Q: What is the rationale of the research problem?

The rationale of your research problem is the reason for conducting the study. The rationale should answer the need for conducting the said research. It is a very important part of your publication as it justifies the significance and novelty of your research problem.

To write your rationale, you should first write a background on all the research that has been done on your study topic so far. Follow this with ‘what is missing’ or ‘what are the open questions of the study’. Identify the gaps in the literature and emphasize why it is important to address those gaps. This will form the rationale of your study. The rationale should be followed by a hypothesis and objectives.

Related reading:

• How can I come up with a research problem, research objectives, and research hypothesis?
• The basics of writing a statement of the problem for your research proposal [Downloadable template]