IDENTIFYING THE INQUIRY AND STATING Main Elements:

THE PROBLEM 1. The objective

CHAPTER ONE 2. Research questions

RESEARCH TOPIC Objective/Purpose of the Study

- an intellectual stimulus calling for an - This is a statement of long-term
answer in the form of scientific inquiry objective expected to be achieved by
- It may come from your personal interest, the study.
training, expertise or your strand. - It is prefixed by introductory phrases
such as “The study aims to…”
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD Research Questions
RESEARCH TITLE - These are specific questions which are
1. A title should give readers information about to be answered by the study.
the contents of the research and is preferable - The answers to the questions should
to one that is vague or general. lead to the solution of the research
2. Choose a title that is a phrase rather than a problem.
complete sentence
3. Select a straightforward title over other SOP answers the following questions:
kinds. 1. What are the reasons for these
4. Use no punctuation marks at the end of a circumstances?
title. 2. Is it possible or answerable to be solved
5. Do not underline the title of research or or changed?
enclose it in a quotation mark, instead, use a 3. What are the specific problems that the
word processing program or printer that study aims to answer?
permits italic.
Scope
EXAMPLES: - describes the coverage of the study. It
1. Assessment of School-Based Disaster specifies what is covered in terms of concept,
Preparedness of Educators in Lipa City number of objects or population included in the
2. Preparedness of Barangay Health study, as well as timeline when the study was
Workers During Typhoon in Mabini, conducted
Batangas
Delimitation
RESEARCH PROBLEM - Cites factors or variables that are not to
- typically a topic, phenomenon, or a be included and the boundary in terms
challenge that is the focus for engaging of the time frame, number of subjects,
in research participants or respondents who are
- It is the basic issue or area of concern, excluded.
the situation which exists and then how
it ought to be. Scope and Delimitation
- It should be defined precisely and the • What – the topic of investigation and
summary questions shall be answered variables included
by the proposed research. • Where – the venue or the setting of the
research
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM • When – the time frame by which the
- It tells what is done to make the study was conducted
situation existing more like what it • Why – the general objectives of the
should be. research
- The researchers should give the • Who – the subject of the study, the
background which led to this population and sampling
circumstances to exist. • How – the methodology of the research
Significance of the Study literatures to be reviewed should have
- The researchers define who will benefit been written in the last 10 years and
out of the findings of the study. should be of course relevant to the
- They describes how the problem will be current study
solved and specifically pinpoints who
will benefit from such findings or results. Purposes of RRL
- They may state the specific sectors who 1. To provide an overview of what is
will benefit from the study known about the topic
2. To assess the strength of the evidence
Tips in Writing the Significance on the topic
1. Refer to the SOP – it can guide you in 3. To find connections of your research to
identifying the specific contribution of the current conditions
your study 4. To discover the relation of your research
2. Write from general to specific – consider with previous studies
the general contribution of your study, 5. To obtain information on the accuracy or
such as importance to society then to relevance of your research
individuals 6. To familiarize yourself with technical
terms related to your research
Background of the Study 7. To distinguish the areas in need of
- Includes information which would focus further research
attention on the importance and validity
of the problem Sources of RRL may be through articles
- It is the general orientation to the published in scholarly journals, laws, and
problem area constitution book and other general references
materials. It may also include grey literature,
The Background includes: such as working paper, conference
1. Discussion of the problem in general proceedings and reports from seminars,
and the specific situations as observed manuscripts, monographs and memoir official
and experienced by the researcher report from the government as well as the
2. Concept and the ideas related to the records of schools. To locate related literature,
problem including clarification of common sources and libraries, government
important terminologies office, electric journals, schools, private
3. Discussion of the existing or present institutions and corporations and international
conditions and what is aimed to be the institutions
future or the gap to be filled-in by the
research Citing Related Literature using standard
4. What facets of the problem are known styles
and what need further investigation?
5. What approaches have been used Citation
previously in research of the problem? - Researchers refer to another author’s
work in his paper. He must cite his
source by providing the last name of the
author and the year of publication. It is
CHAPTER II necessary to use when the researchers
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (RRL) (1) paraphrases statement of another
researchers; (2) summarizes the ideas
Review of Related Literature of another researcher; (3) quoting what
- Examining and studying again concepts was written by another researcher; and
or ideas related to the topic of your (4) makes reference to the ideas or
research. Doing research review do not theories of another researcher
necessarily agree with one another; they
may even contradict each other
Different Styles in Citing Literature
1. APA (American Psychological
Association)
2. MLA (Modern Language Association)
3. Harvard Style
4. Vancouver Style
5. Chicago and Turabian Style

The most commonly used citation styles are

the APA and MLA styles. Below is a
comparison of the two citation style.

Example of MLA Referencing Style

(Andal 287)
(Andal, Along, Abilla 90-150)
(Barbon et.al. 134-150)
(Garcia: 7: 66-70)

Examples of APA Referencing Style

(De Castro, 2013)
(Bidgi & Lucifora, 2008)
(Uy et.al., 2015)

Ethical Standards in Literature Review

Ethics – norms of conduct that delineates the

boundary between acceptable and
unacceptable behaviour

Republic Act. No. 8293 – Intellect Property

Code of the Philippines

Plagiarism – copying another’s work or

borrowing someone else’s original ideas
- Turning some else’s work as yours own
- Copying words or ideas from someone
else’s work without giving credits
- Failing to put a quotation in quotation
marks
- Giving incorrect information about the
sources of quotation
- Changing words but copying the
sentence structure of a source without
giving credits

To plagiarize – to steal and pass of ideas or

words as one’s own
- To use another’s production without
crediting the source
- To commit the literary theft
- To present a new and original idea or
product derived from an existing source