b. People. Tertiary sources are those used to organize and locate secondary and primary sources. if you have additional point you would like to share on sources and characteristics of research problem please add them on the comment below. Problems From the course covered you can brainstorm for ideas to generate topic ideas. RELATED POSTS. Sources of research problem 5. Research in social sciences generally, revolve around four Ps: 1. Do you have a strong opinion on the current issues of that topic? The group of individuals around and among which the research problem may exist. 2. Finding a research problem is the first and the most critical step in the research process. 4. Identification of research problem Identification of a research problem is the first and most important step in research process generally a broad area is selected and then a board topic is delimited or narrowed down to specific one sentence statement of the problem. Limitation of observation as data collection tool in research. Clarification of contradictory research results; We hope that you have found this article useful. The following questions offer further guidance; a. Secondary sources are those that describe or analyze primary sources, including: reference materials – dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and; books and articles that interpret, review, or synthesize original research/fieldwork. The function helps to decide the basis or objective behind your study. In narrowing down the area you should select an aspect of the general problem area that is related to your area of expertise (Gay, 1992, p.34). One major way to narrow your problem is to read sources giving overviews or summaries of the current status of research in your area.