It’s instinctive to avoid problems, but with research, you have to look for problems and not just any problems, good problems. The goal of every research is to solve existing gaps in innovation or research, so your research must solve a problem for it to be a good one.

However, people publish papers just to publish, leading to thousands of unhelpful research papers circulating and solving non-existent problems while ignoring real-world issues.

Let’s look at what makes a research problem good and how to identify them.

What Is a Research Problem?

A research problem is a topic that needs to be investigated for innovation or improvement. Any impactful research topic that will lead to groundbreaking discovery starts with solving an urgent and relevant problem.

Research problems are the why behind your research study and answer the following questions:

• Why are you conducting this research?
• What knowledge gap are you trying to fill?
• What problem are you trying to solve?

Examples of Research Problems Across Different Fields

• Science:

  • What Is the Effect of Climate Change on Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean?
  • How Can We Develop a More Effective Vaccine for Resistant Malaria in Sub-Saharan Countries
  • What Are the Genetic Factors That Contribute to the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease?

• Business:

  • How Can Fintech Companies Improve Non-Tech Employee Engagement and Reduce Turnover?”
  • “What Are the Most Effective Marketing Strategies for Reaching Gen Z Consumers for Creative Agencies?”
  • “How Can E-Commerce Businesses Reduce Their Environmental Impact and Improve Their Sustainability Practices?”

• Social Studies:

  • What Are the Factors That Contribute to the Rise of Populism in Western Democracies?
  • How Does Access to Quality Education Impact Social Mobility in Urban Areas?
  • What Are the Long-Term Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health?

Why Do You Need to Define Research Problem?

Research problem definition is the foundation for your entire research process regardless of the type of research it may be. Without a clear and focused research problem, you cannot:

• Develop meaningful research questions: You derive research questions from the challenges your research should solve but how would you know what to investigate without a research problem definition?
• Design appropriate research methods: The problem you’re trying to solve will determine the methods you will use. For example, if your research problem is “How to mobilize social healthcare workers to contain an epidemic breakout in rural areas” your research method would be different from when your research problem is “How to use activated charcoal for CO2 absorption in chemical industries”
• Collect and analyze relevant data: You need to collect data that addresses the specific aspects of the problem you are investigating.
• Interpret and discuss your findings: Interpreting and discussing findings will only be relevant and help contribute to knowledge if you can relate it to the original research problem.

Signs You’ve Found a Good Research Problem

Here is what makes a research problem good:

Relevance to the Field of Study

A research paper’s relevance isn’t based on its newness but on how well it contributes to the existing body of knowledge. So, if your research problem is good, it will address a significant issue, fill a gap in understanding, or potentially advance your field.

Clear and Specific

Every quality research targets a specific problem and finds a solution to it. If your research problem isn’t aimed at solving a specific problem, you will not make any groundbreaking discoveries.

Budget-Friendly

A good research problem considers all the resources available to you—time, money, and access to data or participants. You will most likely get stuck if your budget can’t cover your research.

Fresh and Innovative

Your research problem should offer something new- a new finding or interpretation of existing data, methodology, or application of existing knowledge. Even if the topic has been studied before, try to find a unique angle or approach.

Common Mistakes When Identifying Research Problems

We’ve covered the characteristics of a good research problem, let’s see how to identify poor-quality research problems.

Ambiguous Problem Statement 

If your research problem is too vague, you are solving a specific problem, and your research goes into the pile of research nobody really needs.  For example, a research problem of the impact of social media” is too broad, a better problem would be “the impact of Instagram on self-esteem among adolescents in Texas.”

Overly Niche

While your research problem should be too wide, it shouldn’t be too niche. If your problem is too narrow, it might just be a really tiny part of the problem and won’t bring about any significant change.

Repetitive

Your research should not repeat what has already been published; it should advance knowledge. If you are not investigating a new angle to solve the problem or confirming its accuracy and reliability, there’s no need for it.

Focusing On a Solution Rather Than a Problem

While most research ends up in impactful recommendations and provides solutions; your research should investigate a problem and not just propose a solution. For example, “how to improve student test scores” is a solution-focused problem. A better problem would be “the factors contributing to low student test scores.”

Personal Bias

It is not uncommon to be very passionate about your research, the problem with this is that research needs to be objective, and evidence-based. If you are too attached to your research, you may not be able to separate your personal beliefs and opinions, which means you won’t be capable of identifying impactful research questions.

Steps to Identify a Research Problem

Here’s a breakdown of how to identify relevant research problems:

• Step 1: Be Curious and Observe

The first thing to finding research gaps your research problem will fill is to carefully look around and when you when it, be curious enough to want to find out. Start by looking for trends or patterns in your field that you find intriguing or puzzling. This means reading through as many research papers and finding a topic that sparks your interest because of its relevance and urgency.

• Step 2: Review Previous Research

After deciding on an area of interest, the next thing is to read through previous research and ask yourself- what needs to be improved, what did previous researcher missed, and if there is a new approach you can use to investigate this problem.

• Step 3: Get Second Opinion

It’s easy to get caught up in developing actionable research strategies after discovering pertinent research and their gaps, however, you should always get a second opinion from peers, mentors, and other researchers. Your passion and excitement could your judgment on how you can refine your research project.

• Step 4: Align With Your Skills and Resources

While research projects are not meant to be easy, the complexity of the problem should not be above your expertise and resources. Yes, formulating a research problem is usually challenging but it should be within reason. Insufficient resources and experience are how most researchers abandon their projects or cut corners and get their papers rejected.

How to Analyze Research Problems and Identify the Root Cause

Formulating a research problem also means identifying its root cause. Here is how to build a solid foundation for your research:

Brainstorming

This is the easiest way to unbiased problem formulation. Discuss with colleagues, mentors, and other professionals in your field if you have a good enough reason to pursue a research direction.

Fishbone Diagram

When dealing with a broad problem area, using advanced methods like the fishbone diagram is a much better approach. It helps you formulate research problems and questions by categorizing them into different “bones” of a fish. Common categories include people, processes, equipment, materials, environment, and measurement.

5 Whys Technique

This method helps you ensure your research problem survives the relevancy test. It investigates how relevant and researchable your problem is after a thorough review of pertinent research papers.

Pro Tip – You are not confined to a single method when brainstorming reasons why your research problem is relevant

How to Develop Solutions for Research Problems

Once you’ve identified the root cause, you can start developing solutions. Here are the most effective ways to solve your research problem and recommend new directions for future research:

• Think Creatively: Solving problems is always about coming up with something new, most times it is about doing things differently. So, go out of the box; previous research methods can guide your problem formulation, but it should not limit your methods.
• Consider Feasibility: You should aim high with your research findings but look at the resources available and ask yourself if they are enough to pursue a research study. The last thing you need is to start a complex research project, realize you’re low on resources, and have no choice but to quit.
• Collaborate with Experts:  Contributing to research is not trivial, so collect input from other researchers, practitioners, or other individuals with expertise in the area. Their experience can help you better understand your research and even answer your research questions based on their previous findings. It also ensures that you don’t repeat previous research and waste time and resources.
• Prioritize Solutions: It’s good practice to develop multiple solutions to your research problem. Next, look at the effectiveness and reliability of the solutions based on their potential impact and feasibility.

Choosing Research Methods for Developing Solutions

The following are the most common research methodologies:

• Qualitative Methods: These methods don’t go after size or numbers. Rather it wants to get a perspective on why the numbers are the way they are. For example, interviews, focus groups, or case studies to understand different perspectives of your area of study and propose contextual solutions.
• Quantitative Methods: These methods (e.g., surveys, experiments, statistical analysis) focus on the effectiveness of a solution and its impact. You can also use it to compare different findings e.g.
• Quantitative Methods: These methods (e.g., surveys, experiments, statistical analysis) focus on the effectiveness of a solution and its impact. You can also use it to compare different findings e.g. what’s the financial impact of cement manufacturing in the UK using adsorbents for carbon capture over the last 5 years vs amine scrubbing?
• Mixed Methods: In most cases, you need to understand the perspective and also measure impact. When you encounter research problems like this you combine both methods and use them to get a comprehensive understanding of the problem and recommend solutions.

Examples of Real-World Research Problem-Solving

Here are some real-life examples of research problems and the solutions/recommendations that accompanied them:

1. Medicine- Development of COVID-19 Vaccine

The Coronavirus was a problem affecting people all around the world- people were critically sick and evening passing away from it. Researchers looked at the problem (the disease), investigated its causes and mechanisms, and used the information to develop a solution (test and vaccine).

2. Education – Testing Different Pedagogy 

Educators and education policymakers investigate and compare the effectiveness of different teaching methods globally year-in and year out. For example, comparing the learning outcomes of students taught through traditional lectures versus those taught through project-based learning. 

Tools and Resources for Research Problem-Solving

Different research tools have different use cases, here are the most functional and budget-friendly:

•  Research Organization: Zotero and Mendeley help you organize and manage your library of research papers, create bibliographies, and keep track of sources.

• Brainstorming and Collaboration: Miro, Mural, or Google Jamboard helps you to collaborate with other people in your field as well as visualize the problem and the journey to finding a solution using mind maps, infographics, and other visual aids.

• Data Analysis: SPSS, R, or Python (with libraries like Pandas and NumPy) help you with statistical analysis. If you are doing anything complicated, you can use Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel for your data analysis

• Libraries: You can also use AI tools like Consensus, Elicit, Research Rabbit, and others to find journal articles and practical tips and advice on answering your research questions or hypotheses.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Here are some potential challenges to avoid when developing your academic research problem statement:

• Procrastination: Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones. Set deadlines and use time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique.   

• Overcomplicating the Problem: Start with a clear and concise definition of the problem. Avoid adding unnecessary complexity. Focus on the most important aspects.

• Getting Lost in the Literature: Conduct a focused literature review, targeting specific research questions. Don’t try to read everything on the topic.

• Fear of Failure: Research is a process of trial and error. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learn from them and keep moving forward.

• Lack of Collaboration: Seek feedback from mentors, peers, or other experts. Collaboration can help you identify blind spots and improve your research.

• Poor Time Management: Create a realistic timeline for your research project and stick to it as closely as possible. Prioritize tasks and avoid distractions.

Conclusion

Developing a good research problem is the first step to research an impactful and important research topic. Your research problem is your compass, guiding your research journey and ensuring a focused approach.

We hope this guide helps you successfully navigate your research project. You can also check out our guide on top research platforms.