How do you formulate a qualitative research problem and purpose statement?

1 Identify a topic of interest

The first step is to identify a topic of interest that relates to your discipline, field, or profession. You can draw inspiration from your personal or professional experiences, current issues or debates, gaps or controversies in the literature, or social or practical problems that need to be addressed. For example, if you are a teacher, you might be interested in exploring how students cope with online learning during the pandemic.

3 Define a research problem

The third step is to define a research problem that expresses the gap, need, or issue that your study aims to address. A research problem should be specific, significant, and feasible. It should also indicate the main phenomenon or variable that you want to explore and the context or setting where it occurs. You can use a question or a statement format to articulate your research problem. For example, you might ask: How do students experience and perceive online learning in a rural high school?

4 Write a purpose statement

The fourth and final step is to write a purpose statement that summarizes the main goal, intent, or objective of your study. A purpose statement should be concise, coherent, and aligned with your research problem. It should also specify the research approach, design, and methods that you will use to collect and analyze data. You can use a sentence or a paragraph format to write your purpose statement. For example, you might write: The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the experiences and perceptions of online learning among rural high school students using interviews, observations, and document analysis.