Formulating the Statement of the Research Problem

After you have identified your research problem, you can proceed to streamlining your research into the main problem and its subproblems. You can present these in a statement in either declarative or interrogative form and using the acronym O-SMART-CR. The acronym indicates that the research problem is presented in a statement that is organized, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound, concise, and relevant.

The statement should also be brief and precise as it sets the extent or limits of the problem, so that by just one reading of the problem, you can easily identify the scope or coverage of the investigation.

You can also state the main research problem in one declarative statement and two or more subproblems in interrogative sentences. Or you can also state both the main problem and its subproblems in interrogative form.