Video Notes: Statement of the Problem & Types of Research Questions

Statement of the Problem

• Stating the problem helps clarify:
  • main task
  • major variables
  • participants
  • specific setting
  • date
  • courage
  • intended outputs

Specific Problems

• Answer general problem questions
• Answer the researcher
• Stated as wants to
• It must also meet these criteria:
  • Question form
  • Define the study's population & sample
  • Identify variables being studied
  • Be empirically testable

General Types of Questions

• Non-researchable
  • Answerable by yes or no
• Researchable
  • Answerable with who, what, where, when, why, and how

Types of Research Questions

1. Factor-Isolating Questions (What is this?)
   • Factor naming
   • Isolate, categorize, describe, or name factors & situations
2. Factor - Relating Questions (what is happening here?)
   • to figure out the relationship between identified factors
   • Used for non-experimental research
3. Situation - Relating Questions (What will happen if..?)
   • Create or test a hypothesis
   • Researcher changes variables to see what will happen
4. Situation - Producing Questions (How can I make it happen?)
   • Establish specific goals for actions
   • Develop plans or methods to achieve those goals
   • Specify the conditions needed for the goals to be met