Formulating a research problem and

statement of the problem

Session objectives
At the end of this session you should be able to:
⚫ Analyze a selected problem and the factors influencing it

⚫ Decide on the scope and focus of a research problem

⚫ Develop /prepare a problem statement for research

proposal writing.
Formulating a research problem
⚫ Asystematic analysis of the problem, completed jointly
by the researchers and other stakeholders
⚫ It is a very crucial step in designing the research, because it:

enables those concerned to pool their knowledge of

the problem,
clarifies the problem and the possible factors that
may be contributing to it, and
 facilitates decisions concerning the focus and scope of
the
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research.
Steps in formulating a research problem
Step 1: Clarify the viewpoints of
managers, health care workers and researchers
in relation
⚫ Clarify to the
the issues byproblem
listing all the problems in the area of
concern
⚫ Remember that a problem exists when there is a
discrepancy between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’

Step 2: Further specify and describe the core problem

⚫ Try to identify the core problem and quantify it

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Steps in….
Researchers should now attempt to describe more elaborately:
⚫ The nature of the problem; the discrepancy between ‘what is’ and

what you prefer the situation to be

⚫ The distribution of the problem - who is affected, when, and

where and
⚫ The size and intensity of the problem - is it widespread, how

severe is it, what are its consequences (such as disability, death,

waste of resources)?

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Steps in….
Step 3: Analyze the
problem
After identifying the core problem the researcher should:
⚫ Identify factors that may have contributed to the problem.

⚫ Clarify the relationship between the problem &

contributing factors.
⚫ It is helpful to visualize these interrelationships in the form of
a
diagram. Elements of a problem analysis diagram

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Steps in….
Sub-steps in analysis of the problem
1. Write down the core problem(s)

2. Brainstorm on possible causes or factors contributing

to the problem
 Cause-effect relationship or mutual relationship

3. Identify further contributing factors.

It is possible to identify several ‘generations’ of

predisposing factors, by asking ‘but why’.
4. Attempt to organize related factors together into
larger
Deciding on the focus and scope of the research

⚫ After detailed analysis of a problem, it is important to

reconsider the focus and scope of the research

Several issues are particularly important to consider, including:

1. Usefulness of the information

Would the information that will be collected on this
problem help improve health and health care?

2. Feasibility
 Is it feasible to analyze all the factors related to the problem?
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Deciding on the….

3. Duplication
Is some of the information related to factors in the diagram
already available? What aspects of the problem need further
research?
⚫ If the research problem is complex and has many possible

contributing factors; identify and demarcate the boundaries of

possible smaller research topics.

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Formulating the Problem Statement
⚫ The first major section in a research proposal is the ‘statement

of the problem’

Why is it important to state and define the problem?

⚫ It is the foundation for further development of the
research proposal (research objectives, methodology, work
plan, budget…
⚫ Makes it easier to find information and reports of similar

studies from which your own study design can benefit.

⚫ Enables to systematically point out why the proposed research
10 with the study
on the problem should be undertaken and what to hope to
Problem Statement….
What information should be included in the statement of
the problem?
⚫ A brief description of socio-economic and cultural characteristics

and an overview of health status. Include a few illustrative

statistics, if available, to help describe the context in which the
problem occurs.
⚫ A concise description of the nature of the problem (the

discrepancy between what is and what should be)

The size, distribution and severity of the problem (who is
affected, where, since when, and what are the consequences
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for
those affected and for the
Problem Statement….
⚫ An analysis of the major factors that may influence the
problem and a discussion of why certain factors need more
investigation if the problem is to be fully understood.
⚫ A brief description of

⚫any solutions to the problem that have been tried in the past,

⚫how well they have worked,

⚫why further research is needed

⚫ A description of the type of information expected to result from

the project and howthis information will be

used to help solve the