Research Problem Formulation

• Research problem is the center of the investigation.
• Represents what you want to solve or understand when researcher finds a delimited topic.
• Arises from a difficulty or need to be resolved or understood, requiring investigation to achieve new knowledge or technology.
• Scientific problems seek knowledge, while technological problems try to modify reality.
• Research problems differ from common sense, also understood as the need and desire to know more, verify knowledge, expand, propose actions, explain consequences, or evaluate situations.
• The researcher should identify problems in areas where others don't see them, motivating investigation projects.

Problem Formulation

• Involves discovering and identifying the situation under study, understanding its origins, relationships, and unanswered questions.
• Written reports should include an introduction to the thematic area, describe the reality under study from general to specific, explain the current situation, elements supporting the problem, and a concrete description of the problem and its relevance.
• Described as reducing the problem to concrete, explicit, clear, and precise terms.
• Consists in specifying the approach through a precise question, delimited in space, time, and population, if applicable.
• Formulate one or more questions reflecting clearly the unknown aspects that will mark the beginning of the investigation.
• Problem formulation can adopt a declarative form.

Elements of a research question

• Key question is identified.
• Variable or variables that are part of the study, there can be one variable in a descriptive study or two variables in a correlational study.
• Link or relator the connection to the variables.
• Population constitutes the collection of individuals or objects that are the focus of scientific research, and will be observed, surveyed, or measured.
• Spatial delimitation is the place or geographical area that includes the study. This also includes the specific scope of study.
• Temporal delimitation is the time period that includes the study.

Components of the Problem Approach

• Description or diagnosis of the problematic situation.

• Formulation of the problem.

• Description or diagnosis of the problem is a procedure used by the researcher to convert the research idea or the delimited topic into a formal conceptualization and writing, to make the chosen problem understandable.

• It may present theoretical references to understand an observation, though it is generally not based on theories.

• The writing style should be impersonal, descriptive, analytical, objective, critical, and demonstrable.

• Include verifiable sources of the most relevant or significant data, related to the object of study, the presumed independent variable, and the dependent variable.

Elements present in the description of the problem:

• Topic refers to the object of study.
• Space refers to the localization of the place where the research work occurs and develops.
• Time determines the historical moment in which the object of study is investigated.
• Population mentions the units of analysis, for which the information obtained is valid in the research.
• Symptoms express how the problem manifests itself.
• Origin expresses what is considered an antecedent to the observed symptoms.
• Consequence the effects of the problematic situation.

Problem Formulation (formula from Latin)

• Stage in which the approach to the problem is concluded.
• It is developed after having contextualized the object of study and the units of analysis in space and time in the description of the problem.
• Has various meanings including a practical means to resolve an issue or to execute it, a fixed manner of writing something, the composition of something and instructions for its development, and a concrete expression of an agreement or transaction of opinions.
• Expressed clearly and exactly in one or more research questions that will be resolved after the study.
• The formulation of the problem becomes the main point the researcher dedicates themselves to.

Forms to place the problem formula within the problem formulation

• At the end of the description text without a title.
• Separated from the description of the problem with the title Formulation of the Problem, where all the research questions are inserted.
• It should meet the following recommendations, should be:

Reccomendations when writing the problem formulation

• Related to the approach of the problem.
• Use interrogatives to show what you want to investigate.
• Express the context.
• Express the relationship between variables.
• Delimit the very general questions, or derive them into specifics.
• The questions should be congruent with each other.
• Express clarity, precision, and congruence in content.
• Integrate syntactic and semantic coherence in writing.
• The questions should allow for an empirical response.
• Show the population that will be studied.
• Express the space-time dimension.
• Avoid questions in the form of dilemmas, or those whose answers can be yes or no.
• Aim for a systematic work and proposes new knowledge.
• It has components that structure it, which can be analyzed according to how it is analyzed.

Analysis by integrating elements

• The research question, whether general or specific, must possess certain elements that are analyzed through a problem.

Analysis by complexity of issues

• Occurs when investigations typically contain the formulation of more than one problem, with a general problem from which specific problems are determined, which in turn are constitutive elements of the solution to the first.
• General problems constitute a macro problem, which must be answered in an research project (key unknown). Problems specifics are less complex than problems in general, contribute to the solution of the macro problem (sometimes don't need formulation)

As a general rule

• The number of specific problems is determined by the complexity of the general problem of the research.
• The minimum amount of specific problems that there should is four, can increase or decrease depending on the researcher.
• The investigation should poses a variable:
  • First specific problem addresses the independent value.
  • Second specific problem addresses the dependent value.
  • The third specific problem addresses the posible relationship between values.
  • The fourth specific addresses how the problem can improve.
• When elaborating the approach to the problem, the researcher must know their objective, investigate backgrounds, and translate thoughts to a conceptualization understandable of the topic.

Functions that the formulation of the problem complies with

• Defines exactly what the problem is to solve.
• Defines which are the investigation questions that should be answered.
• Defines which is the problem that will be the object of study.

Advantages of the formulation of the problem

• When formulating a question, we know with exactitude what type of answer we should search for.
• The researcher is taken to a beneficial and advantageous reflection on the topic.
• Helps in the practice, when choosing headings for the note-taking system.
• Discriminates with precision notes that will be taken, all notes that answers the questions formulated.
• This formulation is also named the main problem, formulation should have clarity, conciseness, and operativity.

Requirements for Formulation of The Problem

• Answers are not known.
• Can be answered with empirical evidence (observable/measurable data).
• Involve the use of ethical mediums.
• Are clear.
• The knowledge that its being obtained be substance.

How to make effective the formula of the problems, by level:

• Exploratory, descriptive, and correlational level uses phrases like:
  • What is...?
  • How is it going...?
  • Which are the characteristics?
  • Since when?
  • How has it been going?
  • What relationship exists between...?
  • What is the relationship that comes between...?
  • Why does...produce effects in...?
  • Which are the causes of...?
  • What factors have generated...?

Explanatory level:

• What effects does it produce...?
• How does it infliuence...?
• In what measure does it benefit...?
• Which is the influence...?
• How does it influence...?
• Which would be the results...?
• Which would be the effects...?
• In what grade it benefits...?
• Which would be the factors...?

Structure of An Issue

• Requirements:
  • Adopt the form of an interrogative.
  • Be expressed in a clear and precise language, with no ambiguities.
  • Express a relationship between variables, field of study, population.
  • Posibility that it can be empircally tested (observed in reality).
  • Suggest the method to use.
• A problem of investigation is the question set that requires, in order to be solbed, the application of the scientific methos.

The selection of a research problem is based on personal interests and updated knowledge about it.

• These are the conditions for selection such a research topic: Increment the specific knowledge of the study area. Can be object of observation or experimentation. Does not refer to moral or ethical questions Offers practical results Is feasible to do in current conditions and resources

The formulation of the problem is facilitated by considering

• Selection of the general theme, preliminary update of knowledge, determining the problem in a clear and precise way, complete and relevant review of the appropriate bibliography, clear and precise statement of the research problem in the form of a question or relation between variables.