Identifying the Inquiry

and Stating the

Problem
PRACTICAL RESEARCH-I
- RESEARCH APPROACHES: Qualitative, Quantitative,
Mixed Methods (Creswell, 2003).

- SELECTION CRITERIA: Research problem nature,

project purpose, resource availability (time,
financial), issue sensitivity, discipline, researcher's
experience and interests (Grover, 2015).

- TOPIC DEVELOPMENT: Important skill for Senior High

Students; choose topics of personal interest for
qualitative research.
- GUIDANCE: Provided guidelines
for topic selection to avoid
distractions and focus on the
subject (Barbour, 2014).

- INFORMATION SOURCES: Guidance

on where to find reliable sources for
research (Barbour, 2014).
How to start a research study? You can start
your study by considering the following
(Barbour, R. 2014):

1.The most important element

that defines the research
problem.

2. It is usually read first and the

3. It contains the least words
enough to describe the contents
and the purpose of your research
paper.

4. It can be revised any and

many times as the research
develops and reach its final
phase. It becomes final on its
Note: The research title does not need to be
entertaining but informative.

Research Problem: The need to have a safer,

comfortable, and healthful walk or transfer of
students from place to place in the School
Campus (Name of your school)
Research Topic: The construction of a covered
Pathway in the School Campus
(Name of your school)
General Question: What kind of covered path
should the School Campus
construct? (Name of your school)
Specific Questions:
1. What materials are needed for the
construction of the covered pathway
in the School Campus? (Name of your
school)
2. What roofing material is appropriate for
the covered path?
3. In what way can the covered pathway
link all buildings in the campus?
4. What is the width and height of the
covered path?
5. How can the covered path realize
green architecture?
A part of a research title has the
following information:

1.The subject matter or topic to be investigated.

(“What?”)
2. The place or locale where the research is to be
conducted. (“Where?”)
3.The population like the respondents’
interviewees. (“Who”?)
4. The time period of the study during which the
data are to be collected. (“When”?)
Rules in Choosing a Research Topic

1. Interest in the subject

matter. An interest in a
subject drives you to research,
investigate, or inquire about it
with full motivation,
enthusiasm, and energy.
2. Availability of information. Information will
serve as evidence to support your claims about your
subject matter from varied forms of literature like
books, journals, and newspapers, among others, is a
part and parcel of any research work. What to include
in the investigation of the available materials?

A. Update and authority of the materials.

B. Copyright dates of the materials? Are they new or
old?
C. Expert or qualification of the writers of reading
materials about your topic
3. Timeliness and relevance of
the topic

A. How relevant is the chosen topic?

The topic should be related to the
present. (Except for pure or historical
4. Limitations on the subject.
research)
Connect your choice with course
requirements. You need to decide on
one topic to finish your course.
5. Personal resources. Do an assessment
on your research abilities in terms of your
financial standing, health condition, mental
capacity, needed facilities, and time
schedule to enable you to complete your
research. You have to raise an amount of
money needed to spend on questionnaire
printing and interview trips.
Research Topics to be avoided in
developing your study
1.Any controversial topics because it
depends more on the writer’s opinion
leading to biases. Facts cannot support
this topic.
2. Highly technical subjects are not
advisable for beginners as these topics
require an advanced study, technical
knowledge, and skills.
3. Hard-to-investigate subjects that
4. Too broad subjects that prevent
you from to focus on the subject
matter of the paper. Narrow down or
limit the subject to eliminate the
problem.

5. Too narrow subjects that are so

limited where an extensive searching
is necessary.

6. Vague subjects. The subject/focus

 Sources of Research Topics

1.Mass media communication – press

(newspapers, ads, TV, radio, films, etc.

2. Books, Internet, peer-reviewed journals,

government publications

3. Professional periodicals like College

English Language Teaching Forum, English
Forum, the Economist, Academia, Business
Circle, Law Review, etc.
4. General periodicals such as
Readers’ Digest, Women’s Magazine,
Panorama Magazine, Time Magazine,
World Mission Magazine, etc.

5. Previous reading assignments in

your other subjects, work experience –
clues to a researchable topic from full-
time or part-time jobs, experience,
fieldwork, etc.
Scope and Delimitation of the
Study

Cristobal, & Cristobal, (2016)

have mounted together the
following few
pointers in writing Scope and
Delimitation of the Study.
 What is the scope of a
study?
It is the coverage of the research to be explored
which includes the facts and theories about the
subject.

Example:
A study on the influence of social
networking on the attitude of senior high school
learners.
It is not possible to cover all aspects of the
selected subject. The scope will have to be
restricted to a specific section of the target
population over a specified duration.
What is the Delimitation of a Study?

Delimitation limits the scope and outlines the

boundaries of the study. These limitations include
the following:

1.Sample size.
A. The research design and method will
determine whether if it is small or large sample
size.
B. The sample size will determine the quality
of data and the relationships that will be
identified among the variables.
2. Lack of available and/or reliable data.
This will limit the scope of analysis and the
ability of the researcher to determine
meaningful trends and relationships among
the data.

3. Lack of prior studies. This will limit the

effectiveness of the literature review and
initial understanding of the research.
4. Chosen data collection method. The
quality of data collected must be clear to
avoid erroneous answers from the
respondents.

5. Nature of the information

collected. Researcher should not rely on
preexisting data.

6. Access. The amount and quality of

available data will depend on the ability of
7.Time period. It is advisable to select a
research problem and design

8. Bias. The researcher must focus only to

the problem, should be neutral and avoid
his or her personal biases.

9. Language. This may have an effect on

data collection, especially if the researcher
is involved with respondents that speak a
variety of languages.
Presenting Written Statement of the
Problem
The following sections compose the presentation
of the written statement of the problem (Barbour,
R. 2014):

1. Introduction. States briefly the

background of the study and identifies the
rationale of the research problem. It begins
with a general statement of the problem,
outlines the specific problem or issue within
the existing literature.
2. Statement of the problem. It states
clearly the purposes or interest of the study,
3. Scope and Delimitation. Sets
the boundaries and parameters of
the study, narrows the scope of the
inquiry.
4. Significance of the Study. It
shows the benefits of the study to
address issues and problems, in
improving economic and health
conditions or even finding
solutions to problems encountered