A guide to qualitative

research writing
Anthony and Jessica are planning to repair their
house. What do you think should be the necessary
tools they will be needing?
Name the tools that represent your answers.
• Similar to a house which requires appropriate tools in
order to be repaired, a research problem also demands
appropriate research questions in order to be answered.
As a starting student-researcher, you must recognize
that one of the keys to a successful research study is by
concretizing the problem through carefully crafting its
research questions. Hence, your understanding towards
the do’s and don’ts in writing a research problem and its
corresponding questions should be considered.
How will you connect the tools in the house
in making Research Problem?
Statement of the Problem

After the researcher has clearly presented the rationale

of the problem, the formulation of the targeted and
well-defined problem must follow. This well-defined
problem is commonly pertained to the “Statement of
the Problem.” Stating clearly the problem can make the
vagueness of the study be clarified. Further, this section
allows the researcher to present other essential
elements of research undertaking such as the major
variables, objectives, and appropriate methodology.
Writing the Problem Statement in a
Qualitative Research
In formulating the problem statement in a
research paper, there are two types of problems
which should be considered. These are the
general problem and the specific problems.
1. The general problem should clearly state the main task/s of the
researcher.
2. The general problem should present the major variable/s related to the
phenomenon to be investigated.
3. The general problem should identify the participants of the study.
4. The general problem should state the research setting as well as the time
period
of the study.
5. The general problem may indicate the intended output of the study such
as an intervention program, module, policies, etc.
 An example of a general problem is presented below.

to determine - main task

functions, emojis, online communication - major
variables
grade 11 students - participants
Lamao National High School - setting
school year 2019-2020 - time period
learning content presentation strategy - intended output
After formulating the general problem of a study,
enumeration of its specific problems should follow.
Unlike the general problem which is stated in a
declarative form, the specific problems are stated as
questions. These formulated questions, moreover,
should all be anchored on the general problem. With
this, the researcher will be guided on how he/she will
seek an answer to the problem.
In addition, the researcher must also know that a
specific question to be formulated must be a
researchable question, that is, it should begin with
words such as “what” and “how.” In this case, the
researcher may be able to solicit responses which can
ensure detailed data necessary to the study. Non-
researchable questions, as in, those which are
answerable by “yes” or “no” should be avoided.
Examples of non-researchable and
researchable questions are
presented below.
• Non-Researchable Questions:
1. Do the participants use social media platforms for their
communication
purposes?
2. Are the participants using emojis in their online communication?
3. Can the participants understand the meaning of emojis used in
conversations?
4. Will the emojis be used for a language content learning presentation
strategy?
Researchable Questions:
1. What are the most frequently used emojis by the
participants in the corpus?
2. What are the pragmatic functions of emojis in the corpus?
3. How do multiple emojis affect the meaning of the
discourse?
4. What learning content presentation strategy can be
proposed based on the results
of the study?
Sources of Research Problem
There is a need for a socially relevant problem when the researcher
will attempt to conduct a study. Hence, it is said that identifying
and designing a research problem is quite a challenging task.
Familiarity with the potential sources, meanwhile, may help the
researcher to come
up with a good research problem. As cited from Sacred Heart
University Library
(2020), four (4) varied sources can be considered. These are as
follows:
1. Theory.
Existing social philosophies and generalizations
which the researcher is familiar with may be of a
great help to design a research problem. The
researcher may observe if there is a gap between
theory and practice. Difference between what is
said by the elders and what the youngsters see
and observe may be a potential source of a
problem.
2. Practitioners.
Consultation with the people who have direct experiences
in a field
of interest may provide the researcher an idea of what
relevant problem he/shem may investigate. Practitioners
such as teachers, social workers, health care providers, etc.
are considered to be a good source of problem since they
are directly experiencing difficulties and challenges which
are needed to be
addressed.
3. Personal experience.
Daily experiences can provide the researcher an
idea of what problem that needs a solution.
Observation on what is happening in the
community may allow him/her to see the
common concerns of people or institutions which
may be subjected for investigation.
4. Relevant literature.
An extensive and thorough review of literature and
studies relevant to the problem interest of the
researcher may enable him/her to come
up with a potential study. Through reviewing other
available researches, the researcher may be able to
determine gaps in knowledge and to subject them for
replication. Thus, a good research problem will be
ensured.
Considerations in Formulating the
Research Problem
As cited from the book of Cristobal and Cristobal
(2017), there are criteria which should be considered
by the researcher in order to arrive with a good
research problem. Here they adopted the proposed
criteria of Barrientos-Tan (1997) from then book
entitled A Research Guide in Nursing Education. These
are further subdivided into external and internal
criteria.
1. External Criteria
a. Novelty. The research problem must carry
“newness.” With this, its practical value would be easily
perceived.
b. Availability of subjects. A research problem, when is
subjected to a further investigation, requires data from
the target subjects. Hence, the researcher must ensure
that there will be available participants who are
capable of providing data needed for the study.
c. Support of the academic community. The academic
community, which consists of administrators, teachers, staff,
students, and parents, should be considered by the
researcher in what particular problem will be investigated.
Each member plays a vital role in the conduct of the study.
Hence, the research problem should be clearly perceived as
beneficial once it is subjected for investigation. In addition,
securing permission among the said members must be done
before conducting the actual data collection procedure.
d. Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment.
Necessary common devices such as computers and
telephones which will be used in undertaking a study
should be considered. Likewise, other needed materials
required by the research problem should be checked if they
are available and sufficient.
e. Ethical considerations. A research problem, when is
subjected to a study, must not pose any unethical demands
most especially on the part of the research participants.
2. Internal Criteria
a. Qualifications of the researcher. These pertain to the expertise of the
researcher to the problem. It is important to the researcher that
he/she has enough knowledge and training when the research problem
is subjected to further investigation so as to ensure the success of the
undertaking.
b. Motivation and interest of the researcher. The research problem
which is in the interest of the researcher may give him/her satisfaction
and enjoyment.
Hence, completion of the research tasks will be efficiently attained.
c. Time factor. A research problem, when is subjected to a study, should
suggest to be time-efficient. With this, the undertaking will be possibly
accomplished in a given time frame.
d. Costs and returns. It is also important that the researcher should consider
a research problem which suggests to be cost-efficient. When it is subjected
to a study, it must not be a sort of an expensive undertaking.
e. Hazards and handicaps. This means that a research problem should not
put the researcher in danger. The proposed study should be safe not only to
the participants but moreover to the researcher himself/herself. Physical
and mental health of the researcher must always be considered.
Research Title
Once the researcher has already had a problem that will be
subjected for a study, he/she may now begin formulating a
good research title that will best represent the problem and
the study itself in general. As cited from Sacred Heart
University Library
10 (2020), a research title should help the readers to see the
main idea as well as the summary of the whole study.
Further, it usually contains fewest possible words that can
bring understanding of the content and the purpose of the
study among the
readers.
Characteristics of a Research Title
As commonly observed, a research title is the first one to be read
before proceeding to the other parts of the research paper. Hence, it is
really important to know for the researcher what makes a research title
an effective one in order to capture the interest of the readers towards
the problem to be investigated. Here are some of the characteristics of
a research title that the researcher should put into considerations:
1. It should be limited only to substantive words with high
consideration to the key variables such as the phenomenon
under investigation, the participants, and the setting of the
study.
2. It should use words that can create a positive impression
among the readers. Avoid using abbreviations as well as
some word constructions such as: “method,” “result,” and
“investigation.”
3. It should be in the form of a phrase with correct use of
capitalization, that is, the
first letter appeared in the title as well as the first letter of
each noun word should
be capitalized.
4. It should be concise by adequately implying the
participants and the coverage of
the study.
In addition, a researcher may also put a subtitle which is
commonly employed in
social science research papers. This subtitle may be done:
(1) to state the scope,
context, and theory under investigation; and (2) to provide a
substantive and
appealing literary title.
Examples of Qualitative Research
Title
1. The ‘Need to Transcend’: A Phenomenological Study on the Lived
Experiences of Millennial Teachers (Lacdo-O et al., 2018)
2. The Educated Citizen: Cultural and Gender Capital in the Schooling of
Aetas’ Children in the Municipality of Janiuay (Moralista & Delariarte,
2014)
3. This Too Shall Pass: A Grounded Theory Study of Filipino Cancer
Survivorship (de Guzman et al., 2012)
4. Local Studies Centers: Transforming History, Culture and Heritage in
the Philippines (Perez & Templanza, 2012)
Write the summary of your learnings by
surrounding the light bulb with important ideas
you acquired from the lessons.