RESEARCH PROBLEM FORMULATION

Formulating the Research Problem

Formulation of research problem is the first step in research process. There are two types of research problem: those which relate to the states of variable those who relate to the relationship between variables. The researcher must decide the general area of subject to which he wants to study or ambiguities if any.

Cont.
There

are two steps involved in formulating the research problem: - Understanding the problem throughly - Reharsing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point of view. The research must at the same time examine all the available literature to get himself familiar with the problem - Conceptual literature concerning the concepts and theories. - Empirical literature consisting of the studies made earlier which are similar to the proposed one.

What is Research Problem

A research problem in general refers to some difficulty which a researcher experiences in the context of either a theoratical or practical situation and wants a solution for the same.

Conditions
must be an individual let us say I to which problem is attribute. It occupies an environment N and defined by value of controlled variables. There must be at least 2 courses of action C1 and C2 to be pursued. A course is defined by value of controlled variables. There must at least two possible outcomes of the course of action, of which one should be preferred to other. The courses of action must provides some chance of obtaining the objective, but they can not provide the same chance, otherwise the choice would not matter.
There

Components of Research Problem

There

must be an individual or a group which has some difficulty or the problem There must be some objective(s) to be attained at. If one wants nothing one cannot have a problem. There must be alternative means (courses of action) for obtaining the objective. There must remain some doubt in the mind of a researcher with regard to the selection of alternatives. Research must answer the relative efficiency of the possible alternatives There must be some environment(s) to which the efficiency pertains

Selecting the problem

The following points must be taken into account while selecting a problem Subject which is overdone must not be selected. Controversial subject should not be choosen by an average researcher. Too narrow or too vague problems should not be chosen.

The problem should be chosen in such a way that the ingredients required for the study should be within the reach of a researcher.

Cont..
The

importance of the subject, time ,efficiency of

the researchers is also an essential requisite factor. Selection of problem must be preceded by a preliminary study.

Necessity of definnig the problem

Problem clearly stated is a problem half solved. An unambiguously defined problem helps in discriminating relevant data from irrelevant ones. Ill defined problem creates hurdles in the way of research. To summaries, a well defined problem helps in selecting appropriate techniques, collecting appropriate data and determining what relationships to be studied.

Technologies involved in defining a problem

Defining a problem Defining a problem involves the task of laying down boundaries within which it is to be studied. The usual approach of defining a problem is that researcher himself put a question. However, the following points are wise to consider

-State the problem in general way -Understand the nature of the problem -Survey the available literature -Develop ideas through disscussion -Rephrase the research problem into a working proposition

An Illustration
Why is productivity in Japan so much higher than in India? What factors are responsible for higher labour productivity of Japans manufacturing industries during the decade 1971 to 1980 relative to Indias manufacturing industries. To what extent did labour productivity in 1971to 1980 in Japan exceed that of India in respect of 15 selected industries? What factors were responsible for productivity differential between two countries by industries?

Conclusion
The task of defining a problem very often follows a sequential pattern- the prob. Is stated in a general way, the ambiguities are resolved, thinking and rethinking process results in a more specific formulation of the problem so that it may be realistic one in terms of available data and resources and is also analytically meaningful.