RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Problem Statement ,
Research questions&
Hypotheses
Analyzing & Writing a Statement of a Problem
DR. Amira Yahia
By the end of this session the student will be able to
:
 Define terms related to research
 Identify the problem statement
 Discuss the source of information
 Draw problem analysis diagram
 Explain basic description of the problem
 Evaluate research problem
 Set some examples of research question
 Discuss the hypothesis
 List Theory related to research

Studies begin as problems that
researchers want to solve or as
questions they want to answer. This
chapter discusses the formulation and
development of research problems. We
begin by clarifying some relevant terms.
Research Problem: A situation or circumstance
that requires a solution to be described, explained,
or predicted. It is an unsatisfactory situation that
wants you to confront.
4
Research Topic: The broad general area
expected to investigate. It is a broad idea or
concept from which many problems may be
delineated.

Once the researcher has decided on the problem
of the research, then she needs to have a
definition/description of the problem written in a
concise clear manner. It should contain information such as:




Background information concerning the health status
of the community.
Basic description of the problem.
Justification.
Mention previous studies
CONT…
Articulates the problem to be addressed
and indicates the need for a study.

This constitutes the scientific justification for the
study; i.e. the basis of the need for research to
generate further knowledge that will contribute to
the existing knowledge.

The statement must be written in a way that gives
an empirical basis to describe the situation and also
specifies clearly the gaps in the existing knowledge
and/or controversy and inconclusive evidence.
The problem statement should make a convincing
argument that:
 Sufficient knowledge is not available to explain the
problem under study.
Or
 There is a need to test what is known and taken as
fact, in a situation of new findings or conditions.
The research statement should include six
elements:
 Information about the research topic that
provoked the study
 The scope of the problem (e.g.. how many
people are affected by it).
 Why it is important to study the problem
The research statement should include six
elements:
 How nursing science would be influenced by the
study
 General characteristics of the population of
interest
 The overall goal or aim of the study or the
question to be answered.
CONT….
:
Are the specific queries researchers
want to answer in addressing the
research problem. Research questions
guide the types of data to be collected in
a study.
Are formal statement represent the
relationship between two or more
variable rather than seeking to describe
a relationship , a research hypothesis
predicts or clearly explaining outcome.
Students are sometimes puzzled about the origins of
research problems. Where do ideas for research
problems come from? How do researchers select topic
areas and develop research questions? At the most
basic level, research topics originate with researchers’
interests. Because research is a time consuming
enterprise, curiosity about and interest in a topic are
essential to a project’s success. Explicit sources that
might fuel researchers’ curiosity include experience,
the nursing literature, social issues, theories, and
ideas from others.

The development of a research problem is a
creative process that depends on imagination and
creativity. It is better to begin by relaxing and
jotting down general areas of interest as they come
to mind. The important point is to put some ideas
on paper. Examples of some broad topics that may
come to mind include nurse—patient
communication, pain in patients with cancer, and
postoperative loss of orientation.
Specify and describe core problem
 Analyze the problem by identifying factors and
their interactions with the problem.
 Draw a simplified problem diagram.
 Organize related factors into larger categories
 Formulating the problem statement

ANALYZE
THE PROBLEM BY IDENTIFYING FACTORS AND
THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH THE PROBLEM
Factor
Problem
Factor
High rate of
Complicated
malaria
Insufficient
Peripheral
facilities
Poor patient
Compliance
With
therapy
High rate of
Complicated
malaria
Bad
management
of
complication
High rate
Of severe
malaria
Delayed
Health
Seeking
 Socio-cultural


Delayed health seeking behavior
Poor patient compliance to therapy
 Service


Insufficient peripheral facilities
Inappropriate management of complications
 Disease

related
related
High rate of severe malaria
Background information:
 Magnitude, frequency and distribution.
 Affected geographical areas
 Affected population groups
 Ethnic and gender considerations.
Basic description of the problem:
 Probable causes of the problem
 What is the current knowledge of the problem and
its causes?
 Possible factors influencing problem
 Is there a consensus?
 Is there a controversy?
 Is there a conclusive evidence?
Justification:
 In what ways have solutions to the problem been
attempted?
 What has been proposed? And what are the
results?
 What remains to be answered?
 What areas have not been possible to understand,
determine, verify, or test?

the research problems &purpose are significant
to nurse
Generate
Clarify
Relevant
The feasibility of research problems & purpose
Can be practically done
1- researcher expertise
2- Financial commitment
3-Subject,facility,equipmet
4- Ethical consideration
1-Percived discrepancy between what is
existing and what is expected
2- A question why this discrepancy exists
3- More than one answer to the question is
expected
The problem selected for the research should fulfill the
following criteria:
RELIVANCE:-THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE AN
IMPORTANT HEALTH PROBLEM.
2. APPLICABLE:THE PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE SOME
CHANCE OF BEING SOLVED.
3. FEASIBILITY: THE RESEARCH SHOULD BE
FEASIBLE WITHIN THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
4-Political acceptability
The ultimate goal of a research is to provide
decision – makers and managers with results , so
it is advisable to choose a topic that has the
interest and support of the authorities . This will
increase the chance for recommendations to be
implemented .
Urgency of results needed According to the
.urgency needed for data , the researcher
should decide what research to be done first
and which can be done later
Ethical issues should be considered when we are
trying to choose a research topic, for we may do
harm on others when we are carrying out research.
Acceptance of research by the study subjects is
important and taking consents from them is always
important.
7
Before you decide to conduct a research, you should
find out whether the suggested topic was investigated
before in this area or another area with similar
conditions. If the topic has been investigated the results
should be reviewed to explore whether major questions
need further investigations, if not this topic is not
suitable for research and should be discarded.
THE RESEARCH SHOULD BE COST/EFFECTIVE
There are no rules for making a final selection of a
research problem. Some criteria, however, should
be kept in mind in the decision-making process.
The four most important considerations are the
significance, research ability, and feasibility of the
problem, and its interest to the researcher
It is a direct rewording of the statement of the
purpose phrased interrogatively rather than
declaratively

Questions that are simple and direct invite an answer and
help to focus attention on the kinds of data needed to provide
that answer.
32
Example of a research question:

What is the relationship between the
nurses’ job satisfaction and their
tendency to leave the work setting?
33
Do nurses with greater empathy have patients
experiencing less pain and receiving adequate
Analgesia than those with less empathy?


What is the lived experience of caring for a family
member with Alzheimer’s disease at home?

It is the research’s prediction of the outcome of the
research study. That is the expected relationship
between the study variables.

Thus, RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS translates the research
purpose into a clear prediction of the expected results or
outcome of the study
35
Importance of R.H.:
 It provides direction for the type of research (i.e. design,
sampling, data collection .. etc.).
 Suggests the type of statistical analysis to be used in the
study.
 Identifies the variables to be manipulated and/or
measured
36
How to state a R.H.:
 Research hypothesis should be stated clearly, concisely,
measurably, and in the present tense.

For a hypothesis to be stated clearly, concisely, and
measurably, three criteria should be considered:
37
Three criteria should be considered:
1.
2.
3.
A relationship should be addressed in each hypothesis.
The variable/condition/relationship must be testable
or measurable.
The aim of the research guides what is included in the
research hypothesis.
38
Types of hypothesis
Simple
 It predicts the relationship \between one independent
variable and one dependent variable.
Example:
 Newborns of smoking mothers (I.V) have lower birth
weight (D.V.) than those of non-smoking mothers.
 Lower levels of exercise postpartum (I.V) will be
associated with greater weight retention (D.V )
39
Types of hypothesis
Complex
 It predicts the relationship between 2 or more I.V. and 2
or more D.V.
Example:
 Structured preoperative support (IV).is more effective in
reducing surgical patient’s perception of pain (D.V) and
request of analgesics (D.V) than structured post
operative support (i.v.)
40
Null
 It
predicts no relationship between I.V. and D.V.
 It is used when statistical testing procedures are
applied to the data.
Example:
 There is no relationship between maternal
smoking and newborn’s birth weight.
41
Alternative
It is the opposite of the null hypothesis. So, it
predicts a relationship between the I.V. and
D.V.
Example:
 All the previous examples are alternative
hypotheses.

42
THEORY
To refer to an abstract generalization that
offers a systematic explanation about how
phenomena are interrelated.
 Types of theories
1-descriptive theory :
That “describe or classify specific dimensions or
characteristics of individuals, groups, situations, or
events by summarizing commonalities found in
discrete observations
2-Grand theories or macro theories
describe and explain large segments of the human
experience.
3- Learning theorist
Such as sociologists, developed general theoretical
systems to account for broad classes of behavior.
4-Middle-range theories
Restricted in scope, focusing on a narrow range of
experience. attempt to explain such phenomena as
decision-making, stress, self-care, health promotion, and
infant attachment.
A framework of the overall conceptual underpinnings of
a study. Not every study is based on a theory or conceptual
model, but every study has a framework. In a study based
on a theory, the framework is referred to as the theoretical
framework
SUMMARY
research problem is a perplexing or
enigmatic
situation that a researcher wants to address
through disciplined inquiry.
• The most common sources of ideas for
nursing
research problems are experience, relevant
literature, social issues, theory, and external
sources.

A
Various criteria should be considered in assessing the
value of a research problem. The problem should be
clinically significant; researchable.
• Feasibility involves the issues of time, cooperation
of study participants and other people, availability of
facilities and equipment, researcher experience, and ethical
considerations.

• Problem statement articulates the nature, context , and
significance of a problem to be studied.
A research question is the specific query researchers want
to answer in addressing the
research problem.
GROUP
WORK
& PRESENTATIONS
1.
Identify a research problem
2.
Make a problem analysis
diagram
3.
Rearrange factors into
broader categories
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR
GROUP WORK
(HOME
WORK)
Prepare a first draft of one page of the statement of the problem for your group highlighting some of
the following:
Background information:

Magnitude, frequency and distribution.

Affected geographical areas and population groups

Ethnic and gender considerations.
Basic description of the problem:

Probable causes of the problem

What is the current knowledge of the problem and its causes?

Possible factors influencing problem

Is there a consensus?

Is there a controversy?

Is there a conclusive evidence?
Justification:

In what ways have solutions to the problem been attempted?

What has been proposed? And what are the results?

What remains to be answered?

What areas have not been possible to understand, determine, verify, or test?