Tentative working title of thesis:

The Relative Irnpact of Private anrì Commercial Farming Practices on Water Conservations

Describe the research problem:

Students should ask themselves: what real life issue faced by the policy makers, the managers, or the
general population am I trying to address here? The research problem is stated relatively in abstract
i"r.r, un¿-ir more general in nature. (This is the Management Problem we discussed in the class).
Example:

Water scarcity is mentioned in headline news from across the world more and more frequently.
Since farrning uses a significant amount of water, as a sector it is impacted by water scarcity and in
turn, can also contribute meaningfully towards water conservation efforts.

Identify the research question(s):

The research questions are derived from the research problem above. Often, reading up on your
research problèm helps you know about the specific research questions others have worked on, what
gaps exist, and therefore, what could be your potential research questions. In deriving the research -
the concrete lines of
[uãstions, the direction your investigation would take is specified. Think about
inquiry you need to pursue to address the somewhat abstract research problem. You can unbundle
the reseárch problem into research questions and do two things while doing so (1) be specific while
stating the research questions by setting a scope (2) think about the overall information you need to
gatheithat can help âddt"s theresearch problem. (This is the Research Problem we discussed in the
class).

Example:

I am interested in exploring the relative impact of private versus commercial farming practices on
water conservation efforts. Specihcally, I would like to know the following:

1. How do private versus commercial farming practices differ in tetms of the farming inputs
used?
2. What water conservation practices are most common for commercial and family farms?
3. How do these practices impact water conservation efforts?

Identify the research objectives:

The Research Objectives are derived from the research q uestions and are usuall v stated ln terms o f
*T o find ,) rrT o
EX plore
rrT gauge
o etc. Here, the emphasi S 1S on specifying the variables
wl be or m easunn In the b e ow the underlined are variab les o r
key terms you want to focus on in tliis study. Your inquiry during a survey, focus group, or
qualitative interview will be guided by these research objectives. (These are the Research Objectives
we discussed in the class).

Exarnple:

t. To compare the private and commercial farming practices in terms of the scale of farming,
crops selected, the inputs used (seed, fertilizer. water etc.), and the use of technology to
manage farming as it relates to irrigation.
2. To gauge the impact of the farniing practices and inputs on the water conservation efforts of
Lhc privaf.e arrd ut-rrrrrneroial larrrring.
3. To explore the attitudes of the farm owners engaging in private and commercial farming
towards water conservation
4. To explore the motivations of the farm owners engaging in private and commercial farming
for water conservation.

Bibliography: List sources to be used (minimum number of scholarly sources - 5, trade sources - 5,
total sources - 10):

We will discuss this in the classroom before you submit the assignment.