Section 2:

The Research Process: The Scientific

Approach
Chapter 4:
Conceptualizing a Research Study
Conceptualizing a Research Study
•Conceptualization is the process of refining the important concepts and
terms in the thesis/dissertation by giving them conceptual or theoretical
definitions.
•One of the most difficult aspect of research is how to develop the idea
for the research project. The research has the three phases:
a. conceptual phase
b. empirical phase
c. interpretative phase
•Conceptual Phase – the process that determines which questions are to
be addressed by the research and how research procedures are to be used
as a tools in finding the answers to these questions.
Conceptualizing a Research Study
•Conceptualization involves bringing together several considerations to
identify a good research idea, i.e. an answerable research question that is
worth answering.
• Components of this process include,
1) conducting a thorough search of the peer-reviewed literature;
2) finding a research mentor and other collaborator;
3) considering methodology and study design; and
4) assessing feasibility (Jain, Lindley & Rosen, 2013).

• Conceptualization is guided by the theoretical framework, research

perspectives or approach in the research study.
Research Topics
•Research is a systematic process. The first step in research is identifying a
topic. Research topic broadly defines the area of research. They are not the
same as the title of the research study. And there is need of further work to
become feasible research studies.
•Conceptualizing research topic according to Moyer, (2011) would include:
1. Finding your focus
Which aspects of your discipline interest you most?
What have you observed that you have questions about?
What articles have you read that have raised questions in your mind?
2. What are the gaps in the literature?
By topic (what is not being looked at?)
Methods (what is not being done?)
Populations (who is not being studied?)
Comparisons (who is not being compared?)
Research Topics
3. Where to start?
Read
Detailed literature searches
Attend seminars, conferences and presentations
Discuss subject area with peers
Listen and ask questions
4. Refining research topics
Discuss with fellow researchers
Discuss with stakeholders
Assess what is most critical to learn
Assess research sources available
Research Topics
5. Questions to ask yourself
Is this a good idea?
Who cares?
Can it be addressed using appropriate research methods?
Will it stimulate interest by others and the sponsors?
Is it feasible/practical/ doable?
Is it fundable?
Introduction to the Research Problem, Purpose, Questions and
Hypothesis
1. A research problem is considered a professional situation in need of
improvement, change or a solution. Houser (2012) considered research
problem to be the "why".
2. The research purpose is the goal or interest of the study. The purpose
statement also investigates how variables (qualities, properties,
characteristics) are studied in a setting and population, (Housers, 2012).
Polit and Beck (2012) support that a problem statement represents and
indicates a situation to be studied.
3. Research questions are specific questions that researcher wants to know
the intent of the study. According to Polit and Beck (2012), research
questions direct the data to be collected for the study.
4. A hypothesis is a statement that makes a specific prediction between
one or two variables in a population then tested.
Concept Mapping
A Structured approach that groups can use to map out
organize their ideas on any topic is called concept
mapping. This can be used by research teams to help them
clarify and map out the key research issues in an area, to
help them operationalize the programs isn't the only
method around that might help researchers formulate good
research problems on interventions on the outcome
measures for their study. The concept mapping method
and projects. Some of the methods that might be included
in the toolkit for research formulation might be:
brainstorming, brain writing, nominal group techniques,
focus groups, etc. (Trochim, 2006).
Concept Mapping
According to Katsumoto, 2005 (cited in de Belen, 2015)
concept mapping is a general method with which you
clarify and describe people's ideas about some topic in a
graphical form. By mapping out concepts in pictorial form
you can get a better understanding of the relationships
among them. Concept mapping encourages the
participants rather than on the planner or evaluator.
Writing the Research Title
Here are basic questions asked about the research title.
Does the title describe what the study is all about?
Does the title contain high specificity level?
Is the title academically phrased and is not verbose?
Is the title within the twelve (12) substantive word
requirement of the American Psychological Association
(APA)?
Writing an Introduction
An introduction answers the following questions.
•What is the problem?
•Why is it a problem?
•How it should be solved?
•Why it should be solved?
•What is the purpose of the study?
Writing an Introduction
Now, use the template below to identify the parts of an
introduction.
Title of the study ________________________________
Author(s)_______________________________________
What is the Why is it a How it should be Why it should be What is the
Problem? Problem? solved? solved? purpose of the
study?
Stating the Problem
•The problem statement is the researcher's guide during the
research process. It is the verbalization and articulation as
well as the analysis of the "questions" in which the
researcher wants the research to answer.
•The problem statement is divided into the major or main
problem and the minor or sub-problems. The major or main
problem is the verbalization of the specific "question which
the researcher wants to answer. It may be stated
declaratively of interrogatively.
What is a statement of the problem?
A statement of the problem is a concise description of the
issues that need to be addressed by the researcher.
Writing the Background of the Study
A: What is the purpose of a background study?
One of the preliminary steps to completing a thesis/dissertation is the
background study. The background study includes
(1) a review of the area being researched,
(2) Current information surrounding the issue,
(3) previous studies on the issue,
(4) relevant history on the issue, and
(5) effectively set forth the history and background information on the
problem. (The University of Sydney, n.d.)

The purpose of a background study is to help you to prove the relevance of

your research question and to further develop your thesis.
Writing the Background of the Study
B. Why do a background study?

In addition to gaining general knowledge about your topic area, your goals are
to determine the current state of knowledge and to become familiar with
current research. Gravetter and Forzano (2006) pointed out that once you have
a general idea for a research study, the next step is to go to the library to gather
background that you have identified.

Once you have done this, your task is simply to extend the current research one
more step.
Writing the Background of the Study
C. How do you write a background study?
1. Conduct a primary research at the beginning stages of formulating a thesis
when many issues are unclear. Visit your library, the internet to find
primary sources such as books and scholarly journals for your background
study.
2. Read the information and develop a research question of thesis statement
that will guide your research. You will need to take notes and keep accurate
tract of the sources that you used up to this point. Use a method of
recording source of information that you are comfortable with. Be sure to
cite the source of the information or each note so you don't forget where the
piece of information came from, should you decide to use it in your thesis.
3. Write a thesis statement or research question. Think about what you've read
and look to issues, problems or solutions that others have found and
determine your own opinion or stance on the issue.
Writing the Background of the Study
C. How do you write a background study?
4. Complete your research using your thesis statement and research question as
you guide.

5. Create five separate sections that cover the key issues, major findings and
controversies surrounding your thesis as well as sections that provide an
evaluation and conclusion.

6. Conclude by identifying and further study what needs to be done in the area
or provide possible solutions to the issue that haven't been considered before.

7. Revise and edit your background study.

Formulating the Hypothesis
What is a hypothesis?
•A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or
more variables. A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you
expect to happen study. (Black & Champions, 1976, cited in Kumar, 1996).
•A hypothesis must be empirically grounded and lead to the main contributor
of the investigation. A research hypothesis is the statement you created when
you speculate upon the outcome of a structure, as the ultimate aim of any
experiment. It is a statement that predicts the relationship between the
independent (casual) and dependent (outcome) variables.
•A hypothesis (plural, hypotheses) is a proposéd explanation for a
phenomenon. Hypothesis consists of independent and dependent variables.
The dependent variables is the outcome you are interested in studying-the
effect. The independent variable is the variable that is producing a change in
the dependent variable-the cause.
Formulating the Hypothesis
What is a hypothesis?
•A hypothesis is not a final answer, but rather a proposal to be tested and
validated. For example, a researcher might hypothesize that there is a
relationship between personality characteristics and cigarette smoking. Or
another researcher might hypothesize that a dark environment causes
depression.

Why hypothesize?
•A research hypothesis is a specific statement of expected outcomes of an
experiment. It includes who the subjects are, the experimental conditions, and
the statistical test to be applied.
•Hypotheses are testable explanations of a problem, phenomenon, or
observation.
Formulating the Hypothesis
Why hypothesize?
Quantitative research involves formulating a hypothesis to address the research
problem.

Hypotheses that suggest a causal relationship involve at least one independent

variable and at least one dependent variable: in other words, one variable
which is presumed to affect the other.

An independent variable is one whose value is manipulated by the researcher

or experiment. A dependent variable is a variable whose value are presumed to
change as a result of changes in the independent variable.
Formulating the Hypothesis
How to state a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a statement that researchers can empirically test. It is a
statement about how two variables are related. It is not a question and, to that
end, it is different from a research question that is usually broad and does not
specifically link two or more specific concepts.

Because the hypothesis identifies the specific variables and their relationship,
it forms the foundation for the future research study.
Formulating the Hypothesis
Characteristics of a Good Research Hypothesis?
1. Logical
A good hypothesis is usually founded on established theories or developed
from the results of previous research. Specifically, a good hypothesis
should have two logical conclusions of a logical argument. 
2. Testable
A good hypothesis must be testable. That is, it must be possible to observe
and measure all of the variables involved. The hypothesis must involve real
situations, real events and real individuals. You cannot test a hypothesis
that refers to imaginary terms or hypothetical situations.
3. Testable
A good hypothesis must be testable. That is, it must be possible to observe
and measure all of the variables involved. The hypothesis must involve real
situations, real events and real individuals. You cannot test a hypothesis
that refers to imaginary terms or hypothetical situations.
The Null Hypothesis
•The null hypothesis is a statement about the population or populations being
examined that always states that there is no effect, no change, or no
relationship. In general, the null hypothesis says that nothing happened.
•In a study comparing two treatments, the null hypothesis states that there is no
difference between the treatments.
•One characteristic of a good hypothesis is that it must make a positive
statement about the existence of a relationship or the existence of a treatment
effect.
•The null hypothesis is exactly the opposite of the research hypothesis. The
research hypothesis says that the treatment does have an effect, and the null
hypothesis says that the treatment has no effect.
The Null Hypothesis
•The goal of the research study is to gather enough evidence to demonstrate
convincingly that the treatment really does have an effect. The purpose of the
hypothesis test is to evaluate the evidence. The test determines whether the
results of the research study are sufficient to reject the null hypothesis and
justify to conclusion that the treatment has no effect.