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June 12, 2023
2023 · PHD · Blog
Source: https://www.discoverphds.com/blog/scope-of-the-study
The scope of the study is defined at the start of the research project before data collection begins. It is used by researchers to set the boundaries and limitations within which the study will be performed.
The scope of the study refers to the boundaries within which your research project will be performed; this is sometimes also called the scope of research. To define the scope of the study is to define all aspects that will be considered in your research project. It is also just as important to make clear what aspects will not be covered; i.e. what is outside of the scope of the study.
The scope of the study is always considered and agreed upon in the early stages of the project, before any data collection or experimental work has started. This is important because it focuses the work of the proposed study down to what is practically achievable within a given timeframe.
A well-defined research or study scope enables a researcher to give clarity to the study outcomes that are to be investigated. It makes clear why specific data points have been collected whilst others have been excluded.
Without this, it is difficult to define an end point for a research project since no limits have been defined on the work that could take place. Similarly, it can also make the approach to answering a research question too open ended.
In order to write the scope of the study that you plan to perform, you must be clear on the research parameters that you will and won’t consider. These parameters usually consist of the sample size, the duration, inclusion and exclusion criteria, the methodology and any geographical or monetary constraints.
Each of these parameters will have limits placed on them so that the study can practically be performed, and the results interpreted relative to the limitations that have been defined. These parameters will also help to shape the direction of each research question you consider.
The term limitations’ is often used together with the scope of the study to describe the constraints of any parameters that are considered and also to clarify which parameters have not been considered at all. Make sure you get the balance right here between not making the scope too broad and unachievable, and it not being too restrictive, resulting in a lack of useful data.
The sample size is a commonly used parameter in the definition of the research scope. For example, a research project involving human participants may define at the start of the study that 100 participants will be recruited. This number will be determined based on an understanding of the difficulty in recruiting participants to studies and an agreement of an acceptable period of time in which to recruit this number.
Any results that are obtained by the research group can then be interpreted by others with the knowledge that the study was capped to 100 participants and an acceptance of this as a limitation of the study. In other words, it is acknowledged that recruiting 100 rather than 1,000 participants has limited the amount of data that could be collected, however this is an acceptable limitation due to the known difficulties in recruiting so many participants (e.g. the significant period of time it would take and the costs associated with this).
The follow is a (hypothetical) example of the definition of the scope of the study, with the research question investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health .
Whilst the immediate negative health problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been well documented, the impact of the virus on the mental health (MH) of young adults (age 18-24 years) is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to report on MH changes in population group due to the pandemic.
The scope of the study is limited to recruiting 100 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 24 who will be contacted using their university email accounts. This recruitment period will last for a maximum of 2 months and will end when either 100 volunteers have been recruited or 2 months have passed. Each volunteer to the study will be asked to complete a short questionnaire in order to evaluate any changes in their MH.
From this example we can immediately see that the scope of the study has placed a constraint on the sample size to be used and/or the time frame for recruitment of volunteers. It has also introduced a limitation by only opening recruitment to people that have university emails; i.e. anyone that does not attend university will be excluded from this study.
This may be an important factor when interpreting the results of this study; the comparison of MH during the pandemic between those that do and do not attend university, is therefore outside the scope of the study here. We are also told that the methodology used to assess any changes in MH are via a questionnaire. This is a clear definition of how the outcome measure will be investigated and any other methods are not within the scope of research and their exclusion may be a limitation of the study.
The scope of the study is important to define as it enables a researcher to focus their research to within achievable parameters.
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Published on July 12, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on November 20, 2023.
Research objectives describe what your research is trying to achieve and explain why you are pursuing it. They summarize the approach and purpose of your project and help to focus your research.
Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement . They should:
What is a research objective, why are research objectives important, how to write research aims and objectives, smart research objectives, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research objectives.
Research objectives describe what your research project intends to accomplish. They should guide every step of the research process , including how you collect data , build your argument , and develop your conclusions .
Your research objectives may evolve slightly as your research progresses, but they should always line up with the research carried out and the actual content of your paper.
A distinction is often made between research objectives and research aims.
A research aim typically refers to a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear at the end of your problem statement, before your research objectives.
Your research objectives are more specific than your research aim and indicate the particular focus and approach of your project. Though you will only have one research aim, you will likely have several research objectives.
Research objectives are important because they:
Once you’ve established a research problem you want to address, you need to decide how you will address it. This is where your research aim and objectives come in.
Your research aim should reflect your research problem and should be relatively broad.
Break down your aim into a limited number of steps that will help you resolve your research problem. What specific aspects of the problem do you want to examine or understand?
Once you’ve established your research aim and objectives, you need to explain them clearly and concisely to the reader.
You’ll lay out your aims and objectives at the end of your problem statement, which appears in your introduction. Frame them as clear declarative statements, and use appropriate verbs to accurately characterize the work that you will carry out.
The acronym “SMART” is commonly used in relation to research objectives. It states that your objectives should be:
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Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.
They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.
Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .
Your research objectives indicate how you’ll try to address your research problem and should be specific:
Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .
Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.
I will compare …
A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.
Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.
Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.
Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .
To define your scope of research, consider the following:
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You're probably at that stage where you need to write a research work. Research writing is important, and it requires to be approached with precision. Part of the table of content of every research is the scope of the study, which gives an oversight of a study.
The scope of the study explains the extent to which your research area will be explored, and the parameters the study will operate. It gives the reader and the writer an insight into what the study is aimed at and what should be anticipated.
This implies that the scope of the study should define the purpose of your study, the sample size and qualities, geographical location, the timeframe at which the study will be executed, theories the study will focus on, etc.
The scope of the study is just an aspect of research writing, and great attention needs to be taken not to go beyond what is expected. Therefore, the scope of the study sheds light on areas your study will cover and what it focuses on. What your study area is not going to focus on is of no relevance to your research study, and the scope of the study eliminates that.
Now that you understand the study's scope, how do you write one for your research work?
In writing the Scope of the Study of research work, you need to include significant points that will guide your audiences (readers) and provide them with adequate information about the rationale and limits of your study.
To write your scope of the study, you need to restate the research problem and objectives of your study. You should state the period in which your study focuses on. The research methods utilized in your study should also be stated. This incorporates data such as sample size, geographical location, variables, and the method of analysis. You also need to state the academic theories applied to the data. This conveys to the reader the lens of analysis you are using. Collection of all data is impossible on a subject and exploration of all aspects of a subject. Therefore, all research is restricted in scope and subjected to limitations.
When writing your scope of the study, you need to note that if you broaden it too much, you may not be able to do justice to the study. That is, it may take a longer period to complete. Also, limiting your scope might limit your findings and make the research easier at your end. Before you define the scope of your work, you need to analyze the feasibility of your study.
For instance, if you are writing on the topic "The Impact of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Nigeria Election from 2009-2018", your scope will comprise all impacts (positive or negative) within the stated time frame. The anti-corruption agencies analyzed would also be included. Obtaining data for this time frame may also be tasking.
Below is a hypothetical example of the scope of study culled from Discoverphds . The research question analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
“ While the immediate negative health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have been well documented, the impact of the virus on the mental health (MH) of young adults (age 18-24 years) is poorly understood. This study aims to report on MH changes in the population group due to the pandemic.
The scope of the study is limited to recruiting 100 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 24 who will be reached through their university email accounts. This recruitment duration will last for a maximum of 2 months and will end when 100 volunteers have been recruited or the 2 months duration has passed. Each volunteer for the study will be asked to complete a short questionnaire to evaluate any changes in their mental health. ”
Scope of the study is important in every research work as it helps the researcher to focus his study within achievable parameters. The target of a project is also determined by clearly stating your focus. Finally, it states why a particular data will be or is eliminated from the research work.
Home » Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and Writing Guide
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Definition:
Delimitations refer to the specific boundaries or limitations that are set in a research study in order to narrow its scope and focus. Delimitations may be related to a variety of factors, including the population being studied, the geographical location, the time period, the research design , and the methods or tools being used to collect data .
Here are some reasons why delimitations are important in research studies:
Here are some types of delimitations in research and their significance:
This type of delimitation refers to the time frame in which the research will be conducted. Time delimitations are important because they help to narrow down the scope of the study and ensure that the research is feasible within the given time constraints.
Geographical delimitations refer to the geographic boundaries within which the research will be conducted. These delimitations are significant because they help to ensure that the research is relevant to the intended population or location.
Population delimitations refer to the specific group of people that the research will focus on. These delimitations are important because they help to ensure that the research is targeted to a specific group, which can improve the accuracy of the results.
Data delimitations refer to the specific types of data that will be used in the research. These delimitations are important because they help to ensure that the data is relevant to the research question and that the research is conducted using reliable and valid data sources.
Scope delimitations refer to the specific aspects or dimensions of the research that will be examined. These delimitations are important because they help to ensure that the research is focused and that the findings are relevant to the research question.
In order to write delimitations in research, you can follow these steps:
Here are some situations when you may need to write delimitations in research:
Examples of Delimitations in Research are as follows:
Research Title : “Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Cybersecurity Threat Detection”
Delimitations :
Research Title: “The Effects of Social Media on Academic Performance: A Case Study of College Students”
Delimitations:
Some Purposes of Delimitations are as follows:
Here are some common applications of delimitations:
Some Advantages of Delimitations are as follows:
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The rationale of the study is the justification for taking on a given study. It explains the reason the study was conducted or should be conducted. This means the study rationale should explain to the reader or examiner why the study is/was necessary. It is also sometimes called the “purpose” or “justification” of a study. While this is not difficult to grasp in itself, you might wonder how the rationale of the study is different from your research question or from the statement of the problem of your study, and how it fits into the rest of your thesis or research paper.
The rationale of the study links the background of the study to your specific research question and justifies the need for the latter on the basis of the former. In brief, you first provide and discuss existing data on the topic, and then you tell the reader, based on the background evidence you just presented, where you identified gaps or issues and why you think it is important to address those. The problem statement, lastly, is the formulation of the specific research question you choose to investigate, following logically from your rationale, and the approach you are planning to use to do that.
How to write a rationale for a research paper , how do you justify the need for a research study.
The basis for writing a research rationale is preliminary data or a clear description of an observation. If you are doing basic/theoretical research, then a literature review will help you identify gaps in current knowledge. In applied/practical research, you base your rationale on an existing issue with a certain process (e.g., vaccine proof registration) or practice (e.g., patient treatment) that is well documented and needs to be addressed. By presenting the reader with earlier evidence or observations, you can (and have to) convince them that you are not just repeating what other people have already done or said and that your ideas are not coming out of thin air.
Once you have explained where you are coming from, you should justify the need for doing additional research–this is essentially the rationale of your study. Finally, when you have convinced the reader of the purpose of your work, you can end your introduction section with the statement of the problem of your research that contains clear aims and objectives and also briefly describes (and justifies) your methodological approach.
The author can present the study rationale both before and after the research is conducted.
Although every study rationale is different and discusses different specific elements of a study’s method or approach, there are some elements that should be included to write a good rationale. Make sure to touch on the following:
There are different types of limitations that you can use to justify the need for your study. In applied/practical research, the justification for investigating something is always that an existing process/practice has a problem or is not satisfactory. Let’s say, for example, that people in a certain country/city/community commonly complain about hospital care on weekends (not enough staff, not enough attention, no decisions being made), but you looked into it and realized that nobody ever investigated whether these perceived problems are actually based on objective shortages/non-availabilities of care or whether the lower numbers of patients who are treated during weekends are commensurate with the provided services.
In this case, “lack of data” is your justification for digging deeper into the problem. Or, if it is obvious that there is a shortage of staff and provided services on weekends, you could decide to investigate which of the usual procedures are skipped during weekends as a result and what the negative consequences are.
In basic/theoretical research, lack of knowledge is of course a common and accepted justification for additional research—but make sure that it is not your only motivation. “Nobody has ever done this” is only a convincing reason for a study if you explain to the reader why you think we should know more about this specific phenomenon. If there is earlier research but you think it has limitations, then those can usually be classified into “methodological”, “contextual”, and “conceptual” limitations. To identify such limitations, you can ask specific questions and let those questions guide you when you explain to the reader why your study was necessary:
Let’s look at an example from one of our earlier articles on the statement of the problem to clarify how your rationale fits into your introduction section. This is a very short introduction for a practical research study on the challenges of online learning. Your introduction might be much longer (especially the context/background section), and this example does not contain any sources (which you will have to provide for all claims you make and all earlier studies you cite)—but please pay attention to how the background presentation , rationale, and problem statement blend into each other in a logical way so that the reader can follow and has no reason to question your motivation or the foundation of your research.
Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, most educational institutions around the world have transitioned to a fully online study model, at least during peak times of infections and social distancing measures. This transition has not been easy and even two years into the pandemic, problems with online teaching and studying persist (reference needed) .
While the increasing gap between those with access to technology and equipment and those without access has been determined to be one of the main challenges (reference needed) , others claim that online learning offers more opportunities for many students by breaking down barriers of location and distance (reference needed) .
Since teachers and students cannot wait for circumstances to go back to normal, the measures that schools and universities have implemented during the last two years, their advantages and disadvantages, and the impact of those measures on students’ progress, satisfaction, and well-being need to be understood so that improvements can be made and demographics that have been left behind can receive the support they need as soon as possible.
To identify what changes in the learning environment were considered the most challenging and how those changes relate to a variety of student outcome measures, we conducted surveys and interviews among teachers and students at ten institutions of higher education in four different major cities, two in the US (New York and Chicago), one in South Korea (Seoul), and one in the UK (London). Responses were analyzed with a focus on different student demographics and how they might have been affected differently by the current situation.
In a research article bound for journal publication, your rationale should not be longer than a few sentences (no longer than one brief paragraph). A dissertation or thesis usually allows for a longer description; depending on the length and nature of your document, this could be up to a couple of paragraphs in length. A completely novel or unconventional approach might warrant a longer and more detailed justification than an approach that slightly deviates from well-established methods and approaches.
Now that you know how to write the rationale of the study for a research proposal or paper, you should make use of Wordvice AI’s free AI Grammar Checker , or receive professional academic proofreading services from Wordvice, including research paper editing services and manuscript editing services to polish your submitted research documents.
You can also find many more articles, for example on writing the other parts of your research paper , on choosing a title , or on making sure you understand and adhere to the author instructions before you submit to a journal, on the Wordvice academic resources pages.
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Management research on “purpose” is dispersed. This is because scholars apply different perspectives on purpose, each associated with distinct approaches to its study. We find that one perspective views purpose as embedded in the business–society context or as embodied within organizations. A second perspective looks at the purpose of the organization and its purpose to specific stakeholders. We reviewed management literature on purpose conducted over the past two decades to unearth this fragmentation further and uncover possibilities for integration. We identify four themes that anchor the disjointed literature: identity , performance , objectives , and change . In addition, we organize the literature across six dimensions of purpose as a concept. Each dimension surfaces existing dichotomies in research: property , scope , stability , materiality , motive , and rationality . Both the anchoring themes and conceptual dimensions establish the groundwork for a programmatic agenda for future research, aimed to support purpose research as a distinct area of study in management.
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Scope of research refers to the range of topics, areas, and subjects that a research project intends to cover. It is the extent and limitations of the study, defining what is included and excluded in the research. The scope of a research project depends on various factors, such as the research questions, objectives, methodology, and available ...
A well-defined research or study scope enables a researcher to give clarity to the study outcomes that are to be investigated. It makes clear why specific data points have been collected whilst others have been excluded. ... The sample size is a commonly used parameter in the definition of the research scope. For example, a research project ...
Answer: Scope and delimitations are two elements of a research paper or thesis. The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the work and specifies the parameters within which the study will be operating. For example, let's say a researcher wants to study the impact of mobile phones on behavior ...
The scope of the study can come down to any number of things, including the researchers' interest, the current state of theoretical development on the subject of mental health, and the design of the study, particularly how the data is collected. It might even boil down to influences like geographical location, which can determine the kind of ...
Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process, prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called "scope of study," your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you'll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.
What is scope and delimitation in research. The scope of a research paper explains the context and framework for the study, outlines the extent, variables, or dimensions that will be investigated, and provides details of the parameters within which the study is conducted.Delimitations in research, on the other hand, refer to the limitations imposed on the study.
The scope and delimitations of a thesis, dissertation or research paper define the topic and boundaries of the research problem to be investigated. The scope details how in-depth your study is to explore the research question and the parameters in which it will operate in relation to the population and timeframe.
The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the work and specifies the parameters within the study will be operating. Basically, this means that you will have to define what the study is going to cover and what it is focusing on. Similarly, you also have to define what the study is not going to cover.
The scope of your project sets clear parameters for your research.. A scope statement will give basic information about the depth and breadth of the project. It tells your reader exactly what you want to find out, how you will conduct your study, the reports and deliverables that will be part of the outcome of the study, and the responsibilities of the researchers involved in the study.
Your study's scope and delimitations are the sections where you define the broader parameters and boundaries of your research. The scope details what your study will explore, such as the target population, extent, or study duration. Delimitations are factors and variables not included in the study. Scope and delimitations are not methodological ...
The scope of the study explains the extent to which your research area will be explored, and the parameters the study will operate. It gives the reader and the writer an insight into what the study is aimed at and what should be anticipated. This implies that the scope of the study should define the purpose of your study, the sample size and ...
Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process, prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called "scope of study," your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you'll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.
A well-defined research or study scope enables a researcher to give clarity to the study outcomes that are to be investigated. It makes clear why specific data points have been collected whilst others have been excluded. ... The sample size is a commonly used parameter in the definition of the research scope. For example, a research project ...
Answer: The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in your work, and it specifies the parameters within which the study will be operating. In other words, you will have to define what the study will cover and what it focuses on. Similarly, you also have to explain what the study will not cover.
Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process, prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called "scope of study," your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you'll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.
To write your scope of the study, you need to restate the research problem and objectives of your study. You should state the period in which your study focuses on. The research methods utilized in your study should also be stated. This incorporates data such as sample size, geographical location, variables, and the method of analysis.
The scope of the study is a section in a research proposal/thesis/report where the researcher engages in the discussion of the research areas, research questions, objectives,
The scope of a study, as you may know, establishes the extent to which you will study the topic in question. It's done, quite simply, to keep the study practical. If the scope is too broad, the study may go on a long time. If it's too narrow, it may not yield sufficient data. For examples of the scope, you may refer to the following queries ...
Delimitations refer to the specific boundaries or limitations that are set in a research study in order to narrow its scope and focus. Delimitations may be related to a variety of factors, including the population being studied, the geographical location, the time period, the research design, and the methods or tools being used to collect data.
The rationale of the study is the justification for taking on a given study. It explains the reason the study was conducted or should be conducted. This means the study rationale should explain to the reader or examiner why the study is/was necessary. It is also sometimes called the "purpose" or "justification" of a study.
1 Answer to this question. Answer: The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the study and specifies the parameters within which the study will be operating. Thus, the scope of a study will define the purpose of the study, the population size and characteristics, geographical location, the time ...
Management research on "purpose" is dispersed. This is because scholars apply different perspectives on purpose, each associated with distinct approaches to its study. We find that one perspective views purpose as embedded in the business-society context or as embodied within organizations. A second perspective looks at the purpose of the organization and its purpose to specific ...
Scope refers to the extent of the topic you will be covering in your study. This is done to keep the study feasible and practical in terms of cost, efforts, and time. A related term is delimitations, which refers to the restrictions placed on the study by the researcher. Scope and delimitations are written in the Methods section.
In simple words, the scope of a study refers to all the aspects that it will cover or the boundaries within which it will be performed. This means that researchers have to define what the study is focusing on. Similarly, they have to define what the study is not going to cover (these often comprise the limitations of the study).