Problem Statements/ Writing a research question

Flowchart nodes

• Problem Statements

• Selecting problem for study

• Consent information

• Guiding thoughts

• writing chapter one

• Ethical considerations

• Writing your question

• General comments

• Researchable questions

• Mixed methods question

• Quantitative question

• Qualitative question

• 1. Planning is like a trip; the hardest part is to chose a destination, the rest will fall into place after that. 2. It is recommended to look at other people research questions for a model.

• 1. Be realistic. Focus on your contexts, situation, and time available. 2. Chose a sample that is convenient to study. Is it convenient for you? 3. Consider ease of access. Easy access to participants. 4. Do not be to abstract with your question.  Delimitate 5. Be flexible. Be ready to adjust your research question. 6. Does your study have any importance?.... Is it worth to do research on it. 7. Be interested on your topic.

• The purpose of your research project is to answer your research question. Questions based on opinion, personal philosophies or beliefs are generally not researchable. What kind of problem is it?That depends of the framing of your question and the nature of the information you wish to collect; qualitative data (from the point of view of the participants), quantitative data ( mainly explained by numbers), or both.

• Qualitative research is useful for describing or answering questions about particular, localized occurrences or contexts and the perspectives of a particular group toward events, beliefs or practices.

• Quantitative research is based on the collection and analysis of numerical data. Underlying quantitative research methods is the belief or assumption that we inhabit a relatively stable, uniform, and coherent world that can be measured.

• Because mixed studies are looking at two questions, one to be answered with a quantitative methodology and one with a qualitative methodology, the question must be a compound statement.

• 1. The statement typically starts with “The purpose of this study…” 2. Some researchers prefer to use a question rather than a statement. Either is fine. 3. Write for clarity. Avoid technical jargon or complicated grammatical construction. 4. Unless you are using a mixed methods design, avoid the use of the word “and” in a problem statement. Researching two statements makes your research work much more complicated.

• Every university has a human subjects review committee, often called an institutional review board (IRB) Depending on the nature of the study, the research project may fall into one of three categories: full review, expedited review, or exempt from review. The category is determined by the degree to which the study will involve and impact the subjects. Two important criteria that must be met concerning the use of human subjects: their privacy must be maintained and you must have informed consent. The IRB has the final say on whether informed consent is required in specific situations

• Once you have your research question you are ready to start writing chapter 1 - Introduction. Chapter One typically includes the follow pieces: 1. History of the problem 2. Description of the context 3. Theoretical constructs 4. Why the problem is important 5. Problem statement 6. List of terms

•  A letter of consent.