Name: ________________________________________________

Practical Research 1 Module

1.2-1.3

Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the

Problem
Objectives:
• Designs research used in daily life
• Writes a research title
• Describes background of research
• States research questions
• Indicates scope and delimitation of the study
• Cites benefits and beneficiaries of study
• Presents written statement of the problem

INTRODUCTION

Starting out a research project can be one difficult task, as it involves a rigorous selection of
materials relevant to the study. To ensure the success of your research project, you must carefully select
a topic in an area of your interest, or choose one that you are familiar with and you think is worth doing
research on.

START UP!
In the space below, list down at least three (3) research ideas that sparks your interest.

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 DISCUSSION
Identifying a Potential Research Topic
Identifying a topic for your research is one of the most difficult tasks in the research process. It
involves a lot of reading, understanding, and thinking. It needs a set of skills and is quite a time-consuming
process. However, once you are clear about your interests and goal, the process becomes interesting and
involving. Your research topic needs to be focused and narrow, yet broad enough to get information and
work on specific factors.

Your first step is to identify your research area and list down topics that interest you within your
subject area / specialization. It needs to be the kind of topics that you are passionate about and yearn for
in-depth knowledge. For example, topics for what you need more information or would like to look at
from different perspectives. Alternatively, topics
that you like to probe for sharing with others or for
simply adding to a body of existing knowledge. A research topic may stem from an idea,
More importantly, it needs to be researchable problem, or issue that evokes your personal
topics. However, be careful in choosing research curiosity or interest or may be a real problem or
topics that are feasible, and within your scope of issue that you are assigned to investigate in
knowledge and abilities. Another important factor order to come up with potential solutions.
in identifying a research topic is to consider how
significant and useful it will be to other
academicians, professionals, and leaners.

Once you have broadly listed down the topics based on your interest, make a thorough analysis of
the topics in terms of availability of literature, trends, unexplored areas, need for the study, and your
approach to the topic, outcome of the study and so on. Moreover, avoid topics that are common, popular,
outdated, local, irrelevant to your geographical location, culturally offensive, unrealistic or very recent.
Once you have identified few topics, write down the keywords and concepts to develop from a research
point of view.

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Writing a Research Title
The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. A good title contains the fewest
possible words needed to adequately describe the content and/or purpose of your research paper.
The title is the part of a paper that is read the most, and it is usually read first. It is, therefore,
the most important element that defines the research study.
According to rhetoric scholars Hairston & Keene, a good title accomplishes 4 goals:
1. A good title predicts the content of the research paper.
2. A good title should be interesting to the reader.
3. It should reflect the tone of the writing.
4. It should contain important keywords that will make it easier to be located during a keyword
search.

Tips to keep in mind while writing a title:

1. Keep it simple, brief and attractive: The primary function of a title is to provide a precise summary
of the paper’s content, so keep the title brief and clear. Avoid unnecessary words and jargons. You want
a title that will be comprehensible even to people who are not experts on your field. Moreover, a good
title for a research paper is typically around 10 to 12 words long. A lengthy title may seem unfocused and
take the readers’ attention away from an important point.

Avoid: Drug XYZ has an effect of muscular contraction for an hour in snails of Achatina fulcia species
Better: Drug XYZ induces muscular contraction in Achatina fulcia snails

2. Use appropriate descriptive words: A good research paper title should contain key words used in the
manuscript and should define the nature of the study. Think about terms people would use to search for
your study and include them in your title.
Avoid: Effects of drug A on schizophrenia patients: study of a multicenter mixed group
Better: Psychosocial effects of drug A on schizophrenia patients: a multicenter randomized controlled
trial

Background of the Study

The introduction section or chapter of a research study typically begins with the background of the
study. The primary purpose of the background is to provide the reader with the context and explain the
circumstances that led to the study. It can discuss briefly the specific problem or situation, conflict of
ideas, gaps in knowledge, literature, or theories, that caught your attention as a researcher and compelled
you to select your particular research topic. It answers the question, “Why are you studying this particular
research topic?”
Because it is found at the very beginning of a research study, the background of the study should
be concise, clearly written, and persuasive. This means that it should be short, clear, and convincing
enough to make the reader continue reading the rest of the study. Their primary intention is to provide an
overview of the study and not to drown the reader in details. You have plenty of opportunity to discuss
details in the other sections of the study.

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Research Questions
Research questions may be derived from the following:
• Experiences and observations
• Vast amount of literature in their own field or discussed in journals, books, magazines or thesis
and dissertation abstract.
• Observable problems in school or in the workplace.
• Exposure to field situations
• Offshoots of others researches
• Suggestions from friends or administrators
• Consultation with experts

Select a
Narrow down
specific
Identify a the research Break down
research
broad topic problem and the main
problem you
area that you capture it in a research
want to
are interested single main question into
investigate
in studying research subquestions
under the topic
question
area

Descriptive research questions seek to objectively describe particular characteristics or attributes

of person, group, institution, or phenomenon. Below is an example of descriptive research questions:

Question: What qualities does the Filipino youth electorate look for in a presidential candidate?
Variable: voting preference of Filipino electorate
Group: A sample group composed of 1,500 registered voters aged 18-30, randomly sampled.

Comparative research questions compare two or more characteristics or attributes of two or more
person, groups, institutions, or phenomena. This may involve comparing the similarities or differences
between variables, or determining which has a greater or lesser value.

Question: Does the recent initiative of certain elementary public schools to give free lunch to its
students have an impact on the students’ academic performance?
Dependent variable: student’s academic performance
Groups A: a sample group of elementary public-school students that received free lunch
Group B: a sample group of elementary public-school students that did not receive free lunch

Relational research questions seek to understand the relationship between two or more aspects or
characteristics of one or more persons, groups, institutions, or phenomenon. The relationship being
investigated can be simple association, interaction, or causation.
Question: What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university
students?
Dependent variable: exam scores
Independent variable: study time
Group: university students

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Scope and Limitations
Every research activity has its specific extent and boundaries. This is to clearly enumerate the
limit of inquiry to be done by the researcher. This is also important to ensure how much time, efforts,
and resources shall be included in the completion of the study. Scope and limitation discuss the “what,”
who,” where,” when,” and “how” of the research.

It answers the phrase, “The coverage of this study is …” or “This study addresses…” and other
similar phrases.

Example 1: This study covers the habits of college students during the weekends and compares them
with their grades. From the responses gathered within the survey, we can deduce how different weekend
activities affect the student’s academics.
Example 2: This study covers 320 sophomore students from De La Salle University-Manila on the
activities they do every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This addresses the knowledge gap about whether
self-reported weekend activities affect the time Lasallian students spent studying and their average
CGPA over the course of a school year.

In writing your scope, you clearly set the parameters of your study, benchmark your work, and
allow your fellow researchers ample ground to study your research work, use it or point out its strengths
and possible areas for improvement.

Significance of the Study

The significance of the study points out the advantages that will come from the results. It
emphasizes the concerned population to which the findings will be favourable. It tells your reader why
the study is valuable, what it contributes, and why the reader should devote time to reading it. Usually,
the advantages that may come from your study should be detailed in this section.

Example: This study will be a significant endeavour in promoting good work environment in the
workplace and motivations of its employees. This study will also be beneficial to the workers and owners
in strategic management, when they employ effective operation in their business setting particularly in
different concepts related to the use of effective sales and inventory system. By understanding the needs
of the people and benefits of quality service, the workers and owners be assured of a competitive
advantage
Example: In finding the relationship between the parenting styles of working couples and the academic
performance of their children in school, the following benefits are essential not only to the identified
respondents of the research but likewise to other concerned groups of individuals:
1. The Department of Educations (DepEd). Output of this research is helpful to DepEd’s programs
relative to parents’ participation and support to the pupils and students in the basic education
section. Knowing the particular parenting styles of the working couples and its degree of
relationship with their children’s school performance, DepEd’s official would create programs
and strategies designed to assist students with varied parenting styles to adjust and improve
their academic performance.
2. Working Couples. Parents who are working will fin this research helpful basically by knowing
how much influence in their parenting style have contributed to the academic performance of
their children.
3. Future and other researchers. The study would be helpful to the other researchers in doing
similar work. They may also use the variables with other groups and localities.

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 WHAT HAVE I LEARNED SO FAR?
1. How do you select a good research topic?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. If you are asked to do research, in what research area are you most interested? What would
be your research topic and why?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

LET US PRACTICE
TASK 1: Write the missing term/s on the blank provided to complete each of the research titles listed
below (labelled as y) based on the given variables (labelled as x).
1. x Major Sources of Stress
y ________________________________ Among Freshmen of the University of Makati
2. x Global Parenting
y Factors Affecting ______________________________ as Perceived by Selected Children
of Overseas Filipino Workers
3. x Use of Multimedia and Academic Performance
y The Effect of the _______________________ on the _____________________ in English
of Selected Grade 10 Students of Calasanz de Davao Academy, Inc. for Academic Year
2014-2015
4. x Anxiety Level and Watching Horror Movies
y The Effects of ____________________________ on the _________________________
of Children
5. x Professor’s Attitude and Academic Performance
y Student’s Assessment of Their _________________________ and Their
_____________________________: A Correlational Study
6. x Test Performance and Room Temperature
y The Effect of ____________________________ on the _________________________ of
Selected Senior High School Students

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 ENRICHMENT

RESEARCH PROCESS
TASK 1: In preparation for your research project, list down three (3) possible research topics you/your
group would like to pursue.
TASK 2: Create a working title and identify research questions for your research topic. Complete the
Research Proposal Sheet provided for each research group.
TASK 3: Write background of the study, scope and limitations and significance of the study for your
approved research topic and research title.

ASSESSMENT
Submit the following outputs:
✓ Research Proposal
✓ Chapter 1

References
Dela Cruz, L. B., & Silverio, B. C. (2019). Practical Research 2. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Identifying a Research Topic. (2018, February 1). Retrieved from QuestMeraki:

http://questmeraki.com/identifying-a-research-topic/

Kabir, S. M. (2016, July). Introduction to Research. Bangladesh.

Kulkarni, S. (2013, October 17). 3 Basic tips on writing a good research paper. Retrieved from editage:
https://www.editage.com/insights/3-basic-tips-on-writing-a-good-research-paper-title

Mahmoud, R. A. (2020, January 1). Writing An Effective Research Title. Retrieved from ResearchGate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344479392_Writing_an_Effective_Research_Paper_Title

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper. (2022, August 11). Retrieved from USCLibraries:
https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/title

Solano, I. P., & David, O. M. (2019). Practical Research 2. Makati: Diwa Learning Systems Inc.

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