The Research Problem

How to introduce the research essay with a fourth expected element—the research problem. What is the form of motivation? It is problems. Since the research essay is a problem-solution genre, the introduction needs to express the problem, often an interpretive issue (where the experts disagree) or a gap in knowledge. While the research question is a local question about primary sources, the research problem is a relevant “big” question discovered in the secondary sources, or critical literature. The research problem has two main functions: it expresses significance and motivates the writer and target readers. By means of the research problem, the research writer enters the on-going conversation about the significant issue in order to modify or correct the conversation or propose a traditional position with new reasons or new applications.