How To Formulate Research Problem?

How To Formulate Research Problem?

Formulating the research problem and hypothesis acts as a major step or phase in the research methodology. In research, the foremost step that comes into play is that of defining the research problem and it becomes almost a necessity to have the basic knowledge and understanding of most of its elements as this would help a lot in making a correct decision. The research problem can be said to be complete only if it is able to specify about the unit of analysis, time and space boundaries, features that are under study, specific environmental conditions that are present in addition to prerequisite of the research process.

Research Process
Research process is very commonly referred to as the planning process. One important point to be kept in mind here is to understand that the main aim of the research process is that of improving the knowledge of the human beings.

The research process consists of the following stages –
1. The Primary stage :– This stage includes –
a. Observation – The first step in the research process is that of the observation, research work starts with the observation which can be either unaided visual observation or guided and controlled observation.It can be said that an observation leads to research, the results obtained from research result in final observations which can play a crucial part in carrying out further research. Deliberate and guided observations also play an important part in this primary stage. This method is very simple and helps a great deal in framing of the hypothesis as it is very accurate in nature but it also has some major limitations like some of the occurrences may not be open to the observation and the occurrences which may be open for observation may not be studied conveniently.

b. Interest – As studied in the above paragraph, research starts with the observation and it leads to a curiosity to learn and gain more and more about what has been observed. Hence it can be said that observation results in the creation of an interest in the mind of the researcher.The interest can be either academic in nature or it may be a policy making interest. It may be a self interest or a group interest. Group interest is also referred to as the social interest.

c. Crystallization – It can be defined as the process involving the designing of the definite form of research to be used in the study of the subject matter that has been observed. During this stage, the research project gets a concrete shape and structure.

d. Formulating a research problem – A research problem can belong to one of the following two categories – it can belong to the category in which there can be relationships between various variables or it may belong to the other category, which is based on nature. In the beginning, it is important for a researcher to find out the general interest or the subject matter, which he wants to study. By this the researcher will be able to state a problem more broadly and also in a much generalized form then the ambiguities linked to the problem can be referred and understood. This really supports in the formulation of a problem of a research. Although this process is not that simple and requires many fruitful discussions in order to achieve a proper conclusion or a decision.

e. Primary Synopsis – Before starting with the actual study work, it is very necessary for a researcher to prepare a summary or a plan about the activities he has to perform in connection with research operation. This will help him a lot to get a definite idea or an understanding of what would be written in the final report.

f. Conceptual Clarity – It is very much important for a researcher to have in depth knowledge and understanding of the subject or the topic he has to study as it helps a lot in achieving one’s goal and objectives in a much easier and also a comparatively much simpler way.

g. Documentation – The documents help in providing important information to a researcher, document is something in writing it can be a record, files or diaries etc. may be published or unpublished in nature. Documents can be extracted and can be used in the research work. Various documents can be classified as –

a. Personal documents –
• Written by or on behalf of individuals.
• May include autobiographies, biographies, diaries, memories, letters, observations and inscriptions.
• Can be used in research activities.

b. Company documents –
• Most important type of documents compared to other document types.
• Play an essential role in management research.
• May include balance sheets, files, records, policy statements, resolutions, performance records etc.

c. Consultants’ reports and published materials –
• Include professional consultants’ reports, commodity boards’ records, chambers of commerce, trade union documents etc.

d. Public documents –
• Can be published or unpublished in nature.
• Consist of government records, finance commission records, especial enquiry commission records, company law board reports, population census reports etc.
• Can be useful only if they are reliable.

h. Literature Survey – Having complete knowledge about the literature is almost a necessity for a researcher to be successful in his research operation. With the help of literature survey, one is helped in having correct concepts and also the right theories.

2. Secondary stage: – This stage of the research consists of all the features that are actually required to run a research project. This stage includes the following –

a. Research project planning: – Involves selection of the future courses of action for conducting and directing a research project. A research project plan gives a rational approach to research by which one is able to decide in advance about what to do, how to do, when to do, where to do and who is to do a particular task in a specific activity.

b. Research Project formulation: – After the planning of the project has been done the researcher follows this with a practical approach in order to carry out the project. This step of the secondary stage involves the systematic setting forth of the total research project, with an aim of conducting a systematic study.

c. Data collection: – This step involves the in depth meaning for the concepts that are to be investigated and looks forward to data analysis, data requirement etc… Sources of understatement or overstatement should be avoided and the data should be free from any type of error. The data collection planning should be done or implemented in a very careful manner, with the help of specialist researchers. The data should be good and meaningful in nature should not only be a collection of words but should provide meaningful information.

d. Classification and tabulation – Classification can be defined as the arrangement of the data into groups and classes depending on the resemblance and the similarities. By classification, the data can be condensed in a very elegant way by which the various important features can be easily noticed i.e. one can easily highlight the various salient features of the data at a glance. Tabulation of the data can be defined as the orderly arrangement of the data in columns and the rows this step also helps a great deal in the condensation of the data and also in the analysation of the relations, trends etc.

e. Data Analysis – In this step, the collected data is arranged according to some pattern or a particular format and this analysation of the data is done mainly to provide the data with a meaning. It is actually the computing of the some of the measures supported by the search for the relationship patterns, existing among the group of the data.

f. Testing of a hypothesis: – This step of testing acts as the back bone of the data analysis. Various tests like “t” test, “z” test. Chi square test are used by the statisticians for the testing of the hypothesis.

g. Interpretation of results: – It is very important that the results are interpreted into action recommendations and the results should be able to refer to a decision i.e. should help in drawing a conclusion.

3. Final Stage :- This stage involves –
a. Conclusions and recommendations – This act as the crux of the research project work. Recommendations are based on the conclusions obtained and further these conclusions are based on the interpretation of the results of data analysis. But a major point to be kept in mind here is that all these conclusions and the recommendations should be linked to the research hypothesis stated.

b. Report Writing - For the researcher as well as the reader, report writing is very crucial as it acts as the best way for communication between the two. Report written must be very simple in nature with easy language, high clarity. Report writing cannot be done by everyone and requires an especial skilled person for this purpose.

Various types of research design are as follow:

1. Research design for exploratory or formulative studies 
• In this type of design, a vague problem is selected and understood and is then followed by an exploratory research to find a new hypothesis and then carrying out conclusion research decisions to finally get new ideas.
• Aims at finding a new hypothesis.
• Individual surveys, referring to secondary sources of data etc. play an important role in such research designs.
• Reviewing related literature, following or surveying people having practical experience in the problem related field act as very important and most commonly used methods by an exploratory researcher.

2. Research design for conclusive studies 
Also referred to as the research design for the descriptive studies and is further divided as follows –

a. Case Study method – 
• Finds extensive use in commerce and industry.
• Very respectable method of teaching and research in management.
• Helps greatly in knowing the causes and the results of the incident of the phenomenon.

b. Statistical method – 
• Also trying to find its place in commerce and industry.
• Act as method of correlation and regressions, analysis, chi square etc.
• Has been made very rigorous and sophisticated by coming up of the computers.

3. Research design for experimental studies – 
• Explains the structure of an experiment.
• Involve plans for the testing of the causal hypothesis.
• Decides the number of observations to be taken and also the order in which experiments are to be carried out.
• Which randomization method to be used.
• Which mathematical model to be used for explaining the experiment.

This research design can be further categorized into the following –
1. Informal experimental design – 
• After only design.
• After only with control design.
• Before and after without control design.
• Before and after with control design.

2. Formal experimental design – 
• Completely randomized design.
• Randomized block design.
• Latin square design.
• Factorial design.