Meta title: How to Formulate a Research Problem Like a Pro

Meta description: Trouble formulating your problem statement? This post is a comprehensive guide on How to Formulate a Research Problem for an A-rated paper

Your Comprehensive Guide on How to Formulate Your Research Problem

When you are faced with any form of research paper, the most important thing is clear comprehension of the research problem. Once you have conceptualized the problem, it is time to hit the road working on your paper. It implies that your study problem serves as the primary force driving the scientific process and premise for the selected study design.

While the research problem is so crucial to your study, formulating it is never easy for most students. So, “What is research problem?” and “How do you write a research problem?” To help you with, here is our comprehensive on how to formulate a research problem.

What is a Research Problem?

If you want your research paper to be great, there is no shortcut about – you must have a quality research problem. A research problem is a clear statement/ expression about your area of concern, a selected condition that you want to improve, or a problem that you have noted in practice or theory. The research problem that you select determines the inherent need to investigate.

In some subjects, especially social sciences, the research problem is stated as a question. Note that when you select a research problem, it does not indicate how to achieve something or offer value proposition. The main reasons for stating a research problem are:

• To tell your readers why your topic of the study is important. Most readers following your work are interested in understanding the significance of the study and the subsequent hypothesis.
• The problem statement helps to contextualize your focus to make it easy for readers to understand the parameters you are exploring.
• When you provide a clear problem statement, it sets the stage for reporting your results. At the end of the paper, the reader will want to know, “Was the problem of the study answered?”

The Best Way to Identify a Problem

The best way to identify a research problem for a paper is by stating the research problem that highlights the issues that you want to address. Because research problem requires a holistic conceptualization of the paper that one is working on, many students find it a serious challenge. In many instances, students end up using a lot of time exploring and thinking about it and crafting the questions to answer.

Again, if you picked a very broad topic, picking a good research problem might be challenging. Take the example of a broad topic such as Childhood Obesity. Such a broad topic requires a lot of time to study, and you might end-up lacking focus and depth. The best thing to do is trying to narrow down your focus, so that the research problem becomes more specific.

Problem Formulation Process: The Must-Have Characteristics

Now that we have looked at the research problem definition, the next step is writing it down. However, you need to understand its key characteristics of a good research problem:

• Ensure it reflects on the primary issues that the paper seeks to address.
• Ensure that the research problem is anchored on facts. This implies that you need to start by understanding the actual issue that your paper seeks to address.
• Make your study topic manageable (something that you can comprehensively research and study and get answers at the end of your paper).
• Make the problem statement relevant. This is very crucial because researches are supposed to address issues happening in the society.
• The selected statement of the problem should usher a testable hypothesis. This means that you should target something that is meaningful in your niche.

How Do You State a Research Problem?

When you craft a research problem statement, it becomes easy to clarify the objective of your study. Therefore, your work should be tailored towards gathering information and using it to provide a solution. So, look at the problem statement as an important groove to help you flow in the right direction when doing your paper.  Here are some useful ways to help you craft a top-rated research problem:

• Clarify Your Research Paper Objectives

Your problem statement that highlights the objective of your paper can be very useful in the development if outstanding study. This link also makes it easy for your reader, your professor, in this case, to easily link the problem and solution.

• Look At The Paper in the Context of The Broader Environment

When working on a research paper, you need to define all the environmental variables because they will ultimately determine how successful you will be at the end. This method can assist you in determining whether the findings will provide reliable data. It there are variables that might have impacts on your study, craft some strategies to control them.

• Explore The Relationship of Different Variables in Your Research Paper

You need to know this, a research problem statement can be simple or complex, and this depends on the variables that you are focusing on. Thinking broadly about your targeted variables makes it easy for you to craft effective solutions.

• Establish the Relationship of the Variables

Most studies, whether scientific or social in nature, target developing a specific sequence of repeating behaviors over time. So, take a closer look at your stud and answer the question, “what does it entail?” To determine the process, you need to:

1. Note the variables that impact the solution to your study problem.
2. Establish to what extent that control can be applied in your study.
3. Establish the functional relationships that exist between different variables.
4. Select the most important variables to getting the solution to your study.

• Check Other Researchable Problem Examples

Notably, formulating a great research problem is never easy, and it is crucial to take some time looking at how others have done theirs. It can be particularly helpful if you look at an example of research problem in your area of study. For example, if you are working on a literature paper, consider looking at top-rated papers in literature with outstanding research problems.

Stating a Research Problem: The Need for Revision

When crafting your study problem statement, do not be rigid. Instead, you should listen to different parties, including your teachers and colleagues. Then, use their advice to revise and improve your problem statement. To make the process of problem statement simpler, here are the details to factor:

• Argument that the study is very broad.
• Notion that some concepts are misunderstood.
• Recommendation to narrow down on your tittle.
• Many readers suggesting that the study questions are narrow.
• Suggestions that your study needs some clarity.

How does a Great Research Problem Statement Look Like?

To know if your research stud problem is good, check carefully to ensure it will be interesting to your reader. Furthermore, ensure it has the following traits:

1. Relevant
2. Provides room for several answers.

• Is testable.

1. Supported by evidence.

• You can break it down into several parts that are easy to resolve individually.

• Shows why the solution to the research matters

Seek Expert Writing Help

A great research paper starts with a great research problem, and now that we have provided the steps to crafting it, you are ready to go. Are you? If you still feel inadequate to craft a great problem statement for the current research papers, the best option is seeking help from expert writers with years of experience. However, keep practicing by checking another research problem example from another top writer.

Our exert writers have been in the industry and know how to identify problem statements that can help you set the stage for A-rated papers. Besides, we have affordable prices for students. No matter your topic, you can count on us for the best problem statement and academic papers.