Defining Research Problem

What is a research problem?

Research problem definition:

A research problem is defined as
an area of concern that requires a meaningful understanding of a
specific topic, a condition, a contradiction, or a difficulty.

So what is research problem?

A research problem means
finding answers to questions or strengthening existing findings to
bridge the knowledge gap to solve problems.
What is the purpose of a Research 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.

Characteristics of a research problem

Make sure to fulfill these essential characteristics to have an

effective research problem.

Due to the variety of research we conduct,

it is not possible to inculcate all these characteristics.

However, ensure to consider and cover most of these characteristics

to enable people to look at, examine, and understand the
marketing research problem.
1: Covers the essential needs or issues:

• researcher must have a specific problem statement in research.

• Unless you don’t address the crucial issues,
• the research will not carry much weightage.
• End up WITH wasting time and money
• if these issues are not of high importance.
• Ensure you do not miss out on the more critical needs and
concerns to get your marketing strategies right.
2: The problem is stated logically and clearly:

• If you can’t state the problem logically or clearly in the research

proposal,
• the problem likely is a weak one or probably a non-problem.
• To test this,
• consolidate the specific problem into a paragraph
• ensure it makes sense and covers all the crucial points.
• Share the problem with others
• if this is not understood by even few,
• consider a more logical approach to specify the issue or
problem.
3: Research is based on actual facts and evidence (non-hypothetical):

•There is a difference between beliefs and facts.

• Keep fiction out of this.

• Research must be based on actual facts and not beliefs.

• Hypothetical events will not do the research any good.

• You can’t consider the findings of the research true or accurate if you
don’t base it on facts and evidence.
4: Research problem generates and encourages research
questions:

• research must create multiple questions

• These questions should be more specific to the research that

highlights different components or aspects of the problem.
• These questions must assist in addressing the issue better,
providing a robust framework for the research. Formulating such
questions is the challenge that needs to be addressed correctly.
5: It fits the budget and time frame:

• Ensure that the research activity is doable within the budget and
time frame.
• Consider the logistical factors to ensure successful research.
• Losing out on the research due to the lack of money and
manpower to complete it within a specified timeframe will be
a waste of time.
• Pursue only the problems that are feasible.
6: Sufficient data can be obtained:

• Research is based on facts and findings and there must be

multiple cases or findings to prove the research.

• A research that is based on limited data

• will do no good to test a theory or satisfy it.
• If data is unavailable to do research,
• it does not make sense to go ahead with the research.
7: The problem has an unsatisfactory answer or is a new
problem:

• Ensure that there exists very little or no research on the topic.

• If the problem already has an existing answer to the problem,
• and this answer is tried and tested,
• it’s probably best to move on and not waste time finding
what has already been found extensively.
Research problem statement
What is research problem statement?
• A research problem statement is defined
• 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 project.
Characteristics of a research problem statement

Here are the characteristics of a research problem statement:

• It must address the gap in knowledge.
• It must be significant to the extent that it contributes
positively to the research
• It must help in further research
• With the data collected, you must understand the problem
clearly
• It must be in the researcher’s interest should and suit
his/her time, knowledge, skills, and resources
• The problem-solving approach must be ethical
• Customary research methods can be applied
 Components of a research problem
A research problem has the following components:

1.Research consumer:
Group/s of individuals
have difficulty or face a problem.
• researchers may be part of it
• All who face problem but not included in research form research
consumers.

2. Research-consumer’s objective:
research consumer must face a problem or should need an issue to be
addressed.
If there is no problem, there can be no basis for conducting research.
3. Alternative means to meet the objective:
• Always have a ‘Plan B’ when you address a marketing research problem.
• researcher must have at least two means or courses of action to fulfill the research objective.
• absence of choice or an alternative means to fulfill the research objective,
• the researcher cannot have a problem.

4. Doubts in the selection of alternatives:

• Having an alternative means to meet the objective is just one part of the problem.
• Both the means should be such that the researcher has doubts about which is the better approach
out of the two.
• This truly makes the research more reliable.

5. There must be more than one environ­ment:

• It is imperative that the problem exists in more than one environment.
• change in the environmental factors mitigates the problem.
• A researcher may be doubtful about the most efficient means in the environment ‘A’, but may not
be so doubtful about the environment ‘B’.
Identify the broad research area:
Begin your research by identifying a broad research area based on your
interest, specialty, profession, expertise, and knowledge.

This area must possess some kind of significance regarding your knowledge interest
and specialty.

For example, a researcher studying sports education can select areas like football,
soccer, hockey, and baseball.

These are the broader areas that can be further subdivided into various research
topics to figure out marketing strategies.
Divide the broad area into sub-areas:

After you choose a broad area to study,

drill down to a specific topic that is manageable and researchable.
To do this, break down the broad area into sub-areas and choose a specific topic.
For example,
if your broad area is soccer, it can be further divided into the following
subcategories:
1. Profile of soccer players
2. Profile of soccer clubs
3. Level of soccer clubs
4. Impact of the club on the city
5. Revenue generating areas
6. Sponsors of the soccer clubs
1.money constraints.
Thus, choose one sub-area of interest and

one that is manageable and feasible for you.

The area you select must have some research significance and must be significant to
your research knowledge.
2. Formulate research questions:
• After you choose a specific sub-area,
• think about the areas you must explore and research about.
• Start noting down important questions that you deem important for the research
study.
• Many questions may arise but narrow down and choose the most important and
impactful questions.

• The length of the research depends on the number of questions you formulate.
Choose the questions, depending on the expected length of your research.
3. Set research objectives:

You must draw a plan about the objectives of the research that you need to explore.

objectives of research study help to identify the research questions.

difference between the research question and the research objective.

The difference is the way they are written.

Research questions generally consist of an interrogative tone.

research objectives are aim-oriented.

They include terms like to examine, to investigate, to explore, and to find out.
Research problem statement example

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.
Having difficulty writing research problems?

• Follow these examples to write a problem statement:

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.
The third example of how to write a problem statement is:

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?
Top seven benefits of using a robust research software
Here are the benefits of using a robust research software tool
1.Powerful and efficient market research: You can collect actionable data from market research
hat aids in making accurate decisions.
2.Professional grade: Professional grade tools come with a host of survey features and questions
hat helps you probe your audience in detail.
3.Powerful survey logic: Data accuracy is vital to make decisions – both big and small. A good
esearch design with powerful survey logic like branching and skip logic helps you pose the right
questions to the right audience.
4.Collect unbiased data: Data, if biased, will lead to failure in decision making. It is necessary to
capture unbiased data to make efficient decisions.
5.Data analysis: Why spend time manually analyzing data when you can automate the process from
within the tool? A good survey platform provides for accurate data analysis that helps in decision
making.
6.Advanced analysis techniques: Take your research a step forward with a powerful suite of
echniques like maxdiff analysis, conjoint analysis, TURF analysis, and heatmap analysis.
7.Uncover brand insights: Acquire insights that your brand needs to excel in. Gather honest
eedback that will help you drive your business to the next level.
Advantages of formulating a research problem
Here are the advantages of formulating a research problem:
•Understanding the research procedure: Writing research problems helps in
understanding the research procedure in a better way. Many researchers think that
formulating a research problem is simple, but that is not true. The researcher needs to put
a lot of effort to create a specific problem and then understand the research procedure.
•Determining the research objective: A research problem helps to understand the
intention and goals of the research. The methodology cannot be defined without a clear
research problem.
•Design the research process: A research problem helps you identify the approach you
must take for the research activity. It helps in the identification of each step you must take
to do your research – the sampling strategy, the research design, research analysis, and
research instruments to be used.
• Lays the foundation for research: Formulating a good research problem is compared
to laying the foundation of a building. If the research problem is well identified, you will
face fewer hiccups during the research process.