IDENTIFICATION AND FORMULATION OF RESEARCH IDENTIFICATION AND FORMULATION OF RESEARCH

Presented By Anand Y. Kenchakkanavar

What is a Research…..?

“Research is creating new knowledge.”-Neil Armstrong

“Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.”- Wernher von Braun

Research is an organized endeavors. Like any other organized work, research requires proper planning. Planning means deciding in advance. Planning of research means deciding the question or issue to be studied, setting the objectives of the study and determining it means achieving those objectives. It is an intellectual process. It gives direction to the work.

A researcher spends a great deal of time refining a research idea into a testable research problem, the process of defining a research problem:

Define a specific problem area Review relevant scientific literature Examine the problem’s potential significance to the area Pragmatically examine the feasibility of studying the

research problem

Selection of a problem for Research

The selection of a problem is the first step in research. The term ‘problem’ means a question or issue to be examined. The selection of a problem for research is not easy task; itself is a problem. It is least amenable to formal methodological treatment.

Sources to use in selecting a topic

1. Printed sources2. On-going research projects3. Available data sets

How to Identify and formulate Problem

1. Consult the library2. Read written records/documents3. Talk to “informed others”

Where do you see problems that can ignite your mind to think about research? Classroom Community Teaching experiences Classroom lectures Class discussions Seminars/workshops/paper presentations Internet

Reading assignments TextbooksResearch reportsTerm papers (Term papers are generally intended to describe an event, a concept, or argue a point. A term paper is a written original work discussing a topic in detail)Consultation with…

Course instructorAdvisorsSenior ProfessorOther Faculty members

 Sources of Research Problem The research problem

may be selected from the following sources:  

Theory of one’s own interest Daily problems Technological changes Unexplored areas Discussions with other people

 Characteristics of good problem/topicsTopic must be grounded on some already known fact which is used to introduce the topic and from which the research problem comes from. Interesting – keeps the researcher interested in it throughout the research process

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

Significant – contributes to the improvement and understanding of educational theory and practice

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

Major research problems What is your area of interest? Where could you look for help in deciding upon a specific research problem? What criteria will you apply when deciding upon a specific research problem? How could you narrow down your research problem? How might your value-judgments (preconceived ideas) affect your research endeavors?

A good problem statement exhibits the following

It clearly and unambiguously identifies the study variables

It clearly expresses the variables’ relationship to each other

It specifies the nature of the population being studied

It implies the possibility of empirical testing

Conclusion

In concluding lines I want to say that research is a

creative work and this presentation gives the researcher an

outline about the identification and formulation of research

problems. Best selected problems serve its purpose and prove the

solution to many identified and unidentified problems.

Thank You…