The Kaduna State University (KASU), through its Library and Information Services unit, has introduced a Research Clinic to improve the quality of research among lecturers and scholars of the university.
The University’s Librarian, Prof. Abdullahi Musa, stated this in Kaduna on Wednesday during one of the Research Clinics on the topic “Statement of the Problem”.
Musa explained that the workshop was introduced four months ago and was being facilitated on weekly basis.
He said that goal was to stimulate KASU lecturers and scholars to be conversant with innovative methodological research strategies and techniques in line with global empirical research.
According to him, this is to enable academics come up with findings that will help solve societal problems and improve the health and well-being of the people.
“Scholars globally are always interested in advancing their knowledge and skills, by finding better ways of investigating societal problems.
“This will help researchers to come up with innovative and out-of-the-box solutions that will improve the wellbeing of the people, and ensure sustainable development in the country.
“Speakers from the different parts of the country attend the clinic, including foreign universities, while others join virtually”, he said.
Musa added that the statement of the problem in a research was fundamental, otherwise the research would succeed in providing no solution to a problem.
“This is because a research that has not clearly defined a problem would be a wasted venture,” he said, adding that some of the research problems being solved in Africa had been solved 50 years ago.
Speaking on the topic, Dr Peter Ayuba, Department of Mathematical Sciences, KASU, described a problem statement as a “positive verifiable assertion” about an issue that a researcher wanted to address.
He said identifying the correct and specific problem a researcher intended to address was key to proffering a workable solution to the problem.
“Like in the medical field, wrong diagnosis of a medical problem will lead to wrong medication, which might compound the problem”, he said. (NAN)
