Thesis Writing

The Research Title, Sources and Considerations

A. The RESEARCH TITLE

Generally, the title:

1. should summarize the main idea of the paper.

2. should be a concise statement about the main topic.

3. must include the major variable/s.

4. should show the relationships among the main variables under study.

5. must be self-explanatory.

Also, the researcher must be reminded that:

6. in formulating the title, the researcher should avoid using words that serve no
useful purposes and can mislead indexers. The words methods, results,
investigations should not appear in the title.

7. in many cases, the specific questions that the research intends to answer,
when rewritten in a statement form, can serve as the title.

8. Likewise, the general problem can serve as the thesis title.

9. the title must have 10 to 15 words.

B. SOURCES of Research Problems

Problems may exist in any setting where health care is given-in hospitals or
clinics, in schools, in the workplace or in the community. They can be commonly found
in places where there is/are:

1. a feeling of discomfort in the healthcare provider or the clients;

2. perceived difficulty in the management and leadership system;

3. gap between the theory and practice;

4. daily experience of human beings that require further inquiry into, especially if
improvements are desired; and
 5. a procedure requiring technologically advanced equipment which need to
function properly.

Likewise, a discerned problem is said to be researchable when it meets the

following criteria:

1. solutions are available but not yet tested and unknown to the practitioner.

2. no solutions are available to fill the gap or the problem assessed.

3. when answers, solutions as well as possible results that have been given are
seemingly not tested or are factually contradictory.

4. a phenomenon exists and requires explanation.

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

The experience of an individual, nurse, doctor or any other health practitioner is

the richest source of research problems.

e.g. A nurse who has as parent suffering from renal failure can lead him/ her to
study about that subject. A student nurse in the hospital, community, or in school
who is experiencing difficulty in adjusting to schedules, complying with tedious
requirements, or dealing with an instructor who adheres to traditional teaching
methods may be led to conduct a study which can be useful to his/her present
situation. A student who belongs to a family with diabetes can conduct a
research on the common causes and effects of diabetes mellitus.

Any experience a person has, especially that which affects his/her personal life,
and efficiency with which he/she discharge of his/her duties is a feasible problem to
research on.

Any medical pattern or trend is another source of a problem. A student assigned

to a pediatric ward who encounters the same case again and again may be motivated to
conduct a study on the case. For example, in a week of apprenticeship in the pediatric
ward, a student nurse notices that each day, three children of almost the same age are
brought to the hospital because of diarrhea. This observation can generate a possible
research problem.

The increase in hospital admission and death rate of residents in a community

due to a dengue outbreak can be a focus of research studies. So is the issue of
newborn screening in metro manila hospitals.
 Literature reviews and previous researches can also be rich sources of problems
for research. These readings can lead a student to a topic and its scope and clues for
further studies. The repetition of a prior research study in a different setting and time is
called REPLICATION. Implementing a change in variables – adding more significant
variables or removing less significant ones, changing the respondents, and revising and
improving its scope and delimitation – can make a study invaluable even if the research
problem is not original. While a replication study is allowed, conducting research on a
novel case or problem is of greater merit.

A research problem can also be sourced from the interests of a researcher. A

researcher may become more zealous and determined in finishing a study if involves a
topic which is of interest to him/her. For example, students who devote much time in
computers can conduct a study role of computers in improving the quality of healthcare
services in hospitals. Similarly, they can look into how the efficiency of computerized
laboratory examinations affect the quality of healthcare services and rate of recovery of
patients.

C. CONSIDERATIONS in formulating a research problem

Barrientos-tan (1997) cited the following criteria for choosing a problem for
research:

A. External Criteria

1. Novelty – the practical value of the problem due to its newness to the field of
inquiry

2. Availability of subjects – the existence of people with the capability and

willingness to participate in the study; the sample of the study participants must
be representative enough to ensure reliability and validity of results.

3. Administrative support – sponsorship by a professional organization or

academic institution, to cover the cost of the study; permission of those
concerned for the participation in the study of staff members, children, the aged,
and the mentally retarded.

4. Facilities and equipment – the availability and adequacy of special equipment

and facilities (e.g. computers, telephones, etc.) for use in undertaking the
research.

5. Ethical considerations – avoidance of research problems that pose unethical

demands on the part of the study participants
B. Internal Criteria

1. Experience, training and professional qualifications – knowledge and expertise

as a result of experience constitute the researcher’s tools for coping with the
demands of research.

2. Motivation, interest, intellectual curiosity and perceptiveness of the researcher

– the personal motive behind doing research, as cited by scientists, is pure
curiosity, along with the genuine interest and the anticipated satisfaction or
enjoyment in completing research tasks.

3.Time factor – studies must be pursued in the given time frame.

4. Costs and returns – research is an expensive undertaking. The amount of

funding needed, of course, depends on the size of the example, the place where
research is to be conducted and the treatment of data, as well as the research
design.

5. Hazzard, penalties and handicaps – depends upon his/her physical and

intellectual capacity and moral judgement.

The identified problem must of course be significant to nursing. The degree

course, or major of the student must be the primary consideration in the final selection
of the problem. A study to conducted by a nursing student must, of course, be relevant
to him and to the nursing course.

A student must choose a research problem that he can manage, i.e., he/she
must know whether he/she has the necessary skills to pursue the study. Undergraduate
students must avoid problems that are too complicated for them to handle, in the same
way that graduate students must choose topics that suit their level. There are problems
that require the technical expertise of a nurse, doctor of any other healthcare
practitioner. Students must, therefore, focus on problems that are simpler yet beneficial
to nursing practice.

The feasibility of a research study is a very important consideration. The time

needed to conduct the study must be measured and its setting defined and located. The
researcher must have ready access to the subjects he/she intends to study. The entire
cost of the study must be estimated – travel expenses when meeting with respondents,
purchase of instruments to be used, expenses incurred in encoding the results, etc.

External support is also an essential element to look at in determining whether a

research is feasible or not. Is the instructor or adviser available for inquiry when conflicts
arise in the conduct of research? Are professionals in the field accommodating – do
they lend a hand when asked for technical assistance in finishing the paper?
 The newness and freshness of the topic must also be assessed. A review of
literature and studies ensures that there are no solutions yet to the proposed problem,
thus the need to pursue the study.

Reference:

Cristobal, A. & Cristobal, M.C., (2009). Guide in research writing: Preparing the

nursing thesis proposal. C & E Publishing, Inc.

Now that you know how to commence your task of writing your thesis paper, it is
rudimentary that you understand the significance of essential questions in your research
endeavor. Please find time to read the tasks on essential questions. In that assignment,
you are provided with links to help you better understand what Essential Questions are,
as well as examples of essential questions using the TIRE format, Topic, Issue,
Research Question and Essential Questions.