Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
1. Relevance, either to the work of the funding body or to the student’s course.
2. The research is unique, or offers new insight or development.
3. The title, aims and objectives are all clear and succinct.
4. Comprehensive and thorough background research and literature review has
been undertaken.
5. There is a good match between the issues to be addressed and the approach
being adopted.
6. The researcher demonstrates relevant background knowledge and/or
experience.
7. Timetable, resources and budget have all been worked out thoroughly, with most
eventualities covered.
8. Useful policy and practice implications.
PROBLEM
any significant, perplexing and challenging situation, real or artificial, the solution
of which requires reflective thinking
a perplexing situation after it has been translated into a question or series of
questions that help the direction of subsequent inquiry
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Elements of a Research Problem
Aim or purpose of the problem for investigation. This answers the question “Why?”
Why is there an investigation, inquiry or study?
The subject matter or topic to be investigated. This answers the question “What?”
What is to be investigated or studied?
The place or locale where the research is to be conducted. This answers the question
“Where?”
Where is the study to be conducted?
The period or time of the study during which the data are to be gathered. This answers
the question “When?”
When is the study to be carried out?
Population or universe from whom the data are to be collected. This answers the
question “Who?” “From whom?”
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
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Sources of Research Problem
Interesting
Innovative
Cost-effective
Relevant to the needs and problems of the people
Relevant to government’s thrusts
Measurable and time-bound
Chapter I – Introduction
Chapter II – Review of Related Literature
Chapter III – Technical Background
Chapter I – Introduction
1. Project Context
2. Purpose and Description of the Project
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3. Objectives of the Project
4. Scope and Limitations of the Project
Project Context
(must be at least 2 pages of presentation and discussions of…)
The proponent should introduce the presentation of the problem, that is, what is the
problem is all about. The proponent should describe the existing and prevailing problem
situation based on his or her experience. This scope may be global, national, or regional
and local.
1. The proponent should give strong justification for selecting such research
problem in his/her capacity as a researcher. Being part of the organization or
systems and the desire and concern to improve the systems.
2. The researcher state a sentence or two that would show the link and relationship
of the rationale of the study to the proposed research problem.
Start with the General Objective which is very parallel to the project title.
Explode the general objective into Specific
Objectives that will help realize the proposed study.
Objectives should be SMART
Think the project scope as a box. High-level scope defines the sides of the box
and separates what is relevant to your project from what is irrelevant.
The scope refers to the work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product,
service, or result with the specified features and functions.
The scope explains the nature, coverage, and time frame of the study
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The limitation, on the other hand, explains all that are NOT included in your
project.
In other words, the scope of the project gives an overview all the deliverables
(i.e. the things that your project gives/delivers), and the tools and
technologies used that will be used in the project development while the
limitations of the project are the boundaries of the project (i.e. areas / things
that are out of scope).
Related Literature
Is composed of discussions of facts and principles to which the present study is related.
For instance, if the present study deals with drug addiction, literature to be reviewed or
surveyed should be composed of materials that deal with drug addiction.
These materials are usually printed and found in books, encyclopedias, professional
journals, magazines, newspapers, and other publications.
Related Studies
Reviewed literature and studies help or guide the researcher in the following ways:
1. They help or guide the researcher in searching for or selecting a better research
problem or topic. By reviewing related materials, a replication of a similar
problem may be found better than the problem already chosen. Replication is the
study of research problem already conducted but in another place.
2. They help the investigator understand his topic for research better. Reviewing
related literature and studies may clarify vague points about his problem.
3. They ensure that there will be no duplication of other studies. There is duplication
if an investigation already made is conducted again in the same locale using
practically the same respondents. This is avoided if a survey of related literature
and studies be made first.
4. They help and guide the researcher in locating more sources of related
information. This is because the bibliography of a study already conducted
indicates references about similar studies.
5. They help and guide the researcher in making his research design especially in:
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6. They help and guide the researcher in making comparison between his findings
of other researchers on similar studies with the end in view of formulating
generalization or principles which are the contributions of the study to fund of
knowledge.
There are certain characteristics of related materials that make them of true value.
Among these characteristics are:
There are exceptions, however. Treatises that deal on universals or things of more or
less permanent nature may be still be good today. There are mathematical laws and
formulas and statistical procedures that had been formulated a long, long time ago
which are being use today with very, very little improvement. This is also true with
natural and physical laws. Books on these, though written a long time ago, are still
being cited today.
Materials reviewed must be objective and unbiased. Some materials are extremely
or subtly one sided, political, or religious, etc. Comparison with these materials cannot
be made logically and validity. Distorted generalizations may result.
Materials surveyed must be relevant to the study. Only materials that have some
bearing or similarity to the research problem at hand should be reviewed.
Surveyed materials must have been based upon genuinely original and true facts
or data to make them valid and reliable. There are cases where fictitious data are
supplied just to complete a research report (thesis or dissertation). Of course, this kind
of deception is hard to detect and to prove. Thus, this is a real problem to honest
researchers.
Reviewed materials must not be few or too many. They must only be sufficient
enough to give insight into the research problem or to indicate the nature of the present
investigation. They may also depend upon the availability of related materials.
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Sometimes there is a paucity of such materials. Ordinarily, form ten to fifteen related
materials re needed for a master`s thesis and from fifteen to twenty-five for a doctoral
dissertation depending their availability, as well as their depth and length of discussions.
For an undergraduate thesis, from five to ten may do. The numbers, however, are only
suggestive and not imperative nor mandatory. These are only the average numbers
observed from theses and dissertation surveyed by this author.
The sources of related literature and studies may include the following:
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FRAMEWORK
CONCEPT
CONSTRUCT
VARIABLES
These signify a more concrete level and are narrow in their definitions.
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
This consists of concepts that are placed within a logical and sequential design.
represents less formal structure and used for studies in which existing theory is
inapplicable or insufficient
based on specific concepts and propositions, derived from empirical observation
and intuition.• may deduce theories from a conceptual framework.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The theory provides a point of focus for attacking the unknown in a specific area.
Theories are purposely created and formulated, never discovered; they can be tested
but never proven.
derived from specific concepts and propositions that are induced or deduced.
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The function of theory in research is to identify the starting point of the research problem
and to establish the vision to which the problem is directed.
It determines and defines the focus and goal of the research problem.
Conceptualization
The process of forming basic ideas, designs, plans or strategies based on given
facts, situations and examples.
Propositions
To test theories
To make research findings meaningful and generalizable
To establish orderly connections between observations and facts.
To predict and control situations
To stimulate research
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Schematic model - conveys concepts and propositions through the use of boxes,
arrows or other symbols.
CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM
a diagram that visually represents and interprets the underlying theory, principles
and concepts of a research
a visual presentation of variables that interrelate with one another as perceived
by the researcher before an actual empirical investigation is done to prove its
relationships
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