Practical Research 1 Hand-outs

RESEARCH TITLE
A research title prefaces the study by providing a summary of the main idea or the theme and focus of the research
problem. A good research title is usually concise, clear, and interesting.
1. It should summarize the main idea of the paper.
2. It should be a concise statement of the main topic.
3. It should include the major variables of the research study.
4. It should be self-explanatory.
5. It should describe or imply the participants of the study.

MOST RESEARCH PAPERS HAVE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS IN THE TITLE:

1. Major Variables. This must be contained in the title since without variables there is no research to be conducted.
2. Participants of the Study. Participants include either the subjects or the respondents. The subjects are individuals,
groups, or organizations where the problem is related to. The respondents are the people where the data are solicited
from. Most of the time, the subjects and the respondents of the study are the same. However, there are cases where
the subjects are different from the respondents. This usually happens in studies that have subjects like infants, people
with certain disabilities, and other living things such as plants and animals which cannot give valid data.
3. Topics or Themes. These are the subject matters or concepts that are the focus of the investigation and discussion in
the paper
4. Outputs. The main concrete contribution after the data are gathered and interpreted. This can be a policy, an
intervention program, a book or manual, a module, or a device, among others. This is usually placed after a colon (:)
usually as a subtitle.

COMPARISONS BETWEEN RESEARCH TITLES IN TERMS OF CERTAIN ASPECTS (HARTLEY, 2005; JAAKKOLA, 2018):
ASPECT OF COMPARISON NEEDS IMPROVEMENT ACCEPTABLE

Conciseness (Avoid unnecessary An Investigation of the Effects of Effects of Violent Video Games on
words or phrases) Violent Video Games on Aggressive Aggressive Behavior: Potential Sex
Behavior: Potential Sex Differences Differences
Clarity (Make sure that titles are Media Violence Influence on Youth The Influence of Media Violence on
understandable and self- Youth
explanatory)
Scope (The title must reflect the The Effects of Video Games on The Effects of Video Games on the
breadth and coverage of the Academic Performance of Students Academic Performance of Grade 11
research paper) Students: The Case of Public SHS in
Quezon City

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

RESEARCH PROBLEM
The research problem states the area of concern of the research paper whether it is a circumstance needing
development, a difficulty requiring attention, or an inquiry necessitating an answer. This section sets the direction of the
research study as it provides the foundation for the research hypothesis and defines what kind of research study is
suitable to address the problem. However, it is important to note that this section should only state the problem and not
suggest a solution for it.

In the book A Research Guide in Nursing Education, BARRIENTOS-TAN (1997) DISCUSSES THE DIFFERENT CRITERIA FOR
CHOOSING A PROBLEM OF RESEARCH. These are as follows:
1. EXTERNAL CRITERIA
a. Novelty - the topic must not have been used by many researchers; the newness of a topic and its variables will
inspire other researchers or other fellow researchers.
b. Availability of subjects - This refers to the people with the desired capability and willingness to participate in the
study. The sample of the study participants must be representative enough to ensure reliability and validity of
 Practical Research 1 Hand-outs
the results (i.e., your classmates, teachers, neighbors). These people could easily be approached and their
cooperation could easily be gained.
c. Support of the academic community - This refers to the assistance given by the members of the institution, like
the principal, teachers, staff, students, and the parents, in the gathering of data and defraying the cost of the
study. Permission of those concerned for the participation in the study of staff members, children, the elderly,
and the mentally challenged should be secured
d. Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment - Devices such as computers and telephones used in
undertaking the study must be considered.
e. Ethical considerations - ensure that all activities to be undertaken are acceptable and are done in accordance
with what is legal and morally right.
2. INTERNAL CRITERIA
a. Experience, training, and qualifications of the researcher - These constitute the researcher's knowledge and
expertise as a result of experience and study.
b. Motivation, interest, intellectual curiosity, and perceptiveness of the researcher - These are essential attitudes
that bring anticipated satisfaction of enjoyment in the completion of research tasks.
c. Time factor - This considers the fact that studies must be pursued within a given time frame.
d. Costs and returns - These factors matter in choosing a research problem. Research is an expensive undertaking.
The amount of funding needed, after all, depends on the Size of the sample, the place where the research is to
be conducted, the treatment of data, and the kind of research design.
e. Hazards, penalties, and handicaps - These depend upon the researcher's physical and intellectual capacity and
moral judgment.

FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

 At this stage, you must formulate a general problem and to least three specific problems.
 The general problem gives the main focus of the proposed research study.
 The specific problems refer to specific questions/problems you want to determine about the general problem.
The specific problem can be written in the form of questions.
For example:
General Problem: Exploring the general views of junior high school students regarding chemistry as a subject
Specific Problems:
1. What are the views of students on chemistry?
2. Are these perceptions on chemistry generally favorable or not?
3. What factors could have influenced the students' views on chemistry?
4. What measures can be implemented to positively influence the students' views on chemistry?
In the example, the research aims to determine the thoughts and views of students on chemistry as a subject. The
general problem gives the overview of the research. This provides the general direction of what the researcher aims to
achieve.
Moreover, to contextualize the general problem, a set of specific research problems need to be formulated such
that the answer to each specific question shall contribute to addressing the general research problem. In the given
example, there are four specific problems generated from the general problem.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME GUIDELINES IN FORMULATING RESEARCH PROBLEMS:

 The general problem provides the overall picture and direction of the research. This is usually stated in narrative
form.
 The specific problems give the details of the research study. These are generated from the general problem.
These problems are usually stated in question form.
 Reading relevant research articles in journals, books, magazines, and other reading materials can help you
formulate good research problems.

GENERAL TYPES OF QUESTIONS FORMULATED IN RESEARCH

 Practical Research 1 Hand-outs
1. Non-researchable questions. These are questions of value and are answerable by yes or no. In research, this means
that this type of question cannot be used as research questions because they are simply answerable by a "yes" or a
"no.”.
Examples:
a. Should all mothers breastfeed their babies?
b. Should high school teachers be watchful over their Grade 7 students?
c. Should the schools offering different majors in senior high schools require their students to have a mandatory
review before taking the National Assessment Exam?
d. Do all head teachers have a master's degree?
e. Are family members helping their children in reviewing their lessons?
2. Researchable questions. These are questions of opinions, perceptions, or policy that are raised to accumulate data.
Formulating a clear, significant question prepares the researcher for subsequent decision-making on research
design, data collection, and data analysis.
Examples:
a. What are the common preparations done by Grade 7 students during their first days in school?
b. How do senior high school students respond to their Math teacher?
c. What are the study habits of students who are poorly performing?
d. What is the relationship of the attitudes of the adviser to the classroom behavior of Grade 9 students?
e. How do the officers of the Parent-Teacher Community Association assist in the improvement of school facilities?

DICKOFF ET. AL (AS CITED IN WILSON, 1989) PROVIDE FURTHER CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS. These are
as follows:
1. Factor-isolating questions. These ask the question "What is this?" These questions are sometimes called factor-
naming questions because they isolate, categorize, describe, or name factors and situations.
Examples:
a. What is the profile of school principals in terms of the following?
i. Age
ii. Management experience
iii. Civil status
b. What are the levels of competencies of school principals as described by their respective teachers and
themselves in terms of the following?
i. Intrapersonal
ii. Interpersonal
2. Factor-relating questions. These ask the question "What is happening here?" The goal of these questions is to
determine the relationship among factors that have been identified.
Examples:
a. What is the relationship of the level of performance of the senior high school teachers to the OJT
performance of the students enrolled in the business track of Saint Paul School of Professional Studies?
b. How does the performance level of volleyball teams of boys differ to that of the girls?
3. Situation-relating questions. These questions ask the question "What will happen if.?" These questions usually yield
hypotheses testing or experimental study designs in which the researcher manipulates the variables to see what will
happen.
Examples:
a. What are the effects of computer-learning assisted methods of teaching on the interest level of the
sophomores in their history subjects?
b. How significantly different is the performance of center agents who are well rested with those who are not?
4. Situation-producing questions. These ask the question' "How can I make it happen?" These questions establish
detailed goals for actions, develop plans or prescriptions to achieve goals, and specify the conditions under which these
goals will be accomplished.

Examples:
 Practical Research 1 Hand-outs
a. Based on the findings, what human relation intervention program can be adopted to enhance or improve
effectiveness of existing teaching methods?
b. What faculty development activities can be sponsored by the PTCA to improve the performance of graduating
students in the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT)?

ACCORDING TO CRESWELL AND CLARK (2014), THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
1. Central questions- these are the most general questions that can be asked.
2. Sub-questions- these questions divide the central question into more specific topical questions and are only
limited in number.

SOME GUIDELINES IN FORMULATING CENTRAL AND SUB-QUESTIONS (CRESWELL AND CLARK, 2014)
1. Questions are usually expected to begin with words such as "how" or "what," although “why" questions are also
acceptable in certain instances. As long as all questions remain exploratory (allows for investigation), rather than
factual (elicits facts and straight statements), these are acceptable research questions.
2. The readers should be informed of the information that will be discovered, generated, explored, identified, or
described in the study.
3. The question "What happened?" should be asked to help craft the description.
4. The question "What was the meaning to people of what happened?" should be asked to understand the results.
5. The question "What happened over time?" should be asked to explore the process.

"What is the meaning of/what does it mean to (central phenomenon)?

Examples:
1. What does it mean to differentiate the customs and traditions of Aetas to those?
2. What does it mean to characterize the study habits of the top 10 students of the class?
"How would (participants) describe (central phenomenon)?
Examples:
1. How would the Aetas and locals of Zambales differentiate their customs and traditions?
2. How would the top ten high school students characterize their general study habits?
"What (aspect) does (participant) engage in as a (central phenomenon)?"
Examples:
1. What nature of practices do the Aetas and locals of Zambales engage in as a part of their customs and
traditions?
2. What kind of preparation does the top 10 high school students engage in as an indicator of their general study
habits?

EXAMPLE OF CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION AND HOW CENTRAL QUESTIONS RELATES TO THE SUB-QUESTIONS.
Central Question: How do video games affect high school students’ academic performance?
Possible sub-questions:
1. What are the different types of video games?
2. What are the possible effects of playing video games to students?
3. What factors affect students’ academic performance?