CONSTRUCTING RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

FROM GAP SPOTTING TO

PROBLEMATIZATION
Reference: Alvesson, Mats and Sandberg, Jürgen (2013),
Constructing Research Questions, Sage Publications.
This session reviews and critically examine the nature of gap spotting in research and
proposes a more robust problematization approach. Essentially this is pertinent to Islamic
banking and finance where extant theoretical explicit or implicit assumptions need to be
examined based on various worldviews and paradigm for research design.

IBF 7711 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Prepared by Dr Syed Musa Alhabshi

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 1

 Context of Constructing and
Formulating Research Questions
• Prioritizing
• ‘The path of all knowledge leads through the question’ (Gadamer 1994 p.363)
• Priority for research questions is to provide basic direction and path in
knowledge development on choice of methodology and potential
contribution.
• Research Question?
• Say ‘a lot about a little’ rather than ‘a little about a lot’ (Silverman 2001 p. 5)
• Researchable within specified frameworks such as disciplinary, theoretical,
methodological or cultural.
• Awareness of paradigm and perspectives of the question as well as the
limiting assumptions.

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 2

 Context of Constructing and
Formulating Research Questions
• Typology
• Four main categories of research questions:
• Descriptive
• Comparative
• Explanatory
• Normative
• Descriptive (1st order Questions) generate knowledge (fundamentals) such as features(attributes), substance, function,
rationale.
• Comparative (2nd Order Questions) knowledge about relations among phenomenon such as concomitance, equivalence and
difference.
• Explanatory (3rd Order Questions) generate knowledge about the contingent relations between phenomenon and their
attributes such as correlation, conditionality and causality.
• Normative Questions produce knowledge on how something should be done.
• The 2nd Order and 3rd Order may rely on the 1st Order Questions. Hence it is essential to distinct the types of
questions.
• Research questions should be accompanied by purpose or objective statements which specify details and
precision of the broad (open) question (Creswell, 1998; White, 2009)

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 3

 Context of Constructing and
Formulating Research Questions
• Sources of Research Questions
• Society as source is critical
• Problematic issues
• Personal Experience
• Existing published studies and influential theory
• Sources to enable more creative and innovative solutions …
• Influential Factors
• Fashions and fads
• Research funding
• Peer researchers
• Specific knowledge interest
• Habermas (1972) highlights three forms of knowledge interest, namely, technical, practical-hermeneutic and emancipatory
knowledge interest.
• Technical = functionalist research such as cause and effect
• Practical-hermeneutic = interpretive scholarship
• Emancipatory = critical theory approaches

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 4

 Context of Constructing and
Formulating Research Questions
• Formulating Process of Research Questions is both directional and iterative

1. Domain or Subject Area

2. Topic
3. Problem Statement
4. Purpose

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 5

 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING:
Context of Research Questions formulation
• Based on your research topic:
• State your problem statement and research purpose
• Construct and propose your research questions.
• Identify the type of research questions.

• Is Islamic finance a specific knowledge interest?

• Suggest the form of specific knowledge interest.

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 6

 Classical Sociological Research
process
(Locke and Golden-Biddle’s Study
2007)
• When reviewing previous literature three textual strategies can be adopted:
• Synthesized coherence
• Researchers cite and draw connections between research (Ideas) work not cited together in an
under developed research area.
• Progressive coherence
• Researchers establish a context for contribution characterized by network of studies linked by
shared theoretical perspectives and methods.
• Non coherence
• Research led by disagreement or inconclusive argument.
• This is then followed by problematization
• Establish context for contribution as being deficient (inadequate or incommensurate)
in some way to open up ‘opportunities for advancing knowledge about topics of
investigative concern’.
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 Gap Spotting Typology
Basic Gap Spotting Modes Specific versions of basic gap spotting modes

• Confusion Spotting • Competing Explanations

• Neglect Spotting • Overlooked Area
• Under researched
• Lack of Empirical support
• Lacking a specific aspect
• Extending and complementing
• Application Spotting existing literature
Combination of Gap Spotting Modes may be useful at different stages in formulation of research questions

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 Gap Spotting and Theories
• Interesting theory is influential and involves re-examination of common held
assumptions (Davis, 1971, 1986,1999)
• Davis 12 possible ways to challenge underlying assumptions
• Characterization of a phenomenon (seven sub categories) where reality does not match
assumptions.
• Organization, composition, abstraction, generalization, stabilization, function and evaluation.
• Relation among multiple phenomenon (five different instances) when in reality in like
assumption correlation exist or otherwise.
• Co relation, co existence, co-variation, opposition and causation

Do gap spotting lead to interesting theories? Does it challenge or build on existing assumptions? Would
this be a novel theoretical perspective? Do researchers fill the gap or formulate a new theory to explain
the gap?

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 9

 Problematization Method and Research
Questions
… to truly evaluate and understand ideas behind ideas, we must have a point of comparison. We must
have some control with implicit ideas or they will not look like ideas. They will look like common sense
or truth or axioms rather than the points of view that they really are.(Slife and Williams, 1995:71)
Alternate Alternate
Theoretical Theoretical
Stance Literature Stance
Domain

Dialectical Interrogation
between home theoretical Alternate views are critical from different
stance with alternative context, culture, behaviour, method and could
stances be political, constructionist, post modernist
Home paradigms
Theoretical
Stance

Problematization Methodology enables us to illuminate and challenge those assumptions underlying

existing theories (including one’s own favourite theories) about a specific subject matter

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 Problematization Methodology
Aim is to generate Novel Research Questions through a dialectical interrogation of one’s
own familiar position, other stances, and the literature domain targeted for assumption
challenging

Typology of Assumptions for Problematization

In house: Root Metaphor: Paradigm: Ideology: Field:
Assumptions that exist Broader images of a Ontological, Political, moral, and Assumptions about a
within a specific school particular subject Epistemological and gender related specific subject that
of thought matter underlying a methodological assumptions are shared across
existing literature assumptions underlying existing different theoretical
underlying existing literature schools
literature

Principles for identifying and challenging assumptions

1. Identify a 2. Identify and 3. Evaluate 4. Develop 5. Relate 6. Evaluate
domain of articulate articulative alternative Assumptions to alternative
literature: assumptions: assumptions: assumptions: Audience: assumptions:
What main bodies of What major Are the identified What alternative How can one craft a Are the alternative
literature and key assumptions underlie assumptions worthy assumptions can be convincing message assumptions likely to
texts make up the the literature within to be challenged? developed? to the major generate a theory
domain? the identified audiences that hold that will be regarded
domain? the challenged as interesting by the
assumptions? audiences targeted?

Prepared by: Dr. Syed Musa Alhabshi 11

SHUKRAN

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