RESEARCH TOPIC

● Basis for formulating the research questions

● Research topic: evokes your personal curiosity
● Creswell (2014) defines a research topic as “the issue or problem leading to the need for the research”
● Research question - a specified question intended to be answered through research
○ Usually developed from the research topic
● It is possible to choose topics that have a quantitative orientation
● Choose topics that have demonstrable significance
● Research topics should satisfy two importance criteria
1. Should pose a question that is relevant to the real world
2. Should make a specific contribution to the scholarly literature
● A good research topic should be relevant in reality

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

INTRODUCTION
● An overview that should persuade the reader that the study is important and interesting
● should generally include
○ Background of the study
○ Statement of the problem
○ Research questions/ objectives
○ Significance of the study
○ Scope and delimitations
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
● Provides the reader with context and serves as an overview of a situation
● “Why are you studying this particular research topic?”
● Often followed by a brief mention of selected literature to give the reader a preliminary idea
● Can be followed by mentioning the gaps in existing literature
● Almost always immediately followed by the statement of the problem
● Characteristics of a good background study: concise, clearly written and persuasive

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

● AKA “research puzzle or the problematique”
● Problematize your topic and explicitly identify the specific situation, problem or issue
● Statement of the research problem need not be interrogative

RESEARCH QUESTION
● A research question is a specific inquiry that provides clear direction
● The “heart and core” of your study
● Helps in narrowing down scope, guiding on what research design to use and guiding about what data to
collect and from whom
● Formulating research questions follow a deductive process
● Three types of research questions as a guide for formulation
1. Descriptive
2. Comparative
 3. Relational
● Once the main research question has been articulated, proceed with writing subquestions (these must
logically be narrower in scope
● Process of developing research questions
a) Identify a broad topic area that you are interested in studying
b) Select a specific research problem you want to investigate under the topic area
c) Narrow down the research problem and capture it in a single main research question
d) Break down the main research question into subquestions
● WHAT MAKES A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION
1. Clarifies what information needs to be gathered
2. Empirical
3. Complex and not terminal - should not require simple answers like yes, no, a name, a number
4. Relevant
5. Practical

RESEARCH TITLE
● Conveys the central idea behind the research
● Should reflect these critical points
○ Variables
○ Chosen research design
○ Scope of your study
WRITING STYLES
● You may consider a two-part title (Ex: “Policing the Lying Patient: Surveillance and Self-regulation in
Consultations with Adolescent Diabetics”)
○ May include foreign phrases
○ May pose a question to raise interest
● A two-part title can be of the following:
○ Additional context
○ Temporal scope of the research
○ Main approach used
○ Methodology used
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE RESEARCH TITLES
1. Provide the necessary information
2. Choose the appropriate wording
3. Be mindful of the length
4. Observe proper grammar and capitalization
5. Cite properly

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

● Consider the following:
1. Why is the study important
2. What are its contributions to the discipline
3. To whom will it be important
● Creswell (2014) suggests ways how to effectively convey the importance of the study for select audiences
 1. Enumerate 3-4 reasons why your particular study adds to the scholarly literature
2. Provide 3-4 reasons about how your study will help improve practice
3. 3-4 reasons detailing why it will improve your field

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

● How your study is constrained by particular factors that you encounter in the research process
● Clarifies what your study covers
SCOPE
● Time period, location, subjects, context and its specific objectives
LIMITATIONs
● Could be due to methodological challenges
● A humble acknowledgement of your current capabilities

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH TITLE

● Creswell (2014) compared the research title to “a major road sign” in research

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
● Illustrates the structure or blueprint
● Framework consists of the key concepts and assumes relationships
● Used as a guide for researchers so that they are more focused on the scope of their studies
● Can be presented using visual and narrative
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
● Commonly used for studies that anchor on time-tested theories that relate the findings of the
investigation to the underpinning relevant theory of knowledge
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
● Refers to the actual ideals, beliefs and tentative theories that specifically support the study
SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTH FRAMEWORKS
● Provide an overall view of the study
● Anchor a theory that supports the study
● Guide in developing relevant research questions
● Help justify assumption
● Aid in choosing appropriate methodology
● Help in gathering and interpreting data
● Guide in identifying possible threats to validity

THEORETICAL CONCEPTUAL

Content of discussion Focus on a specific theory used Focus on concepts related to your
already in the field study

Range Broader; applicable in different Narrower; directly related to a

studies specific study

Theories presented Presents one or more theory at a May synthesize one or more
 time and specifically related to the theories or concept related to
current study current study

Time frame Theory is established before the Working concept during the time of
study study

TWO EXAMPLES OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

1. INPUT-PROCESS-OUTPUT MODEL (IPO)
● Acquiring essential information where solution or intervention is necessary
● AKA “functional model”
● Input: independent variable
● Process: intervention or solution
● Output: findings or outcome
2. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE-DEPENDENT VARIABLE MODEL (IV-DV)

DEFINITION OF TERMS
● AKA “operational definition of variables” (ODV)
● Refers to how the word/term was used in the study
● Variables are the elements essential to the study

TWO WAYS IN DEFINING THE TERMS

● Conceptual - how it is defined in the dictionary
● Operational - how it was used in the study

TWO CASES IN WHICH IMPORTANT TERMS NEED TO BE DEFINED

1. If the term is not common
2. If the term has a specific/ unique meaning in the context of the study

BENEFITS OF HAVING DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Useful place to include technical terms
2. Can clarify
3. Easier to revisit
4. Ensures the reader can understand

GUIDELINES ON HOW TO WRITE THE DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Write a brief introductory statement
2. List the terms that would be included
3. Arrange terms alphabetically
4. Apply indentation
5. Term should be followed with a period
6. Can be underlined or not
7. Can be bold and italic or not
8. Does not have to be lengthy
9. Acronyms/ initials should be defined clearly
10. Do not overflow with technical terms
11. Keep the definition brief and basic