RESEARCH PAPER - SCOPE & LIMITATIONS (Reporting)

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SCOPE &

LIMITATIONS

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what is SCOPE?

Scope

refers to how far the

research area has explored and

parameters

in with the study will be

operating in.

The

The type

type of

of informa

information

tion to

to be

be included

included

in the scope of a research project

would include

facts

and

theories

about the subject

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The

The coverage

coverage of

of the

the study

study is

is in

in

terms of:

1. General purpose

2. Population or sample

. Time or duration

!. "ubject matters and topics

discussed

#. $rea or locality

(4)

%xample:

This

This investigation investigation as as conducted conducted toto determine the status of the teaching of determine the status of the teaching of science in the high schools of Province $ science in the high schools of Province $ as perceived by the teachers and students as perceived by the teachers and students in science classes during the school year in science classes during the school year 1&'&(1&&). The aspects loo*ed into were 1&'&(1&&). The aspects loo*ed into were the +uali,cations of teachers- their the +uali,cations of teachers- their methods and strategies- facilities forms of methods and strategies- facilities forms of supervisory assistance- problems and supervisory assistance- problems and proposed solutions to the problems.

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hat /as 0een ncluded...



_{General purpose}_{General purpose To determine the status}_{To determine the status}

of the teaching of science. of the teaching of science.



_{Su!"ect matter}_{Su!"ect matter The teaching of science}_{The teaching of science} 

Topics #aspects$ stu%ie%Topics #aspects$ stu%ie% 3uali,cations 3uali,cations of teachers- their methods and of teachers- their methods and strategies-facilities- form of supervisory facilities- form of supervisory assistance-problems and proposed solutions to

problems and proposed solutions to problems

problems



_{Population or sample}_{Population or sample teachers and}_{teachers and}

students students



Area or localitArea or localit /igh schools /igh schools of Provinof Provincece $

$



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what is

LIMITATION?

Limitations

Limitations--

also *nown as thealso *nown as the bounds- are in4uences that the researcher bounds- are in4uences that the researcher cannot control. They are the cannot control. They are the shortcomin's

shortcomin's- conditions or in4uences- conditions or in4uences that cannot be controlled by the researcher that cannot be controlled by the researcher that place restrictions on your methodology that place restrictions on your methodology and conclusions. $ny limitations that might and conclusions. $ny limitations that might in4uence the results should be mentioned. in4uence the results should be mentioned.

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delimitations

(elimitations

(elimitations are choices made by the are choices made by the resear

researcher which cher which should beshould be

mentioned. They describe the boundaries that mentioned. They describe the boundaries that you have set for the study. This is the place to you have set for the study. This is the place to explain:

explain: 

the things that you are not doing 6and why youthe things that you are not doing 6and why you have chosen not to do them7.

have chosen not to do them7. 

the literature you will not the literature you will not review 6and why not7.review 6and why not7. 

the population you are not studying 6and whythe population you are not studying 6and why not7.

not7. 

the methodological procedures you will not usethe methodological procedures you will not use 6and why you will not use them7.

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%8$9P%:

$lthough the research has reached its $lthough the research has reached its aims-there were some unavoidable limitations. there were some unavoidable limitations. ;irst- because of the time limit- this research ;irst- because of the time limit- this research was conducted only on a small si<e of was conducted only on a small si<e of population who were attending the riting  population who were attending the riting  course in their third semester at =T>. course in their third semester at =T>. Therefor

Therefore- to e- to generali<e the generali<e the results for largerresults for larger groups- the study should have involved more groups- the study should have involved more participants at di?erent levels. "econd- the participants at di?erent levels. "econd- the students@ overloaded wor*- to some students@ overloaded wor*- to some extent-might a?ect the result of the correlation might a?ect the result of the correlation between the students@ motivation

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hen

considering

what

hen

considering

what

limitations there might be in your

investigation-

be

thorough.

investigation-

be

thorough.

=onsider all of the following:

1. your analysis

2. the nature of self(reporting

. the instruments you utili<ed

!. the sample

#. time constraints

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to write in %nglish and their

writing performance because

they were re+uired to ta*e part

in many studies at the same

time. ;inally- the slow networ*

might discourage participants@

interests

and

motivation

in

interests

and

motivation

in

joining peer feedbac*

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9PABT$C=% of limitations



Alwas

ac)nowle%'e

a

stu%*s

limitations+

t is far better for you to identify and t is far better for you to identify and ac*nowledge your study@s limitations ac*nowledge your study@s limitations than to have them pointed out by your than to have them pointed out by your professor and be graded down because professor and be graded down because you appear to have ignored them.

you appear to have ignored them. 



_{,eep in min% that ac)nowle%'ement}

of

a

stu%*s

limitations

is

an

of

a

stu%*s

limitations

is

an

opportunit to ma)e su''estions for

further research+

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

_{Clamin' limitations is a su!"ecti-e}

process !ecause ou must e-aluate

the impact of those limitations+

Don@t just list ey weanesses and the

magnitude of a study@s limitattions.

Limitations

re+uire a critical- overall

appraisal and interpretation of their

impact. Eou should answer the +uestion:

do these problem with errors-

methods-validity- etc. eventually matter and- if

validity- etc. eventually matter and- if

so- to what

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Descriptions of possible limitations



_{All stu%ies ha-e limitations+}

/owever- it is important that you

restrict

your

discussion

to

restrict

your

discussion

to

limitations related to the research

problem under investigation.

. (o not apolo'i/e for not

a%%ressin' issues that ou %i%n*t

promise

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possible methodological limitations



 Sample si/e

Sample si/e ( the number of the units

( the number of the units

of analysis you use in your study is

dictated by the type of research

problem you are investigating.



 Lac) of a-aila!le an%0or relia!le

Lac) of a-aila!le an%0or relia!le

%ata

%ata ( lac* of reliable data will li*ely

( lac* of reliable data will li*ely

re+uire you to limit the scope of your

analysis- the si<e of your sample- or it

can be a signi,cant obstacle in ,nding

a trend and a meaningful

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

 Lac) of prior research stu%ies on the

Lac) of prior research stu%ies on the

topic

topic ( citing prior research studies forms

( citing prior research studies forms

the basis of your literature review and

helps lay a foundation for understanding

the research problem you@re investigating.



 Measure use% to collect the %ata

Measure use% to collect the %ata ((

sometimes-

after

completing

your

sometimes-

after

completing

your

interpretation

of

the

,ndings-

you

interpretation

of

the

,ndings-

you

discover that the way you gatherd data

inhibited your ability to conduct a

thorough analysis of the results.

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

 Self1reporte% %ata

Self1reporte% %ata ( whether

( whether

you are relying on pre(existing

self(reported data or you are

conducting a +ualitative research

study and gathering the data

yourself- self(reported data is

limite%

by the fact that it rarely

can be independently veri,ed.

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possible limitations of the

possible limitations of the resear

researcher

cher



 Lon'itu%inal e2ects

Lon'itu%inal e2ects ( 0e sure to choose

( 0e sure to choose

a topic that does not re+uire an excessive

amount of time to complete the literature

review- apply the methodology- and

gather and

gather and interpret the re

interpret the results.

sults.



 Cultural an% other tpe of !ias

Cultural an% other tpe of !ias (

( Cote

Cote

that if you detect bias in a prior

research-it must be ac*nowledged and measures

it must be ac*nowledged and measures

ta*en should be explained to avoid

perpetuating bias.

3ias

3ias ( when a person- place- or thing is viewed or ( when a person- place- or thing is viewed or shown in a consistently inaccurate way

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

 Access

Access ( if study depends on access to

( if study depends on access to

people- organi<ations- or for whatever

reason- access is denied or limited- it

needs to be described.



 4luenc in a lan'ua'e

4luenc in a lan'ua'e ( if your research

( if your research

focuses on measuring the perceived

value of after(school tutoring among

9exican($merican %" students- and

you@re not 4uent in "panish- you@re

limited in being able to read and interpret

"panish language research studies. This

de,ciency should be ac*nowledged.

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when discussing limitations- be

sure to...



_{Describe each limitation in}

_{Describe each limitation in %etaile%}

_%etaile%

_but

concise

terms.



%xplain why each limitation

%xplain why each limitation exists.

exists.



_{Provide the}

_{Provide the reasons}

_reasons

_{why each limitation}

couldn@t

be

overcome

using

the

couldn@t

be

overcome

using

the

methods chosen to gather the data.



_{$ssess the impact of each limitation in}

relation to the overall ,ndings and

conclusions.



f appropriate- describe how these

limitations could point to the need of

further research.

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

riting

riting tips

tips

×

(on*t in5ate the importance of

our 6n%in's7

e all want our academic wor* to be

viewed as excellent and worthy of a

good grade- but it is important that you

understand and openly ac*nowledge

the limitations of your study. n4ating

the importance of your study@s ,ndings

in an attempt to hide its 4aws is a big

turn o? to your

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×

× Ne'ati-e results are not a limitation7Ne'ati-e results are not a limitation7

Ne'ati-e e-i%ence

Ne'ati-e e-i%ence refers to ,ndings that refers to ,ndings that unexpectedly challenge rather than support unexpectedly challenge rather than support your hypothesis. f you didn@t get the results your hypothesis. f you didn@t get the results you anticipated- it may mean your you anticipated- it may mean your hypothesis was incorrect or you stumbled hypothesis was incorrect or you stumbled onto something unexpected that warrants onto something unexpected that warrants further study. Don@t fall into the trap of further study. Don@t fall into the trap of thin*ing that results contrary to what you thin*ing that results contrary to what you expected is a limitation to your study.

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×

Sample si/e limitations in 8ualitati-e

research

Determining ade+uate sample si<e in Determining ade+uate sample si<e in +ualitative research is ultimately a matter +ualitative research is ultimately a matter of judgment and experience in evaluating of judgment and experience in evaluating the +uality of the information collected the +uality of the information collected against the uses to which it will be applied against the uses to which it will be applied and

and the the particparticular ular researresearch ch method method andand purposive sampling strategy employed.