This document discusses identifying an inquiry and stating a research problem. It provides sources that can prompt research questions, such as intellectual puzzles, existing literature, new theories, and personal experience. The criteria for good research questions are that they should be clear, researchable, connected to theory/research, linked together, hold the prospect of an original contribution, and be neither too broad nor too narrow. The scope and delimitations section should indicate the boundaries of the study. The objectives of research should state what the research aims to discover, explain, or explore.

1. IDENTIFYING THE INQUIRY
AND STATING THE PROBLEM

2. Research Question
• Can be derived from a wide variety of contents.
• Can be prompted by your own personal interest or
experience.
• Can also be prompted by a theory that you are
very much interested.

3. Marx’s Possible Sources of Research Questions
• Intellectual Puzzles and Contradictions
• The existing literature
• REPLICATION
• Structures and Function
• Opposition
• A social problem
• ‘Gaps between official versions of reality and the facts on the
ground’
• The counter-intuitive
• New methods and theories
• ‘New Social and technical developments and social trends.
• Personal Experience
• Sponsors and teachers.

4. CRITERIA
• They should be clear, in the sense of being
intelligible.
• They should be researchable
• They should have some connection(s) with
established theory and research.
• Your research questions should be linked to each
other.
• They should at the very least hold out the prospect
of being able to make an original contribution
• The research questions should be neither too broad
nor too narrow.

5. Scope and
Delimitation &
Benefits and Beneficiaries

6.  Problem Statement
Write An opening sentence that entices the
reader and stimulates his or her interest to
read about your research problem.

7.  Objectives of the Research
Indicate what the research will do, for instance,
discover (grounded theory), explain or seek to
understand (ethnography), explore a process
(case study) and describe the experiences
(phenomenology).

8.  Scope and Delimitation of research
Indicate the boundaries, exceptions,
reservations and qualifications in your study.

9. Sometimes referred to as
“Delimitations and Limitations”
Delimitations – used to address how the study
will be narrowed in scope.
Limitations – Used to identify potential
weaknesses of the study.

10.  Significance of Research Mention
and elaborate on the central focus or
phenomenon being explored or understood in
the study.

11.  Target Audience
Your target audience is linked to the significance
of your research.
Who would be interested in or who would find
your study a worthwhile investigation.

12. • True or False
1. Research question come from any of several
sources, namely, personal interest and
experiences.
2. The research question should be either too
broad or too narrow.
3. Objectives of the Research. Sometimes this
section is referred to as Delimitations and
Limitations

13. 4. Scope and Delimitation or research indicate
the boundaries, exceptions, reservation and
qualification in your study.
5. Objectives of the research, indicate what will
the research will do, for instance, discover,
explain or seek.

14. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STEM
STUDENTS’ EXTENT OF EXPOSURE
AND UTILIZATION ON SOCIAL
NETWORKING APPLICATIONS: ITS
RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE