Practical Research 2

Quarter 1 – Module 4:
Formulating Research Questions,
Scope and Delimitation
Practical Research 2
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 4: Stating the Research Questions Scope and Delimitation
First Edition, 2020

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 What I Need to Know

As what we have emphasized earlier, topics that are too broad leads the research
nowhere (Prieto, Naval, & Carey, 2017). After determining the research problem,
constructing the research title and describing the background of the study, it is time to
turn and refine the issues into questions. Formulating specific questions is indeed
another challenging task. In scientific research, the investigator would spend years of
exploring and further researching before he come up with clear research questions
(Phillips, Research Problem, 2020). Furthermore, clarity and preciseness are also
delineated on the scope and delimitation of the study. A researcher shall set the
boundaries and parameters of his or her inquiry (Prieto, Naval, & Carey, 2017).
This module covers the following lessons:
• Lesson 1 – Stating the Research Questions
• Lesson 2 – Indicating Scope and Delimitation of the Study
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. differentiate statement of the problem and research questions;
2. write a problem statement;
3. describe the characteristics of a good research question;
4. determine the types of research questions;
5. state research questions;
6. define scope and delimitation of the study; and
7. write the scope and delimitation of the study.

What I Know

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. What part of the research paper contains specific statements that will guide the
researcher throughout the research process?
A. Delimitation B. Research problem C. Research question D. Scope
2. Which component of a research problem statement discusses the current controversy
or issue involved in the study?
A. Actual research problem B. Deficiency C. Justification D. Method
3. Which of the following characterizes a good research question?
A. A question that has already been answered before
B. A question which answers cannot be found in any existing literature
C. A research question that is neither too easy nor too difficult to answer
D. Questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no" or a single word or phrase
4. What type or research question describes a situation, state, or existence of a specific
phenomenon?
A. Causality B. Comparative C. Descriptive D. Relationship
5. Which of the following ideas is specified in the scope of the study?
A. Theoretical Foundation C. Rationale of inclusion
B. Rationale of exclusion D. Specific characteristics of the respondents

Lesson
Stating the Research Questions
1
Another important step in the research process is transforming a generalized
problem into specific and well-defined questions. This will help the researcher to direct
the readers’ attention to the issues being addressed in his proposal and to provide them
with precise research questions (Pardede, 2018).

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 What’s In

Activity 1. Crossword Puzzle

Directions: Use the clues below to fill in the crossword puzzle with the correct words.

What’s New
Activity 2. Is the question too broad or too narrow?
Directions: Try to categorize the following questions as Too broad, Too narrow, or
Appropriate based from your previous knowledge. Rewrite each question on the
labelled textbox that corresponds to its description. Make us of the given explanations
as clues. (See next page.)

Question A: How many teenagers watch and listen to Kpop music every day?
Question B: What is the extent of influence of Korean pop culture on the
teenagers’ sense of style?
Question C: Does Korean pop culture affect Filipino teenagers?

Too broad Appropriate Too narrow

Explanation: Explanation: Explanation:

It does not suggest a It requires discussions It asks for a description
certain aspect to be of specific dimensions of rather than an analysis
assessed. the topic but is not too of the issue.
narrow in its focus.

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 What is It

Statement of the Problem vs. Research Questions

Bryan (2007) defined the statement of the problem as a “statement about an

area of concern, a condition to be improved, a challenge that needs to be solved, issues
or questions derived from various research materials, or a problem occurring in the
practice of a certain profession or in the workplace” (Pardede, 2018). Yet, the statement
of the problem is still too broad and needs to be narrowed into research questions.

A research question on the other hand, is a question that reveals the interaction
between variables. It helps the researcher focus their research by providing a path
through the research and writing process.

Developing the Research Problem Statement

The statement of the problem is usually written in one or more concise

paragraphs and includes the five elements: (1) the actual research problem; (2)
justification of the importance of the problem as found in current studies and practice;
(3) deficiency or gap found in literature; (4) method specifying the timeframe,
participants, location, and trend; (5) the organization and or individuals who will
benefit once the problem is resolved (Pardede, 2018).

An Example of Research Problem Statement (Bwisa, 2018)

actual research An established trend in the small business start-up

problem financing in Kenya is to establish funds. Some of these funds
include the youth fund and women fund. These funds have
justification helped improve the rate of start-ups in the country. However,
after the start-up stage, the ventures start developing
problems. First, they face problems in management which lead
to a marketing problem and eventually to stagnation and early
exit.
A study by the Institute of Development Studies (RoK,
deficiency (gap) 2004) revealed that only 38% of the businesses are expanding
while 58% have not added workers. According to the survey,
more enterprises are likely to close in their first three years of
operation. Four years later the same institute conducted
another study in Central Kenya. This study revealed that 57%
of small businesses are in stagnation with only 33% of them
showing some level of growth.
In the current project, the researchers will propose to
method, examine factors that have an impact on small business
participants, sustainability. The study will employ both qualitative and
location quantitative approaches to gather both primary and secondary
data and information with the objective of determining success
benefit factors for the growth of small business in Kenya.
Specifically, the researchers shall employ the product life
cycle (PLC) model to identify the needs of a small business at
the various stages of the PLC.

Characteristics of a Research Question

1. Researchable. A good research question is one that can be answered using
information that already exists or that can be collected (Zepernick, n.d.).
2. Feasible. It must be doable within a certain timeframe and must have access to
data (Liu, 2020).
3. Specific. It identifies the variables, relationship of variables and population
(Maggard, 2014)

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 4. Clear. A research question should be simple, recognizable and understandable.
5. Focused. A good research question should focus on a single topic or closely related
ideas.
6. Analytical. A research question should not be too easy nor too difficult to answer.
It is a question that hasn’t already been answered, or hasn’t been answered
completely, or hasn’t been answered for your specific context (Zepernick, n.d.). It
focuses on the analysis of an issue or problem rather than a simple description
(Monash University, 2020).
7. Arguable. A research question must be something that has multiple sides. Thus,
the potential answers require evidence to support or refute a claim.

Types of Research Questions (Maggard, 2014)

1. Descriptive This type of research questions aims to describe the variables

(only one variable and one group but may also include multiple
variables and groups) being measured and usually begins with:
What is/are… How often/frequent...
How many/much… What percentage/proportion…
2. Relationship This is commonly used to describe the associations, trends, and
interactions amongst two or more variables on one or more
groups in correlational studies and quasi-experiments
Example: What is the relationship between/among…
3. Comparative This research question is used to examine the differences
between two or more groups on one or more dependent variables
and is commonly employed in experiments and some quasi
experiments. This typically starts with What is the difference
in/between…
4. Causality This looks at either the effect of variable on the other variable
(cause-effect) or how does one level of the Independent Variable
differ from the other levels. This is most commonly used in
typically starts with
What is the effect of…
How do ________differ from ________ in….
Is ________ better that ________ at/for/in…..

Refining the Research Question

Here are few helpful steps in developing a good research question.
Step 1: Find an issue that interests you. Identify a broader topic of interest (Campitelli,
2018). Example: Social Networking
Step 2: Explore the issue. Conduct a preliminary reading of the research topic. Find
out existing literature and data about the topic (Liu, 2020). Example: You read
an article in the newspaper that describes how social networking platforms
negatively influence high school students’ academic performance.
Step 3: Narrow the topic into a specific niche (Liu, 2020). Example: Academic
Performance is a broad topic which can be narrowed down to Attention Span.
Step 4: Identify a research problem (Liu, 2020). Example: What are the effects of social
networking on the teenagers’ attention span?
Step 5: Refine and focus your question. Aim to get a specific and measurable question
(Liu, 2020). Choose a type of question (descriptive, relationship, comparative, or
causality) you want to focus on and identify the variables and the groups or
population of the study (Maggard, 2014). Example: What effect does daily use of
Facebook have on the attention span of students in the age group of 16 to 20?
Step 6: Evaluate your question. Consider the above-mentioned characteristics of a
good research question in determining whether or not these questions need
more revising and refining.

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 What’s More

Activity 3. Is it good or bad?

Instructions: Evaluate the following research questions in the third column. Determine
the type of research question by selecting from the given options in the box below. Write
only the letter that corresponds to your answer opposite the item number in the first
column. In the second column, indicate whether each question is “Good” or “Bad”. (See
next page.)

A. Causality B. Comparative C. Descriptive D. Relationship

Type Evaluation Research Questions

1. Why are social networking sites harmful?
What is the effect of topical skin application of oil in
2.
the body temperature of newborns?
What is the relationship of study time, IQ and hours
3.
of sleep on the test scores of high school students?
How often do senior high school students use
4.
Twitter each week?
What is the effect of classroom environment (face to
5. face, online, or blended) on the test scores in
Science of the senior high school students?

What I Have Learned

Directions: Describe the extent of learning you have had about the topic Stating the
Research Questions by completing the following paragraphs. You can write on an extra
sheet if more space is necessary.

1. The research question differs from the statement of the problem _____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. A problem statement is composed of ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The qualities of a good research questions are _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. There are many categories of research questions namely _____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Writing research questions follows a step by step procedure. ___________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Activity 4. Let’s Practice!

Instructions: This activity should be done with ease because, in the previous activities
of this module, you have already defined your research area and narrowed it down to a
research problem. Recall your outputs and refine them to generate research questions
by accomplishing the given worksheet. Write your inputs on a separate sheet(s) of paper.

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 1. Write a narrow 2. Describe the research 3. List some potential
research topic. problem. questions about your
research problem.
4. Categorize these 5. Choose one research 6. State your working
questions (descriptive, question. (Specify the research question.
relationship, scope, variables and (Make this question as
comparative, the sample) clear and specific as
causality) possible.)

Lesson Indicating the Scope and Delimitation

2 of the Study
Clarity and specificity are just two of many research criteria that must be evident
in all parts of the research paper, particularly in the Scope and Delimitation segment.
Read through this lesson and discover how to state the scope and delimitation of your
study.

What’s In

Before we go any further, let us recall the following key concepts.

• A research problem statement refers to a broad area of concern, a condition to be
improved, and challenges or issues that needs solutions.
• A research question is a narrowed question that reveals the interaction between
variables.

What’s New

Activity 1. Thing about this.

Read the given example and try to answer the question.
Example: A researcher wants to find out the effects of online gaming (mobile legends)
on the sleeping pattern and academic compliance of senior high school students.
Question: Is it possible for the researcher to cover every aspect of the research in the
title and in the background of the study considering the word and the page
limit when writing these components? Why?

What is It
Scope and Delimitation Defined
Scope in research refers to the extent at which the research area will be explored
(www.reference.com, n.d). It addresses how the study will be narrowed, and how it is
bounded. For example, a researcher wants to conduct a study of the effects of online
gaming on the sleeping pattern and academic compliance of senior high school students.
Considering the limit in terms of the amount of words and the number of pages when
writing the research title and the background of the study, it is impossible that all
aspects of the topic will be covered. So, the scope is a part wherein the researcher
thoroughly explains what information or subject is being analyzed. The scope usually
includes the general problem to be investigated and the timeframe of work.

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 Delimitations on the other hand, refers to the characteristics that restrict the
scope and outline the boundaries of the study such as the sample size, age, sex,
population traits, geographical location or setting, research instrument and
methodologies (www.reference.com, n.d). In addition, delimitation also identifies the
weaknesses or constraints of the study which are not within the control of the
researcher. The lack of time and financial resources can be a delimitation to allow
further analysis. In the above-cited study, a group of 60 grade 11 and 12 online gamers
from a particular school will be interviewed and surveyed for their sleeping pattern and
academic completion of tasks for three months. This would form the delimitations of the
study.
In the delimitation portion of the research paper, the researcher is also obligated
to explain why specific exclusions and choices were made and how they might affect the
outcome of the study. Applying this to the above-mentioned example, the researcher
must state why he chose to study a group of 60 online gamers, why he selected the
grade 11 and 12 students and not grades 7-10 students, and why he chose the students
of a particular school.

What’s More

Activity 2. Scaffolding
Directions: Read the sample scope and delimitation and answer the subsequent
questions. Choose all that applies from the options located on the right side. Draw the
symbol that corresponds to your answer on the blank provided before the item number.
This study will focus mainly on determining the relationship between the service
quality and customer satisfaction in selected GIT Drugstore branches in Barangay
Giblab using descriptive and cross-sectional survey designs. Out of ten the branches of
GIT Drugstore, only four, namely: T. Alonzo, A. Bonifacio, N. Garcia and A. Mabini will
be included in the study, which shall take place between August 31, 2020 and December
14, 2020. A sample population of 50 GIT Drug Employees employees and 50 customers
will be selected using convenient sampling technique as respondents to the survey
questionnaires.

Specifically, the current study will look at the respondents’ profile, the level of
service quality, the level of customer satisfaction, and recommended strategies to
enhance customer satisfaction in GIT Drugstore.
The Service Quality Model (Gronsross, 1984) is used as a theoretical foundation
for this study. This model focuses at service quality being determined by the differences
between customers’ expectations of the service provider’s performance and their
evaluation of the services they received.
The researcher submits to the possibility of generalizing very few subjects due to
the time constraints and limited funding. Time limitation would mean that most parts
of the study may be written in a month since the researcher is working on the project
all by himself. The author’s limited budget for the production of research instruments
and transportation also predisposes him to begin his data gathering according to the
time frame he set in his research plan.
_____ 1. What theory/fact is used as basis ☺ Service Quality
for the study?
_____ 2. What variables will be tested for  100
significant relationship?  To determine a relationship
_____ 3. What is the objective of the study?
_____ 4. What research method(s) will be  Availability of Time
used in the study?  Customers
♥ Survey Questionnaires

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 _____ 5. Where is the study going to be ♀ Cross-sectional
conducted?
_____ 6. What materials or techniques will  Convenient
be used in data gathering? ☼ Service Quality Model
_____ 7. Who are the target sample
population? ◊ Descriptive
_____ 8. What sampling technique will be ♪ Employees
employed in the study?
_____ 9. How many respondents (sample)
 Customer Satisfaction
are required to complete the ♂ GIT Drugstore Branches
study?  Financial resources
_____ 10. What is/are the weakness(es) of
the study?

What I Have Learned

Directions: Try to recall every concept of the lesson. Evaluate the extent of your
understanding of the lesson by writing the areas or topics in the applicable column.

Excellent Average Little Poor

What I Can Do

Activity 3. Your time now!

Congratulations! You are halfway towards finishing your Chapter I! Go back to the
statement of the problem and research questions which you constructed earlier in this
module and discuss the scope and delimitations of your current study. Use extra sheet
of paper if more space is necessary.
Begin here _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following parts of the research introduction describes a conflict, concern,
controversy, or gaps about the current study?
A. Delimitation B. Research problem C. Research question D. Scope
2. Which component of a research problem statement specifies the time frame,
geographical location and the participants of the study?
A. Actual research problem B. Deficiency C. Justification D. Method
3. Which of the following questions exhibits complexity?
A. Is the use of social networking sites harmful?
B. Has the population of the world increased in the past century?
C. How does owning a pet improve quality of life for older people?
D. Where do the majority of immigrants to the United States come from?

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4. “What is the effect of ketogenic diet on the cholesterol and blood glucose levels of obese
patients?” Which type of question does this statement fall under?
A. Causality B. Comparative C. Descriptive D. Relationship

5. Which of the following statements describes the delimitation of the study?

A. It discusses the subjects to be analyzed.
B. This includes a detailed reasoning for rejecting a certain action.
C. This refers to the extent in which the researcher wants to explore.
D. It usually includes the statement of the general problem and the timeframe.

Additional Activities

Enrichment
Instructions: The left side enumerates the steps in refining a broad topic into a targeted
research question. Complete this exercise by writing a suitable response in each step
on the space provided from the choices found in each textbox on the right side. (See
next page.)

Instructions: Recall your accomplished worksheet in the “Additional Activities” segment

of Module number 3. Develop a brief scope and delimitation based on your proposed
research topic/questions. Use an extra sheet of to write your inputs.