How is the Research Question related to the Problem Statement?

As a lecturer and a postgraduate study leader, I constantly have to explain to students what a problem statement is, what a research question is, and what the relationship between the two is. 

Let me try and explain how the problem statement and research question works. These are my own explanations and are not meant to be academic and scientific. The purpose of this explanation is to help students understand the link between these two parts of research.

The problem statement is a sentence, not a question. It must describe a problem that must be solved. So, if you are interested in the topic of talent management and competitive advantage, what is the problem that you are trying to solve regarding talent management and competitive advantage? The problem is important because that problem is the reason your article/thesis/essay becomes worthwhile to read. If you just give me an essay that details talent management, the related processes, performance management and other topics, I can find that information myself. However, when you link these topics to a problem, I see the value in your study. When you link what literature says to the problem that you have identified, a contribution to scholarship could emerge.

Once you identify the problem statement, you will then dive into the various concepts in your problem statement. If talent management is a concern, you will look into literature to see what scholars have said about talent management (definition, characteristics, benefits, recent trends, etc.). You will also look at and unpack performance management and other topics linked to your problem statement.

As you scan literature, you may realise that there are aspects of your problem statement that have already been identified and studied by some scholars. You will discuss those aspects in the body of your literature review.

You may also find that there are some aspects of your problem statement that have not been studied. This ‘gap’ in literature is what you must identify. Your research question will address this gap. The gap or the research question is what you will go out into the field to find the answer of. So, while you may not be able to solve the problem in the problem statement, if you were to do research, by answering the research question, you would be solving a part of the puzzle that is the problem.

Let me use an example. Your poodle is not eating its food. There is a problem there, isn’t it? The problem statement is that the poodle is not eating its food. Now, you will read literature to look at what dogs are, what different breeds there are, what are the eating habits of different dogs, what types of food do they eat, recent trends in dog food, etc. As you read, you realise that while all of this information is useful, the information available makes you understand your dog and dog food more, but it is not telling you why your dog is not eating its food. So, the problem is still not solved.

However, you find out that no one has studied the relationship between different breeds of dog and their preference of dog foods, for example. Here’s the ‘gap’. Perhaps, there is a link between the breed and type of dog food. So, your research question will be ‘What is the relationship between the breed of the dog and its preference towards various brands of dog food?’. 

If you had the opportunity to do the research, you would have tested different brands of dog food on different breeds, and you would have perhaps found that your poodle does not like the brand of dog food that you gave it. So, then, you can buy another brand and try that. If the dog eats that food, problem solved. If not, you are one step closer to solving the problem.

Many may say that the key to a good study is to get the research question right. In my opinion, the key to a good study is to get the problem statement right. Remember, if your dog is eating its food, then there is no problem to investigate. So, now go work on what problem you are trying to solve.