UNIT II:

IDENTIFYING THE INQUIRY

& STATING THE PROBLEM
LESSON 5
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INQUIRY OR
RESEARCH
Examine the following list of topics. Which
among them would you like to focus?
1. Systemic Functional Grammar
2. Forensic Linguistic
3. Social Media Network
4. Ho Chi Minh City
5. Mt. Kilimanjaru
6. Philippine's Underground River
7. Climate Change
8. The Digital Era
Subject Matter of the Inquiry or
Research
a topic is researchable if the
knowledge and information about it
is supported by evidence that is
observable, factual, and logical.
Guidelines in Choosing a Research Topic

1.Interest in the subject matter

2. Availability of information
3. Timeliness and relevance of the
topic
4. Limitations on the subject
5. Personal Resources
Research topics to be avoided
1. Controversial Topics
2. Highly Technical subjects
3. Hard-to-investigate subjects
4.Too broad subjects
5. Too narrow subjects
6. Vague Subjects
 Sources of Research Topics
1.Mass media communication(newspaper, ads,TV,
etc)
2. Books, Internet, peer-reviewed journals,
government publications
3. Professional Periodicals
4. General Periodicals (Reader's Digest,magazine)
5. Previous reading assignments in your other
subjects
6. Work Experience(part/full time job, ojt,)
 Activity: Describe the following topics ( Based
on the topics to be avoided)
1. Filipino's Admiration for the Current First
Lady of the Philippines
2. Some excessively Priced Imported Vehicles.
3. The Rise and Fall of all Kings and Queens
4. Labor Unions before the Coming of Jesus
Christ
5. Pluses and minuses of all English 2
Textbooks
6. Definition of Research
7. The Birth of Jesus Christ
8. The Structure of a Nuclear
Weapon
9. Comma as a Punctuation Mark
10. Spaceship Building
Which title appears to be the best in terms of narrowing down a
broad topic?
1. a. Symptoms of AIDS
b. Physical Symptoms of AIDS
c. Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome or AIDS
2. a.History of Traditional
Grammar
b.History of American
Traditional Grammar
c. Traditional Grammar
3. a.The Psychology of Reading
b. A Study of Human Being
c. Sensory Experience in
Reading
4. a. World Ideologies
b. Feminism in the Digital Era
c. Feminism in Nick Joaquin's
Latest Novel
5. a. Communication Skills
b.The Writing Process
c. Pre-writing Strategies
6.a. War Among Nations
b. World War II
c. Japan's Role in World War II
7. a.Hotel & Restaurant 9. a.Philippine Transportation
Management
b. Food Serving Techniques
c. Russian-Plate Service
8. a. The University of the
Philippines
b. The History of the
University of the Philippines
c. The University of the
Philippines in the 1960's
System
b. Metro Manila's
Transportation System
c. Manila's LRT/MRT System
10. a.The Enactment of Laws in
Congress
b. The Governing Bodies of
the Philippines
c. The Congress of the
Philippines
ASSIGNMENT:
1.Using your favorite online social communication network,
ask your friends what college they belong to and what
research experiencesthey have already gone through. Ask
about the title of any research paper they have already done,
and it reasons in conducting the studies. Based on the title
given, determine the quality of the topic expressed by the
title with respect to the guidelines or pointers you have
learned about research topic selections.

2. Finalize your topic and title after the thorough evaluation

of your groupmates and let your college friend make a
comment or remark on your title (with ocumentation)

3. State the fac] tual problem you have encountered or

heard which enables you to arrive on your topic.
4. Research a data, information, or any
related researches that has a connection to
your studies. Cite the authors/TITLE.
(3)From the internet
(3)From the Books, magazine,
newspapers, etc.