Selecting A Research Topic

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Selecting A Research Topic

• for the purpose of identifying a problem that
  satisfies applied industrial research requirements

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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.

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What are the limitations when selecting a
research topic?

• must be of graduate quality
• must be feasible for given timeframe
• must be original and creative
• must be consistent with scientific method of
  inquiry
• must be accountable to pre-established
  educational and economic guidelines
• must be ethical
• must be respectful of human subjects rights
• must have potential for making a significant
  professional contribution

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What are the limitations when selecting a
research topic?

• topic may be freely selected subject to
• approval of professor
• predetermined research criteria
• Graduate School requirements and standards
• selection must be within a broad band of
• technology
• construction, business, manufacturing, safety,
  etc.
• engineering and engineering technology
• industrial, mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.
• education
• demographics, norms, methods, materials, etc.

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What proposal format may be selected?

• One of three will be executed
• preference will be academic proposal
• industrial or corporate may be elected when
  extreme justification is proven

• Choices are
• academic
• also known as student proposal
• industrial or corporate
• are often used interchangeable
• industrial is course preference

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Must the topic be approved in advance of the
proposal being submitted for assessment?

• What format is required when requesting approval?
  
• the problem to be investigated must be defined
  using a word document that is limited to 1000
  words
• factors are given on next slide

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When submitting a topic for approval, the format
will be limited to
benefits
title
problem
significance
source
method
plus data collection information
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When submitting a topic for approval, the format
will be limited to

• Title
• provides insight of proposed topic
• limited to 25 words.
• Problem to be studied
• limited to one paragraph
• identifies exactly what will be investigated
• Significance of problem
• tells why study is needed or important
• limited to 4 paragraphs

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A quality title must reflect several of these
elements

• problem, hypothesis or questions researched
• phenomenon being studied
• processes being invesigated
• brief description of results
• investigative methods
• action scenarios
• few words with each word being critical

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Caution do not confuse title with topic.

• A title is the name for the topic being
  investigated.
• A topic is a problem, question, or issue that can
  be examined for suitable resolution through
  collecting, compiling, and analyzing data.
• A research endeavor cannot be successful unless
  the problem to be investigated has been clearly
  identified.

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When submitting a topic for approval, the format
will be limited to

• Method (or type) of research
• based on 5 or 9 types/methods
• provide brief justification for selection
• limited to 2 paragraphs
• Source of data
• identify database, sample, or population limited
  to 2 paragraphs
• describe measuring instrument, if used
• provide instruments performance specifications
  or questionnaires draft copy in appendix
• Anticipated benefits and/or contributions
• how findings will be applied
• limited to 2 paragraphs

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When submitting a topic for approval, the
explanation of the data collection instrument
must be included as follow

• Describe data collection method
• provide measuring instruments performance
  specifications in appendix, or
• provide an exact copy of the proposed
  questionnaire that will be used to solicit
  responses from research participants
• no limitations are imposed
• do not include as part of the 1000 word
  restriction

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5 types and 9 methods of research

• 5 types
• developmental
• case/field
• correlational
• true experimental
• action

• 9 methods
• historical
• descriptive
• developmental
• case and field
• correlational
• causal-comparative
• true experimental
• quasi-experimental
• action

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5 types and 9 methods of research

• 5 types
• developmental
• case/field
• correlational
• true experimental
• action

Which listing is preferred?
No preference is made.

• 9 methods
• historical
• descriptive
• developmental
• case and field
• correlational
• causal-comparative
• true experimental
• quasi-experimental
• action

Why? Both are about the same for most part it
simply is a combining or reconfiguring between
the two.
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Format for research topic approval

• Title
• provides insight of proposed topic
• limited to 25 words.
• Problem to be studied
• limited to one paragraph
• identifies exactly what will be investigated
• Significance of problem
• tells why study is needed or important
• limited to 4 paragraphs

• Method (or type) of research
• based on 5 or 9 types/methods
• provide reason for selection in no more than 2
  paragraphs
• Source of data
• identify database, sample, or population within 2
  paragraphs
• describe measuring instrument
• provide instruments performance specifications
  or copy of questionnaire in appendix
• Anticipated benefits and/or contributions
• how findings will be applied
• limited to 2 paragraphs

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