Research Questions and Methods for Problem Identification

Describe the specific issue or problem you wish to explore in your project, what specific problem or issue will your product/service idea address?

• What is the problem that you think exists (be as precise as possible)?
• How do you know it is a problem?
• Why is this issue significant and who is it significant to?
• If it is so significant why is it still an issue, i.e. why has it not been solved yet? You might want to consider the extent to which existing solutions meet all the problems/needs identified.
• Who will benefit the most from solving this particular issue?
• How will they benefit from solving this issue?
• What’s in it for you? i.e. why is this a venture worth pursuing for you?

Research Questions

In order to research the problem(s) you have identified you need questions to guide your research. What specific questions do you need to be able to answer in order to develop a solution to your probelm?

The project “tagging” activity: based on the information above, select up to 10 key words/phrases that you think best identify the themes, concepts and issues relating to your topic.

This activity will help you identify the business theories, frameworks and concepts that will be most useful in your research.

As an example; let us assume that you are investigating a perceived failing in an existing product, such as the water bottle. Because of its size and shape you find it difficult to carry at all times unless you have a bag. This means that when you don’t have a bag you often leave the water bottle at home and resort to buying drinks in single use plastic bottles. You want to investigate alternatives to the classic bottle to reduce purchases of single use plastics for people who don’t want to carry a bottle everywhere.

Review your list of key words/phrases; which articles/concepts/frameworks/ideas do you think will help you investigate these issues? These could provide a clear structure for analysing and investigating the topic or they may offer a specific method of investigation. You may also be aware of articles or literature that will provide useful insight into the issue. For example, based on the example above I might choose:

• Michael Porter’s Five Forces – this helps analyse the competitive environment
• Marketing mix – this will help structure analysis of price, placement and promotion
• Design Council’s Framework for Innovation – this could help design a process for your new product/service development
• Bob Eberle’s SCAMPER – a method for reimagining existing products and services into new products and business models.
• Schnurr et al (2018) “Reducing marine pollution from single-use plastics (SUPs): A review” Marine pollution bulletin, 137, pp.157-171.

List as many articles/frameworks as you can think of. This does not need to be complete or even lengthy; you just need to show that you understand some of the key tools that you can begin your project with.

What data or information will you need to be able to answer the questions you have identified above?

What methods do you think you will need to use to obtain this data use existing data sources, interviews, focus groups, surveys, observations

What challenges do you think you might face trying to use the methods identified above?