This document discusses elements of developing a strong research title and choosing a good research topic. It states that a research title should concisely describe the research problem and contents. An effective title includes the subject matter, location, population, and time period of the study. Good research topics are interesting to the researcher, have available information to support claims, are timely and relevant, and are within the researcher's limitations and resources. Topics to avoid are controversial, highly technical, difficult to investigate, too broad or narrow in scope, or vague. Potential sources of topics include media, publications, periodicals, and work experiences.

1. IDENTIFYING THE INQUIRY
AND STATING THE PROBLEM

2. THE SUBJECT MATTER OF
THE RESEARCH

3. WHAT IS A RESEARCH TITLE
• THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT THAT DEFINES THE
RESEARCH PROBLEM
• IT IS USUALLY READ FIRST AND THE MOST READ PART OF
THE RESEARCH
• IT CONTAINS THE LEAST WORDS ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE THE
CONTENTS AND THE PURPOSE OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER
• IT CAN BE REVISED ANY AND MANY TIMES AS THE
RESEARCH DEVELOPS AND REACH ITS FINAL PHASE. IT
BECOMES FINAL ON ITS FINAL DEFENSE BEFORE THE PANEL
JUDGES.

4. ELEMENTS OF A
RESEARCH TITLE

5. THE RESEARCH TITLE
DOES NOT NEED TO
BE ENTERTAINING
BUT INFORMATIVE.

6. A PART OF THE 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
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”)

7. EXAMPLE 1:
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

8. EXAMPLE 2:
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

9. RULES IN CHOOSING
A RESEARCH TOPIC

10. 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.

11. 2. AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
INFORMATION WILL SERVE AS
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS
ABOUT YOUR SUBJECT MATTER FROM
VARIED FORMS OF LITERATURE
BOOKS, JOURNALS, AND NEWSPAPER,
AMONG OTHERS IS A PART AND
PARCEL OF ANY RESEARCH WORK.

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 4. LIMITATIONS ON THE
SUBJECT. CONNECT YOUR
CHOICE WITH COURSE
REQUIREMENTS. YOU NEED
TO DECIDE ON ONE TOPIC
TO FINISH YOUR COURSE.

15. 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 YYOU TO COMPLETE YOUR
RESEARCH. YOU HAVE TO RAISE AN
AMOUNT OF MONEY NEEDED TO SPEND ON
QUESTIONNAIRE PRINTING AND INTERVIEW
TRIPS.

16. RESEARCH TO
BE AVOIDED

17. 1.CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS
•IT DEPENDS MORE ON THE
WRITER’S OPINION
LEADING TO BIASES. FACTS
CANNOT SUPPORT THI
TOPIC.

18. 2. HIGHLY TECHNICAL
SUBJECTS
•NOT ADVISABLE FOR
BEGINNERS AS THESE TOPICS
REQUIRE AN ADVANCED
STUDY, TECHNICAL
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

19. 3. HARD-TO-INVESTIAGE
SUBJECTS
•HAPPENS IF THERE ARENO
AVAILABLE READING
MATERIALS ABOUT IF AND IF
SUCH MATERIALS ARE NOT
UP-TO-DATE

20. 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

21. 5. TOO NARROW
SUBJECTS
•SUBJECTS THAT ARE SO
LIMITED WHERE AN
EXTENSIVE SEARCHING
IS NECESSARY.

22. 6. VAGUE SUBJECTS
•TITLES BEGINNIG WITH INDEFINITE
ADJECTIVES SUCH AS SEVERAL,
AMNY, 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.

23. SOURCES OF
RESEARCH TOPICS

24. 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 READER’S DIGEST, WOMEN’S MAGAZINE,
PANORAMA MAGAZINE, TIME MAGAZINE, WORLD MISSION MAGAZINE, ETC.
5. PREVIOUS READING ASSIGNMENTS IN YOUR OTHER SUBJECTS
WORK EXPERIENCE – CLUES TO A RESEARCHABLE TOPIC FROM FULL-TIME OR
PART-TIME JOBS, OJT(ON-THE-JOB TRAINING) EXPERIENCE, FIELDWORK, ETC.