RES I Chapter 3
RES I Chapter 3
Department of Education
ILOCOS NORTE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TRADES
Laoag City
Do not choose a topic unless you are truly interested in the subject matter. Investigating
something that does not excite you makes the research process far more arduous, and you will
likely regret it. In addition to being time-consuming, research can also be frustrating as you
usually run into unforeseen obstacles. Staying motivated is difficult enough when the topic is
something you are really passionate about.
There are many great topics out there, but some topics are more feasible than others. Since
every researcher has different limitations or restrictions, the question of feasibility often
depends on the individual researcher, but some questions you can ask yourself are:
Do you have the know-how needed to conduct this research?
Do you have access or can you obtain access to whatever it is you want to research?
Do you have the time needed to devote to this research?
Most people that begin research have an end goal in mind. Research is typically written for
an audience, and you have to keep this audience in mind as you select your research topic. You
may be very interested in a topic, but if it does not meet your intended audience’s needs, your
end goal, then it is probably not a good topic to select.
WHY did you choose the topic? What interests you about it? Do you have an opinion
about the issues involved?
WHO are the information providers on this topic? Who might publish information about
it? Who is affected by the topic? Do you know of organizations or institutions affiliated
with the topic?
WHAT are the major questions for this topic? Is there a debate about the topic? Are
there a range of issues and viewpoints to consider?
WHERE is your topic important: at the local, national or international level? Are there
specific places affected by the topic?
WHEN is/was your topic important? Is it a current event or an historical issue? Do you
want to compare your topic by time periods?
Imagine that you are researching meditation and nursing, and you want to find out if any studies
have shown that meditation makes nurses better communicators. You come up with results that
have the following titles:
All four of these titles may describe very similar studies—they could even be titles for the same
study! As you can see, they give very different impressions.
Title 1 describes the topic and the method of the study but is not particularly catchy.
Title 2 partly describes the topic, but does not give any information about the method of
the study—it could simply be a theoretical or opinion piece.
Title 3 is somewhat catchier but gives almost no information at all about the article.
Title 4 begins with a catchy main title and is followed by a subtitle that gives information
about the content and method of the study.
According to rhetoric scholars Hairston and Keene, making a good title involves ensuring that the
title accomplishes four goals.
Make sure your research title describes (a) the topic, (b) the method, (c) the sample, and (d)
the results of your study. You can use the following formula:
[Result]: A [method] study of [topic] among [sample]
Example: Meditation makes nurses perform better: a qualitative study of
mindfulness meditation among German nursing students
Avoid unnecessary words and jargons. You want a title that will be comprehensible even to
people who are not experts in your field.
Make sure your title is between 5 and 15 words in length.
Other Considerations
Avoid some common downsides that could make your introduction fall short. Forego the
common practice of including dictionary definitions of words in their introductions. While
semantics are important, dictionaries are often not the most authoritative source for
specific research contexts. Also, don't make the introduction too busy. While it's important
to grab your reader with something loud, choose a quote, fact or anecdote you found in
your research, but not all three. Keep the format simple and straightforward or you risk
confusing your reader.
Avoid emotional or sensational introductions; these can create distrust in the reader.
Generally avoid using personal pronouns in your introduction, such as "I," "me," "we," "us,"
"my," "mine," or "our."
Don't overwhelm the reader with an over-abundance of information. Keep the introduction
as concise as possible by saving specific details for the body of your paper.
To be able to state the main problem, be clear as to what you really want to accomplish.
Certainty with what you want to find out will definitely enable you to state the main problem easily
and correctly. State your research problem in a sentence showing what you want to describe,
explain or predict. Once you have stated your main problem, try to answer the following question:
1. Is the problem statement clear? Being able to identify what exactly is to be investigated
from the problem statement is an indication that it is clear.
2. Does it provide adequate focus and direction for research? Knowledge of what is it to be
done after stating the main problem means that it had guided you on what to do and
what to emphasize in research.
3. Does it identify the key factors or variables of the study? If the key factors cannot be
identified from your statement of the research problem, then it is wrongly stated.
As most problems are too large or too complex to be solved, they have to be subdivided.
Every problem can be broken down into smaller discrete units. These sub-parts are called sub-
problems. As pointed out by Leedy (1993), it is by viewing the main problem through the sub-
problem that the researcher gets a better view of the entire research endeavor.
Delimiting Research
One way of making a study more focused is by delimiting it. Delimiting research is giving full
disclosure of what the researcher intends to do or does not intend to do. When a researcher is able
to set the scope and delimitation of his study, he can make his research manageable. At the same
time, this can direct him to the choice of the research method to employ.
How can a researcher delimit his research on an identified problem? A researcher can set
the scope and delimitation of his study by focusing on the following:
In any study, you need to define the key terms or concepts in the statement of the problem
in order to avoid confusion or ambiguity (Kumar, 1996). Examine the following statement of a
research problem:
This research attempts to probe the relationship between the perceived management styles
of middle – level managers and faculty behavior in Philippine Christian University, during the
academic year 2001 – 2002.
What are the key terms that should be defined in the stated problem? To ensure clarity and
focus, define the following terms: management styles; middle – level managers; and faculty
behavior. Researchers usually define key terms either conceptually or operationally.
Conceptual definition is the definition of a term as given by authorities. On the other hand,
operational definition is the researcher’s own definition on a term, based on how it will be used in
the study. According to Fraenkel and Wallen (1993), this type of definition requires the researcher
to specify actions or operations necessary to identify and measure the term. Consider the following
definitions of the key terms in the previously stated research problems.
The definition of key terms establishes the rules and procedures the researcher will use to
measure the variables of the study. Moreover, it provides an unambiguous meaning to terms that
otherwise can be interpreted in different ways.
The significance of the study provides details to the reader on how the study will contribute
such as what the study will contribute and who will benefit from it.
The statement of the problem will guide you to write a significance of the study. Based on
your statement of the problem you will see the potential benefits of your study. Just answer
this question, “What are the benefits or advantages of the study based on the problem?”
Determine the specific contribution of your study to the society as well as to the individual.