1ST SEMESTER ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021

SUBJECT: CIVIL ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND REPORTING

CHAPTER THREE: THE RESEARCH PROCESS

This is the first chapter of the research proposal and it introduces the reader to
issues surrounding the research problem. It aims at clarifying the problem, and it
explains the need for addressing the problem at the material time. This chapter will be
discussed under the following sub- headings:
 Research topic
 Background of the study
 Problem statement
 Purpose of the study
 Objectives of the study
 Scope of the study
 Significance of the study
 Conceptual framework
WHAT IS A RESEARCH TOPIC?
A topic is the subject to be researched, analyzed and interpreted. It is the thematic
statement of what the research is all about. Typically, a researcher selects a research
topic by identifying a wide area of interest or concern and then narrows that area to a
manageable set of research question. Research topic is a brief statement about 12
words. It is a concise and specific statement that encompasses all the essential
elements of the study. It is important to understand the difference between research
area and research topic.

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SOURCES OF RESEARCH TOPIC
One major difficult for beginning researchers is where to obtain research topics. The
common sources of research topics include:
1. Personal experience: day-to-day personal experience of a researcher may
serve as a good source of ideas to formulate a research problem.
2. Existing theories: theories are general principles whose applicability to specific
problems or situations are not known unless empirically tested.
3. Formal needs assessment: careful assessment of needs may reveal problems
that may require research to solve, and research topics may result from such
problems.
4. Literature sources: every research that has been concluded and reported
contains recommendations for future research, and research topics could result
from such recommendations.
WRITING A RESEARCH TOPIC
Once a research topic has been indentified, the next task is to write it out precisely
using a few words as possible but without losing clarity. A research topic should clearly
indicate “ what” is to be investigated, and “where” the study will be conducted ( i.e. the
target population). A research topic is written in the first page ( generally referred to as
the title page). The title page should have:
i. The topic of the research
ii. The full name of the researcher
iii. The purpose for which the study is intended
iv. The date ( month and the year)
According to APA, the title page should indicate:
A. The page header
B. The running head
C. The title
D. By-line.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL – WRITTEN RESEARCH TOPIC
A good research topic should:
1. Summarize the main idea of the research.
2. Should be fully explanatory on its own.
3. Avoid words that serve no purpose .
4. Avoid using abbreviations.

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INTRODUCTION
The chapter introduction should be striking and should aim at attracting the reader to
read on. In this way, it should contain a narrative hook that is aimed at hooking the
reader to the document. The narrative hook can have one or both of two elements. The
writer may start by quoting a carefully selected extract of an important person’s speech
or writing that is relevant to the study problem. Suppose a researcher wishes to study
how to improve the quality of education in an area. He or she may use an extract like
the following one.

Give a quality education to a child who believes in himself or herself and even with the bleakest
beginning in life, that child can make it and break the cycle of poverty and failure for that family for
ever (Colin Powell, 2002).

Alternatively, the researcher may develop his or her own chapter introduction containing a
narrative hook.

DEFINING THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Background information identifies and describes the history and nature of a

well-defined research problem with reference to the existing literature. The
background information should indicate the root of the problem being studied,
appropriate context of the problem in relation to theory, research, and/o r
practice, its scope, and the extent to which previous studies have successfully
investigated the problem, noting, in particular, where gaps exist that your study
attempts to address. Background information does not replace the literature review
section of a research paper; it is intended to place the research problem in a proper
context.

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