25-11-2021 IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

Prof.(Dr.) BAIJU K. C.Professor & Head

Department of EconomicsDean, School of Economics,

Central University of KeralaTejeswini Hills, Periye (P.O), Kasargod,

IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

International Workshop on RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

organised by University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Nizwa

25-11-2021

Presentation from Central University of Kerala for

WHAT IS RESEARCH ? • Research is a creative and systematic work

undertaken to enlarge the domain of knowledge.

• It involves the collection, organization and analysis of information to increase the understanding of a topic, a phenomena, a practice, a policy or issue.

• It all begins with a ‘problem’.

Prof. Baiju K.C., CUK

A RESEARCH PROBLEM? • From where ???????

• Curiosity• Information Gaps• Controversy• Replication• Review of related literature• Other People (policy, governance....)???


SOURCES FOR IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM


Sources of a

research Idea

Personal Experience

literature/web sources

Existing theories

Previous research

Academic experiences

Professional meetings

Discussions

Opinion leaders

Funding agencies

FOCUSING A RESEARCH PROBLEM


Brain storming

Intuition

Consultation

Professional ExperienceSocial Issues

Theory/ model

building

Policy and Governance

A RESEARCH IDEA TO AREA, TOPIC AND PROBLEM?


Idea

Area

Topic

•Cost of Living•Employment and Demographic dividend • Inter-state migration and Labour market

•Surge in Price level of Oil products•Skill development and Employability of the youth

•Inter-state Migrant Labourers in the Informal Labour Market

•Fiscal Implications of Oil price Rise in India•Acquired and Required Skill sets of Educated Youth in India

•Wage and Employment of inter-state migrant workers in Kerala



• Problems:– Fiscal Federalism in the Tax sharing of Oil

prices in India– Economic Impact of surge in oil prices among

the different income groups in India –A micro level analysis



• Problems:– Skill development and Employability of Women

in MSMEs –A case study in Kerala– Skill development for employability in online

trading



• Problems:– Wage, Employment and Social Security of the

Inmigrant workers in the Construction sector of Kerala

– Impact of the Pandemic on Inmigrant Workers in Kerala

IDENTIFYING A RESEARCHABLE PROBLEM


ü Research Idea generates from…

• Everyday life (Professional experience)• Practical issues (Burning questions)• Review of Past research/Literature• Professional meetings• Discussions with experts

ü Which leads to identify a critical research gap which often generates more questions

ü Disagreements among studies can also lead to worthwhile research problems…

WAYS OF FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM


• Nominal (Formal), defining with concepts– Wage and Employment of inmigrant labourers in

Kerala• Epistemic (example), defining by example

– Wage and Employment of inmigrant labourers –the case of construction workers

• Procedural (operational), defining a method to recognize examples– Wage differentials between local and migrant labourers

HOW DO A RESEARCH PROBLEM TAKES ITS SHAPE?

Review of Literature Literature in your specific field

• Ask questions by oneself pertaining to the problem-Wh questions…?

• Listen to experiences of practical problems in the field

• Learn from those experiencing the issues in the field (pre pilot study)

• Request for proposals


CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM…

1. Interesting – keeps the researcher interested in it throughout the research process

2. Researchable – can be investigated through the collection and analysis of data

3. Significant – contributes to the improvement and understanding of existing/new theory and practice

4. Manageable – fits the level of researcher’s level of research skills, needed resources, and time restrictions

5. Ethical – does not embarass or harm participants, culture, values etc. Prof. Baiju K.C., CUK

REFINING THE PROBLEM…

• The process of refining the question or idea into a problem and making it sufficiently specific so that it is amenable to investigation

• This process should lead to the development of a statement of the problem that is clear, concise, and precise


STATING THE PROBLEM…

• The purpose statement/ statement of the problem conveys the overall intent of a proposed study

• The purpose statement sets the objective, the intent or the major idea of a proposal or a study

• This idea builds on a need (the problem) and is refined into specific questions

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TITLE OF THE STUDY

• The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. A good title contains the fewest possible words needed to adequately describe the content and/or purpose of your research paper.

• The following parameters can be used to help you formulate a suitable research paper title:The purpose of the researchThe narrative tone of the paper [typically defined by

the type of the research]The methods used


TITLE OF THE STUDY

•The initial aim of a title is to capture the reader’s attention and to highlight to the research problem under investigation.•The key terms used in the title of the study are to be defined

• Dictionary/ technical definition• Operational definition


SOURCES OF DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS

Review of Literature in your specific field

• Articles in Professional Journals

• Electronic Abstracts and Indexes

• Web Searches• Books,

Monographs, Government Reports

• Professional Standards

• Legislation• Regulations• Journalistic

Sources• Advocacy Groups


TYPES OF RESEARCH TOPICS

• Descriptive– What is going on, what exist

• Relational– Look at relationship between two or more variables

• Causal– Study one or more variables causes or affects one or more

outcome variables

The three can be viewed as cumulative

What Makes a Good Research

Question? What is a Research Question? A research question guides and centers your research. It should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument. Even if your instructor has given you a specific assignment, the research question should ideally be something that you are interested in or care about. Be careful to avoid the “all-about” paper and questions that can be answered in a few factual statements. Examples: 1. For instance, the following question is too broad and does not define the segments of the analysis: Why did the chicken cross the road? (The question does not address which chicken or which road.) 2. Similarly, the following question could be answered by a hypothetical Internet search: How many chickens crossed Broad Street in Durham, NC, on February 6, 2014? (Ostensibly, this question could be answered in one sentence and does not leave room for analysis. It could, however, become data for a larger argument.) 3. A more precise question might be the following: What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in Durham, NC between January and February 2014 that would cause chickens to cross Broad Street? (This question can lead to the author taking a stand on which factors are significant, and allows the writer to argue to what degree the results are beneficial or detrimental.)

How Do You Formulate A Good Research Question? Choose a general topic of interest, and conduct preliminary research on this topic in current periodicals and journals to see what research has already been done. This will help determine what kinds of questions the topic generates. Once you have conducted preliminary research, consider: Who is the audience? Is it an academic essay, or will it be read by a more general public? Once you have conducted preliminary research, start asking open-ended “How?” “What?” and Why?” questions. Then evaluate possible responses to those questions.


A HIERARCHY OF CONCEPTS

We can distinguish levels of concepts and questions, which vary in levels of abstraction, forming an inductive-deductive hierarchy:

Research area;Research topic;General research questions;Specific research questions; Data collection questions.

Eg: RQ:How are Remittance impact on select economic variables?

Duke Writing Studio 3 Examples: Possible research question: Are females smarter than males? This question delineates the variables to be measured: gender and intelligence. Yet, it is unclear how they will be evaluated: What method will be used to define and measure intelligence? Revised question: Do females age 18-35 score higher than adult males age 18-35 on the WAIS-III? (The WAIS-III is a standardized intelligence test.) This research question produces data that can be replicated. From there, the author can devise a question that takes a stand. In essence, the research question that guides the sciences and social sciences should do the following three things:2

1) Post a problem. 2) Shape the problem into a testable hypothesis. 3) Report the results of the tested hypothesis.

There are two types of data that can help shape research questions in the sciences and social sciences: quantitative and qualitative data. While quantitative data focuses on the numerical measurement and analysis between variables, qualitative data examines the social processes that give rise to the relationships, interactions, and constraints of the inquiry. Writing After the Research Question The answer to your research question should be your thesis statement. Keep in mind that you will most likely continue to refine your thesis statement as you conduct and write about your research. A good research question, however, puts you well on your way to writing a strong research paper. Helpful Links

• http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/?p=307

• http://vanderbilt.edu/writing/manage/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Formulating%20Your%20Research%20Question.pdf

• http://www.esc.edu/online-writing-center/resources/research/research-paper-

steps/developing-questions/

• http://psych.csufresno.edu/psy144/Content/Science/researchquestion.html

2 Lee Cuba, A Short Guide to Writing About Social Science, third edition. (New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc., 1997), 70-71.


A HIERARCHY OF CONCEPTS

General

Specific Concrete

internal consistency

coherence

validity











FROM RESEARCH AREAS TO RESEARCH TOPICS

• Research areas are usually stated in a few words, and sometimes just one word.• Research topics are a few words, but usually more than those describing the

research areasFrom research area to research problem

Research area: Inmigration in KeralaPossible research topics:1. Economic and social impact of inmigration in Kerala2. Managing inmigration and changing scenario of labour market in Kerala3. Extent of workplace exploitation of inmigrant labourers in the construction sector in Kerala

4. Rate of increase of inmigrant labourers in the construction sectorNote: Topic 1&2 à Qualitative; 3&4à Quantitative……….HOW?


RESEARCH TOPICS TO GENERAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Resaerch topic:Extent of workplace exploitation of inmigrant labourers in the construction sector in KeralaResearch Question 1What are the different types of exploitation prevail in the construction sector of Kerala?Research Question 2What is the incidence of gender discrimination and exploitation among the inmigrant labourers in the construction sector of Kerala?Note: More greneral questions are possible. These are only sample qns. As noted earlier the topic has a quantitative inclination and so are the qns...


GENERAL TO SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS

General Qn.1

Specific Qn 1.1 Specific Qn. 1.2Specific Qn. 1.3





A RESEARCH QUESTION MUST IDENTIFY…

A Research Question is a statement that identifies the phenomenon to be studied. It should identify:

1. The variables under study2. The population being studied3. The testability of the question





WHAT MAKES A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION?

• Guides and centers the research•Important to answer•Leads to solution of the problem•Has intuitive appeal

• Focused• Empirical• Clear• Based on prior

research or theory

Types of Research Questions• Exploratory• Descriptive• Explanatory• Predictive• Evaluative


TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONSDescriptive• Obtaining specific

facts• Obtaining facts to

describe issue• Summarizing

population characteristics

• Examining non-causal relationships

Eg: What is the relationship between environmental pollution and health?

Exploratory• Clarifying Questions• Clarifying Populations• Clarifying Ideas• Open-endedEg:What are the Health issues of mine workers?

Explanatory• Examines causal

relationships• Tests causal

hypotheses• Explains

relationships• Builds theories

eg: What are the health hazards caused by pollution?


TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Evaluative

• Deal with matters of choice value and judgment

• Inferential questions• Assessing levels of

performancce

Predictive• Predicts events• Predicts

characteristics• Uses Theory and

Description• Develops predictive

equations(Regression and prediction Extrapolation )

Mixed• Triangulation•Multi-measures•Multi-methods


HOW TO FORMULATE OBJECTIVES?

Your objectives grow out of your research questions.

The main difference between objectives and research questions is the way in which they are written.

Research questions are obviously those questions which summarizes the issue under study.

Objectives transform these questions into behavioural aims by using action-oriented words such as 'to find out', 'to determine', 'to ascertain' and 'to examine‘,‘to measure, ‘to explore’ etc.


RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Research questions Research objectivesWhy have organizations introduced early retirement ?

To identify organization’s aim for introducing different retirement schemes.

What are the consequences of early retirement schemes ?

To describe the consequences of early recruitment for employees.To explore the effects of early retirement for the organization

The research objectives are pursued in order to answer the research questions Prof. Baiju K.C., CUK

THEORY BLENDING

• A theory is a set of interrelated constructs, definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining and predicting the phenomena.

• Constructs are concepts adapted for a scientific purpose

• Through research, scientists can develop, modify, or evaluate theories.


THEORY BLENDING

• Theories are generated by using inductiveprocesses

• A deductive approach is used to evaluate and modify existing theory by testing predictionsabout relationships between observed phenomena.


THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

q It provides a context for examining a problem i.e. theoretical rationale for:q Developing hypotheses

q A frame of reference/base for

q Observations

q Definitions of concepts

q Research designs

q Interpretations

q Generalizations

q Serves as a guide to systematically identify logical, precisely defined relationships among variables


USE OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK IN A STUDY

• The outcomes of the study must be viewed in terms of their support or lack of support of the chosen theoretical rationale

• The theoretical framework plays an important role inguiding the entire process of the research study


• If the framework is logically sound and substantiated by previous research studies, there is a strong possibility that the predictions or hypotheses developing from that framework will be supported.

• In some cases, a theoretical rationale is inappropriately used. e.g.; a theory is designed to explain a particular behaviour of the tribals may not be appropriate for the study of those behaviours in prisoners

USE OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK IN A STUDY


HOW TO DEVELOP A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2. Identify the interrelationships among concepts

A relationship may be:a. rigid = scientific law e.g. laws of motionNo known contradiction has beenobservedb. tentative or questionable = relationship that does not convey truth or falsity

1. Select concepts-

a concept is an image or symbolic representation of an abstract idea. e.g. health, pain, intelligence …


HOW TO DEVELOP A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

4. Formulating the theoretical rationale

• Through the literature review, an investigator becomes aware of or confirms identified theoretical connections between variables

• In evaluating the formulation of the theoretical rationale, the internal structures, such as concepts and their definitions, should have clarity and continuity, and the approach to understanding phenomena, whether inductive or deductive, should be logical

3. Formulating definitions-To develop a theoretical framework that can generate and test hypotheses, concepts must be clearly defined

A. Conceptual definition … conveys the general meaning of the concept

B. Operational definition … adds another dimension to the conceptual definition by delineating the procedures or operations required to measure the concept

Some concepts are easily defined in operational terms, e.g. wage, other concepts are more difficult to define operationally, e.g. trustworthiness


TYPES OF THEORIES & TYPES OF RESEARCH

Theories may describe a particular phenomenon, explain relationships between or among phenomena, or predict how one phenomenon affects anotherTheory Purpose Type of researchDescriptive describe or classify specific

dimensions or characteristics of individuals, groups, situations, or events by summarizing the commonalities found in discrete observations

To test descriptive theories, researchers conduct descriptive research studies


TYPES OF THEORIES & TYPES OF RESEARCHTheory Purpose Type of researchExplanatory theories specify relations among

the dimensions or characteristics of individuals, groups, situations, or events

Explanatory theories are tested by using correlational research

Predictive theories intended to predict “precise relationships between the dimensions or characteristics of a phenomenon or differences between groups”

Predictive theories are tested through Experimental or quasi-experimental research designs


CONTRIBUTION OF THEORIES TO RESEARCH

When developing a theoretical framework for research studies, knowledge is acquired through:

Ø Disciplines other than Economics and rented for the purpose of answering questions your discipline

Ø Identifying and asking questions about phenomena that are unique to Economics


CONTRIBUTION OF THEORIES TO RESEARCH

• Theories unique to economics help to define how it is different from other disciplines

• The central phenomena of interest to economics are house holds, firms, government, environment, health & economic growth and development, finance , trade, market ,supply,demand and price, policies etc.


CRITIQUING THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

1. Is the theoretical framework clearly identified?2. Is the theoretical framework consistent with what is being

studied?3. Are the concepts clearly and operationally defined? Do they

reflect the area of investigation?4. Was sufficient literature reviewed to support the proposed

relationships?5. Is the theoretical basis for hypothesis formulation clearly

articulated? Is it logical?Prof. Baiju K.C., CUK

CRITIQUING THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

6. Are the relationships among propositions clearly defined?

7. If the theory is borrowed from a discipline other than economics are the data related specifically to economics?

8. Does the instrument used to measure the variables, consistent with the theoretical framework?

9. Are the study findings related to the theoretical rationale?


SUMMARISING THE STEPS IN RESEARCH PROBLEM

Broad areas

Select the most interesting one

Dissect into subareas

Research questions

Formulate objectives

Identify research gaps











STEPS IN FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM


IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

"Well begun is half done"--Aristotle, quoting an old proverb


SUGGESTED READINGS

• Carter V. Good : How to do Research in Education ( Published 2006 by Indigo Books)

• John W. Best, James V. Kahn : Research in Education – 10th ed. 2008.

• Jonathan Grix: The Foundations of Research, (Palgrave Research Skill Series, 2nd ed.)

• John W. Creswell : Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Method

Approaches, 4th ed.2014.

C.R. Kothari(1994): An Introduction to Operational Research



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25-11-2021 IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM