Lesson 12: Rationale of the Study

As a student-researcher, you have to determine the sense of all the things you plan to do in your proposed study. Consider the following questions: Is there a need to conduct a study about your chosen research topic? Does it pose a significant research problem? Does it matter to your academic discipline?

If your answers in the previously asked questions are ‘Yes’, then that can be a good starting point for establishing the rationale of your study.

Research justification is considered as the initial step in writing a research paper. This step involves the skill on how the researcher will provide the readers with critical background or contextual information that introduces the research topic.

Moreover, it needs to indicate the reasons why the proposed research actually matters. In doing so, the researcher must be able to get the audience's attention right from the introduction.

How to Write the Rationale of the Study

The rationale of the study must contain the following components:

1. Existing Literature

a background on what researches have already been done about the given subject.

Example:

A message from the president is given almost unparalleled importance in contrast to other communications. Speeches and addresses of any sort should therefore be read as statements of presidential power and they are all attempts to assert the power of the presidency in some way either through policy proposal, attempts to move public opinion through appeals to the people, or direct address to specific audiences (Chimbarange, Takavarasha, & Kombe, 2014). (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018))

2. Relevance to Local/Global Context

situational interconnectedness of individuals or things in varying perspectives.

Example:

The present study is concerned with investigating an aspect of discourse that has not received adequate attention within the Philippine political discourse. The absence of a research study in the national and local setting has prompted more the researcher to conduct this investigation. (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018))

3. Critical Background/Contextual Information

circumstances forming a background of an event, idea or subject, that enables the readers to understand the nature of the problem.

Example:

It has been found out that due to the pressure of media and its effort to catch the attention of their consumers the traditional view of political speeches has been changing and is now nearer to the everyday informal speech. Political speeches should therefore be not only interesting but also entertaining so as to be enticing to media holders who have the privilege of what would be presented and how (Brno, 2011). (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018))

4. Research Gap

problems, issues or questions that have not been addressed or are yet to be understood.

Example:

The researcher has noticed that analyses of oral texts, particularly in political speeches as a discourse, have been rarely studied by CDA researchers. Thus, Wang (2010) calls for more attention to CDA studies since they can help explore the relationship between language, ideology, and power. (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018))

5. Proof of Urgency

an urgent need to solve the existing problem.

Example:

There is an urgent need to pursue this research because the Philippines is now facing a great change in administrative reform. (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018))

6. Research Goal/Objective

the purpose why there is a need for the proposed study to be conducted.

Example:

Thus, it is in the realm to listen to the core messages of the current president and understand his plans as well as visions to uplift the life of every constituent, and the country as a whole. Through Critical Discourse Analysis, this study aims to bring understanding on the discourse of politics as well as power and dominance. (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis (Remorosa, 2018))

Here are some questions to be considered in presenting justifications:

1. Why is this research important?

2. What real life or everyday problem, issue, or question does the research relate to?

3. Can people relate to the problem in local or global context?

4. What benefit does the research promise?

5. Are the units of analysis and observation clearly identified?

6. What does the researcher hope to find out?

7. What was wrong or incomplete about prior efforts already conducted?

8. Does the research extend understanding of the phenomena being investigated?

9. Does it elaborate or fill in the gaps in the present knowledge?

10. What is the research ultimately trying to achieve?

Example Rationale of the Study

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

A message from the president is given almost unparalleled importance in contrast to other communications. Speeches and addresses of any sort should therefore be read as statements of presidential power and they are all attempts to assert the power of the presidency in some way either through policy proposal, attempts to move public opinion through appeals to the people, or direct address to specific audiences (Chimbarange, Takavarasha, & Kombe, 2014).

The present study is concerned with investigating an aspect of discourse that has not received adequate attention within the Philippine political discourse. The absence of a research study in the national and local setting has prompted more the researcher to conduct this investigation.

It has been found out that due to the pressure of media and its effort to catch the attention of their consumers the traditional view of political speeches has been changing and is now nearer to the everyday informal speech. Political speeches should therefore be not only interesting but also entertaining so as to be enticing to media holders who have the privilege of what would be presented and how (Brno, 2011).

The researcher has noticed that analyses of oral texts, particularly in political speeches as a discourse, have been rarely studied by CDA researchers. Thus, Wang (2010) calls for more attention to CDA studies since they can help explore the relationship between language, ideology, and power.

There is an urgent need to pursue this research because the Philippines is now facing a great change in administrative reform, thus it is in the realm to listen to the core messages of the current president and understand his plans as well as visions to uplift the life of every constituent, and the country as a whole. Through Critical Discourse Analysis, this study aims to bring understanding on the discourse of politics as well as power and dominance.