Guidelines in Choosing a Topic
- Interest in the subject matter. You are interested about the topic because you have experienced it.
- Availability of information. It is important that when you decide on a topic, sources of information are available.
- Timeliness and relevance of the topic. The topic you have chosen can be of significance to the community.
- Limitations on the subject. Sometimes, topic is limited to what the teacher suggests. An example of this is when the teacher asks the entire class to focus on COVID-19 pandemic, then you have no freedom to explore other topics aside from what is given.
- Personal resources. Consider also if you can finish the research in terms of your intellectual and financial physical capabilities.
Examples of Research Topics and their Sources
| Possible Area of Research | Source | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Social Problems | Magazines, journals, social media, books, newspapers | Cyberbullying and coping mechanisms among senior high school students |
| 2. Wide Reading/Critical Film Viewing | Varied reading materials- books, journals, magazines, newspaper, videos and documentaries | SONA as information campaign of the President’s programs and projects |
| 3. Social Networking | Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter | Functionality of social media among students during the pandemic |
| 4. Replication of research | Compilation of research in the library | Inadequacies of private schools in the K to 12 implementations |
| 5. Gray Areas about issues, phenomena, etc. | Lectures, Talks, Seminars | The fallacy about COVID-19 vaccines |
Topics to be Avoided
- Controversial topics. Avoid highly opinionated topics.
- Highly technical subjects. Too technical topics requires expertise. If you don’t have enough knowledge about it, then look for another one.
- Hard-to-investigate subjects. Unavailability of reading materials and materials that are not updated make the subject hard to investigate.
- Too broad subjects. You lack focus if you deal with broad topics. The remedy is to narrow it down.
- Too narrow subject. Some subjects are too narrow that extensive and thorough reading are required.
- Vague subjects. Titles that start with indefinite adjectives such as several, many, some, etc., make the topic vague.
Sources of Research Topics
- Mass media communication-television, newspaper, ads, radio, films, etc.
- Books, internet, journals, government publications
- Professional periodicals- specialized periodicals in different fields
- General periodicals- Reader’s Digest, Time Magazine, Women’s Magazine, etc.
- Previous readings
- Work experience
How to Narrow Down a Topic
- You can narrow down the topic by exploring and extending the explanation of a theory.
- Talk over ideas with people who know research.
- Focus on specific group. Ex: Students, Mothers, Teachers
- Define the aim or desired outcome of the study.
- Is the study exploratory, explanatory, or descriptive?
- Is the study applied or basic?
Before deciding on your topic, ask:
- What areas are not yet explored that I want to investigate?
- Is my research useful to me, to my school, to my family and to my community?
Remember, a research study must be significant enough to make it worth
your
efforts as the researcher.
Example of a Broad Topic Narrowed Down to Specific One
General Concept: Early Pregnancy
Narrow: Early Pregnancy among Senior High School Students
Narrow: Prevention of Early Pregnancy among Senior High School Students
Now, we will tackle how you will formulate your research title.
- Research title is the most important element of your research as it clearly expresses the problem to be explored.
- A research title capsulizes the main thought or idea of the whole research paper. It also reflects the variables under study.
- It is expressed in few words possible and just enough to describe the contents and the purpose of your research.
- It needs to be informative.
- It contains the:
- What: the subject matter or topic to be investigated
- Where: place or locale where the research is to be conducted
- Who: the participants of respondents of the study
- When: the time period of the conduct of the study
Examples:
Struggles in Online Learning Modality among Students of Quezon National High School during School Year 2021-2021
What: Struggles in Online Learning Modality
Where: Quezon National High School
Who: Students
When: School Year 2021-2021
Less Mastered Competencies of Senior High School Students in Bukidnon during School Year 2020-2021
What:Less Mastered Competencies
Where: Bukidnon
Who: Senior High School Students
When: School Year 2020-2021
In qualitative research, it is not necessary to complete the data on what,
where, who, and when in the title. Consider the research titles below.
- Study Habits of Senior High School Students in Public Schools of Bukidnon
- Understanding the Academic Journey of Senior High School Students
- The Pulse of the People on the Leadership Style of President Rodrigo R. Duterte
- Phenomenology of Pioneering Senior High School Students in Private Schools
- Body Tattoo: Is it an Art?
