THESIS WRITING

AND RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
_______________
DEAN RODEL A. TATON, LLM., DCL
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LAW
SAN SEBASTIAN COLLEGE-RECOLETOS, MANILA
Emails send to : [email protected]
[email protected]
 THESIS

“A proposition one wishes to defend”.

The end therefore, of a thesis is to have it

defended successfully. Hence, writing a thesis is
not simply writing it for the sake of writing per se
but with the view of defending it in due time before
a qualified panel.
Research paper

vs

Term paper
 -presents and argues a thesis, the

Research writer’s proposition or opinion. It is

an analytical or persuasive essay that
evaluates a position.

Paper - tries to convince readers that the

writer’s argument is valid or at least
deserves serious consideration.
 - is a collection of
facts. It does not usually
argue a point. It does not
Term Paper try to persuade readers
to think or act a certain
way. It is a summary of
one or more sources, one
is merely reporting what
others have said.
A THESIS is a kind of a research report in
partial fulfilment of the degree requirements
in a discipline submitted for academic
qualification.

The goal of which is to communicate, not

only the outcomes of the research but also
its purpose, methods and techniques to
someone, thus making it accessible to others
and placing it in the public domain.
FORMULATING A CONDUCTING
PLANNING AND
PROPOSAL RESEARCH AND
PREPARING
TACKLING
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

PROCESSING WRITING THE STRUCTURING THE

LITERATURE THESIS THESIS

NAVIGATING PREPARING FOR

SUPERVISION SUBMISSION
 DEVELOPING
A THESIS PROPOSAL
A RESEARCH PROPOSAL spells out the details of a
research plan.

A by-product of the research prospectus, which covers the following

items: possible related thesis topics, thesis titles, methodologies,
tentative outline of thesis proposal, bibliography lists etc.
ASSIGNMENT 1 Assignment 2
Possible related thesis topics Submit a list of at least 15
Literature : Books,
Thesis titles Journals, Electronic Sources
Abstract ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Assignment 3
Transforming Ideas to
Questions
Statement of the Problem
Preparing Sub-questions
ONLINE RESOURCES
Check availability
CITATION/ REFERENCES

HYBRID REFERENCING.
You may use Footnotes

USE APA GUIDELINES in both

FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSAL
Chapter I The Problem Rationale
1.1. Background of the Study
1.2. Statement of the Problem
1.3. Significance of the Study
1.4. Objectives of the Study
1.5. Scope and Limitation of the Study
1.6. Definition of Terms
Chapter II Related Literature and Conceptual Framework
Chapter III Research Methodology
Chapter IV Discussion and Analysis
4.1. Problem 1
4.2. Problem 2 etc.
Chapter V Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Conclusion
5.2. Recommendations
 TITLE
-Concise
-stimulating
-exact term
-the specific issue
- The mode of Inquiry

- Desired depending on the nature of the

problem

-Formulated first even before the start of the

research study; it may be open to further
revision as the writing progresses.
 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY/ RATIONALE
OF THE STUDY
Must show how the research problem
statement has arisen from a context or
study locale.

The context may take the following

forms:
a . Exigencies of the times: The
problem may be introduced by way
of presenting its urgency as a
natural outcome of a present
phenomenon.
b. “Felt need”: Arising from a
personal experience of an
existence of unsatisfactory
condition, thus, an awareness
of an emerging problem.
c. Knowledge gap in
literature of the subject
d. Historical Background of
the Study: How the choice of
a certain study locale has
evolved historically.
e .
Implication of a principle,
rule or guideline: the choice
has emerged from a lack of
implementing a principle.
f. Inspiration from an on-going
research done by a
university/institute through
its research center (s).
g. Commissioned or
sponsored research
H. Condition of the
Study locale
i. A desire to have a deeper and
clearer understanding of the
phenomenon
STATEMENT
OF THE
PROBLEM
Problem statement (status
quaestionis), is defined as a
carefully formulated research issue
as it appears in the
thesis/dissertation arising from a
research problem of a research
topic in a subject area.
 COMPELLING RESEARCH
QUESTION?

A good research question should be

original, relevant, clear and researchable
ORIGINAL An Original approach to an existing issue, or asking an original
question. Interesting and promises critical engagement and
analysis.

RELEVANT Is the question topical; has the area been reformed recently or are
there plans or calls to reform it?
Does this question have long standing importance but remain
unsettled?
Is it related to a legal issue or series of interrelated legal issues?

CLEAR AND FOCUSED Does your research question ask a clear question that you are able
to answer?

RESEARCHABLE Do you have sufficient materials at your disposal to answer this

question?
Most questions, even if not perfect in the
initial stage can be turned into viable
research questions, you may slightly amend
and focus your question and this is normal.

Thesis writing is a work in progress.

As you gather more knowledge in the field,

gaps may appear where you want to focus
on.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
Significant/ Important/ Responsive/
Relevant to Whom/Which? Why?
How? As far as its content and/or its
methodology are concerned?
 Is the contribution of the
proposed research study to existing
fund of knowledge in a particular
discipline and to existing and or/
future researches in such a
discipline.
 OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
Aim/orientation/end of the
research project

Why go into such an

investigation
SCOPE AND LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
 Scope is construed here
as synonymous to
delimitation.
 The coverage of the study in terms
of subject-matter; concepts, specific
aspect of an issue, treatment,
weaknesses in methodology,
language, time-frame; and study
locale and the period of the study, if
needed.
Limitation identifies the weaknesses of
your study that are beyond the control
of the author. The limitation of the
study, in other words, “establishes the
level of certainty and margin of error
that can be imputed to your work in
qualitative terms”.
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
Literature

A collation of all the reading materials mainly

divided into authoritative writings, such as
books and article, and studies, such as thesis,
dissertation, proceeding and the like – both
having, one way or the other, a close affinity
with and substantial bearing on the proposed
problem statement and/or the over-all
methodology.
Review

An in depth or critical reading or

evaluation relative to the problem
statement of the thesis. The
problem dimension refers to the
measure of relatedness which the
review should consider accordingly.
Related

Not a collation of reading material

summarized per se but discussed as each
entry bears significantly on ( is related to) the
proposed problem statement in terms of
similarities, differences, complementariness,
and usefulness to any Chapter (s) of the
research study relative to content and/or
methodology.
The chosen entries are arranged according to the
year of publication/issue from the recent/latest to
the least. Some research proposal present this
section by way of the type of literature approach in
which literature are classified in two: conceptual
and research with the former discussed first; others,
by country approach divided into local and foreign
studies categories.
METHODOLOGY
 Gathering and
analyzing data
Research Design

A Research design is a
special plan for studying
the research problem.
The following features are common:

Research perspective
Research classifications/types,
Context of study
Participants;
Research
methods/instrument/techniques,
Data analysis
COMPARATIVE LAW BLACKLETTER LAW

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

SOCIO-LEGAL THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

 BLACKLETTER LAW
Formulation of legal doctrines through
COMPARATIVE LAW the analysis of legal rules. It draws on
The need to compare and differentiate what the law is, not what the law is
phenomena ought to be.Focus on the
development of the judicial
interpretation
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
SOCIO-LEGAL Explores the manner in which legal doctrine and legal
Referred as the sociology of law or law education and the practices of legal institutions work to
develop radical alternatives and to explore and debate the
in action. It relates the law as a social role of law in the creation of social, economic and political
construct hence should be read in relations
Proposes to engage with philosophical terms i.e. security
relation with society, politics etc. and liberty
EMPIRICAL LEGAL RESEARCH

ONE-TO-ONE
STATISTICAL
INTERVIEWS OR
ANALYSIS
FOCUS GROUPS

QUESTIONNAIRE
SURVEYS
S
RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE
Qualitative design

• investigate behavior as it occurs naturally in

non-contrived situation,
• its data presented in verbal description;
• or emphasizes a phenomenological view in
which reality inheres in the perception of the
individuals;
• studies meaning and understanding and
takes place in naturally occurring situation.
 “Field study”
“case study”
“context”
“situational”
“constructivism”
“meaning”
“interpretation”
“multiple realities”
And the like.
Descriptive data are
gathered rather than
quantitative data.
Quantitative design
Statistical descriptions, relationships
and explanations about numerical
data to derive from a numerically
quantifiable data whose studies are
experiential in nature, emphasizing
measurement in search for
relationship.
 “variable,” “controls validity,”
“reliability,” ‘cogency,” “hypothesis,”
“statistically significant,” and the like
by utilizing inferential statistics to
correlation, chi-square, analysis of
variance, and the like are used to
test specifically the null hypothesis.
Research
Classification/Types
Classification are as follows:
•According to purpose;
•goal;
•the levels of investigation;
•types of analysis;
•scope;
•choice of answers to problems; and
•time element.
A. According to purpose
1. Predictive (prognostic):
determines the future operation
of the variable under
investigation with the aim of
controlling or redirecting such
for the better.
2. Directive:
determines what should be
done based on the findings. This
is to remedy an unsatisfactory
condition, if there is any.
3. Illuminative:
is concerned with the “interaction of the
components of the variables being
investigated, for example, “interaction of the
components of educational system and aims to
show the connection among, for example,
Party List representatives’ characteristics,
organization patterns and policies, and
legislative consequences.”
B. According to Goal
1. Basic (pure):
done for the development of
theories or principles
2. Applied:
tests suitability of the result of
pure research.
C. According to the
levels of investigation
1. Exploratory:
studies the variables
pertinent to a specific
situation
2 . Descriptive:
studies the relationships
of the variables
3.Experimental:
Studies effect of the variables on
each other using primarily the
research method (tools) of tests and
measurements.
D. According to type of
analysis
ANALYTIC
Attempts to identify and isolate
the components of the research
situation.
2.Synthetic/holistic
Begins with total situation,
focusing attention on the
system first and then on the
interrelatedness of its
thought-components.
Action research:
done on a very limited scope
to solve a particular problem
which is not so
comprehensive; descriptive in
style. It is almost problem
solving.
F. According to choice of answer to
problems
1. Evaluate: specifies and identifies all
possible courses of action and the
researcher tries to find the most
advantageous.
2. Developmental: finds or develop a
more suitable instrument or process
than what has been available.
G. According to time element
1. Historical: describes what was, i.e.,
past event were studied and related to
their cause and effort on present and
future events; data/information are
existing document.
2. Descriptive: describes what i.e., events
are recorded, described, and
interpreted:
A.COMMON
(1)Descriptive Normative Survey:
involves the classification and
enumeration of collated, empirical
data from opinions and/or
perceptions of sampling
population in view of some well-
established norms.
(2) CASE STUDY:
studies intensively a single case or a limited
number of typical, interconnected cases and thus,
contribute to the occurrence of certain events;
often uses quantitative measures but tends more
to take a qualitative perspective, concerned with
exploring, describing, and explaining a
phenomenon; a convergence of historical,
documentary, descriptive, experimental methods.
3.Correlational Study: designed to
analyze the relationship between
two or more variables, ordinarily
through the use of correlation
coefficients; may show a direct
relationship between two factors
but cannot prove causation.
4. Descriptive Evaluative Study: describes a
particular situation by way of reporting
frequencies, averages and percentages after
which an evaluative judgment in matters of
worth or merit is done. Evaluate may either be
formative or summative:

Formative: made a while a new program or

products is being developed;
Summative: when it has been completed
5. Casual-Comparative Study:
contrast similarities and differences
among phenomena to determine what
factors bear casually on one another;
sometimes these studies are called ex
post facto research since the cause are
usually studied after they have had an
effect upon another variable.
6. Action Research: usually carried
out by a research who deeply
involved in the processes of
identifying the problem, the
procedures to be utilized to solve
the problem and to document and
evaluate the actions taken and
finally solving the problem.
B. Special

- designed to suit the needs of

a particular discipline. To
mention some:
(1)Participatory:
involves people defining the
problem and solving it
according to how they
perceive it, and on the
resources available.
 Ethnographic:
(2)

a special type of case study

research; distinguish from other
types because it uses and methods
of anthropology to study intensively
a certain culture.
( 3) Context of Study:
indicates where and when the
study will be conducted and
whether access has been
assured.
 Research Methods/Instruments (specific techniques use to
collect data):

(5) ways of collecting data:

• by test and measurement;
• interviews;
• observations;
• surveys,
• and/or document ( archival examination or documentary method).

Indicate the specific instrument/gadget, if any, that will be used, e.g., tape recorder, videos, and the
like for interview; questionnaires for test and measurement; text for archival examination.
Data Analysis:

explains how one will

organize, reduce, analyze,
and display the
data/facts/concept one has
collected.
a. To advance ideas/theories/action
program (plans)
Body;
- To trace issues involved in the problem.
- To develop a past-to-present examination.
- To compare and analyze the details and sub-issues.
- To cite experts who have addressed the same problem.
C. To compare schools of
thoughts/ ideas/
theories/ individuals
After establishing A and B, briefly
compare them and present the
statement of the problem in the
introduction so as to choose one of
the following approaches:
- For comparison of two (2) person (individual or
corporate), schools of thought or position:
Examine A
Examine B
Compare/Contrast A and B;
Issue 1; Discuss A and B;
Issue 2; Discuss A and B;
Issue 3; Discuss A and B (or)
 Mechanics

• Indicates to research design: research perspective, types, context of study,

participants, methods/instrument/ data analysis.
- First, the over-all research type/approach to
be employed, i.e., the over-arching research
types that guides the flow of the argument
from Chapter II and Chapter III or Chapter IV
until the resolution of the problem statement
in the penultimate chapter of the whole
thesis.
-In this respect, two possible general
movements of arguments may be assumed:
The importance of

RESEARCH ETHICS
This refers to the principles of appropriate conduct that govern
research.
The Right of
Representation: Examining
The Successional Rights of
An adopted Child and its
Implications on Current
Philippine Setting