Practical Research II - Chapter 2: Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem PDF

Chapter II Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem DANIEL P. FERRO | PRACTICAL RESEARCH II LEARNING OBJECTIVES Design a research used in daily life Write a research title Describe background of research State research questions 01 SELECTING THE RESEARCH TOPIC Research Topic a...

Chapter II Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem DANIEL P. FERRO | PRACTICAL RESEARCH II LEARNING OBJECTIVES Design a research used in daily life Write a research title Describe background of research State research questions 01 SELECTING THE RESEARCH TOPIC Research Topic a general area of interest that you would like to pursue in your research Factors to Consider in Identifying and Selecting the Research Topic Relevance Interest Manageability Available Resources  RELEVANCE When it relates to the needs of your study’s target audience or when it is considered important in people’s daily lives  INTEREST Should appeal to the readers of your study and encourage you to continue pursuing it. (arts, sciences, politics, business, environment)  INTEREST You may consult with experts, refer to your own observations & experiences, look into existing social issues, and brainstorm your ideas as a basis of your research topic. MANAGEABILITY Can be studied within your abilities, and your research must be doable within a specific time limit. AVAILABLE OF RESOURCES There must be a sufficient number of references about the topic which you can consult throughout the course of the study AVAILABLE OF RESOURCES Must also have enough financial resources to enable you to undertake the research  In addition to these factors, you must also avoid tackling topics that are very recent or highly technical. There may be a limited number of references for such topics and you may lack the technical knowledge needed to understand the subject matter. You may also need to refrain from pursuing sensitive and controversial topics that may offend certain groups of people. 02 WRITING THE RESEARCH TITLE 1 Avoid an overly general title such as “Exercise and Weight.” 2 Refrain from using abbreviations unless they are commonly known. 3 Avoid using phrases such as “A study of…” and “An Investigation of…” as they show wordiness. An example of this is “A Study on the Effects of Violent Video Programs on the Students’ Academic Performance.” 4 Indicate the subject and scope of the study by specifying your dependent & independent variables. 5 As much as possible, refrain from indicating the year the study has been conducted. An example of this is “Examining the Study Habits of High School Students at Paco Public School during School Year 2015-2016.” However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as in a historical study. In this kind of research, the year covered by the study may be included in the title. 6 Employ either the declarative or question form in formulating your title, but take note that the question form is used less frequently in research. 7 Use the current acceptable terminology in your field of study when writing your research title. 1. "Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Arctic Ice Melt Patterns: A Remote Sensing and Modeling Approach" 2. "CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing: Unraveling the Mechanisms of Off-Target Effects for Safer Genome Modification" 3. "The Role of Gut Microbiota in Neurological Disorders: A Comprehensive Metagenomic Analysis" 4. "Exploring the Potential of Perovskite Solar Cells for Sustainable Energy Conversion: Material Properties and Efficiency Enhancement" 5. "Neural Networks for Natural Language Processing: Advancements and Applications in Sentiment Analysis" 6. "Quantum Computing Algorithms for Optimization Problems: A Comparative Study" 7. "Evaluating the Impact of Urban Green Spaces on Air Quality and Human Health“ 8. "The Effects of Microplastic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems: Ecological Consequences and Mitigation Strategies" 9. "Social Media and Mental Health: Analyzing the Relationship Between Online Activity and Psychological Well-being in Adolescents" 03 THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduces important facets to establish the general context where the study revolves. This part may include a description of the subjects of the study or the history involving the research. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY You give the context in terms of the content of the research project. Presents a general statement and support for the study. An effective introduction shows the actual scenario related to the problem it focuses. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY It discusses four (4) relevant ideas: TOPIC or subject matter IMPORTANCE of the topic REASONS for choosing the topic PURPOSE of the study BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY There should be a general statement of the whole problem followed by the specific questions or sub-problems into which the general problem is broken up. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The problem must be reflected in your title or the readers must know your problem by just simply reading your topic. RESEARCH GAP an issue that has not been fully addressed by previous studies. Doing this helps you show where your research stands in the academic field. Four Components to Consider in Establishing the Research Gap of the Paper 1. The current state of the field 2. The current and conventional practices in addressing the issue 3. The research gap 4. The contribution of the present study in addressing the research gap 04 IDENTIFYING AND STATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM RESEARCH PROBLEM refers to the particular issue that you will address in your study as well as the specific area of concern of the research. states what is to be investigated, identifies the variables, and discusses their relationship. STEPS IN IDENTIFYING RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. Conduct preliminary research using available resources (print and non- print) to identify your research problem 2. Based on your preliminary research prepare a concept map to generate and synthesize your ideas. 3. Identify your preliminary general research problem from these clusters. You can also think of other specific research problems based on this general research problem  LIST OF RELIABLE RESOURCES Google Scholar Research Gate ProQuest Science.gov Science Direct Google Patent JSTOR Academic Journal Google Books Academia.edu Scopus Taylor & Francis EBSCO Information Library of Congress services ERIC FORMULATING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS Research questions are important components of your research that help define the research problem of your study. They indicate specific concerns related to your research problem that your study also intends to answer.  Specific research questions are anchored on the general research question. They help develop tools for collecting data, gathering related references, organizing your paper, and drawing valid conclusions from findings. How you write your specific research questions depends on the type of quantitative research you are doing. Related to the specific research question are the research objectives or the goals that your research aims to achieve. Another important component related to the research questions and the research problem is the thesis statement, which serves as a one- sentence summary of the arguments that you are presenting in your study. SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH  "What is the relationship between temperature and the electrical conductivity of a specific material, and how can this knowledge be applied to improve energy efficiency?“ "What are the genetic factors that contribute to the development of drug resistance in bacterial populations, and how can we develop new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance?“ "How does the presence of catalysts affect the rate of a chemical reaction, and what are the underlying mechanisms responsible for catalytic activity?"  "What are the impacts of climate change on the biodiversity of a specific ecosystem, and what conservation strategies can be implemented to mitigate these effects?“ "What is the relationship between childhood trauma and the development of mental health disorders in adulthood, and how can early intervention programs be designed to prevent or mitigate these outcomes?“ "What are the economic implications of income inequality on a national scale, and how can policies be designed to promote greater income equality and economic stability?"  Is there a significant difference in the cognitive abilities of children raised in urban environments compared to those raised in rural environments? Are there significant differences in the nutritional content of organically grown fruits and conventionally grown fruits? Does the use of virtual reality technology result in a significant difference in pain perception for patients during medical procedures compared to traditional pain management techniques? Is there a significant difference in the academic performance of students who receive one-on-one tutoring versus those who receive group instruction? SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH 1 How often do employees use Facebook in one week? 2 How many hours do employees spend on Facebook per week? 3 What proportion of Filipino male and female employees use Facebook? SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH 1 What is the relationship between the length of the review and examination scores? 2 Is there a relationship between the IQ of the test-taker and his/her performance in review 3 sessions? Is there a relationship between the performances of the test-taker in a previous examination and the length of review he/she takes for a new one? SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR EX POST FACTO RESEARCH 1 Are information technology education students & vocational education students digitally literate? 2 Using the four components of digital literacy, what can be identified as a strength and weaknesses of information technology education students and vocational education 3 students? Is there a difference between the digital literacy scores of information technology education students and vocational education students? SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR QUASI- EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 1 Is there a significant difference in posttest gain on students’ academic performance? 2 Is there a difference between the post-test gains of the control group and treatment 3 group? How do students rate their experiences in one- on-one tutorial sessions? 05 FORMULATING THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS NULL HYPOTHESIS (Ho) state that there is no relationship between variables  ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS (HA) state that there is a relationship between variables DIRECTION OF HYPOTHESIS DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS This indicates that the hypothesis must explicitly suggest either a positive or negative relationship between the variables. NON-DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS This indicates that the hypothesis does not specify a particular direction. 06 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK  It becomes the focus of the study. A tentative explanation or theoretical explanation of the phenomenon or problem and serves as the basis for the formulation of research hypotheses. Consists of the researcher’s own position on a problem after his exposure to various theories that have a bearing on the problem. Paradigm. It is a diagrammatic representation of a conceptual framework. 07 WRITING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This section details the contribution or benefit that your study provides to different people and organizations. Thus the significance of the study must be in a practical, methodological, or theoretical sense. 08 WRITING THE SCOPE AND DELIMITATION  The scope and delimitation describe the parameters to which the study is set. It sets the boundaries of your research in terms of certain aspects. COMPONENTS OF THE SCOPE AND DELIMITATION 1. Topic of the study 2. Objectives of the study and the issues it will address 3. Time frame in which the study will be conducted 4. Characteristics of the participants in the study (age, sex, education, economic status, civil status, and other traits) 5. Response formats used in the study (if applicable)  REFERENCE Barrot, J. S. (2017). Practical research 2 for senior high school. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.