Constructing the Research Problem

Abstract

« What am I looking for ? » The research problem is the general question the researcher is trying to answer – the objective of a study. Inasmuch as it expresses and crystallises the study’s knowledge target, the subject of the inquiry is necessarily a key element in the whole research process. It provides guidelines by which researchers can question the aspects of reality they have decided to study, or can develop an understanding of the reality. This chapter provides the researcher with some techniques to assist in elaborating the research problem. It begins by defining what is meant by a research problem, and shows how this signification can differ according to the investigator’s epistemological assumptions. It then proposes different methods by which a research problem may be constructed, and presents a number of possible approaches to take. Finally, using examples, it illustrates the recursive nature of, and some of the difficulties involved in, the process of constructing the research problem.