Research Problem

Research Problem
A research problem is a state or source of troubling and perplexing situation or condition. The purpose of the disciplined research is to solve the problem in the reality by exploring and identifying the contributing factors. A problem statement reveals the nature of the problem. A research question is the statement about what the researchers want to answer. Hypothesis is the statement, in which the researcher predicts the answer before data collection and is tested empirically. A statement of purpose is summary of specific objectives and the researcher hopes to achieve by conducting the study. 

An example of the research problem is ‘level of stress among adolescent girls’.
An example of the problem statement is ‘a quantitative study to assess the level of stress among adolescent girls in urban area, India’.
An example of the research question is ‘what is the level of stress among adolescent girls?’
An example of the hypothesis is ‘there is an association between the level of stress and socio demographic variables’.
An example of the statement of purpose is ‘the purpose of the study is to assess the level of stress among adolescent girls and test association between level of stress and socio demographic variables’.
Examples of the objectives are ‘to assess the demographic variables of adolescent girls, to assess the level of stress among adolescent girls and to associate the level of stress and socio demographic variables of adolescent girls’.

The developments of an interesting and innovative research process, researchers begin with a topic of interest, explore its relevance in the current scenario, having discussion with experts and then develop the topic into a more specific problem.

Sources of research problem
The researchers can identify and develop research problem from own clinical experience, thorough review of literature, current political and societal issues, testing and validating theory and emerges ideals from external sources such as conference, interviews, brain storming session with other faculties and so on. The researcher can select an appropriate approach such as qualitative and quantitative, based on the nature of the problem to be explored in detail. For example; (1)if the researcher wants to assess the level of stress among adolescent girls, he/she has to select quantitative approach, which gives the results in numeric terms, in which, the researcher can assess the level of stress in terms of low, moderate and high level of stress. (2) If the researcher wants to explore the stress and its contributing factors among adolescent girls, he/she has to proceed with qualitative approach, which gives the narrative details of information regarding stress and its contributing factors. Thus, the researcher can develop a theory or conceptual model from related qualitative study.

Problem statement
A problem statement is an expression of troubling situation that needs investigation. It identifies the nature of the problem being studied, the population, setting, its content and its significance. In general, in qualitative study, problem statement shows the nature of the problem in terms of concepts, population being studied and setting being carried out in the study, for example; a study to assess the knowledge on child abuse among the mothers of under five children in rural area in India.
In qualitative study, the problem statement expresses the phenomena to be explored, population being studied and setting being carried out in the study. For example; a qualitative study to explore social burden among wives of alcoholics in tribal area, India.

Statement of purpose
It is vital to articulate the researcher’s goals as a broad statement of purpose in declarative form. In a quantitative study, a well worded statement or purpose identifies the key study variables and their possible interrelationship as well as the nature of the population of interest. For example; the purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge on child abuse among the mother’s of under-five children. The statement identifies the population of interest (mothers of under-five children), independent variables (socio demographic variables) and dependent variables (knowledge on child abuse).
In qualitative study, the statement of purpose indicates the nature of the inquiry (exploration), the phenomenon under investigation (social burden), the group (wives of alcoholics) and the setting (tribal area) under study. For example; the purpose of the study was to explore the social burden among wives of alcoholics in tribal area. In quantitative study, the researcher uses verbs of ‘assess, test or compare’ to show the degree of purpose of research. In qualitative research, they use ‘explore, describe, understand and develop’ verbs to show the nature of the purpose of the study. 

Research questions
Research questions are rewording of statement of purpose which phrased interrogatively. This questions help to focus on the data needed to give the answer. In qualitative study, research questions identify key variables (most often dependent and independent variables), the relationships among them and the population under study.
Is there any relationship between knowledge (dependent variable) and education level of participants (independent variable)?
In qualitative study, the researcher starts the study and evolves questions during the study period. 

Research hypothesis
A hypothesis is a statement of prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

• Hypothesis and qualitative research

In a qualitative study, the researchers don’t begin with hypothesis because the study is guided by the participant’s view points rather than researcher’s view points. Some qualitative studies may lead to the formulation of hypothesis.

• Hypothesis and quantitative research

In quantitative research, a hypothesis is the translation of research question into a prediction of possibilities of outcomes.
Research question: Is there any relationship between weight bearing exercises and loss of weight among women?
Hypothesis: There is a relationship between weight bearing exercises and loss of weight among women.

The theory is too abstract and not able to be tested. However, predictions based on the theory can be tested. For example, theory of reinforcement tells that behavior is positively reinforced (rewarded) tends to be learned. The researcher can develop hypothesis based on the reinforcement theory to test the validity of the predictions such as nursing students who are praised by nursing authority are more hardworking than who are not praised. This proposition can be tested in the real world. The theory gains support if the hypothesis is confirmed.

Testable research hypothesis states the expected relationship between the independent variable (presumed cause) and the dependent variable (the presumed effect with in a population). It is otherwise called as simple hypothesis. A complex hypothesis is the prediction of relationship between two or more independent variables or two or more dependent variables. A directional hypothesis is one that specifies the expected direction of the relationship between the variables. For example, lower level of exercise in post partum is associated with greater weight retention. A non directional hypothesis does not stipulate the direction of relationship, for example, there is a relationship between post partum exercise and weight retention. Research hypotheses are statements of expected relationship between variables. For example, there is a relationship between antenatal exercises and stress reduction among women.

Null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the independent and dependent variable. For example, there is no relationship between antenatal exercises and stress reduction among women. 

To conclude, hypotheses are never proved through hypothesis testing rather they are accepted or supported. The study results are always vary if the same findings are replicated in many study projects, greater confidence can be placed in the conclusions. The strength of the supported hypothesis depends on the replication of the same results in numerous researches.