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How to Write the Scope of the Study

By DiscoverPhDs
August 26, 2020

What is the Scope of the Study?

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.

Why is the Scope of the Study Important?

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.

How do you Write the Scope of the Study?

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).

Example of a Scope of the Study

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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How to write the scope of the study?

The scope of the study refers to the elements that will be covered in a research project. It defines the boundaries of the research. The scope is always decided in the preliminary stages of a study. Deciding it in the later stages creates a lot of ambiguity regarding the research goals. The main purpose of the scope of the study is that explains the extent to which the research area will be explored and thus specifies the parameters that will be observed within the study. In other words, it enables the researcher to define what the study will cover and the elements that it will not. Defining the scope helps the researcher acquire a high level of research and writing capability.

Goals of establishing the scope of the study

The following steps can help the researcher to effectively define the goals of establishing a scope of the study.

Identification of the project or research needs

The first step is to identify the research needs. This helps them set a benchmark from the first step. Identification of the ‘what’ and ‘why’ enables the researcher to clearly set the research goals and objectives and the manner in which they will be performed.

Confirmation of the goals and objectives of the research

The goals and objectives defined in the project scope should be aligned with the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timeframe) guidelines, which are:

Specific- this involves a clear specification of what the researcher wants to achieve. It involves specifying what, why and how things will be done. This reduces the chances of ambiguities and any misunderstanding in the future.
Measurable- Goals should be measurable and dynamic so that constant feedback can be generated for improvement.
Achievable- Research goals should be achievable with the resources that are available.
Realistic- Goals should be easier to deliver so that complications that can hamper the quality of the research can be avoided. Other considerations to be kept in mind are the budget and timeline.
Time frame- lastly, the researcher should estimate whether the set goals can be achieved within the given time frame or not.

Expectations and Acceptance

The researcher should take into account the expectations of the research and how well the findings of the researcher will be accepted by the reader. For instance, will the findings of your study help in policymaking or not?

Identification of the constraints

there are always certain roadblocks in conducting research, such as environmental conditions, technological inefficiency and lack of resources. Identifying these limitations and their possible solutions in advance help achieve goals better.

Identifying the necessary changes

After the preliminary goals are set, the researcher must carry out some part of the research so that necessary changes that lead to waste of time and resources at later stages are reduced. For example, while conducting an interview, if the researcher believes that the sample size decided is too large or too small according to the scope of the study, then the researcher can make the necessary changes in that order to avoid wastage of time and resources.

Guidelines for writing the scope of the study

The major things that the researcher should keep in mind while writing the scope of the study are as follows.

Time period: While writing the scope of the study the researcher should first mention or state categorically the time periods the study will cover. Generally, the researchers combine the scope of the study with the limitation of the study. These things are quite interwoven. The main difference between the two is that limitations further cover the points like monetary constraints or non-cooperation from the side of the target audience.
Geography: In addition to this another major point that the researcher should keep in mind is that the scope of the study should state the specific aspect of the data that needs to be collected like the geographic locations and the variables.
Research population: Another major aspect that should be involved while writing the scope of the study is the sample size or the population that the researcher has selected for the study. The sampling plan must clearly indicate the sample universe, target population, profile and sample size with justification.
Theories: The researcher should state the academic theories that are being applied to the data collected so that the reader better knows the lens of the analysis. This is presented in the ‘theoretical framework’ section.
Purpose: The scope of the study must indicate the purpose behind it. It must briefly define the larger picture, i.e. the overall goal the researcher is trying to achieve.
Limitations: It is impossible to avoid roadblocks in research. Every research is restricted in scope and is subjected to certain limitations. By acknowledging these limitations and how they are restricting the study makes its findings even more credible.

Consider the topic ‘Analysis of the role of social media on the educational development in India from 2000-2015’. The scope of the study for this research topic should include several roles within the mentioned time period. Further, it should also cover the mass media types that have been used in the analysis of the study also including the location and the sample size as well.

Scope of the study

With the increase in the number of social media users and its use in everyday communication at the individual and organizational levels, there has been a corresponding increase in its incorporation in educational development and especially in a country like India. In view of this situation, the present study analyzes the role of social media on the educational development of students. To this end, the study will also cover the changes in the usage of social media in the educational field over the time period ranging from 2000-2015. The scope of the study is restricted to select social media platforms, specifically Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The empirical study in this research is restricted to five universities located across India, wherein the opinions of 30 teachers were studied in interview sessions. Further, the study also involves an analysis of students’ perspectives on the role of social media in education from the same university. Therefore the scope of this study is limited to India, and more specifically to those offering Arts and Science-related courses.

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How to Determine the Scope of Research | Examples & Tips

Introduction

What is the scope of a study, what is a research scope example, what is the purpose of the research scope, what considerations are relevant to the research scope, how do i write the scope in a report.

The scope of a research project is one of the more important yet sometimes understated aspects of a study. The scope of the study explains what the researchers are examining and what environment they are studying.

This article explains the general purpose of the research scope, how it informs the broader study at hand, and how it can be incorporated in a research paper to establish the necessary transparency and rigor for your research audience.

Scientific knowledge very rarely, if ever, produces universal axioms. The boiling point of water changes depending on the amount of pressure in the air and, by extension, the altitude you are at relative to sea level when you boil water. What looks like polite behavior in a given culture may look rude in another. The definition of beauty is bound to change as people get older.

Similarly, research findings that aren't contextualized are less persuasive. If you are reading a study that looks at interactional patterns between parents and their children, it's important to have a clear sense of the theoretical lens , data collection , and analysis in order to determine the extent to which the findings are applicable across contexts.

In a nutshell, the scope tells you what the researchers are looking at and are not looking at. It provides the context necessary to understand the research, how it was conducted, and what findings it generated.

Conversely, establishing the bounds of the scope also clarify what research inquiries are not addressed in the study, ensuring that the study's argumentation is clearly grounded in the theory, data, and analysis.

Let's imagine an example of a research study examining best practices for mental health. The research design centers on a survey study with a target population of college students with part-time jobs in addition to their coursework.

The researchers can focus on any number of things affecting mental health, including lifestyle factors such as sleep, socioeconomic factors such as income, and even influences further afield like the political alignment of friends and family.

Certainly, any of these things can have a profound impact on one's mental health. But when there are so many things to examine, it's necessary to narrow down what the research project at hand should examine.

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 research participants involved in the study.

All of these factors can inform an explicit description of the scope, which might look like this if found in the methodology section of a paper:

"In this study, the researchers focused on surveying college students over four months, roughly the same time frame as a semester at a university in the United States. Surveys were distributed to all college students, but this paper will narrow the data analysis to those students who reported having part-time jobs. This refined lens aligns with our interest in examining work-related factors contributing to negative mental health outcomes, as established in previous studies."

The above example of a study's scope highlights what the researchers focused on during the study and while analyzing the data. The researchers chose to study a narrow subset of their data to generate insights most applicable to their research interests. The researchers might also analyze the proportion of students that reported having part-time jobs to give a broader description of the study body, but they clearly focus on understanding the mental health of students with part-time jobs.

Moreover, the narrow scope allows the researchers to focus on a small number of elements in the relationship between mental health and work, which allows the researchers to make deeper contributions to this specific part of the conversation around students' mental health.

Defining the scope of the study benefits both the researcher and their audience. Ultimately, establishing transparency in a research project focuses the data collection and analysis processes and makes the findings more compelling and persuasive.

Describing the scope can clarify what specific concepts should be used and examined during the course of the study. A good scope can keep the researcher focused on what data to collect and what ancillary developments, however interesting or useful, should be discarded or left to another study. Setting a clear scope can greatly help researchers maintain a coherent fit between their research question, collected data, and ultimate findings. Journal editors and reviewers often reject papers for publication because of a lack of fit between these important elements, which highlights the value of a clear research scope for conducting rigorous research.

In logistical terms, a well-defined scope also ensures the feasibility of a study by limiting the researcher's lens to a small but manageable set of factors to observe and analyze during the course of the study. Conversely, an unfocused study makes the collection of data a significant challenge when the researcher is left to document as much as possible, potentially gathering all kinds of data that may not be relevant to a given research question , while not gathering enough of the appropriate data that can address a research inquiry.

The research audience also requires an understanding of the scope of the study to determine the relevance of the findings to their own research inquiry. Readers of research bring their own assumptions and preconceived notions about what to look at in a given context. A well-written scope, on the other hand, gives readers clear guidance on what to look for in the study's analysis and findings.

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Besides the research area being studied, the scope of a study has a clear description of most of the following aspects. Understanding what makes rigorous research and what readers of research look for in a well-crafted study will be useful for describing the scope of a research project.

Target population

The kind of research participants you are including in a study informs what theories are relevant and how the study should be designed. Are you researching children, young adults, or older professionals? Do they belong to a specific culture or community? Are they connected or related to each other in some way or do they just happen to belong to the same demographic?

Because qualitative, social science research seldom yields universal theories, it's important to narrow the scope of a study down to a specific set of the population. The more specific the scope, the more that the findings and resulting theoretical developments can be appropriately contextualized and thus inform how other researchers can build on those insights.

Geographical location

The geographical location covered by the study provides a necessary context for any study in the social sciences. Even if you narrow the targeted population to a specific demographic, what is true for that population in one country or region may not be true for another.

As a result, a scope that describes the location of the study explains where the findings are most relevant and where they might be relevant for further study.

Data collection

If you are conducting observational or ethnographic research , it may seem like you are facing a firehose when it comes to collecting data. Even interviews , focus groups , and surveys can provide a torrent of data, much of which may not be relevant to your inquiry if the study design isn't refined.

Without a sufficiently defined scope that identifies what aspects of the world you are looking at, the data you collect may become unmanageable at best. When crafting your study, develop the scope to determine the specific topics and aspects worth exploring.

In academic publishing , reviewers and editors need a clear understanding of the scope of the study in a manuscript when evaluating the research. Despite its importance, however, the scope doesn't necessarily have its own explicit section in a research paper.

That said, you can describe the study's scope in key areas of your research writing. Here are some of the important sections in a typical research paper for academic writing where a description of the scope is key.

Literature review

Any study disseminated for academic publishing requires a thorough understanding of the current research and existing theories that are relevant to your study. In turn, the literature review also defines the aspects of the phenomenon or concepts that you can study for the purpose of theoretical development.

Rely on the key theories in the literature review to define a useful scope that identifies key aspects of the theoretical framework that will inform the data collection and analysis .

Problem statement

A well-crafted problem statement generally sets the stage for what knowledge is missing and what novel and interesting insights can be uncovered in new research. As a result, a clear understanding of the research scope helps define the problem that a new research project seeks to address.

When incorporating a problem statement in your research paper, be sure to explicitly detail the rationale for problematizing the phenomenon you are researching.

Research question

Research questions define the relationships between the relevant concepts or phenomena being explored, and thus provide evidence of a scope that has been thoughtfully planned. Use the wording of your research question to highlight what is the central focus and, thus, the scope of the study.

At minimum, the scope of the study should narrow the focus of data collection and data analysis to the study of certain concepts relevant to addressing the given research question. Qualitative research methods can often result in open-ended data collection that can yield many insights, only a few of which may directly address the research inquiry.

Narrowing the collection of data to a set of relevant criteria can help the researcher avoid any unnecessary rabbit holes that might complicate the later analysis with irrelevant information.

Limitations

Research scope and limitations go hand in hand because, together, they define what is studied within a research project and what is not. Moreover, a good description of the study's scope can also provide direction, by way of the description of limitations, about what inquiries other researchers could pursue next.

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Academic Research in Education: Scope of Research

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Evaluating Information
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Defining the Scope of your Project

What is scope.

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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. The extent of the scope will be a part of acknowledging any biases in the research project.

Defining the scope of a project:

focuses your research goals
clarifies the expectations for your research project
helps you determine potential biases in your research methodology by acknowledging the limits of your research study
identifies the limitations of your research
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Research Objectives | Definition & Examples

Research Objectives | Definition & Examples

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:

Establish the scope and depth of your project
Contribute to your research design
Indicate how your project will contribute to existing knowledge

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.

Research aims

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.

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Research objectives are important because they:

Establish the scope and depth of your project: This helps you avoid unnecessary research. It also means that your research methods and conclusions can easily be evaluated .
Contribute to your research design: When you know what your objectives are, you have a clearer idea of what methods are most appropriate for your research.
Indicate how your project will contribute to extant research: They allow you to display your knowledge of up-to-date research, employ or build on current research methods, and attempt to contribute to recent debates.

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.

Step 1: Decide on a general aim

Your research aim should reflect your research problem and should be relatively broad.

Step 2: Decide on specific objectives

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?

Step 3: Formulate your aims and objectives

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:

Specific: Make sure your objectives aren’t overly vague. Your research needs to be clearly defined in order to get useful results.
Measurable: Know how you’ll measure whether your objectives have been achieved.
Achievable: Your objectives may be challenging, but they should be feasible. Make sure that relevant groundwork has been done on your topic or that relevant primary or secondary sources exist. Also ensure that you have access to relevant research facilities (labs, library resources , research databases , etc.).
Relevant: Make sure that they directly address the research problem you want to work on and that they contribute to the current state of research in your field.
Time-based: Set clear deadlines for objectives to ensure that the project stays on track.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

Sampling methods
Simple random sampling
Stratified sampling
Cluster sampling
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Null hypothesis
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Research bias

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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:

Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
Your proposed timeline and duration
Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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Scope and Delimitations in Research

Delimitations are the boundaries that the researcher sets in a research study, deciding what to include and what to exclude. They help to narrow down the study and make it more manageable and relevant to the research goal.

Updated on October 19, 2022

All scientific research has boundaries, whether or not the authors clearly explain them. 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 shortcomings; they're always under your control. Discussing these is essential because doing so shows that your project is manageable and scientifically sound.

This article covers:

What's meant by “scope” and “delimitations”
Why these are integral components of every study
How and where to actually write about scope and delimitations in your manuscript
Examples of scope and delimitations from published studies

What is the scope in a research paper?

Simply put, the scope is the domain of your research. It describes the extent to which the research question will be explored in your study.

Articulating your study's scope early on helps you make your research question focused and realistic.

It also helps decide what data you need to collect (and, therefore, what data collection tools you need to design). Getting this right is vital for both academic articles and funding applications.

What are delimitations in a research paper?

Delimitations are those factors or aspects of the research area that you'll exclude from your research. The scope and delimitations of the study are intimately linked.

Essentially, delimitations form a more detailed and narrowed-down formulation of the scope in terms of exclusion. The delimitations explain what was (intentionally) not considered within the given piece of research.

Scope and delimitations examples

Use the following examples provided by our expert PhD editors as a reference when coming up with your own scope and delimitations.

Scope example

Your research question is, “What is the impact of bullying on the mental health of adolescents?” This topic, on its own, doesn't say much about what's being investigated.

The scope, for example, could encompass:

Variables: “bullying” (dependent variable), “mental health” (independent variable), and ways of defining or measuring them
Bullying type: Both face-to-face and cyberbullying
Target population: Adolescents aged 12–17
Geographical coverage: France or only one specific town in France

Delimitations example

Look back at the previous example.

Exploring the adverse effects of bullying on adolescents' mental health is a preliminary delimitation. This one was chosen from among many possible research questions (e.g., the impact of bullying on suicide rates, or children or adults).

Delimiting factors could include:

Research design : Mixed-methods research, including thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and statistical analysis of a survey
Timeframe : Data collection to run for 3 months
Population size : 100 survey participants; 15 interviewees
Recruitment of participants : Quota sampling (aiming for specific portions of men, women, ethnic minority students etc.)

We can see that every choice you make in planning and conducting your research inevitably excludes other possible options.

What's the difference between limitations and delimitations?

Delimitations and limitations are entirely different, although they often get mixed up. These are the main differences:

This chart explains the difference between delimitations and limitations. Delimitations are the boundaries of the study while the limitations are the characteristics of the research design or methodology.

Delimitations encompass the elements outside of the boundaries you've set and depends on your decision of what yo include and exclude. On the flip side, limitations are the elements outside of your control, such as:

limited financial resources
unplanned work or expenses
unexpected events (for example, the COVID-19 pandemic)
time constraints
lack of technology/instruments
unavailable evidence or previous research on the topic

Delimitations involve narrowing your study to make it more manageable and relevant to what you're trying to prove. Limitations influence the validity and reliability of your research findings. Limitations are seen as potential weaknesses in your research.

Example of the differences

To clarify these differences, go back to the limitations of the earlier example.

Limitations could comprise:

Sample size : Not large enough to provide generalizable conclusions.
Sampling approach : Non-probability sampling has increased bias risk. For instance, the researchers might not manage to capture the experiences of ethnic minority students.
Methodological pitfalls : Research participants from an urban area (Paris) are likely to be more advantaged than students in rural areas. A study exploring the latter's experiences will probably yield very different findings.

Where do you write the scope and delimitations, and why?

It can be surprisingly empowering to realize you're restricted when conducting scholarly research. But this realization also makes writing up your research easier to grasp and makes it easier to see its limits and the expectations placed on it. Properly revealing this information serves your field and the greater scientific community.

Openly (but briefly) acknowledge the scope and delimitations of your study early on. The Abstract and Introduction sections are good places to set the parameters of your paper.

Next, discuss the scope and delimitations in greater detail in the Methods section. You'll need to do this to justify your methodological approach and data collection instruments, as well as analyses

At this point, spell out why these delimitations were set. What alternative options did you consider? Why did you reject alternatives? What could your study not address?

Let's say you're gathering data that can be derived from different but related experiments. You must convince the reader that the one you selected best suits your research question.

Finally, a solid paper will return to the scope and delimitations in the Findings or Discussion section. Doing so helps readers contextualize and interpret findings because the study's scope and methods influence the results.

For instance, agricultural field experiments carried out under irrigated conditions yield different results from experiments carried out without irrigation.

Being transparent about the scope and any outstanding issues increases your research's credibility and objectivity. It helps other researchers replicate your study and advance scientific understanding of the same topic (e.g., by adopting a different approach).

How do you write the scope and delimitations?

Define the scope and delimitations of your study before collecting data. This is critical. This step should be part of your research project planning.

Answering the following questions will help you address your scope and delimitations clearly and convincingly.

What are your study's aims and objectives?
Why did you carry out the study?
What was the exact topic under investigation?
Which factors and variables were included? And state why specific variables were omitted from the research scope.
Who or what did the study explore? What was the target population?
What was the study's location (geographical area) or setting (e.g., laboratory)?
What was the timeframe within which you collected your data ?
Consider a study exploring the differences between identical twins who were raised together versus identical twins who weren't. The data collection might span 5, 10, or more years.
A study exploring a new immigration policy will cover the period since the policy came into effect and the present moment.
How was the research conducted (research design)?
Experimental research, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research, literature review, etc.
What data collection tools and analysis techniques were used? e.g., If you chose quantitative methods, which statistical analysis techniques and software did you use?
What did you find?
What did you conclude?

Useful vocabulary for scope and delimitations

When explaining both the scope and delimitations, it's important to use the proper language to clearly state each.

For the scope , use the following language:

This study focuses on/considers/investigates/covers the following:
This study aims to . . . / Here, we aim to show . . . / In this study, we . . .
The overall objective of the research is . . . / Our objective is to . . .

When stating the delimitations, use the following language:

This [ . . . ] will not be the focus, for it has been frequently and exhaustively discusses in earlier studies.
To review the [ . . . ] is a task that lies outside the scope of this study.
The following [ . . . ] has been excluded from this study . . .
This study does not provide a complete literature review of [ . . . ]. Instead, it draws on selected pertinent studies [ . . . ]

Analysis of a published scope

In one example, Simione and Gnagnarella (2020) compared the psychological and behavioral impact of COVID-19 on Italy's health workers and general population.

Here's a breakdown of the study's scope into smaller chunks and discussion of what works and why.

Also notable is that this study's delimitations include references to:

Recruitment of participants: Convenience sampling
Demographic characteristics of study participants: Age, sex, etc.
Measurements methods: E.g., the death anxiety scale of the Existential Concerns Questionnaire (ECQ; van Bruggen et al., 2017) etc.
Data analysis tool: The statistical software R

Analysis of published scope and delimitations

Scope of the study : Johnsson et al. (2019) explored the effect of in-hospital physiotherapy on postoperative physical capacity, physical activity, and lung function in patients who underwent lung cancer surgery.

The delimitations narrowed down the scope as follows:

Refine your scope, delimitations, and scientific English

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Decoding the Scope and Delimitations of the Study in Research

Scope and delimitations of the study are two essential elements of a research paper or thesis that help to contextualize and convey the focus and boundaries of a research study. This allows readers to understand the research focus and the kind of information to expect. For researchers, especially students and early career researchers, understanding the meaning and purpose of the scope and delimitation of a study is crucial to craft a well-defined and impactful research project. In this article, we delve into the core concepts of scope and delimitation in a study, providing insightful examples, and practical tips on how to effectively incorporate them into your research endeavors.

Table of Contents

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. It identifies aspects of the topic that will not be covered in the research, conveys why these choices were made, and how this will affect the outcome of the research. By narrowing down the scope and defining delimitations, researchers can ensure focused research and avoid pitfalls, which ensures the study remains feasible and attainable.

Example of scope and delimitation of a study

A researcher might want to study the effects of regular physical exercise on the health of senior citizens. This would be the broad scope of the study, after which the researcher would refine the scope by excluding specific groups of senior citizens, perhaps based on their age, gender, geographical location, cultural influences, and sample sizes. These then, would form the delimitations of the study; in other words, elements that describe the boundaries of the research.

The purpose of scope and delimitation in a study

The purpose of scope and delimitation in a study is to establish clear boundaries and focus for the research. This allows researchers to avoid ambiguity, set achievable objectives, and manage their project efficiently, ultimately leading to more credible and meaningful findings in their study. The scope and delimitation of a study serve several important purposes, including:

Establishing clarity: Clearly defining the scope and delimitation of a study helps researchers and readers alike understand the boundaries of the investigation and what to expect from it.
Focus and relevance: By setting the scope, researchers can concentrate on specific research questions, preventing the study from becoming too broad or irrelevant.
Feasibility: Delimitations of the study prevent researchers from taking on too unrealistic or unmanageable tasks, making the research more achievable.
Avoiding ambiguity: A well-defined scope and delimitation of the study minimizes any confusion or misinterpretation regarding the research objectives and methods.

Given the importance of both the scope and delimitations of a study, it is imperative to ensure that they are mentioned early on in the research manuscript. Most experts agree that the scope of research should be mentioned as part of the introduction and the delimitations must be mentioned as part of the methods section. Now that we’ve covered the scope and delimitation meaning and purpose, we look at how to write each of these sections.

How to write the scope of the study in research

When writing the scope of the study, remain focused on what you hope to achieve. Broadening the scope too much might make it too generic while narrowing it down too much may affect the way it would be interpreted. Ensure the scope of the study is clear, concise and accurate. Conduct a thorough literature review to understand existing literature, which will help identify gaps and refine the scope of your study.

It is helpful if you structure the scope in a way that answers the Six Ws – questions whose answers are considered basic in information-gathering.

Why: State the purpose of the research by articulating the research objectives and questions you aim to address in your study.

What: Outline the specific topic to be studied, while mentioning the variables, concepts, or aspects central to your research; these will define the extent of your study.

Where: Provide the setting or geographical location where the research study will be conducted.

When : Mention the specific timeframe within which the research data will be collected.

Who : Specify the sample size for the study and the profile of the population they will be drawn from.

How : Explain the research methodology, research design, and tools and analysis techniques.

How to write the delimitations of a study in research

When writing the delimitations of the study, researchers must provide all the details clearly and precisely. Writing the delimitations of the study requires a systematic approach to narrow down the research’s focus and establish boundaries. Follow these steps to craft delimitations effectively:

Clearly understand the research objectives and questions you intend to address in your study.
Conduct a comprehensive literature review to identify gaps and areas that have already been extensively covered. This helps to avoid redundancies and home in on a unique issue.
Clearly state what aspects, variables, or factors you will be excluding in your research; mention available alternatives, if any, and why these alternatives were rejected.
Explain how you the delimitations were set, and they contribute to the feasibility and relevance of your study, and how they align with the research objectives.
Be sure to acknowledge limitations in your research, such as constraints related to time, resources, or data availability.

Being transparent ensures credibility, while explaining why the delimitations of your study could not be overcome with standard research methods backed up by scientific evidence can help readers understand the context better.

Differentiating between delimitations and limitations

Most early career researchers get confused and often use these two terms interchangeably which is wrong. Delimitations of a study refer to the set boundaries and specific parameters within which the research is carried out. They help narrow down your focus and makes it more relevant to what you are trying to prove.

Meanwhile, limitations in a study refer to the validity and reliability of the research being conducted. They are those elements of your study that are usually out of your immediate control but are still able to affect your findings in some way. In other words, limitation are potential weaknesses of your research.

In conclusion, scope and delimitation of a study are vital elements that shape the trajectory of your research study. The above explanations will have hopefully helped you better understand the scope and delimitations meaning, purpose, and importance in crafting focused, feasible, and impactful research studies. Be sure to follow the simple techniques to write the scope and delimitations of the study to embark on your research journey with clarity and confidence. Happy researching!

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Setting Limits and Focusing Your Study: Exploring scope and delimitation

As a researcher, it can be easy to get lost in the vast expanse of information and data available. Thus, when starting a research project, one of the most important things to consider is the scope and delimitation of the study. Setting limits and focusing your study is essential to ensure that the research project is manageable, relevant, and able to produce useful results. In this article, we will explore the importance of setting limits and focusing your study through an in-depth analysis of scope and delimitation.

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Table of Contents

Scope and Delimitation – Definition and difference

Scope refers to the range of the research project and the study limitations set in place to define the boundaries of the project and delimitation refers to the specific aspects of the research project that the study will focus on.

In simpler words, scope is the breadth of your study, while delimitation is the depth of your study.

Scope and delimitation are both essential components of a research project, and they are often confused with one another. The scope defines the parameters of the study, while delimitation sets the boundaries within those parameters. The scope and delimitation of a study are usually established early on in the research process and guide the rest of the project.

Types of Scope and Delimitation

Significance of Scope and Delimitation

Setting limits and focusing your study through scope and delimitation is crucial for the following reasons:

It allows researchers to define the research project’s boundaries, enabling them to focus on specific aspects of the project. This focus makes it easier to gather relevant data and avoid unnecessary information that might complicate the study’s results.
Setting limits and focusing your study through scope and delimitation enables the researcher to stay within the parameters of the project’s resources.
A well-defined scope and delimitation ensure that the research project can be completed within the available resources, such as time and budget, while still achieving the project’s objectives.

5 Steps to Setting Limits and Defining the Scope and Delimitation of Your Study

There are a few steps that you can take to set limits and focus your study.

1. Identify your research question or topic

The first step is to identify what you are interested in learning about. The research question should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Once you have a research question or topic, you can start to narrow your focus.

2. Consider the key terms or concepts related to your topic

What are the important terms or concepts that you need to understand in order to answer your research question? Consider all available resources, such as time, budget, and data availability, when setting scope and delimitation.

The scope and delimitation should be established within the parameters of the available resources. Once you have identified the key terms or concepts, you can start to develop a glossary or list of definitions.

3. Consider the different perspectives on your topic

There are often different perspectives on any given topic. Get feedback on the proposed scope and delimitation. Advisors can provide guidance on the feasibility of the study and offer suggestions for improvement.

It is important to consider all of the different perspectives in order to get a well-rounded understanding of your topic.

4. Narrow your focus

Be specific and concise when setting scope and delimitation. The parameters of the study should be clearly defined to avoid ambiguity and ensure that the study is focused on relevant aspects of the research question.

This means deciding which aspects of your topic you will focus on and which aspects you will eliminate.

5. Develop the final research plan

Revisit and revise the scope and delimitation as needed. As the research project progresses, the scope and delimitation may need to be adjusted to ensure that the study remains focused on the research question and can produce useful results. This plan should include your research goals, methods, and timeline.

Examples of Scope and Delimitation

To better understand scope and delimitation, let us consider two examples of research questions and how scope and delimitation would apply to them.

Research question: What are the effects of social media on mental health?

Scope: The scope of the study will focus on the impact of social media on the mental health of young adults aged 18-24 in the United States.

Delimitation: The study will specifically examine the following aspects of social media: frequency of use, types of social media platforms used, and the impact of social media on self-esteem and body image.

Research question: What are the factors that influence employee job satisfaction in the healthcare industry?

Scope: The scope of the study will focus on employee job satisfaction in the healthcare industry in the United States.

Delimitation: The study will specifically examine the following factors that influence employee job satisfaction: salary, work-life balance, job security, and opportunities for career growth.

Setting limits and defining the scope and delimitation of a research study is essential to conducting effective research. By doing so, researchers can ensure that their study is focused, manageable, and feasible within the given time frame and resources. It can also help to identify areas that require further study, providing a foundation for future research.

So, the next time you embark on a research project, don’t forget to set clear limits and define the scope and delimitation of your study. It may seem like a tedious task, but it can ultimately lead to more meaningful and impactful research. And if you still can’t find a solution, reach out to Enago Academy using #AskEnago and tag @EnagoAcademy on Twitter , Facebook , and Quora .

Frequently Asked Questions

The scope in research refers to the boundaries and extent of a study, defining its specific objectives, target population, variables, methods, and limitations, which helps researchers focus and provide a clear understanding of what will be investigated.

Delimitation in research defines the specific boundaries and limitations of a study, such as geographical, temporal, or conceptual constraints, outlining what will be excluded or not within the scope of investigation, providing clarity and ensuring the study remains focused and manageable.

To write a scope; 1. Clearly define research objectives. 2. Identify specific research questions. 3. Determine the target population for the study. 4. Outline the variables to be investigated. 5. Establish limitations and constraints. 6. Set boundaries and extent of the investigation. 7. Ensure focus, clarity, and manageability. 8. Provide context for the research project.

To write delimitations; 1. Identify geographical boundaries or constraints. 2. Define the specific time period or timeframe of the study. 3. Specify the sample size or selection criteria. 4. Clarify any demographic limitations (e.g., age, gender, occupation). 5. Address any limitations related to data collection methods. 6. Consider limitations regarding the availability of resources or data. 7. Exclude specific variables or factors from the scope of the study. 8. Clearly state any conceptual boundaries or theoretical frameworks. 9. Acknowledge any potential biases or constraints in the research design. 10. Ensure that the delimitations provide a clear focus and scope for the study.

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A Simple Guide to Writing a Scope of the Study

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.

What is the scope of the 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?

How To Write A Scope Of The Study

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.

Examples of a Scope of Study

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.

How to Write the Scope of the Study

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.

What is the Scope of the Study?

Why is the Scope of the Study Important?

How do you Write the Scope of the Study?

Example of a Scope of the Study

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 .

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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Defining the scope of a research project.

Home » Defining the Scope of a Research Project

Defining the Research Scope Definition is crucial for any successful research project. Clearly outlining what will be studied helps establish a focused framework for inquiry and analysis. A well-defined scope narrows the subject, ensuring that resources are effectively utilized and objectives are met.

Understanding the boundaries of your research enables researchers to target specific questions and avoid overwhelming ambiguity. This clarity not only enhances the quality of findings but also streamlines the process of data collection and interpretation. By embracing a structured approach, researchers can derive meaningful insights while minimizing potential pitfalls often associated with unclear objectives.

Importance of Defining Research Scope

Defining the research scope is crucial for guiding an entire research project. When researchers clearly outline what they intend to investigate, they establish a framework that aids in maintaining focus throughout the study. This effort prevents the research from expanding uncontrollably and shifting towards unrelated areas. A well-defined research scope ensures that researchers can allocate their resources effectively without losing track of their main objectives.

Furthermore, a precise research scope fosters consistency and clarity in communication among team members and stakeholders. It sets expectations and aligns everyone involved on the project’s goals and methodology. Decision-making becomes easier, and it's simpler to assess progress against the established guidelines. Ultimately, an accurate research scope definition not only enhances the research process but also increases the overall impact and validity of the findings produced. This thoughtful approach is vital for effective research management and successful outcomes.

Clarifying Research Objectives: The First Step in Research Scope Definition

Clarifying research objectives serves as the essential foundation for effective research scope definition. By articulating clear objectives, researchers establish a roadmap that guides their inquiries, ensuring they remain focused on vital questions. This preliminary step not only helps in narrowing down the topic but also aligns the research with specific goals, enhancing overall effectiveness.

To clarify research objectives effectively, consider the following points:

Identify Key Questions : Start by defining the main questions that your research aims to answer. This creates a focused framework for your investigation.

Determine the Audience : Understand who your research is intended for. This will help tailor your objectives to meet their needs and expectations.

Set Measurable Goals : Clearly outline what success looks like. Measurable goals provide clear direction and criteria for assessing the outcomes of your research.

Assess Available Resources : Review the resources at your disposal, such as time, budget, and expertise. This assessment ensures that your objectives are realistic and achievable.

By following these steps, you will effectively clarify your research objectives, making research scope definition a more structured and purposeful process.

Benefits of a Well-Defined Research Scope

A well-defined research scope offers numerous advantages that enhance the research process. First, it allows researchers to concentrate on specific objectives, minimizing distractions that could derail the study. This focused approach enables the efficient allocation of time and resources, ensuring that every aspect of the research is thoroughly examined. By narrowing down the research parameters, teams can clearly communicate their goals and expectations, which fosters collaboration.

Additionally, a precise research scope definition aids in managing stakeholder expectations. With clear boundaries set, stakeholders will have a realistic understanding of the project’s outcomes. This clarity reduces the risk of scope creep, where additional requests can lead to project delays and compromise quality. Ultimately, a well-defined scope serves as a roadmap for the research, guiding methodologies and evaluation processes while reinforcing the integrity of the findings.

Steps to Define the Scope of a Research Project

To effectively define the scope of a research project, start by identifying the primary objectives. Clearly articulate what you wish to accomplish through your research. Understanding these goals helps streamline your efforts and prevents unnecessary diversions. Next, consider the target audience and their needs, as this can shape your research questions and methodology.

Additionally, think about the resources available at your disposal. Are there constraints related to time, budget, or personnel that you need to account for? Establishing these parameters early allows for more organized planning and execution. Finally, continuously revisit and refine your project scope as you progress. Maintaining flexibility ensures your research remains relevant while addressing any unforeseen challenges. By following these steps, you will achieve a robust Research Scope Definition that enhances clarity and focus throughout your project.

Identifying Core Research Questions within the Research Scope Definition

Identifying core research questions is essential for establishing a clear research scope definition. These questions guide the investigation and ensure that the research remains focused and relevant. By pinpointing the most pressing inquiries, researchers can concentrate their efforts on gathering data that truly matters and aligns with their objectives.

To effectively identify these core questions, researchers can follow several key approaches. First, it is beneficial to conduct a literature review, allowing insights from previous studies to shape new inquiries. Second, stakeholders may provide valuable perspectives that highlight critical areas of interest, ensuring that the research addresses real-world needs. Lastly, brainstorming sessions can stimulate creativity, leading to innovative questions that push the boundaries of existing knowledge. By applying these strategies, researchers can create a robust framework that defines the scope and direction of their project.

Setting Boundaries and Limitations to Your Research Scope

Setting boundaries and limitations is crucial when defining the scope of your research project. A well-defined research scope can prevent potential overreach and help maintain focus throughout your study. By establishing what will and won't be covered, you can also manage time and resources more effectively. Furthermore, boundaries not only clarify your objectives but also help you communicate the purpose of your research effectively to stakeholders.

Consider the following aspects when determining your research scope. Firstly, identify the specific topics and questions your project will address. Next, set geographical or demographic parameters to narrow the focus. Lastly, recognize any constraints, such as time and budget limitations, which can influence the overall direction and methodology of your research. By clearly defining these elements, you create a solid foundation for a focused and effective research project.

Conclusion: The Impact of Proper Research Scope Definition

In conclusion, understanding the impact of proper research scope definition is essential for successful project execution. Clearly defining the research scope not only streamlines the process but also enhances the accuracy of the findings. When the boundaries of a study are well-established, researchers can focus their efforts on relevant data, ensuring that conclusions drawn are credible and actionable.

Moreover, an effective research scope can significantly reduce potential inefficiencies and misalignments, ultimately saving time and resources. By prioritizing scope definition, researchers lay the groundwork for insights that genuinely address the project's goals, leading to impactful outcomes. This proactive approach fosters a culture of informed decision-making, which is vital in today's fast-paced research environment.

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How Do I Determine an Appropriate Scope, Size, and Topic for My Research Project?

Part 2 of 8 in the "preparing for your first nih grant" series looks at fitting your idea to the grant mechanism, your background, available resources, and the current stream of science., christopher moore, doi: doi:10.1044/cred-pvd-path013.

The following is a transcript of the presentation video, edited for clarity.

Your Project Must Fit Your Funding Target

The first thing to wrap your mind around is that the project has to be appropriate in size and scope. You’re a new researcher. You have a limited background because you’re new. You probably have limited resources because you’re new to your university and they didn’t give you all the startup you asked for. So it has to be appropriate in size.

It has to be ready to go. Lab space, target population, research team — everything has to be in place. The grant is not to get things in place. The grant is to pay for things that are ready to launch.

It has to be demonstrably feasible. This is hugely important.

Demonstrably feasible. For an R03 things have to happen very fast. For a two- or three-year award, you can’t waste the first six months getting geared up. That’s not what they want to see. It has to be demonstrably feasible for quick recruitment, data acquisition, analysis, and write-up. You want a product in three years.

A five-year project, on the other hand, for an R01, if that’s what you’re working on. That’s a much larger budget. Not only is it a much longer time, but it’s a much larger budget. It’s going to have a much larger team, and it should be sufficiently complex, well planned, and conceptually deep to warrant this kind of large commitment. You really have to show you know what you’re doing organizationally as well as scientifically.

For training or career development mechanisms – if you’re going to be working on an F32 or a K award — K99/R00, K08, K03, K21, K23, all of those are possibilities — then the research plan has to have real training potential. It has to take you to a new place. That has to be a place that your sponsor can take you better than anybody else. This is the best person on the planet to train you in these new techniques, in a well-funded environment that’s already doing all of that stuff, and it builds perfectly on your own background.

Depending on what the mechanism is, the aims for your grant project are doing different things. That’s all this slide is supposed to tell you. You have to make sure you know what you’re writing for. What’s your objective?

Innovating Within the Framework

I want you to look at this part: Innovating within the framework. This is history and philosophy of science. They don’t teach Thomas Kuhn anymore. Thomas Kuhn had this idea that’s really relevant to a lot of what we do. Normal science is the incremental things that we’re all just contributing. We’re all cogs in a wheel. We’re just all grinding toward the same solution. Human Genome Project was the perfect example — it took way more than a village. It was millions of people working on this project. Literally millions of people. That’s normal science. Everybody is contributing what they do.

Then comes along something revolutionary in science. Which is mostly what young investigators really aspire to do, and that’s to take the paradigm and change directions. You’re thinking about things in a whole new way. We all want to do that. And you think that’s what grant reviewers are looking for. But it’s not what they’re looking for. They don’t trust you to do that.

This is an important point. What reviewers want you to do, is they want you to be right at the fence line where you’re just sort of leaning against the fence. You know, walking the fence line — like, if you’re a cowboy, you ride the fence line and make sure the fence is intact and keeps all the little dogies inside — that’s where you want to work. You don’t want to be deep inside the safe zone of the known universe. But you don’t want to be outside the fence line, either, working without the support of known science, known concepts, known phenomena.

You feel like science is enormous, and you can work anywhere you want. But in grant-world you can work in this little narrow strip. You’re going to take the existing body of knowledge, and you’re just going to make it a little bit larger, as much as one lab can. You have to be a little bit safe, but you have to be a little bit innovative and you have to push a little bit.

There’s a sweet spot there. That’s what you’re looking for. What helps you find that spot is looking at your unique talents. Your unique talents come from your training. You train in a lab with a person who has their own unique talents, and they give you your own capabilities. You’ve done dissertations that define and have sharpened your talents. You have things that you bring uniquely to this problem. You have to recognize those right at the beginning and exploit those. This isn’t the time to go do something brand new. This is the time to recognize why you’re in the unique position to address this feasible fence line.

So, be aware of what you bring to the problem when you’re starting to work on your grants and starting to work on what your project is.

Getting Ready to Think About Starting to Approach the Concept of a Notion Regarding the Suggestion of Your Idea

Your demonstrated strengths. The first part of your assessment. What do you bring? What’s your demonstrated preparation? Not “what are you really good at?” What are you demonstrably good at? What have you published in? What was your dissertation in? The claims that you make have little to do with your demonstrated strengths and preparation. What can you show?

The most important thing you can do is identify something you can demonstrate as being feasible. So, for new investigators, one of the biggest problems you’ll run up against is you’ll propose something that might be a great idea, but reviewers decide it’s not feasible. Either because you don’t have the preparation or you don’t have the training or whatever. But maybe it’s just because they don’t believe you because you haven’t demonstrated it. You have to show that it’s feasible. You have to provide evidence that says, “Oh yes, I can do this experiment. I’ve run this protocol, I have these streams of subjects, I have letters of support that say they are all lined up. The lab I have is appropriately equipped. Everything you claim to need is in place, including your own capabilities.

And maybe most importantly in terms of feasibility is if you don’t have the expertise yourself, you have the expertise in terms of support of other key personnel. That’s your team. Your demonstrable team. You can claim a team all day long, but you need to demonstrate the logistical connections of that team. The best way to demonstrate a connected team is that you’ve published together. But you’re brand new, and putting together a team in time to publish in time to submit something is ridiculous. It’s never going to happen if you wait that long. But you can have lab meetings. You can participate in journal clubs, you can have regular meetings that you can document. You can present to each other’s journal clubs or colloquia. You can co-present in conference presentations that you put together. There are ways to show that you interact with people that are part of your team. That’s important to do.

You’ve already heard this idea of understanding what your scientific area is and how your idea fits into that. This is recognition of your place in the scientific context.

One of the most difficult problems for new investigators is the scope of your idea. The number one and most damaging concern that reviewers will lead with — and if the primary reviewer utters this word, you’re all done — and that word is “overambitious.”

You go into this project and you feel so compelled to show that you can do it. And you want to give added value, like “I’m only going to charge you $300,000 for this, but I’m going to give you $400,000 worth of effort.” That’s not compelling. What’s compelling is that you know exactly what you’re doing. And that what you’re proposing is not only feasible, but you know so much about it that you’ve actually proposed exactly the right amount of work for this amount of time. You know exactly how long it takes to run subject, how long it takes to process their data, how long it takes to do the analysis and write it up. Getting all of that stuff done, knowing that much about your work and having preliminary data that support that will guide you to something has an appropriate breadth.

The most important thing is guidance from your program officer. It is the program officer’s job to talk to you and provide guidance. You can have a 15, 10-minute conversation with your program officer that will completely change or completely form what you’re going to do in terms of seeking support for your research. We’re sort of afraid to reveal our naïveté to the program officer, I guess, so you’re worried about making that call. People often — more than often, way too often — people send in applications without ever contacting their program officer.

None of you will ever make the mistake of not contacting your program officer ever again. Because I’m going to tell you how to do this.

You’ve identified the program officer associated with your program. If you’re in language disorders, that’s Judith Cooper. If you’re in speech disorders, that’s Lana Shekim. If you’re in hearing it’s Amy Donahue — or quite a few other possibilities. You identify who is your program officer. That’s not a hard thing to do, trolling through the websites. You send that person a three-line email. And it says, “I’m interested the possibility of applying to your institute for support. Would you have 10 minutes to talk? Here’s a whole bunch of times that I’m available.” That’s all that email says. Then you get 15 minutes with that person on the phone, at a scheduled time. You’re ready for them with your specific aims. Maybe you’re going to send it to them right away after your conversation. And you’re going to find out if the mechanism you’re applying for is appropriate, if the institute you’re targeting is appropriate. Maybe they will even give you guidance on which study section you might like to recommend to the review officers. You can accomplish some really important things in 15 minutes, and why people wouldn’t do it, I don’t know. What you’ll never succeed at is calling the phone numbers they give on the website. You will never reach them at that phone number. Set up a phone appointment, and make it a short email. Do you understand what you have to do there? I do not want to let that go past. That’s the most important thing I have to tell you.

Choosing Your Topic

So we got this already. Stick with your strengths and your proven history. Not a time to try new techniques. An approach for which you can provide published evidence that you and your team are experienced and capable. That doesn’t mean that you and your team actually generated that published evidence. I’m talking about just having published, peer-reviewed support.

Think creatively. Be innovative. And keep an eye on the big picture. But also be aware of the fact that you are only one lab, and it’s a big field, and what’s an appropriate size for your project.

Recognize the place of your work in the overall framework. What are you trained to do? Where are you best capable of contributing?

What that does is puts you solidly in the stream of ideas, not just of your group, but of your peers. Of science generally. It’s interesting how often this happens — people will often lead their specific aims with the idea that there’s a “paucity of information” or a paucity of literature in this area. As if that is some kind of motivation for this study. The reason nobody is doing work in that area is because there’s no reason to work in that area. Or because it’s just too uninteresting. Or it’s not going to help anybody. Or it’s too expensive. Or it’s a dumb idea. There are lots of good reasons not to do work in an area. And there’s very few reason to do work in that area.

If you find yourself working on something where your best motivation is a paucity of other investigators working there, you should really look around and see if other people have something figured out that you haven’t figured out. Or maybe it really is an important area, and maybe you just don’t know the literature. We have a small discipline. So our literature isn’t huge. Maybe the literature that influences your science isn’t in your immediate neighborhood. Maybe there’s really great work. It’s just not where you would exactly expect to find it in the speech section of JSLHR. That might not be what’s motivating your work.

The point is, there has to be a solid stream, a dynamic series of experiments and scientific work where you can put yourself right in the middle of it. If you can’t do that, there’s something wrong. Something seriously wrong. Don’t do that.

Preparing for Your First NIH Grant: More Videos in This Series

1. Who Is the Target Audience for Your Grant?

2. How Do I Determine an Appropriate Scope, Size, and Topic for My Research Project?

3. Common Challenges and Problems in Constructing Specific Aims

4. Are You Ready to Write Your First NIH Grant? Really?

5. Demystifying the Logistics of the Grant Application Process

6. Identifying Time and Budgetary Commitments for Your Research Project

7. Anatomy of the SF424: A Formula for NIH Research Grants

8. Common Strengths and Weaknesses in Grant Applications

Christopher Moore Boston University

Selected clips from sessions presented at Pathways (2014 and 2015). Hosted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Research Mentoring Network.

Pathways is sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a U24 grant awarded to ASHA.

Copyrighted Material. Reproduced by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in the Clinical Research Education Library with permission from the author or presenter.

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LCA and economic cradle-to-gate analysis on the reuse of a temporary building

Research Article
Published: 27 September 2024

Cite this article

Ali Katebi ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1072-2977 1 ,
Hadi Hosseinkhah Eghdam ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5205-0582 2 &
Gholamreza Asadollahfardi ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7867-8757 3

In recent decades, the significant negative environmental impacts of the construction industry have caused a lot of concern, especially from the large number of temporary buildings required for mega projects. Reusing building components can help reduce pollution and preserve resources, but the economic and environmental effects are not well understood. This study has addressed the economic and environmental effects of reusing temporary building elements using life cycle assessment (LCA). The product system and functional unit in the current study is an office building equipment workshop with an area of 80 m 2 and the system boundary is from cradle to gate. Life cycle assessment was accomplished using Simapro software and several life cycle assessment methods such as CML-la Baseline, BEES + , and IPCC was used to verify the results. The findings show that reusing disassembled building parts can reduce environmental damage by 79% and environmental damage costs by 77%. These results are important for construction managers seeking to make sustainable decisions that minimize environmental harm. Future research should expand the system boundary to include the entire building life cycle and apply the methodology to a wider range of building types and climates. Developing design guidelines for disassembly and reuse would also help promote sustainable construction practices. Overall, this study provides a robust framework for assessing the environmental and economic impacts of reusing building components, which is crucial for achieving sustainable development in the construction industry.

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Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Hadi Hosseinkhah Eghdam. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Hadi Hosseinkhah Eghdam and Ali Katebi. Suggesting the proposal of study, reviewing and editing the primary, and final draft performed by Gholamreza Asadollahfardi.

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Katebi, A., Eghdam, H.H. & Asadollahfardi, G. LCA and economic cradle-to-gate analysis on the reuse of a temporary building. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35132-6

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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 ...
Scope and Delimitations in Research
The scope and delimitation of a study are usually established early on in the research process and guide the rest of the project. Types of Scope and Delimitation. Significance of Scope and Delimitation. Setting limits and focusing your study through scope and delimitation is crucial for the following reasons: It allows researchers to define the ...
A Simple Guide to Writing a Scope of the 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.
How to Write the Scope of the Study
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 ...
Scope of the Study in Research: Detailed Guide
By maintaining defined research study boundaries, the study will yield more meaningful insights, fostering clarity in analysis and interpretation. Delimiting the Scope of Study. Delimiting the scope of study is a crucial step in any research project that defines the research study boundaries.
Background of The Study
Example 1: "There has been a significant increase in the incidence of diabetes in recent years. This has led to an increased demand for effective diabetes management strategies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new diabetes management program in improving patient outcomes.".
Delimitations in Research
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.
Q: How to write the scope of study?
Typically, the information that you need to include in the scope for your study would cover the following: 1. General purpose of the study. 2. The population or sample that you are studying. 3. The duration of the study. 4. The topics or theories that you will discuss.
Defining the Scope of a Research Project
Steps to Define the Scope of a Research Project. To effectively define the scope of a research project, start by identifying the primary objectives. Clearly articulate what you wish to accomplish through your research. Understanding these goals helps streamline your efforts and prevents unnecessary diversions. ... When the boundaries of a study ...
How Do I Determine an Appropriate Scope, Size, and Topic for My
2. How Do I Determine an Appropriate Scope, Size, and Topic for My Research Project? 3. Common Challenges and Problems in Constructing Specific Aims. 4. Are You Ready to Write Your First NIH Grant? Really? 5. Demystifying the Logistics of the Grant Application Process. 6. Identifying Time and Budgetary Commitments for Your Research Project. 7.
Reconceptualizing and Defining Exposomics within Environmental Health
Inspired by the Human Genome Project, C.P. Wild coined the term "exposome" to motivate the creation of improved exposure assessment and the discovery of mechanisms by which the body responds to exposures, innovations that are to be used for the pursuit of human health. 1-3 Answering his proclamation, a flourishing community of exposome researchers successfully developed exposomics. 4 ...
Q: What are some examples of the scope of the study?
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 ...
LCA and economic cradle-to-gate analysis on the reuse of a ...
Scope definition. The scope of a study defines the field and scope of the study and studies necessary for modeling, which includes the stages of defining product systems, functional units of scenarios, determining system boundaries, and categorizing assessment effects and assumptions (Ahmadi et al. 2019).The product system and functional unit in the current study is an office building ...
Q: What is the meaning of scope and delimitations of a study?
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 patterns of ...

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How to write the scope of the study?

Goals of establishing the scope of the study

Identification of the project or research needs

Confirmation of the goals and objectives of the research

Expectations and Acceptance

Identification of the constraints

Identifying the necessary changes

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Scope of the study

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How to Determine the Scope of Research | Examples & Tips

Introduction

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Target population

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Problem statement

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Limitations

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Academic Research in Education: Scope of Research

Defining the Scope of your Project

Post-Grad Collective [PGC]. (2017, February 13). Thesis Writing-Narrow the Scope [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlCO5yRB9No&feature=youtu.be

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Research Objectives | Definition & Examples

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Research aims

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Scope and Delimitations in Research

What is the scope in a research paper?

What are delimitations in a research paper?

Scope and delimitations examples

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What's the difference between limitations and delimitations?

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Useful vocabulary for scope and delimitations

Analysis of a published scope

Analysis of published scope and delimitations

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Decoding the Scope and Delimitations of the Study in Research

What is scope and delimitation in research

Example of scope and delimitation of a study

The purpose of scope and delimitation in a study

How to write the scope of the study in research

How to write the delimitations of a study in research

Differentiating between delimitations and limitations

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5 Steps to Setting Limits and Defining the Scope and Delimitation of Your Study

1. Identify your research question or topic

2. Consider the key terms or concepts related to your topic

3. Consider the different perspectives on your topic

4. Narrow your focus

5. Develop the final research plan

Examples of Scope and Delimitation