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Sunday, July 3, 2011

How to Choose a Research Paper Problem


The research paper writing process starts with the research problem. It is basically the reason why the student is writing a research paper about a particular topic – so the answer to a research problem can be proposed or suggested. However, finding a research paper problem can be difficult. Oftentimes many students cannot choose a particular research paper problem from a variety of topics which he may be interested in. Oftentimes, this is not due to ignorance of lack of knowledge but due to inability of the student to focus his research.

Students should be able to understand that choosing the right research paper problem is important. It must be something that interests the researcher and is sufficiently limited so as to have a clear focus or direction. However, it must not also be too broad otherwise the researcher may not be able to adequately address the research paper problem.

In choosing a research paper problem, students should be able to distinguish between three concepts: research paper topic, research paper problem and problem statement.

The research paper topic refers to the general field or object of study. An example of a research paper topic is nurses, job satisfaction, and private hospitals. They are research paper topics in the sense that they are too broad. Since they are too broad it is not possible to write a research problem about these topics alone which should be narrowed down.

The second concept is the research paper problem. It is a more specific aspect of the research paper topic. The job satisfaction of nurses in private hospitals is a good research paper problem. However, the research paper problem is still too broad which should be narrowed further.

The problem statement is the precise issue which is the focus of the research. It is narrower than both the research paper topic and the research paper problem. A good problem statement is the factors that impact of level of satisfaction among nurses in private hospital setting.

Researchers generally proceed from the research paper topic. Eventually, they narrow it down to research paper problem until they have crafted the problem statement. However, it is possible for a researcher to jump from research paper topic directly to problem statement.

If you do not have a research paper topic or problem, we can be of assistance to you. eWritegigs.com is the premier provider of essay writing services and research paper writing services in the US and the UK at a very affordable cost.

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