Content & Writing of Chapter 1

Chapter I
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Hypothesis
1.4 Scope and Limitations
1.5 Significance of Study
1.6 Definition of Terms
 Cont. Chapter 1

1.7 Related Literature

1.8 Synthesis
1.9 Theoretical Framework
1.10 Conceptual Framework
 CHAPTER 1
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Hypothesis
1.4 Scope and Limitations
1.5 Significance of Study
1.6 Definition of Terms
1.1 How to Write Background of Study
1st paragraph – should be a description of broad issues
related to your study.
- discuss broad societal trends, or national or
international phenomena that are related to
research problem.
- one way to help you writing this part is one that
give you broad overview of your research problem
such as secondary source, meta analysis, or
literature synthesis.
- another good source to find broad issues – the
introduction of empirical research articles.
April 1, 2021
2nd paragraph – narrow the discussion to focus on state,
regional or local issues related to your problem.
- make sure you have a smooth transition from the
first paragraph and a strong topic sentence.
- this adds to the justification and rationale for
your study.
- support your claims with citations from the
research, especially from state or regional reports
with statistical data.

April 1, 2021
 3rd paragraph – (with a smooth transition and topic
sentence) focus on the specific group or sub-
groups of individuals related to your research
problem.
- support your claims with citations from the
research studies and reference materials.
Last paragraph – focuses directly on your research
problem, it should be a natural flow from the
first three paragraphs.
- may indicate the gap that exists in the cited
studies that can be answered by your study.

April 1, 2021
 1.2 How to Write the Statement of the Problem

- 1st paragraph : check your title and use that as

your general problem. The sentence should be
in declarative form.
- 2nd paragraph: should state your specific
purpose and may start with a sentence, for
example: “Specifically, the study attempts to
answer the following sub-problems…”
- 3rd paragraph: enumerate the specific problems
– may consider the following items as part of
the specific SOPs…
Cont.

- If in the background, there is already information

about the subject of study (e.g., brief background
of the place, brief profile of the respondents,
background of the organizations or firms,
variables of the study, etc.) you may start your
specific questions on things you want to know .
- For example: status of effectiveness, status of
implementation , description of the current
situations, etc.
 Cont.

- If in the background, there is no information

about the subject of study you may start your
specific questions by asking the following:
- background of the place, profile of the
respondents, status of the organizations or firms,
variables of the study, etc.)
- The specific questions should be in interrogative
form.
1.3 How to Write the Hypothesis?
1.3.1 Role of hypothesis
• It guides the direction of the study
• It identifies facts that are relevant and those
that are not
• It suggests which form of research design is
likely to be most appropriate
• It provides a framework for organizing the
conclusions
1.3.2 How Is It Written

Null Hypothesis (Ho)

- expresses a no relationship or no difference
between two variables or an assertion that it
is hoped to be rejected.
Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)
- expresses that there is a relationship or a
difference between two variables or the
conjecture to be accepted.
1.3.3 What to Use?

• The AdU-CBA will use the null hypothesis

format since this is widely and commonly used
among thesis writers.
1.4 How to Write the Significance of the Study?

• Immediate or long-term benefit accruing to

the end user.
• Value of the investigation to various
individuals, groups or sectors.
• To write the SOS, write the sectors that will
benefit from your study but make sure to
specify and explain how it will help them.
• You can use the next slide to identify the
sector that will benefit from your study.
 1.4.1 Beneficiaries of a Research

ORGANIZATIONAL
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL OTHERS
LEVEL
• Researchers • Firms • Government
• Students • Industry • Communications
• Employees • Associations • Consumers
• Managers • School • Suppliers
• Entrepreneurs • Funding Agencies • Investors
1.5 How to Write the Scope and Limitations?

• The statement of research which requires a

detailed explanation of the study’s parameters
and limitations.
• To write the SAL, you must specify the extent of
your study in terms of scope and limitations.
• The next slide can be your reference what to
write under scope and limitations.
1.5.1 What to Write In the Scope?

• Physical scope of the study

• Subjects and independent variables
• Sources of data
• Methods
• Time
1.5.2 What to Write in the Limitations
• Theoretical limitations and weaknesses of the
study concepts
• Admit assumptions about the variables
• Premises underlying interpretations and
assumptions in assessing data
• Practical limitations such as number of
observations
1.6 How to Write Definition of Terms
• Based on the conceptual or observable
characteristic of what is being defined
• Terms must be defined in the context of the
proposed study.
• It is highly recommended, the thesis should
write terms that are operational rather than
conceptual.
Cont.

• The problem statement, the hypotheses and

scope and limitation may be the source of
such terms.
• To write the DOT, one must bear in mind
although you can define it based from the
study, however, it should still be within the
context of the concept being defined.
1.6.1 Operational Definition
• Operational definitions involves the
transformation of abstract meaning into
observable and measurable data levels or
components in the context of the present
investigation.
• For operational definitions, it can be the
writer’s own definition.
1.6.2 Conceptual Definition

• Conceptual definitions is that which uses

“hypothetical criteria” to identify something
rather than observable ones.
1.7 How to Write Literature Review?
• Use empirical research articles (i.e., data are
collected through quantitative, qualitative or
mixed methods – do not use position papers,
technical reports, literature synthesis, etc)
thus you need to retrieve articles from
research journals (preferably refereed
journals).
• Articles should not be more than 5 years
unless it is a Seminal Article (e.g., classic).

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1.7.1 Review of Related Literature

• A literature review is an account of what has

been published “related” to the topic of
interest.
• It involves a systematic identification,
location and analysis of documents
containing information related to the
research problem.

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1.7.2 Importance of Review of Related Literature

• Serves as a source of research problems

which can be gathered from existing studies.
• Ensures that important variables relevant to
the study are not overlooked.
• Find gaps in the literature. Learn about
opposing views.

24
Cont.

• Establishes the need /significance /

justification in conducting the present study.
• Provides a historical background /
perspective about the study.
• Serves as a basis for the development of the
theoretical / conceptual framework.

25
Cont.
• Avoids the unnecessary duplication of
selecting a research problem which has been
done before.
• Helps give more focus, direction and clarity to
the study.
• Learns about other people working in the
same field.
• Provides the intellectual context for the
project.
26
Cont.

• Identifies research methods that could be

relevant to the project.

27
Cont.
• Use mapping (e.g., concept, mind, subject
tree, content) or software program
applications (e.g., Inspiration, Mindnode Pro,
iThoughts) – this will allow you organize the
data collected into pattern from which
analysis can emerge.

• Parts of Writing the Literature– Introduction/

Body of the Review with Synthesis/ Summary

28
Cont.
• Refer to the SOP as your subsections –
assuming the following are taken from SOPs,
therefore subsections of Literature will be:
(a) Status (b) Relationship (c) Problems (d)
Models
• Another way of writing the parts of the
literature can be based on: (a) variables of
the study (b) methodology

29
Cont.
• Must have at least 5 journal articles per
problem
• Must synthesize the empirical research
article
• Make own interpretations about the
conclusions based on the actual results
• Form own criticisms of the study’s design,
methods, results and so on rather than
relying on the researcher’s comments.

30
1.8 How to Write Synthesis?
• After reviewing series of related literature, the
synthesis part provides a summary of
contrasting, similarities, differences of other
work to the study.
• It should be brief and concise with two or
three paragraphs stating the differences and
similarities of the previous studies to the
present study.
1.9 How Write a Theoretical Framework?
• This may source from the various literature
read.
• This should link to the variables stated in the
Statement of the Problem.
• It should establish how these studies may be
applied in the study.
• There is no limit as to the how many theories
may be applied for as long as it is clear how
they were directly applied in the study.
• Requires heavy citations of the cited theories.
Cont. How to Write Theoretical Feamework?

• collection of interrelated concepts

• not necessarily so well worked-out
• guides your research
• determine what things you will measure
• what statistical relationships you will look for
• often presented as a diagram and includes a
depiction of the variables to be examined
and their hypothesized relationships to
each other
1.10 How to Write Conceptual Framework?
• Offers the rationale and fundamental basis of
the entire research.
• Depicts the variables in the research and the
relationship among them.
• Can be described in diagram format.
• In literature, conceptual frameworks are also
referred to as Concept Maps, Conceptual
Models, Conceptual Contexts, and Research
Models
Cont. How to Write Conceptual Framework?
• This is a reflection of the author’s direction of
the study.
• It may be illustrated thru diagrammatic
presentation that will depict the directions in
the Statement of the Problem.
• Diagrammatic presentations in the form of
flow chart, structure
 References

Andrews, R., Borg, E., Davis, S.B., Domingo M., &

England J., (2012). The SAGE handbook on
digital dissertations and theses. Thousand
Oaks, CA:Sage.
Bui, Y.N., (2014). How to write a master’s thesis.
Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
Furseth, I. & Everett, E.L., (2013). Doing your
master’s dissertation. Thousand Oaks,
CA:Sage.
Scwarts, B.M., Landrum, R.E. & Gurung, R.A.R.,
(2014). An easy guide to APA style. Thousand
Oaks, CA:Sage.