APLD 02

English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 Practical Research 1
Self-Learning Guide 3
Subject: APLD 02 – Practical Research 1
Week 3

Subject Description: This course guides students to utilize critical thinking skills to
address problems systematically. This guide and introduces the students to a repertoire of
skills and concepts in the acquisition and utilization in planning and designing to building
theories, choosing research methods and designs, data gathering, and analyzing, and
presenting the final research project. Further, it cultivates and initiates the learners to
become equipped with basic skills in qualitative research and to teach learners to use
these basic skills in making decisions and solving problems you face every day.

Content Standards: The learner demonstrates the understanding of:

1. the range of research topics in the area of inquiry;

2. the value of research in the area of interest; and
3. the specificity and feasibility of the problem posed

Performance Standard: The learner is able to formulate clearly statement of

the research problem.

Learning Outcomes: Upon the completion of this unit, the learners are expected to
formulate the research title, indicate scope & limitations, cite benefits and beneficiaries
and present the statement of the problem.

Competency: Describes the justifications/reasons for conducting the research

CS_RS11-IIIc-e-3

Topics:

A. The Research Topic

B. Writing the Research Title
English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 C. Indicating the Scope & Limitations of the Study
D. Recognizing the Importance of the Study
E. Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem

A. The Research Topic

A research topic is a subject or issue that a researcher is interested in when
conducting research. A well-defined research topic is the starting point of every
successful research project. Choosing a topic is an ongoing process by which researchers
explore, define, and refine their ideas.
A topic may just be described as any random keyword, idea, issue, concept, or anything
else that can eventually be focused on and refined in later context leading to the pursuit for
further research as they are glued together to become a lot less complicated and more
specific.

Characteristics of a Good Research Topic

A research is a comprehensive task and it requires great effort as a researcher on your
part. The first thing that determines the success of your research is your research topic. A
good research topic should have the following qualities.

✔ Clarity is the most important quality of any research topic. The topic should have to be
clear so that others can easily understand the nature of your research. The research
topic should have a single interpretation so that people cannot get distracted. The topic
should have to be very clear in your mind so that you can properly undertake it. The
research topic should have to be free of any ambiguity. Clarity also means that the
research topic should have to be directional and it should set the whole research
methodology.

✔ Well-defined and well-phrased research topic is a half guarantee of a successful

research. Sometimes researchers phrase the research topic in such a way that it gives a
double-barrelled impression. The research topic should have to be well-defined and
well-phrased and it should have to be easy to understand. it should have a single
meaning.

✔ The language of the research topic should have to be simple. You should use technical
terms only when it is necessary, otherwise use simple words so that everyone can
understand it. Keep the ethics of writing in your mind to avoid any unethical term or
sentence. Do not introduce any sort of bias directly or indirectly, willingly or unwillingly in
the research problem or research topic.

English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 ✔ The titling of the research problem should follow the rules of titling. There are various
rules of titling. You can either use a sentence case or a title case but most of the titles
follow title case. Read the rules of titling titles before writing it down.

✔ Current importance should also be the consideration of the researcher while selecting
a research topic. An obsolete topic will not be beneficial for anyone the topic should
have current importance. You should also assess how much the topic will provide
benefit to the field in which you are conducting the study.

B. Writing the Research Title

The research title is always, at first glance, the one thing that captures the reader’s attention
and should be adequate enough to summarize the idea of the whole research. There is no
right or wrong or best way in constructing the Research Title but there are a few things we can
practically consider so as not to be misled.

Characteristics of Good Research Titles

✔ Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study.

✔ Avoid using abbreviations.
✔ Use words that create a positive impression and stimulate reader interest.
✔ Use current nomenclature from the field of study.
✔ Identify key variables, both dependent and independent.
✔ May reveal how the paper will be organized.
✔ Suggest a relationship between variables which supports the major hypothesis.
✔ Is limited to 10 to 15 substantive words.
✔ Do not include "study of," "analysis of" or similar constructions.
✔ Titles are usually in the form of a phrase, but can also be in the form of a question.
✔ Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words and last words capitalized, including
the first word of a subtitle. All nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that appear
between the first and last words of the title are also capitalized.
✔ In academic papers, rarely is a title followed by an exclamation mark. However, a title or
subtitle can be in the form of a question.

English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 WHAT TO DO From among the topic ideas and words that may interest you below,
create a phrase or initial title for your Research. You may add or use any other words from the
ones provided.

Ex: The Socio-Emotional Disconnect Between Teachers and Students in the New Normal

Sustainability Online Validation

Zoom Health Business
Business Generations Likes & Shares
Activities Social Media Deadlines
Learning Coping Positive Publicity
Behavior Consumer Comparison
Tiktok Accounting Home
Competency Emotional Intelligence SHS Students
Facebook Style Assessment
Social Trends Soft Skills Psychology
Self-Management Face Apps New Normal
MELC’s Task Compliance Pandemic Times
Training Exposure Techniques

C. Indicating the Scope & Limitations of the Study

Scope and delimitations are two elements of a research paper or thesis. The scope of a
study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the work and specifies
the parameters within which the study will be operating. For example, let's say
a researcher wants to study the impact of mobile phones on behavior patterns of elementary
school children. However, it is not possible for the researcher to cover every aspect of the topic.

So the scope will have to be narrowed down to a certain section of the target population. In
this case, the scope might be narrowed down to a group of 50 children in grades 3-5 of one
specific school. Their behavior patterns in school may have been observed for a duration of
6 months. These would form the delimitations of the study.

Thus, delimitations are the characteristics that limit the scope and describe the boundaries
of the study, such as the sample size, geographical location or setting in which the study takes
place, population traits, etc. Additionally, the researcher might also choose to use some
research tools and methodologies to collect data but not others. These delimitations might be
imposed for practical reasons, such as lack of time or financial resources to carry out a more
thorough investigation. The delimitation section of the study should explain why specific choices
were made while others were excluded and how this might affect the outcome of the research.
English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 In the example mentioned above, the researcher might state why he/she chose to study a
sample population of 50 students, why he/she selected students from Grades 3-5 and not
grades 1-2, and why he/she chose students of Billabong Elementary Public School over other
schools.

WHAT TO DO
1. Define the scope and delimitations of your study by determining the following:
1.1 Your locale: ______________________________________________________
1.2 Your time frame: ________________________________________________
1.3 Your respondents and the circumstances by which they have been chosen:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

D. Recognizing the Importance of the Study

Significance of the study is written as part of the introduction section of a thesis. It provides
details to the reader on how the study will contribute such as what the study will contribute and
who will benefit from it. It also includes an explanation of the work's importance as well as its
potential benefits.

WHAT TO DO

Identify the groups of people who would benefit from your proposed study and discuss how
they would benefit from such a study.

This study will benefit the following:

________________________________________________________________________
The Students_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The Teachers_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The School_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The Community___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 ________________________________________________________________________

E. Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem

Characteristics of Good Statement of the Problem

✔ The problem can be stated clearly and concisely.

✔ The problem generates research questions.

✔ It is grounded in theory.

✔ It relates to one or more academic fields of study.

✔ It has a base in the research literature.

✔ It has potential significance/importance.

✔ It is do-able within the time frame, budget.

✔ Sufficient data are available or can be obtained.

✔ The researcher’s methodological strengths can be applied to the problem.

✔ The problem is new; it is not already answered sufficiently.

WHAT TO DO

Draft the Statement of the Problem based from what you have formulated from the Target
Practice Activity above.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
This study aims to answer the following questions:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________

English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas
 Online References:
https://methods.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-communication-research-
methods/i12345.xml
http://readingcraze.com/index.php/what-are-the-qualities-of-a-good-research-topic/
https://readingcraze.com/index.php/characteristics-good-research-problem/
https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185911
https://www.editage.com/insights/what-meaning-scope-and-delimitations-study

Submitted by:

RUFELS CHRISTIAN F. CATUBAY, LPT

HANNA VIN W. JUEZAN, LPT

NAPOLEON B. SENTILLAS JR., LPT, MA-LitCom

APPLE JOY L. RUPEREZ, LPT

Reviewed by:

MRS. ANDRESA S. BULAWAN, LPT APPLE JOY RUPEREZ, LPT

Assistant Principal Academic Program Coordinator

Noted by:

BERHN VINCENT C. DOSDOS, LPT

SHS Principal

Approved by:

DR. JUNREL P. ZARCO

Senior High School Principal/ Vice- President for Academic Affairs

English Studies and Other Languages Department (ESOL) ACT – Bulacao SHS Compiled by Teacher Jay B. Sentillas