STARTING THE

RESEARCH
 CRITERIA IN SELECTING TOPICS
The researcher writer who chooses a topic must be
guided by the following criteria.
1. Interestingness of the Topic
2. Specificity/Limitedness/Limited Breadth of the Topic
3. Relevance to the Writer's Field or Discipline
4. Familiarity of the Writer with the Topic
5. Availability of Materials
6. Feasibility of the Problem
 Writing Research Questions
A research question is the fundamental core of a
research project, study or review of literature. It
focuses the study, determines the methodology
and guides all stages of inquiry, analysis, and
reporting.
The research questions begins with a research
problem, an issue someone would like to know
more about or a situation that needs to be
changed or addressed, such as.
 Writing Research Questions
Areas of Concerns
1. Conditions that could be improved
2. Difficulties that need to be
eliminated
3. Questions seeking answers
4. A research problem leads to a
hypothesis and/or research question
 Writing Research Questions
Question should in some
way.........
1. Be worth investigating
2. Contribute knowledge and
value to the field
3. Improve educational practice
 Writing Research Questions
Characteristics of a Good
Research Questions
1. The question is feasible
2. The question is clear
3. The question is significant
4. The questions is ethical
 From Research Problem to Research Questions
and Purpose
Step 1. Draft a Research Question/Hypothesis
Example: What effetcs did 9/11/01 have on the
future plans of students who were high schools
seniors at the time of the terrorist attacks?
Example Questions: Did seniors consider
enlisting in the military as a result of the
attacks? Did seniors consider colleges closer to
home as a result?
 From Research Problem to Research Questions
and Purpose
Step 2. Draft a Purpose Statement
Example: The purpose of this study is to
determine the effects of the 9/11 tragedy on
the future plans of high school seniors.
Step 3. Revise and Rewrite the Research
Questions/Hypothesis
Example: What is the association between
 From Research Problem to Research Questions
and Purpose
Step 4. Write the Purpose Statement
Example: Purpose Statement (Declarative): The
purpose of this study is to explore the
association between 9/11 and future plans of
high school seniors.

NOTE: Both are neutral; they do not presume

 OPERATIONALIZE
Determine the variables you would like
to understand, and then word your
question in such a way as to suggest
how you will test your question. This is
called OPERATIONALIZING, referring to
the actions, processes or operations
used to measure of identify variables
EXPANDING SIMPLE RESEARCH QUESTION
Expanding your question by
introducing additional variables
or characteristics.
Example: What is the
relationship between 9/11 and
enlisting in the military?
EXPANDING SIMPLE RESEARCH QUESTION
VARIABLES:
1. Demographics
(gender/ethnicity/age/religious
preference)
2. Geogprahic location
3. Parent's educational level
EXPANDING SIMPLE RESEARCH QUESTION
VARIABLES:
4. Role of Parent
5. Student's/Parent/s
political affiliation
6. Common Errors
 FEW GOOD WRITING TIPS
1. When a relationship is expected
among a certain type of subject,
reference the population.
Among young children, there is a
positive relationship between level of
psychomotor coordination and
degree of self - esteem.
 FEW GOOD WRITING TIPS
2. Make research questions and hypothesis 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.
 FEW GOOD WRITING TIPS
3. Avoid words or terms that do not add to the
meaning of research questions and hypotheses.
RATHER THAN : Among elementary school teachers,
those who are teaching in year 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 are
teaching in year round schools will report having higher
morale than those who teach on a traditional schedule
 FEW GOOD WRITING TIPS
4. Stick to what will be studied, not
implications or your value judgements
RATHER THAN : Religion is good for
society
TRY : Regular attendance at religious
service is invesely associated with
cheating behavior while taking classroom
 FEW GOOD WRITING TIPS
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
 FEW GOOD WRITING TIPS
6. Avoid the words significant
or significance
7. Avoid using the word prove.
8. Avoid using two different
terms to refer to the same
 WRITING CHAPTER 1 OF THE
RESEARCH PAPER
In writing the first chapter of the research
paper, the researcher must bear in mind the
following:
1. Writing the research topic
2. Writing the Introduction
3. Stating the purpose or the problem
4. Formulating the research questions
 WRITING CHAPTER 1 OF THE
RESEARCH PAPER
In writing the first chapter of the research paper,
the researcher must bear in mind the following:
5. Writing the hypothesis
6. Stating the significance of the study
7. Scope and delimitations of the study
8. Writing the conceptual/theoretical framework
9. Defining terms
 Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
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,
circumstances or phenomenon
 Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
INTRODUCTION
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.
Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
General problem or main
question
specific problems or sub-
questions
Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.

HYPOTHESIS
Not present in a
qualitative research
Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Rationale, timelines and relevance of
the study
Possible solutions to existing
problems or improvements to
unsatisfactory conditions.
Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Beneficiaries and the benefits they
will derive from the study
Possible contributions to the field of
knowledge
Possible implications
Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
Scope and Delimitations of the
Study
Extent of the study
limitations as regard to time,
locale and respondents.
 Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
CONCEPTUAL/THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Brief statement of the general
purpose of the study
Subject matter and topics studied and
discussed
Locale of the study or the entity to
which the date belong
 Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
CONCEPTUAL/THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Sample and the population

from which the sample was
taken
Period of the study
Calderon and Gonzales (1993) present guidelines in
writing the first chapter.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Terms (words or phrase) having
special or unique meaning are
defined operationally, briefly,
clearly and unequivocally
Acronyms are spelled out.
Creswell (2009) suggest how to state the purpose

1. use words such as

purpose, intent or objective
to signal attention to the
statement as the central
controlling ideas.
Creswell (2009) suggest how to state the purpose
2. Focus on a single phenomenon
(or concepts or idea)
3. Use action verbs to convey
how learning takes place
4. Use neutral words and phrases
Creswell (2009) suggest how to state the purpose
5. Provide a general working
definition of the central
phenomenon
6. Include words denotning the
strategy of inquirye
7. Mention the participants of the
study
Creswell (2009) suggest how to state the purpose

8. Identify the site for the

research
9. include some language
that delimits the scope or
participation
EXAMPLE:
The purpose of the ___________ study is
to____________________ the
______________ for
_________________________________ at
____________. At this stage in the
research, the
_________________________ will be
generally defined as
 WRITING GOOD RESEARCH TITLES
1. Keep it simple, brief and attractive.
EXAMPLE:
Drug XYZ has an effect of muscular
contraction for an hour in snails of
Achantina fulcia species
Drug XYZ induces muscular contraction in
Achantina fulcia species.
 WRITING GOOD RESEARCH TITLES
2. Use appropriate descriptive words.
EXAMPLE:
Effects of Drug A on schizophrenia patients:
study of a multicenter mixed group.
Psychosocial effects of drug A on
schizophrenia patients: a multicenter
randomized controlled trial
 WRITING GOOD RESEARCH TITLES
3. Avoid abbreviation and jargon
EXAMPLE:
MMP expression profiles cannot distinguish
between normal and early osteoarthitic
synovial fluid.
Matrix Metalloproteinase Protein expression
profiles cannot distinguish between normal
and early osteoarthritic synovial fluid