how to write the research locale

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Chapter III METHODOLOGY Research Locale

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New York City Neighborhood Research: Locale

• How To Site See
• Local History
• Building Research
• Demographic
• NYPL Research Guides
• What Changed?
• Patterns, Connections, Associations

In approaching a locale for research, there are a number of questions to ask first, as triggers, to get yourself situated, and to inhabit the modes and thinking of a researcher.   Each tab in this section covers the types of questions it will help to ask in getting started. 

What is there? Make a list of notable locales in the area: monuments, parks, department stores, factories, museums, bars, schools, office buildings, diners. These things are what give a neighborhood its physical, behavioral, and historical character.

What does it look like? What did it look like? At the reference desk, images are one of the most sought after resources in neighborhood research. Photographs might communicate extra dimensions of an area that are not conveyed through nonvisual materials. They also provide a vivid sense of immediacy to the past, as if crossing through the wormhole.  Images of the built environment and street life enable a more intimate and possibly more profound understanding of a place.

At the other end of the spectrum - take a look at what is still there, even after all those years. The Bridge Cafe at 279 Water Street is sadly no longer in operation, but the  building itself supposedly dates to 1794 , and still appears as if behind the upstairs windows live oystermen and sailmakers. Or, sure, Times Square has been the entertainment district for over 100 years, but the changes in the neighborhood surpass the size of crowds on New Years Eve.

Also, the tour was simply the narrative form: this idea applies to whatever form your research ultimately takes (article, book, exhibit, etc.).   

Another pattern might be statues - the statues themselves are the pattern, the art form and mode of representation - which then serves the opportunity to note connections or associations between whatever they may represent. 

Patterns, connections, and associations are there.  Find them.

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• Last Updated: Jan 30, 2023 11:23 AM
• URL: https://libguides.nypl.org/neighborhoodresearch

Locale of the Study

In a quantitative study, describe the geographic location where the study will take place, cite recognizable landmarks such as a nearby urban city., d escribes the locale/venue of the research, i ncludes a map, if appropriate, visit this site for references:, http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/view/subjects/, https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/63.

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Locale of the Study, Sampling and Population

Under this topic, description of the place where the study was conducted is presented together with the rationale behind its choice (Locale of the study). Also description of the population of interest and the sampling of individuals used in the study is presented under the title Population and Sampling respectively.

3.2.1 Locale of the Study

The study was carried out in three (3) primary schools in Dar es Salaam city. Dar es Salaam is the largest and most important industrial and commercial centre in Tanzania with a population of approximately five (5) million people (Worldbank.org). It is among the ten fastest growing

cities of the world with a population increase of 8 percent annually (The Telegraph). It

became a city in 1961 when Tanganyika (Tanzania at the time) gained independence from the British and remained to be the headquarters of the country up to 1974 when the country’s capital was moved to Dodoma. Geographically, the city lies between 6.36 degrees and 7.0 degrees to the south of Equator and Longitudes 39.0 and 33.33 degrees to the east of

Greenwich. To the east the city is bounded by the Indian Ocean while on the other sides it is surrounded by the Coast Region. It covers an area of 1800 square kilometers (Dar es Salaam City Profile 2004).

Several reasons contributed at making Dar es Salaam’s choice for an area of study. First Dar es Salaam is the smallest region (in terms of area coverage) in Tanzania Mainland. Though small it is highly populated with about 50 percent of Tanzania’s urban population

(Worldbank.org). Its complexity, heterogeneity and density of its political, social, cultural and economic environment amounts to amalgamation centre or point of people from all walks of life in Tanzania. To the study this phenomenon is equated to Tanzania in summary. Second Dar es Salaam is among the regions of Tanzania with many schools offering special education (MOEC). This made it easier for the three sampled schools to be accessed. Third

documentation and literature review were also facilitated by the presence of Ministry of Education headquarters and Libraries in the city. Finally Dar es Salaam served to minimize time and coast as the sampled schools could be reached easily since they both lies in the vicinity.

3.2.2 Sampling Procedures

Best and Khan (2006) defined a sample as a small proportion of population selected for observation and analysis. Being qualitative, the study adopted purposeful sampling

considering the benefit over other procedures. A purposeful sample is a sample selected in a deliberative and non-random fashion to achieve a certain goal. According to Patton (1990) purposeful sampling refers to a procedure in qualitative study whereby subjects are selected because of some characteristic. Thus the study deliberately opted to select cases of which it deemed to be information rich with respect to its purpose (Gall 2007).

In this study, three (3) out of four hundred and thirty five (435) primary schools (Dar es Salaam Regional Report (2011) were purposely sampled. The total number of respondents in the study was six (6) in the whole study area. The study predicted the same results for each

33 case putting into consideration the wide objective of the policy studied. This in turn was envisaged to bring literal replication which is simply explained as selection of similar cases and prediction of similar results too (Gall 2007).

Criteria for choosing the studied schools

There are some criteria used to sample the studied schools. Among them is the reason that they started some years back before 2004, the year when the policy was issued. This was made a criterion so as to enable the study to grasp both before and after the policy scenario. The other criterion was presence of the study’s special needs type of children. The sampled schools had either one or both of category covered by the study which are visual and physical special needs children. Finally the issue of easy accessibility was also considered. Dar es Salaam is a big city and some areas do experience transport problems.

3.2.3 Population

A research population is a well defined collection of individuals, events or objects with similar characteristics which is also the main focus of the research or study. Best and Kahn (2006) define research population as a group of individuals who have some characteristics in common that are of interest to the researcher. The population of this study consists of primary school teachers from schools which differ in the way they offer special education. There are six teachers in total, two from each school category. There are three head teachers and three regular school teachers. The study counts both to be teachers because in the Tanzanian context head teachers and other teachers in the managerial/administrative posts in school remain to be teachers.

Head teacher of a special school; This is a head teacher of a school offering special

education to the visually impaired children. Being the head of the institution the study considered the fact that she can be more likely to be aware of the policy because the ministry would make it accessible to him for implementation efficacy. At his school, she is the

overseer of the programs and policies pertaining to the wellbeing of the institution.

Regular teacher-special school; This is a normal classroom teacher teaching a special

down to the grass root of the policy implementation in the actual teaching-learning

environment he is one of the beneficiaries who is directly involved. Compared to the other beneficiaries (pupils) a teacher is more likely to be knowledgeable about issues related to the policy.

Head teacher-integrated unit school; This is the head of a school that offers education

to children with special needs through an attached special education unit to a regular school. Like the head of the special education school, this too was picked by the study under grounds of being an overall overseer of the teaching-learning process at school. Being the case the study thought of the possibilities of this teacher to be rich in the desired information related to the policy and that of the facilities at school.

Regular teacher-integrated unit school; This is a normal teacher teaching a school

where special education is provided through the attached special education unit to the regular school. Being at the grass root of the policy implementation he faces directly the challenges wrought forth by the policy. Likewise he celebrates the successful side of it. Based on this ground the study positioned him to be likely rich in information that touches both the policy and the actual happening on the ground.

Head teacher-inclusive schools; This is a head teacher of a regular school which caters

for children with special learning needs in a regular inclusive classroom where by a special teacher assists children with special needs. The grounds for using her are the same to those of head teachers of special and unit integrated schools.

Regular teacher-inclusive schools; She is a regular/normal teacher to a school that

caters for children with special learning needs in a regular inclusive classroom under the assistance of a specialized teacher. Her likely qualities of being aware with the policy and being at the grass root of the likely to be the outcome of the policy favored his involvement to the study.

• Visual and Physical Special Needs
• Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT)
• Locale of the Study, Sampling and Population (You are here)
• Instrumentation/Research Methods
• Primary Teachers’ knowledge about the National Policy on Disability
• Access to influential facilities in special needs education
• Problems facing schools in special needs facilities
• Views of teachers about the National Policy on Disability in relation to special needs
• Teachers knowledge about the National policy on Disability
• Recommendations for Further Study

Related documents

What is a research locale?  

A research locale refers to the specific place or area where research is conducted. It is not limited to geographical spaces or places where ethnographic work is done, but can be subjective and open to interpretations. Researchers may have multiple "fields" that exist parallel to their ongoing understanding of their research and epistemology . Research in situ, or research performed where epidemics hit the hardest, is necessary to bring solutions to major health crises in poverty-stricken areas. However, such research can benefit health management worldwide and requires addressing pressing technological needs . Research involves a careful and systematic method of searching for knowledge, formulating theories, and making original contributions to expand the existing knowledge base. It is a process of creating or formulating knowledge that does not yet exist . Humanities scholars from regional universities often ground their research in the current concerns of the surrounding rural community and investigate solutions to problems of interest to that community. However, communication of this research to the community can be problematic, and the move towards making research data funded by public money a public good helps to remove this barrier .

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Sample Locale of the Study in Chapter 3 (Thesis Writing)

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• 3b- Selecting a Research Site

Now that you are aware of some of the things you will be looking for and reading as a researcher, you can begin to think about possible sites for your primary research. Over the years, students using this text, engaging in ethnographic research projects, have studied a wide range of sites and communities. These sites have been both physical and virtual, dealing with online and real-time communities. Sometimes students see themselves as complete insiders, and sometimes students are less able to find that connection immediately, and choose a location because of another interest, such as cultural background, personal belief, or even social interest. Examples of research sites chosen by students in first year writing classrooms:

Dog parks Ethnic restaurants Art activist projects Laundromats Family holiday parties Smoking lounges Dorm spaces Workspaces Online discussion groups focusing on any number of topics

No matter what, the most important factor when selecting your own site is choosing a place or space or group of people to whom you already feel connected in some way, either by direct membership, burgeoning interest, or cultural/political belief. That last statement is so important that it merits repetition. The most important consideration as you narrow your search for a research site is to identify some kind of a connection with the place/space, even if you might not consider yourself a complete insider, even if you believe you know very little about the culture. We recommend that students have a personal connection with their site for a few reasons:

• One semester is not enough time to conduct research and then write an enthographic essay discussing the behaviors and/or beliefs concerning a particular site/group/community about which you know, and initially care, absolutely nothing. You want to give yourself a leg up and choose your site based on a genuine interest or personal connection with a site so that you have a starting point for your observations and analysis.
• The site you select will be a place you go or a group you meet with for many, many, many hours over the next weeks. Your site will be your text. If you are not “into” your research or “into” your site, chances are that you’ll be bored and not want to conduct your research. And, then writing an essay will become more of a chore than a challenge.
• If you have an identifiable connection with the site, you will be better able to embrace and understand the role of the participant-observer in ethnographic data collection. To some degree, you will need to see yourself as part of, rather than separate, above, or beyond the community/site you’re researching. Choosing a research site based upon personal connection allows you to more easily become one of the subjects of your own research, thereby increasing your own abilities to conduct reflexive analysis of the community and yourself.

There is an important caveat if you are considering writing as an insider and selecting a group or site to which you already belong. The “insider” perspective is challenging because it can be quite difficult to see yourself and your friends with the eyes of a researcher and observer when you are not confronted with anything unfamiliar, if you are simply doing what is “normal.” You also may find that it becomes awkward to talk and write about some of the observations you make. Being able to see patterns and find the rituals and rules that members of a community take for granted is a challenge if you are a part of that community.

An example: One student decided to look at how Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was able to form such strong support networks. This was an “insider” group for him because he attended an AA meeting every day. As a writer and ethnographer, his challenge was to take that very familiar world and to see it with the new eyes of a cultural observer. While he could see and report on the very obvious rituals and “rules” of AA and AA meetings, he was not comfortable writing about some of the deeply personal issues that came up in the meetings in which he was both an active participant and an observer. He was not ready, nor was he ethically able, to share some of those things with the world outside of AA. Ultimately he was able to write a very good essay about how AA created a “safe” space for him. The struggles he faced in writing a very personal, close-to-home ethnography are not uncommon when researching as an “insider,” so you should keep these things in mind as you consider possible research sites.

The challenge in writing from more of an outsider perspective, though making sure to choose a site based upon some genuine interest that is not driven by voyeurism, is the opposite of that of the insider challenge. You will probably find many patterns and interesting things to explore, but you may have more difficulty becoming a participant in the community and finding the meaning in your observations. Deciding which behaviors are meaningful (rituals) and which are just done (habit) can be problematic. If you are able to discern between those to things, you then have to move on to presenting an interpretation of what the meaning might be. You will need to be very aware of your own filters and make sure that you find out how the members of the community see things.

And, as is the case with the dangers of the “insider” perspective, problems being clearly situated as an “outsider” in a research site have ethical implications. Some students may be tempted to choose sites based upon stated interests in issues such as homelessness, homosexuality, exotic dancing, and other ‘foreign’ communities. When a site is chosen because of a kind of voyeuristic impulse, the project itself is at risk of being unethical. If it is impossible for the individual to become a participant-observer, and not just remain an observer, the student-research risks ‘othering’ the members of the community that they’re observing.  Students must selected sites and research trajectories that allow them to participate in the community rather than simply watch it from afar. Often, the solution can be to figure out how to engage in a volunteer scenario and serve the community in some way, via homeless shelter, or community organization. If this option seems impossible, then a student would do well to read a couple memoirs written by folks in their community of interest, and choose a different site.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1a- Connecting to Ethnographic Writing
• 1b- Identifying with Ethnographic Writing
• 1c- Rhetorical Strate­gies for Ethnographic Writing
• 2a- Writerly Ethos
• 2b- Under­stand­ing Pla­gia­rism
• 2c- Eth­i­cal Conun­drums in Com­munity Research
• 3a- Examining Culture as Text
• 3c- Access to Your Research Site
• 3d- Rhetorical Strategies for Research Proposals
• 4a- Rhetorical Strategies for Writing Observations
• 4b- Considering Types of Fieldnotes
• 4c- Expanding and Revising Fieldnotes and Observations
• 5a- Searching for Sources: Keywords, Databases, Catalogs, and Shelves
• 5b- Ethical Considerations when Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
• 5c- Impact of Technology on Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
• 5d- Sorting Sources and Eating Books
• 5e- Popular Culture Source Material
• 5f- Summarizing Sources
• 5g- Building an Annotated Bibliography
• 6a- Introducing your Research
• 6b- Presenting the Methodology and Focus
• 6c- Selecting Examples and Evidence
• 6d- Selecting Effective Secondary Source Evidence
• 6e- Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Documenting Source Material
• 6f- Concluding in a Meaningful Way
• 6g- Reviewing and Revising Your Essay
• Supplemental Modules
• How to Use this Textbook
• Teaching with EC
• How to Become a Contributing Author

Selecting Research Area

Selecting a research area is the very first step in writing your dissertation. It is important for you to choose a research area that is interesting to you professionally, as well as, personally. Experienced researchers note that “a topic in which you are only vaguely interested at the start is likely to become a topic in which you have no interest and with which you will fail to produce your best work” [1] . Ideally, your research area should relate to your future career path and have a potential to contribute to the achievement of your career objectives.

The importance of selecting a relevant research area that is appropriate for dissertation is often underestimated by many students. This decision cannot be made in haste. Ideally, you should start considering different options at the beginning of the term. However, even when there are only few weeks left before the deadline and you have not chosen a particular topic yet, there is no need to panic.

There are few areas in business studies that can offer interesting topics due to their relevance to business and dynamic nature. The following is the list of research areas and topics that can prove to be insightful in terms of assisting you to choose your own dissertation topic.

Globalization can be a relevant topic for many business and economics dissertations. Forces of globalization are nowadays greater than ever before and dissertations can address the implications of these forces on various aspects of business.

Following are few examples of research areas in globalization:

• A study of implications of COVID-19 pandemic on economic globalization
• Impacts of globalization on marketing strategies of beverage manufacturing companies: a case study of The Coca-Cola Company
• Effects of labour migration within EU on the formation of multicultural teams in UK organizations
• A study into advantages and disadvantages of various entry strategies to Chinese market
• A critical analysis of the effects of globalization on US-based businesses

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is also one of the most popular topics at present and it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. CSR refers to additional responsibilities of business organizations towards society apart from profit maximization. There is a high level of controversy involved in CSR. This is because businesses can be socially responsible only at the expense of their primary objective of profit maximization.

Perspective researches in the area of CSR may include the following:

• The impacts of CSR programs and initiatives on brand image: a case study of McDonald’s India
• A critical analysis of argument of mandatory CSR for private sector organizations in Australia
• A study into contradictions between CSR programs and initiatives and business practices: a case study of Philip Morris Philippines
• A critical analysis into the role of CSR as an effective marketing tool
• A study into the role of workplace ethics for improving brand image

Social Media and viral marketing relate to increasing numbers of various social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc. Increasing levels of popularity of social media among various age groups create tremendous potential for businesses in terms of attracting new customers.

The following can be listed as potential studies in the area of social media:

• A critical analysis of the use of social media as a marketing strategy: a case study of Burger King Malaysia
• An assessment of the role of Instagram as an effective platform for viral marketing campaigns
• A study into the sustainability of TikTok as a marketing tool in the future
• An investigation into the new ways of customer relationship management in mobile marketing environment: a case study of catering industry in South Africa
• A study into integration of Twitter social networking website within integrated marketing communication strategy: a case study of Microsoft Corporation

Culture and cultural differences in organizations offer many research opportunities as well. Increasing importance of culture is directly related to intensifying forces of globalization in a way that globalization forces are fuelling the formation of cross-cultural teams in organizations.

Perspective researches in the area of culture and cultural differences in organizations may include the following:

• The impact of cross-cultural differences on organizational communication: a case study of BP plc
• A study into skills and competencies needed to manage multicultural teams in Singapore
• The role of cross-cultural differences on perception of marketing communication messages in the global marketplace: a case study of Apple Inc.
• Effects of organizational culture on achieving its aims and objectives: a case study of Virgin Atlantic
• A critical analysis into the emergence of global culture and its implications in local automobile manufacturers in Germany

Leadership and leadership in organizations has been a popular topic among researchers for many decades by now. However, the importance of this topic may be greater now than ever before. This is because rapid technological developments, forces of globalization and a set of other factors have caused markets to become highly competitive. Accordingly, leadership is important in order to enhance competitive advantages of organizations in many ways.

The following studies can be conducted in the area of leadership:

• Born or bred: revisiting The Great Man theory of leadership in the 21 st century
• A study of effectiveness of servant leadership style in public sector organizations in Hong Kong
• Creativity as the main trait for modern leaders: a critical analysis
• A study into the importance of role models in contributing to long-term growth of private sector organizations: a case study of Tata Group, India
• A critical analysis of leadership skills and competencies for E-Commerce organizations

COVID-19 pandemic and its macro and micro-economic implications can also make for a good dissertation topic. Pandemic-related crisis has been like nothing the world has seen before and it is changing international business immensely and perhaps, irreversibly as well.

The following are few examples for pandemic crisis-related topics:

• A study into potential implications of COVID-19 pandemic into foreign direct investment in China
• A critical assessment of effects of COVID-19 pandemic into sharing economy: a case study of AirBnb.
• The role of COVID-19 pandemic in causing shifts in working patterns: a critical analysis

Moreover, dissertations can be written in a wide range of additional areas such as customer services, supply-chain management, consumer behaviour, human resources management, catering and hospitality, strategic management etc. depending on your professional and personal interests.

[1] Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2012) “Research Methods for Business Students” 6th edition, Pearson Education Limited.

John Dudovskiy

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How to Write the Rationale of the Study in Research (Examples)

What is the Rationale of the Study?

The rationale of the study is the justification for taking on a given study. It explains the reason the study was conducted or should be conducted. This means the study rationale should explain to the reader or examiner why the study is/was necessary. It is also sometimes called the “purpose” or “justification” of a study. While this is not difficult to grasp in itself, you might wonder how the rationale of the study is different from your research question or from the statement of the problem of your study, and how it fits into the rest of your thesis or research paper. 

The rationale of the study links the background of the study to your specific research question and justifies the need for the latter on the basis of the former. In brief, you first provide and discuss existing data on the topic, and then you tell the reader, based on the background evidence you just presented, where you identified gaps or issues and why you think it is important to address those. The problem statement, lastly, is the formulation of the specific research question you choose to investigate, following logically from your rationale, and the approach you are planning to use to do that.

Table of Contents:

How to write a rationale for a research paper , how do you justify the need for a research study.

• Study Rationale Example: Where Does It Go In Your Paper?

The basis for writing a research rationale is preliminary data or a clear description of an observation. If you are doing basic/theoretical research, then a literature review will help you identify gaps in current knowledge. In applied/practical research, you base your rationale on an existing issue with a certain process (e.g., vaccine proof registration) or practice (e.g., patient treatment) that is well documented and needs to be addressed. By presenting the reader with earlier evidence or observations, you can (and have to) convince them that you are not just repeating what other people have already done or said and that your ideas are not coming out of thin air. 

Once you have explained where you are coming from, you should justify the need for doing additional research–this is essentially the rationale of your study. Finally, when you have convinced the reader of the purpose of your work, you can end your introduction section with the statement of the problem of your research that contains clear aims and objectives and also briefly describes (and justifies) your methodological approach. 

When is the Rationale for Research Written?

The author can present the study rationale both before and after the research is conducted. 

• Before conducting research : The study rationale is a central component of the research proposal . It represents the plan of your work, constructed before the study is actually executed.
• Once research has been conducted : After the study is completed, the rationale is presented in a research article or  PhD dissertation  to explain why you focused on this specific research question. When writing the study rationale for this purpose, the author should link the rationale of the research to the aims and outcomes of the study.

What to Include in the Study Rationale

Although every study rationale is different and discusses different specific elements of a study’s method or approach, there are some elements that should be included to write a good rationale. Make sure to touch on the following:

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

There are different types of limitations that you can use to justify the need for your study. In applied/practical research, the justification for investigating something is always that an existing process/practice has a problem or is not satisfactory. Let’s say, for example, that people in a certain country/city/community commonly complain about hospital care on weekends (not enough staff, not enough attention, no decisions being made), but you looked into it and realized that nobody ever investigated whether these perceived problems are actually based on objective shortages/non-availabilities of care or whether the lower numbers of patients who are treated during weekends are commensurate with the provided services.

In this case, “lack of data” is your justification for digging deeper into the problem. Or, if it is obvious that there is a shortage of staff and provided services on weekends, you could decide to investigate which of the usual procedures are skipped during weekends as a result and what the negative consequences are. 

In basic/theoretical research, lack of knowledge is of course a common and accepted justification for additional research—but make sure that it is not your only motivation. “Nobody has ever done this” is only a convincing reason for a study if you explain to the reader why you think we should know more about this specific phenomenon. If there is earlier research but you think it has limitations, then those can usually be classified into “methodological”, “contextual”, and “conceptual” limitations. To identify such limitations, you can ask specific questions and let those questions guide you when you explain to the reader why your study was necessary:

Methodological limitations

• Did earlier studies try but failed to measure/identify a specific phenomenon?
• Was earlier research based on incorrect conceptualizations of variables?
• Were earlier studies based on questionable operationalizations of key concepts?
• Did earlier studies use questionable or inappropriate research designs?

Contextual limitations

• Have recent changes in the studied problem made previous studies irrelevant?
• Are you studying a new/particular context that previous findings do not apply to?

Conceptual limitations

• Do previous findings only make sense within a specific framework or ideology?

Study Rationale Examples

Let’s look at an example from one of our earlier articles on the statement of the problem to clarify how your rationale fits into your introduction section. This is a very short introduction for a practical research study on the challenges of online learning. Your introduction might be much longer (especially the context/background section), and this example does not contain any sources (which you will have to provide for all claims you make and all earlier studies you cite)—but please pay attention to how the background presentation , rationale, and problem statement blend into each other in a logical way so that the reader can follow and has no reason to question your motivation or the foundation of your research.

Background presentation

Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, most educational institutions around the world have transitioned to a fully online study model, at least during peak times of infections and social distancing measures. This transition has not been easy and even two years into the pandemic, problems with online teaching and studying persist (reference needed) . 

While the increasing gap between those with access to technology and equipment and those without access has been determined to be one of the main challenges (reference needed) , others claim that online learning offers more opportunities for many students by breaking down barriers of location and distance (reference needed) .  

Rationale of the study

Since teachers and students cannot wait for circumstances to go back to normal, the measures that schools and universities have implemented during the last two years, their advantages and disadvantages, and the impact of those measures on students’ progress, satisfaction, and well-being need to be understood so that improvements can be made and demographics that have been left behind can receive the support they need as soon as possible.

Statement of the problem

To identify what changes in the learning environment were considered the most challenging and how those changes relate to a variety of student outcome measures, we conducted surveys and interviews among teachers and students at ten institutions of higher education in four different major cities, two in the US (New York and Chicago), one in South Korea (Seoul), and one in the UK (London). Responses were analyzed with a focus on different student demographics and how they might have been affected differently by the current situation.

How long is a study rationale?

In a research article bound for journal publication, your rationale should not be longer than a few sentences (no longer than one brief paragraph). A  dissertation or thesis  usually allows for a longer description; depending on the length and nature of your document, this could be up to a couple of paragraphs in length. A completely novel or unconventional approach might warrant a longer and more detailed justification than an approach that slightly deviates from well-established methods and approaches.

Consider Using Professional Academic Editing Services

Now that you know how to write the rationale of the study for a research proposal or paper, you should make use of our free AI grammar checker , Wordvice AI, or receive professional academic proofreading services from Wordvice, including research paper editing services and manuscript editing services to polish your submitted research documents.

You can also find many more articles, for example on writing the other parts of your research paper , on choosing a title , or on making sure you understand and adhere to the author instructions before you submit to a journal, on the Wordvice academic resources pages.