Identifying a Qualitative Research Problem

Qualitative Research Problem: A research problem that seeks to understand meanings from non-numerical data.

Key Components of Identifying a Research Problem:

• General Topic: Start with a broad topic of interest.
• Narrowing Down: Refine to a specific research topic (e.g., the use of mobile apps in science education).
• SMART Criteria: Problems should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.

Research Problem Importance:

• The problem should address gaps in existing knowledge.
• Consider constraints like time and budget.

Qualitative Research Characteristics:

• Focus on interpreting non-numerical data.
• Aims to understand, describe, and derive meaning from the data.

Developing a Research Title:

• Must reflect the research type, subject, participants, and location of the study.

Relevance of the Research:

• Define clear scientific, social, and practical relevance.
• Explain the justifications for the research.

Examples of Qualitative Research Problems:

• Styles of conflict management in startups.
• Vaccination confidence across generations.
• Politics of the urban poor in Asian countries.

Research Process:

• Always begins with identifying a broad topic and narrows to a specific problem.
• The central research problem informs all subsequent stages of the research.