MEDT 18: INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE RESEARCH

E-MODULE

MODULE 5: RESEARCH PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND

OBJECTIVES SETTING

Learning Outcomes
After the completion of this module, you will be able to:
a. distinguish the factors to consider in selecting a problem area;
b. describe the steps in problem identification;
c. enumerate the qualities of a good research objective; and
d. formulate a research question, hypothesis and objective.

Introduction

In this module, the process of the identification of a research problem will be

discussed. The factors to be considered when selecting a problem area, the elements of
a research problem, the characteristics of a researchable problem and the
characteristics of a good research title will be emphasized. The formulation of objectives
will also be discussed. The characteristics of a good research objective will be
highlighted.

Lecture Notes

I. Research Problem Identification

A research problem or a research question, is a question that requires an answer
through research. This term implies that an investigation, inquiry, or study is to
be conducted, or that a problem is ready for investigation, inquiry, or study.

Elements of a Research Problem

1. Aim or purpose- Why
2. Subject matter or topic- What
3. Place or Locale - Where
4. Period or time of Study - When
5. Population- Who or From What
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Factors to Consider when Selecting the Problem Area

1. Researcher’s curiosity, interest, and motivation – primary consideration
a. Researcher’s observation and experience ( Actual experience )
b. Vicarious experience
2. Researcher’s training and competence (level of expertise)
3.”Need situation” (e,g. theoretical and practical need, research priority/agenda) ∙
Will it be able to contribute to the social milieu and to the body of scientific
knowledge?
∙ Are there limited researches on a topic?
∙ Are there conflicting research findings?
4. Feasibility– the logistics involved must be considered
∙ Time and resources
∙ Ethical issues
∙ Existing literature and documents in the problem area
∙ Availability and accessibility of the sources of data, including tools and
devices for data collection
∙ Parameters and dimensions of the undertaking

Characteristics of a Researchable Problem

1. Manageability
2. Timeliness and Relevance
3. Significance
4. Originality
∙ Newness of the “question,” or
∙ Newness of the answer, or
∙ Newness of the method. or
∙ Newness of the milieu
5. Availability and Accessibility of Data

Process of Problem Identification

1. State the research problem
∙ Use interrogative statement that may focus on:
o Describing an outcome
o Comparing groups in terms of certain characteristics
o Relationships between variables
∙ Examples:
o What is the prevalence of HIV among male sex workers?

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o Is Dengvaxia vaccination causing health problems in vaccinated

children?
o Does food intake of MLS students increase with stress?
o What factors affect the utilization of Philhealth primary health care
laboratory packages in a health facility?
o What is the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pedicab drivers
regarding leptospirosis?
o What is the sensitivity and specificity of a new rapid antigen test
in detecting SARS-CoV 2?
2. Analyze the problem– use the criteria previously discussed in the “Factors to
Consider…” to analyze the problem. Below are sample questions for analysis:
∙ Is the research problem researchable?
o Can data be collected to answer the question?
∙ Is the research problem significant?
o Will it fill a gap in knowledge?
o Will it have practical application?
o Will it improve the practice of the profession?
∙ Is the research problem feasible?
o Time and money
o Availability of enough subjects
o Realistic implementation
o Ethical considerations
3. State the problem and sub-problems more clearly.
∙ This may be done by identifying the elements of the research problem
through answering the questions:
o Who? What? Where? When? How? Why?
∙ This will also guide the formulation of the sub-problems of the study ∙
Sample problem: Does food intake of MLS students increase with stress?
o Who? MLS students (clearer: MEDT18 MLS students)
o What? Food intake (clearer: caloric intake): stress score)
o Where? CvSU College of Nursing
o When? First semester of AY 2020-2021
o How? Food intake= using 3-day recall; stress= through
questionnaire
o Why? To determine the correlation between food intake and stress
∙ More clearly stated sample problem: Does the caloric intake of MEDT18
MLS students enrolled this first semester of AY 2020-2021 increase with
stress?

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∙ Formulated subproblems:
o What is the average caloric intake of MEDT18 MLS students
enrolled in CvSU this first semester of AY 2020-2021?
o What is the average stress score of MEDT18 MLS students
enrolled in CvSU this first semester AY 2020-2021?
o What is the correlation between the caloric intake and stress
among MEDT18 MLS students enrolled in CvSU this first
semester of AY 2020-2021
4. Formulate the hypothesis (if applicable)
∙ A hypothesis is a tentative conclusion or answer to a research problem.
∙ Two forms:
o Operational: stated in affirmative
o Null: stated in negative
∙ Guidelines in the formulation of hypothesis
o Hypotheses needs to be explicit
o Descriptive and historical studies generally do not need a
hypothesis
o Usually stated in null form as testing the null hypothesis is easier
than testing an operational hypothesis
o Hypotheses are generated based from the research questions ∙
Sample research hypothesis (using Sample Problem in #3)
o Null: There is no correlation between caloric intake and stress
score among MEDT18 students in CvSU enrolled this first
semester of AY 2020-2021
o Operational: There is positive correlation between caloric intake
and stress score among MEDT18 MLS students in CvSU
enrolled this semester

Guidelines in Writing a Good Research Title

1. Generally, formulated prior the research work
∙ May be revised and refined
2. Match the contents of the study:
∙ Subject matter of the study
∙ Locale of the study
∙ Population involved
∙ Period data was/will be gathered
3. Broad enough to include all aspects of the subject matter of the study

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4. Brief and concise, thus, easy to remember, index and retrieve

∙ Ex. (Comprehensive Title): Correlation of the Caloric Intake and Stress Score of
CvDU MEDT18 MLS Students during the First Semester of AY 2020-2021

∙ Ex. (Concise): Caloric Intake and Stress Score of MLS Students

∙ Note that the omitted information from the comprehensive title should be
mentioned in the Scope and Limitations of the Study
5. Avoid using terms “Analysis,” “Study,” “Investigation,” “Effects,” “Comparison,”
“Factors,” “Assessment.” “Results,” “Experiments,” “Influence,” “Evaluation,”
“Observations,” and the likes.

6. Proper use of common and scientific names

∙ Use the most recent scientific names (e.g. Streptococcus agalactiae
instead of Staphylococcus agalactiae)
∙ Common name, followed by scientific name in parenthesis
o Ex. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.)
o Ex. Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.)
∙ Do not use local or vernacular names in the title, you may mention these
in the introduction

II. Objectives Setting

A research objective is a declarative statement of your research problem.

Importance of Research Objectives

∙ Gives an indication of the relevant variables to be considered
∙ Guides the researcher in the choice of the research design
∙ Tells the researcher what data to collect
∙ Is helpful in planning the analysis of the data

Types of Objectives
1. General Objective
∙ Overall goal
∙ Derived from the research problem
2. Specific Objective
∙ Contributes to the attainment of the overall goal
∙ Derived from the subproblems of the study
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Stating the Research Objective

∙ To convert the research problem to a research objective, start your statements
with phrases like:
o To describe o To identify o To find out
o To determine o To o To measure o To
compare o To estimate ascertain o To explore

∙ Sample general objective: To determine if caloric intake of MEDT18 MLS

students enrolled this first semester of AY 2020-2021 increase with stress

Sample specific objectives:

o To estimate the average caloric intake of MEDT18 MLS students
enrolled this first semester of AY 2020-2021
o To estimate the average stress score of MEDT18 MLS students
enrolled this first semester of AY 2020-2021
o To determine the correlation between the caloric intake and stress
among MEDT18 MLS students enrolled this first semester of AY 2020-
2021

Qualities of a Good Research Objective

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Attainable
4. Realistic
5. Time-bound