PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

LIMITATION, SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE

STUDY

Limitations are those elements that may limit what you can
say about the results. They are what elements will affect the
ability for your study to generalize the results. Limitations
occur in all types of research and are, for the most part,
outside the researcher’s control given practical constraints,
such as time, funding, and access to populations of interest.
They are threats to the study’s internal and external validity.
In quantitative research, common limitations include the following:

1. Participants dropout
2. Small sample size, low power
3. Non-representative sample
4. Violations of statistical assumptions
5. Non-experimental design, lack of manipulation of variables, lack of controls
6. Potential confounding variables
7. Measures with low (or unknown) reliability or validity
8. Limits of an instrument to measure the construct of interest
9. Data collection method
10. Anything else that might limit the study’s internal or external validity
Scope and Delimitations of the Study

Scope refers to how far the research area has explored and
parameters in with the study will be operating in. Clearly
define what you intend to study as well as what you do not.
Delimitations are those characteristics and details about
your study that may limit the scope or define your specific
boundaries of your particular study. They are the
definitions you set as the boundaries of your own research
study, so delimitations are in your control. Delimitations
are set so that your goals do not become impossibly large
to complete.
Common Examples of Delimitations