LESSON 3

RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

(Week 5 to 6)

RESEARCH TOPICS IN THE AREAS OF INQUIRY

Research is a requirement in almost all academic areas. In senior high school, students are classified into
strands:

1. Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) Strand,

2. Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) Strand.

3. Science, Technology, Engineering» and Mathematics (STEM) Strand, and

4. General Academic Strand (GAS)

There are the Sports Track and the Technical-Vocational Track. Under each strand are different course offerings,
for example, English and Filipino in which students are required to produce research papers. Therefore, based on
the number of subjects, there is a vast range of topics available for research. In the language area alone, a student
may have in mind as possible topics for inquiry the sounds of a language, communicative skills, language
barriers, communication problems, the art of questioning, non-verbal communication, and so on.

All individuals are beset by a number of problems. In the academic sphere alone, academic and even non-
academic problems exist. Because these problems affect us, we seek solutions as answers to these problems. The
search for solutions usually takes the form of research. One outstanding product of research is the present K-12
basic education curriculum. Seeing the need to make the Filipino high school graduates be at par with the high
school graduates of other countries not only in Asia but also in the other continents of the world, the
administration of then President Benigno Aquino III made a drastic move of adding two years for secondary
education.

In the new curriculum, the students were categorized into strands and tracks which determine their areas of
interest. They are enrolled in certain strands which will lead them to the careers they want to have in the future.
For instance, an ABM student who plans to be an accountant, a financial analyst, an economist, a marketing
specialist, or a branch manager must have as his area of interest either accounting, finance, economics, marketing,
management, or an allied field. His research must be relevant to his chosen area of interest or field of discipline.
This is so because doing research work in one’s area of interest is not only easier but also more rewarding.
Business-related qualitative research on the lived experiences of managers will not be that difficult to a business
student who already has acquired some knowledge about management. Moreover, the fruit of his labor will
redound to his benefit in as much as he will learn about the experiences of managers and he can apply these
vicarious experiences he learned through a series of interviews when he will manage his own business someday
or simply serve as one of the managers in a certain company.

As can be gleaned from the foregoing paragraph, it is valuable to do research work in one’s chosen field of
interest.

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

CRITERIA IN SELECTING TOPICS

The first step in any writing activity is selecting the topic. Before anybody can begin writing, he must have
chosen his subject. The chosen topic is the springboard of his idea generation; it is the basis of the choice of
words he has to use and the ideas he has to incorporate in his writings. The research writer who chooses a topic
must be guided by the following criteria:

1. Interestingness of the Topic

The topic must interest both the writer and the reader. Boredom may adversely affect a writer who lacks interest
in the topic he is working on. Worse, if he is bored, he may lose the enthusiasm to continue and eventually not
complete his work. Furthermore, an uninteresting piece of writing does not appeal to readers. The article will be
left unread if nobody is interested in it.

2. Specificity/Limitedness/Limited Breadth of the Topic

The topic must be limited. The choice of a limited topic is a result of the limitations set by time and space. The
writing is usually completed within a short period of time, e.g., a week, a month, or a term; therefore, if the topic
is broad, the limited time allotted for the completion of the task will not be enough. The space provided for the
completed paper is also limited. The limited number of pages will be more than enough for a limited topic, but the
same number of pages will not suffice a broad one.

3. Relevance to the Writer’s Field or Discipline

The topic must be relevant to the field in which the writer specializes. As mentioned earlier, an ABM student
must select a topic related or relevant to business. This is so because the writer can contribute something to his
colleagues if his writing has bearing upon his field or discipline. Besides, he benefits from such writing because
he is given an opportunity to acquire knowledge he can apply in his field of specialization.

4. Familiarity of the Writer with the Topic

The writer must be familiar with the topic. A writer who is familiar with the topic is in a better position than one
who is not. It will be easier for him to write about it because he knows something about it and he has an idea
regarding the sources of materials for it. Moreover, he will not rely on external sources inasmuch as he can share
his store of information about it with his readers.

5. Availability of Materials

The materials for the topic must be available. A writer needs to have a list of references for the topic. Without
these materials, he cannot proceed. His work is stalled by an utter lack of available materials. He can make use of
primary sources (persons, plants, animals,. artifacts, documents, etc.) and secondary sources (books, newspapers,
magazines, journals, Internet, etc.). Possible topics can be sourced via Open Pro quest, Eric, Bloomfire, Bizwiz,
etc. in the Internet. He can work best with a vast supply of materials.

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

6. Feasibility of the Problem

Since the research writer is dealing with a certain problem, he has to choose one that he is capable of solving. He
must have the capacity to work on the problem so that he can complete his work prior to the deadline. He must
possess the skills required of a writer doing such qualitative research.

REASONS FOR CONDUCTING A RESEARCH

Research is a procedure for carefully finding accurate solutions to important and relevant questions by the use of
scientific method of gathering and interpreting information. Doing research is a multi-dimensional skill. Carrying
out successful research must exceed the bounds of printed paper, and leap out to influence opinions and opinion
shapers. What makes people to carry out research? This is a question of fundamental importance. The possible
reasons for doing research may be either one or more of the following:

• Curiosity is an intrinsic characteristic of human brain and a powerful drive in the exploration of man’s
surrounding environment. The researchers undertake research to discover and understand the fact
underlying a phenomenon. Accordingly, curiosity for the unknown is the fundamental stimulating element
in social research.

• Science sits on the implicit and unshakable belief of man that all events have cause and that practically
nothing can occur uncaused. Business research is mainly worried about determination of cause-effect
patterns of business phenomenon and not just with thorough description of it. Thus research for cause is
another basic motivating element in research.

• Research makes use of quite a few techniques to examine various problems. The effectiveness of a
technique is primarily responsible for fast and trustworthy results in any research. More sophisticated a
technique, better are the outcomes by its use. In addition, certain problems can’t be studied unless
appropriate methods are designed. As a result, a scientist is keenly interested in analyzing the existing
techniques of research and making continuous advancement in them. Accordingly refinement of
techniques is another reason for conducting research.

• A lot of events take place in the life of people, modern society and business that are unexpected and
unforeseen and don’t easily fit into any known causation pattern. This kind of instances are highly
stimulating for researchers to uncover the real nature of these facts and find out whether these can be
made to fit in the accepted laws of causation or if not, do these demand customization of our laws.
Accordingly an out of the ordinary happening encourages research.

• The reasons for conducting research as listed above are only some factors which encourage people to
carry out research studies. A lot more factors such as directives of government, employment problems,

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

fascination with new things, desire to understand causal relationships, social thinking and awakening, and
the like might as well encourage (or at times compel) experts to perform research operations

Tips in Writing a Good Research Title

Editage.com offers the following tips in writing good research titles.

1. Keep it simple, brief, and attractive. The primary function of a title is to provide a precise summary of the
paper’s content. So keep the title brief and clear. Use active verbs instead of complex noun-based phrases,
and avoid unnecessary details. Moreover, a good title for a research paper is typically around 10 to 12
words long. A lengthy title may seem unfocused and take the readers’ attention away from an important
point.

Avoid: Drug XYZ has an effect of muscular contraction for an hour in snails of Achatina fulcia species

Better: Drug XYZ induces muscular contraction in Achatina fulcia snails

2. Use appropriate descriptive words. A good research paper title should contain key words used in the
manuscript and should define the nature of the study. Think about terms people would use to search for
your study and include them in your title.

Avoid: Effects of drug A on schizophrenia patients: study of a multicenter mixed group.

Better: Psychosocial effects of drug A on schizophrenia patients: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

3. Avoid abbreviations and jargon. Known abbreviations such as AIDS, NATO, and so on can be used in the
title. However, other lesser-known or specific abbreviations and jargon that would not be immediately
familiar to the readers should be left out.

Avoid: MMP expression profiles cannot distinguish between normal and early osteoarthritic synovial fluid.

Better: Matrix metalloproteinase protein expression profiles cannot distinguish between normal and early
osteoarthritic synovial fluid.

(Source: http://www.editae.com/insights/3-basjctjpsonwrjtjngagoodresearchpapertjtle )

FORMULATING RESEARCH QUESTIONS OR OBJECTIVES

Research objectives

• spell out what you set to do or achieve

• determine what you can and cannot do, or what you seek and what you need not seek

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

Two common errors in writing the research objectives:

• you may have stated your objectives vaguely

• you may have listed your research objectives according to importance, the most important being listed
first, and so forth but they might not be presented according to priority

Objectives must be specific and achievable.

It is always wise to list them, no more than a sentence a piece, in approximate order of their importance or
potential contributions.

The objectives form a basis for judging the remainder of the proposal. It sets the stage for showing how one
intends to solve or contribute to the solution of a problem.

The objectives must neatly fit into the problem statement.

They could be stated as:

Research Questions– written in question form to address what will be studied to answer the main problem

1. What is the level of exposure of students to social media?

2. What are the students’ reasons for using social media?

3. What is the perceived impact of social media on their academic performance?

Purposes or Objectives – written in statement form with the infinitive to

1. to investigate the students’ level of exposure to social media

2. to examine the reasons for using social media

3. to analyze the impact of social media on students’ academic performance

Specific Questions:

1. What materials are needed for the construction of the covered pathway in the UST campus?
2. What roofing material is appropriate for the covered path?

3. In what way can the covered pathway link all buildings in the campus?

4. What is the width and height of the covered path?

5. How can the covered path realize green architecture?

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

Research questions aim at investigating specific of the research problem. Though deduced from the
general or mother question, one specific question may lead to another sub-problem or sub-question, requiring a
different data-gathering technique and directing the research to a triangulation or mixed method approach.
Referring to varied aspects of the general problem, a set of research question plays a crucial part in the entire
research work. They lay the foundation for the research study. Therefore, they determine the research design or
plan of the research. Through sub-questions you can precisely determine the type of data and the method of
collecting, analyzing, and presenting data.

Any method or technique of collecting, collating, and analyzing data specified by the research design depends
greatly on the research questions.

The correct formulation of research questions warrants not only excellent collection, analysis, and presentation of
data, but a credible conclusion as well (Layder, 2013).

• Establish a clear relation between the research questions and the problem or topic.

• Base your research questions on your RRL or Review of Related Literature.

• Formulate research questions that can arouse your curiosity and surprise you with your discoveries or
findings.

• State your research questions in such a way that they include all dependent and independent variables
referred to by the theories, principles, or concepts underlying your research work.

• Let the set of research questions or sub-problems be preceded by one question expressing the main
problem of the research.

• Avoid asking research questions that are answerable with “yes” or “no” and use the “how” questions only
in quantitative research.

• Be guided by the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) in formulating
the research questions.

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

Other tips in Writing Research Questions:

1. When a relationship is expected among a certain type of subject, reference the population.

Example: Among young children, there is a positive relationship between level of psychomotor coordination and
degree of self-esteem.

2. Make research questions and hypotheses as specific and succinct as possible

OK: Administrators who provide wellness programs for their employees project positive effectiveness.

Better: Administrators who provide wellness programs for their employees receive higher employee ratings on
selected leadership qualities than administrators who do not provide wellness programs.

3. Avoid words or terms that do not add to the meaning of research questions and hypotheses

Rather: Among elementary school teachers, those who are teaching in year

Than: round schools will report having higher morale than those who are teaching in elementary schools that
follow a more traditional school- year schedule.

Try: Among elementary school teachers, those who teach in year-round schools have higher morale than those
who teach on a traditional schedule

4. Stick to what will be studied, not implications or your value judgments.

Rather: Religion is good for society.

Try: Regular attendance at religious services is inversely associated with cheating behavior while taking
classroom tests.

5. Name the variables in the order in which they occur or will be measured.

Example: There is a positive relationship between College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and first-
semester grades earned in college.

6. Avoid the words significant or significance.

7. Avoid using the word “prove.”
8. Avoid using two different terms to refer to the same variable.

*Note: “Wording” examples are attributed to Dr. Kathy Haywood, UMSL (Source:
https://researchrundowns.cor.n/intro/writing-research-qUeStioflS/)

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

Writing Chapter 1 of the Research Paper

In writing the first chapter of the research paper, the researcher must bear in mind the following concerns:

1. Writing the research topic

2. Writing the introduction

3. Stating the purpose or the problem

4. Formulating the research questions

5. Writing the hypothesis

6. Stating the significance of the study

7. Delimiting the study 8. Writing the conceptual/theoretical framework

9. Defining terms

Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in writing the first chapter.

SECTION OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
Introduction Rationale or reasons for conducting the study
 Historical or general background of the study
 Desire to have a deeper and clearer understanding of
the situation, circumstance, or phenomenon .
 Desire to find a better way of doing something or
improving a product
 Desire to discover something
 Geographical conditions of the study locale
 Connection between the introduction and the statement
of the problem.
Statement of the General problem or main question
Problem  Specific problems or sub-questions
Hypothesis Not present in a qualitative research
Significance of the Rationale, timeliness, and relevance of the study
Study  Possible solutions to existing problems or
improvements to unsatisfactory conditions
 Beneficiaries and the benefits they will derive from the

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa
LESSON 3
RESEARCH TOPIC AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
(Week 5 to 6)

study
 Possible contributions to the field of knowledge
implications
Scope and Extent of the study
Delimitations of the  Limitations as regard to time, locale, and respondents
Study
Conceptual/Theoretical Brief statement of the general purpose of the study
Framework  Subject matter and topics studied and discussed
 Locale of the study or the entity to which the data
belong
 Sample and the population from which the sample was
taken
 Period of the study
Definition (words or phrases) having special or unique meaning are
Terms of Terms defined operationally, briefly, clearly, and
unequivocally
 Acronyms are spelled out

Prepared by: Lusterio, Kristhine Joy L.

MSEUF – BED, Senior High School Department (New Normal 2020)

DO NOT REPRODUCE without the consent of your subject teacher.

Material taken from PR 1 Module (New Normal) authored by: Natharin Adarna & Lindsay Dela Rosa