CHAPTER 3: SELECTING A PROBLEM &

PREVIEWING THE RESEARCH

1. Selecting a problem
 Choose an area of your interests
 Be ready to accept change
 Do something that is doable
 Do something that is worth doing
2. Define your interests
 Personal experiences and firsthand knowledge
 The literature
 Link the experiences and the literature
 Talk to your adviser
 Use ideas from the limitations and/or Future’s studies sections in articles
 The gap, also considered the missing piece or pieces in the research
literature, is the area that has not yet been explored or is under-
explored. This could be a population or sample (size, type, location,
etc.), research method, data collection and/or analysis, or other
research variables or conditions.
 It is important to keep in mind; however, that just because you
identify a gap in the research, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your
research question is worthy of exploration. You will want to make
sure that your research will have valuable practical and/or theoretical
implications.
3. From idea to research question (RQ)
 Ideas are full of those products of luxurious thinking: beliefs, conceptions,
suppositions, assumptions, what if, guesses, and more.
 Research questions are the articulation, best done in writing, of those ideas
that at the least imply a relationship between variables.
4. A research question
 F – feasible: can be answered under objective aspects like time, scope,
available resources, ability to collect data, or funding.
 I – interesting: is not only to the researcher but also to community
 N – novel: brings new insights to the field of study you are investigating
and may confirm or extend previous findings on the topic you are
researching.
  E – ethical: must be something that review boards and the appropriate
authorities will approve.
 R – relevant: should be relevant to the scientific community and people
involved in your area of study; should also be relevant to the public’s
interest.
5. Writing Research Questions
 The question is feasible (i.e., it can be investigated without expending an
undue amount of time, enerygy, or money).
 The question is clear (i.e., most people would agree as to what the key
words in the question mean)
 The question is significant (i.e., it is worth investigating because it will
contribute important knowledge about the human condition; make a
contribution to educational theory or practice. The problem may fill in gaps
in current knowledge or help resolve some of the inconsistencies in
previous research.)
 The question is ethical (i.e., it will not involve physical or psychological
harm or damage to human beings or to the natural or social environment of
which they are a part).
6. Tips to write research questions
 Quantitative research questions: begin with how, what, why
o Descriptive research questions
 How much fast food fo Americans consume per week?
 What factors positively impact employee turnover rates of
hourly workers?
 Why do Asian-American students outscore other student
groups on AP Calculus Exams?
o Relationship-based research questions
 How does [independent variable] relate to [dependent
variable] for [participants]?
 “What is the relationship” between or amongst independent
and dependent variables, amongst or between two or more
groups?
E.g:
 How does quarterly sales volume relate to emplyee morale for
Hispanic-American hourly workers?
 What is the relationship between age and fast food preference
in Australia?
o Comparative research questions
 The question asks the respondents, “what is the difference” a
dependent variable between two or more groups”
 E.g:
 What is the difference in time spent on video games between
people aged 12 to 17 and 18 to 25?
 What is the difference in attitude toward rock music between
Gen-Z and Millenials?
 Is there any significant difference in the satisfaction level
between software A and software B?
 Qualitative research questions: begin with “How” or “What” and avoid
“Why” (this is a quantitative term that implies cause and effect)
 What is [the central phenomenon] of/for [participants] at/in
[research site]?
E.g:
 What is the role of store managers in employee satisfaction of
hourly workers at Stapies?
 What is the process of the curriculum committee in making
decisions about courses?
 How does a President’s leadership style impact employee
engagement at Saint Leo’s University?
7. Form idea to research question to hypothesis
 A well-written hypothesis:
o is stated in declarative form
o posits a relationship between variables
o reflects a theory or body of literature upon which it is based
o is brief and to the point
o is testable
 4 main objectives:
 Survey the lit in your chosen area of study
 Synthesize the info in that lit into a summary
 Critically analyze the infro gathered by identifying gaps in current
knowledge
 By showing limitations of theories and points of view
 By formulating areas for further research
 Present the lit in an organized way
 Chronological (by date)
 Broad-to-specific
 Major models or major theories
 Prominent authors
 Contrasting schools of thought
 Reviewing the Literature:
  Objectivity:
 What is the intended purpose of the information?
 Is the information facts or opinions?
 Is the information biased?
 Currency:
 When was the information published?
 Is the information current or out-dated?
 Does currency matter in this topic?
 Coverage:
 Does the information covered meet your information needs?
 Does it provide basic or in depth coverage?
 Ethics in Research:
 Protection from harm: doing NO harm
 Must be prevented from physical or psychological harm
 Involved in any significant risks => then the experiment
SHOULD NOT be approved
 Maintenance of privacy: anonymity
 Being anonymous within a research contrast
 Use a single master sheet which contains both the names of the
participants and their participant number
 Use numbers in scoring sheets, code sheets, or other testing
materials
 Keep names and numbers in a secure place out of the public eye
 Don’t invade another’s private space to observe behavior and
collect data
 Voluntary participants: do not force people to participate
 People SHOULDN’T be forced, for whatever reason into
participant in study
 Informed consent: let the participants know the nature of the
research
 To ensure ethical behavior
 The researcher has to use the informed consent form or letter to
inform, not to force
 Confidentiality: keep the data in strict control
 Disguise information when necessary
 Keep data in secret
 To minimize the number of people who see or handle the data
 Debriefing: let the participants know the results
 Talk to participants immediately following the session
  Or send a newsletter telling them the general intent and results of
the study
 Sharing benefits: evey participants should receive the treatment, its it
is beneficial
 All direct participants in the experiment should benefit equally.