Identifying a Problem

A problem is a perceived difficulty, a feeling of discomfort about the way things are, or a discrepancy between what someone believes should be the situation and what is in reality the situation.
While problems are the initiating force behind research, not all problems require research. A potential research situation arises when three conditions exist:
1. A perceived discrepancy exists between what is and what should be.
2. A question exists about why there is a discrepancy.
3. At least two possible and plausible answers exist to the question.

http://www.popcouncil.org/Horizons/ORToolkit/toolkit/orhandbook/ch2_Identifying.pdf