Presentation GROUP6 research problem and

RETHA NADARAJAH
ZHUNA
MAXIAOQIN

Research Background
Selection of study title
RETHA NADARAJAH

1.Selection and defining research topic
 Research topic
 Identifying a Research topic
 Sources of ResearchTopic
 Characteristics of GoodTopics
 Narrowing theTopic
 Developing research Questions
 Formulating hypothesis
 Types of hypothesis
 Summary

Find a Research Topic
Your
Strength
Your
Interest
Potential
Impact
The path to success consists of three simple
elements. Find what interests you that you can
do well and would have potential impact.

More Detailed Considerations
Whose interests besides yours may also be
important?
– Your advisor
– Your research community
Love your topic!
– Sets the course for your next 2-3 years
– Determines, in part, opportunities offered to
you upon graduation
May work in same/related area for years

ResearchTopic
 Research topic is also called the Research Problem or Purpose
 It is the first step in applying the scientific research
 ResearchTopic will provide researcher future structure and
focus
 Initial topic may be broad and open but later on it must be
narrowed so that it may become meaningful
 Thus researcher must identify a proper topic

Identifying a ResearchTopic
It is the foremost important to identify a research topic from a
general subject area
Researcher have a certain expertise in the selected subject
area
It must be of some interest to the Researcher
Researcher is eager to solve a certain problem in the research
proposed topic
It may be of some important guideline for policy making etc.

Sources of ResearchTopic-1
few sources for a researcher to trace and identify a
researchTopic are:
Theories: it is body of concepts and principles that can
be investigated e.g. theories of law which caused
development in legal research.
Personal Experiences: questions which arise in the mind
of researcher during discussions, study, group discussions
, facing new problems or hot debates etc.

Sources of ResearchTopic-2
Previous Studies: previous studies may also help
Library Search: Book study in a library helps the researcher to
emerge or refine a topic
Electronic Mailing etc.: Researcher use email to consult, get advice
of peers and experts in the field.
Emails and other sources of modern electronic communication it is
easy to access experts without loss of time and labor.There are
certain groups, organizations who render services to researchers and
students.
Electronic service is a good source for gathering information to
emerge a research topic.
google, twitter, linkedin, blogs, e-libraries, e-books, journals
andresearch gates etc are a few sources

Characteristics of GoodTopic-1
 Topic must be interesting and researchable
 A good topic is worth valuing both in terms of time and efforts
 Topic is to be more professional and more effective
 It may contribute something to the society and nation
 Topic must be interesting & motivate the researcher
 A narrow topic save time and get more seriousness of the
researcher

Narrowing theTopic
• Initial topic selection it must be narrowed down to a
manageable one.
• Quantitative Research topic is narrowed easily at initial
stage unlike to the Qualitative Research
• A narrowTopic eases the research in different aspects
including data collection and refining the research

Characteristics of GoodTopics-2
 Topic must have a theoretical or practical significance
 It must cause in improvement of the existing theories
 Research must not be unethical or harmful to any one
 Topic must be manageable to the researcher therefore
mere interest is not sufficient
 it can adequately be investigated by researcher

Developing Research Questions
 Research questions are said to breath life into the research
 It is like aims of a lesson
 It suggests that researcher has a workable way to proceed
further
 Research Question has a direct relation with data collection
strategies
 The Research Questions must be specific and narrow

Formulating Hypothesis
• Hypothesis is expectation and prediction of researcher
• It relates about variables in a research topic
• There may be a number of variables and thus a number of
hypothesis in single research
• Hypothesis is dealt in both qualitative and quantitative
researches
• A written statement will be part of research plan of researcher
• There are different types of hypothesis

Types of Hypothesis
Hypothesis may be inductive or deductive as to how they are
derived
It may be directional or null hypothesis as to how they are
stated
The inductive hypothesis is based on generalization based on
specific observations e.g. less or more anxiety of students in
different test types
In contrast deductive hypothesis is derived from theory i.e.
supports, expands or contradicts the theory

Things to Keep in Mind …
• The path to find a research topic will be a zigzag road
• Don’t expect to find it in just one shot
• Often your research topic changes along your career
• So no need to feel that you will be stuck with your Ph.D.
topic for the rest of your life
• Ok to span two fields
• Many breakthroughs are made this way

Summary
• Selecting General area of study of interest
• Five main sources of research topics: theories,
experiences, previous studies, electronic mailing and
library
• Good topic is that which is interesting for researcher and
researchable

What is a Research Problem?
A research problem is an issue or concern that a
researcher presents and justifies in a research study.
Note*：An issue which attracts the attention of or motivates a
researcher to conduct a study on it.

A independent items?
1. A research problem is the most important part – is it the
primary factor in determining whether a research should be
carried out or not.
2. A research problem can be identified through the research
objectives, statements of problem and research questions.

The process of Research
Identify the Research
Problem
Review the
Literature
Specify a Research
Purpose
Collect Data
Analyses and
Interpret Data
Report and Evaluate
Research

How the Problem Differs from Other Parts of
Research
General
Specific
Topic
Research
Problem
Purpose
statement
Research
question
The broad subject matter being address
in a study.
e.g. Online learning
An issue in the study.
e.g. Lack of students in online classes
The major objective of the study.
e.g. To study why students do not attend
online classes at a community college.
Researcher would like answered in the
study.
e.g. Does the use of web site technology
deter students from enrolling in a online
class?

Whether a problem can be
researched?
1. Can you study the problem?
- Do you have access to the research site?
- Do you have the time, resources, and skills to carry out the research?
2. Should you study the problem? (importance of the study)
- Does it contribute to body of knowledge/theory?
- Does it contribute to improve practice? (program at schools, state and
nation?)
- Does it contribute to policy?

How Research Problems Differ for
Quantitative & Qualitative Research
If use QUANTITATIVE
research,your research
problem requires you to:
If use QUALITATIVE research,
your research problem requires you to:
•Measure variables
• Assess the impact of these
variables on an outcome
•Test theories/broad explanations
• Apply results to a large number of
people
• Learn about the views of the people you
plan to study
• Assess a process over time
• Generate theories based on participant
perspectives
• Obtained detailed information about a few
people or research sites

The Sources of Research Problems
Interest and experience of
the researcher
-The researcher intends to
further their knowledge in the
aspect that interest
Existing theory
-Doubts arise over an
existing theory and the
researcher wants to test the
theory
Replication of previous research
- To conduct the same research on
different subjects in different
locations (based on the prediction
that there may be different results if the
same research is caried out)
Contradictory results of
past research
-To examine results form
several studies on a
specific top

How to find?
1.In a research report, the research problem is stated
2. In the research title, the title consists of a simple sentence
about the problem and states the objective, variable,
population and type of research

Research problems stated in
research titles
Research title:
• The effects of thinking on the academic achievement of
• university students.
Research problem:
• Uncertainty about the effects of thinking styles of
• university students on their academic achievements.

Problem Statement
Effective statement of the problem explains:
1. What is to be studied
2. Why it needs to be studied
3. How and to what extent to be studied
4. Relates variables operationally
5. Supported by the latest literature (within 5 years)
6. Written in statement in 1 – 2 pages

7. Problem statement is the summary of the main problem of the
study.
8. Contains variables and relationships of the variables studied.
9. A good problem statement:
- Expressed precisely and clearly.
- State the clear relationship between the variables studied,
- Each variable studies can be tested.

How to Writing Problem Statement
1. The topic
2. The research problem (what)
3. A justification of the important of the problem as found in the past
research and in practice (why)
4. The deficiencies in our existing knowledge about the problem (why
and the variables involved related operationally) – the GAP
5. How the study is to be conducted and to what extent (how and to what
extent)
6. The audiences that will benefit from a study of the problem
(importance: theory and practice)

Presentation GROUP6 research problem and

Summary
• Identify problem(a part of research)
• Analyze research problem（how to find and write）

Research background
• Research objectives
• Research questions
• Research hypotheses
• MA XIAOQIN

Research Objective
#what is Research Objective?
• research objective are the outcomes
that the researcher aims to achieve by
conducting research.
• research objective outline the specific
steps that the researcher will take to
achieve your research aim
• research objective is to guide research
design, method, observation, analysis
and interpretation of research..

The Formulation of Objectives
• Objectives = Goals set to attain your study
• Guide the research process
• Inform reader what you want to achieve through your
study.
Types of research objectives:
Researchers often categorize the research objectives
into two types

Here's an example:
General Objective（总目标）：
Investigate the impact of social media usage on teenagers' mental health.（调
查社交媒体使用对青少年心理健康的影响。）
Specific Objectives:（具体目标）
1.Assess the frequency and duration of social media usage among teenagers.
(评估青少年社交媒体使用的频率和时长。)
2.Measure teenagers' levels of stress, anxiety, and depression through
standardized psychological assessments.(通过标准心理评估测量青少年的
压力、焦虑和抑郁水平。)
3.Examine the relationship between social media usage patterns and mental
health indicators.(分析社交媒体使用模式与心理健康指标之间的关系。)
4.Identify potential moderating factors, such as family support or peer
influence, in the relationship between social media usage and mental
health.(辨别在社交媒体使用与心理健康之间关系中的潜在调节因素，如
家庭支持或同伴影响。)
5.Provide recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers to
promote healthy social media habits and support teenagers' mental well-being.
（为家长、教育者和决策者提供促进健康社交媒体习惯、支持青少年心
理健康的建议。）

How to define research objectives
• Pinpoint the major focus of your research
• Break down your research focus into research objectives
• Write your research objectives in the SMART format

Research Question
Four types of research questions are:
1. Descriptive research questions
2. Comparative research questions
3. Relationship-based research questions
4. Open-ended research questions

1. Descriptive research questions
functions:
To describe the quantity or level of a research variable
Examples of research questions:
1).How many hours per week do students in School Z
spend on homework?
2).What is the highest level of education attained by
residents in City Y?
3).What is the graduation rate of High School Y?

2.Comparative research questions
Functions:
To examine the difference between variables or between
groups
1)Are there significant differences in math scores
between students in public schools and private schools?
2)How does traditional classroom teaching compare to
online teaching in terms of student comprehension?
3)How does cooperative learning in groups compare to
individual learning in terms of improving student grades?

3.Relationship-based research questions
Functions:
To investigate the relationship between variables
1)What is the relationship between students' study time and their
academic achievement?
2)How does the frequency of attendance in extracurricular activities
relate to students' academic success?
3)How do different teaching styles correlate with students'
motivation to learn?

4.Experimental research questions
Functions:
To examine the effect of a treatment in and experiment
1)Can different teaching methods improve students' learning
outcomes?
2)Will providing more study rooms in schools increase students'
study time?
3)Can reducing prices lead to increased product sales?

5. Open-ended research questions
(Open-ended research questions are those that are unrestricted and
lack definitive answers.
开放性研究问题是那些不受限制、不具有明确答案的问题)
Functions:
To explore or explain a phenomenon under study
1)How can we foster creativity and innovation in
students?
2)What strategies can be used to create a more
inclusive learning environment?
3)How will future medical technologies change human
life?

Research Hypothesis
What is Research Hypothesis?
1.The research hypothesis is usually used in
quantitative research to state the relationship and
differences between variables.
2. It represents the researcher’s predictions regarding
the relationship or differences which possibly exist
between variables.
3.It is also a prediction by the researcher of what is
expected to happen with regard or problem which is
being studied.
1. 研究假设通常用于定量研究中，用于陈述变量之间的关系和差异。
2. 它代表了研究者关于变量之间可能存在的关系或差异的预测。
3. 它也是研究者关于正在研究的问题或问题可能发生的预测。

Conditions for Stating a Hypothesis
1)A hypothesis must be expressed in the form of a
statement and not a question.
2)The research hypothesis must be consistent with the
research question.
3)It must be stated according to the research problem.
Only
the problem listed will be used as the basis for building
the
hypotheses. It is stated this way so that the results of the
study will contribute to the body of knowledge
1) 假设必须以陈述的形式而非问题的形式表达。
2) 研究假设必须与研究问题一致。
3) 它必须根据研究问题陈述。只有列出的问题将作为构建假设的基础。
这样陈述是为了确保研究结果能够为知识体系做出贡献。

The Aims of Building a Hypothesis
A hypothesis is important in quantitative research especially in inferential
research where a study is conducted by selecting a random sample from a
population, and a statistical test is then carried out to test the hypothesis
before the results are generalized to be population.
1)It provides a scientific framework for researcher
investigation, ensuring that is carried out systematically.
2)It increases the validity of the research when a level of
significance is revealed at the conclusion of the study. It
helps to build scientific evidence for the research
conducted
3)It helps a researcher to state prediction accurately. It
also helps researcher to focus on those aspects that are
clearly stated in the hypothesis.
4)It helps a researcher to test their prediction because a
hypothesis can be investigated using appropriate
statistical tests

Research Hypothesis
Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)
A research hypothesis is a research’s prediction regarding the relationship
between variables.
It can be stated in a directional or non-directional form.
Ha:
1.Directional Hypothesis Example(方向性假设):
Students who receive the new teaching method will perform better
than those who receive the traditional teaching method.（接受新教学
方法的学生将比接受传统教学方法的学生表现更好）
2.Non-directional Hypothesis Example（非方向性假设）
The academic performance of students who receive the new teaching
method will differ from those who receive the traditional teaching
method.（接受新教学方法的学生的学术成绩将与接受传统教学方法的
学生不同。）

Null Hypothesis(HO)
Null Hypothesis (Ho) is a statistical hypothesis that
assumes no real effect or relationship has been found,
and any observed differences are merely due to
random variation. In hypothesis testing, researchers
typically aim to collect data to either validate or reject
the null hypothesis.
（零假设（Ho）是一种统计假设，假设没有发现任何真正的效应或
关系，而观察到的差异仅是由随机变异引起的。在假设检验中，研
究者通常试图收集数据来验证或拒绝零假设。）
Null Hypothesis Example（零假设）
The academic performance of students who receive the
new teaching method does not differ from that of
students who receive the traditional teaching method.
（接受新教学方法的学生的学术成绩与接受传统教学方法的学生的
学术成绩没有不同）

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