
RES104A: MODULE 2 -
LESSON 1: TOPIC AND
PROBLEM STATEMENTS
RESEARCH TOPIC
 An area of interest that you will explore in your
study
SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC
 A research topic should have/be:
Relevance
 Addresses the needs of the target audience
 Related to the concerns of the population
Interest
 Appealing to the researcher
 Appealing to the readers
Manageability
 Can be explored within your abilities
 Attainable objectives at a certain time
 Not too broad nor too narrow
Availability of Resources
 Accessibility of the research in terms of financial
resources, references, and human resources
required for the research
RESEARCH TOPIC
 Here are some of the general topic areas:
 Peace and order, energy foreign affairs,
communication, agriculture environment, health
science & technology, education, finance, law and
justice, politics, tourism, business & economy,
transportation, latest trends
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY & THE
RESEARCH GAPS
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
 Presents the relevance of your study
 Establishes your reason for conducting the study
 Describes the current state in the field of your
study
 What do we know and what do we intend to know?
 Did the specific area you chose remain to be a
significant area of research?
 Problems you would address in your study
Will the problems continue to be of interest to
practitioners, researchers and leaders?
RESEARCH PROBLEM
 Refers to a particular issue which you will address
in your study.
 What is to be investigated?
 What are the variables?
 What is their relationship?
 EXAMPLE:
 A good problem statement:
 Gives clear explanation of the problems and its
causes.
 Gives evidence that the identified problem
exists.
 Defines concepts relevant to the problem.
RESEARCH GAP
 Refers to an issue or area in your field of study that
has yet to be addressed or explored extensively.
 Research gaps identified must be relevant at
present.
 General Topic – Other Studies = Your Research
Gaps
GENERAL RESEARCH QUESTION
 It is usually the question form of the focused topic
of your study that requires in-depth investigation,
viability, and allows you to create sub-questions
that can be answered exhaustively.
 Why do people who experience chronic problems
prefer doing self-medication over consulting a
medical expert?
THESIS STATEMENT
 It is a one-sentence answer to the general research
question that is the central idea of your research
and serves as a road map of your study.
 Quantitative Thesis Statement is different from
Qualitative thesis statement.
 General Research Question: Why do people who
experience chronic problems prefer doing self-
medication over consulting a medical expert?
 Thesis Statement: People experiencing chronic
problem prefer self-medication due to financial
reasons and fear
SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 Derived from your general research question, these
are specific questions that your research will
address.
 Your research instrument must be designed to
answer the specific research questions you have
identified.
 Come up with a question for each detail of your
thesis statement.
 Thesis Statement: People experiencing chronic
problems prefer self-medication due to financial
reasons and fear.
 Specific Research Questions:
1. How do financial constraints affect one’s decision
to consult with a doctor?
2. What kind of fear do people feel whenever they
consult with a doctor?
3. What are the different self-medication practices
that people with chronic problems do?