I.

Introduction to Research Writing

1. Selecting the Research Topic
a. It should be something new or different from what has already been written about
b. It must be original
c. It should be significant to the field of study or discipline
d. It must necessarily arouse intellectual curiosity
e. It should be a modest one for a beginner to be carried on within a limited period of
time
f. It should be clear, not ambiguous
g. It should be specific, not general
h. It should consider the training and personal qualifications of the researcher
i. It should consider the availability of data involved in the study and the methods and
techniques to be employed in gathering them
j. It should consider the availability of effective instruments for gathering the data and
their treatment
k. It should consider the financial capacity of the researcher to support the project
l. It should consider the time factor involved in the undertaking

2. Sources of Research Topic

a. Prevailing theories or philosophy
b. Observations, intuitions or a combination of both
c. Different subjects taken and from them identify a problem that interests a student-
researcher most
d. Fields of interest or specialization or event from related fields
e. Existing problems in the classroom/school/campus/university which one may want to
solve are good sources of research problems
f. Existing needs of the community or society
g. Repetition or extension of investigations already conducted or may be an offshoot of
studies underway (Angeles, 1966, p.86)
h. Related studies and literatures
i. Advice of authorities or experts from funding agencies
j. Offshoots of friendly conversations
k. Incidental from interesting topics of professors during the course meeting/session

Technical Criteria Personal Criteria

 Significant to chosen  Interest
field/advancement of Science or  Training
specialization  Expertise
 Pioneering or novel  Financial capacity
 Originality  Time factor involved in the project
 Arouse intellectual curiosity
  Relevance to degree
 Availability or manageability of data
 Availability of instruments

III. Language of Research

Research has a language of its own. It has its own organized system of language structures that
the researcher uses to communicate with fellow researchers and with readers, eager to know the
findings of the research.

Research-Language Formation
The specialized forms of the language of research are caused by the following factors (Trochim
2006):
1. Multisyllable words - Some terms reflecting the inherent characteristics of research as
scientific methods are made up of a number of syllables such as the following:
theoretical – concepts empirical – observable
probabilistic – uncertain quantitative – numerical
qualitative – opinionated scientific– systematic
inquiry – investigation

2. Types and forms of questions – it has to ask questions that describe, show relationships,
and give reasons behind the occurrence of something.
Qualitative – elicit views, opinions, or emotions of people
Quantitative–exact/precise number, percentages, or frequency of things
Informative questions, rather than yes-no questions, are the appropriate questions to ask in
research.

3. Span of time covered by the research – be mindful of the time available for the study.
Cross-sectional study – one-time collection of data in a span of time
Longitudinal study – repeated collection of data to find out the changes of patterns over time

4. Variable relationships -whether or not a variable has an effect on another variable which
may result into a positive or negative relationship
Independent variables – the cause of something
Dependent variables – bears the effect of the independent variable
Extraneous variable – extra or unexpected variable cropping up outside the research design
Confounding variable – unstable variable

5. Formulation of Hypotheses – forming of hypothesis indicates the staging of a

research/study. It signals the occurrence of a scientific or investigative way of doing things.
Null hypothesis – for guessing the negative result of the research/study
Alternative hypothesis – for guessing the positive result of the research/study

6. Data – are facts, information, or logically derived forms of knowledge

Qualitative data – if they are verbally and subjectively expressed
 Quantitative data – if they are numerically and objectively expressed

7. Unit of Analysis – the subject or object of study that makes up one major entity of the
research or study
a. Individual, group, artefact (painting, book, travelogue)
b. Geographical unit (municipality, province, country)
c. Social interaction (husband-wife, teacher-learner, employer-employee)

Operational definition(Definition of Terms) is making the concept or the thing meaningful by specifying
the way your research should measure such concept.

Examples of Operational Definitions:

1. Defining Temperature
 Theoretical/Conceptual Definition: heat flowing between infinite reservoirs
 Operational Definition: define temperature in relation to operations with gas
thermometers
2. Defining Electric Current
 Theoretical/Conceptual Definition: force between two parallel conductors
 Operational Definition: mention the device, current balance, to measure electric current

3. Defining Anger
 Theoretical/Conceptual Definition: intangible; not directly measured by observation
 Operational Definition: mention facial expressions, vocabulary, or voice tone to measure
anger

4. Defining Virgo
 Theoretical/Conceptual Definition: constellation of stars (cannot tell the process of
formation)
 Operational Definition: mention the way of locating Virgo in the sky (repeatable
process)

Guidelines in Giving Operational Definition:

1. Have a clear understanding of the concept focused on by you study before you begin
defining such concept operationally.
2. Base your operational definition on the concept under study.
3. Express the operational definition in only one sentence.
4. Let the operational definition explain the measurement of variables clearly.
5. Construct an operational definition that other researchers can understand, assess, and
repeat in other research studies.

IV. Proper Citations and Referencing

Baraceros 2019, states that:
“All reading materials related to your research that you intend to review or re-examine
offer you concepts, ideas, or information belonging to other people. Having honesty,
respect, or courtesy to the owners of these varied forms of knowledge as well as
gratefulness for their valuable contribution to the field, you see to it that the names of
these idea owners or authors appear in the appropriate sections of your research
paper.”

Referring to authors within the main body of the paper is called Citation or In-text Citation; at the end
of the paper, it is called Bibliography or References.

The two most commonly used referencing styles are the APA (American Psychological Association) and
the MLA (Modern Language Association).

Example:
APA MLA
Bibliography/reference: Bibliography/reference:

Baraceros, E. L. (2019). Practical research 2. Baraceros, Esther. L. Practical Research 2.

Quezon City: REX Book Store. Quezon City: REX Book Store. 2019.

Citation: Citation:

Baraceros 2019, states that research is Baraceros states that research is important
important in the field of knowledge. in the field of knowledge (p88).

Conducting research in the field of Research is important in the field of

knowledge is important (Baraceros, 2019). knowledge (Baraceros, p88).