Research Problem:

Characteristics and Criteria on

Selection

Adam Ray H. Manlunas

MS Science Education (Chemistry)
Mindanao University of Science & Technology
Outline
Source for ideas
Criteria for selecting a research
problem
Delimiting the research problem

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Source for ideas
The problems encountered in your daily
life or profession could be sources for
questions or hypotheses.
◦ experience + observation + needs + interests
= research problem
Read professional literature of your field
systematically.
◦ Suggestions from investigators
◦ Magazines
Perusal of recent convention programs
of your professional organization.

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SOURCE FOR IDEAS

How to locate a researchable problem?

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CRITERIA FOR
SELECTING A
RESEARCH PROBLEM
 Sustained motivation
 Adequate training and personal predilections
 Feasibility
 Importance to your profession

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Criteria for selecting a research problem
Sustainedmotivation
→You should be highly motivated to
embark upon a research study.

◦ Are you really interested in the topic which you

have chosen?
◦ Are you really excited about what you wish to
study?
◦ Will this topic have some practical value in helping
you in your future career?

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 Criteria for selecting a research problem
Adequate training and personal selection →Is
it right in light of your training and personal
preferences?
◦ Do you have enough training to undertake a certain
study?
◦ Research design
◦ Manage most of your research study by yourself.
◦ Which type of research appeals to you?
◦ Historical, descriptive, experimental research…
◦ Observation, interview, questionnaire, test…
◦ Are you impatient to get fairly immediate results or
do you have patience to wait?
◦ How high is your frustration tolerance?

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Criteria for selecting a research problem
Feasibility
→Is it feasible for you?
◦ Do you have sufficient time to carry it out?
◦ Meet the deadlines at your school or job.

◦ Do you have access to subjects?

◦ Available equipment and research tools
◦ Institutional sponsorship and cooperation
◦ Gathering data
◦ The need to protect privacy of individual
◦ A problem may be too complex

◦ Can you offer examples of intriguing and important

problems which seem too difficult to be solved via
research at the present time?
→Not all the problems are researchable!

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Criteria for selecting a research problem
Importance to your profession
→Is it important to your profession?
◦ Is the proposed project of some value to your
profession?
◦ Original study
◦ Make contribution by replicating a study
◦ Does it add to our store of information?
◦ Does it provide fresh insights for some of your
colleagues?
◦ The results may be helpful to guidance counselors.
→Make a contribution to your field!

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DELIMITING THE
RESEARCH PROBLEM
To narrow a general idea down to one
that is manageable by you.

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Delimiting the research problem
The way to accomplish this task:
◦ Read extensively in the literature related to
your field of interest.
◦ Seek assistance from your instructor.
◦ Notice the difference between delimitation
and limitation.
 Delimitation: a planned limitation that the
researcher narrows down.
 Limitation: a weakness in the study which
becomes apparent during or after its
completion.

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Delimiting the research problem
Categories of delimitations:

1.The number of observations, subjects or

cases
2.Time and geographic location
3.The selection of sources (especially in
historical-documentary research)
→It is helpful to narrow down the topic by
telling what the study is not.

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THANK YOU

Q&A

2011/4/13 13