Week 3-4

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SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INQUIRY OR RESEARCH

A topic is researchable if the knowledge and information about it are supported by evidence that is observable, factual, and logical.

Guidelines in Choosing a Research Topic

1. Interest in the subject matter. Your interest in a topic may be caused by your rich background knowledge about it and by its novelty. Your real interest in a subject pushes you to research, investigate, or inquire about it in full motivation, enthusiasm, and energy.

2. Availability of information. Collecting a lot of information as evidence to support your claims about your subject matter varied forms of literature like books, journals, and newspaper among others, is a part and parcel of any research work. Included in your investigation of the availability of reading materials are questions on how updated and authoritative the materials are. Let these questions linger as you tour the library: What are the copyright dates of the materials? How old or new are they? How expert or qualified the writers are in coming out with such kind of reading materials about your topic?

3. Timeliness and relevance of the topic. The topic is relevant if it yields results that are instrumental in society improvement. It is timely if it is related to the present.

4. Limitation of the subject. This makes you link your choosing with course requirement.

5. Personal resources. Before sticking to your final choice asses your research abilities in terms of your financial standing, health condition, mental capacity, needed facilities, and time allotment to enable you to complete your research.

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