A PROJECT WORK

ON
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND FORMULATION OF RESEARCH TOPICS
 What is Problem Identification?

What is Problem Identification? Problem Identification consists of: Clearly identifying the root

cause of a problem. Developing a detailed problem statement that includes the problem's

effect on a population's health.

What is problem identification research?

As the name implies, problem-identification research helps you pinpoint what types of problems

you potentially have. Problem-solving research helps identify ways to solve those problems

through marketing mix and segmentation

Problem Identification consists of:

1. Clearly identifying the root cause of a problem

2. Developing a detailed problem statement that includes the problem’s effect on a

population’s health,

The Problem Identification and Tracking document allows project managers and their teams to

capture the details of each problem and efficiently deal with them. Specifically, Problem

Identification and Tracking is focused on proactively recognizing, managing, and resolving risks.

Why is Problem Identification Important?

You need to make sure you are identifying the true, underlying problem causing the public health

issue—and this is not always obvious.

Differences between problem identification and problem solving?

Problem-identification research helps marketing teams identify what types of problems they

might have, while problem-solving research helps identify ways to solve those problems through

marketing mix and segmentation.

Who Should You Involve in Problem Identification?

Many stakeholders are involved in the policy process. Stakeholders are people or groups closely

affected by or concerned with the problem and are interested in policy solutions for it. Talking to

stakeholders about the problem will help you with:

1. Identifying the true, underlying problem

2. Framing the problem accurately

Problems are unique to their contexts, so you will probably have to talk with several different

stakeholders to get the full picture.

Example: Identifying The Underlying Public Health Problem

The public health example below is for illustration and demonstrates the concept of

identifying the underlying public health problem. It can be used for a variety of health

topics.

In a city, women in Neighborhood A were getting adequate prenatal care, but women in

Neighborhood B were not. However, the neighborhoods had the same risk factors for not getting

adequate prenatal care.

To learn more about this issue, researchers asked stakeholders to provide data on why

Neighborhood B had such low rates of prenatal care. Local clinicians said there was an increase

in the number of missed appointments in that neighborhood over the past few years.

After interviewing health care providers and community members, the team learned that bus

services in the neighborhood had been drastically cut in the last two years.

How Do You Identify the Problem?

1. Identify the root cause of the problem by collecting information and then talking with

stakeholders.

Combining existing research and information from your stakeholders can offer some insight into

the problem and its causes. Consider data sources that could help you more clearly define the

problem. Start by doing an environmental scan, a literature review, and if necessary, surveys in

the community.

2. Develop your problem statement.

Describe how the problem occurs, how serious it is, and its outcomes and impacts. Doing this

can also help you identify any gaps in the data you have gathered. The problem statement you

develop might
How Do You Know Have Successfully Completed Problem Identification?

 You collected information about the problem by combining existing research and

information from your stakeholders, and you collected new data from the community if

necessary

 You involved all relevant stakeholders when defining the problem

 The data you collected identifies the root cause of the problem and provides a complete

picture of it

 Your problem statement includes:

o Who is affected

o How big the problem is

o What contributes to the problem

o When and where the problem is most likely to occur

 You framed the problem in a way that helps illuminate possible policy solutions

How to write a problem statement?

1. Describe how things should work.

2. Explain the problem and state why it matters.

3. Explain your problem's financial costs.

4. Back up your claims.

5. Propose a solution.

6. Explain the benefits of your proposed solution(s).

7. Conclude by summarizing the problem and solution.

Six step guide to help you solve problems

1. Step 1: Identify and define the problem. State the problem as clearly as possible. ...

2. Step 2: Generate possible solutions. ...

3. Step 3: Evaluate alternatives. ...

4. Step 4: Decide on a solution. ...

5. Step 5: Implement the solution. ...

What is a topic?

Topics suitable for master’s level research come in a variety of shapes and formats. Finding

a topic is, however, essentially about formulating a set of questions or hypotheses that

require research of some kind in order that answers can be provided or statements put to

the test. The range and types of question that can be asked and the kinds of hypotheses

which can be stated mean that there are an infinite number of topics. Added to this is the

point that not all research topics require the collection of primary data. Some can be

based on the existing literature and in such cases the literature becomes the data. What

counts as data or evidence also varies, but is often closely related to the way the topic has

been formulated and the preferences made for how it is to be researched. The common

denominator for all research topics is that they are puzzles in need of investigation.
What is formulation of a topic?

A researcher needs to refine the topic and clearly state what is intended to be explored about the

topic. This is called formulation of the research problem which involves narrowing down a

broader research area into a specific research topic and devising the objectives.

To formulate your research question you might:

1. Start with the topic that you have decided upon and then list all the questions that

you'd like answered about it yourself.

2. Brainstorm, alone or with another student or with your professor, on all the questions the

topic raises in your mind.

Choosing a topic

The hardest part of research is getting started! Choosing a topic can be challenging,

especially in introductory classes, when you don't really know much about the subject. The

most important thing to remember is this:

1. You are doing research, so don't make a statement about what you want to prove and then

go looking for evidence to support your claim. Instead, start out with an interest, read

some articles on the topic and then take a stance on the subject based on what you have

learned.

2. Here are some tips to get you started when choosing a topic:

3. Think about the topics in your class that have interested you so far. Or, if it is the

beginning of the semester, think about what you expect the course will cover and what
 you expect to enjoy about the class. When you added this class, what made you think it

might be interesting?

4. Flip through your textbooks and look for chapter titles or subheadings that interest you.

5. Look at a magazine or journal in your subject area and look for interesting articles that

might inspire you.

6. Think about controversies or current events in your subject area. Could they lead to a

potential research question? If you don't know any controversies or current events for

your subject, Google "Controversies in XYZ," "Disagreements in XYZ," or "Current hot

topics in XYX" and see if something you find interests you.

7. Think about what you’re studying in other classes. Are there interesting ways in which

they might intersect with or relate to this class?

8. Brainstorm with your classmates. Talking to each other is a good way to figure out what

interests you.

Importance of formulating a good research topic

There are several benefits of formulating a research problem. The actual research begins with the

formulation of a research problem. It makes you well aware of the tasks that you have to perform

in order to accomplish the research. Research is a process that you have to complete in a

sequence. A research problem helps you formulate that sequence. Research problem also helps

you avoid unnecessary steps during the research.

1. A research problem is the preliminary step in conducting a research study. A research

problem helps you understand the research procedure in a better manner. Most beginners

in research think that a research problem is easy to formulate but in reality it is not so. A
 research problem needs great thought on the part of the researcher in order to formulate a

scientific research problem. A scientific research problem is one that can be solved using

scientific procedures.

2. In actual the purpose of the research problem is to determine the objective and intention

of the research, in the absence of an aim or objective you cannot determine the research

methodology. A research problem can help you identify each and every step of the

research process: the study design, sampling strategy, and research instrument and

research analysis.

3. The research problem should have great clarity since the research process in itself

generates more questions. In the absence of a clear and well defined research problem the

researcher can become confused. In addition, the research question or research problem

should have to be interesting so that the researcher become well engaged in the research.

The passion of the researcher in conducting the research matters a lot in the research.

4. The research problem should have to be manageable within your resources, otherwise it

will become difficult for you to undertake it. You should know about the time, energy

and money that you have in order to design a manageable research.

Characteristics of good research topics

 a good topic is ethical.

 select a worthwhile problem.

 a good topic is manageable.

 a good research topic has theoretical or practical significance.

 topic is researchable.
Methodology and data questions

By looking at the research elements of studies you obtain, you are aiming to under-

stand how the studies were done and, if possible, what kinds of methodological

approaches (that is, quantitative or qualitative) and assumptions were used. The kinds

of questions you need to be asking are:

♦♦ Has anyone else done research on this topic?

♦♦ If so, how?

♦♦ What research questions did they ask?

♦♦ Did they use an hypothesis?

♦♦ What methodology and data collection tools did they use?

♦♦ What did they find?

Do not worry if you find that someone else has done research on a topic you have in

mind to do. It is often possible to deconstruct existing research, to critique it and find

ways of developing it in ways different from the original. The social sciences have

many examples of this process. For example, sociological research into the phenomenon

of suicide has its origins in the seminal study by Emile Durkheim, but many others

have been done since, each exhibiting a different approach. Some of these can be seen

in Figure 3.4, which indicates the range of different approaches that have been used

from Durkheim’s original positivistic approach to interpretivist, ethnomethodologically

and conversation analysis.

Topic questions

Once you begin to obtain some of the literature – books, articles and reports – subject

it to a brief speed read. You are not looking to make copious notes on the details from
individual books or articles, but to get an overview of the context of your topic. Look

in your search for literature that provides initial answers to the following kinds of

questions:

What are the key texts and authors on the general topic area?

♦♦ What concepts and theories have been used on the topic?

♦♦ What is the history of the topic?

♦♦ What kinds of arguments are there about the topic?

Even a rudimentary understanding of the origins and context of the topic will enable

you to start thinking about the possibilities for your own research. It will provide you

with research themes and issues which have been developed and debated by

researchers in the topic area. With this knowledge as your frame of reference you can

begin the work of looking for a topic that has a research focus. This may mean developing a

piece of research that has already been done or analyzing contributions to a

debate about the topic.

Some common research paper topics include;

1. Abortion,

2. Birth control,

3. Child abuse,

4. Gun control,

5. History,

6. Climate change,

7. Social media,
 8. AI, global warming,

9. Health,

10. Science, and

11. Technology.

How to create a catchy research topic?

1. Seek inspiration. Your research idea needs to be fresh, relevant, and interesting. ...

2. Be clear. There's nothing that turns off readers more than unclear, garbled language. ...

3. Avoid jargon.

4. Make it personal.

5. Consider your audience.

Sources for generating ideas

There are many sources you can use to begin generating ideas for your research. Do not

expect a sudden creative vision that leads to your research topic. Bright ideas for a

topic are usually the outcome of research and reflection. Typical sources for initial

ideas include the following;

1. Has a tutor mentioned a research study that you found interesting, even

puzzling, that you feel needs questioning?

2. If you are doing your masters as part of a professional qualification, look in the

profession’s journal to see what the current issues and concerns are and if these

have a research possibility.

 3. At work, if your research is to be work-based, what are the main issues, development

needs and management problems that require some research?

4. Have you listened to a visiting speaker to your department who talked about

a project that may have other possibilities?

5. Are you interested in particular phenomena that you cannot find much about in

the library?

6. Have you observed a pattern of behavior you found interesting or perplexing

and would like to find out more about?

7. What projects are staff working on; do these interest you?

8. Taught modules you are doing on your course. Have you covered a topic that

interested you, which you would like to look at in more detail?

A Quick Review: Five Steps to Effective Topic Development

1. Develop some topic ideas

2. Background research to find out more about topic ideas. As you do background research

you may add ideas to your topic or you may change your topic entirely.

3. Once you have your topic idea, it is useful to form a research question related to your

topic that can be answered.

4. In-depth research on your topic in order to answer your research question. Keep in mind

that at this juncture you can still change your topic or further develop your research

question. Research is a dynamic process and you should remain open to exploring your

interests as you gather more information.

5. Formulate your thesis, the major claim you'll make in your paper. Think of your thesis as

the answer to your research question.

HOW TO DO IT;

Once you have fully grasped the requirements of your paper, you can begin exploring

topics you would be interested in writing about, leading you to a research question. When

developing a research question, it is important to consider your own interests and

motivations for learning. Consider what you know about a topic you wish to learn more

about. When you choose a topic that is interesting to you, you do better research. A

helpful way to document this thought process of topic development is concept mapping.

When developing a concept map, start broadly and work your way from this broad topic

to more focused knowledge. For example, look at this concept map about vegetarianism

to see how this student worked from a general concept or idea to more narrow

understandings of this topic.

 CONCLUSION

Once you have mapped your topic, you’ll want to start thinking of how to represent this

topic and your approach to the exploration of this topic in a clearly defined research

statement or question. You’ll want to consider how broad or narrow your topic is. If a

topic is too broad you’ll find a lot of information and too many issues to cover within

your paper. If your topic is too narrow, you’ll have difficulty finding sources, or the

sources you do find lack depth. It is a healthy research approach to begin with a topic

that is broader in scope, and narrow this topic as you find sources that are of interest

to you. As you consult sources to answer your research question, consider what you want

the reader to walk away with? What is the final claim you are making and how well do

the sources support this claim? This will be your thesis statement that should drive the

reader to read your paper to understand how existing research supports this statement.
 REFERENCES

Alasuutari, P. (1995) Researching Culture: Qualitative Method and Cultural Studies. London:

Sage.

Chapter 11 introduces the idea of research being about unriddling.

Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (1996) How to Research . Buckingham: Open University

Press. A good starting point with some simple to do exercises on topics.

Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G. and Williamson, J.M. (1995) The Craft of Research . Chicago:

University of Chicago Press. Has a section in Chapter 3 on moving from topics to research

questions.

Clarke, G.M. (1992) A Basic Course in Statistics. 3rd edn. London: Edward Arnold. A solid

introduction to statistical techniques relevant to hypothesis testing.

Dalen, Van, D.B. (1979) Understanding Educational Research: An Introduction . New York:

McGraw-Hill. A thorough introduction to hypotheses and related statistical techniques.

Dees, R. (1997) Starting Research: An Introduction to Academic Research and Dissertation

Writing.

New York: Pinter. See Chapter 3 on planning a focus for your research.

Kumar, R. (1999) Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners . London: Sage.

Chapter

4 gives advice on formulating a research topic including using hypotheses and Chapter 5 on

variables.

Lester, J.D. (1993) Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide . New York: HarperCollins. Has

advice in Chapter 1 on finding a topic. Silverman, D. (2000) Doing Qualitative Research: A

Practical Handbook . London: Sage.