Problem statement & Research

Questions
 Lesson objectives

• Recap ( Problem statement)

• Differentiate
• Quantitative vs. qualitative research
• Formulate research questions
Examples
Statement of the problem
 What next…

Observation/ Literature Theoretical Hypothesis

Background review framework generation
survey Variables clearly
Problem
Broad area of identified
definition Research
research
Topic design
Problem
statement Deduction Methods
Hypothesis Data
Research
substantiated? collection
questions
RQ answered? Analysis
Interpretation
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
See handout
 Let’s look at one example

• Research problem
• Since the computer-related technologies became
widely available, companies started to employ the
new technologies seeking efficiency and
effectiveness benefits. With such huge spending
on IT, it is interesting to find out if there is any
scientific evidence for association between IT
capability and a company’s competitive advantage.
• The question posed : Does a company benefit
from employing IT? If so, how?
 Research 1

• TOPIC: A resource-based perspective on IT capability

and firm performance: An empirical investigation
• In this research, IT in a company is studied from the
point of resource-based view of company, which
attributes superior financial performance to
organizational resources and capabilities..
• The research method employed in this paper is
statistical testing of hypotheses.
• The author comes up with two main hypotheses:
• Superior IT capability will be associated with significantly
higher profit ratios.
• Superior IT capability will be associated with significantly
lower cost ratios
• Sample: 56 companies
 Research 2

• Implementing supply chain management: Lessons

learned at Becton Dickinson
• This research deals with implementation of the IT
technology in the form of supply chain management
(SCM), in this particular case two elements of SCM:
distribution requirements planning (DRF) and
continuous replenishment process (CRP), at a major
manufacturer of medical equipment and supplies.
• The focus of the research is on the question, whether
launching of new technology did improve company’s
performance.
• The object of this single in-depth case study was the
company’s strategy.
 Research 3

• Approaches to the development of multi-dimensional

database: Lessons from four case studies
• The research explores the manner in which an
organization’s data can be effectively utilized to
assist an organization to achieve its business
objectives. It presents Multi-Dimensional Data Bases
(MDDB) as a new tool of making a more efficient use
of company’s data
• The research method employed was a combination of
classic case study and implementation of a
prototype.
• Four case studies were carried out. The analysis of
the four case studies intended to explore suitability
of different approaches to system development.
 Statistics anyone?

• Statistical analysis is helpful when there

is a need to determine certain facts, or
correlations between facts.
• Helpful when doing research on a broader
scale
• Generally, it provides an answer to ‘what?’
question
• ‘How’ question is better answered by
qualitative researching
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Research topic and research
questions
 Examples

• Research topics 1
• Research topics 2
• Research topics 3
• http://www.manchesteruniversit
ypress.co.uk/
 Research questions

• Guides your purpose

• Each research question give clear idea
of your research
 Quantitative or qualitative?
Experimental?
Should you interview people, or would the
data from a survey answer it?
• With RQs, easier to identify the
assumptions underlying the question,
and the “theories” behind it
 Writing research questions

• Basically
• Re-formulate your topic as a research
question - one that ends with “…?”
• Ask preliminary questions about this title
• Ask as many
• Generate several questions
• Formulate a direct question - be precise
 How to derive research questions..

• Questions you can ask

• What are the characteristics of this thing?
• What happens?
• And in what order do things happen?
• When does it happen? To whom?
• When does it NOT happen?
• For whom is it a problem? Why is it a
problem for them?
• How can one tell it’s a problem?
• Keep those you can answer
 EXAMPLES

Topic Preliminary questions

Disruptive What are the “ disruptive

behaviour in behaviours”?
religious What happens? When does it
happen? To whom?
high schools
When does it NOT happen?
For whom is it a problem? Why is
it a problem for them?
How can one tell it’s a problem?
 How to derive research questions..

• Shortlist the questions

• What exactly IS the research problem here?
• Why is it important?
• Why does it need to be solved?
• How could I go about solving it?
• What exactly would I have to do, to solve it?
• If I did that, what would my data look like?
• What would my findings look like?
• Answer the last three as precise as you can
 Ask what you would have to do
to solve the research problem

• What or who will form my sample?

• Why those/that, rather than others?
• How will I select them?
• How will I gain access to them?
• What exactly will I use?
• Why that/those, rather than other
equipment/instruments/analytical
methods?
 EXAMPLE -Research Questions

• What are the factors that contribute

towards the disruptive behaviours of
religious high school students?
• What are the religious high school
students’ (with disruptive behaviours)
attitudes towards authority?
• How do religious high school teacher
perceive the religiosity of students with
disruptive behaviours?
Differences Among Area, Problem,
Purpose and Questions

General
Topic/ Area Religious high school
Students with disruptive behaviour

Research Religious high school

Problem students display disruptive
behaviour

To study why students with

Purpose religious academic background
Statement display disruptive behaviour

What are the factors that contribute

Research
towards the disruptive behaviours
Specific Question
of religious high school students?
Differences Among Area, Problem,
Purpose and Questions

General
Topic Area Distance Learning

Research Lack of students in distance

Problem classes

To study why students do not

Purpose attend distance education classes
Statement at a community college.

Does the use of web site

Research
technology in the classroom deter
Specific Question
students from enrolling in a
distance education class?
Differences Among Area, Problem,
Purpose and Questions

General
Topic Area Online Distance Learning

Research Isolation in the online learning

Problem environment

To study how students perceive

Purpose social presence in the online
Statement learning environment

What is the online learners’

Research
perception of social presence in an
Specific Question
online learning community?
 Questions into hypothesis

• Strategy to unpack the question

• highlight some of its different aspects
• make it easier to identify an angle from
which the research question can be
answered
• Deriving a statement that can be true
or false
 EXAMPLES

Topic Questions Hypotheses

Disruptive What are the There is a

behaviour in factors that relationship
religious high contribute between parents’
schools towards the educational level
disruptive and the religious
behaviours of high school
religious high student’s display
school students? of disruptive
behaviour
 More Examples : RQs

• Does informativeness of feedback

fasilitate concept formation?
• Do individual motivational
characteristics affect cognitive learning
outcomes?
• What can international adult learners
tell about the impact of culture on their
experiences in education courses
designed and delivered by an American
university?
 Examples of hypotheses

• The more informative the feedback, the

stronger the grasp of concepts
• There is a relationship between
individual motivational characteristics
and cognitive learning outcomes
 Fitting things together

Problems

Issues

Research
problem

Research questions
Concerns RESEARCH
INTEREST/
AREA

Background Theoretical
survey framework
 Next- Literature review

Observation/ Literature Theoretical Hypothesis

Background review framework generation
survey Variables clearly
Problem
Broad area of identified
definition Research
research
Problem design
statement
Research Deduction Methods
topic
Hypothesis Data
Research substantiated? collection
questions
RQ answered? Analysis
Interpretation
 Tasks

• Write problem statement

• Write research questions