The idea

The beginning of any research project is the identification of a problem. However, not all problems are research problems, nor are all topics researchable.

A problem is a gap that must and can be addressed by a research proposal. This means that it must be situated within a specific context and time-frame, and be conceptually definable. The time frame may be limited by years. The context refers to a place, space, or target population – or all three.

Identifying a problem, situation, or research topic is the first step in conducting research. This means that the researcher becomes aware of a gap that may be theoretical or practical and that can be addressed by exploring concepts and their relationships or by proposing projects or action plans.

This process is iterative. The researcher will go through several moments of abstraction and redefinition of their interests and research questions.

In addition, there must be a theoretical framework that provides a lens or viewpoint for understanding and analyzing the problem and its possible solutions.

Identifying a research problem

Identifying relevant problems in a research context is an essential first step of the research process. Several strategies can facilitate this process:

1. Professional Intuition: The experience and accumulated knowledge of the researcher plays a crucial role. Professional intuition helps the researcher detect areas of interest that, although not always evident, can result in significant research problems. However, your intuition must constantly be questioned, as all researchers face biases, assumptions, and limitations that can influence their perception of what is relevant. Self-criticism and reflection of our own beliefs and assumptions are essential to ensure rigorous research.
2. Exchange with Communities: Interaction with communities and social groups provides valuable insights into the needs and challenges they face. No one understands a community’s needs better than those affected by the problems in question. Engaging with community is important as it allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of people’s lived realities and concerns, thereby facilitating the identification of relevant problems. Through interviews, workshops, or focus groups, researchers can gather direct information to capture the experiences and needs of communities, which can propel the research forward.
3. Other Research: Reviewing previous studies is necessary for identifying gaps, contradictions, and under-explored areas in existing research. Reviewing the literature prior to conducting your research not only allows researchers to understand what has already been addressed but also helps to detect inconsistencies in previous findings or approaches that have become outdated. Analyzing the literature enables researchers to position their work within the broader context of the discipline, contributing to a more informed and enriching debate. In this way, connections between different studies can be established, and questions that have not yet been adequately answered can be formulated.
4. Institutional Problem Banks: Many institutions and organizations maintain databases that document identified problems in their contexts. These sources can provide an overview of recurring and emerging challenges, facilitating the selection of research topics.
5. Consultation with Specialists: Consulting experts in specific areas can provide valuable insights and guidance on current problems. Discussions with colleagues and specialists can open new avenues for investigation, drawing on their experiences and knowledge.

Given the above, it is always helpful to ask questions when expressing interest in a particular topic:

• Why is this a problem?
• Who is affected?
• Who would benefit from the solution or approach I propose?

Step 1: Establish time and space

The first step to identifying your research topic is to establish whether the problem can be limited in time and space. Let’s consider an example:

According to the 2023 Canadian Survey on Early Learning and Child Care (CSELCC, 2023), fifty-six percent of Canadian children aged 0 to 5 were enrolled in child care institutions.

Using this data, we can determine both place (Canada) and time (2023).

Step 2: Identify scope

The second step involves determining whether the problem can be conceptualized, meaning whether there are characteristics that can help us understand what is happening. For example, some relevant characteristics associated with this issue include child care, child care institutions, early childhood education, social and cognitive development of children aged 0 to 5, just to name a few.

This seems simple and logical, but it is not. For example, when we talk about Canadian children, are we referring to those born in Canada? Or to those living in Canada? Are all vulnerable populations included in this survey? Are all types of childcare institutions included? What about families who provide childcare at home? What assumptions are we making about the benefits of childcare institutions compared to the care of parents, grandparents, or other family care givers in the home?

As we become familiar with the literature and begin to study the problem other characteristics relate will emerge, including social expectations and assumptions about what childcare should look like and who should be responsible for it. This is why, starting from the problem situation, the context, and interest in the issue must be well-argued. It is not enough to say there was a group of children who accessed child care; more context and data needs to be provided to understand the problem, or to determine whether it is a problem at all. This process is called inquiry.

Step 3: Determine appropriateness for further inquiry

The third step involves determining whether this problem is worth researching. The researcher must ask themselves: Am I approaching this problem out of curiosity or because it benefits a community? If they believe it benefits a community, which one, and in what way?

In the case of the example problem, there are several types of benefits and beneficiaries. First, there are the children who access these institutions. We can focus on understanding what happens, what attention they receive, what development they have, what they learn or do not learn. There are the children who do not attend, so we can investigate why they do not attend or what supports are available to at-home caregiver. There is also the community surrounding the children, including parents, grandparents, siblings, coaches, and music teachers, among many others. We could even think about the educational levels that follow and the diversity of students entering primary school.

Step 4: Consider “why” something might be happening

Once you have determined that the problem can be studied, ask yourself: What might be causing this situation?

At this stage, hypotheses or assumptions are formulated (i.e., reasoned conjectures regarding the relationships established with the problem). Any problem situation can be determined by various factors, but not all are addressable or solvable, and they may fall under different disciplines. If the factor is economic, a sociologist may not have the knowledge and skills to study the problem on their own. Each specialist must identify the factor they have the skills to address otherwise they will need to collaborate with different disciplinary experts. For this reason, many organizations, businesses, and institutions have created multidisciplinary teams to address complex problems (e.g., wildfire, climate change, homelessness, poverty).

Compilation of Background Information

Every research project intersects with two contexts: the context involving those concerned and the theoretical context, known as the research background. The research background describes the history of the problem and consists of previous research relevant to the current study. It establishes key aspects for addressing, resolving, or answering the guiding questions of the research process, or even for determining if you are asking the right questions.

Normally, an initial review of the background is conducted during the project or design phase (preliminary inquiries), and then expanded upon in the theoretical section. In this process, two fundamental relationships are established:

1. between the research variables; and,
2. between the variables and the context.

Writing the background section

Writing the background section is a reflective process where previous research is discussed, highlighting other scholars’ contributions, relevant aspects that help solve the problem, gaps in the literature, and your research problem in relationship with other studies. These studies should also be referenced, indicating when they were conducted and providing details about the study participants.

Establishing background references is essential, not only for adhering to academic rigor and style but also for indicating what remains unresolved in the literature. It allows the researcher to analyze current research and its antecedents, noting what has been of interest to other scholars. In some research, there may be little or no relevant prior research related to the context, but there will always be theoretical antecedents—studies related to the variables (concepts) being studied in different contexts and from different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives.

Another possible scenario is that the background research you conduct discredits the relevance or novelty of the proposed study. This occurs more frequently than expected, making this step crucial. During the background review, it may be discovered that the problem has already been studied or that the initially thought interest is no longer valid. Therefore, the background, problem definition, approach, and wording are closely related. Generally, the researcher moves from one stage to another, redefining aspects before continuing with the writing of the research problem.