RESEAR C H IN D A IL Y

LIFE
P R O BL EM A N D R E SE A R C H
LESSON 6– RESEARCH
QUESTION
 OBJECTIVES
The learner should be able to:
• 1. EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY
• 2. COMMUNICATE YOUR WORLDVIEWS USING NEWLY LEARNED WORDS
• 3. DEFINE A RESEARCH QUESTION AND A RESEARCH PROBLEM;
• 4. GIVE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH
QUESTION;

• 5. FORMULATE CORRECT RESEARCH QUESTIONS;

• 6. IDENTIFY THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTION; AND
• 7. JUSTIFY THE ESSENCE OF HAVING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM.
 ACTIVITY 1: MAKING WORDS MEANINGFUL

•DIRECTIOS: PAIRING ACTIVITY. FROM THE BOX,

CHOOSE THE EXPRESSION THAT CORRESPONDS TO
THE MEANING OF THE ITALICIZED WORD IN THE
SENTENCE.
Driving force felt uncertain or doubtful
result from Final permanent decision Being
in a relative position coming before
taking things as factual Deep riddle
 SENTENCES

•1. YOU WILL BE PERPLEXED BY SOMETHING YOU KNOW

NOTHING ABOUT.
•2. THEIR CLOSENESS STEMS FROM THEIR TWO-MONTH
TOGETHERNESS IN THE 2015 CLIMATE-CHANGE SUMMIT IN
ALASKA.
•3. WHY DON’T YOU GIVE ME A CLUE TO THAT CONUNDRUM
YOU WANT ME ANSWER INSTANTLY.
•4. COMING FROM DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS,
YOU CAN’T HAVE AN ALIGNMENT OF BELIEFS AND IDEAS
ABOUT THE MATTER.
• 5. WANTING TO GRADUATE AS A VALEDICTORIAN COULD BE THE
IMPETUS BEHIND THAT STUDENT’S FREQUENTLY LIBRARY WORK.
• 6. TRY TO GET AN INTENSE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT THEORY TO
AVOID FLUNKING THE TEST.
• 7. PRECEDING NUMBER SEVEN IS EIGHT.
• 8. YOU’VE ALREADY HEARD MY CONCLUSIVE STATEMENT; HENCE,
CLOSE THE DEAL NOW.
• 9. WHAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU, WHAT YOU READ IN PAPERS, AND
WHAT YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE HELP YOU ADOPT AN OBJECTIVE
VIEW OF THE CASE.
• 10. I’VE JOINED SO MANY SINGING COMPETITIONS ALREADY, THIS
TIME. I’LL TRY THE VOICE. THE ULTIMATE CONTEST I’LL BE
PARTICIPATING IN.
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
Meaning of Research Problem
The ultimate goal of the research is not only to propose ways of
studying things, people, places, and, events, but also discover and
introduce new practices, strategies, or techniques in solving a
problem. The word “problem” makes you worry and pushes you to
exert considerable effort in finding a solution for it. When you feel
perplexed or anxious about what to do about something you are
doubtful of or about a question you are incapable of answering, you
then come to think of conducting research, an investigation, or
inquiry. You consider research as the remedy for getting over any
problem.
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
Background of the Problem
You must not rush into gathering ideas and information
about your topic. First, spend time getting background
knowledge about the problem that trigged off your research
topic to discover its relation to what the world, particularly the
experts, professionals, and learned people know about your
topic. Also, reading for rich background ideas about the
problem is also another way to discover some theories or
principles to support your study. (Braun 2014; Woodwell
2014)
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
Research Questions
The research problem enables you to generate a set
of research questions. However, your ability to identify
your research problem and to formulate the question
depends on the background knowledge you have about
the topic. To get a good idea of the problem, you must
have a rich background knowledge about the topic
through the RRL (Review of Related Literature), which
requires intensive reading about your topic. Apart from
having a clearer picture of the topic, it will also help you
in adopting an appropriate research method and have a
thorough understanding of the knowledge area of your
research.
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
A research problem serving as an impetus behind your desire to
carry out a research study comes from many sources. Difficulties in
life are arising from social relationships, governmental affairs,
institutional practices, cultural patterns, environmental issues,
marketing strategies, etc. are problematic situations that will lead
you to identify one topic to research on. Centering your mind on the
problem, you can formulate one general or mother problem of your
research work. (Punch 2014).
To give your study a clear direction, you have to break this big,
overreaching question into several smaller or specific research
questions. The specific questions, also called sub-problems,
identify or direct you to the exact aspect of the problem that your
study has to focus on. Beset by many factors, the general question
or research problem is prone to reducing itself to several specific
questions, seeking conclusive answers to the problem.
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
The following shows you the link among the
following research problem, research topic, research
question, and the construction of one general
question and specific questions in a research paper.
Research Problem: The need to have a safer,
comfortable, and healthful walk or transfer of
students from place to place in the UST campus.
Research Topic: The construction of a Covered
Pathway in the UST Campus.
General Questions: What kind of covered path
should UST construct in its campus?
 RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
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?

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.
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
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)

Hence, the following are things you have to remember in

research question formulation. (Barbie 2013; Litchman 2013;
Silverman 2013)
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
Guidelines in Formulating Research Questions
1. Establish a clear relation between the research questions and the
problem or topic.
2. Base your research questions on your RRL, or Review of Related
Literature because existing published works help you get good background
knowledge of the research problem and help you gauge the people’s
current understanding or unfamiliarity about the topic, as well as the extent
of their knowledge and interest in it. Convincing solutions to research
problems or answers to research questions stem from their alignment with
what the world already knows or what previous research studies have
already discovered about the research problem or topic.
3. Formulate research questions that can arouse your curiosity and
surprise you with your discoveries or findings. This is true for research
questions asked about a problem that was never investigated upon.
4. 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.
RESEARCH PROBLEM VS. RESEARCH QUESTION
5. Let the set of research questions or sub-problems be preceded
by one question expressing the main problem of the research.

6. Avoid asking research questions that are answerable with “yes”

or “no” and use the “how” questions only in a quantitative
research.

7. Be guided by the acronym SMART (specific, measurable,

attainable, realistic, time-bound) in formulating the research
questions. Applying SMART, you must deal with exact answers
and observable things, determine the extent or limit of the data
collected, be aware of the timeframe and completion period of the
study, and endeavor to have your research study arrive at a
particular conclusion that is indicative of what are objective,
factual, or real in this world.
ACTIVITY 2

DIRECTIONS: PAIRING ACTIVITY. PUT A CHECK MARK( / )

IN THE BOX THAT REPRESENTS YOUR JUDGMENT ON
THE QUALITY OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION ASKED
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH PROBLEM OR
TOPIC: ‘PROMOTING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE
THROUGH SFG OR SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR.”
JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICE BY WRITING YOUR REASONS,
COMMENTS, REACTIONS, ETC.
• RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
• 1. IS SFG A CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE THEORY?
• CORRECT INCORRECT

• ___________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
• 2. TO WHAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT IS SFG APPLICABLE?

• ________________________________________
• ________________________________________
• 3. WHAT IS INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE?

• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
• 4. DO YOU AGREE THAT SFG INCREASES INTERCULTURAL
COMPETENCE?

• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
• 5. HOW DOES SFG PROMOTE INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE?
• 6. IN WHAT WAY IS SFG SIMILAR TO INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

• 7. WHAT FILIPINO CULTURAL PRACTICES REFLECT SPANISH INFLUENCE

ON FILIPINO’S LIFESTYLE?

• ________________________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________________________
• 8. HOW IS SFG APPLICABLE TO GREEK MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS?

• ______________________________________________________
• ______________________________________________________