How do you formulate a research problem?

The formulation of one research problem can be a complicated and tedious process, even for an experienced researcher. Therefore, this article explains how to accomplish this tedious task as part of research work.

Remember that the problem statement is the basis of every market research study or project. Without a clear statement about the subject of the study, the project can get lost in a sea of ​​ideas and move far away from its original hypothesis.

What is a research problem?

A research problem is a question or series of questions asked for the purpose of obtaining information and insight about a specific topic. It is the starting point for any market research or investigation as it clearly defines what you want to learn or understand.

A research problem should be:

• Clear and specific: It should be well defined and clear. It should specify exactly what information you are trying to obtain.
• Relevant: It should relate to a specific goal or need of the company or organization. It should answer a challenge or an important question.
• Data-based: She should go through Research methods accessible that enable the collection of relevant and reliable data.
• Contextual: It should take into account the current context and circumstances of the market or industry in question.

Why is it important to define a research problem?

Defining a research problem is a crucial step in any study as it provides a number of advantages that are fundamental to the effective planning and implementation of research. Below are some reasons why it is important to define a research problem:

• Focus and Clarity: Clearly defining the research problem creates a specific framework that helps researchers focus on specific aspects of the topic at hand. This avoids wasting efforts and resources in irrelevant areas.
• Orientation: A clearly defined research problem provides a clear direction for the research. It serves as a guide for data collection and decision making throughout the research process.
• relevance: It helps ensure that research addresses topics that are important and relevant to the organization or community. Unnecessary or uninformative research is avoided.
• Efficiency: Problem delineation helps avoid collecting excessive or irrelevant information, saving time and resources. Researchers can focus on obtaining accurate and useful data.
• Appropriate research design: A clear and well-defined research problem enables the choice of appropriate research methods. This ensures that tools and approaches are used that are suitable for answering the questions asked.
• Effective communication: It facilitates communication between members of the research team and with other stakeholders. Everyone will clearly understand the purpose of the research work.
• Evaluation of the results: Once the research is complete, a delineated research problem allows for a more accurate assessment of the results and findings. They can be compared to the original goals to see if they have been achieved.
• Informed decision making: The results of well-defined research are more useful for decision-making because they provide specific and relevant information that can be used to solve problems or exploit opportunities.

Types of research problems

There are different types of research problems that can be addressed depending on the objectives and focus of the research. The most common types of research problems include:

• Descriptive questions: These questions are about describing a specific situation, a phenomenon or a characteristic. For example: “What is the demographic profile of our current customers?”
• Exploring: These questions are about gaining an initial, deeper understanding of a question or problem. Example: “What are the emerging trends in the fashion industry?
• Explanatory or causal questions: These questions are about determining cause-and-effect relationships between variables. For example: “How does online advertising affect the sales of our product?
• Comparative: These problems involve comparing two or more variables, groups, or situations. For example: “What preference do consumers have between our product A and our competitor’s product B?
• Predictive: These problems involve predicting future events or trends. For example: “What will be the demand for our product next quarter?”
• Evaluative or evaluative: These problems involve assessing the impact of a measure or intervention. For example: “How has the introduction of a new customer loyalty program affected customer satisfaction?”
• longitudinal: These questions involve tracking variables over time to identify trends or changes over time. For example: “How has the perception of our company’s brand evolved over the last five years?”
• Product design or product development: These problems focus on creating or improving products or services. For example: “How can we design more attractive packaging for our product?
• Market segmentation: These problems involve dividing the market into smaller, homogeneous groups to better understand the needs of each segment. For example: “What are the main market segments for our product and how do they differ from each other?”

How do you define a research problem?

Several researchers have proposed methods, or rather formulas, that can facilitate and narrow the research problem. Note that these may vary from author to author, but there are five basic steps to remember when getting started. In the end, you will realize and understand that the problem statement defines, drives, and makes sense in the development of a research paper.

The procedure for creating the problem statement looks like this:

1. Identify the problem you want to investigate.

To identify the problem to be studied, there must be a topic that arouses the researcher's interest, arising from the unknowns or questions that you want to know.

We recommend that you delve into the topics that you know more about or that you like, you will see that it is not as complicated as it seems.

2. Delimit the object in spatial-geographical space.

Spatial-geographical delineation is necessary because it will help you focus your research on a specific space or geographical location. Talking about elephants in Africa is not the same as talking about elephants in India. Conditions and characteristics change from place to place, limiting your research.

3. Define the temporal space.

Timing plays an important role because it determines the time space in which you will conduct your research. The function is very similar to the previous step.

4. Define and investigate the problem.

Before we get to the last step, it is necessary to give a brief overview of the background of the topic, theories or trends. This is to understand the topic a little better and prepare for the final step.

5. Problem formulation

At this point we can assume that you have understood the topic! You can formulate the research problem in the form of a question, for example: What factors influence the academic performance of first semester medical students at the Autonomous University of Mexico in the period 2010 - 2015?

Find out more about what a Problem at a hunt.

Example of a research problem

If e.g. For example, if a food company is facing a decline in sales of one of its products, the research problem might be: “What are the reasons for the decline in sales of our product X last year?”

This specific problem could lead to investigations that include consumer surveys, sales data analysis, competitor evaluation, and other methods to determine possible causes of the problem.

Another example would be: Suppose a technology company is interested in launching a new product for wearable devices (like smartwatches). The research problem could be:

“What is consumer interest and preference in what features and functions they want in a smartwatch in today’s market?”

This research problem would be the starting point to better understand consumers' needs and expectations of smartwatches. To this end, the Company may conduct surveys, focus groups, market trend analysis, and competitor product reviews. The information collected would help the company develop a product that meets market preferences and has a better chance of being successfully launched.

This is a market research case study that you can use as a reference. Good luck with your project!

Conclusion

The research problem is the basis of any scientific process, something that needs to be explained. To define it and design a market research process, it must be clear, concrete and delimit the space in which it is developed.

The delineation of a research problem plays a fundamental role in the success of any study. By defining exactly what you want to study, you create a solid foundation that guides researchers toward obtaining relevant and valuable data. This delineation not only provides clarity and focus, but also ensures efficient resource allocation and informed decisions.

So if you have already defined your research problem and are looking for tools to help you carry out your project, QuestionPro can help you. Check out our Research Suite and find what you need to get your next research project off the ground. Get started by creating a free account for our survey software or request a demo of our advanced features.

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KEYWORDS OF THIS BLOG POST

Research problem | Research | Problem