UTM MEd Project Playbook

STEP1: Preparing Research Study Outline:

This is your research journey map! You’ll sketch out the structure of Chapters 1–5 and align your flow with UTM's formatting and expectations. It helps you stay organized and know exactly what goes where. 

STEP 2: Conducting Critical Analysis for Chapter 2: Literature Review:

This isn’t just about listing articles — it’s about analyzing and critiquing past studies to highlight what has been done and what’s still missing. You’ll compare findings, methods, and theories to identify gaps and build a solid foundation for your own research. 

STEP 3: Critical Writing of Previous Articles for Chapter 2: LR:

Learn how to write critically by comparing, contrasting, and connecting past studies. Focus on showing relationships between findings and how they relate to your research focus. 

STEP 4: Identifying Theories Underpinning Research:

Every research needs a theoretical backbone. You’ll select theories that align with your topic, guiding how you frame your research and interpret your findings. 

STEP 5: Writing Research Objectives:

Clear research objectives will shape your entire project. Here, you'll learn how to write focused and clear research objectives that align with your research gap and methodology. 

STEP 6: Writing Research Objectives/Questions:

Clear research questions will shape your entire project. Here, you'll learn how to write focused, answerable questions that align with your research gap and methodology. 

STEP 7: Writing the Background of the Problem of Chapter 1: Introduction:

You’ll provide the context for your problem — like the backstory. This section sets the scene using facts, trends, and literature that lead to your research problem. 

STEP 8: Writing the Problem Statement of Chapter 1: Introduction:

This is where you convince readers why your study matters. You'll describe the issue you’re tackling, who it affects, and why it needs to be studied now. 

STEP 9: Formulating Theoretical Framework:

Theoretical framework provides the foundation for your study. This video guides you step by step on how to formulate it — from identifying your research problem, selecting relevant theories, defining key concepts, to linking them with your variables to justify your research focus.  

STEP 10: Formulating Conceptual Framework:

This video guides you through the steps to formulate a conceptual framework — from identifying key variables and selecting relevant theories, to mapping out relationships and building a clear diagram. It helps you align your framework with your research objectives and questions. 

STEP 11: Writing Importance and Scope of Research:

Why is your research valuable, and where does it apply? You’ll explain the practical, academic, or policy relevance of your study and outline its focus and boundaries. 

STEP 12: Writing the Introduction section:

In Section 1.1 Introduction, you should provide a broad overview of your study to help readers understand the context and importance of your research. 

STEP 13: Writing the Operational Definition and Chapter Summary:

Here, you define key terms in your study so there’s no confusion. You’ll also wrap up the chapter with a short summary to tie everything together before moving to the next.