Research Problem Background and Justification for Studies

Background of the Problem

All work done prior to the formulation of the problem serves to clarify, evaluate, and interpret the issue: Background of the Problem.

Setting the Background — What to Avoid

When setting the background to the problem, avoid doing the following: providing a historical account of the problem, listing bibliographical sources to be used, presenting collected data when we do not yet know where to place it, or simply describing the causes of the problem.

Purpose and Presentation of Background

The background should present a conceptual synthesis of research or work on the problem. In the presentation of the history, the objective is to harness existing theories about the problem in order to structure the theoretical framework.

Basis and Objective of the Background

The background of the problem must be based on the problem itself and serve as a sound means to achieve the objectives.

Consulting Records

When consulting records, the purpose is to eliminate the risk of investigating what has already been done.

Background Contents

Key points that should appear in the background contents include:

• Author
• Year
• Country
• Proposal
• Bibliography

Justification

The justification specifically states the reasons for the development of the topic: benefits to people, labor, professional practice, and disciplinary contribution.

Purpose of a Justification

A justification should therefore highlight the contributions and benefits to be gained and emphasize the practical utility of the research.

What the Justification Achieves

The justification aims to persuade others of the importance of investing effort by highlighting the anticipated achievements and the benefits that the results will ultimately provide.

Justification vs Objectives

The justification should not be confused with the goals or objectives, even if they are related; the justification explains why the research matters, while objectives state what the research seeks to accomplish.

Criteria for Justification of the Study

Some criteria for the justification of the study include:

• Convenience: What does the research provide or improve?
• Social relevance: Who are the recipients of the research results?
• Practical implications: Does it help resolve problems in a company or organization?
• Theoretical value: Will it provide a basis for further studies?
• Methodological tools: Does it propose new methods or clues for research?

The justifications include: broad (when addressing a general area) and specific (when focusing on a smaller area).

The justification must reflect, above all, the importance and relevance of the research that has been or will be conducted.

Defining a problem consists in: revealing its internal characteristics, bringing out the intrinsic and extrinsic features that shape it, and indicating aspects such as: effectiveness, background, links, issues, and inconvenience.

When you define a problem, you should consider the following: by asking precise questions, the researcher identifies the exact kind of response needed; questions guide the work to be done, help in choosing headings for note taking, and lead to discriminating notes.

What is the first step in formulating a problem: the discovery of the need for a solution.

The limitations are: those aspects that specify how far the study seeks to cover and what will be left untouched in the research, including where to carry out the research, time, and funding.

The scopes refer to how far the investigation will go and point to what we consider within the study.