Name: ________ __________________________Date: __________

Grade/ Section: __________________________Score: _________

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1
QUARTER 1, WEEK 3

Developing a good research topic may not be easy for you but it is an important skill. Your
teacher may assign you a particular topic but often requires you to choose a topic that
interests you .In this lesson you are given the guidelines in choosing a topic when you begin
your research work. These pointers will guide you in selecting a good topic. Other factors
affecting in choosing and writing your research are topics that need to be avoided this will
help you focus clearly on your subjects. Likewise the sources of information are important
for you to know where your research topic may come from.
1 The Subject Matter of the Research
What’s in?
In the previous lesson, you learned to illustrate the importance of qualitative research across
fields of inquiry .Research can be conducted in any field of knowledge .Whatever field you
belong you can freely choose the basic research approaches either the scientific ,naturalistic
or mixed. The areas of disciplines that are classified into soft and hard sciences assist you to
understand where you really fit. These will guide you into this next learning of designing a
research project and writing a research title.

What’s New?
I. What is a Research Title1?
1. The most important element that defines the research problem.
2. It is usually read first and the most read part of the research.
3. It contains the least words enough to describe the contents and the purpose of your
research paper.
4. It can be revised any and many times as the research develops and reach its final phase. It
becomes final on its final defence before the panel of judges.

Elements of a Research Title

The research title does not need to be entertaining but informative.
A part of a research title has the following information:
1. The subject matter or topic to be investigated. (“What?”)
2. The place or locale where the research is to be conducted. (“Where?”)
3. The population like the respondents’ interviewees. (“Who”?)
4. The time period of the study during which the data are to be collected. (“When”?)

Example:
Subject matter: The teaching of English
Place or locale: in the high schools of Province A
Time period: during the school year 1989-1990
Population: as perceived by teachers and students
Subject matter: The effects of the use of cell phones on the academic performance
Population to senior high school students
Place or locale: at Department of Education
Time period: during the first semester, school year 2018-2019
II. Rules in Choosing a Research Topic1
1. Interest in the subject matter. Interest in a subject drives you to research, investigate, or
inquire about it with full motivation, enthusiasm, and energy.

2. Availability of information. Information will serve as evidence to support your claims

about your subject matter from varied forms of literature like books, journals, and
newspapers, among others, is a part and parcel of any research work.
What to include in the investigation of the available materials?
a. Update and authority of the materials.
b. Copyright dates of the materials? Are they new or old?
c. Expert or qualification of the writers of reading materials about your topic

3.Timeliness and relevance of the topic.

How relevant is the topic?
a. It yields results that are useful in society
b. Related to the present. (Except for pure or historical research)
4. Limitations on the subject. Connect your choice with course requirements. You need to
decide on one topic to finish your course.

5. Personal resources. Do an assessment on your research abilities in terms of your financial

standing, health condition, mental capacity, needed facilities, and time schedule to enable you
to complete your research. You have to raise an amount of money needed to spend on
questionnaire printing and interview trips.

III. Research Topics to be avoided1

1. Controversial topics.
It depends more on the writer’s opinion leading to biases. Facts cannot support
this topic.

2. Highly technical subjects.

Not advisable for beginners as these topics require an advanced study, technical knowledge,
and skills.

3. Hard-to-investigate subjects.
Happens if there are no available reading materials about it and if such materials are not up-
to-date.

4. Too broad subjects.

It prevents you from to focus on the subject matter of the paper.
Narrow down or limit the subject to eliminate the problem.

5. Too narrow subjects.

Subjects that are so limited where an extensive searching is necessary.

6. Vague subjects.
Titles beginning with indefinite adjectives such as several, many, some, etc., as in “Some
Remarkable Traits of a Filipino” or “Several People’s Comments on the RH Law,” are vague
enough to decrease the readers’ interests and curiosity.

IV. Sources of Research Topics1

1. Mass media communication – press (newspapers, ads, TV, radio, films, etc.)
2. Books, Internet, peer-reviewed journals, government publications
3. Professional periodicals like College English Language Teaching Forum, English
Forum, the Economist, Academia, Business Circle, Law Review, etc.
4. General periodicals such as Readers’ Digest, Women’s Magazine, Panorama
Magazine, Time Magazine, World Mission Magazine, etc.
5. Previous reading assignments in your other subjects
6. Work experience – clues to a researchable topic from full-time or part-time jobs, OJT (on-
the-job training) experience, fieldwork, etc.
Activity 1: Question and Answer
Directions: Answer the questions in 3-5 sentences only. Write your answers on the space
provided.
1. What are the rules in choosing a research topic?
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2. What are those topics to avoid in preventing you to have a clear focus on your research
paper?
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3. Where can you find sources of research topics to create ideas of selecting a good subject
matter?
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What is it?
Discussion of Activity 1
You just learned the rules in choosing a research subject. These includes topics to be avoided
and the sources of where to search.
1. What topics you find most relevant in your daily life potential to research? Cite two issues.

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2. How about a writing a good research title? Present (1) one good example of a research title
and (1) NOT so good title. Describe each.
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3. Where can you find sources of research topics to create ideas of selecting a good subject
matter?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________

What is it?
Discussion of Activity 1
You just learned the rules in choosing a research subject. These includes topics to be avoided
and the sources of where to search.
1. What topics you find most relevant in your daily life potential to research? Cite two issues.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. How about a writing a good research title? Present (1) one good example of a research title
and (1) NOT so good title. Describe each.

Assessment
Direction: Identify how a research project is described on the following statements. Encircle
the letter of the correct answer
1. Which of the following is a good way to find a research topic?
a. Personal experience
b. Getting an idea from your advisor
c. Looking for the next step in the research process
d. All of the above

2. What is a not true of a research title?

a. Read the most, and it is usually read first
b. Least important element that defines the research problem.
c. Contains few words that describe the purpose of the research
d. All of the above

3. What is the reason for consulting handbooks, yearbooks, encyclopedias, or reviews in the
initial stages of identifying a research topic?
a. They are readily available.
b. They provide an overview of the issues related to a topic.
c. They are primary sources.

d. They avoid reporting statistical data to interpret the results more readily.
4. Which of the following are excellent sources for research topics?
a. Theory
b. Personal experience
c. Replication of prior research
d. All of the above

5. Mr. Santos identified his research topic as "classroom assessment." He recognized very
quickly his topic was far too broad. Which of the following is likely to have led to that
conclusion?
a. There was far too much written on the topic to understand it all.
b. It was difficult to organize the material collected in an effective manner.
c. The potential problems he began thinking would be next to impossible to study.
d. All of the above.

6. What is a research project?

a. A way of conducting research that is not grounded in theory.
b. A choice between using qualitative or quantitative methods.
c. A style in which you present your research findings, e.g. a graph.
d. A framework for every stage of the collection and analysis of data.

7. Which of these would be assured by you when selecting factors for a study in general?
a. They have been investigated before
b. They are available to investigate
c. They are not of interest to you
d. They do not lead to another question

8. A business student plans a research project; it is called a description of an online business.

On the limited information (the title), which one of these best applies to the idea?
a. It is too broad.
b. It is a highly technical subject.
c. It has an acceptable method.
d. It has an acceptable purpose.

9. What is the main advantage of producing a written research project?

a. Helps with liability.
b. Helps the society.
c. Informs all interested parties.
d. Helps keep people employed.

10. Good research proposals will always:

a. Focus on the written style.
b. Provides respondent names and addresses.
c. Consider all possible research previously been done on the topic.
d. Focus on addressing the research objectives.
d. They do not lead to another question
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