1. Research originates with a question or problem. The world is filled with unanswered questions
and unresolved problems. Everywhere we look, we see things that cause us to wonder, to specu-
late, to ask questions. And by asking questions, we strike the first spark igniting a chain reaction
that leads to the research process. An inquisitive mind is the beginning of research; as one popu-
lar tabloid puts it, “Inquiring minds want to know!”
Look around you. Consider the unresolved situations that evoke these questions: What is
such-and-such a situation like? Why does such-and-such a phenomenon occur? What does it all
mean? These are everyday questions. With questions like these, research begins.
In Chapter 3, we will discuss the research problem at greater length. The problem and its
statement are important because they are the point of origin of formal research