RESEARCH PROBLEM

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

• defined as systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among observed phenomena.

• systematic investigation of scientific theories and hypotheses. (Cheprasov, 2014)

AIMS OF RESEARCH

• Generating new knowledge or information.

• Finding an application for the new knowledge.

• Verifying existing knowledge.

• Developing the investigator

TYPES OF RESEARCH

• Basic Research - to come up with new knowledge or to have fuller understanding of a particular subject.

• Applied Research - to find an application of the knowledge whether new or old.

• Descriptive Research - observing and recording the changes as they happen in nature.

• Experimental Research - manipulates the variables to arrive at conclusions.

SOURCES OF RESEARCH TOPICS

You can determine the sources that your community have as well as their needs. Whenever or wherever there is a gap between need and resources, a potential problem or topic of study arises.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

• It is the heart of your scientific investigation. It is a problem that you want to answer to satisfy your curiosity. A good research problem must be clear, organized, specific and testable.

• Should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely

VARIABLE - something that can be changed in the study.

• INDEPENDENT VARIABLE - the one that you changed in an experiment and usually referred as the "cause"

• DEPENDENT VARIABLE - the change that happens because of the independent variable or the "effect"

• CONTROLLED VARIABLE - everything that remains the same or constant in all the experiment

TESTABLE QUESTIONS - deals with objects, living organisms and natural phenomena and can be answered through conducting scientific investigation or experiment. It can be answered by designing and conducting experiment.

1. Does changing IV affect DV ?

2. How does changing IV affect DV ?

3. If I change IV will it affect DV ?

Creating Scientific Questions that are testable

1. A good scientific question is one that can have an answer and be tested.

2. A good scientific question can be tested by some experiment or measurement that you can do

3. A good scientific question builds on what you already know.

4. A good scientific question, when answered, leads to other good questions.

NON TESTABLE QUESTIONS

• Not Specific

• Cannot be tested using an experiment

• Ask for opinion

• Answerable by yes or no

• Questions that you already know the answer

HOW TO TURN NON TESTABLE QUESTION TO TESTABLE QUESTION?

1. Read the non testable question carefully.

2. Determine the cause (IV) and effect (DV) in the question.

3. Then recast the question by following the cause and effect format.