Research Problem Statements

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Research Problem Statements

• Victor Lofgreen Ph. D.
• Walden, Atlanta, Nov 06

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Theory

• Explains
• Predicts
• Controls

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Research Goal

• Test a Theory
• Develop a Theory

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Deficiency Study Model

• The research problem
• Studies that have addressed the problem
• Deficiencies in the studies
• The importance of the study for the audience.
• The purpose statement

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The Qualitative Purpose Statement

• Qualitative
• purpose, intent, objective
• Identify the central concept of the study
• Use terms such as describe, develop, understand,
  or discover
• Do not anticipate outcomes. Use non-directional
  language.
• Define the central phenomenon being studied
• Describe the strategy to be used, ground theory,
  ethnography, case study, etc.
• Identify the participants
• Identify the research site

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Qualitative Problem Statement Format

• The purpose of this _________(strategy of
  inquiry)_is,(was, will be)
• to ___________ understand, describe, develop the
  ________ (central phenomenon being studied) for
  ___________ (the participants, such as the
  individual, groups, organization) at ____
  (research site). At this stage in the research,
  the ____ (central phenomenon) will be generally
  defined as ________ (provide a general
  definition)

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Quantitative Purpose Statement

• Purpose, Objective, intent
• Identify the theory
• Identify the variables
• Relationship between
• Order of variables
• Methods Used
• Who are participants
• Definitions of variables

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Quantitative Format 1

• The purpose of this ______________ (experiment?
  Survey?) study is (was? will be?) to test the
  theory of _______________ that __________
  compares? relates? )

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Quantitative Format 2

• the ________ (independent variable) to
  _______________ (dependent variable), controlling
  for ___ ________ (control variables) for
  ________________ (participants) at ___________
  ( the research site).

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Quantitative Format 3

• The independent variable(s) ___________________
  will be generally defined as _________________
  (provide a general definition). The dependent
  variable(s) will be generally defined as
  ___________________ (provide a general
  definition).
•  

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Quantitative Format 4

• And the control and intervening variable(s),
  _____________________ (identify control and
  intervening variables), will be statistically
  controlled in the study.

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Mixed Methods Problem Statement

• The purpose of or intent
• Mixed Method design
• Rationale for combining methods
• Include qualitative statement
• Include quantitative statement
• Additional comments about qualitative and
  quantitative data collection

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Mixed Methods 1

• The purpose of this two-phase, sequential missed
  methods study will be to explore participant
  views with the intent of using this information
  with a sample from a population. The first phase
  will b a qualitative exploration of a
  _______________ (central phenomenon) by
  collecting _______________ (data) from
  ___________ (participants) at ______________
  (research site).

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Mixed Methods 2

• Themes from this qualitative data will be
  developed into an instrument so that _________
  (theory), research questions, or hypotheses) can
  be tested that __________ (relates, compare)
  _____________ (independent variable) with
  _______________ (dependent variable) for
  __________ sample of population) at
  _______________ (research sites).
•  

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Reference

• Creswell, J.W., 2003, Research Design
  Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
  Approaches, 2d Ed. Sage Publications, Thousand
  Oaks, pp 87 to 104