Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3.1.1 Researcher Interest
3.1.3 Resources Availability
Research is re-search, to know the unknowns. A
research problem is the brainchild of a
researcher. As such, a researcher should select a
problem area in which he/she is interested in it
and familiar with and has reasonable level of
understanding. Though research organizations
both in private and government have guide-
lines for the areas of research to be under-
taken depending upon the objective of the
organizations, a researcher should try to select
such areas in which his/her interest and the orga-
nizational interest coincide. All these are
required because to accomplish a fruitful
research work, the probing attitude, tenacity of
spirit, and dedications of researchers are most
warranted.
Any research program is guided by three
questions: “what to do,” “where to do,” and
“what is available?” A researcher should have a
clear-cut knowledge about the availability of
resources at his/her disposal. With the experience
and expertise available to the researchers, is he/
she confident in completing a research program?
What are the facilities in the form of clerical and
technical assistance, instrumental facilities,
computational facilities, and of course monitory
and time available for conduction of the research
work? A well-equipped researcher in the form of
laboratory, library, and technical manpower can
think of attaining maximum objectives of a
research program and, thus, can formulate a
research problem accordingly. Most of the
applied research programs are time bound in
nature, so while framing a research program,
one must be careful about the time limit allowed
for the purpose.
3.1.2 Usefulness of the Topic
Most of the research problems arise out of the
desire to obtain a fruitful solution to the pressing
problems of the society. So a research problem
should have directions such that its results are
useful in solving the problem of the society. On
the other hand, pure and basic research, though
guided by the “knowledge for the sake of knowl-
edge,” must give rise to a number of application-
oriented research problems. The novelty theoret-
ical research lies in stimulating or motivating the
applied or empirical researches. A research prob-
lem should not be chosen such that it will be very
difficult to throw new lights on the respective
area. Moreover, an average researcher should
try to avoid selecting such problems which are
controversial in nature. Only the established and
renowned researchers in the respective field shall
take up such researches. A research problem with
too narrow or too vague objectives is criticized
for its usefulness for the betterment of the soci-
ety. Thus, whatever may be the type of research,
a research problem should enrich the knowledge
bank either on theoretical aspects or application
aspects.
3.1.4 Availability of Data
Availability of data plays a vital role during the
formations of a research problem, in a research
based on secondary information. A researcher
is required to examine whether the data for the
program are available in plenty or not. For experi-
mental research or survey type of research, these
problems pose little problem, because a researcher
generates the information for a specific purpose.
A research problem formulated and to be tested
with the help of secondary data is very susceptible
to availability of the data.
3.2
Steps in the Formulation
of Research Problem
Defining a research problem is a daunting task.
Defining a problem involves a task of laying
down boundaries within which a researcher
should study a problem with a predetermined
