RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (HFS4343)

FORMULATING THE
RESEARCH PROBLEM
Dr. Mohd Razif Shahril
School of Nutrition & Dietetics
Faculty of Health Sciences
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANITY

1
Topic Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lecture, students should be able to;
• identify importance of formulating a research problem
• list sources of research problems
• explain the considerations in selecting a research
problem
• describe steps in formulating a research problem
• demonstrate how to formulate research objectives
• define operational definitions

2
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
What is research problem?
• Activity @ http://padlet.com/razifshahril/HFS4343Topic4

3
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
What is research problem?
• Any question that you want answered and any
assumption or assertion that you want to challenge or
investigate.
• However;
– not all questions can be transformed into research
problems.
– the process of formulating them in a meaningful way
is not at all an easy task.
– it requires considerable knowledge of both the subject
area and research methodology.

4
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
What is research problem? (cont.)
• A research problem is a perceived gap between what is
and what should be.
• Research problem arise from;
– Evolution of theories.
– Peers and supervisors etc.
– Published research (literature review).
– Day-to-day experience

5
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
 Research
problem is like
an identification
of destination
before
undertaking
research journey

6
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Clear research problem would
result in clear and economical
research plan.

7
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
RESEARCH PROBLEM IS THE
FOUNDATION OF THE RESEARCH
STUDY

8
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO FIND
OUT ABOUT AND NOT WHAT YOU
THINK YOU MUST FIND 9
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
The way we formulate the research
problem determines every step that
follows;
• type of study design that can be used
• type of sampling strategy that can be employed
• research instrument that can be used or developed
• type of analysis that can be undertaken

10
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
 11
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Sources of
People
research
problems

Phenom
-ena 4P Problem

Programme

12
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Sources of research problem (cont.)
RESEARCH

Study population Subject areas

P People P Problem

P Programme

P Phenomena
13
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Aspects of research problem
Aspects of study About Study of
Study population People Individuals, They provide you with
organizations, groups, the required
communities information or you
collect information from
or about them
Subject area Problem Issues, situations, Information that you
associations, needs, need to collect to find
population composition, answers to your service
profiles etc. research questions
Programme Contents, structure,
outcomes, attributes,
satisfaction, consumers,
providers etc
Phenomenon Cause and effect,
relationships, the study
of a phenomenon itself
etc

14
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Identifying research problem
• Differentiate between research vs. non-research
problems.
• Non-research problems are answered by these
questions:
– Can it be solved by administrative changes?
– Are there already solutions available that can be used?
– Is the problem due to lack of manpower and resources?
– Is there data showing that it is not a significant issue?

15
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Considerations
in selecting a Interest

research
problem Ethics Magnitude

Data Concept
availability Measures

Relevance Expertise

16
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Prioritizing research problem
•1 Relevance
• How important?
• Size, severity, health & social consequences?
•2 Duplication
• Is the answer already available from other studies?
•3 Feasibility
• Feasible to carry out remedial actions?
• Are the manpower, time and resources available?
•4 Applicability
• Potential solution is effective under ideal conditions?
• Will managers accept and use it?

17
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Prioritizing research problem (cont.)
•5 Cost effectiveness
• Are the resources invested worth the outcome?
• Will the solution be too expensive to implement?
•6 Timeliness
• Will the answer come quick enough?
•7 Ethics
• Will the project be acceptable to the respondents?
•8 Political acceptability
• Will the managers and community accept the
results?

18
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Steps in formulating research problem
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
Identify broad Dissect to sub- Select interested
field areas sub-area

STEP 5
STEP 6 STEP 4
Formulate
Assess objective Raise questions
objectives

STEP 7
Double check
19
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Formulation of research objectives
• What is an ‘objective’?
– A clear and specific goals you set out to attain in your
study.
• Two types of objectives;
– Main objectives
• Specific objectives / sub-objectives
MAIN OBJECTIVES SUB-OBJECTIVES
• Overall statement of the thrust of • The specific aspects of the topic
your study. that you want to investigate
• It is also a statement of the main within the main framework of
associations and relationships your study
that you seek to discover or • One sub-objective contains one
establish aspect only 20
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Formulation of research objectives (cont.)

• Sub-objectives should be numerically listed.

• Worded clearly and unambiguously.
• Use action-oriented words or verbs when writing your
objectives.
• E.g. start with;
– ‘to determine’, ‘to find out’, ‘to ascertain’, ‘to measure’
and ‘to explore’
• the wording of your objectives determines the type of
research design you need to adopt to achieve them.

21
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Functions of research objectives
• Focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials).
• Avoid the collection of data which are not strictly
necessary for understanding and solving the problem
you have identified.
• Organize the study in clearly defined parts or phases.

22
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Characteristics of objectives

Main
Clear Complete Specific Direction
Variables

Descriptive studies

Correlation studies (experimental and non-experimental)

Hypothesis testing studies

23
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Establishing operational definition
• Working definitions or operational definitions are
pre-defined concepts that you plan to use either in your
research problem and/or in identifying the study
population in a measurable form.
• Used only for the purpose of your study and could be
quite different to legal definitions, or those used by
others.
• Working definitions will inform your readers what exactly
you mean by the concepts that you have used in your
study to avoid ambiguity and confusion.

24
SCHOOL OF NUTR ITION AND DIETETICS • UNIVER S ITI SULTAN ZAINA L ABIDIN
Thank You

25