Research

Design

The Problem
and Its
Setting
 Contents of the background of
Purpose of background of
the study:
the study
Introducti ▪ a. The general
▪ a. Presentation of the
problem. Describe the
on definition of the
topic/problem area
existence of an
unsatisfactory condition or a
(Back ▪ b. Historical basis for
problem that needs a
solution.
ground of the existence of the
problem
▪ b. Historical background of

the Study)
the problem - Give the
▪ c. Efforts made towards historical background of the
addressing similar problem, if applicable.
challenges ▪ c. Geographical conditions
▪ d. How the efforts failed of the study locale - If
applicable, describe the
to be realized hence the
geographical location of the
need for your study study.
▪ d. Rationale of the study 2
 Here are some questions to be considered in presenting justifications:
▪  Why is this research important?
Introducti ▪  What real life or everyday problem, issue, or question does the research

on ▪
relate to?
 Can people relate to the problem in local or global context?

(Back ▪  What benefit does the research promise?

▪
ground of
 Are the units of analysis and observation clearly identified?
▪  What does the researcher hope to find out?

the Study) ▪  What was wrong or incomplete about prior efforts conducted on the
same problem?
▪  Does the research extend understanding of the phenomena being
investigated?
▪  Does it elaborate or fill in the gaps in the present knowledge?
▪  What is the research ultimately trying to achieve?

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 Guidelines in Writing the Statement of the
Problem

Statemen (According to Calderon & Gonzales,1993)

▪ 1. The general statement of the problem and the research questions should

t of the ▪
be formulated first before conducting the research.
2. Research questions should be stated in the interrogative and each should

Problem ▪
be clear to avoid confusion.
3 Each research question should be researchable separately from the other
questions and must be based upon known facts and phenomena which is
accessible to the researcher.
▪ 4. Answers to each research question can be interpreted apart from the
answers to the other specific questions and must contribute to the
development of the whole research study.
▪ 8. The summary of the answers to all the specific questions will give a
complete development of the entire study.
▪ 9. The number of research questions should be enough to cover the
development of the whole research study.
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 Scope of a Study
Scope and ▪ When we talk about the scope of research,
Delimitati it commonly refers to the depth your
research area or parameters. It is the
on coverage of the research to be explored
which includes the facts and theories about
the subject. This includes restriction of the
target population, research local, specified
duration, design, procedure, and
instrument used.

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 Delimitation of a Study
Scope and
▪ When we talk about delimitation, it
Delimitati refers to choices made by
on researcher that serves as boundary
(Simon 2011). It limits the scope and
outlines the boundaries of the study
(arising from the researcher’s
decisions of what to exclude in the
research).

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 These limitations include the following:
▪
Scope and
1. Sample size.
▪ a. The research design and method will determine

Delimitati ▪
whether if it is small or large sample size.
b. The sample size will determine the quality of data
on and the relationships that will be identified among the
variables.
▪ 2. Lack of available and/or reliable data. This
will limit the scope of analysis and the ability of the
researcher to determine meaningful trends and
relationships among the data.
▪ 3. Lack of prior studies. This will limit the
effectiveness of the literature review and initial
understanding of the research.

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 ▪ 4. Chosen data collection method. The quality of
data collected must be clear to avoid erroneous
Scope and ▪
answers from the respondents.
5. Nature of the information collected.
Delimitati Researcher should not rely on pre-existing data.

on
▪ 6. Access. The amount and quality of available data
will depend on the ability of the researcher to access
people, organizations, libraries, and documents.
▪ 7. Time period. It is advisable to select a research
problem and design
▪ 8. Bias. The researcher should be aware of his or her
personal biases.
▪ 9. Language. This may have an effect on data
collection, especially if the researcher is involved with
respondents that speak a variety of languages.
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 The section Significance of the Study
describes the contribution of the study
Significan to the existing body of knowledge.
ce of the It could be the following:

Study ▪ a. A form of new knowledge in the field,

▪ b. A validation of the major findings of
other studies,
▪ c. A verification of the validity of findings
in a different population,
▪ d. Analysis of trends over time, and
validation of other findings using different
methodologies.
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 Theories are developed by researchers to explain phenomena,
draw connections, and make predictions. In the theoretical

Theoreti
framework, you explain the theories that support your research,
showing that your work is grounded in established ideas.
The same research topic can be approached very differently within
cal different theoretical frameworks:
▪ In literature, a scholar using postmodernist literary theory

Framew would analyze The Great Gatsby  differently than a scholar

using Marxist literary theory.

ork ▪ In psychology, a behaviorist approach to depression would

involve different methods and assumptions than a
psychoanalytical approach.
▪ In economics, wealth inequality would be explained and
interpreted differently within classical economics and
Keynesian economics frameworks.
▪ In each of these cases, you would explain the theory you’re
using in order to support your interpretations and
explanations of the data. 10
 How to create your theoretical framework
▪ Identify your key concepts-The first step is to pick out

Theoreti the key terms from your problem statement  and

research questions. Concepts often have multiple

cal definitions, so the theoretical framework involves

clearly defining what you mean by each term.

Framew ▪  Evaluate and explain relevant theories- Establish the

definitions that best fit your research and justify why

ork ▪
this is the case. 
Show how your research fits in- You might aim to do one
or more of the following:
▪ Test whether a theory holds in a specific context
▪ Use theory as a basis for interpreting your results
▪ Critique or challenge a theory
▪ Combine different theories in a new or unique way
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Concept ▪ A conceptual framework is a written or
visual representation of an expected
ual relationship between variables. Variables
are simply the characteristics or properties
Framew that you want to study.

ork ▪ The conceptual framework is generally

developed based on a literature review of
existing studies and theories about the
topic.

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Concept
ual
Framew
ork

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 ▪ Operational definition of terms refers to a detailed

Definitio explanation of the technical terms and measurements

used during data collection. This is done to standardize

n of
the data. Whenever data is being collected, it is
necessary to clearly define how to collect the data. Data
that is not defined runs the risk of being inconsistent
Terms and might not give the same results when the study is
replicated. Often we assume that those collecting the
data understand what to do and how to complete the
task. However, people may have differing views and
interpretations of the same thing, and this will affect
the data collection. The only way to ensure that
the data is consistent is by means of a detailed
operational definition of terms. 

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Thank you for
listening.
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