Developing a Research

Proposal

Ma. Teresa B. Ballados, PhD

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND
DEFINITION

 What is a Problem?
 Characteristics of a “good” Research Problem
 Sources of Research Problems
 Identification/ Selection of a Research Problem
 Definition of Research Problem
 Justification of the Study
WHAT IS A RESEARCH
PROBLEM?
 Thisis the FIRST and MOST
IMPORTANT step in the
research process.

 Ittells you what you intend to

study.
 In doing research, the first thing a researcher does is identify and
clearly define the problem to be studied.
 If the researcher cannot pinpoint a problem, he/she cannot
expect others to understand what problems he wants to solve
 Initially, a research problem is stated in a form of a question,
which serves as the focus of the investigation.
 Every research starts with a PROBLEM
Without a PROBLEM……. No need for RESEARCH

 A feeling of difficulty
 For Researchers:
-Conditions they want to improve
-Difficulties they want to eliminate
-Questions for which they want
answers
-Information gaps they wish to
inquire about
-Theories they wish to validate
 Three sources usually contribute to
problem identification:

 Own experience or the experience of others may be a

source of problem supply. 
A second source could be scientific literature.  You
may read about certain findings and notice that a
certain field was not covered.  This could lead to a
research problem. 
 Theories could be a third source.  Shortcomings in
theories could be researched.
The MORE SPECIFIC and CLEAR your problem is, the
BETTER,

as everything that follows in the research process is

greatly influenced by the way
in which you formulate it.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND
DEFINITION
 Describe the Problem Situation -
What is?
Present facts/figures from
documents, records, literature,
experience, and observation.

 Describe the ideal/expected

situation - What should be?
What is right, good, preferred,
recommended. Present facts,
resolutions, rules, standards,
laws, etc.
Discrepancy? State possible reasons for the
discrepancy
 Present related literature
 What is known about the Problem?
 What has been tried?
 What were the results?
 Identify unanswered questions
PROBLEM JUSTIFICATION

 Guide questions in problem justification:

 Is the problem current and is it timely to study it?
 Is the problem related to an on-going programs
and activities?
 Is it related to current business or economic
issues?
 Who are concerned about the problem?
PROBLEM DEFINITION
 A research problem must be defined in terms of its:

 A. OCCURRENCE
Does the problem really exist?
What is known about the problem?
Why does the problem exist?
 B. INTENSITY
Is the problem serious?
Who are affected by the problem?
How many are affected?
What are happening to the people affected?
 C. DISTRIBUTION
What areas are affected?
Is the problem widespread?
How often does it occur?
Things to Remember When Defining a Research
Problem

 First review relevant literature and previous studies on

the problem,
 Examine current available data/statistics,
 Seek educated opinions from persons concerned with the
problem.
 Determine the probable reasons for the existence of the
problem from social, economic, or business/management
theories that may explain the existence of the problem
and the possible connection between the problem and
other factors.
Characteristics of a Good Research
Problem
 1. A research problem must be relevant.
a.  Will answers to the research question/s
help advance knowledge?
b.  Can answers to the research question/s
help in improving business/human
practices/behavior/ performance?
c.  Will answers to the research problem
improve business or human conditions?
 2. A Research problem must be
feasible.
 A research problem can only be
investigated if resources like time,
money, and personnel are available. A
research problem may be relevant, but if
funds are not available and there are no
skilled researchers or tools for data
gathering, then it would not be feasible
to conduct it. Researchers must,
therefore be sure of the availability of
funds and human resources, as well as
appropriate tools/devices needed in the
conduct of the study.
It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to evaluate the
research problem in the light of the following:

 a. Financial resource at your disposal.

 b. The time available for the study.
 c. Your expertise and knowledge in the field of
study.
 d. Your knowledge of statistics required for
analysis.
 e. Your knowledge of computers and software if
you plan to use them.
Considerations in Selecting a Research
Topic:
 When selecting a research problem there are a number
of considerations to keep in mind. These help ensure
that your study will be MANAGEABLE and that you will
be motivated.
 INTEREST. Select a topic that really interests you; this
is one of the most important considerations.
 MAGNITUDE. Narrow the topic down to something
manageable, specific and clear. It is extremely
important to select a topic that you can manage
within the time and resources at your disposal.
MEASUREMENT OF CONCEPTS:
 If you are using a concept in your study, make sure you are
clear about its indicators and their measurement.
 A. LEVEL OF EXPERTISE
 Make sure you have an adequate level of expertise for the
task you are proposing.
 B. AVAILABILITY OF DATA
 If your study entails collection of information from
secondary sources (office records, client records, census, etc.)
make sure that these data are available and in the format you
want before finalizing your topic.
 3. A research problem must be clear.

 Theresearch problem must be clearly stated so

that what is being investigated is made clear.
 Themajor variable/s of the study should be
measurable and should be specified in the
problem statement.
 The use of ambiguous terms must be avoided.
4. A research problem must be
ethical.
 The conduct of the study should not pose any
danger, embarrassment, hurt or any risk to
the research respondents or subjects or any
one.
 Information needed to answer the research
questions can be collected without violating
the rights of the source/s of information.
 They should be informed about the purpose of
the study and be given the right to consent or
refuse to participate in the study.
Research Title
 Guidelines in Formulating a Research Title

1. The title of a research is not a complete

sentence, it is usually a phrase.
2. The title should reflect the content of the study.
3. The title needs to be very specific in nature. It
should clearly identify the variables to be
investigated.
4. Use appropriate terms in the title.
5. Good titles should not exceed 14 words.
6. The title should be interestingly stimulating.
7. The title should not be conclusive or bias.
8. The use of Word Combination and Acronym
in the title is accepted.
9. The title is written as much as possible in
one line; when more than one line, it follows
the inverted pyramid form.
Financial Performance of Business Process
Outsourcing (BPO) Companies
Background of the Study
 Background of the Study

 This part of the study discusses the current state or

conditions of the issue being investigated and support with
literature (global, national, local)
 The gap in the literature that needs to be identified is also
presented.
 The rationale for conducting the study and the usefulness
of the study is also discussed.
 Maximum of 2 pages
Research Objectives
 Research Objective

 It refers to the statements of purpose for which the

investigation is to be conducted.
 It describes the aims or goals which are expected to be
attained at the end of research process; the research
problem is the initiating reason for the study, the research
objective should be anchored or based on it.
 Types of Research Objective

1. General Objective – a broad statement of purpose which used

abstract and non-measurable concepts.
Example: Research Title: Gender Responsiveness and Its Influence
on Economic Performance of State Universities and Colleges
(SUC's)

This study aims to assess the gender-responsiveness and its

influence on economic performance of State Universities and
Colleges (SUC's) in Negros Occidental.

2. Specific Objective –statement of purpose which uses well-defined

and measurable concepts; the formulation of which should be
based on and logically flow from the general objective.
 Specifically, this study will answer the following questions:
1. What is the level of management gender-responsiveness in terms in terms of:
a. human capital; and
b. decent work
as a whole and when grouped according to types of SUCs?
2. What is the extent of the influence of management gender-responsiveness on
the economic performance in terms of:
a. improvement in income;
b. reduction in cost;
c. employment generation; and
d. encouraged investment
as a whole and when the SUC are grouped according to types?
3. Is there a significant difference in the level of management gender-
responsiveness in terms of human capital and decent work when participants
are grouped according to type of SUCs?

4.. Is there a significant difference in the extent of the influence of

management gender-responsiveness on the economic performance in terms of
improvement in income, reduction in cost, employment generation, and
encouraged investment when participants are grouped according to type of
SUCs?
 5. Is there a significant relationship between management gender-
responsiveness and its influence on the economic performance in
SUC’s?
Statistics Tool: PPM or Pearson (parametric); Spearman Rho (chi-
square) or Kendall’s tau-b (non-parametrics)

6. Is gender responsiveness a predictor of economic performance?

Statistical Tool: Simple Regression
7. Do profile variables of the participants predict gender responsiveness?
Statistical Tool: Multiple Regression
 Classification of Objectives Based on
Analytical Procedure/Scheme

1. Descriptive – does not require hypothesis

2. Comparative/Relational – requires hypothesis

Hypotheses
 Hypothesis

 It is a statement of what one expects to find; a statement to

be proven.
 It is an initial answer to the research questions.
 It is an expected relationship between variables.
 It is a common sense statement.
 Guidelines in Formulating Research Hypothesis

1. It should always be in declarative form.

2. The number of hypothesis depends on the number of
research objectives which are comparative and
relational in nature.
3. There maybe objectives that need not have a
hypothesis (descriptive in nature).
4. It may be in null or alternative form.
 Hypotheses

 Examples:
The following hypotheses are advanced:
1. There is no significant difference in the level of management
gender-responsiveness in terms of human capital and decent work
by SUC's.
2. There is no significant difference in the extent of the influence of
management gender-responsiveness on the economic
performance in terms of improvement in income, reduction in
cost, employment generation, and encouraged investment by
SUC's.
3. There is no significant relationship between management gender-
responsiveness and its influence on the promotion of gender
equality and economic performance in SUC's.
6. Is gender responsiveness a predictor of economic performance?
Statistical Tool: Simple Regression
Hypothesis: Gender responsiveness is not a predictor of economic performance?

7. Do profile variables of the participants predict gender responsiveness?

Statistical Tool: Multiple Regression
Hypothesis: Profile variables of the participants do not predict gender
responsiveness.
Research Framework
 Theoretical Framework
 The theoretical framework shapes the justification f the
research problem/research objectives in order to provide the
legal basis for defining its parameter. It is describe for an
investigator to identify key concepts that are used in the study
for better understanding of the role of theory in research.
 Identify the theory, discuss according to literature and relate to
the study

 Example: Feminist Economic (FE) Theory

 Conceptual Framework

 The conceptual framework presents specific and well-

defined concepts in which are called constructs. Its
function is similar with theoretical framework because the
constructs used are derived from abstract concepts of the
theoretical framework.
 This section describes the relationship of the variables of
the study as reflected in the schematic diagram
Profile of the Participants: Gender Equality:
Gender Responsiveness: • Human development
• Age • Voice and decision-
• Human Capital
making
• Sex • Economic development
• Decent Work
• Educational Attainment
Proposed Gender and
• Civil Status Development Program

Economic Performance:
• Improvement in income
• Reduction in cost
Scope and Limitations
 Scope and Limitation of the Study
 Scope identifies the boundaries in terms of time, location and
samples, subjects and the limitations which are beyond the
control of the researcher.
 To be more specific, the scope defines clearly the what, who,
where and when of the study and will not go beyond that.
 Includes the following:
 the coverage of the study
 the subjects/ respondents
 the research instruments
 the research issues and concerns
 the duration of the study
 the constraints that have direct bearing on the results of the study
 The following phrases maybe used:

This study is focused on …..

This study is limited to….
The coverage of this study…..
The investigation is concerned on…..
The researcher limited this study to ….
The study does not seek to include….
Significance of the Study
 Significance of the Study

 The investigator expresses the value of the problem to

be undertaken.
 It is where the significant contributions maybe viewed
from the point of the target beneficiaries.
 Mention the sectors/individuals that will be benefited
by the study
What should be included in the significance of the
study?

1. The rationale , timeliness and relevance of the study to

existing conditions/situations covered by investigation.
2. What motivated the researchers to conduct the study?
3. The possible solutions to existing problems or
improvement to unsatisfactory conditions.
4. Individuals, groups or sectors who maybe placed in a
more advantageous on account of the study.
 It can be expressed such as:
Results could help benefit….
The study will enhance involvement in the…
This study can help improve the….
The findings may also serve as guides to ….
This study will serve…
The results of this study will provide insights and understanding on how to…..
The findings of this study will furnish valuable inputs in …..
Definition of Terms
 Definition of Terms
 Define terms which are within the context of the study,
starting from the words in the title, statement of the
problem, and even in the methodology.
 Definition of terms/variables maybe either or both:
a. lexical/conceptual – usually taken from textbooks and
carries a universal meaning easily understood by the
readers.
b. Operational – meaning of the terms/variables as used
in a particular field of study.
Notes:
 Italicize the term and place a period after it.
 Conceptual definition to follow after it.
 Operational definition is on another paragraph.
 Arrange the terms alphabetically
  Acronyms should spelled out fully, especially if it is not commonly known
or if used for the first time.
 Review of Related Literature

Related literature is composed of discussion of facts and

principles to which the present study is related.
 For instances, if the present study deals with business,
literature to be reviewed or surveyed should be composed of
materials that deal with business. These materials are usually
printed and ground in books, encyclopedia, professional
journals, magazines, newspapers, and other publications..
 The presentation of related literature should be thematic or
topical order according to the variables of the study.
 Research Design and Methodology
Research Design
 Identify the research design appropriate for the study
 Discuss the research design to be used according to the
literature
 Relate the use of the research design to the study
 Research Design and Methodology
Participants of the Study

 Describe the participants of the study and their location.

 Research Design and Methodology
Sample Size and Sampling Techniques
 In the sample size section, state the total population and
compute the sample size using the Yamane’s formula
Present the number of samples in a table if the sampling
technique used is stratified
 In the sampling technique section, identify the sampling
technique to be used and discuss its use in the study.
 Research Design and Methodology
Research Instrument
 Discuss how the questionnaire was constructed and cite the
source/s of literature used as basis to frame it.
 Describe the parts of the questionnaire
 State the responses to be used in answering the questionnaire
(Likert scale)
 Research Design and Methodology

Validity of the Research Instrument

 Describe how the researcher-made questionnaire will be
validated and expertise of the validators
 Use the Lawshe Content Validity Ratio (CVR) to determine the
validity of the research instrument
 The number of validators is dependent on the choice of the
researcher as long as, the CVR result meets the minimum
requirement.
 Research Design and Methodology

Reliability of the Research Instrument

 Describe the process of conducting the reliability of the
researcher-made instrument
 Use 30 respondents to test the reliability of the instrument
 Compute the reliability using the Cronbach’s Alpha
 The reliability index is from .70 to 1.0
 Research Design and Methodology

Data-Gathering Procedures
 After establishing the validity and reliability of the research
instrument, discuss in this section the detailed steps in
gathering the data from letter approval to retrieval.
 Research Design and Methodology

Data Analysis Procedures

 Identify and state the appropriate statistical tools to treat data
base from the specific objectives of the study.
 In identifying the tools, always be guided by the nature of the
data.
 Research Design and Methodology

Ethical Considerations
 Discuss the activities to be undertaken to ensure that ethics
in research is observed from data collection, storage and
disposal.
 Observe confidentiality of information
Results and Discussions
 Present the data in tables
 Table presentation first before discussion
 Observe the three (3) level of analysis of the data:
1. Discuss the major results/findings as found in the table
2. Analyze and interpret the results
3. Cite relate literature to support or negate the
results/findings

Conclusions and Recommendations
 State your conclusion based from the findings found in
Chapter 4.
 Present in paragraph form

 The recommendations should be based from the findings and

conclusions.
 Provide recommendations to negative results
 How to Write a Thesis

Output
 Prepare and present the output in accordance with the
findings of the study
Thank you.