DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

Identifying the Area of Inquiry

Choosing a topic is a daunting task. Out of many research paper topics and several areas of interest that
might be appealing to you, it is important that you pick out a relevant and valuable topic in the field of
your choice. The ability to choose a topic is an essential skill to start a good research paper. You must
maximize the resources that you have in starting out with choosing your topic. Here are some of the steps
that you may follow:

Brainstorm for ideas

When brainstorming for ideas, it is much more advisable to investigate topics that interest you. However,
it is also helpful that you get to focus on your field at the very beginning to see the current issues and
trends that surround it as well. With brainstorming, you get to narrow down the topics that you are mostly
interested in and look at other perspectives that might be related to it. Remember that your topic must be
specific and focused.

Read, read, and read

Once you have narrowed down your topics, you need to make sure that there are resources about your
topic. At this stage, you can have a preview of the possible availability of related literature for your topic
options. The use of keywords and concepts related to your brainstormed topics may also help at this point
as it is also important to explore different sources, such as books, journals, articles, and the internet. These
keywords may also be of use for the latter part of research.

Make your matrix

Collating your possible literature anchored on your topics may also be helpful during the start of choosing
your topic. When reading different resources, such as previous research studies, you may look into the
research gaps. Research gaps are areas of the study that remain unanswered, Hence, the possible areas
of inquiry that remain unanswered by previous research may be an avenue for you to research about. It
prevents the replication of the exact topics that were already studied before. Thus, getting over the “so
what” question.

Tip

Research gaps are helpful in exploring for potential research topics. For
instance, you may look into the recommendations to future researchers in
previous research studies. It is also useful to review the scope of the study
to help you identify possible research gaps.

Describe your topic of interest briefly

Analyze what angle of the topic you are really interested in. Know the value of the research topic to focus
on the perspective why the study is relevant in the field of knowledge you plan to concentrate in. Describing
your topic briefly may give you an overview if the topic is feasible to be researched about.

Formulate your working title

Formulating your working title is important at this stage because it focuses on the direction of your study.
Your topics are what you want to study about as well as its meaning and purpose. By formulating your
working title, you may also determine what may cause change and what may change. You may be able to
have a preview of the possible dynamics of the variables within your research. You may also have to be
flexible at this point since the working title may change as the research writing also progresses.

Read again

Again, it is a must to check the availability of the literature on your chosen topic. It is mostly common to
have your topic be modified again and again throughout the research process. Modification may still
include changing the topic itself, the variables and others as there is some information you may find that
may be too much or too little when it comes to the availability of the literature. This emphasizes the
importance of reading. As a researcher, you have to be able to manage this if the need for any form of
modification arises.

How do you think variables are related with the range

of topics in the area of inquiry?

Designing a Research Useful in Daily Life

There are so many possibilities on what research topics to research on. Writing something that
you are interested in may not always be the easiest topic to write about. There would also be
some topics that may be a current issue but there might be very limited resources that could
support your study. Thus, there are many things to keep in mind when writing a research. It is up
to you to decide on what interests you and what you view as relevant and present in your specific
field of specialization. The following are topics in different fields that may be used in research
writing:

Education
Grit, inclusive education, teaching strategies, 21st century learning, homeschooling, motivation

Social Sciences

Discrimination, equality in the electorate, stereotyping, patriotic sentiments, migration, juvenile

delinquency

Humanities

Taboos, symbolisms in art, folklore, film aesthetics, indigenous cultures, religious influences

Health Science

Homeopathy, tolerance, vaccination, stress, mental health, global health security

Accounting

Accounting systems, forensic accounting, collusion in auditing, tax minimization, accounting practices for
online businesses, financial markets

Business and Management

Green marketing, online shops, working environment, marketing strategies, budgeting strategies,
leadership styles

Environmental and Earth Science

Marine pollution, genetics, conservation, recycling, sustainability, soil contamination, environmental

ethics

Guide

To guide you in identifying possible specific research topics from a pool of general topics of inquiry, you
can ask the following questions:

● How could I expand these topics?

● What related areas could I investigate?

● What keywords could I use when searching for information on these topics?

Wrap Up
_________________________________________________________________________

● Areas of inquiry are explored in the early phase of writing the research.
● Identifying the areas of inquiry is a vital stage in research writing. It follows certain
steps that will help you get an overview of what the research will be about
 and determine its purpose in a specific area of knowledge.
● Mastering the skill of finding a good research topic is very helpful not just in
the nature of quantitative research but also in qualitative research as
well.

WRITING A RESEARCH TITLE

A research title is the first thing you see when reading a research paper. It summarizes the content of the
study in a concise manner. It is important to ensure that the research title reflects the contents of the
study as it also helps in differentiating the study from others.

Characteristics of a Well-Structured Research Title

Knowing the characteristics of a well-structured research title can have a big impact on one’s writing. The
following are characteristics of well-structured research titles:

● Focused and direct - Well-structured research titles include the variables and the field of inquiry
of the study. Placing these elements in the research title gives focus and direction and provides an initial
idea of the content of the study.

● Formal - Research titles must be written in a formal tone and must not contain abbreviations,
jargon, or colloquial terms unless these terms are the main focus of the study. For example, a research
study on colloquial terms within a particular group in society would require a research title that includes
these terms. However, in general, the research title should be understood even by readers who are not
experts in the field. The use of highly specific terms can deter readers from being interested in the study.

● Brief but substantial - Research titles must be kept short. An acceptable research title is composed
of 16 words or fewer. To keep the title brief but substantial, make sure to include only the most essential
information.

● Clear - Research titles should be unambiguous and clear. Clear research titles benefit

those who are new to the field of inquiry. It also helps readers who are looking for studies that can
supplement their existing references.

● Proper grammar and capitalization - The research title must observe proper

grammar and capitalization. The first letter of every word of the research title is capitalized except for
articles (e.g., a/an/the), coordinating conjunctions (e.g., for/and/nor/but/or/yet/so), or prepositions (e.g.,
at/in/on/by/along/for/from/of/with). Articles, such as a/an/the, are only capitalized if they are the first
word of the research title.
Guidelines in Writing Research Titles

Writing a research title entails following certain guidelines for a more coherent and organized outcome.
Here are some general guidelines to remember in writing a research title:

● Have an initial list of sources - Having plenty of available sources for the study can

help in finalizing the research topic and formulating the research title. This initial list of sources can help
strengthen the basis of the research paper. Moreover, this process of acquiring an initial list of sources
enables the researcher to keep track of helpful references that may be used in the process of completing
the research paper.

● Finalize the topic of choice - Remember that the research title reflects the subject

of the study in the fewest possible words. The research title holds the study together, and it provides the
first impression of the research study.

In formulating a research title, the final topic and variables of the study must have already been clearly
identified. The finalization of the topic can be supported by gathering related references on the topic.

● Write an outline - An outline can help in the organization of ideas and flow of the

discussion. In writing a research title, an initial outline can highlight important variables that need to be
visible in the title. Writing an outline can also be supported by related references on the topic.

● Draft the research title - A working research title is ready once the researcher has a

final topic, clear variables, and an initial outline of discussion. It is important to remember that a
researcher must be flexible in formulating a research title because it is normal for a research title to
undergo revisions as the study progresses.

Steps in Writing a Good Research Title

Following the discussion on the guidelines in writing a research title, the following are the suggested steps
on how to begin drafting a good research title:

1. Put the details of the research into segments. The process of segmenting the details of the
research study is helpful in determining and organizing important information. A way to segment the
details of the research is to ask yourself several questions about the paper. This will help determine
important information about the topic, which should be reflected in your research title.

Examples of important questions include:

● What is the primary objective of your research?

- The primary objective of the research is to know whether listening to classical music helps
students in improving their memorization skills.

● What are the variables of the study?

- Independent variable: classical music

- Dependent variable: memorization skills

● What method will I use in the study? How will I measure my variables?

- I plan on performing an experiment.

● Who will be the respondents of the study?

- Engineering students from XYZ University

2. Make a list of keywords based on the segments of the research details.

● Example of keywords: listening to classical music, improving memorization, experiment,

engineering students from XYZ university

3. Draft sentences that contain the keywords. In drafting sentences that contain the keywords, be
mindful of the length of the sentence.

● Example of a sentence containing the keywords: The study will conduct an experiment to test
whether listening to classical music helps engineering students from XYZ University improve their
memorization skills (23 words).

4. Formulate your research title. The preceding guidelines and steps can help in the formulation of
a research title. In addition to these guidelines, the researcher may also seek advice from mentors and
consult related literature on the most appropriate title for the topic of choice.

● Examples of possible research titles on the same topic:

1. An Experimental Research on the Effects of Classical Music to the Improvement of Memorization

Skills of Engineering Students of XYZ University (21 words)

2. Effects of Classical Music to the Memorization Skills of Engineering Students of XYZ University: A
Research Experiment (17 words)

3. The Effects of Classical Music to the Memorization Skills of Engineering Students in XYZ University
(14 words)

Revise your research title as much as you need to throughout the

writing process as long as the title still reflects the main topic of the
paper.
Wrap Up

_____________________________________________________________________________________

● A research title provides a summary of the whole scope of the research in a few words.

● A well-written research title has the following characteristics: focused and direct, formal, brief but
substantial, clear, and proper grammar and capitalization.

● Researchers can follow the general guidelines in writing a research title such as having a finalized
topic, an initial list of sources, and an outline.