How to Determine the Scope for Research: Deciding the Scope of Study for Thesis, Dissertation, and Research Paper
When you undertake any research project, it should have a defined set of boundaries to facilitate smooth execution. This is termed as the scope of research or scope of study. This article will explain why it is important to define the scope of research and how to write the scope of study with the help of an example.
Why is it Important to Define the Research Scope?
5 Key Elements to Define in the Study Scope
How to Write the Research Scope: Example Included
Frequently Asked Questions on Research Scope
What is the Scope of Study?
The scope of research, also known as the study scope, is a set of pre-defined boundaries that decide the extent to which your research will explore the selected study topic. You will decide
- the parameters within which your study will operate
- what you shall and shall not cover as part of your investigation
- the limitations or restrictions for your research
Why is it Important to Define the Research Scope?
When you begin investigating a problem, it’s like going down a rabbit hole. It will seem endless unless you define certain boundaries to the investigation process.
- A research scope helps keep your investigation on track, giving it a focused direction. Without a pre-defined research direction, you could end up exploring more than what your research was intended to address.
- Defining the scope of study also sets expectations right from the beginning. When questions arise on why some aspects were not examined, you can state that they were not part of the research scope and hence, were excluded.
- The scope for research is the basis for writing your research questions, defining your research objective, and explaining the research aim in the Introduction section of your paper.
5 Key Elements Used to Define in the Study Scope
1. Purpose of the study
The first element of the study scope should clearly state the purpose of the study. It answers the question: “What.” What is your study answering? What problem is your research tackling? Basically, you should let the reader know the core subject of the study and what you target to answer. Defining the purpose, synonymous with the study objective/research hypothesis, helps prevent the investigation from straying away from the main research question.
2. Sample population
The scope of research should then define “who” you are studying. Who are the participants? Which groups of population will you be investigating? This ensures that the sample size is narrowed down into a manageable portion from a global population.
3. Study duration
The research scope should also define “for how long” you will conduct the study. What is the duration of the experiment? How long will you need to collect and analyze the data? Defining this timeline is a way to determine whether the study will be short term (cross-sectional study) or if it will be conducted over a longer period (longitudinal study).
4. Inclusion and exclusion criteria
The scope of study must specify the criteria for including and excluding data. What are the eligibility criteria for participants to be a part of the study? What demographic or behavioral rules have been set to decide whether subjects will be accepted into or rejected from the study?
This is necessary because inclusion criteria help decide who participates, whereas exclusion criteria eliminate those who are likely to skew the data or analysis.
5. Geographical location
Another major element to include in the research scope is the actual physical boundaries of the experiment. Is your study restricted to a specific region? An organization? A specific neighborhood or a city? Are you studying patients from a particular clinic?
Answering the question “where” keeps the boundaries of your fieldwork in check. It also tells the readers that the findings were obtained from a specific set of data points restricted to one region so they do not make incorrect assumptions of the applicability of the results.
How to Write the Research Scope: Example Included
Writing the research scope is best done by answering six fundamental questions: Why, What, Who, When, Where, and How [1].
- Why are you conducting the study? This answers the general aim of your research
- What are you studying? Highlight the core subject being investigated
- Who are you studying? Mention the details of study participants
- When will the study occur? This decides the duration of the experiment/investigation
- Where will the study be conducted? Identify the geographical location (region, university, city, country, etc.)
- How will the investigation take place? Explain the method you plan to use to conduct the study. For instance, if it is a survey, how do you plan to administer it?
Example Scope of Study
Here is an example showing how you can formulate an effective scope of research for a hypothetical study.
[Why] Sports injuries are common among competitive athletes. Yet, factors associated with recurring injuries among university-level athletes are not sufficiently understood. [What] This study aims to examine whether training frequency and history of prior injuries influence the occurrence of sports injuries during a competitive season.
[Who/Where] The scope of the study is limited to recruiting 100 university athletes, aged between 18 and 25 years, who participate in organized sports in Atlantic provinces (Atlantic University Sport). [When/How] Participants will be recruited through university sports clubs over a period of 3 months. Each participant will complete a questionnaire regarding their training frequency and history of injuries. They will also record any sports-related injuries occurring during the subsequent 12-week period. [Inclusion/exclusion criteria] The study will focus on self-reported injuries and will not include professional athletes or injuries unrelated to sports participation.
A note of caution: Avoid making the scope of research so broad that you cannot complete the study on time. At the same time, do not keep it so narrow that it cannot be generalized. The key is to find the right balance so you can execute the study feasibly while ensuring that the findings are fairly generalizable.
Frequently Asked Questions on Research Scope
1. Where should I write my research scope?
The scope of study is typically written in the Introduction section. This helps readers understand what to expect from the rest of the research paper. However, it is common to include parts of the study scope in different sections of the paper as well. For instance, the general aim/purpose of the study is highlighted in the Abstract as well as Introduction. The Methods section outlines the details of the experiment, elaborating on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
2. How do I determine the scope of research?
When you identify a research problem, think of the most feasible way to arrive at a solution. What’s the most efficient way to address the problem? How much time can be dedicated to investigating the various facets that affect the problem? What challenges are you likely to encounter? How best can you tackle them by setting boundaries and limitations? Answering these questions at the beginning of the research should help you decide the scope of the study easily.
3. Why do I need a scope for conducting research?
The purpose of a research scope is to make the execution of research manageable with pre-defined parameters, boundaries, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Defining a scope for the study helps keep the investigation focused on what needs to be covered during the course of research and which aspects should be excluded from exploring.
4. Should my thesis have a study scope?
Yes, a thesis is also a research project aimed at answering your thesis statement. Basically, when you write the thesis statement, you are using the study scope as a reference to determine the key purpose of your thesis. Having a scope of study for your thesis helps identify the main topic of your essay and take a clear position on the topic.
5. What happens if I don’t define a scope for my study?
Not defining a scope for your study could derail your research from its primary objective. Without pre-defined boundaries and limitations, the investigation could expand to areas that are not entirely relevant to your research question. Also, the absence of a research scope could unnecessarily extend the duration of your study, burden you with excessive data that cannot be accurately analyzed, and distort the findings and interpretations.
Reference
1. How to write a scope of a research study https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVYRcDpiIUc
