a more
informed disbursement system could help
better implement the consistency focus of
the ministry and at the same time help the
ministry better monitor and evaluate its
funds.

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STATEMENT 3 –
cont’d
•This proposed research aspires to
explore options for a new funds
disbursement system that would
focus on consistency. To do this,
the researcher will carry out a full
stakeholder analysis and use it to
propose appropriate policy
interventions.

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OTHER
EXAMPLES - 1
• Nyame and Biritwum (1997) reported that literate adults
in urban population of Ghana are ignorant of the cause
of epilepsy. On a recent field survey (October 3, 2016
to November 11, 2016) by the researcher to the Asutifi
North District Health Directorate in Brong Ahafo
Region of Ghana, it was observed that among the
top 10 diseases in the district, epilepsy was not
captured. This could partly be due to the fact that
epileptic cases are either reported to Saint Elizabeth
Hospital, Hwidiem at the Asutifi South District, under
reported to the health centres of the health directorate,
or there are no community psychiatric nurses in the
Asutifi North District to attend to these individuals.

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• Data gathered from the GHS District Health
Information Management System (DHIMS) indicated
that the Brong Ahafo Region had recorded 17,666 for
cases of epilepsy in 2012, with 104 cases of epilepsy
for Asutifi South District, but none for the Asutifi North.
In 2013, there was a rise in reported cases of the
condition up to 1,888, but a slight decline in Asutifi
South with reported cases being 100. However, the
Asutifi North Health Directorate recorded no figures. In
2014 and 2015, the number of reported cases
increased to 3,166 and 3,495 respectively, whilst the
Asutifi South recorded 128 and 125 within the same
period, but none for the Asutifi North Health
Directorate.

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• However, there was a sharp fall in the reported cases of
epilepsy in the Region with a figure of 1,377, with the
Asutifi North Health Directorate recording 10 cases from
January to June, 2016, and in the same duration Asutifi
South recorded 33 cases (GHS, 2016).
• Though efforts to improve care of people living with
epilepsy are a major concern, little has been done
to identify the extent of the subjective knowledge,
attitude and practice among nurses. This research
therefore seeks to study the knowledge, the attitude
and the practice regarding epilepsy among the
nurses in the Asutifi North District.

OTHER
EXAMPLES - 2
• Adolescence is a period of central physical and
cognitive development. The U.S. National Library
of Medicine states that adolescents are capable of
understanding conceptual ideas, establishing
relationships by learning to share the confidence,
having a sense of purpose in life, and increasing
independence (Mannheim, 2011). Adolescents are
easily predisposed by external factors that
predispose them to engage in risky behaviors
because they are searching for a sense of self. In
modern societies, the frequency of adolescents
using drugs and alcohol is alarmingly high.
Adolescents abuse substances as a way to avoid 33

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• Regardless of Ghana’s present strict laws that support
severe punishment meted on users of marijuana and
prescribed use of opioids such as tramadol in the
country, available evidence suggests that drug
use is on the ascendency in the country (UNODC,
2017). Tramadol is meant to be used under a
doctor’s monitoring and supervision.
Nevertheless, attempts to subject the drug to
constant use unsteadily leads to addiction which can
result in death in some situations. Moreover, the
thought of good feeling that leads to abuse and
misuse of tramadol can lead to long term adverse
consequences such as weakness, sleepiness,
insomnia, panic attacks and other symptoms of opioid

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•In effect overdose of tramadol and abuse of
marijuana may lead to difficulty in breathing,
mental health issues and mortalities. Tramadol
abuse liability is underrated and the evidence of
abuse and dependence is fast developing
(Bassiony et al., 2015a).
•Drug operators are found all over the 275
administrative districts in all 16 regions of Ghana,
and with this about 35,000 are students from
junior/senior high schools and tertiary institutions
between ages 12 and 35 while the 15,000 are
adults, with 6,000 females and 9,000 being males
(Ghana Web, 2015).

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•. It has many detrimental health and social
consequences especially among the youth and it
is disheartening to know that more than 50,000
Ghanaian youth engage in tramadol abuse and
out of this, the five regions or sectors of the
North are leading in terms of numbers
(Peacefmonline.com, 2014) .
•This makes the study area culpable with a
young population of 48.8 percent aged 19 years
or less (Ghana Statistical Service, 2014) and
could easily fall prey to drug users and
peddlers.

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•However, very little empirical research has
investigated the use of some substances such
as marijuana and tramadol in the five Northern
sectors of Ghana, especially in the Sagnarigu
Municipality in the Northern Region.
•This research, therefore, seeks out to
investigate the knowledge and attitudes of junior
high school adolescents towards marijuana and
tramadol abuse, thus factors that initiate usage
of such substances, and their perceptions on
the health effects of substance abuse.

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SUMMARY
•Research problems are questions that
indicate gaps in the scope or the certainty
of our knowledge.
•They point either to problematic phenomena,
observed events that are puzzling in terms of
our currently accepted ideas, or to
problematic theories, current ideas that are
challenged by new hypotheses.

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SUMMARY –
cont’d
• A statement of the problem is used in research work
as a claim that outlines the problem addressed
by the study.
• A good research problem should address an existing
gap in knowledge in the field and lead to further
research.
• To write a persuasive problem statement, you
need to describe
a) The ideal,
b) The reality, and
c) The consequences.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• Bwisa, H. (May 15, 2018). The basics of writing a statement of the problem for your
research proposal. Available at https://www.editage.com/insights/the-basics-of-
writing-a-statement- of-the-problem-for-your-research-proposal.
doi: https://doi.org/10.34193/EI-A-5275
• Asare, R. O. (2019). Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding epilepsy among
nurses in Asutifi North District. Available at
https://www.udsspace.uds.edu.gh/handle/123456789/2277?mode=simple
• Jomo Kenyatta University. (2016/17). ABP 3101 – Research Methods 1. Kenya: Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
• Brickman, Leonard., & Debra J. Roy (Eds). (1998). Handbook of applied social
research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
THANK
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