Lesson 11: Creating a Research Title

Once the researcher has already had a problem that will be subjected for a study, he/she may now begin formulating a good research title that will best represent the problem and the study itself in general.

As cited from Sacred Heart University Library (2020), a research title should help the readers to see the main idea as well as the summary of the whole study. Further, it usually contains fewest possible words that can bring understanding of the content and the purpose of the study among the readers. 

Characteristics of a Research Title 

As commonly observed, a research title is the first one to be read before proceeding to the other parts of the research paper. Hence, it is really important to know for the researcher what makes a research title an effective one in order to capture the interest of the readers towards the problem to be investigated.

Here are some of the characteristics of a research title that the researcher should put into considerations: 

1.     It should be limited only to substantive words with high consideration to the key variables such as the phenomenon under investigation, the participants, and the setting of the study. 

2.     It should use words that can create a positive impression among the readers. 

3.     Avoid using abbreviations as well as some word constructions such as: “method,” “result,” and “investigation.” 

4.     It should be in the form of a phrase with correct use of capitalization, that is, the first letter appeared in the title as well as the first letter of each noun word should be capitalized. 

5.     It should be concise by adequately implying the participants and the coverage of the study. 

In addition, a researcher may also put a subtitle which is commonly employed in social science research papers. This subtitle may be done: (1) to state the scope, context, and theory under investigation; and (2) to provide a substantive and appealing literary title. 

Examples of Qualitative Research Title 

Similar with all other parts of a research paper, the title must be carefully formulated. Other existing research titles may serve as a basis especially for beginning researchers. Below are the examples of title in qualitative research: 

1.     The ‘Need to Transcend’: A Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experiences of Millennial Teachers (Lacdo-O et al., 2018) 

2.     The Educated Citizen: Cultural and Gender Capital in the Schooling of Aetas’  Children in the Municipality of Janiuay (Moralista & Delariarte, 2014) 

3.     This Too Shall Pass: A Grounded Theory Study of Filipino Cancer Survivorship (de Guzman et al., 2012) 

4.     Local Studies Centers: Transforming History, Culture and Heritage in the Philippines (Perez & Templanza, 2012) 

5.     President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018)  

Variables

A variable refers to any characteristic that can have different values or traits that may vary across research participants. Variables are measured, controlled, and manipulated by the researcher. Examples include age, gender, height, and weight. Based on the research problem, the researcher identifies the possible variables that will be investigated to address the problem.

Attributes are important elements of a variable. It refers to the value assigned to a specific variable. For example, if the researcher focuses on gender as a significant variable in the study, he or she then identifies male and female as attributes of gender. The variable agreement may have the following attributes – strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree.

Variables have the following important characteristics: 

• Independent variables are those characteristics that are changed, manipulated, or selected by the researcher. 

• Dependent variables, on the other hand, are those that change because of changes to the independent variable.

For example, in a study that investigates the use of computer-aided teaching instruction on student performance, the independent variable is teaching instruction as the researcher chooses to implement computer-aided teaching in the classrooms. The dependent variable, therefore, is student performance as it is expected to change in reaction to the introduction of computer-aided teaching.

• Intervening variables is an abstract scientific concept that scientists invoke to label or summarize relationships between independent and dependent variables across a variety of circumstances. It explains the process through which two variables are related. For example, income is an intervening variable that helps explain the relationship between the level of education (independent variable) and spending (dependent variable).

• Constant variables is also called the control variable and is the variable that researchers keep the same between groups being tested. There can be more than one constant variable in an experiment and they are equally as important as the other variables that may create a change.

Kinds of Variables

1. Continuous variables – variables that may have an infinite number of values and may vary widely among the research participants. Examples include height, age and weight.

2. Discrete variables – variables that have specific limits to their value. Examples include income, number of children, or years of employment.

3. Categorical variables – these cannot be expressed in numbers but are given in non-quantitative, descriptive terms. Examples include civil status (single, married, widowed), and educational achievement (high school graduate, college graduate, post- graduate).

WRITING A RESEARCH TITLE 

Guidelines in Choosing a Topic 

       1. Interest in the subject matter You are interested about the topic because you have experienced it. 

       2. Availability of information It is important that when you decide on a topic, sources of information are available. 

       3. Timeliness and relevance of the topic The topic you have chosen can be of significance to the community. 

       4. 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. 

       5. Personal resources Consider also if you can finish the research in terms of your intellectual and financial physical capabilities. 

Topics to be Avoided 

       1. Controversial topics Avoid highly opinionated topics. 

          2. Highly technical subjects Too technical topics requires expertise. If you don’t have enough knowledge about it, then look for another one. 

         3. Hard-to-investigate subjects Unavailability of reading materials and materials that are not updated make the subject hard to investigate. 

        4. Too broad subjects You lack focus if you deal with broad topics. The remedy is to narrow it down. 

        5. Too narrow subject Some subjects are too narrow that extensive and thorough reading are required. 

        6. Vague subjects Titles that start with indefinite adjectives such as several, many, some, etc., make the topic vague. 

Sources of Research Topics 

1. Mass media communication-television, newspaper, ads, radio, films, etc. 

2. Books, internet, journals, government publications 

3. Professional periodicals- specialized periodicals in different fields 

4. General periodicals- Reader’s Digest, Time Magazine, Women’s Magazine, etc. 

5. Previous readings 6. Work experience