Presentation on theme: "FORMULATING THE RESEARCH TOPIC"—

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1  FORMULATING THE RESEARCH TOPIC
Lecture 5Professional Development and ResearchLecturer: R. Milyankova

2  Objectives of the session:

To generate ideas that will help in the choice of a suitable research topicTo identify the attributes of
a good research topicTo turn research ideas into a research project that has clear research
questions and objectivesTo draft a research proposal

3  Alice in wonderland:Alice: Will you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?The
Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to goAlice: I don’t much care whereThe
Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you will walk!

4  Properly formulating and defining the research topic will help:

To choose the most appropriate research strategyTo choose the most appropriate data collectionTo
choose the most appropriate analysis techniques! Start with research ideas!

5  Business research topic:

Something you are capable of undertakingSomething that excites your imaginationSomething that
you have a genuine interest inSomething that develops research skills as part of undertaking your
projectSomething in which you will not lose interest while developing the projectSomething you are
capable to receive data for

6  Checklist of attributes of a good research topic

Does the topic fit the specifications and meet the standards set by the examining institution (IUC;
UoP)?Is the topic something with which you are really fascinated?Does your research topic contain
issues that have clear link to theory?Do you have or can you develop within the project time frame,
the necessary research skills to undertake the topic?Is the research topic achievable within the
available time?Is the research topic achievable within the financial resources that are likely to be
available

7  Checklist of attributes of a good research topic

Are you reasonably certain of being able to gain access to data you are likely to require for this
topicAre you able to state your research questions and objectives clearlyWill your proposed research
be able to provide fresh insights into the topicDoes your research topic relate clearly to the idea you
have been given (organization, tutor)Are the findings for this research topic likely to be symmetrical
(of similar value whatever the outcome)Consider your career goals!!!

8  Techniques for generating research ideas:

Rational thinking:Examining your own strengths and interestsLooking at past project
titlesDiscussionSearching the literature(articles, reports, books)Creative thinking:Keeping a
notebook of ideasExploring personal preferences using past projectsRelevance trees (mind
mapping)Brainstorming

9  Exploring personal preferences using past projects

Select six projects that you likeNote down your first thoughts with response to:- What appeals to you
about the project- What is good about the project- Why is the project goodSelect three projects that
you do not like- What do you dislike about the projects- What is bad about the projects- Why is the
project bad

10  Brainstorming Define your problem

Ask questions relating to the problemRecord all suggestions, observing the following rules:- NO
SUGGESTIONS SHOULD BE CRITICISED OR EVALUATED before all ideas have been
considered- All suggestions should be recorded and considered- As many suggestions as possible
should be recordedReview all suggestions and explore what is meant by eachAnalyze the list of
suggestions and decide which appeal to you as research ideas and why

11  Refining ideas: Brainstorming The Delphy technique

The preliminary study – the feasibilityIntegrating ideas (accountancy – financial accounting methods
- costing)Refining topics given by your tutor/employing organization

12  The Delphy TechniqueBrief members of the group about the research ideaEncourage them to
seek clarification and more informationAsk them to generate independently at least three specific
ideasCollect the ideas and distribute them to all members of the groupDiscuss the ideas in open – a
second cycleCome to a consensus, following a discussion, voting or some other method

13  Turning research ideas into research projects

Writing research questionsWriting research objectivesTurning research questions into research
objectives:The IDEA: The recruitment via the InternetThe question: How effective is recruiting new
staff via Internet in comparison with traditional methods?The Objective: To define the effectiveness
of recruitment via InternetThe connection between theory and practice (cause and effect
relationship) – the expectations that if doing A, then B will happenResearch = intelligence gathering
(gathering of facts)- “what” and “why” questions– deductive approach (understanding theory,
selecting data) and inductive approach (selecting data, defining theory)

14  Clarifying the research topic

Grand theoriesMiddle range theoriesSubstantive theoriesIncreasing capacity to change the way we
think about the worldIncreasing restrictions in terms of general applicability

15  The purposes of research proposal

Organizing your ideas = coherent statement of research intentConvincing your audienceContracting
your clientContent of research proposal:- Background- Research questions and objectives- Method
– research design (a survey, interviews, examination of secondary data or combination of methods)
and data collection (primary, secondary, tertiary), research population, ethical guidelines- Timescale
- Ghannt DiagramResources – financial, data,References

16  The purposes of research proposal

Criteria for evaluating research proposals: the extent to which the components of the proposal fit
togetherRationale – relevant theories in the topic areaResearch questions and objectivesTime
depends on methods selected

17  The viability/applicability of the proposal

Can this proposal be carried out satisfactory within the timescale and available resources?

18  Preconceived ideas???Change the topic!!!

Characteristics of a good research title
In 2005, rhetoric scholars Hairson and Keene in their
book Successful Writing came up with four goals that any good
title accomplishes.

1. A good title predicts the content of the research

A good title informs the reader accurately about the contents of

the article. The main responsibility of a title is to explain what the
article is about without misleading or establishing wrong
expectations. Make sure it doesn’t include anything that your
reader won’t be able to find in the paper.

We found an interesting case of Christian Kastner, an associate

professor in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon
University, who brainstormed more than 30 titles for his research
paper. The first title was “50 Years is Long Enough”. What do you
think his study is about? It’s very hard to guess because the title is
vague and uninformative.

After browsing through a long list of ideas, the author decided to

name it “The Love and Hate Relationship with the C Preprocessor:
An Interview Study”, which clearly shows the research method;
the reader can also predict the objective of the study: to identify
users’ attitude to C Preprocessor.

What questions does your paper seek to answer and what does it
accomplish?

2. A good title should be interesting to the reader

To make the title interesting, attention-grabbing, and easy to read,

use words that create a positive impression and stimulate the
reader’s interest. The example above is catchy enough to become a
memorable title.

However, be careful if you want to include a catchy phrase. Even

though stylistic devices make titles witty and more attractive, such
titles may be not clear. When trying to add some zest, make sure
your title conveys information in an unambiguous and precise
manner, communicates the message clearly, and doesn’t
encourage multiple interpretations.

How about another example of a title by Kastner?

Variability-Aware Parsing in the Presence of Lexical Macros and

Conditional Compilation

How do you like it? Does it make you want to read the paper?
Probably no. It sounds too dry as it contains very field-specific
vocabulary, which might be clear only to specialists. It doesn’t
provide any clue on the type of study or results either.

This is the second version of the same title:

SuperC: Parsing all of C by taming the preprocessor

It is flashier and much more intuitive. SuperC, a name that was

given to the program, alludes to a superhero; verb ‘to tame’ creates
a powerful image.

To attract wider audience, choose words carefully, avoid

technicalities and specific vocabulary if possible. Instead, go for
words that create vivid images.

3. It reflects the tone of writing

It’s very important to define the tone of your research in the title
and keep it throughout the paper. If it’s a serious and conventional
academic study, avoid a casual or fun title containing ornate or
conversational language.

Medical research is a serious business. Hence, it

is better to avoid amusing or hilarious titles for
research articles. Although they might attract
some initial attention, findings in articles with
amusing or humorous titles are usually taken less
seriously and are cited less often. (Bavdekar,
2016)

Let’s look at a couple of titles with inappropriate tone:

All this effort to design software metrics? Sure!

Should I teach my child programming at the age of 3? (Maybe!)

The conversational tone of these titles is inappropriate for a

research paper and better suits an easy read.

4. It contains important keywords

Keywords are important words and concepts that are frequently

used in your research paper. Using them in the title will let you
introduce the topic, problem, or solution right away.

N ow that we’ve discussed characteristics that make a title

good, let’s look at the tips on how to make it powerful and
searchable.
Concise and on point. In 2012, Paiva’s research showed that
short-titled articles “had higher viewing and citation rates than
those with longer titles. Articles with results-describing titles were
cited more often than those with methods-describing titles”.

APA recommends that your title be no more than

12 words in length. If it’s too long, there may be
too many unnecessary words.

The following titles are way too long. The chances are that your
mind starts to wander halfway through. How would you shorten
them?

Social Influence: Testing the Predictive Power of Its Dimensions

in Explaining the Intention to Use Mobile Learning Systems in
Universities — Empirical Evidence from Ugandan Universities

An Empirical Examination of the Effect of Self-Regulation and

the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
(UTAUT) Factors on the Online Learning Behavioural Intention
of College Students

Avoid non-specific phrases such as ‘a study to investigate, ‘a

review of, ‘a report on’. These phrases are too obvious and
generally unnecessary.
A Study to Investigate the Relationship between Locus of Control
and Academic Achievement of Students

On the other hand, if a title is too short, it’s a slippery slope

towards making it too broad, non-specific, and the reader won’t be
able to grasp the gist. For example, a paper on philosophy of
education with the title ”Learning How” is so non-specific that it
could be the title of a DIY manual.

Incorporate variables. To write an informative title, identify

key variables, both dependent and independent. Suggest a
relationship between the variables with respect to the major
hypothesis:

Effects of a new tooth paste (YummyTooth) on incidence of caries

in 1st grade children.

In this study, the toothpaste is the independent variable X and

the number of dental caries is the dependent variable Y.
Therefore, the relationship between the variables is reflected in the
title:

Effects of X on Y in 1st grade children.

Titles that reflect relationship between variables usually contain

such words as effects, influence, impact. Here are some more
examples of such titles:
The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Mathematics
Achievement in Turkey: A Meta-Analysis Study

Exploring the Impact of Commuting to Campus on

Psychological Well-Being

The Influence of Electronic Word-of-Mouth on College Search

and Choice

Stay active. Use active verbs and structures instead of Passive

Voice and complex noun-based phrases, which may distract the
reader’s attention. According to Gustavii, turning the noun into a
verb makes a sentence more dynamic.

Compare the following examples:

Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome

How to treat polycystic ovary syndrome …

Here’re some examples of titles with the Passive Voice. How would
you paraphrase them?

Perspectives on Effective Coaching by Those Who Have Been

Coached
Do Test Scores of Students Who Have Been Retained Predict
Future Performance?

The Dynamics of Cognitive Performance: What Has Been Learnt

from Empirical Research in Science Education

Instead of asking, answer. Titles containing a question mark,

a colon or a hyphen were associated with a lower number of
citations (Paiva et al., 2012)

Instead of title in a form of a question — Why is the C

preprocessor still breathing?, it’s better to tell the reader the
answer from the beginning — Talking about the C Preprocessor:
Errorprone but needed.

Read the following titles and form statements out of the questions:

Do the Big-Five Personality Traits Predict Empathic Listening

and Assertive Communication?

Contextual Influences on the Role of Evidence in Health Policy

Development: What Can We Learn from Six Policies in India and
Nigeria?

Can Student Populations in Developing Countries Be Reached by

Online Surveys? The Case of the National Service Scheme Survey
in Ghana
Stay away from using an exclamation mark and remember to
capitalize all content words.

Avoid abbreviations and jargon. The use of non-standard

abbreviations in the title distracts and disturbs the reader. If
acronyms have to be used in the title, it is advisable to spell them
out, unless they are universally known, such as NASA or WWF.
Otherwise, there is a possibility that readers not familiar with the
acronym might skip the article altogether.

We tried to Google PC, one of the most well-known acronyms. The

results were striking — The Free Dictionary gave 325 results,
including personal computer, politically correct and plasma
cell. So, even the most inquisitive reader may never find out what
you meant by the acronym.

Here are some real research titles with acronyms. What do you
think of them? If their message clear?

Why International Students Have Been “TEF-ed Out”?

The Discourse of QDAS: Reporting Practices of ATLAS.ti and

NVivo Users with Implications for Best Practices

A Study on the Employee Turnover Antecedents in ITES/BPO

Sector
Titles with jargon or too many technical words are considered
uninteresting, unnecessary complex and difficult to read. They
may confuse the readers, inducing them to ignore the article
altogether.

Writing a title is not a piece of cake, but it’s worth making the
effort. Keep in mind the characteristics and tips you’ve learnt and
create an informative and concise title that will grab the reader’s
full attention.

If you’d like to read more on a step-by-step procedure of writing a

title, follow the links:

A step-by-step guide to writing a

title: https://wordvice.com/how-to-write-the-perfect-title-for-
your-research-paper/

How to write subtitles:

http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/title

Checklist for finalizing title for a research article

http://www.japi.org/february_2016/08_aow_formulating_the_ri
ght.pdf

References:
1. Hairston, M., & Keene, M. 2003. Successful writing. 5th
ed. New York: Norton.

2. Title, Abstract and

Keywords. https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-
editors/authorandreviewertutorials/writing-a-journal-
manuscript/title-abstract-and-keywords/10285522

3. How to Write a Good Research Paper

Title. https://papersowl.com/blog/how-to-write-a-
good-research-paper-title

4. On Paper Titles (Bad Ideas, Rejected Ideas, and Final

Titles). https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ckaestne/ontitles/

5. How to Choose the Best Keywords for Your Research

Paper. https://wordvice.com/choosing-research-paper-
keywords/

6. Articles with short titles describing the results are cited

more
often. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC
3351256/

7. Basics of Research for the Health

Professions. http://www.pt.armstrong.edu/wright/hlpr
/text/3.1.variables.htm
 8. Formulating the Right Title for a Research
Article. http://www.japi.org/february_2016/08_aow_f
ormulating_the_right.pdf

9. Gustavii, B. 2008. How to Write and Illustrate a

Scientific Paper. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press

Definition
The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. A good title contains the fewest
possible words needed to adequately describe the content and/or purpose of your research
paper.

Importance of Choosing a Good Title

The title is the part of a paper that is read the most, and it is usually read first . It is,
therefore, the most important element that defines the research study. With this in mind, avoid
the following when creating a title:

 If the title is too long, this usually indicates there are too many unnecessary words.
Avoid language, such as, "A Study to Investigate the...," or "An Examination of the...." These
phrases are obvious and generally superfluous unless they are necessary to covey the scope,
intent, or type of a study.
 On the other hand, a title which is too short often uses words which are too broad and,
thus, does not tell the reader what is being studied. For example, a paper with the title,
"African Politics" is so non-specific the title could be the title of a book and so ambiguous
that it could refer to anything associated with politics in Africa. A good title should provide
information about the focus and/or scope of your research study.
In academic writing, catchy phrases or non-specific language may be used, but only if

it's within the context of the study [e.g., "Fair and Impartial Jury--Catch as Catch Can"].
However, in most cases, you should avoid including words or phrases that do not help the
reader understand the purpose of your paper.
Academic writing is a serious and deliberate endeavor. Avoid using humorous or clever

journalistic styles of phrasing when creating the title to your paper. Journalistic headlines
often use emotional adjectives [e.g., incredible, amazing, effortless] to highlight a problem
experienced by the reader or use "trigger words" or  interrogative words like how, what,
when, or why to persuade people to read the article or click on a link. These approaches are
viewed as counter-productive in academic writing. A reader does not need clever or
humorous titles to catch their attention because the act of reading is assumed to be
deliberate based on a desire to learn and improve understanding of the research problem. In
addition, a humorous title can merely detract from the seriousness and authority of your
research. 
Unlike everywhere else in a college-level social sciences research paper [except when

using direct quotes in the text], titles do not have to adhere to rigid grammatical or stylistic
standards. For example, it could be appropriate to begin a title with a coordinating
conjunction [i.e., and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet] if it makes sense to do so and does not
detract from the purpose of the study [e.g., "Yet Another Look at Mutual Fund
Tournaments"] or beginning the title with an  inflected form of a verb such as those ending in
 -ing [e.g., "Assessing the Political Landscape: Structure, Cognition, and Power in
Organizations"].

Hartley James. “To Attract or to Inform: What are Titles for?”  Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 35 (2005): 203-
213; Jaakkola, Maarit. “Journalistic Writing and Style.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Jon F. Nussbaum,
editor. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018): https://oxfordre.com/communication.

Structure and Writing Style

The following parameters can be used to help you formulate a suitable research paper
title:

The purpose of the research

1.
The scope of the research
2.
The narrative tone of the paper [typically defined by the type of the research]
3.
The methods used to study the problem
4.
The initial aim of a title is to capture the reader’s attention and to highlight the research
problem under investigation.

Create a Working Title

Typically, the final title you submit to your professor is created after the research is
complete so that the title accurately captures what has been done . The working title
should be developed early in the research process because it can help anchor the focus of the
study in much the same way the research problem does. Referring back to the working title can
help you reorient yourself back to the main purpose of the study if you find yourself drifting off
on a tangent while writing.

The Final Title

Effective titles in academic research papers have several characteristics that reflect
general principles.

Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study,


 Rarely use abbreviations or acronyms unless they are commonly known,
Use words that create a positive impression and stimulate reader interest,

 Use current nomenclature from the field of study,
Identify key variables, both dependent and independent,

 Reveal how the paper will be organized,
Suggest a relationship between variables which supports the major hypothesis,

 Is limited to 5 to 15 substantive words,
Does not include redundant phrasing, such as, "A Study of," "An Analysis of" or similar

constructions,
Takes the form of a question or declarative statement,

 If you use a quote as part of the title, the source of the quote is cited [usually using an
asterisk and footnote],
 Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words and last words capitalized,
including the first word of a subtitle. All nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
that appear between the first and last words of the title are also capitalized, and
Rarely uses an exclamation mark at the end of the title.


The Subtitle

Subtitles are frequently used in social science research papers.  Examples of why you may
include a subtitle:

1.  Explains or provides additional context, e.g., "Linguistic Ethnography and the Study of
Welfare Institutions as a Flow of Social Practices: The Case of Residential Child Care Institutions
as Paradoxical Institutions." [Palomares, Manuel and David Poveda.  Text & Talk: An
Interdisciplinary Journal of Language, Discourse and Communication Studies  30 (January 2010):
193-212]

2.  Adds substance to a literary, provocative, or imaginative title or quote , e.g., "Listen

to What I Say, Not How I Vote": Congressional Support for the President in Washington and at
Home." [Grose, Christian R. and Keesha M. Middlemass.  Social Science Quarterly 91 (March
2010): 143-167]

3.  Qualifies the geographic scope of the research , e.g., "The Geopolitics of the Eastern
Border of the European Union: The Case of Romania-Moldova-Ukraine." [Marcu,
Silvia. Geopolitics 14 (August 2009): 409-432]

4.  Qualifies the temporal scope of the research, e.g., "A Comparison of the Progressive Era
and the Depression Years: Societal Influences on Predictions of the Future of the Library, 1895-
1940." [Grossman, Hal B. Libraries & the Cultural Record 46 (2011): 102-128]

5.  Focuses on investigating the ideas, theories, or work of a particular individual , e.g.,

"A Deliberative Conception of Politics: How Francesco Saverio Merlino Related Anarchy and
Democracy." [La Torre, Massimo. Sociologia del Diritto 28 (January 2001): 75 - 98]

6.  Identifies the methodology used, e.g. "Student Activism of the 1960s Revisited: A
Multivariate Analysis Research Note." [Aron, William S.  Social Forces 52 (March 1974): 408-
414]

7.  Defines the overarching technique for analyzing the research problem , e.g.,
"Explaining Territorial Change in Federal Democracies: A Comparative Historical Institutionalist
Approach." [Tillin, Louise. Political Studies 63 (August 2015): 626-641.

Anstey, A. “Writing Style: What's in a Title?” British Journal of Dermatology 170 (May 2014): 1003-
1004; Balch, Tucker. How to Compose a Title for Your Research Paper . Augmented Trader
blog. School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Tech University; Choosing the Proper Research
Paper Titles . AplusReports.com, 2007-2012; Eva, Kevin W. “Titles, Abstracts, and Authors.”
In How to Write a Paper. George M. Hall, editor. 5th edition. (Oxford: John Wiley and Sons, 2013),
pp. 33-41; Hartley James. “To Attract or to Inform: What are Titles for?”  Journal of Technical
Writing and Communication 35 (2005): 203-213; General Format . The Writing Lab and The OWL.
Purdue University; Kerkut G.A. “Choosing a Title for a Paper.”  Comparative Biochemistry and
Physiology Part A: Physiology 74 (1983): 1; “Tempting Titles.” In Stylish Academic Writing. Helen
Sword, editor. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012), pp. 63-75.