Introduction
Research problems form the center of studies initiated to solve certain gaps that exist as regards to knowledge in a field. Devising a research problem determines the admissibility of a study. Thus, initiating worthy research problem remains significant in completing studies. However, certain difficulties seem to emerge while researchers describe these study problems.
Further, identification of setbacks necessitating seems to raise concerns regarding executing it thereafter supporting it or vice versa. Finally, revising problem statements also avail challenges to researchers. This paper tends to discuss these three facets regarding research.
Challenges in Describing Researchable Problem
Apparently, describing research problem for a study remains a challenge to many scholars. The difficulties emanate from dissimilar issues ranging from technical and administrative concerns. Describing researchable problem necessitates accessing necessary information and statistics about the problem under study.
The need for sufficient information for describing researchable problem overrides all (National Research Council, US, 2003). This is because justifying the research problem permits a researcher to continue with the study. Thus, any happening that hinders researcher’s access to information avails challenges to describing researchable problem.
Notably, researchers experience challenges while collecting information for the initial justification of the researchable problem. With holding information by organizations because of their information privacy policies appear as the first challenge (Ellis & Levy, 2008). Researchers focusing on organizational setups including organizational policies in handling prejudice against women.
Several companies tend to withhold information against the public fearing people might expose their dealings and discriminations. This affects researcher’s mission in gaining useful information thus becoming a challenge to the description of researchable problem.
Researchers also experience problems due to bureaucratic nature of many organizations. Bureaucracy stipulates following necessary procedures before gaining the opportunity to collect viable information. Researchers waste monumental proportions of time in accessing useful information because of bureaucracy. Similarly, bureaucracy limits chances in organizations for other workforce to avail information to the public.
Some companies prohibit staff from talking about its operations to the public. This emerges as a challenge to researchers in describing their research problems. A company policy also limits researchers to gain information through observational study.
Researcher’s intentions visit organizations to gain data through observation normally fails to materialize because of the policies that are in force in such organizations. Thus, the researchers fail to attain credible data for developing a case to justify their problem statement.
Problem Identification
Regularly research studies begin by identifying the research problem ahead of supporting the problem. Identification of the problem permits the researcher to discuss something already known. Thus, researcher supports the selection of the problem within a delineated boundary of literature. This makes researcher work easy since supporting the problem will focus on issue (Ellis & Levy, 2008).
Furthermore, reading through past literature for relevant information and facts also becomes credible. The researcher thus engages in an informed discussion, which materializes, as discreet and focused.
Conversely, supporting research problems before identification emerge as an uninformed and demanding work to the researcher. This predisposes a researcher to canvass over several issues without pinpointing the details (Ellis & Levy, 2008). This circumstance puts the researcher to search for information over broad areas, which avails magnanimous challenges.
Identification of a problem to investigate and sustaining it appears tenable for the simple reason that most student researchers lack experience and knowledge. This limits student’s ability to develop a strong case beginning from discussing an unidentified issue (Ellis & Levy, 2008). Apparently, seasoned scholars may advance in such a situation fairly and with ease.
Thus, for students choosing the problem to investigate helps guide the progressions necessary in the research. Understanding the problem under study makes the researcher work towards answering the identified problem.
Further, knowing the problem before hand enhances researcher’s ability to ensure interaction of the topic with other basic elements of the research (Ellis & Levy, 2008). These include research goals, questions, methods, outcomes, and summary.
Challenges Faced in Revising Last Problem Statement
Research problems regularly tend to avail insights regarding existing predicaments requiring investigation. Stating research problems remains a key phase of research which permits students execute the study upon approval by the faculty. Notably, revising research problems enable understanding diverse issues, which may have passed without notice but require attention.
Revision also avails more ideas, which ought to gain mention in the preliminary problem statement (Figliola, 2010). Further, the revision also enable comprehension of the problem fairly and projecting it to the study reflect the quantity of work that potentially takes place.
The revision raises fundamental thoughts as regards to the intellectual and training merit for this research idea. This is because the research problem tends to focus on a topic that apparently has little links with the training background. Furthermore, the revision initiates new thoughts about certain factors, which would have augmented ability to accelerate the study (Figliola, 2010).
These emanates from the realization that the chosen study methodology and work tactics will not fully attain plausible information. Again, certain flaws identified through thoughtful revision indicate shallow considerations for the study problem.
Conclusion
In summary, diverse challenges emanate from attempting to describe research problems. These emerge from setbacks confronting researchers in gaining information. Actually, it is wise to identify the research problem thus supporting it later owing to its identified advantages. Finally, revising research problems avail insights into diverse issues that failed to gain attention while developing the problem statement.
References
Ellis, T. & Levy, Y. (2008). Framework of Problem-Based Research: A Guide for Novice Researchers on the Development of a Research-Worthy Problem. Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Trans discipline, Vol. 11: 17-33.
Figliola, P. (2010). Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program (NITRD): Funding Issues and Activities. Washington, WA: DIANE Publishing.
National Research Council U.S. (2003). Innovation in Information Technology. Washington, WA: National Academies Press.