A question that a researcher wants to answer or a problem that a researcher wants to solve. This is a specific issue, difficulty, contradiction, or gap in knowledge that you will aim to address in your research.
Research problem
Research is a process of theory development and theory testing. Part or parts of a theory are subjected to testing.
Existing Theories
Previous Research
Social Issues
Brainstorming
Good sources of knowledge
Reflective mind is a good source of idea
Intuition
Common beliefs could be right or wrong.
Eg. Studying just before the examination decreases the score
Folklores
Exposure to Field situations