Q: What would be the scope and delimitations in a study on the causes of depression?
We cannot unfortunately provide direct answers to your research problem, also because you would be the most familiar with your research. However, we can most certainly provide pointers to help you get started.
Scope defines the area of the study, that is, the extent to which you will be studying the topic. In most research, for various reasons, it is not possible to study every aspect of the topic. Otherwise, the research will take a very long time, if not forever! Therefore, you need to define or restrict the area you will be studying. For instance, for your topic, you may choose to look at certain causes of depression, such as individual, biological, or economic, and not certain others, such as social, psychological, or geographic. Similarly, you may choose to study certain groups, whether in terms of age, gender, or social status, and not certain others.
Delimitations are the constraints placed on a study by the researcher; they are within the researcher’s control. For instance, you may choose to employ a certain data collection method, such as a survey, and not another, such as an interview.
When writing the paper, apart from describing the scope and delimitations, you also need to explain the reasons for them.
For more information, you may refer to the following resources:
This content belongs to the Conducting Research Stage