DAVAOORIENTALREGIONAL
SCIENCEHIGHSCHOOL
MO DULE IN R
ESEAR CH 8
FIRSTQUARTER-WEEK4
Research Problem Categories:
1. LIFE SCIENCE - comprise all sciences
that deal with living organisms, including
human beings, animals and plants. It is a
broad field that encompasses biology,
biotechnology, genomics, proteomics,
bioinformatics, pharmaceutical and
biomedical research and techniques.
Biology is the natural science that studies
life and living organisms, with the other life
sciences its sub disciplines.
Some life sciences focus on a specific type
of organism. For example, zoology is the
study of animals, while botany is the study
of plants. Other life sciences focus on
aspects common to all or many
life forms, such as anatomy and genetics.
Some focus on the micro scale (e.g.
molecular biology, biochemistry) other on
larger scales (e.g. cytology, immunology,
ethology, pharmacy, ecology). Another
major branch of life sciences involves
understanding the mind – neuroscience.
Life sciences discoveries are helpful in
improving the quality and standard of life,
and have applications in health, agriculture,
medicine, and the pharmaceutical and food
science industries.
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2. PHYSICAL SCIENCE - are those academic
 disciplines that aim to uncover the chemical bonds in the formation of
underlying laws of nature - often written in compounds, the interactions of substances
the language of mathematics. It is a through intermolecular forces to give
collective term for areas of study including matter its general properties, and the
astronomy, chemistry, materials science and interactions between substances through
physics. It is a branch of natural science that chemical reactions to form different
studies non-living systems, in contrast to life substances.
science. It in turn has many branches, each
referred to as a "physical science", together Earth Science – all-embracing term
called the "physical sciences". referring to the fields of science dealing
with planet Earth. Earth science is the study
Study of Physical Science includes: of how the natural environment (ecosphere
or Earth system) works and how it evolved
Physics – natural and physical science that to its current state. It includes the study of
involves the study of matter and its motion the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere,
through space and time, along with related and biosphere.
concepts such as energy and force. More
broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, 3. ROBOTICS - is an interdisciplinary
conducted in order to understand how the research area at the interface of computer
universe behaves. science and engineering. Robotics involves
design, construction, operation, and use of
Astronomy – study of celestial objects (such robots. It is a branch of mechanical
as stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, engineering, electrical engineering and
comets and nebulae), the physics, chemistry, computer science that deals with design,
and evolution of such objects, and construction, and as well as computer
phenomena that originate outside the systems for their control, sensory
atmosphere of Earth, including supernovae feedback, and information processing.
explosions, gamma ray bursts, and cosmic WEEK4

microwave background radiation.

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Research robots and devices are mainly
designed to collect or analyze data. They
may be used to assess the efficiency of

Chemistry – studies the composition, robotics software or newly developed

structure, properties and change of matter. appliances. Research robots are also used in

In this realm, chemistry deals with such a wide range of studies involving human

topics as the properties of individual interaction, movement and locomotion.

atoms, the manner in which atoms form

 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM that, use the eleven considerations
proposed by Reis (1999):
The first and most important step of a
research is formulation of research 1. Can it be enthusiastically pursued?
problems. It is like the foundation of a 2. Can interest be sustained by it? 3. Is the
building to be constructed. To solve a problem solvable? 4. Is it manageable in
problem someone has to know about the size? 5. Will it lead to other research
problem. So, the problem identification and problems?
formulation is very crucial for the researcher 6. Is it worth doing?
before conducting a research, and this is 7. What is the potential for making an
perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of original contribution to the literature in the
any research undertaking. The “problem” is field?
stated in the opening passages of a study 8. If the problem is solved, will the results
and, in effect, provides a reader the rationale be reviewed well by scholars in your field?
for why the study is important and why it is 9. Are you, or will you become, competent
necessary to read. to solve it?
10. By solving it, will you have
What should you do to identify and select a
demonstrated independent skills in your
topic based on your interested research
discipline?
area? Just follow these three steps. First,
11. Will the necessary research prepare
broaden and deepen your understanding
you in an area of demand or promise for
about the research area.
the future?
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Locating the research problem in a research

could be accomplished by asking ourselves
the following questions. (1) What was the
Second, make a list of possible topics to
issue, problem, or controversy that the
study based on the research are. Third,
researcher wanted to address? (2) What
choose the best topic by putting the eleven
controversy leads to a need for this study?
points below into consideration. The first
(3) What was the concern being addressed
step could be accomplished by reading
“behind” this study? (4) Is there a sentence
literature review, research articles,
like “The problem addressed in this study
handbooks and encyclopedias related to
is . . .”? (Creswell, 2012, p. 59). The
the research areas. After having broader
“problems” addressed in a study are usually
and deeper knowledge about the research
stated at the end of the introduction or the
areas, you are ready to take step two, i.e.
literature review section. Some research
listing the possible topics to study. After
 article include them in a passage called the
“statement of the problem” or in a paragraph and concisely it is probably a poor problem
put at the end of the introduction or the
literature review section.
Characteristics of a good research
problem
1 The problem can be stated clearly
and concisely.
2 The problem generates research
questions.
3 It is grounded in theory. 4 It
relates to one or more academic
fields of study.
5 It has a base in the research literature.
6 It has potential
significance/importance.
7 It is do-able within the time frame,
budget.
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8 Sufficient data are available or can be
obtained.
9 The researcher’s
methodological strengths can be
applied to the problem.
10 The problem is new; it is not already
answered sufficiently.
Fundamentals of Research Problem:
1 The Problem Can Be Stated Clearly and
Concisely
Unless the problem can be stated clearly
or a non-problem. The best way to test the
problem statement is to write it into a
concise sentence or paragraph and to
share it with others. If the problem cannot
be stated in a clear paragraph it has
difficulties and will not endure as a suitable
problem. Of course, it is not easy to
express complex issues in simplistic terms
and it may take many weeks and countless
drafts
before the statement is satisfactory. Good
critics are essential. If your spouse or
mother cannot understand it, it is probably
flaky.
2 The Problem Generates
Research Questions
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The problem should generate a number of
more specific research questions. These turn
the problem into a question format and
represent various aspects or components of
the problem. The research questions make
the more
general statement easier to address and
provide a framework for the research.
Formulating these questions can be a
challenge, particularly specifying them at
the right level of abstraction. 3 It Is
Grounded in Theory
Good problems have theoretical and/or
conceptual frameworks for their analysis.
 They relate the specifics of what is being 6 It Has Potential
investigated to a more general background Significance/importance
of theory which helps interpret the results
and link it to
the field.
4 It Relates to One or More
Academic Fields of Study
Good problems relate to academic fields importance to the researcher, but ideally it
which have adherents and boundaries. They should also be of consequence to others.
typically have journals to which adherents
relate. Research problems which do not have
clear links to one or two such fields of study
are generally in trouble.
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Without such a field it becomes impossible
to determine where, in the universe of
knowledge, the problem lies.
5 It Has a Base in the Research
Literature
Related to the former points, a well-stated
problem will relate to a research literature.
Tight problems often relate to a well-
defined body of literature, written by a
select group of researchers and published
in a small number of journals. With some
problems, it might at first be difficult to
establish the connections and literature
base, but there should be a base
somewhere.
This is the important ‘so what’ question:
Who cares once you solve the problem?
Assume that you have solved the problem
and answered the questions and then ask
yourself if you are any further ahead. At the
very least, the problem must have
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7 It Is Doable Within the Time Frame,
Budget
There are logistic factors in terms of your
ability actually to carry out the research.
There is no point pursuing a problem which
is not feasible to research. Do not do a study
of education in India unless you have the
means to go there and collect data ̶which
may require years to collect. This factor
helps explain why few theses relate to
longitudinal data. The only exceptions come
from research shops where there is a long
history of collecting and studying data on a
defined population. Terman’s study of genius
(1954) in which a defined sample was traced
over 30 years, is a good example.
8 Sufficient Data Are Available or Can
Be Obtained
In some cases, there are insufficient data to
address the problem. Historical persons may
have died, archival materials may be lost, or
 there may be restrictions on access to topic that will enable you to narrow or limit it and
certain environments. As noted, it is difficult express it as a research question. The research
to conduct research on a distant country question flows from the topic that you are
unless you can go there and collect local considering. The research question, when stated
data. Some data banks have been developed as one sentence, is your Research Hypothesis.
over many years and contain many
opportunities for exploration of new
questions and issues.

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RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 2.
In some disciplines, the hypothesis is called a
A research hypothesis is a statement of “thesis statement. “Other words for
expectation or prediction that will be “hypothesized” are “posited,” “theorized” or
tested by research. “proposed”. Remember, your hypothesis must
REQUIRE two or more disciplines, one of which is
Before formulating your research law. This is essential, since your paper is
hypothesis, read about the topic of interest interdisciplinary and a
to you. From your reading, which may
include articles, books and/or cases, you
should gain
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Through the disciplinary insights gained in

the research process throughout the year,
you “prove” your hypothesis. This is a
process of discovery to create greater
understandings or conclusions. It is not a
strict proof as in logic or mathematics.

Following are some hints for the

formulation of your hypothesis:

sufficient information about your 3.

1.
demonstration of the interdisciplinary process. hypothesis is clearly understood and
defined; do not deal in generalities or
In your hypothesis, you are predicting the assume that the reader knows the meaning
relationship between variables. of a technical term.
Be sure to read on the topic to familiarize
yourself with it before making a final decision. 6. Know that your hypothesis may change

You need to make certain that the topic is over time as your research progresses

researchable in an interdisciplinary sense,

meaning that there is sufficient published There are two types of statistical

material on the topic in the legal literature. hypotheses:

As noted, a research hypothesis is more than just

Null Hypothesis (H0) – a statistical
a topic. It has two elements (variables) that are in
hypothesis that states that there is no
relation to each other. Remember that, within
difference between a parameter and a
the word "hypothesis" is the word "thesis." Your
specific value, or that there is no difference
hypothesis is what you propose to “prove” by
between two parameters.
your research.
Avoid judgmental words in your hypothesis.
Alternative Hypothesis (H1) – a statistical
Value judgments are subjective and are not
hypothesis that states the existence of a
appropriate for a hypothesis. You should strive
difference between a parameter and a
to be objective. Therefore the use of personal
specific value, or states that there is a
opinion is to be avoided.
difference between two parameters.
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Example 1 : Weight Loss for Diet vs Exercise

4. Your hypothesis must involve an issue or Null hypothesis: No difference in average fat

question that cannot be answered lost in population for two methods

exclusively by the discipline of law. You

Alternative hypothesis: There is a difference
should try to limit your inquiry to the
literatures of 2 or 3 disciplines. It is best to in average fat lost in population for two
methods.
choose a hypothesis where you already
have some level of familiarity with the
EXAMPLE 2
disciplines that are most relevant to the
In a clinical trial of a new drug, the null
topic.
hypothesis might be that the new drug is no
better, on average, than the current drug.
5. . Be sure that each term in your
We would write H0: there is no difference
 between the two drugs on average.
The alternative hypothesis might be that: the
new drug has a different effect, on average,
compared to that of the current drug. We
would write H1: the two drugs have different
effects, on average.
the new drug is better, on average, than the
current drug. We would write H1: the new
drug is better than the current drug, on
average.
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ACTIVITY 1
FORMING HYPOTHESIS
While an inference is a tentative
explanation based on observation and prior
knowledge, a hypothesis is a tentative
explanation for an observation or scientific
problem written in a special way that leads
to further investigation. You can write a
hypothesis in the form of an "If....., then.....
because..." statement. Keep in mind these
important points about hypotheses:
The results of an experiment cannot
prove that a hypothesis is correct.
Rather, the results either support or do
not support the hypothesis.
You can gain valuable information even
when your results do not support your
hypothesis.
In Science, a hypothesis is supported
only after many scientists have
conducted many experiments and
produced consistent results.
For each of the following problems, write a
hypothesis. The first one is done for you.
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Hypothesis: If students are in higher grades,
then their backpacks will be heavier because
they have heavier textbooks.
2. Problem: Which subject is easier to pass,
math or science?
Hypothesis: _________________________
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3. Problem: What side of your previous
school has the warmest classrooms?
Hypothesis: _________________________
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4. Problem: Do more students drink milk or
carbonated beverages at lunch?
Hypothesis: _________________________
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1.
Problem: At which grade do middle
school students carry the heaviest
bookbags?
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ACTIVITY 2
Reread the definition of hypothesis, then
decide which of the following hypothesis
meet the definition. Explain why or why not
and rewrite those hypothesis that do not
meet the definition.
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2. Problem: Which brand of pain reliever
cures a headache faster?
Hypothesis: If you give a different brand A, B,
or C to each of three people with the same
kind of headache, then the one who got
brand A will be cured faster because
1.
Problem: Which acne product work?
A contains the most medicine.
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Hypothesis: If a student uses an acne
product, then he/she will do better, because
the product contains antibacterial medicine.
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ACTIVITY 3
Describe how you might test one of your
hypotheses from Question 1 on Activity 1.
Include materials, generate procedure and
the types of data you would gather.
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