COTTA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

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WRITING THE INTRODUCTION

IN IMRAD PAPER
Dr. may grace d. salazar
SHS Master Teacher - I

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RATIONALE & CONTEXT

the justification for taking on a given study
explains the reason the study was conducted or should be
conducted
is also sometimes called the “purpose” or “justification” of a
study
links the study's background to your specific research
question and justifies the need for the latter on the basis of
the former

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What to include?
A summary of conclusions from your review of the relevant
literature
What is currently unknown (gaps in knowledge)
Inconclusive or contested results from previous studies on
the same or similar topic
The necessity to improve or build on previous research, such
as to improve methodology or utilize newer techniques and/or
technologies

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How Do You Justify the Need for a Research Study?

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.

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How Do You Justify the Need for a Research Study?

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.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Step 1: Contextualize the problem
The problem statement should frame your research problem,
giving background on what is already known.

Step 2: Show why it matters

The problem statement should also address the relevance of the
research. Why is it important that the problem is addressed?

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Step 3: Set your aims and objectives
Finally, the problem statement should frame how you intend to
address the problem. Your goal here should not be to find a
conclusive solution but to propose more effective approaches to
tackling or understanding it.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The research aim is the overall purpose of your research. It is

generally written in the infinitive form:

This study aims to determine…

This project aims to explore…
This research aims to investigate…

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The research objectives are the concrete steps you will take to
achieve the aim:

Qualitative methods will be used to identify…

This work will use surveys to collect…
Using statistical analysis, the research will measure…

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Significance of the Study

refers to the potential importance, relevance, or impact of the

research findings
outlines how the research contributes to the existing body of
knowledge, what gaps it fills, or what new understanding it
brings to a particular field of study.

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Significance of the Study

Originality: The extent to which the study advances existing

knowledge or introduces new ideas and perspectives.
Practical relevance: The potential implications of the study
for real-world situations, such as improving policy or practice.
Theoretical contribution: The extent to which the study
provides new insights or perspectives on theoretical concepts
or frameworks.

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Significance of the Study

Methodological rigor: The extent to which the study employs

appropriate and robust methods and techniques to generate
reliable and valid data.
Social or cultural impact: The potential impact of the study on
society, culture, or public perception of a particular issue.

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How to Write Significance of the Study

Background: Begin by giving some context about your study.
This could include a brief introduction to your subject area,
the current state of research in the field, and the specific
problem or question your study addresses.
Identify the Gap: Demonstrate that there’s a gap in the
existing literature or knowledge that needs to be filled, which
is where your study comes in. The gap could be a lack of
research on a particular topic, differing results in existing
studies, or a new problem that has arisen and hasn’t yet been
studied.
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How to Write Significance of the Study

State the Purpose of Your Study: Clearly state the main
objective of your research. You may want to state the purpose
as a solution to the problem or gap you’ve previously
identified.
Explain the Significance: Now, articulate the potential impact
of your study. You can discuss how your study: (Contributes
to the existing body of knowledge; Addresses a significant
research gap; Offers a new or better solution to a problem;
Impacts policy or practice; Leads to improvements in a
particular field or sector.)
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How to Write Significance of the Study

Identify Beneficiaries: Identify who will benefit from your
study. This could include other researchers, practitioners in
your field, policy-makers, communities, businesses, or others.
Explain how your findings could be used and by whom.
Future Implications: Discuss the implications of your study for
future research. This could involve questions that are left
open, new questions that have been raised, or potential future
methodologies suggested by your study.

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How to Write Significance of the Study

The significance of the study may be:

“The present study is significant because it addresses a pressing public health issue of the
negative impact of social media use on adolescent mental health. Given the widespread
use of social media among this age group, understanding the effects of social media on
mental health is critical for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies.
This study will contribute to the existing literature by examining the moderating factors
that may affect the relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes. It
will also shed light on the potential benefits and risks of social media use for adolescents
and inform the development of evidence-based guidelines for promoting healthy social
media use among this population. The limitations of this study include the use of self-
reported measures and the cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inference.”

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DEFINITION OF TERMS

A mini-dictionary in your study that contains important

terminologies or concepts in your paper that need to be
defined.
Refers to a section or subsection where the author clearly and
precisely explains key terms, concepts, or variables used
throughout the paper.
It may include specific technical terms, acronyms, jargon, or
any other terminology that might be unfamiliar to the target
audience.
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DEFINITION OF TERMS

A mini-dictionary in your study that contains important

terminologies or concepts in your paper that need to be
defined.
Refers to a section or subsection where the author clearly and
precisely explains key terms, concepts, or variables used
throughout the paper.
It may include specific technical terms, acronyms, jargon, or
any other terminology that might be unfamiliar to the target
audience.
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Guidelines on how to write the definition of terms

List the words (which are technical) that would be included

(ensure that the variables and key terms found in the title are
included).
The terms should be arranged alphabetically.
Indention should be applied to each term.
The term should be followed with a period.
It can be underlined or not.
It can be bold and italic or not.
It does not have to be lengthy (direct to the point).
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Guidelines on how to write the definition of terms

Acronyms/initials should be defined clearly. The complete

name should be written first, followed by the acronym in
open-close parenthesis, then the meaning.
Do not overflow with technical terms (only those relevant and
significant to the study).
Keep the definition brief and basic. You'll be able to explain it
more in the body of your paper.

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scope and limitations

The scope of the study refers to the parameters under which

the study will be operating. The problem you seek to resolve
will fit within certain parameters. Think of the scope as the
domain of your research —what's in the domain, and what is
not. You need to make it as clear as possible what you will be
studying and what factors are within the accepted range of
your study.

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scope and limitations

Limitations are matters and occurrences that arise in a study that are out of
the researcher's control. They limit the extensity to which an investigation
can go and sometimes affect the result and conclusions that can be drawn.
No matter how well it is conducted and constructed, every study has
limitations. This is one of the reasons why we do not use the words "prove"
and "disprove" concerning research findings. It is always possible that future
research may cast doubt on the validity of any hypothesis or conclusion
from a study. Your study might have access to only certain people in an
organization, certain documents, and specific data. These are limitations.
Subsequent studies may overcome these limitations.

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Shining High Towards Excellence in Education and Commitment to Service

LITERATURE REVIEW
A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a
specific topic.
It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to
identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing
research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or
dissertation topic.
A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it
analyzes, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear
picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW

Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly
context
Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your
research
Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a
debate
Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your
knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

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Shining High Towards Excellence in Education and Commitment to Service

LITERATURE REVIEW
There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

1. Search for relevant literature

2. Evaluate sources
3. Identify themes, debates, and gaps
4. Outline the structure
5. Write your literature review

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Step 1 – Search for relevant literature
Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly
defined topic.
If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation
or research paper, you will search for literature related to your
research problem and questions.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Step 2 – Evaluate and select sources
You likely won’t be able to read everything written on your
topic, so evaluating which sources are most relevant to your
research question will be necessary.
Make sure the sources you use are credible, and make sure
you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field
of research.

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 COTTA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Shining High Towards Excellence in Education and Commitment to Service

LITERATURE REVIEW
Step 2 – Evaluate and select sources
You likely won’t be able to read everything written on your
topic, so evaluating which sources are most relevant to your
research question will be necessary.
Make sure the sources you use are credible, and make sure
you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field
of research.
Take notes and cite your sources.

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 COTTA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Shining High Towards Excellence in Education and Commitment to Service

LITERATURE REVIEW
Step 3 – Identify themes, debates, and gaps
To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and
structure, be sure you understand the connections and
relationships between the sources you’ve read.
This step will help you work out the structure of your
literature review and (if applicable) show how your own
research will contribute to existing knowledge.

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Shining High Towards Excellence in Education and Commitment to Service

LITERATURE REVIEW
Step 4 – Outline your literature review’s structure
Chronological. The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic
over time.
Thematic. If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize
your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the
topic.
Methodological. If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields
that use various research methods, compare the results and conclusions that
emerge from different approaches.
Theoretical. A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical
framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions
of key concepts.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
Step 5 – Write your literature review
Introduction. The introduction should clearly establish the
focus and purpose of the literature review.
Body. Depending on the length of your literature review, you
should divide the body into subsections. You can use a
subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological
approach.
In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you
have taken from the literature and emphasize their
significance.
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References
Hassan, M. (2023, August 14). Significance of the study - examples and writing guide.
Research Method. https://researchmethod.net/significance-of-the-study/

McCombes, S. (2023, September 11). HOW TO WRITE A literature review: Guide, examples
& templates. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review

Shine Together, Cotta High!

COTTA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Shining High Towards Excellence in Education and Commitment to Service

Shine Together, Cotta High!