Module 3 - Research Question/ Research Problem: Lecturer

Republic of the Philippines
TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY
Lucinda Campus
LABORATORY SCHOOL
RESEARCH CAPSTONE/ PROJECT
MODULE 3 - RESEARCH QUESTION/ RESEARCH PROBLEM
OBJECTIVES: At the end of the module, student are expected to:
a. States research question;

b. Indicates scope and delimination of research;
c. Cites benefits and beneficiaries of research; and
d. Presents written statement of the problem.
RESEARCH QUESTION
- A research question is an answerable inquiry into a specific concern or issue. It is the initial step in
a research project. The 'initial step' means after you have an idea of what you want to study, the research
question is the first active step in the research project.
Types of Research Questions
There are three basic types of questions that research projects can address:
1. Descriptive. When a study is designed primarily to describe what is going on or what exists. Public
opinion polls that seek only to describe the proportion of people who hold various opinions are
primarily descriptive in nature.
2. Relational. When a study is designed to look at the relationships between two or more variables.
3. Causal. When a study is designed to determine whether one or more variables causes or affects one
or more outcome variables.
How to Write a Research Question
What is a research question?

A research question is the question around which you center your research. It should be:
 clear: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without needing
additional explanation.
 focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
 concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
 complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of
ideas and sources prior to composition of an answer.
 arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.
LECTURER|DANIEL ISAIAH B. RAYMUNDO STEM G12

Lucinda Campus
LABORATORY SCHOOL

Steps to developing a research question:
1. Choose an interesting general topic. Most professional researchers focus on topics they are genuinely
interested in studying. Writers should choose a broad topic about which they genuinely would like to
know more. An example of a general topic might be “Slavery in the American South” or “Films of
the 1930s.”
2. Do some preliminary research on your general topic. Do a few quick searches in current periodicals
and journals on your topic to see what’s already been done and to help you narrow your focus. What
issues are scholars and researchers discussing, when it comes to your topic? What questions occur to
you as you read these articles?
3. Consider your audience. For most college papers, your audience will be academic, but always keep
your audience in mind when narrowing your topic and developing your question. Would that
particular audience be interested in the question you are developing?
4. Start asking questions. Taking into consideration all of the above, start asking yourself open-ended
“how” and “why” questions about your general topic. For example, “Why were slave narratives
effective tools in working toward the abolishment of slavery?” or “How did the films of the 1930s
reflect or respond to the conditions of the Great Depression?”
5. Evaluate your question. After you’ve put a question or even a couple of questions down on paper,
evaluate these questions to determine whether they would be effective research questions or whether
they need more revising and refining.
o Is your research question clear? With so much research available on any given topic, research
questions must be as clear as possible in order to be effective in helping the writer direct his or
her research.
o Is your research question focused? Research questions must be specific enough to be well
covered in the space available.
o Is your research question complex? Research questions should not be answerable with a simple
“yes” or “no” or by easily-found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis
on the part of the writer. They often begin with “How” or “Why.”
6. Begin your research. After you’ve come up with a question, think about the possible paths your
research could take. What sources should you consult as you seek answers to your question? What
research process will ensure that you find a variety of perspectives and responses to your question?
Presents written statement of the problem.

A problem statement is a concise description of an issue to be addressed or a condition to be improved
upon. It identifies the gap between the current state and desired (goal) state of a process or product. Focusing on
the facts, the problem statement should be designed to address the Five W’s.
Problem statements lead the reader from a shared context to the perception of a problem, and on to a
proposed solution.
Three key points to get from this definition are:
1. Context — Establish a context for your audience

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2. Problem — Define the problem within this context
3. Solution — Propose a solution to this problem
After you have identified a research problem for your project, the next step is to write a problem statement. An
effective problem statement is concise and concrete. It should:
 Put the problem in context (what do we already know?)

 Describe the precise issue that the research will address (what do we need to know?)
 Show the relevance of the problem (why do we need to know it?)
 Set the objectives of the research (what will you do to find out?)
SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS
These are two elements of a research paper or thesis. The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area
will be explored in the work and specifies the parameters within which the study will be operating.
Delimitations are choices made by the researcher which should be mentioned. They describe the boundaries that
you have set for the study. Assumptions are accepted as true, or at least plausible, by researchers and peers who
will read your dissertation or thesis.
Examples of delimitations include objectives, research questions, variables, theoretical objectives that
you have adopted, and populations chosen as targets to study.
Typically, the information that you need to include in the scope would cover the following:
1. General purpose of the study.
2. The population or sample that you are studying.
3. The duration of the study.
4. The topics or theories that you will discuss.
5. The geographical location covered in the study.
Limitations aim to narrow the scope of a study.
Example: the scope may focus on specific variables, specific participants, specific sites, or narrowed to one type
of research design (ethnography or experimental research). Limitations, however, aim to identify potential
weaknesses of the study.
Scope. Refers to how far the research area has explored and parameters in with the study will be operating
in. The type of information to be included in the scope of a research project would include facts and theories about the
subject of the project.

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LABORATORY SCHOOL

Benefit of Research
- It can be defined as the positive impact from the research to the parties directly involved as well as the
demonstrable contribution of research to knowledge, our economy, individuals and society.
Beneficiaries of Research
Beneficiaries are those who are likely to be interested in or to benefit from the proposed research.
List any beneficiaries from the research and give details of how the results of the proposed research would be
disseminated. Please state whether the research is likely to lead to patentable or otherwise commercially
exploitable results. Wherever possible, the beneficiaries should consist of a wider group than that of the fellow
immediate professional circle carrying out similar research.
Specific beneficiaries might be:
 Researchers in other disciplines;

 Academic organisations;
 Companies, public sector bodies and others who may use the results to their advantage; or
 Policy makers.
PROBLEM STATEMENT IN RESEARCH
How to write Problem Statement in Research?
Research is an investigative process in which we discover new facts to increase current knowledge. In research, it is the first
and important step to identify the research problem.
The problem statement explains the problem that the research can address. We can also say that a problem statement is a
condition to be improved, an area to concern, a difficulty to be removed, or a troubling question to be solved.
Purpose of problem statement
The purposes of the problem statement are as under:
1. It tells the reader about the importance of the main topic he studies.
2. It keeps the problem in a certain context.
3. It provides a framework for presenting the results.
Characteristics of Problem Statement in Research
A good research statement starts concerning the broad area of research. Then gradually it leads us to the narrow questions.
It should be clear and concise. A good research problem must incorporate the following characteristics.

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Compelling topic
The problem should be significant. Simple curiosity is not enough to conduct the research study. The problem you are going
to explore or investigate should be remarkable to you and the community you share. Additionally, the person who chooses
the problem must be able to motivate you to concern it.
Support multiple perspectives
The problem must be written in a way that can support multiple perspectives and generations. The problem should generate
different points of view from an audience of reasonable people so that it will be easy to find out the solution.
Researchable
The problem should be researchable. The problem must be supported by different resources you have.
Format of writing a research problem
A research problem is written in the following three parts:
 The ideal
This is part one in which you will describe an ideal situation or the desired goal that can explain how things should be.
 The reality
In this part, describe the condition that stops you to achieve or realize the goal, value, or state mentioned in part one.
 The consequences
This part identifies the way to improve the present situation to achieve the goal or ideal.
How to write a problem statement
A problem statement is a tool that is used to gain approval and support of the project from stakeholders and management.
There are some elements you must consider while writing a problem statement.
1. Define how things should work

2. Define the problem why it matters
3. Explain the financial cost of your problem
4. Back up your claims.
5. Present a solution.
6. Define the benefits of the solution you proposed.
7. Summarize and conclude the problem and solution.
Example of problem statements in research
To write a problem statement, you can follow the below template:

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LABORATORY SCHOOL

 Problem
Define the problem.
 Background
Use facts and evidence to describe the problem.
 Relevance
Define why the problem occurs and make a connection.
 Objectives
Propose solutions based on groundwork and research.

Problem
The number of consumers in supermarkets has reduced for online shopping.
 Background
Surveys suggest that sales are going down in areas where people are 18-25 old age. The sales pattern is impacted by the
customers spending in this sector of the population.
 Relevance
Survey reports that the young generation is adapting to the online modes for buying everyday items. The other supermarkets
should improve their service, take steps for online shopping, and adapt to the market trends. These steps will make it possible
to increase sales.
 Objectives
This research tries to inspect the determinants of customer purchasing behavior through quantitative and qualitative
research. It will suggest engagement plans to make the sales better in particular areas. Interviews will also be conducted to
examine the effect of proposed strategies.

Lucinda Campus
LABORATORY SCHOOL

EXAMPLE: GENERAL TOPIC: ILLEGAL DRUGS
SPECIFIC TOPIC: 1. THE EFFECT OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ON THE HEALTH OF TEENAGERS
OBJECTIVES/ PROBLEMS:
GENERALY, THIS STUDY AIMS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ON THE HEALTH
OF TEENAGERS.
SPECIFICALLY, IT AIMS TO:
1. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE;
1.1.SEX,
1.2 AGE
2. IDENTIFY THE SOURCES OF THE ILLEGAL DRUGS INTAKE BY TEENAGERS
3. KNOW THE REASON WHY TEENAGERS TAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS.
GENERAL TOPIC: TEENAGE PREGNANCY/ RA 11313
SPECIFIC TOPIC: FACTORS URGING TEENAGERS TO ENGAGE IN PREMARITAL SEX
GENERAL OBJECTIVES: DETERMINING THE FACTORS URGING TEENAGERS TO ENGAGE IN

PREMARITAL SEX.

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Republic of the Philippines

TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY

RESEARCH CAPSTONE/ PROJECT