RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTION

OMEKE MICHAEL (PhD)

KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

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THE RESEARCH PROCESS

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RESEARCH CONCEPTUALIZATION

One of the key issue is identifying/defining:

• Research problem

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• Research question

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• Central research thesis

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• Research gap

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• Research concern/issue

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTION

• Research Problem: refers to an broader issue, difficulty, concern or gap in knowledge that is being addressed in research

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• Research Question breaks down of the problem statement into manageable topics/issues to be researched(specific issues)

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• Hypotheses: Statements which can be tested empirically

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IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

• The problem statement offers the context necessary for addressing the why question.

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• Research problems provide the most significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and research

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• Problem statement orients the theory, methodology and empirical analysis of the study

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NB:A good study must provide answers to all questions-what, why, when, how, where, and who associated with the research.

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RESEARCH PROBLEM OR PROBLEM STATEMENT

Therefore, research problem?

• Identifies the basic issue or problem to be addressed in the study

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• Identifying the prevailing/current concern that requires action

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• Identifying the gap-societal gap/ knowledge gap

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A research problem should be:

• Clear
• Concise
• Targeted/focused

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�WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM?

• Practice in the business environment

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• Theory

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• Empirical literature

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• Prevailing circumstances/occurrences

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COMPONENTS OF PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Part A: Ideal situation/phenomenon –importance, significance, positives

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• Part B: reality –Reality of the situation-mainly the negative side/gap ( partly identified through literature)

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• Part C: Consequences- purposed way of improving the situation or addressing the gap ( study contribution)

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• NB: Problem statement should focus on one problem

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COMPONENTS OF PROBLEM STATEMENT ....

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• Purpose of the study

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• Verbs: What you are going to do/action to be taken ( describe, compare, determine)

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• Keywords/phrases-study variables (who is going to be researched

and what is going to be researched )

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Example1:

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• The purpose of the study is to describe and compare the performance and attitudes of ITC male and female students in research courses.

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• Verb: Describe and compare

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• Phrase/words: Attitude, performance, male and female students

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RESEARCH PROBLEM IS DEFINED BY:

• Objectives

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• Hypotheses

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• Research question

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Research Problem should be supported by :

• Empirical literature

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• Theoretical evidence

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• practical evidence

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WHAT IS A RESEARCH QUESTION?

• A research question is a question that a study or research project aims to answer.

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• This question often addresses an issue or a problem, which, through analysis and interpretation of data, is answered in the study's conclusion

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• A research question is a specific inquiry which the research seeks to provide a response to.

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• It resides at the core of systematic investigation and it helps you to clearly define a path for the research process.

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A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION :

• Clear: It provides enough detail that the audience understands its purpose without any additional explanation.

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• Focused: It is so narrow that it can be answered in the time allowed by the writing task.

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• Succinct: It is written in the shortest possible words.

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• Complex: It is not possible to answer it with a "yes" or "no", but requires analysis and synthesis of ideas before somebody can create a solution.

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• Argumental: Its potential answers are open for debate rather than accepted facts.

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TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. Exploratory Questions.

ii. Prédictive Questions.

iii. Interpretive Questions.

iv. Descriptive Questions.

vi. Comparative Questions.

v. Relationship-Based Questions.

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TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTION�

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WHY FORMULATE RESEARCH QUESTIONS?

• Research topic and research problem are usually too broad

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• Helps narrow the topic to focus on a specific research question that a study can address

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• Often this requires reviewing the research literature and developing hypotheses that often come from social theory.

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• Research Questions help writers and their audience focus on research by giving them a route through the writing and research process.

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�����STEPS TO WRITE RESEARCH QUESTIONS�

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• Elect an interesting topic�You can choose a topic that interests you. And, it's advisable not to choose a topic that is too narrow or too broad.�

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• Do preliminary research on the topic�You will find articles, books, journals, and theses relevant to your topic. So, you can learn what research problem each scholar tackled in their research project.

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• Consider Your Audience�It is essential to understand your audience to develop focused research questions for essays or dissertations. When narrowing down your topic, you can identify aspects that might interest your audience.�

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• Ask questions�
• Asking questions will give you a deeper understanding of the topic.
• Evaluate your question through the What, Why, When, How, and other open-ended questions assessment

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• Assess your question�
• Once you have created a research question, assess its effectiveness to determine if it is useful for the purpose.

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• Refine and revise the dissertation research question multiple times.

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EVALUATION PROCEDURE OF THE STRENGTH AND IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• Researchable
• It should only cover one issue.
• A subjective judgment should not be included in the question.
• It can be answered with data analysis and research.

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• Specific and Practical
• It should not contain a plan of action, policy, or solution.
• It should be clearly defined
• Within research limits

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Evaluation Of Research Questions.............

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• Complex and Arguable
• It shouldn't be difficult to answer.
• To find the truth, you need in-depth knowledge
• Allows for discussion and deliberation

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• Original and Relevant
• It should be in your area of study
• Its results should be measurable
• It should be original

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INSURANCE TOPIC ISSUES

• Client Compensation

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• Regulation and compliance

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• Repayment-default and delinquency

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• Micro insurance

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• Information difference

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• Ethical behaviour

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• Bancassurance
• Health insurance

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EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the attitudes of ITC graduate students regarding research courses?

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• What is the performance of ITC students in research courses?

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• What is the attitude of ITC male and female students regarding research courses?

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• What is the performance ITC male and female students in research courses?

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EXAMPLE 2:

Topic: The performance of health insurance companies in Uganda: A case of Prudential Insurance Company

Motivation: Health insurance is an innovative solution to the health sector in the world

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Empirical evidence: According to Kato (2021), the provision of health insurance services comes with numerous benefits to the clients and sector, such as, accessibility, affordability and qaulity of health services

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Context: Several health insurance providers have mushroomed in Uganda e.g. IAA, Prudential Insurance company and others providing a wide range of health services.

Research problem: However, in spite of the numerous health insurance providers and associated positive benefits to the clients and sector, HI providers in Uganda witness low performance in terms of membership, profitability and cost(UIA,2022).

Purpose of the study: Therefore the study is geared towards determine the causes and effect of low performance levels of health insurance companying in Uganda.

Research Questions

1. What are different health services covered by health insurance providers?
2. What are the causes of low performance among HI providers?
3. What is the profitability level of HI companies?
4. What are the effects of low performance of HI companies?

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EXAMPLE 3

Topic: Adoption of micro insurance among MFIs in Uganda

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Motivation: Micro-insurance promotes the sustainability of MFIs

Empirical evidence: Micro insurance improves the repayment rates and financial performance of MFIs( Von,2018)

Context: In Uganda, over 5 MFIs are implementing the microinsurance policy to cover their products and clients

Problem: However, very few MFIs have acquired the micro insurance policy from insurance companies(10%) in spite its relevance to the industry.

Purpose: Therefore the study is geared towards establishing the factors that determine and affect the level of ICT adoption in Uganda.

Research questions?

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THANK YOU ALL

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