Elements of a Research Project

Meaning of Research Problem

 The ultimate goal of the research is not only to
propose ways of studying things, people, places,
and events, but also to discover and introduce
new practices, strategies, or techniques in solving
a problem.
 The word “problem” makes you worry and pushes
you to exert considerable effort in finding a
solution for it.
 You consider research as the remedy for getting
over any problem.
Meaning of Research Problem
 When you decide to do research, you begin with a
problem that will lead you to a specific topic to focus on.
 For instance, you are beset by a problem of year-by-
year flash floods in your community. This problem
drives you to think of one topic you can investigate or
focus on for the solution to your community’s flood
problem. Perhaps, you can research only one aspect of
the flood problem, like examining only the
neighborhood lifestyle in relation to floods in the area,
the need to construct anti-flood structures, or the
practicability of more footbridges in the area. (Gray
2013)
Background of the Problem
 First, spend time getting background knowledge
about the problem that triggered off your research
topic to discover its relation to what the world,
particularly the experts, professionals, and
learned people know about your topic.
 Also, reading for rich background ideas about the
problem is also another way to discover some
theories or principles to support your study.
(Braun 2014; Woodwell 2014)
Research Questions
 The research problem enables you to generate a set
of research questions.
 To get a good idea of the problem, you must have a
rich background knowledge about the topic through
the RRL (Review of Related Literature), which
requires intensive reading about your topic.
 Apart from having a clearer picture of the topic, it
will also help you in adopting an appropriate
research method and have a thorough
understanding of the knowledge area of your
research.
Research Questions
 To give your study a clear direction, you have to
break this big, general question into several
smaller or specific research questions.
 The specific questions, also called sub-problems,
identify or direct you to the exact aspect of the
problem that your study has to focus on.
 Beset by many factors, the general question or
research problem is prone to reducing itself to
several specific questions, seeking conclusive
answers to the problem.
Research Questions
 Research questions aim at investigating specific
aspects of the research problem.
 Though deduced from the general or mother
question, one specific question may lead to another
sub-problem or sub-question, requiring a different
data-gathering technique and directing the research
to a triangulation or mixed method approach.
 Referring to varied aspects of the general problem, a
set of research questions plays a crucial part in the
entire research work.
Research Questions
 Through sub-questions, you can precisely determine
the type of data and the method of collecting,
analyzing, and presenting data.

 Any method or technique of collecting, collating, and

analyzing data specified by the research design
depends greatly on the research questions.

 The correct formulation of research questions

warrants not only excellent collection, analysis, and
presentation of data, but a credible conclusion as
well. (Layder 2013)
 Elements of a Research Project

Research Problem: The need to have a safer,

comfortable, and healthful walk or transfer of
students from place to place in the UST campus

Research Topic: The Construction of a Covered

Pathway in the UST Campus

General Question: What kind of covered path

should UST construct in its campus?
Specific Questions:
1. What materials are needed for the construction
of the covered pathway in the UST campus?
2. What roofing material is appropriate for the
covered path?
3. In what way can the covered pathway link all
buildings in the campus?
4. What is the width and height of the covered
path?
5. How can the covered path realize green
architecture?
 Guidelines in Formulating
Research Questions
1. Establish a clear relation between the research questions
and the problem or topic.
2. Base your research questions on your RRL because
existing published works help you get good background
knowledge of the research problem and help you gauge
the people’s current understanding or unfamiliarity about
the topic, as well as the extent of their knowledge and
interest in it. Convincing solutions to research problems
or answers to research questions stem from their
alignment with what the world already knows or what
previous research studies have already discovered about
the research problem or topic.
 Guidelines in Formulating
Research Questions
3. Formulate research questions that can arouse your
curiosity and surprise you with your discoveries or
findings. This is true for research questions asked about
a problem that was never investigated upon.
4. State your research questions in such a way that they
include all dependent and independent variables referred
to by the theories, principles, or concepts underlying your
research work.
5. Let the set of research questions or sub-problems be
preceded by one question expressing the main problem
of the research.
 Guidelines in Formulating
Research Questions
6. Avoid asking research questions that are answerable with
“yes” or “no” and use the “how” questions only in a
quantitative research.
7. Be guided by the acronym SMART (specific, measurable,
attainable, realistic, time-bound) in formulating the
research questions. Applying SMART, you must deal with
exact answers and observable things, determine the
extent or limit of the data collected, be aware of the
timeframe and completion period of the study, and
endeavor to have your research study arrive at a
particular conclusion that is indicative of what are
objective, factual, or real in this world.