Scope, Delimitation, and Significance of Study

• The lesson is about the scope, delimitation, and significance of a study.
• Students will be able to identify the role of scope in research, differentiate delimitation and limitation, and identify ways of writing the significance of the study.

Scope of Research

• The scope of a study refers to its boundaries, indicating what is included and what is not.
• The scope of research covers the topic of the research, the population or sample studied, the period covered, and the methodologies used.
• Defining the scope clarifies expectations for readers and ensures that the research remains focused.
• A well-defined scope prevents confusion and keeps the research within manageable limits.
• Defining the scope helps researchers focus on key areas rather than being overwhelmed by too many variables.
• Defining the scope ensures feasibility, making sure the study can be completed within available time and resources.

Delimitation vs. Limitation

• Understanding the difference between delimitation and limitation is crucial in research.
• Delimitations refer to the choices made by the researcher to narrow the study, such as studying only public high schools instead of both public and private schools.
• Limitations refer to the uncontrollable factors that might affect the study, such as some students possibly not answering honestly in a survey about mental health.
• Researchers should acknowledge limitations transparently to improve the credibility of their work.
• The APA 7th edition recommends clear, concise writing for the scope and delimitation section.
• The narrative approach in theses/dissertations examines the research topic among a specific population, location, and timeframe, focusing on key variables or themes using a specific methodology, with the study limited to sample characteristics and excluding other factors.

Writing Scope and Delimitation

• The Scope and Delimitation section should clearly state what is included in the study.
• The Scope and Delimitation section should explain what is excluded and why.
• The Scope and Delimitation section should justify the choices made in research methodology.
• This study explores the relationship between stress and academic performance among senior high school students in General Santos City during the 2024-2025 academic year, focusing on self-reported stress levels and quarterly academic grades, while not including other mental health variables or students outside this location and timeframe.
• Ways to write the scope and delimitation include defining the research topic and focus.
• Ways to write the scope and delimitation include identifying the population or sample.
• Ways to write the scope and delimitation include specifying the location of the study.
• Ways to write the scope and delimitation include specifying the timeframe.
• Ways to write the scope and delimitation include defining methods and variables for quantitative research, or themes for qualitative research.
• Aspects that should be excluded intentionally by the researcher in the delimitations include limitations of population/sample size, limitations of location and timeframe, and exclusion of certain variables or themes.

Quantitative Research Example of Scope and Delimitation

• Title: The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Stress Reduction Among Working Professionals
• Effects of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) on stress levels are examined among working professionals in General Santos City from January to June 2025.
• A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design will be used, with 100 participants aged 25-45 from various industries who will measure stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) before and after the intervention.
• Delimitations of the study include focusing only on working professionals and excluding students, retirees, and unemployed individuals.
• The study only considers stress levels and does not measure other mental health outcomes like anxiety or depression.
• The intervention is limited to six weeks, meaning long-term effects are not examined.

Qualitative Research Example of Scope and Delimitation

• Title: The Lived Experiences of Single Mothers Raising Children with Autism
• The study explores the lived experiences of single mothers raising children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in General Santos City.
• The study seeks to understand the emotional, psychological, and social challenges encountered by the participants by using a phenomenological research design.
• Semi-structured in-depth interviews will be conducted with 10-15 single mothers who have children aged 5-12 years old diagnosed with ASD.

Delimitations of the Study

• This study excludes fathers and two-parent households to focus on the unique experiences of single mothers.
• Only mothers with children aged 5-12 years old are included, and experiences of mothers with older or younger children are not covered.
• The study does not explore the perspectives of professionals (e.g., therapists, teachers) working with children with ASD.

Alternative Ways of Presenting Scope and Delimitation

• Narrative approach (theses/dissertations): This study examines [research topic] among [population] in [location] during [timeframe]. It focuses on [key variables or themes] and uses [methodology]. The study is limited to [sample characteristics], and other factors such as [excluded aspects] are not covered.
• Bullet-point approach (concise and easy to read): Scope focuses on [main topic], includes [population/sample], uses [methodology], and is conducted in [location] within [timeframe].
• Delimitations exclude [specific group], do not measure [other variables], and is limited to [period or number of participants].

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Scope & Delimitation

• Quantitative Research: Focuses on variables and relationships, scope emphasis is on sample size, statistical measures, and timeframe, and delimitation emphasis is on excluded variables and study constraints; data collection involves surveys, experiments, and statistical tools.
• Qualitative Research: Focuses on experiences and meanings, scope emphasis is on context, participant selection, and depth of study, and delimitation emphasis is on excluded perspectives and participant criteria; data collection involves interviews, observations, and thematic analysis.

Scope and Limitations in Research

• The Scope and Limitations section sets the study's boundaries similar to the scope and delimitation, but it highlights factors beyond the researcher's control (limitations) instead of focusing on researcher-controlled factors (delimitations).
• The study covers research topic and focus.
• The study covers population/sample.
• The study covers the location.
• The study covers timeframe.
• The study covers methodology and instruments.
• Limitations include uncontrollable constraints.
• Limitations include sample size and representativeness, which may be limited due to the availability of participants.
• Limitations include self-report bias, where participants might not give accurate responses.
• Limitations include time constraints, such as a short data collection period.
• Limitations include measurement tools, where the use of specific instruments may not capture all aspects.
• Limitations include external validity, where findings may not be generalizable to other populations.

Quantitative Research Example of Scope and Limitations

• The study investigates the relationship between social media use and anxiety levels among college students in General Santos City during the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year.
• A correlational research design will take place and 200 students will complete an online survey that measures the daily social media use (in hours) and anxiety levels (GAD-7 scale).
• Limitations: Self-report bias is due to anxiety levels being measured through self-reported surveys, which may not reflect actual clinical anxiety.
• Limitations: Sample representation is limited to college students in General Santos City, limiting its ability to be generalized to other regions or age groups.
• Limitations: Causality cannot be established since this is a correlational study.

Qualitative Research Example of Scope and Limitations

• Goal is to explore the emotional resilience of counselors who work with trauma survivors in mental health clinics and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in General Santos City; a phenomenological approach would happen through in-depth interviews conducted with 10-15 licensed counselors to understand how they cope with secondary trauma and emotional stress.
• Limited generalizability since findings only apply to licensed counselors in General Santos City and may not reflect the experiences of counselors in other locations or those without formal training.
• There is potential for subjectivity in responses since the study relies on personal interviews, responses are influenced by participants' willingness to share their experiences.
• Time constraints will occur because due to the limited availability of participants, only a small number of counselors will be interviewed

Comparisons

• Scope & Delimitation includes researcher chooses to include or exclude, and scope and limitations has that that cannot be controlled in the study.
• Scope & Delimitation covers study population, methodology and timeframe, scope and limitations: sample bias, time constraints, data accuracy.
• Scope & Delimitation is intentional choices by a researcher, scope and limitations: External factors (uncontrollable).

Conceptual vs. Theoretical Framework

• Conceptual and theoretical frameworks both serve as guiding structures in research but differ in purpose, application, and development.
• According to APA 7th edition, a "theoretical framework" refers to the established theories that underpin your research, providing a lens to understand and explain the phenomenon you are studying, while a "conceptual framework" outlines the specific variables and relationships you plan to investigate within your research, often drawing from existing theories but also allowing for new interpretations and connections to be explored.
• The theoretical framework provides the broader theoretical foundation, while the conceptual framework maps out the specific aspects you will examine in your study.
• Conceptual framework is intended as a visual representation, through the use of figures, shapes, and lines, to aid your readers in understanding the research flow.
• The idea is that, at a glance, readers will grasp how your variables may relate to each other, how they are manipulated, or how they are predicted.
• A theoretical framework is a theory to make sense of the variables and context and how they relate to the overall research direction.
• Elements in a theoretical framework: History and definition.
• Atheoretical framework also includes sub-theories with explanations.
• Atheoretical framework covers factors of the theory, applications in various fields by citing studies.
• Atheoretical framework has underlying processes.

More Information

• Both frameworks can be used in either type of research.
• A conceptual framework can also be used in quantitative research if defining variables and their relationships.
• A theoretical framework can be used in qualitative research if applying a specific theory to interpret findings.