Research > Qualitative Research > The Research Probem



THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

 

THE PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM
by George Gerbner

[George Gerbner, most recently with the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, former executive editor of Journal of Communication, former chair of editorial board of International Encyclopedia of Communication.]

What follows is a 1995 email message in which George Gerbner focuses on issues relating to developing a research proposal. I found this piece very helpful in focusing my thinking during the early stages of developing my own proposal. - Bobbi Kerlin


Date: Tue, 28 Nov 95 21:26 EST
From: Comserve@VM.ITS.RPI.EDU
Reply-To: Comserve@VM.ITS.RPI.EDU
Subject: Your command: get COMGRADS NB008
Sender: bakerlin

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COMGRADS NB008
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COMGRADS Hotline
History File Number 8: COMGRADS NB008
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Time period covered: Feb 20, 1993 to Feb 22, 1993

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Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1993 09:55:10 -0600
Reply-To: "SCA Student Division Comm. Graduate Student Forum"
Sender: "SCA Student Division Comm. Graduate Student Forum"
From: Glenn Getz
Subject: GERBNER'S CODED MESSAGE
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Good news! I was able to de-code Gerbner's message, sent at the beginning of the discussion. Please pardon the odd characters (M's mostly) that are sprinkled throughout; I couldn't filter these out during the decoding process. Looks like some great stuff here. I hope you'll respond to it. Prof. Gerbner recently changed computer addresses, so he has been "out of the loop" for a little while. He is very interested in your reactions to these thoughts. The conversation is going VERY well. Let me know if any of you have questions, etc. --Glenn Getz, University of Iowa


DEAR COMGRADS: THE PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM!

A good problem for an inquiry is the key to a good proposal. Any problem can be turned into a question but not every question is a problem, and not every problem is a good problem. The same for purpose, topic, subject, etc. So - what is a problem? And what is a good problem? To answer that question, we have to consider the purpose of inquiry and the nature of problems that an inquiry should address.
  1. The purpose of inquiry
    An inquiry, investigation, research project, etc., are names given to action designed to make a contribution to knowledge. The activity must add to what is already known, not just to reshuffle the same old cards. Contributing to knowledge then becomes a task of testing, extending, or challenging what is known or supposed to be known.

    A good theory is the most practical type of knowledge because, unlike a fact, it organizes and guides classes of activity. Therefore, testing, extending, or challenging a theory is the most useful contribution to knowledge.

    The next task is to turn a problem statement into a proposal for a project (term paper, thises, [sic] independent research, dissertation, etc.) A proposal is an action plan that persuades the reader that the problem is real, urgent, and deserves attention, time, money, etc. Action cannot be general but must be specific in time, place, and direction. You cannot do much about generalities, though ultimately we can derive general principles and theories from specific actions.

  2. The nature of a problem
    We have noted that every problem can be formulated as a question (or purpose or topic, etc.), but not every question is a problem. "How many pebbles on the beaches of New Jersey?" is a question. But until somebody comes up with a good reason why we need to know, it is not a problem. The word problem comes from the Greek pro-, before or forth, and balein, to throw, and used to mean the difficulty that life throws on your path. So in order to have a problem, (1) you must have a desirable direction, (2) you must have a difficulty to overcome in order to make progress or to avoid sliding back; and (3) eventually you must figure out a practical and promising way to deal with the difficulty, i.e. to illuminate it, understand it better, and to decide what should be done about it. The theory, hypothesis, or your belief or hunch to be tested, extended, or challenged should bear directly on such a specific problem.

  3. What is a good problem?
    A good problem is not just what can be usefully addressed but what should be addressed in order to achieve or make progress toward a desirable goal or to avoid an undesirable event. It is something in which you are interested rather than something that is "done" or serves only the purposes of an academic exercise or employer or institution) but is also of some general social and public or communication- theoretical interest. In other words, a good problem is an issue or difficulty of some significance, urgency and priority whose investigation will make a useful contribution to knowledge. (If you already know the answer, if the answer can be found by a simple search of existing studies, or if it is totally predictable, there is no need to do the study.)

    Now - write a one page draft proposal covering briefly the points noted below. No preliminaries, get right to the point: "I propose a study to address the problem of X. This is a problem because....etc." Be specific. Address each point of the 4W's&H guideline below:

PROPOSAL: THE 4W'S & H

TITLE (Substantive)

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Not "question" or "topic." Problem addresses an issue, difficulty, or need that should be addressed. See previous notes on "The Problem."

WHY IS IT A PROBLEM?

Reason for and significance of problem. Any theory being tested, extended, challenged? Not why it can be done by why it should or must be done. Convince the reader that it is worth investing time, effort, etc.

WHERE?

Location on some scheme, model, or framework of communications study. Type of study. (Policy, content, effects, interaction, etc.)

WHO HAS DONE WHAT ABOUT RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM?

Reference to relevant studies and an explanation of their relevance. Note at least one and its relevance.

HOW?