Identifying the

Inquiry and Stating

the Problem related
to Daily Life
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the steps in designing a research
project;
2. Determine the guidelines in writing a research
title;
3. Craft a research project related to daily life,
and;
4. Formulate a research title.
 Designing a
Research Project
related to Daily Life
 Designing a research is similar to making a
house, car, bag, dress, cake, etc. which needs
appropriate materials and necessary process or
steps to follow. Then, you have to consider
whether what you intend to make or invent has
significance to you as a person. Otherwise, your
efforts will not be put to use.
 In designing your qualitative research, you
have to consider whether the topic you have chosen
is relevant to you as a learner, as a constituent in
your barangay, and as a citizen of this country.
Therefore, the first question you should answer is,
“What is the issue, phenomenon or problem in my
school, at home, and in the community that needs
my special attention by conducting a research?”
Example:

1. In School
Based on observation, what are the issues and
problems I encounter inside the classroom? Is it
the lesson, teachers, learners’ attitude and
hindrances to graduation?
Example:

2. At Home
Considering my life on a daily basis, what are
the things that bother me at home?
Example:

3. In the Community
What are the usual complaints of my
neighbor regarding ordinances, practices and
activities in the barangay? Or, what are the
situations in my community that need to be
improved?
Writing a Research
Title
 Guidelines in
Choosing a Topic
1. Interest in the subject matter
You are interested about the topic because
you have experienced it.

2. Availability of information
It is important that when you decide on a
topic, sources of information are available.
3. Timeliness and relevance of the topic
The topic you have chosen can be of significance to
the community.

4. Limitations on the subject

Sometimes, topic is limited to what the teacher
suggests. An example of this is when the teacher asks the
entire class to focus on COVID-19 pandemic, then you
have no freedom to explore other topics aside from what
is given.
5. Personal resources
Consider also if you can finish the research in
terms of your intellectual and financial physical
capabilities.
Topics to be Avoided
1. Controversial topics
Avoid highly opinionated topics.

2. Highly technical subjects

Too technical topics requires expertise. If you
don’t have enough knowledge about it, then look
for another one.
3. Hard-to-investigate subjects
Unavailability of reading materials and
materials that are not updated make the subject
hard to investigate.

4. Too broad subjects

You lack focus if you deal with broad topics.
The remedy is to narrow it down.
5. Too narrow subject
Some subjects are too narrow that extensive
and thorough reading are required.

6. Vague subjects
Titles that start with indefinite adjectives
such as several, many, some, etc., make the topic
vague.
 Sources of
Research Topics
1. Mass media communication—television, newspaper,
ads, radio, films, etc.
2. Books, internet, journals, government publications
3. Professional periodicals—specialized periodicals in
different fields
4. General periodicals—Reader’s Digest, Time Magazine,
Women’s Magazine, etc.
5. Previous readings
6. Work experience
How to Narrow Down a
Topic
1. You can narrow down the topic by exploring
and extending the explanation of a theory.
2. Talk over ideas with people who know research.
3. Focus on specific group. Ex: Students, Mothers,
Teachers
4. Define the aim or desired outcome of the study.
a. Is the study exploratory, explanatory, or
descriptive?
b. Is the study applied or basic?
 Before deciding on your topic, ask:

1. What areas are not yet explored that I want to

investigate?
2. Is my research useful to me, to my school, to
my family and to my community?
 Example of a Broad Topic Narrowed Down to
Specific One:
General Concept:
Early Pregnancy
Narrow:
Early Pregnancy among Senior High School
Students
Narrow:
Prevention of Early Pregnancy among Senior High
School Students
How to Formulate Your
Research Title
➢ Research title is the most important element of
your research as it clearly expresses the
problem to be explored.
➢ A research title capsulizes the main thought or
idea of the whole research paper. It also
reflects the variables under study.
➢ It is expressed in few words possible and just
enough to describe the contents and the
purpose of your research.
➢ It needs to be informative.
➢ It contains the:
• What: the subject matter or topic to be
investigated
• Where: place or locale where the research is
to be conducted
• Who: the participants of respondents of the
study
• When: the time period of the conduct of the
study
Formulating the Research
Questions, Scope and
Delimitation of the Study,
Significance of the Study,
Stating the Problem
Formulating Research
Questions
 A research question is an answerable inquiry
into a specific concern or issue. It is the initial step in
a research project. The research question is the first
active step in the research project. So, what is the
research question? It is the ground beneath the
foundation. It is what everything in a research
project is built on. Without a question, you can't
have a hypothesis. Without the hypothesis, you
won't know how to study what you're interested in.
Writing a Research
Question
✓ Specify your specific concern or issue;
✓ Decide what you want to know about the
specific concern or issue;
✓ Turn what you want to know and the specific
concern into a question ;
✓ Ensure that the question is answerable;
✓ Check to make sure the question is not too broad or
too narrow.
 A research question should be (from the
Writing Center of George Mason University):

➢ Clear. It provides enough specifics that one’s

audience can easily understand its purpose
without needing additional explanation.
➢ Focused. It is narrow enough that it can be
answered thoroughly in the space the writing
task allows.
➢ Concise. It is expressed in the fewest possible
words.
➢ Complex. It is not answerable with a simple
‘yes’ or ‘no,’ but rather requires synthesis and
analysis of ideas and sources prior to
composition of an answer.
➢ Arguable. Its potential answers are open to
debate rather than accepted facts.
Check for the following examples for reference:

Unclear: How should social networking sites

address the harm they cause?
Clear: What action should social networking sites
like MySpace and Facebook take to protect users’
personal information and privacy?

The unclear version of this question doesn’t

specify which social networking sites.
Writing the Thesis
Statement
Tips in Writing Clear Thesis:
➢ Unless you’re writing a technical report, avoid
technical language. Always avoid jargon, unless
you are confident your audience will be familiar
with it.
➢ Avoid vague words such as “interesting,”
“negative,” “exciting,” “unusual,” and “difficult.”
➢ Avoid abstract words such as
“society,” “values,” or “culture.”
Scope and Limitation
The Scope of the Study
The scope of study in your research paper contains
the explanation of what information or subject is being
analyzed. It is followed by an explanation of the
limitation of the research. Research usually limited in
scope by sample size, time and geographic area; while
the delimitation of study is the description of the scope
of study. It will explain why definite aspects of a subject
were chosen and why other were excluded. It also
mentions the research method used as well as the certain
theories applied to the data.
Your Study and its Significance
Writing a research paper has its purpose—
may it be for you (as a researcher) or even for
others. That is why, you need to identify the key
reason/s why you are taking a step forward and
make your query into a formal writing. In this
stage, your “whys” and “hows” will be answered
and explained.
 Tips in Writing the
Significance of the Study
(Regoniel, 2015)
1. Refer to the statement of the problem
Your problem statement can guide you in
identifying the specific contribution of your
study. You can do this by observing a one-to-one
correspondence between the statement of the
problem and the significance of the study.
2. Write from general to specific contribution
Write the significance of the study by looking
into the general contribution of your study, such
as its importance to society as a whole, then
proceed downwards—towards its contribution to
individuals and that may include yourself as a
researcher. You start off broadly then taper off
gradually to a specific group or person.
Thank You!