Problem Formulation in Social Work Research: Issues and Concerns

The upsurge interest demonstrated by academicians, practitioners and students in social work research documents evidence of increasing adaption of social work research as a method of social work by all. However for many, especially for new entrants into research, choosing a research topic or problem and developing researchable questions from it are still difficult tasks. This article focuses on this initial significant stage of research with respect to selection of a broad area and narrowing down it into sub sections. Role of research problems, nature of these problems, when and how problems should be formulated are also discussed. This article addresses own interest of the researcher, information needs of the agency, feasibility of investigating a research question and its significance in social work field as criteria for choosing a problem. Importance of understanding the concepts, dimensions and translating the same into measurable indicators or variables are also explained. It stresses that formulating potential research problems into meaningful terms commands clear and careful thought.