COMPONENTS OF CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Flashcards
Here are some suggested steps in writing your introduction:
- Think of topics that interest you. Discuss your topics with your adviser before choosing the most interesting and practical one.
- You have to search for more information first in order to understand what has been studied about the subject or your topic of interest.
- Define a research problem.
- Before you can formulate or define the appropriate research questions, you need to be familiar with your topic and current trends/research advances on the topic. A pilot study or feasibility study can be done before the actual research process.
- Research questions should be developed keeping in mind time constraints—can these be answered by only one study or several studies?
Your introduction should address the following
a. Create reader interest in the topic;
b. Establish the problem that leads to the study;
c. Place the study within the larger context of the scholarly literature; and
d. Reach out to a specific audience
If your research is a ________, you must write in the ______, _________ to communicate immediate or direct action.
Qualitative study, simple, and present tense
If your research is a ________, your introduction must be written from the __________________to create a sense of objectivity.
Quantitative study, third person point of view
In this section, you ponder on the context of your problem. Your guiding questions should be:
- What is the context of this problem?
- In what situation or environment can it be observed?
- Where is the research taking place?
- Who is to be affected by your research?
- What is already known?
How to Do a Background Study for a Thesis
- Conduct preliminary research in the beginning stages of formulating a thesis, when many issues are unclear and thoughts need to be solidified.
- Read the information and develop a research question or thesis statement that will guide your thesis.
- Write a thesis statement or research question.
- Complete your research using your thesis statement and research question as your guide.
- Create relevant sections as you write the background study.
- Conclude by identifying any further study that needs to be done in that area, or provide possible solutions to the issue that haven’t been considered before.
- Revise and edit your background study.
Is a clear description of the issue(s). It includes a vision, issue statement and method used to solve the problem.
Problem statement
What Are the Key Components of the Statement of the Problem?
- The problem itself, stated clearly and with enough contextual detail to establish why it is important;
- The method of solving the problem is often stated as a claim or working thesis;
- The purpose, statement of objective and scope of the project being proposed.
4.The actual statement may be in a declarative or in a question form.
It provides the context for the research study and generates the questions which the research aims to answer
Statement of the problem
____________ is the focal point of any research.
Statement of the problem
Problem statements often have four elements:
- The problem itself, stated clearly and with enough contextual detail to establish why it is important;
- The method of solving the problem is often stated as a claim or working thesis;
- The purpose, statement of objective and scope of the project being proposed.
The actual statement may be in a declarative or in a question form.
Is a characteristic or condition that is the same for all individuals in a study.
Constant
Are descriptors of variables commonly used in educational research.
Independent and dependent variables
Is a characteristic that takes on different values or conditions for different individuals.
Variable
Major components of a good quantitative purpose statement consist of a brief paragraph that includes the following:
Use a word such as purpose, intent or objective to begin the passage.
Identify the theory, model, or conceptual framework to be tested in the study.
Mention the specific type of method of inquiry being used in the study.
State whether the independent and dependent variables will be related or whether two or more groups (as in independent variables) will be compared in terms of the dependent variable(s).
Order the variables in the relationship or comparison sentence from independent to dependent.
After you have identified a problem for your research, the next step is to write a problem statement. An effective problem statement is concise and concrete. It should:
put the problem in context. (What do we already know?)
describe the precise issue that the research will address (What do we need to know?)
dhow the relevance of the problem (Why do we need to know it?)
set the objectives of the research (What will you do to find out?
The 5 ‘W’s can be used to spark the discussion about the problem
Who, What, Where, When and Why
Are great tools that help get pertinent information out for discussion.
The 5’W’s
Are specific statements that define measurable outcomes, e.g. what steps will be taken to achieve the desired outcome
Objectives
Are statements of intent and are usually written in broad terms. They set out what you hope to achieve at the end of the project.
Aims
How can I form the Objectives of My Study?
First, you must summarize the accomplishments you wish to achieve through your research.
Your objective must be achievable.
Before forming your research objective, you should read about all the developments in your area of research and find gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.
Use strong verbs like
Collect, construct, classify, develop, devise, measure, produce, revise, select and synthesize.
Don’t use weak verbs like
Appreciate, consider, inquire, learn, know, understand, be aware of, appreciate, listen and perceive.
Objectives should also be S.M.A.R.T., which means they should be:
Specific – Be precise about what you are going to do.
Measureable –You will know when you have reached your goal.
Achievable – Don’t attempt too much – a less ambitious but completed objective is better than an over-ambitious one that you cannot possible achieve.
Realistic – Do you have the necessary resources to achieve the objective like time, money and skills?
Time constrained – Determine when each stage needs to be completed.
What to Include in Your Significance of the Study section
Reasons why the study adds to the scholarly research and literature in the field.
Reasons about how the study helps improve practice.
Reasons why the study will improve policy.
Explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the work and specifies the parameters within which the study will be operating.
Scope of the study
Aim to identify potential weaknesses of your study. They are influences or shortcomings that you cannot control and restricts your methodology and conclusion
Limitations
Aim to narrow the scope of a study
Delimitations
Two elements of a research paper or thesis
Scope and delimitations
This section provides the general environment of your study. You describe the problem from macro to the micro level or from general to specific.
Background of the study
