How to Write a Research Problem and Research Question
A research problem identifies the gap in knowledge, unresolved issue, practical problem, or theoretical uncertainty that a scientific study intends to address. A research question transforms that problem into a clear and researchable question that can guide the study.
A well-defined research problem explains why the study is needed. A well-written research question guides the research design, sampling strategy, data collection process, and analytical approach.
What Is a Research Problem?
A research problem is not simply the general topic of a study. A topic identifies a broad area of interest, whereas a problem identifies a specific issue within that area that requires scientific investigation.
For example:
Topic: Artificial intelligence use among university students
Research problem: Evidence remains limited and inconsistent regarding how academic use of artificial intelligence is related to critical thinking behaviors among university students.
Where Do Research Problems Come From?
Research problems may arise from:
- An insufficiently studied topic
- Conflicting results across previous studies
- An underrepresented population or context
- A theory that has not been examined in a particular setting
- A newly emerging social, clinical, technical, or scientific issue
- An unresolved problem encountered in professional practice
- An unknown effect of a new technology, method, or intervention
- Methodological limitations in previous research
Is a Research Gap the Same as a Research Problem?
Not exactly. A research gap identifies what is missing from existing knowledge. The research problem explains why that missing knowledge matters and what scientific issue needs to be addressed.
Simply stating that “few studies have examined this topic” is therefore not enough. Authors should explain why the lack of evidence is important.
Characteristics of a Strong Research Problem
A strong research problem:
- Is clear and understandable.
- Focuses on a specific scientific issue.
- Is grounded in existing literature.
- Explains why the study is necessary.
- Can be investigated scientifically.
- Has a manageable scope.
- Has scientific, theoretical, or practical relevance.
How Should a Research Problem Be Written?
A research problem is usually developed progressively within the Introduction. A useful structure is:
What is known → Existing evidence → Gap / inconsistency → Why the gap matters → Problem addressed by the study
1. Establish the Scientific Context
Begin by explaining the relevant context of the research area. Avoid an unnecessarily broad introduction and focus on information directly related to the research problem.
2. Explain What Existing Knowledge Shows
Summarize the main findings of relevant studies and show what is currently known.
The purpose is to synthesize the state of the literature rather than present a sequence of unrelated citations.
3. Identify the Gap or Unresolved Issue
Clearly explain what remains unknown, which findings are inconsistent, or which population, variable, context, or process has not been adequately studied.
4. Explain Why the Gap Matters
Not every gap in the literature requires a new study. Authors should explain the scientific, clinical, social, theoretical, technical, or practical importance of addressing the identified issue.
5. Narrow the Problem to a Manageable Scope
The problem should be sufficiently focused to be investigated within the resources and design of the study.
How Should a Research Problem Statement Be Written?
A problem statement should express the central issue that the research intends to explain or address.
Weak example: Social media use is an important problem.
Stronger example: Evidence remains limited regarding which psychological factors may explain the relationship between intensive social media use and academic procrastination among university students.
The second statement identifies a researchable knowledge gap rather than merely naming a topic.
What Is a Research Question?
A research question converts the research problem into a question that can be addressed through scientific investigation.
It should clarify which variables, populations, experiences, processes, relationships, or phenomena the study will examine.
Characteristics of a Strong Research Question
A strong research question:
- Is clear and unambiguous.
- Is directly related to the research objective.
- Can be answered through data or systematic analysis.
- Is neither excessively broad nor unnecessarily narrow.
- Is appropriate for the intended research design.
- Clearly identifies the relevant concepts or variables.
- Can generate a scientifically meaningful answer.
Research Objective vs. Research Question
The research objective describes what the study intends to determine, examine, explain, or evaluate.
The research question converts that objective into an explicit scientific question.
Objective: To examine the relationship between artificial intelligence anxiety and academic self-efficacy among university students.
Research question: Is artificial intelligence anxiety significantly associated with academic self-efficacy among university students?
Research Questions in Quantitative Studies
Quantitative research questions commonly examine relationships between variables, differences between groups, predictive effects, or intervention outcomes.
Typical structures include:
- Is X associated with Y?
- Does X significantly predict Y?
- Do groups A and B differ with respect to Y?
- Does intervention X affect outcome Y?
- Does Z mediate or moderate the relationship between X and Y?
Example of a Correlational Research Question
Is academic self-efficacy significantly associated with academic procrastination among university students?
Example of a Comparative Research Question
Do healthcare professionals working under different employment models differ in their levels of burnout?
Example of a Predictive Research Question
Does digital leadership significantly predict employees' attitudes toward digital transformation?
Example of a Mediation Research Question
Does artificial intelligence anxiety mediate the relationship between digital leadership and digital transformation?
Research Questions in Qualitative Studies
Qualitative questions commonly explore experiences, meanings, processes, perceptions, interactions, and social phenomena.
They often use open-ended formulations such as “how,” “in what ways,” “what experiences,” or “how is this phenomenon understood.”
Example: How do care staff working with people with intellectual disabilities understand the effects of long-term care work on their interpersonal relationships?
What Should Be Avoided in Qualitative Research Questions?
A question such as “Is X related to Y?” generally reflects a quantitative logic.
Qualitative questions should allow participants' experiences and the structure of the phenomenon to emerge rather than predetermine the answer through variable-based wording.
Research Questions in Phenomenological Studies
Phenomenological studies examine how a particular experience is lived and interpreted.
Example: How do intensive care nurses experience patient loss, and what meanings do they attribute to this experience?
Research Questions in Grounded Theory Studies
Grounded theory studies often seek to develop an explanatory framework for a social or behavioral process.
Example: How do institutional care workers adapt to long-term care work, and through which stages does this adaptation process develop?
Research Questions in Case Studies
Case studies may investigate a specific institution, program, event, community, or system within its real-world context.
Example: How is the implementation of a new service model experienced by staff and service users within a public residential care institution?
Research Questions in Mixed Methods Studies
Mixed methods research may include separate quantitative and qualitative questions, as well as an integration question explaining how the two forms of evidence will be combined.
Quantitative question: Is X associated with Y?
Qualitative question: How do participants describe their experiences related to X?
Integration question: How do qualitative findings explain or expand the quantitative relationship identified between X and Y?
Research Questions in Systematic Reviews
A systematic review question should be sufficiently structured because it directly influences search strategies and eligibility criteria.
For intervention reviews, frameworks such as PICO may be useful:
- P: Population
- I: Intervention
- C: Comparison
- O: Outcome
PICO is not appropriate for every review. Depending on the research question, frameworks such as PEO, PICo, SPIDER, or other structured approaches may be more suitable.
Research Questions in Experimental and Clinical Studies
Experimental questions should define the intervention, comparison, and principal outcome as clearly as possible.
Example: Does an eight-week exercise program reduce pain intensity among adults with chronic low back pain compared with standard care?
Research Questions in Engineering and Technical Studies
Engineering research problems may focus on system performance, optimization, reliability, energy efficiency, robustness, or comparisons between proposed and existing methods.
Example: Can the proposed image classification model achieve comparable accuracy on low-power devices while reducing computational cost relative to existing methods?
Research Questions in Theoretical Studies
Theoretical studies may examine the boundaries, relationships, or explanatory capacity of concepts, theories, or conceptual models rather than empirical variable relationships.
Example: How can social capital theory be reconsidered to explain forms of solidarity within digital communities?
Is a Research Question the Same as a Hypothesis?
No. A research question identifies what the study seeks to answer. A hypothesis, particularly in quantitative research, proposes a testable expectation about a relationship or difference.
Research question: Is X associated with Y?
Hypothesis: Higher levels of X are associated with higher levels of Y.
Not every study requires hypotheses. Exploratory and qualitative studies may rely primarily on research questions.
How Many Research Questions Should a Study Have?
There is no fixed number appropriate for all studies. The number should reflect the objectives and scope of the research.
Too many questions may fragment the study, whereas too few may fail to address all essential components of the research objective.
Every research question should have a clear counterpart in the Methods and Results sections.
Does the Order of Research Questions Matter?
Yes. Research questions should follow a logical sequence. For example, descriptive questions may precede relational, predictive, or more complex model-based questions.
Maintaining a similar order in the Results and, where appropriate, Discussion sections can improve the coherence of the manuscript.
What If the Research Question Is Too Broad?
A question such as “How does technology affect people?” is too broad for a focused scientific study.
The question can be narrowed by defining:
- Which population?
- Which variable or phenomenon?
- Which context?
- Which time period?
- Which outcome?
- Which relationship or process?
Can a Research Question Be Too Narrow?
Yes. Questions that can be answered by a simple fact or that investigate an already established trivial issue may provide little scientific contribution.
A good research question should be manageable while still allowing a meaningful scientific answer.
Is “No Study Has Examined This Topic” Enough?
No. The absence or scarcity of studies does not by itself establish the importance of a new investigation.
Authors should also answer:
Why does this missing knowledge matter?
A clear connection should be established between the knowledge gap and the scientific rationale for the study.
Evaluating a Research Question with the FINER Framework
Especially in health and empirical research, the FINER framework may be used as a practical evaluation tool:
- Feasible: Can the study realistically be conducted?
- Interesting: Is the question scientifically interesting?
- Novel: Does it offer a new contribution?
- Ethical: Is it ethically appropriate?
- Relevant: Is it relevant to the field?
FINER is not a mandatory rule but can help assess whether a research question is scientifically and practically workable.
Common Mistakes When Writing Research Questions
- Confusing the general topic with the research problem
- Justifying the problem only by stating that few studies exist
- Writing an excessively broad research question
- Combining several unrelated problems into one question
- Using a research design that cannot answer the question
- Including variables that are not actually measured
- Writing qualitative questions as quantitative hypotheses
- Using causal wording when the research design cannot establish causality
- Failing to answer research questions in the Results section
- Creating inconsistencies between objectives, questions, and hypotheses
A Practical Formula for Writing a Research Problem
A useful sequence is:
What do we know? → What do we not know? → Why does the gap matter? → What problem will this study address?
A Practical Formula for Writing a Research Question
For quantitative research:
Who / which population + which variable(s) + what relationship / difference / effect?
For qualitative research:
Who / which population + which experience / process / phenomenon + how is it experienced or understood?
Check Before Submission
- Are the research topic and research problem clearly distinguished?
- Is the problem supported by existing scientific literature?
- Is the importance of the knowledge gap explained?
- Does the research question directly address the problem?
- Is the question clear and researchable?
- Is its scope manageable with the available time, sample, and resources?
- Can the selected research design answer the question?
- Are the relevant variables or concepts clearly defined?
- Are the research questions aligned with the methods and analysis plan?
- Will every research question be addressed in the Results section?
