HOW TO WRITE
and feasibility of the study, concluding from the
CHAPTER ONE OF
RESEARCH PROJECTS
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO
RESEARCH WRITING –
CHAPTER ONE
The outline of a well written Chapter One is supposed
to include all or some of the following:
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives or Purpose of the Study
1.4 Research Questions and /or Hypotheses
1.5 Significance of the Study
1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study
1.7 Basic Assumptions
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
As can be seen above, the project outline constitutes
a huge part of the project proposal and the student
researcher just needs to perfect the approved
research proposal with the view of using it as the
Chapter One. The fact remains that all the other parts
that as had been written for the project proposal
would still stand, with the inclusion of Operational
Definition of Terms. At this stage, it is important to
understand and know what is contained under each
of the subheadings in the first chapter and these are
described thoroughly in this article: –
1.1     Background to the Study
Just as the name means, this section outlines the
history of the subject matter under investigation; the
evolution of the research problem; how the
researcher became fascinated with the problem. He
goes on to describe the specific situation surrounding
the research problem, using facts from the literature
to support various arguments. In this section also, the
student researcher tries to ascertain the suitability
sufficient evidences drawn from the previous
literature.
In a nutshell, this is where the student researcher
initiates the subject of his investigation using all
obtainable evidences and figures to establish its
groundwork. Note that even if there is no standard
number of pages that this should take, the lengthier
and well focused the Background to the Study, the
better for a good and solid groundwork for that
research being conducted.
1.2     Statement of the Problem
The Problem Statement, as it is otherwise described,
is the reasonable conclusion of the problems/issues
raised in the Background to the Study. The idea is
that while the Background to the Study offers a wider
or global perspective/standpoint to the subject matter
of the research, the Problem Statement makes
assumptions from there and concludes on the
specifics as they relate to the specific investigation
being conducted.
That is the reason Problem Statement is expected to
flow, rather logically, from the Background to the
Study; and it is not a good Problem Statement, one
that deviates from this; given that they are not
expected to be two unconnected entities, as it were. It
is nevertheless different from Background to the
Study in that it must be stated reasonably briefly and
very clearly. All the descriptive components of the
Background to the Study would have assisted to allow
one go straight for the specifics under the Problem
Statement.
This is why experienced project supervisors would
maintain that the Problem Statement should be in the
range of one to three paragraphs only. The idea is
that the shorter, the clearer; and the clearer the better
for the whole process of investigation. In a nutshell,
one cannot overstate the need to state the research
problem very clearly and accurately, since the entire
course of the investigation depends on it.
Therefore, there is no doubt that a satisfactory
statement of the research problem is the most
important component of a research process. The
plain reason for this claim is that the whole process of
investigation centers on it and it is typically related to
some of the following issues:
 A missing link
 A need
 One-sidedness
 An unanswered question.
 An unsatisfactory state of arrangements
Consequently, the Problem Statement offers direction
to the rest of the project; signifying and highlighting
the major variables of concern to the researcher as
well as the exact relationship that exist between them.
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1.3     Objectives {Purpose} of the Study
In the case of Hypotheses, they are not the same as
Research Questions even though they are sometimes
used to substitute each other. In other words, it is not
unusual to find projects which have both as well as
others which have only one of them. Since they are
not the same, they are not expected to replace each
other. If they stand to do that, then one should be
retained and the other disposed of. By this piece of
information, one can easily know that it is not
necessary that a project should have both; particularly
at the elementary level, where in most of the times,
the research questions would be okay.

Simply similar to every other component in a research
project, the Objectives of the Study is strongly
connected to the Research Problem. The former is
derived directly from the latter. The Objectives of the
Study, which is sometimes described as Purpose,
stand for the aims of carrying out the investigation
and could be categorized into general and specific.
The general objective describes the overall aim of a
research project whereas the specific objective is
concerned with the comprehensive list of intentions
concerning what the research stands to accomplish at
the end of the project. Typically, the specific
objectives are stated in the form of declarative
statements for example, the statement should start
with “to examine”, “to analyze”, “to determine”, “to
assess”, “to find out” etc. The Research Questions
usually take the form of interrogative statement, the
Objectives present the same thing, but in the
statement form.
1.4. Research Questions and/or Hypotheses
Typically, these come immediately after the Research
objectives because of their strong relationship. They
do not just seek to convert the declarative statement
of the objectives into interrogative form, but further
break down the major problems compressed in the
research objectives. As its name implies, Research
Questions is presented just like interrogations seeking
to create specific relations among the main variables
of investigation.
By meaning, a Research Hypothesis is a clear,
specific statement whose validity and workability can
be tested by means of scientific method. Being a
declarative statement of prediction, it tries to
determine the relationship or difference that exists
between one variable and the other; and to what
degree. It is a form of clever guess or supposition
regularly derived from the results of previous studies
and/or theories originating from the literature.
Hypotheses are formulated on the core of any of the
areas and objectives listed below:
1. To merely describe a occurrence or a statement of fact
2. To compare two or more concepts, individuals and places
3. To reveal the relationship between variable
4. To reveal a cause/ effect situation between variables.
Usually, there are two kinds of hypotheses; basically
referring to the way they are stated. They are the Null
and the Alternative. While the former is frequently
stated in the negative form of “No Significant
Relationship” or “No Significant Difference” etc., the
latter takes the positive form of statement; such as
“There is a Significant Relationship”, “There is a
Significant Difference” etc.

As well, the Research Questions usually serve as the

foundation from where the questionnaire
items/questions would ultimately be derived. The
difference between the two is that the items in the
questionnaire offer a further breakdown of each of the
research questions to a greater specification. This is
to the level that a single research question can turn
out the range of between three to five questionnaire
items/questions. But the Research Questions are
wide in nature, the questionnaire items are typically
directed towards the details thereby getting down to
more specifics.