CHAPTER 3: IDENTIFYING THE

INQUIRY AND STATING THE

PROBLEM

A research begins with an

inquiry in mind, by identifying what
needs to be researched on is far more
difficult than finding the answers to
their queries. Thus, it is important for
the researcher to learn to identify the
missing and conflicting links in the
literature review and write down what
needs to be studied about them.
Carlo needs to work on a research project requirement. How
does he find a research problem? He can start by posing these
questions in his mind and writing down some possible answers.
 What specific problems and issues around me do I need to
address?
 Why is it important to address the problem?
 Who will benefit if the problem will be solved?
 What can be the appropriate solution to the identical
problem
 How will my study add up to what is already known about
the problem?

2
 LESSON 1 This lesson discusses ways by
RESEARCH TOPIC AREA which to identify good topic areas for
research, narrowing down or focusing on a
IDENTIFICATION particular problem to address, and writing
a tentative title for research.
OBJECTIVES: IDENTIFYING THE TOPIC AREA FOR
RESEARCH
 IDENTIFY A GOOD TOPIC Research begins with an Inquiry
( a question, a problem, or an issue) which
AREA FOR RESEARCH leads further to a discovery ( an answer, a
solution or a clarification). In arriving at a
 IDENTIFY THE RESEARCH discovery, the person must be guided by
the strands in the discipline( theories,
FOCUS ORPROBLEM concepts, principles, models) so that the
research will be valid, scientifically done
FROM THE IDENTIFIED
and acceptable in the field.
TOPIC AREA.

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 Finding a topic to research is quiet difficult for students. Although there are no
particular rules in identifying a research topic for research, certain suggestions can help.

1. Researchers’ observations, interest, and experiences

You have to select something that you are interested in, since you are going to
commit yourself to a significant investment of time and energy. Thus, if you are not
personally interested, it will be difficult to sustain the effort needed to complete the research
with any measure of quality or validity. Research topics may come out of your own
experience like improving your math computations skills, your reading difficulties or the
growth of plants that you cultivate in your homes. Specifically, if the researcher is concerned
about the students’ academic performance, then he can work on the possible effects of the
students’ study habits and the unlimited internet surfing provided y the telecom companies
to the students, general weighted average. ( GWA)
We may also find interesting ideas that may address something that has soil
significance such as how to prolong the life of endangered species, how to convert some
waste materials into something useful. One may research on alternative sources of
electrical power for rural areas or the effect of garbage segregation to the beautification of
schools or to the health conditions of the students.
2. Deductions from theories
The close connection between theory and research cannot be denied. The
main purposes of research are for theory testing and theory generation. There is an
interactive relationship between theory and research, in the sense that it is theory
which dictates what data is to be collected while the research findings provide
challenge to accepted theory. This indicates that research is considered as a vehicle
for theory development and validation. On the one hand, when the purpose of
research is for theory generation, the intended topic suggests the data to look for.
For example, one may want to know if consumption increases as income increases.
So the students will have to gather data which includes their respondents’
income level and expenditures for a certain period of time. On the other hand,
when the purpose is for theory testing, the theory dictates the data to be collected.
If you want to verify the quantity- supply theory, then the researcher will have to
gather data pertaining to the price and production of some companies for a certain
period of time.

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3. RELATED LITEARTURE
The things that you have read from empirical researches related to your chosen topic
can be a good source of research problems. These researchers may be done again or
replicated, with some changes either in the subjects of the study, the measures, procedures and
interventions. The process of replicating makes us confirm the findings of earlier studies, extend
the validity of the research findings to a different locus or group of participants using different
methods of measurements, determine trends or changes over time and develop more effective
or efficient interventions ( McMillan &Schumacher,2010).

4. Clarification of Contradictory findings

Contradictory or conflicting results across previous researchers can be easily
identified through the tabular reconnaissance develop during the review of related literature.
These situations can be a good source of research problems. New studies can be designed to
resolve the discrepancies in order to explain the reasons behind these contradictions( McMillan
&Schumacher,2010). For ex., some previous studies found that admission tests positively predict
students’ academic performance, while others found that admission tests do not actually predict
students’ academic performance. Because of these conflicting results from previous studies, the
results were not that conclusive. Thus this can be a good source of a research problem.
 5. Identifying Research Focus
There is a need to clarify or narrow down the identified topic area. A
topic area such as “ Students cant read,” is not clear because many aspects
of reading, including discrete reading skills and strategies, may contribute to
reading difficulties. Alternatively, “ Students cannot find the main ideas in
reading passages,” is much clearer and potentially much easier to measure
and address, since one can define the main idea and determine student
performance related to this behavior in a number of ways.
So whether in the classroom, at home, the physician’s office, or the
mechanic’s shop, defining or diagnosing a problem is key to designing and
implementing effective interventions to address it. Without adequately defining
the problem or the focus of the study, researchers may find themselves going
off on a “goose chase” to tackle a vague phenomenon, trying to deal with
symptoms rather than root causes, and wasting time, becoming frustrated, or

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 even making the actual problem worse.
The use of standardize test scores for entrance examinations of college
students can be example of a research topic. While this may be a good topic, it
is not well defined; it needs to be narrowed by thinking about the kind of
information that the researcher wants to find out whether you are interested in
the kinds of tests that are used, the avenge, as an example, a topic has to be
specific enough to be clearly defined and yield helpful results from a later
literature search.
Your chosen research focus must have your interest sustained and your
imagination stimulated yet it must be relevant enough for it to merit the
investigation. Consider knowledge and experience in the identified topic area.
Required data can be made available to the researcher and the entire research
agenda is manageable in size. Expected results must have potential to
contribute to existing literature in terms of theories, practices and policies.

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 Clarifying the problem focus may be done by identifying
the areas (specific problems) affected by it. Given the
following news item , identify the problem focus that are
affected by the trend and the issue relative to the problem
focus that needs to be resolved.
NOTE : SEE THE GIVEN EXAMPLE BELOW

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 Identified topic and focus of the study from a news item on
mathematics teaching.

IDENTIFIED TOPIC OR TREND IDENTIFIED FOCUS OF THE STUDY

AFFECTED AREAS BY THE TREND)

Teaching strategies
Singaporean way of teaching Mathematics achievement level
mathematics

Math Anxiety

Study habits

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 TASK 1: From the given news item below, identify the trends,
focus and issues that can serve as the basis of research
problems.

Identified Topic or Trend: _________________________

Identified Focus of the Study ( Affected areas by the trend)
a. __________________
b. __________________
c. ___________________
d. ___________________
e. ___________________
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 TRASH HAULING ROBOTS ARE COOL, BUT DO WE REALLY NEED THEM
By Evan Ackerman, 22 Sept. 2015
Volvo Group is partnering with Chalmers University of Technology and Malardalen
University in Sweden, Penn State University, and Renova (a Swedish waste recycling
company) to “develop a robot that interacts with the refuse truck and its driver to
accomplish the work.” The concept image above shows some mobile manipulators capable
of lifting heavy loads and dynamically navigating (and balancing) in an unstructured
environment.
If Volvo can pull this off, it would be pretty amazing. But at this point, we’ve got two
question: is it something we need, and is it realistic?
Here are the details:
“ The project is called ROAR, for Robot-based Autonomous Refuse handling, and the goal is
to introduce a robot that, with the help of instructions from a truck’s operating system, can
collect refuse bins in a neighborhood, bring them to a refuse truck and empty them. All of
this occurs under the supervision of the refuse truck’s driver, who can thereby avoid heavy
lifting.”
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 THANK
YOU and
God bless
you all

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