Topic selection, Introduction, Problem statement, and

Objectives

Dr. Benton Otieno

 Outline

• Research topic

• Introduction

• Problem statement

• Objectives
 Basic steps of a research project

► Find a topic→What, When

► Formulate questions→What, Why

► Define population→Who, When

► Select design & measurement→How

► Gather evidence→How

► Interpret evidence→Why

► Tell about what you did and found out

 Title
GPS address
–Mini-abstract

–Clear

–Concise

–Subject 1st

Selecting A Research Topic for the purpose of a problem that

satisfies applied research requirements
 Sources of research topics

➢ Theories an organized body of concepts, generalizations, and principles that

can be studied.
➢ Personal/professional questions items that researchers may find of interest.
➢ Replication repeating previously completed studies.
➢ Library search searching library databases for topics requiring further
investigation.
➢ Sponsoring agencies guidelines and projects that various entities are willing
to support/Masters and PhD students
➢ Peer-reviewed journals in your field
➢ Personal experiences
➢ Work setting experiences – WIL, AdvDip, Workplace
➢ Existing literature
➢ “Recommendations for future research…”
 What are the limitations when selecting a research
topic?

➢ must be of graduate quality (AdvDip/PGD)

➢ must be feasible for given timeframe (+/- 3 months)

➢ must be original and creative

➢ must be consistent with scientific method of inquiry

➢ must be ethical (ethical clearance is required)

➢ must be respectful of human subjects rights

➢ must have potential for making a significant

➢ professional contribution
 Refining Your Topic

Refinement needed for effective and efficient research

➢ Narrow your topic

➢ Identify a theoretical framework

➢ Specifically, and unambiguously define terms

➢ State research questions and hypotheses

A literature review will help you

➢ See if your idea has been tried

➢ Include all relevant constructs

➢ Select instruments

➢ Anticipate common problems

 Writing an introduction

An introduction may be many different things, depending on the type of

writing you are doing. In an empirical paper—a proposal or research
paper—an introduction does three things:
• Introduces your topic
• Reviews the literature of your topic
• States your hypotheses or research questions
• Introduction should be short about one or two pages
• The problem should be stated in such a way that it’s importance and
relevance is realized by any one who reads it
 Writing an introduction
The introduction answers the questions:

• What am I studying?

• Why is it an important question? Why should the reader read on?

• What do we know already about it?

• What basis do I need to provide (such that the reader can understand my study)?
Introduction as an inverted triangle: moving from very general to very specific:

General: including a “hook” to grab your readers

Background
Context
Previous research
Key references

Specific: what is it you are contributing to the problem

 General to very specific:

General: including a “hook” to grab your readers

Background
Context
Previous research
Key references

Specific: what is it you are contributing to the problem

 The outline of an Introduction

Here is a very broad outline.

I. Opening paragraph

II. Review of the literature

III. Summary paragraph and statement of hypotheses or research

questions or research objective

 The opening paragraph

• This is a key paragraph

• It lets the reader know what to expect

• It gives the reader a general roadmap for your paper

• It may mention papers you will review in more detail later

• For a very long paper it may be more than one paragraph

 The other paragraphs

Includes 5 basic pieces of information, usually in this order:

• A statement of the general topic (hook)

• A general statement about what the literature has found

• A statement about what the literature is missing or where there is an unanswered

question (research gap)

• The aim of the study, and sometimes

• A general statement of the study approach

Example of an Introduction
 The introduction

• includes a statement of the goal of the study: why it is being undertaken

• sets the context for your proposed project and must capture the reader's interest
• explains the background of your study starting from a broad picture narrowing in on your
research question
• give sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand the context and
significance of the question you are trying to address
• reviews what is known about your research topic as far as it is relevant to your thesis
• cites relevant references
• all cited work should be directly relevant to the goals of the thesis
• give enough references such that a reader could, by going to the library or on-line, achieve a
sophisticated understanding of the context and significance of the question
• try to cite those who had the idea or ideas first, but also cite those who have done the most
recent and relevant work.
• this is not a place to summarize everything you have ever read on a subject
• explain the scope of your work, what will and will not be included (if you are answering only
part of the question you are posing)
• should be at a level that makes it easy to understand for readers with a general science
background, for example your classmates (or your class advisor)
 Some writing tips

• For long introductions give the reader already an indication earlier of what question you'll
be addressing.

• Be sure to include a hook at the beginning of the introduction. This is a statement of

something sufficiently interesting to motivate your reader to read the rest of the thesis, it is
an important/interesting scientific problem that your thesis either solves or addresses.

• You should draw the reader in and make them want to read the rest of the thesis.

• It can be useful to sketch out the introduction backwards, start with the specific focus of
your study and work upward to the broader context.

• Consider making a concept map, it will help to identify the elements you need in the
introduction.

• You can break up the introduction section into logical segments by using subheads.
 Problem statement
• Short SO WHAT statement

• Purpose

– Blueprint for your literature review

– Focus your committee at the beginning

– Keep them on track throughout your proposal

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 Introduction to Problem statement

➢ The heart of every research. Hence, there is no need for research where a problem
does not exist.

➢ It shows the merits of a proposal or research, the reasons for its conduct, and its
importance.
➢ "Problem Statement" is a description of a difficulty or lack that needs to b
researched to see whether a solution can be found.

➢ It can also be described as either a gap between the real and the desired or a
contradiction between principle and practice, or a contraction between different findings.

➢ Research problem is an interrogative statement that asks about the presumed

relationship between two or more variables that create a particular state of affairs.

➢ Spend considerable time thinking and formulating a research problem.

➢ Write, rewrite, and rewrite the statement of the problem … until the problem is
vividly clear to the reader to enjoy his/her sympathy on the need for the research.

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 A good research problem

➢ express a relationship between two or more variables;

➢ should be stated clearly without any ambiguity; and

➢ should be such that it implies the possibilities for empirical testing.

Types of a research problem

➢ Conceptual problem- two findings that are conceptually or theoretically

inconsistent.

➢ Practical problem- Undesirable outcome in a system hampering the attainment

of desired objectives.

➢ Knowledge gap- Vacuum that needs to be filled in a body of knowledge.

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 Factors to consider when developing a research problem

 Interest- Interesting to the researcher and suit his/her skills, time, and resources

 Originality –should be sufficiently original and not involve objectionable duplication.

 Researchability - must be empirically researchable.

 Significance-must be significant and capable of extending the frontiers of knowledge.

 Feasibility-Research into the problem must be feasible in terms of availability of data and

access to it, availability of funds and time to do justice to the topic and researcher’s

competence to handle tools of analysis.

 Open mind-The researcher should have an open mind on the problem.

 Knowledge gap-Existence of a vacuum in the body of knowledge.

 Ethics- Researching the problem should not involve any ethical violation.

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 Essential Parts of a Problem Statement

A persuasive problem statement consists of three parts: A) the ideal, B) the reality,

and C) the consequences.

Part A- the ideal: Describes a desired goal or ideal situation; explains how things

should be.

Part B- the reality: Describes a condition that prevents the goal, state, or value in

Part A from being achieved or realized at this time; explains how the current situation

falls short of the goal or ideal.

Part C- the consequences: Identifies the repercussions of the problem and how the

current situation improved or moved closer to the goal or ideal by ending the statement

with the motivation for the research.

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 Example of a Problem Statement

Statement 1 - Waste activated sludge (WAS) from municipal wastewater treatment

plants has significant environmental and operational concerns.

Statement 2 - Anaerobic digestion (AD) is commonly employed to stabilise the WAS,

reduce solids, and recover energy (Silvestre et al., 2015). The decomposition of sludge
during AD releases nutrients, which are then discharged in the anaerobic digestate,
polluting recipient water bodies and increasing the nutrient burden.

Statement 3 - The nutrients, mainly phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) can be
crystallised into struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate, NH4MgPO4.6H2O) with
numerous agricultural applications such as fertiliser.

Statement 4 - However, the influencing variables for effective struvite recovery from
anaerobically digested WAS should be optimised and the potential agricultural
applications evaluated. Also, a techno-economic assessment is essential for the real-life
applicability of the recovery approach.
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LESSON Research Objectives
FIVE

➢ Having decided what to study (Research Topic), and

knowing why you want to study it (Problem Statement),
you can now formulate the study objectives.
➢ Objectives should be closely related to the statement of
the problem. E.g., if the problem identified is the low
utilization of health stations in a rural district, the general
objective could be to assess the reasons for this low
utilization.
➢ If we break down this general objective into smaller and
logically connected parts, then we get specific objectives.
 What is a research objective?

• ‘A research objective is a clear,

concise, declarative statement,
which provides direction to
investigate the variables.’
• Generally, the research objective
focuses on the ways to measure the
variables, such as to identify or describe
them.
• Sometimes objectives are directed
towards identifying the relationship or
difference between two variables.
 What is a research objective?

• Research objectives are the results sought by the researcher at the end of
the research process, i.e. what the researcher will be able to achieve at the end
of the research study.

• The objectives of a research project summarize what is to be achieved by

the study.

• The objective should be closely related to the statement of the

problem.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• Research objective is a concrete statement describing what the research is trying to

achieve. A well-worded objective will be SMART, i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic, & Time-bound.

• The research objective should be Relevant, Feasible, Logical, Observable, Unequivocal

(very clear) & Measurable.

• Objective is a purpose that can be reasonably achieved within the expected timeframe &
with the available resources.

• The objective or research project summarizes what is to be achieved by the study.

• The research objectives are the specific accomplishments the researchers hope to achieve
by the study.

• The objective includes obtaining answers to research questions or testing the research
hypothesis.
 Need of research objectives

• The formulation of research objectives will help the researcher

• To focus on the study with clearly defined objectives and

• To avoid the collection of data which are not strictly necessary for understanding

& solving problems that he or she has defined.

• The formulation of objectives organizes the study in clearly defined parts or phases.

• Properly formulated, specific objectives will facilitate the development of research

methodology & will help to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation, &

utilization of data.
 Types of research objectives

1. General objective/s

• General objectives are broad goals to be achieved.

• The general objectives of the study state what the researcher expects to
achieve by the study in general terms.

• General objectives are usually less in number.

2. Specific objectives

• General objectives can be broken into small logically connected parts to form specific
objectives.

• General objective is met through accomplishing all the specific objectives.

• The specific objectives are more in number & they systematically address various aspects
of the problem as defined under ‘the statement of problem’ & key factors that is assumed
to influence or cause the problem.

• They should specify what the researcher will do in the study, where, & for what purpose.
 General objectives: aim of the study in general terms
Example: In a study on the ‘occurrence of kidney diseases in NCP’,
the general objective is‘to assess the geographical spread of
kidney
diseases in NCP’.
Specific objectives: measurable statements on the specific questions
to be answered.
Unlike the general objectives, the specific objectives are more
specific and are related to the research problem situation. They
indicate the variable to be examined and measured.
Example: In the study of the occurrence of kidney diseases in NCP
the specific objectives could be:
– To find out the magnitude of disease spread on a DS basis,
– To examine the reasons for high incidence of diseases in certain
DS Divisions (sources of drinking water , use of agro-chemicals,
day consumption of drinking water etc.)
– To map water quality distribution in NCP
 Formulation of the Research Objectives

Why?
• Focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials)
• Avoid collection of data that are not strictly necessary for understanding and
solving the identified problem
• Organize the study in clearly defined parts
How should we state?

We have to make sure that our objectives:

• Cover the different aspects of the problem and its contributing factors in a
coherent way and a logical sequence
• Are clearly expressed in measurable terms
• Are realistic considering local conditions
• Meet the purpose of the study
Use action verbs that are specific enough to be measured (to determine, to
compare, to verify, to calculate, to describe, to find out, to establish etc.)

Avoid the use of vague non-action verbs such as to appreciate, to understand, to

study, to believe
 Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a prediction of a
relationship between one or more
variables and the problem under study.
That is, It specifies the relationship among
variables. These variables are to be
statistically tested at a later stage. To
measure the relationship among variables
to be studied the dependent and
independent variables need to be
identified.

Lesson-5
 Methods of stating objectives

While stating the objectives of the study, the following guidelines must be taken
care of:

➢ The objectives should be presented briefly & concisely.

➢ They cover the different aspects of the problem & its contributing factors in a
coherent way & a logical sequence.

➢ The objectives are phrased in operational terms, specifying exactly

what the researcher is going to do, where, & for what purpose.

➢ They are realistic considering local conditions.

➢ Use action verbs that are specific enough to be evaluated.

➢ Examples of action verbs are: to assess, to identify, to find out, to determine, to

compare, to find, to verify, to calculate, to describe, to analyze, to establish,
etc.
 Example of Objective statement - 1

Title: Traditional Agricultural Practices to

reduce the effect of drought and flood in

South Asian Region

Objective: To identify local, traditional

knowledge (LTK) and practices in

agriculture and assess to determine how

best they can be utilized to maintain the

sustainability of farming