Formulating and Evaluating Scientific Research Problems

Elements of the Research Problem Formulation

The following criteria are used for assessing the potential value of research:

Convenience
How convenient is the research? What is its overall purpose?
Social Relevance
What is its relevance to society? Who will benefit from the research results, and in what way? What is the overall social projection?
Practical Implications
Will the research help solve a practical problem? Does it have significant implications for a wide range of practical issues?
Theoretical Value
Through this research, is a knowledge gap filled? Will it be possible to generalize results to broader principles? Can the information obtained be used to discuss, develop, or support a theory? Does it further knowledge about the behavior of one or several variables or the relationship between them? Does it offer the possibility of a fruitful exploration of a phenomenon? What new knowledge is expected from the results? Can it suggest ideas, recommendations, or hypotheses for future studies?
Methodological Utility
Can the research help create a new instrument for collecting and/or analyzing data?

Presenting the research problem involves streamlining and formally organizing the research idea by developing three elements: research objectives, research questions, and justification. All three elements must be capable of guiding the investigation and allowing for empirical testing.
The objectives and research questions should be consistent with each other and aligned in the same direction.
The objectives state what the research aims to achieve; the questions indicate which answers must be found through the research; and the justification explains why the research should be conducted.
The main criteria for assessing the potential value of an investigation are: convenience, social relevance, practical implications, theoretical value, and methodological utility. It is also necessary to examine the research's feasibility and its potential consequences.
The approach to a scientific research problem cannot include moral or aesthetic judgments. However, it must be questioned whether carrying out the research is ethical.