Research Title

A research title prefaces the study by providing a summary of the main idea and

is usually short and concise. Writing it may seem to be a simple task but it actually

requires more consideration on the part of the researcher. While he or she may have

written the contents of the study in great detail, researchers may find it hard to create a

research title for their study that is concise and represents all the relevant elements of

the study at the same time.

A research title should have the following characteristics:

1. It should summarize the main idea of the paper.

2. It should be a concise statement of the main topic.

3. It should include the major variables of the research study.

4. It should be self-explanatory.

5. It should describe or imply the participants of the study.

In general, the researcher should avoid using words that serve no useful purpose

and can mislead indexers. Words such as “methods,” “results,” and “investigations”

should not appear in the title. In many cases, the general problem of the research or

even the specific question that the researcher intends to answer, when rewritten in a

statement form, can serve as the title.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

The research problem states the area of concern of the research paper whether

it is a circumstance needing development, a difficulty requiring attention, or an

inquiry necessitating an answer. This section sets the direction of the research study

as it provides the foundation for the research hypothesis and defines what kind of

research study is suitable to address the problem. However, it is important to note

that this section should only state the problem and not preface or suggest a solution

for it.

Learning Objectives:

At the of this lesson, the students will be able to:

 Describe the different sources of research problems;

 Discuss the considerations in the selection of research problems; and

 Identify possible research problems

SOURCES OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Research problems may be derived in almost any kind of setting such as

hospitals or clinics, schools, offices, homes, or any part of the community. Research

problems can be commonly based from circumstances with the following

characteristics:

1. It conveys a feeling of discomfort or difficulty.

2. It has a perceived difficulty in broad subjects such as family affairs, home

management, and leadership system.

3. It displays a gap between theory and practice: what is said by the elders and

what the students see and observe.

4. It utilizes a procedure requiring technologically advanced equipment.

5. It involves the experience of any kind of individual.

6. It shows some kind of pattern or trend.

7. It makes use of literature reviews, continuous readings, and past studies. These

readings can lead a student to a topic, and its scope and clues for further studies.

The repetition of prior research study in a different setting and time is called

replication.

8. It relates to an individual’s curiosity and interest.

Furthermore, a discerned problem is said to be researchable when the following

criteria are met:

1. Solutions are available but not yet tested and not yet known by the practitioner.

2. No solutions are available to answer the gap or the problem being assessed.

3. When the given answers or solutions, as well as the possible results, are

seemingly untested or are factually contradictory with each other.

4. A phenomenon requiring an explanation has occurred.

5. There are several possible and plausible explanations for the existence of an
undesirable condition.

CONSIDERATIONS IN FORMULATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

In the book A research Guide in Nursing Education, Barrientos-Tan (1997)

discusses the different criteria for choosing a problem for research. These are as

follows:

1. External Criteria

a. Novelty – this refers to the practical value of the problem due to its “newness”

in the field of inquiry.

b. Availability of Subjects – this refers to the people with the desired capability

and willingness to participate in the study. The sample of the study

participants must be representative enough to ensure reliability and validity of

the results.

c. Support of the Academic Community – This refers to the assistance given by

the members of the institution, like the principal, teachers, staff, students, and

the parents, in the gathering of data and defraying the cost of the study.

Permission of those concerned for the participation in the study of staff

members, children, the aged, and the mentally challenged should be secured.

d. Availability and adequacy of Facilities and Equipment – devices such as

computers, and telephones used in undertaking the study must be

considered.

e. Ethical Considerations – these include the avoidance of research problems

that pose unethical demands on the part of the research participants.

2. Internal Criteria

a. Experience, training, and qualifications of the researcher – these constitute

the researcher’s knowledge and expertise as a result of experience and

study.

b. Motivation, interest, intellectual curiosity, and perceptiveness of the

researcher – These are essential attitudes that bring anticipated satisfaction

or enjoyment in the completion of research tasks.

c. Time factor – this considers the fact that studies must be pursued within a

given time frame.

d. Costs and Returns – these factors matter in choosing a research problem.

Research is an expensive undertaking. The amount of funding needed, after

all, depends on the size of the sample, the place where the research is to be

conducted, the treatment of data, and the kind of research design.

CHOOSING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The background of the researcher is an important factor that defines the

selection of research problems and topics. A researcher in a particular field, like

medicine, engineering, or the social sciences, focuses on topics within their field of

discipline. A student researcher, on the other hand, focuses on more practical and

relatable topics for research. One useful guide to student researchers taking this course

is to consider their respective tracks for Senior High School. Students on the STEM

track should consider researching on topics related to science and technology. ABM

track students, meanwhile, should consider topics on business and management.

Finally, HUMSS track students can choose from the wide variety of social science and

humanities topics such as history, politics, society, culture, arts, and music.

Researchers should also be aware of the following factors in determining their

research problem and topic:

1. The feasibility of the research study is a very important consideration in choosing

the problem. The time needed to conduct the study must be measured and its

setting should be defined and located. The researcher must have ready access

to the relevant materials to the subjects to be studied. The entire cost of the

study must be estimated---the travel expenses when meeting with the

respondents, purchase costs of the instruments to be used, and expenses

incurred in encoding the results.

2. External support is also an essential element to look when determining whether a

research is feasible or not. Is the teacher or adviser present when conflicts arise
in the conduct of research? Are experts in the field accommodating? These

questions are also important concerns to be addressed.

3. The innovative quality of the topic should still be considered. A review of

literature and studies ensures that solutions are yet to be proposed for the

problem, thus showing the need to conduct the study.

Action research. This research design follows a cyclical process. First, the

researcher identifies a problem and determines a plan of action to address it.

Then, the action plan is implemented. The information gathered during the

implementation phase is analyzed and evaluated in order to gain a better

understanding of the problem and determine the effectiveness of the solution

implemented. Action research is pragmatic and solution-driven, and any

information gathered is used to identify and implement a solution to the problem.

This design is appropriate for community-based situations. It requires the

researcher to directly relate with his or her subjects and the community.

2. Causal design. This research explores how a specific change impacts a certain

situation. This research design employs hypotheses that seek to establish a

cause-and-effect relationship between variables. Essentially, this research

design seeks to determine whether “variable X caused Y.”

3. Descriptive Design. This design answers who, what, when, where, and how

questions related to a particular research problem. This design is used to obtain

information about the present situation to gain an understanding of a certain

phenomenon.

4. Experimental design. In this design, the researcher controls the factors and

variables related to a certain phenomenon and tries to change or manipulate one

or several factors to determine the possible effects.

5. Exploratory design. This research focuses on topics or problems which have

had little or no studies done about them. The purpose of this design is to gain

information and insight that can be used for later researches. This design is often

used to determine which method or approach to use for a certain topic or

problem.

6. Cohort design. This research identifies a group of people sharing common

characteristics who are then studied for a period of time. The researcher seeks to

identify how these groups are affected by certain factors or changes and relates

the information gathered to the research topic or problem.

7. Cross-sectional design. This research design looks into a large group of

people, composed of individuals with varied characteristics. The researcher

seeks to determine how these individuals are affected by a certain variable or

change and gathers data at a specific period of time.

8. Longitudinal design. This research follows a group of people over a long period

of time. Throughout the period of study, observations are made on the group to

track changes over time and identify factors that may have caused them. This

design also explores causal relationships last and the extent of their effects on

the group being studied.

9. Sequential design. This research is carried out in stages to gather sufficient

data to test the hypothesis. This design is often combined with a cohort or cross-

sectional study as it identifies specific groups for each stage. At the end of each

stage, the data is collected and evaluated. If there is insufficient data, the

researcher then proceeds to the next stage with a new group of subjects.

10. Mixed-method design. This research combines aspects of various research

designs and methods. It primarily combines qualitative and quantitative research

methods to gain a complete picture of the research problem and gather data that

will fully determine the validity of the hypotheses

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

There are two broad categories of research methodology: qualitative research

and quantitative research. The research method determines the approach the

researcher takes in identifying relevant data for the research, and collecting and

analyzing the information gathered in the research. Choosing either a quantitative or

qualitative approach will affect the components of the research. For instance, a

researcher may choose to undertake a scientific research. If he or she takes a

qualitative approach, the goal of the study will be to discuss and analyze the underlying

concepts and theories related to the research topic. If the researcher chooses a

quantitative approach, he or she will use statistical data to provide an explanation of the

phenomenon.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Polit and Beck (2004) define quantitative research as “the traditional positivist scientific

method which refers to a general set of orderly, disciplined procedures to acquire

information.” In their book, Nursing Research Principles and Methods, they explain that

the research method utilizes deductive reasoning to generate predictions that are tested

in the real world. It is systematic since the researcher progresses logically through a

series of steps, according to a prespecified plan of the action.

Quantitative researchers gather empirical evidence that is within the realm of the

senses. The method used in the analysis of data is usually statistical in nature. Thus,

the resulting information from the study is usually quantitative or measurable.

Furthermore, another criterion used in assessing the data in this kind of study is its

capability to generalize the effect of the results to the individuals outside of the study

participants.

However, quantitative research has its disadvantages as well. Quantitative research is

considered to be limiting when it comes to studying the complex and diverse minds of

human beings. This is because quantitative research can only explain a small fraction of

the human experience (e.g., behavioral impulses and varying personal preferences). In

quantitative research, these human complexities are usually controlled or removed

entirely instead of being analyzed. The inflexible and narrow vision of quantitative

research tends to present the human experience in a restricted manner.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research is defined as the “naturalistic method of inquiry of research which

deals with the issue of human complexity by exploring it directly.” (Polit and Beck, 2008)

Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research puts an emphasis on human

complexity and man’s ability to decide and create his or her experience. This type of

research utilizes naturalistic methods of inquiry as the research places great emphasis

on the analysis of the experience with its dynamic, holistic, and individualistic aspects

through the perspective of the individual himself. This type makes use of qualitative

materials that are narrative and subjective.

Qualitative research focuses on gaining insights and understanding about an

individual’s perception and interpretation of events. This type of research collects data

through methods such as interviews and participative observation. The task of the

researcher is to determine the pattern and themes in the acquired data rather than

focusing on the testing of hypotheses. A qualitative study researcher is not limited by

existing theories but is rather open-minded to new ideas and points of views. Lastly, the

researcher does not have to be concerned with numbers and complicated statistical