Writer’s Forum— New Horizons in Adult Education

& Human Resource Development

Developing a dissertation 25 (3), 103-117

research problem: A guide

for doctoral students in
human resource development
and adult education*

Ronald L. Jacobs1

For most doctoral students, the dissertation represents the most gratifying, and perhaps the most challenging, phase
of their academic programs. Until this point, students have focused mostly on the scholarly works of others. Now
they have the opportunity through their dissertation to focus exclusively on which topic interests them the most. A
review of the many doctoral programs in human resource development and adult education suggests that they vary
widely in terms of their expectations for the dissertation. Some doctoral programs explicitly seek to prepare future
researchers or academics, leading to the expectation that their students’ dissertations will advance some theoretical
model and likely use a sophisticated data-analysis technique as well. Other doctoral programs with a different focus
might seek to prepare scholar-practitioners, leading to a different expectation for the purpose of the dissertation.
These studies might examine some aspect of professional practice or a topical organizational issue, without a particu-
lar emphasis on building theory as an outcome.

Regardless of the nature of the program, the one constant for all dissertations, and for all research for that matter, is
the need to state the problem of the study based on the scholarly literature. Doctoral programs commonly require
that students take a sequence of research courses that usually focus on how to carry-out a study. That is, the design,
the methodology, and the data-analysis techniques, whether they be quantitative or qualitative in nature. Unfortu-
nately, what is often omitted from most research sequences is an understanding of what constitutes a research prob-
lem in the first place and how to articulate the problem statement in a logical manner.

Some might view such information as being of lesser importance, considering all the various tasks that a dissertation
requires. In fact, the problem statement serves a critical foundational role for all research. What value is a study that
uses the most advanced research methodology, such as structural equation modeling, but the reason for actually do-
ing the analysis remained uncertain? Or what value is a study that assumes the reader understands the problem as
well as the author? How to communicate the research problem demands more than good writing skills alone, though
1
University of Illinois, *Adapted by the author and printed with publisher permission. Adapted from: Jacobs, R. L. (2011). De-
veloping a research problem and purpose statement. In Tonette S. Rocco & Tim Hatcher (Eds.), The Handbook of Scholarly
Writing and Publishing. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. pp. 125-141.
Corresponding Author:
Ronald L. Jacobs, University of Illinois
E-mail: rljacobs@illinois.edu
Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company
104 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

this aspect is an essential competency. For many students as emerging scholars, constructing the problem state-
ment often presents an intellectual challenge of a new sort, apart from designing the study and analyzing the data.

This article has four purposes. First, the article discusses the role of the problem statement in doing research in
human resource development and adult education. Second, it discusses the various bases for deriving problems for
doing research. Third, it presents a four-part logical system, or syllogism, for constructing problem statements.
Finally, the article discusses the implications for attending to the problem statement.

The Research Problem

All forms of systematic inquiry – research, evaluation, or development – may be considered as actions in response
to problems. Thus, having a well-conceived problem statement is an essential component of all these activities,
though this aspect is sometimes ignored or made to seem more of an intuitive process compared to other parts of
the process. As stated, the problem statement serves a foundational role in that it communicates what is the formal
reason for engaging in the dissertation in the first place.

Nearly all research handbooks advise that stating the problem is either the first or among the first steps of the re-
search process. Merriam and Simpson (1995) identify five steps to the research process, with identifying a concern
or problem as being the first step. Hershey, Jacobs-Lawson, and Wilson (2006) use the interesting metaphor of a
research script to describe a sort of personalized action plan for researchers. The formulation of the problem and
research questions actually comes about as part of the third element of the process. Ary, Jacobs, Razavieh, and
Sorenson (2005) discuss at some length the nature and sources of problems that need to be considered when doing
educational research. Swanson and Holton (2005) propose a process of framing research in organizations, includ-
ing making a problem decision.

Problem statements are sometimes associated more with a logical positivistic perspective of inquiry. That is, view-
ing science as a systematic orderly process – the scientific method – starting with stating hypotheses through build-
ing knowledge through empirical means. Alternately, adherents to a grounded theory view inquiry as a means to
allow theory to emerge from the data, suggesting a reversal of the steps related to the scientific method (Stebbins,
2001). In following a grounded theory approach, the precise problem may not be known at the outset of the re-
search, though there might be a notion that a problem situation exists. As a result, the problem statement becomes
part of the outcomes of the study, after the data have been gathered and the broad groups of concepts, as derived
from the results, have been analyzed to generate a theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Based on the theory that was
generated, prospective research problems can be proposed as a means to begin testing the theory. The intent of this
article is not to invoke a debate about the relative merits of one approach to inquiry or another. Rather, the point
here is that regardless of the researcher’s perspective, problem statements play a crucial role in communicating the
logic of the research, whether these statements are presented a priori or post hoc in the study.

Research problems do not exist in nature just waiting to be plucked out by some observant researcher (Guba,
1978). Instead, they are artificial entities that come together only through the intense efforts of the researcher, who
has identified a gap in information or understanding within a topic. In general, the information that forms the prob-
lem statement must be first induced from the literature, framed around certain theoretical understandings, and artic-
ulated in a way that clearly represents the interests of the researcher. Thus, problem statements differ from a topic
of interest. That is, a student might express an interest in, say, workplace learning for a dissertation study. Howev-
er, that information tells us virtually nothing about the research problem to be studied within workplace learning.
Problem statements involve more that merely narrowing down a broad topic of interest into something more specif-
ic. Problem statements involve an understanding of the discontinuities that exist when more than one phenomenon
is examined at the same time.
105 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

In general, problem statements describe a gap in sets of information which results in a call for action or resolution.
There are usually three major functions of a problem statement. First, problem statements establish the existence
of two or more factors, which by their interactions produce a perplexing or troublesome state, that yield an undesir-
able consequence. Kerlinger (1987) states that research problems represent the relationships between two variables
at odds with each other. Oftentimes, the factors being considered can be shown to be true at the same time and the
resulting tension between the two opposing true statements provide the intellectual basis to formulate the problem.
For instance, consider that the following statements about human resource development practice are both true and,
at the same time, also they begin to frame the perplexing or troublesome situation required of a problem.

• HRD professionals profess to value using a systems approach to develop training programs.
• HRD professionals seldom use a systems approach in their actual practice to develop training
programs

The second function of problem statements is to justify the usefulness of the information that might be gained by
investigating the problem. That is, given that a perplexing situation exists, the following question might be asked:
Many such perplexing situations exist in professional practice, so why is this one of importance? The basis of this
response could be drawn from a range of reasons. For instance, the importance for understanding the above two
statements might rest with the need for organizations to make effective use of their resources, and the systems ap-
proach is best suited to ensure that this occurs. Thus, based on this justification, understanding how these two
statements could be both true helps the researcher build the case for why the opposing statements deserve attention.
It should be noted that the perspective of this justification often confuses students about the intent of the activity.
Briefly, research might seek to describe and explain why the statements can both be true, often through the intro-
duction of theory. Development might seek to implement a solution to address the problem. Evaluation might
seek to determine the extent to which the solutions in fact addressed the problem.

Finally, the problem statement presents the purpose of the present study to address the troublesome or perplexing
situation. That is, what the researcher has planned in response to the existence of the opposing factors. Given that
the researcher can select among options, there is an element of subjectivity in what factors frame the problem and
what goals are set for the study, in the context of the scholarly literature. Thus, in the presence of the same infor-
mation, different researchers may in fact propose the same or different problem and identify the same or different
goals for the study.

Deriving Problem Statements

How a research problem is actually identified is a matter of intense interest for many in human resource develop-
ment and adult education because no one approach seems to fit best for all situations. Most texts on research sug-
gest that researchers should use some combination of sources of information to derive the problem statement
(Merriam and Simpson, 1995), though the precise way to actually use each source is seldom discussed.

Literature Reviews
Perhaps the most common recommendation is that potential research problems might be found by conducting a
review of the scholarly literature, which should provide an in-depth knowledge of the topic. The review should
reveal what research questions have been asked, which research questions have been resolved and which remain in
question, and what research questions might still need to be asked. In addition, developing expertise on a topic
provides the intellectual basis to induce potential problems when observing actual settings or discussing the obser-
vations of others. No other source of information alone contributes in helping to derive research problems to the
same extent as doing the literature review.

Personal Experience
106 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

The adage often goes that nothing can replace the value of personal experience. The same is often true from a re-
search perspective as well. In most instances, personal experience represents the insights gained about a topic or
situation when engaged in some level of professional practice. Elsewhere, the notion of partnership research was
introduced as a means to gain greater tangible insights into phenomena, which might otherwise come only through
the literature. In this sense, partnership research is defined as deriving research from practice (Jacobs, 1997). To
accomplish this, researchers should consider first gaining some close-up understanding of the topic through prac-
tice, since practice is often the best way to achieve any depth of true understanding (van de Ven and Johnson,
2006).

Additionally, if the researcher seeks to eventually influence practice through research, then research problems
should be grounded in the practice in the first place. Drawing from personal experience does not negate the need to
rely on the scholarly literature. In fact, the scholarly literature provides a frame from which the observant practi-
tioner/researcher can tease out what problems might be of some importance.

Students often feel frustrated when attempting to derive meaningful research problems on a topic without much
grounding in practice. This is an all too common occurrence, which in many cases calls for better preparation and
advising. For instance, many students now express an interest in studying web-based training as it is being used in
organizations. At first glance, this focus represents an important topic for the human resource development field,
but to make such research truly worthwhile, it seems necessary for students to have gained some first-hand experi-
ence either in designing or managing this training approach. Unfortunately, many students express a scholarly in-
terest in studying such topics, but are limited in their perspectives since they have limited practical experiences to
buttress their scholarly interest.

Discussions with Others

A third perspective on deriving research problems is to reach out to others for their opinions, such as peers students
who may be at the same stage of their programs, recent graduates who may have developed a perspective on the
study they conducted, scholar-practitioners who may have developed insights about potential research problems
from their own experiences, and of course faculty who have perspectives from their own research interests and
agendas. Unfortunately, students mistakenly believe that the process of identifying a research problem should be a
relatively solitary ordeal. As a result, too many students close down from their usual social contacts as they engage
in this stage of the dissertation process. The result can be undue levels of frustration and anxiety.

Faculty can do much to help make the dissertation more of a social process for students, enabling students to have
access to a wider set of inputs, without necessarily removing the intellectual challenge inherent in the process. In
some programs, students move through the courses and dissertation components as a cohort, which may be helpful
in this respect. Another approach is for faculty to organize regularly-scheduled meetings in which students can
express their ideas to each other in a non-threatening, but still questioning, environment. How to ensure appropri-
ate levels of social interaction between students and others is a continuing challenge in most doctoral programs.

Research Agendas
Finally, research problems can follow along from established research agendas. In this case, the advisor, the group
of faculty, or even a small group of students may have established a line of research from which the student might
be able to identify a research problem. Following the research agenda of others has both advantages and disad-
vantages. One advantage is that new research problems are the logical result of each previous study. In that sense,
research both answers questions and surfaces new questions for attention. Thus, the student may have some op-
tions within the scope of the agenda and, in addition, might feel a sense of belonging to a larger research effort.
107 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

From these various sources of information, the following question might be asked: What does the researcher look
for to help frame the research problem? The relationships between and among the factors can take at least five in-
terrelated forms, which can guide the identification of the research problems.

Provocative Exception
The provocative exception occurs when a consistent and accepted conclusion is contradicted by the appearance of a
new finding. Detecting such exceptions requires close scrutiny of a topic, which might reveal some subtle change
in understanding over time. Provocative exceptions seldom stand out as monumental events in the literature which
are immediately recognized as such. Rather, researchers need to analyze the literature carefully and seize upon
even the most subtle discrepancies to determine whether the exception should be considered the new orthodoxy or
should it be considered an exception worth investigating further.

An example of provocative exception might be seen in the literature on mentoring. One line of mentoring research
has consistently shown that mentors and mentees show higher levels of interpersonal attraction towards each other
when they are matched by age, gender, and race, among other personal factors (McManus & Russell, 1997).
However, taken from a different perspective, some studies have shown that when individuals are asked to identify
the individual has mentored them and has been most influential in their development, there is no apparent pattern in
the matching of personal characteristics. Indeed, Cushnie (1999) found in a qualitative study that all seven African
-American women supervisors named Caucasian men as being most helpful in their professional development,
even when other women were available to mentor them. In this example, the research and common-sense logic
both suggest the importance of matching individuals to ensure effective mentoring results. However, some other
studies suggest that other factors may be as important, if not more so.

Contradictory Evidence
Related to the provocative exception is when contradictory evidence can be shown across findings at the same
time. In this instance, each set of results are compelling in their own right, but when viewed from a higher level of
abstraction, the contradictions begin to appear. That is, the researcher needs to analyze the findings from each
stream of research, then begin to synthesize across the related streams to uncover how they may differ.

For example, influential studies of the HRD field, such as the annual survey of the workplace learning and perfor-
mance industry conducted by ASTD (State of the Industry Report: ASTD’s Annual Review of Trends in Workplace
Learning and Performance, 2008) have related the percentage of training hours and delivery methods. The results
have generally shown that instructor-led training remains has the highest percentage of learning hours with technol-
ogy-driven delivery approaches steadily gaining in use over the years. Respondents of these studies are likely to be
human resource development professionals in the participating organizations.

At the same time, when employees across occupations have been asked how they learned how to do their jobs, such
as salespersons, engineers, and teachers, they consistently report that they learned their jobs in the context of per-
forming their jobs, and seldom if ever mention classroom training or web-based training per se (Churchill, Ford, &
Walker, 1985; Connor, 1983). Though these results do not directly contradict each other, they do show that learn-
ing in the workplace can be viewed differently depending on which group is selected as the respondents of the
study.

Knowledge Void
It is difficult to believe that a knowledge void exists today to any extent on any topic. The volume of research be-
ing conducted and reported must certainly be the highest ever. In addition, this does not even consider the unprece-
dented availability of research from related fields. For instance, a doctoral student sought to study the HRD func-
108 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

tion in organizations within the context of service quality management. Such an approach had not been done with-
in the HRD literature, but such an approach is quite common within the operations management literature. Thus, a
theoretical framework and the literature from this related field were used in the dissertation (Mafi, 2000).

Another perspective on the knowledge void is to ask why some result was actually found in a study, when some
other result was expected or intended. Clearly, this discrepancy occurs in many studies and provides an especially
fertile ground for generating new research problems. For instance, several years ago, Benjamin Bloom published a
meta-analysis of studies investigating the effectiveness of mastery learning approaches (Bloom, 1984). He report-
ed a somewhat startling result that mastery learning had improved student outcomes by one standard deviation
overall, but had not achieved the two standard-deviation improvement that he felt was necessary to prove the effi-
cacy of mastery learning. Instead, face-to-face tutoring approaches had consistently achieved these more ambitious
outcomes. How to explain these discrepancies gave rise to a new generation of research on the topic.

Action-knowledge conflict
The action-knowledge conflict focuses on when individuals’ professional behaviors differ from their espoused be-
haviors. In this instance, the research problem could seek to identify if such a gap actually exists within a specific
situation or topic, the issues that contribute to the gap, and the constraints that prevent individuals from behaving in
professional situations as they might wish otherwise.

Perhaps the most common example is that many human resource development and adult education practitioners
generally agree about the critical importance of thoroughly evaluating their training programs. However, in spite
of such espoused beliefs, in practice training evaluation activities are rarely shown to occur to the same extent and
with the same level of fervor and commitment.

Methodological conflict
The use of one or another research methodology may also help provide a source for a research problem. Though
there are numerous ways that researchers can manage bias or undue influence in their studies, the research method-
ology itself becomes a source of influence, though it is unlikely the researcher ever thought of it in this way. Such
occurrences become opportunities for framing the next problem statement.

One could argue that much of what we know about professional practice comes from survey research that asks re-
spondents to complete an instrument of some kind. Indeed, the development of web-based platforms makes this
approach all the more efficient to administer and the results to analyze. At the same time, some of the most in-
sightful understandings about the vagaries of professional practice come from the direct questioning of respondents
using open ended questions or specifically-formatted questions such as the critical incident technique.

Qualitative research does not owe its existence simply to find an alternate approach to quantitative research, as
might be suggested by the above example. Each research or paradigm has its own legitimate place in its own right
for facilitating our understanding of phenomena. However, when certain topics have been predominantly investi-
gated using one method or another, then that occurrence opens the obvious question about whether the results
might differ if another method was used.

Theoretical Conflict
It is possible that the same phenomenon may be explained through more than one theoretical model, and such a
discrepancy might provide an opportunity for studying the explanatory power of one theory over the other. Identi-
fying research problems from this perspective seems more likely through one of the HRD foundational theories,
such as psychology. For instance, examining learning theories based on behavioral or cognitive theories have pro-
109 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

vided many researchers with a clear contrast from which to study and explain specific instructional approaches.
Does learner interaction lead to higher learning outcomes because it affords individuals an opportunity to reflect
upon the relevance of the content or because of the perceived value of the consequence that follows the response?

It is relatively recent that the topics of theory and theory building have become serious discussion points in the hu-
man resource development field (Lynham, 2003). Using theoretical conflict as a basis for identifying problem
statements would seem a logical next step from this on-going discussion.

Constructing Problem Statements

Problem statements typically have four major components which communicate the basis of the study, or the per-
plexing or troublesome situation, and the general action that will be taken the situation. Taken together, problem
statements represent a system of argument – or a conditional syllogism – that is based on information that is recog-
nized as being true in a particular sense. Truthful information is derived from the scholarly literature of the field,
reliable sources from the general or professional literature, or commonly-accepted views of the field from respect-
ed individuals.

Problem statements are not built from the personal opinions of the researcher or conclusion from spurious sources
of information that may have an inherent predisposition or prejudice about a topic. In this sense, research problem
statements can be constructed to appear to be logically valid, but they may not actually true in the manner that truth
is defined here. In addition, viewing problem statements in this way highlights the need to differentiate the quality
of the scholarly sources in a field, including conference proceedings, journals, and professional texts. In general,
the most “truthful” scholarly sources are those that have the most rigorous review processes. The four components
of problem statements are the following:

Principal Proposition
These are the collective of statements that can be considered as being true or generally accepted as factual. The
principal proposition represents a discussion that establishes for the reader what information that is generally con-
sidered as being beyond question. Consider the following statement which can be considered as being true:

Historical records suggest that Central Ohio typically has a relatively mild winter weather pat-
tern. As a result, over the years, local newspapers have reported few disruptions on daily life
caused by the weather.

Such statements are intended to establish a baseline of acceptable fact. Of course, such statements in themselves
may be subject to scrutiny and question by the reader. Who conducted the analysis of the historical and newspaper
records? How does a mild weather pattern differ from a severe weather pattern? What is a disruption on daily life?
Regardless, given that the assertion is supported by public sources of information, there is at least the assumption
that the statement has some level of credibility.

Interacting Proposition
The interacting proposition is perhaps the most important part of the problem statement. In effect, the interacting
proposition and the discussion that supports it serves to contradict, show exceptions to, or cast some doubt on the
principal proposition. The form of the interacting propositional statement almost always starts with a connecting
adverb, such as: however, although, but, or words that serve a similar function. The importance of using such
words in this way suggests they should be used sparingly otherwise in the report, so that the reader is clear about
the location of the interacting proposition in the problem statement. Following the above general example, consid-
er the following interacting proposition:
110 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

However, the past five winters in Central Ohio have been especially harsh, with temperatures
ranging well below the daily averages. As a result, most schools have been closed more days than
their allotted number.

The importance of the interacting proposition is to provide a contrast to the principal proposition. Thus, the inter-
acting proposition is especially sensitive to being supported by the scholarly or credible professional literature.
One cannot simply report that a contradiction exists to the principal proposition on the basis of the researcher’s per-
sonal opinion or a source that is less than credible. Indeed, the problem statement depends in large part on whether
the interacting proposition is constructed in a way that is sufficiently convincing. And the most convincing support
comes from either the scholarly literature or some other respected professional outlet.

Speculative Proposition
The speculative proposition juxtaposes the previous two sets of information which are both offered as being true,
and suggests why it might be important to resolve the contradiction that they seemingly have caused. The research
problem is formed by the gap of knowledge that exists between the two factual statements. Such occurrences form
the crux of scientific investigation. That is, how we resolve two contradictory independent statements. As such,
the speculative proposition might be thought in the form of a statement of principle, as shown in the following ex-
ample:

If Central Ohio has had relatively mild winters in the past based on historical information, and if
the recent winter weather pattern suggests a new weather pattern, which may have detrimental
affects on daily life, then more must be known about the most current winter weather patterns of
Central Ohio.

Explicative Statement
Finally, the problem statement should conclude with a culminating statement that states how the gap will be re-
solved in the form of the actions that the researcher intends to undertake. Simply put, the explicative statement is
the statement of the purpose of the research study. Many researchers mistakenly view the explicative statement as
the problem statement itself. As a result, in the section labeled problem statement of the dissertation, research re-
port, or journal article, the author will simply provide to the reader the purpose of the research study.

In fact, the explicative statement serves to complete the cycle of logic that the researcher has generated.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the recent winter weather pattern and its affects on daily
life in Central Ohio.

Table 1 (Appendix A) presents four example problem statements highlighting each of their four components. Of
course, in an actual dissertation, each component would be expanded to a much greater extent within Chapter One.
However, at the beginning stages of the dissertation process, the core format as shown in the table serves an im-
portant function for both the student and the faculty advisor. The core format helps students focus their writing
efforts on the essential task at hand – that is, the articulation of the problem statement without being unnecessarily
distracted by other aspects of the study. For the faculty advisor, the core format provides a basis to better under-
stand the student’s intent and to provide constructive feedback for improvement.

Constructing problem statements is usually a formative process. That is, the first drafts rarely are acceptable, but
they serve an important function in helping to progressively sharpen the logic and illuminate the various options.
Issues with problem statements tend to fall in one or more of the following categories:
111 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

• Fails to establish the existence of the problem. For example, the problem statement contains
only the explicative statement, “The purpose of the study was . . .”
• Explains every problem in the same way, using the same principal proposition as a boiler-
plate for all interacting propositions.
• Neglects to show any history to the problem. That is, the principal proposition does not pro-
vide sufficient context.
• Lacks support to show how the interacting proposition is related to the principal proposition.
• Has limited meaning outside the personal experience of the researcher, even though the prob-
lem statement may appear to be logical.
• Projects the principal proposition and interacting proposition in too high of a level of abstrac-
tion. That is, the problem statement appears to be overly ambitious or too broad in its per-
spective.
• Presents information that is logical but the problem statement may have limited importance to
the field or information from the literature is not accurately portrayed.
• Presents a set of statements representing the problem statement components, but the logic
flow of logic remains uncertain or is disconnected.

Implications of the Problem Statement

The central point made at the beginning of this article is the research problem is fundamental to good research.
Otherwise, the research could not be considered as an intellectual activity governed by system thinking. These oft-
stated critical comments about some studies illustrate this point: “A method in search of a problem”, “The re-
searcher knew what he wanted to do, but forgot to tell anyone else”, or “Interesting results, but what does it mean?”
These types of comments plague more than a few dissertations.

Developing research problems requires a sort of intellectual discipline that differs from other aspects of the re-
search process. It requires that the researcher possess deep knowledge of the scholarly literature of interest, all the
while holding onto some sense of what they would like to do. This author’s observation is that many students may
not be able to readily articulate their research problem, but they are able to recognize it when they finally work out
the appropriate logic. At some point, there comes a realization that the problem existed all along, and that it just
needed to be “discovered” through successful attempts at analysis and synthesis. The extraneous clutter of under-
standings have been peeled away to reveal the student’s core scholarly interest. Engaging in this process may be as
demanding as any academic task they may have undertaken, and certainly the process helps avoid the common crit-
icisms directed at many studies.

Attention to the research problem carries with it benefits beyond the immediate study. Figure 1 (Appendix B)
shows how the components of the problem statement, the problem components and the explicative statement, can
be generalized to guide change projects, development projects, evaluation projects, as well as research studies.
Each professional activity may be guided by a different set of requirements, such as those for change projects: im-
prove, innovate, or transform. However, the basis for doing the professional activity should be guided by a logical
presentation of the problem beforehand.

Finally, attention to the research problem carries with it an indisputable personal development dimension. Perhaps
as important is the opportunity to view each individual student’s study as part of a larger set of studies having relat-
ed research problems. A substantial number of dissertations are completed each year, and one major criticism is
the lack of cohesiveness of the studies (Shulman, Golde, Conklin-Bueschel, Garabedian, 2006). In keeping with
the promise of academic freedom, each study responds to the needs of the individual student, but important ques-
tions might be asked about this approach.
112 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

One might consider the dissertations conducted by students in one academic department or program. What new
knowledge has actually been generated from all the dissertation studies? Are any of the studies logically connected
such that one builds or complements any of the others? Of what value is it to discuss implications for future re-
search in the concluding chapter, knowing that in reality that the new questions raised will never be actually ad-
dressed? Such concerns in part call for a more systematic approach of viewing and carrying out dissertation re-
search and by extension how faculty advisors work with their advisees (Wright, Murray, & Geale, 2007).

In truth, new useful knowledge seldom comes from one study alone, regardless of the scale or quality of the study.
Instead, knowledge comes from a series of related research studies – metaphorically similar to that of a garden lat-
tice – that occur over a period of time. Meta-analysis suggests how the value of one study becomes a data point in
the context of numerous studies. Thus, one study cannot yield the ever by itself the same confidence about any set
of questions.
Conclusion

This article seeks to guide how to conceptualize and articulate research problem statements. Meeting this chal-
lenge often differs from the more common tasks of selecting and using the correct research methods and data-
analysis techniques. Students realize that constructing problem statements in fact is an especially intellectually
demanding process requiring a range of analytical skills. But such intense efforts upfront are almost always re-
warded by greater clarity of the research intent and, by extension, increased meaningfulness of the results. How to
ensure the integrity of this aspect of the research process remains a challenge for students and faculty advisors
alike.

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114 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

Appendix A
Table 1. Example Research Problem Statements.

Example #1*
Principal Proposition
Research has consistently shown that unstructured and structured forms of OJT lead to differential work outcomes.
These research results, along with the accumulating experiences of a growing number of practitioners, suggest the
value of using structured OJT over unstructured OJT, particularly when the efficiency of the training and the quali-
ty of the training outcomes are of concern. Recently, structured OJT has begun to receive increased attention from
public-sector agencies concerned with achieving workforce development goals through the improvement of organ-
izational practices.
Interacting Proposition
Although numerous studies are available that describe structured OJT practices and impacts within one organiza-
tional situation, fewer studies are available that describe structured OJT practices and impacts across organizations
and business sectors within a single national setting.
Speculative Proposition
If structured OJT has been shown to achieve results of value to organizations, and if this training approach is being
considered as part of broader national workforce development efforts but little is known about how it is being used
in this way, then more must be known about the nature and impacts of structured OJT across organizations in one
national setting.
Explicative Statement
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to survey Singaporean organizations on the status, impacts, and imple-
mentation issues of structured on-the-job training.
*Adapted from: Jacobs, R., & Osman-Gani, A.A. (1999). Structured on-the-job training: Status, impacts, and im-
plementation issues in Singapore organizations. Human Resource Development International, 2(1), 17-24.
115 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

Table 1. Example Research Problem Statements (continued).

Example #2*
Principal Proposition
The career development process is critical for the success of organizations. Research has shown that women man-
agers experience career development differently from men. In addition, more and more African-American women
are now joining the ranks of management, which presents new challenges and opportunities for these individuals.
Interacting Proposition
However, little is known about the combined effects of sex and race on the career development process of individ-
uals, and to the extent that current career development models accurately describe the process is unclear.
Speculative Proposition
If career development is important for organizations and career development is viewed differently by women and
men managers and more African-American women are now serving in the ranks of management, and if little is
known about the combined effects of sex and race on the career development process, then more needs to be
known about how African-American women perceive their career development experiences.
Explicative Statement
The purpose of this study was to focus on African-American women first-line supervisors undertake and conduct a
qualitative study of their career development process.
*Adapted from: Cushnie, M. (1999). African-American women first-line supervisors: a qualitative study of their
career development process.

Example #3*
Principal Proposition
HRD departments serve a critical role as internal consultants in many organizations. In general, the literature on
managing HRD departments has focused primarily on the competencies of the individuals involved. The logical
premise is that service quality depends on what the staff can offer to the organization. This approach has been
helpful in understanding how HRD might contribute in organizations.
Interacting Proposition
However, alternate perspectives on service quality exist in fields other than HRD, most prominent of which is the
gap model from the operations management field, which focus first on understanding of an organization’s relation-
ships with its customers.
Speculative Proposition
If HRD departments serve a critical consulting role in organizations and the role is defined primarily by the com-
petencies of the HRD staff, and if alternate perspectives on service quality exist such as the gap model from the
operations management field, then it seems important to determine how such alternate perspectives might be used
to understand service quality in HRD.
Explicative Statement
The purpose of the study was to test the appropriateness of the gap service-management model to the human re-
source development function in organizations.
*Adapted from: Mafi, S. (2000). Testing the Appropriateness of the Gap Service-Management Model to the Hu-
man Resource Development Function in Organizations.
116 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

Table 1. Example Research Problem Statements (continued).

Example #4*
Principal Proposition
The literature suggests that training programs are most effective when the training designers and the subject-matter
experts (SMEs) work together on a collaborative basis during the training design process. The training designer
and SME roles distinguish how training programs can be designed across different types of training.
Interacting Proposition
However, while the roles of the training designer and SME are clearly defined in the U.S. and European-based
HRD literature, this professional arrangement does not necessarily characterize HRD practices globally. In fact, a
review of the HRD literature in Taiwan suggests that HRD professionals are expected to become SMEs themselves
when designing training programs or SMEs are expected to design the training program by themselves with mini-
mal support from the training designer.
Speculative Proposition
If training programs are most effective when the training designers and SMEs work collaboratively during the
training design process, and if such arrangements are discussed mostly in the U.S. and European literature and may
not be used globally, which may have detrimental effects on the quality of the training, then more needs to be
known about the working relationships between HRD professionals and SMEs in global situations.
Explicative Statement
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of human resource development professionals in Tai-
wan regarding their working relationships with subject-matter experts (SMEs) during the training design process.
*Adapted from: Lin, Y.C. (2006). The Perceptions of Human Resource Development Professionals in Taiwan Re-
garding their Working Relationships with Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) during the Training Design Process.
117 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (3)

Appendix B
Figure 1. Relationship between problem statement and professional actions.