Chapter 3 and 4

RESEARCH PLANNING AND

DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Identifying/selecting a topic
•Criteria for selecting a Research problem
•The main criteria in most of the research undertakings are:
– Personal factors
– Interest
– Research capabilities
– Economic capability
– Size
– External factors
– Uniqueness
– Importance or value of the problem
– Critical mass: data and materials should be accessible to you.
– Department or unit where the research is conducted
 The process of selection criteria
Step1. Criteria for selecting a research topic
– Relevance
– Avoidance of duplication
– Feasibility: Resources available
– Political acceptability: interest and support of the
authorities.
– Applicability
– Urgency
– Ethical acceptability
 The process of selection criteria
Step2. Scales for rating research topics
 example1:
Problem situation:
In district “ Y “ a report showed that in the first month there were 500 children
under one year old who started immunization, but at the end of the year it was found
out that there were only 25 children who completed their vaccination.

Discrepancy:
All the 500 children at district “Y “should have completed their vaccination but only
5% out of those who started vaccination have completed.

Problem (research) question:

why only 5% of the children completed their vaccination?

Definite answer:
Out of the 1 hospital, 2 health centers and 10 health stations found in district “Y” only
2 health stations were functioning, the rest were closed due to insecurity in the area.
In the above example, assuming that all the given facts are true, there is no need of
undertaking a research, since definite answer is obtained to the problem situation. .
 Example 2
Problem situation:
In district “Z” (population 150,000) there are 2 health centers, 1 hospital and 15 health stations
and all of them function smoothly. However, at the end of the year it was found that the EPI
coverage was only 25%.

Discrepancy:
Although district “Z” had 100% availability of health services and at least 80% of the children
should have had full vaccinations the EPI coverage was only 25% as seen above.

Problem question:
What factors influence the low EPI coverage in district “Z”?

Possible answers:
• Mothers might have problems for not attending in the EPI sessions.
• The MCH, EPI, OPD, CDD, etc… programmes might not have been integrated; hence
children might have missed opportunities in getting immunization.
• The follow up of defaulting children might not be effective and other reasons.
Thus, the above problem situation is researchable.
Excel analysis: frequency distribution and mean
Sources of a research topic
• The three major sources of research topics are :
– Conceptual / theoretical / theories/
ideas,
– personal experiences, and
– replications( doing again)
Tips on: characteristics of a good research
topic
• The topic is interesting. It will hold the researcher’s
interest in the research process.
• The topic is researchable. It can be investigated through
the collection and analysis of data and it is not started as
a topic seeking to determine what should be done.
• The topic is significant. It contributes in some way to
the improvement or understanding of education theory
or practice.
• The topic is manageable. It fits the researchers’ level or
research skill, needed resources, and time restrictions.
 Template of research part one
1. Introduction
1.1. Background of the Study
1.2. Statement of the Problem
1.3. Research Questions
1.4. Significance of the Study
1.5. Objective of the study
1.5.1. The general objective
1.5.2. Specific Objectives
1.6. Scope of the Study
1.7. Limitation of the study
1.8. Organization of the study
– Introduction /Background and Justification :
• The evidence and relevance from the literature and
published or archival data showing the problem exists.
Include at least two references. You should also have a
theoretical basis for the study.
– A research problem is an educational issue or problem
in the study.
– A research topic is the broad subject matter being
addressed in a study.
– research problem statement
– A purpose is the major intent or objective of the study.
– Research questions are those that the researcher
would like answered or addressed in the study.
3.2 .1. Introduction of research
• Begin by introducing your research topic and giving
any necessary background information.( it set up
the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as
well as expectations for your reader. )
• How the problem differs from other parts of
research
• It’s important to contextualize your research and
generate interest.
• You may want to mention a relevant news item,
academic debate, or practical problem.
 Topic and context
• Example topic
– Attitudes of young people toward climate change.
• Example context
– Share a recent news story about a children’s
climate strike, or the increasing importance of
youth engagement in climate politics.
 3.2.The Research Problem
• A research problem is the reason the research is being
undertaken,
• In general it refers to some difficulty which a researcher
experiences in the context of either a theoretical or practical
situation and wants to obtain a solution for the same.
• In the social sciences, the research problem establishes the
means by which you must answer the "So What?" question.
• It is very specific problem at which the objectives of the
research are directed.
• It must be understood that all problems are not
researchable.
Types of research problems
1. Theoretical research problems
– You might look for:
• A phenomenon or context that has not been closely studied
• A contradiction between two or more perspectives
• A situation or relationship that is not well understood
• A troubling question that has yet to be resolved
2. Practical research problems / Applied research
problems /
– You might look for:
• Issues with performance or efficiency
• Processes that could be improved
• Areas of concern among practitioners
• Difficulties faced by specific groups of people
1. All type of researches can be research problems
• Examples of practical research problems
– The HR department of a local chain of restaurants has a high
staff turnover rate.
– Voter attendance in New England has been decreasing, in
contrast to the rest of the country.
– A non-profit organization faces a funding gap that means some
of its programs will have to be cut.
• Examples of theoretical research problems
– The effects of long-term Vitamin D deficiency on cardiovascular
/ heart circulatory/ health are not well understood.
– Historians of Scottish nationalism disagree about the role of
the British Empire in the development of Scotland’s national
identity.
– The relationship between gender, race, and income inequality
has yet to be closely studied in the context of the millennial
gig economy
 Formulate a research problem

1. Identify a general area of interest

 Aspects fill gaps (type of researches / research
problems)
2. Learn more about the problem
 Context and background
 Specificity and relevance
3. Review the context of the information
4. Determine relationships between variables
5. Select and include important variables
6. Receive feedback and revise
 Features of researchable problem

• A researchable problem is not answerable by a yes

or no. Generally, yes or no- questions are merely
superficial. Research goes beyond and it uses an in-
depth inquiry.
• A researchable problem implies relationship. It is
interested not only in observable phenomena in isolation
but in reasons for, causes of, differences that distinguish
one situation from another.
 Conti…….
• The problem is stated in clear, unambiguous
manner.
problem should be stated clearly, so that anyone who read
it will understand and react to it the way you want to be.
• A researchable problem must imply interpretation of
data.
Research seeks facts, and synthesizes the meaning of the
facts leading to credible and rational conclusions.
Statement of the Problem
• A statement of problem refers to the critical issue
that your research seeks to address.
• In other words, it captures the existing knowledge
gap that your study aims to bridge using reliable
results or outcomes.
• A problem statement can be as little as a few
sentences or go all the way to several paragraphs—
what matters is it communicates the central focus of
your study.
Research Questions
• A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to
find out in your work. A good research question is
essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or
thesis.
• All research questions should be:
– Focused on a single problem or issue
– Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
– Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical
constraints
– Specific enough to answer thoroughly
– Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a
paper or thesis
– Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
Research question can depend on method
Type of research Example question

Qualitative What are the experiences of the parents of

research question
children with Down syndrome enrolled in public
preschools in the city?
What are the perceptions of night-shift oncology
nurses at the local hospital?

Quantitative What is the demographic makeup of South Korea

research question
in 2020 compared to 2010?
How has the average sea level changed on the
Norwegian coast over the 25 years?
 Research Sub problems/Questions

• Within researchable problems lie some sub problems

or specific questions.
• The answer to these sub problems sometimes
referred to as research questions
• These questions will lead to the resolution of main
researchable problem.
Research problem: which of the following factors predict the employability of
technician education graduates in terms of length of time waiting to get the first job
and relevance of the job to technician program pursued?
• TVET graduate related factors/profile
– Age, civil status and skills (communication, human, technical, and conceptual)
– Grade point average upon graduation from TVET institution
– Intelligence quotient
– Type of technician education program attended
• TVET Institution-related factors
– Adequacy of instructional materials
– Effectiveness of the on- job training (OJT) program
– Faculty competence
– Adequacy of curriculum
Research Sub problems/Questions:
• What is the profile of technician graduate respondents?
• How do the respondents perceive the TVET institution in terms of its instructional
facilities, effectiveness of OJT programs, faculty competence, and adequacy of
technician curriculum?
• What is the mean length of waiting time of the graduates to land their first job?
• Do the following factors significantly predict the employability of technician
 Hypothesis question or test
• A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific
research. If you want to test a relationship between two or
more variables, you need to write hypotheses before you
start your experiment or data collection.
• hypotheses always discusses variables, or the elements
that you’re testing. Variables can be objects, events,
• A hypothesis is a prediction about the relationship
between two or more variables
• Independent variables are the ones that you change for
your experiment
• Dependent variables are the ones that you can only
observe.
 Types of Hypotheses
• Simple hypothesis: This type of hypothesis suggests that there
is a relationship between one independent variable and one
dependent variable.
• Complex hypothesis: This type of hypothesis suggests a
relationship between three or more variables, such as two
independent variables and a dependent variable.
• Null hypothesis(NH): This hypothesis suggests no relationship
exists between two or more variables.
• Alternative hypothesis(AH): This hypothesis states the opposite
of the null hypothesis. It opposites of the null hypothesis
• Statistical hypothesis: This hypothesis uses statistical analysis to
evaluate a representative sample of the population and then
generalizes the findings to the larger group.
• Logical hypothesis: This hypothesis assumes a relationship
between variables without collecting data or evidence.
Directional Hypothesis:
• A hypothesis that is built upon a certain directional
relationship between two variables and constructed upon an
already existing theory, is called a directional hypothesis. To
understand more about what is directional hypothesis here is
an example, Girls perform better than boys (‘better than’
shows the direction predicted)
Non-directional Hypothesis:
• It involves an open-ended non-directional hypothesis that
predicts that the independent variable will influence the
dependent variable; however, the nature or direction of a
relationship between two subject variables is not defined or
clear.
• For Example, there will be a difference in the performance of
girls & boys (Not defining what kind of difference)
 Inductive vs deductive hypothesis
• A deductive approach is concerned with
“developing a hypothesis (or hypotheses) based
on existing theory, and then designing a research
strategy to test the hypothesis”[1] It has been
stated that “deductive means reasoning from the
particular to the general.
• In inductive reasoning, we begin with specific
observations and measures, begin to detect
patterns and regularities, formulate some tentative
hypotheses that we can explore, and finally end up
developing some general conclusions or theories.
Simple hypotheses
• "Students who eat breakfast will perform better
on a math exam than students who do not eat
breakfast.
• Turning off your phone makes it charge faster.
Null hypothesis (abbreviated as H0 )
• "There will be no difference in scores on a
memory recall task between children and
adults.“
• There is no difference in plant growth when using
either bottled water or tap water.
An alternative hypothesis( abbreviated as H1 or
HA)
There is relation:
• "Adults will perform better on a memory task
than children."
• “Plants grow better with bottled water than tap
water”.
Statistical hypothesis
• Approximately 2% of the world population has
natural red hair.
• In humans, the birth-gender ratio of males to
females is 1.05 to 1.00.
 Objective of Research
• General Objective
– To develop x web base system
• Specific Objective
– Collect data
– Analyze the existing system
– Propose new system
– Design new system
– Develop and implement
– Test
– Maintain and review system
 General objective of Research
• The research objectives are formulated in
positive forms, which are derived from the
major and basic questions already established
by you before. It should be closely related to
the statement of the problem or title

Formulating
research aims
and objectives:
 Specific objectives
Specific objectives are detailed objectives that
describe what will be researched during the
study, whereas the general objective is a much
broader statement about what the study aims to
achieve overall.
• To Achieve the general objective
 Example

Problem:
A research study designed to assess the accessibility and
acceptability of the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT)
Services for HIV infection in kebele X had the following general
and specific objectives:
• General objective: To identify factors that affects the
acceptability of VCT services and to assess community attitudes
towards comprehensive care and support for people living with
HIV/AIDS.
• Specific objectives:
– To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the community
towards HIV/AIDS and VCT services.
– To identify barriers and concerns related to VCT and its uptake.
– To assess the awareness and perception of the study community
regarding comprehensive care and support for people living with
 Significance of the study
• This section is concerned with addressing the
contribution of your research either towards the
world of knowledge or solving certain problems.
• It uses to build knowledge and facilitate
efficient learning,
• to understand various issues,
• to know the truth and prove lies, and
• to seek opportunities, among others.
• It somehow answers your question.