Subject

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Matter of
the Inquiry or
Research
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What is the Subject Matter of the
Inquiry of Research?

You begin your research work with a problem; that is having a

problem or topic to work on.
 The topic is researchable if the knowledge and information
about it are supported with evidence that is observable,
factual, and logical.
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Why guidelines in choosing a
Research Topic is important?

The research process is more relevant if you care about your

topic. Narrow your topic to something manageable. If your
topic is too broad, you will find too much information and not
be able to focus.
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Guidelines in choosing a Research Topic

• Interest in the subject matter

 Your interest in the topic may be caused by your rich
background knowledge about it. Being curious about a
subject makes you determined to unravel the mystery
behind it.
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• Availability of information
 Collecting a lot of information as evidence to support your
claims about your subject matter is a part of any research
work.

 • Timeliness and relevance of the topic

 The topic is relevant if it yields results that are instrumental

and societal improvement. It is timely if it is related to the
present, unless it is a pure or historical research.
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• Limitations on the subject

 This makes you link with your choosing with course requirements.
In this case, you have no freedom to choose your topic based on
your interest, but has to decide on one topic to finish your course.

 • Personal resources

 Before sticking fully to your final choice, assess your research

abilities in terms of your financial standing, health condition,
mental capacity, needed facilities and time allotment to enable you
to complete your research.
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Why do we need to avoid some research topics?

 Topics that are very technical are difficult to write about
unless you are an expert in the subject. Even then, it’s easy
to accidentally misrepresent detailed data. Technical topics
also run the risk of losing the audience in the details if
readers are not in your specific field.
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Research Topics to be Avoided

• Controversial topics
 These are topics that depend greatly on the writers which
may tend to be biased or facts cannot support topics like
these.

 • Highly technical subjects

 For a beginner, researching on topics that an advanced

study, technical knowledge, vast experience is a difficult
task.
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• Hard-to-investigate subjects
 A subject is hard to investigate if there are available reading
materials about it and if such materials are not up-to-date.

 • Too broad subjects

 Topics that are too broad will prevent you from giving a
concentrated or an in-depth analysis of subject matter of the
paper.

 • Too narrow subjects

 These subjects are so limited or specific that an thorough

searching or reading for information about these is necessary.
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• Vague subjects
 Choosing a topic like these will prevent you from having a
clear focus on paper. For some instance, titles beginning
with indefinite adjectives such as several, many, etc., as in
“Some remarkable traits of a” or “Several people’s
comments on the RH is vague enough to decrease the
readers’ interests and curiosity.

 Why do we need resources for research topic?

 It is necessary for you to know where a good research topic

may come from. Knowing some sources of probable
research topics could hasten your choosing.
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Sources of Research Topic

 Mass Media communication – press (newspapers, ads, TV,

radio, films, etc.)

 • Books, Internet, peer-reviewed journals, government

publications.

 • Professional periodicals like College English Language

Teaching Forum, English Forum, Economist, Academia,
Business Circle, Law, Review, etc.
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• General Periodicals such as Readers’ Digest, Women’s

Magazine, Panorama Magazine, Time Magazine, World Mission
Magazine, etc.
 • Previous reading assignments in your other subjects.

 • Work Experience – clues to a researchable topic from full-

time to part-time jobs, OJT (on the job training) experience,
fieldwork, etc.