Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• Relevant
Managerial perspective
- a problem that currently exists in an organizational
setting
- an area that a manager believes needs to be
improved in the organization
Defining the problem statement
• Relevant
Academic perspective
- Nothing is known about the topic
- Much is known about the topic, but the knowledge
is scattered and not integrated
- Much research on the topic is available, but the
results are (partly contradictory, or
- Establish relationships do not in certain situations
Defining the problem statement
• Feasible
Able to answer the research problem statement
within the restrictions of the research project, ex time
and money, availability of respondents, the expertise
of the researcher.
• Interesting
to be genuinely interested in the problem statement
and be motivated
The Topic
• is introduced in the first paragraphs.
• includes the general subject matter.
• must be introduced so that the reader can relate to it.
• http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/ap
p/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_researc
h_questions.pdf
Topic Selection Consideration
• Personal interest
• Organizational support
• Ethical issues
• Relevance of the study
• Contribution to the field
• Time constraints
• Breath and scope
• Economic factors
http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app
/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_
questions.pdf
Sources of Topic Selection
• ERIC, PsycINFO, Medline
• Journals, books, and dissertations in your field
• Conferences, workshops, presentations
• Recommendations about future research
• Courses
• Workplace
• Expert consultations
• Online library services
http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app
/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_
questions.pdf
Why the problem statement is
important
• It establishes the importance of the topic.
• It creates reader interest.
• It focuses the reader’s attention on how the study will add
to the literature.
• http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/ap
p/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_researc
h_questions.pdf
Why the problem statement is
important
• It establishes the importance of the topic.
• It creates reader interest.
• It focuses the reader’s attention on how the study will add
to the literature
http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app
/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_
questions.pdf
Stating the research problem
• State the problem in the opening paragraph (i.e.,
something that needs a solution)
• Identify an issue
–Research-based research problems
–Practical problems
www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app/35/fil
es/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_questi
ons.pdf
Justifying the problem statement
• Justification based on what other researchers have found
• Justification based on personal or workplace experiences
• Justification based on the experiences that others have
had in the workplace
www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app/35/f
iles/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_que
stions.pdf
Example 1
According to business marketing theory, businesses are
more likely to succeed if they utilize marketing
management approaches or techniques. For example, the
marketing concept, a cornerstone of business marketing
thought, stresses the importance of determining the needs
and wants of consumers and delivering the desired
satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than competitors
(Kotler, 1986). Philosophies from marketing management
have recently been applied to almost every industry from
insurance to travel and hospital services, but not often to
farming. Concerns have been raised about the distinction
which appears to exist between agricultural and business
marketing theory (Bartels, 1983; Bateman, 1976;
Muelenberg, 1986).
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)
Example 2
Live online sessions may be delivered in virtual classrooms from Adobe
Connect, Elluminate, GoToMeeting, Wimba, or other software programs
Many authors such as Offir, Lev, and Bezalel(2008) found the
interaction level in a synchronous class, also known as web
conferencing, to be a significant factor in the effectiveness of online
class. Other researchers describe “the power of a synchronous online
system to empower students in conversation and expression (McBrien,
Jones, & Cheng, 2009). However, online learning calsses are only
effective if students attend these calsses. Many studies have been
conducted on online classes (Kenning, 2010; Lavolette, Venable, Gose,
& Huang, 2010 ) but few specifically studied why students do or do not
attend. According to Skylar(2009), “research concerning the use of
newer multimedia technologies, such as interactive synchronous web
conferencing tools, is in its infancy and needs further and continued
study” (p. 82). McBrien, Jones, and Cheng (2009) stated that “more
studies are needed to explore students’ perceptions of the synchronous
learning experience.” Thus the central question this research intend to
study is, “What are students’ attitudes regarding non mandatory
synchronous sessions in a southern university?”
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)
Example 3
Live online sessions may be delivered in virtual classrooms
from Adobe Connect, Elluminate, GoToMeeting, Wimba, or
other software programs. Regardless of the software used,
student attendance at live online sessions, especially
optional ones, can be unpredictable at best. It is a common
complaint among the online faculty at a university in the
south that many, oftentimes most, of their students do not
attend the live online sessions. This study will address the
problem of low student attendance at non mandatory virtual
classroom meetings in online college courses.
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)
Discuss