Research papers
How to write Chapter 1 of a research paper.
By the EssayMate team · Updated November 9, 2026
Chapter 1 introduces your study: what problem you are investigating, why it matters, exactly what questions you will answer, and the limits of the study. In the Philippines it is usually titled The Problem and Its Background or Introduction, and it is the first chapter of a senior high school Practical Research paper, a college research paper and an undergraduate thesis.
Schools differ slightly in the parts they require and their order, so always follow your research teacher's or adviser's format first. This guide covers the parts that appear in almost every version, what each one must do, and short examples.
The parts of Chapter 1
| Part | What it answers | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Background of the study (or Introduction) | What is the problem, and why study it here and now? | 2–4 pages |
| Statement of the problem | What exactly will the study answer? | A general question plus 3–6 specific questions |
| Hypotheses | What do you expect to find? (quantitative studies) | One null hypothesis per tested relationship |
| Significance of the study | Who benefits from the results, and how? | 1 paragraph per group |
| Scope and delimitation | What is covered, and what is deliberately left out? | 1–2 paragraphs |
| Definition of terms | What do key terms mean in this study? | 5–15 terms |
Some schools also put the theoretical and conceptual framework in Chapter 1; others place them in Chapter 2 with the review of related literature. Chapter 3 then covers the methodology, Chapter 4 the results and discussion, and Chapter 5 the summary, conclusions and recommendations.
1. Background of the study
The background moves from the general to the specific, like a funnel. Start with the issue in the wider world, narrow to the Philippine context, then to your school or community, and end with the gap: what is not yet known that your study will find out.
- The broad issue, supported by cited sources (reports, studies, official data).
- The Philippine or local situation, again with sources: national reports, local studies, news from reliable outlets.
- What earlier studies have found, briefly (the full discussion belongs in Chapter 2).
- The gap: what those studies did not cover, such as your population, setting or variable.
- Your purpose: one or two sentences saying what this study sets out to do.
Every factual claim in the background needs a citation. Use real figures from sources you can show your teacher, such as the Philippine Statistics Authority, DepEd or published studies, and never estimate a number yourself.
2. Statement of the problem
This is the most important part of Chapter 1, because the rest of the paper answers it. It has a general problem (usually starting "This study aims to determine…") followed by numbered specific questions. Each specific question must be answerable with the data you will collect, and each one later gets its own section in Chapter 4.
This study aims to determine the relationship between daily screen time and the academic performance of Grade 11 students of a public senior high school in Laguna during the school year 2025–2026. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex and strand?
2. What is the average daily screen time of the respondents on school days?
3. What is the academic performance of the respondents based on their first-semester general weighted average?
4. Is there a significant relationship between the respondents' daily screen time and their academic performance?
Notice the pattern: profile questions first, then a question for each variable, then the relationship. Qualitative studies use open questions instead, such as "How do working students describe their experience of balancing work and school?"
3. Hypotheses
Quantitative studies that test a relationship or difference state a hypothesis for it, usually in the null form (no relationship, no difference), because that is what the statistical test checks. Descriptive questions (the profile, the averages) don't need one, and qualitative studies usually have none.
Ho: There is no significant relationship between the daily screen time and the academic performance of the respondents.
4. Significance of the study
List the groups who can use your findings, from the most to the least directly affected, and say specifically how each one benefits. Avoid general praise like "this study will be very helpful"; name the decision or action the results could inform.
Guidance counselors. The findings may help counselors identify students whose screen habits are linked to lower grades and plan sessions on time management.
Typical groups: students, parents, teachers, school administrators, the community or local government, and future researchers.
5. Scope and delimitation
The scope says what the study covers: the topic, variables, respondents, place and time period. The delimitation says what you deliberately excluded and why. Panels look here to check that the study is realistic for the time and resources you have.
This study covers the daily screen time and academic performance of Grade 11 students enrolled in the school year 2025–2026. Screen time refers to time spent on phones, tablets and computers for any purpose on school days, as reported by the respondents. The study does not include Grade 12 students, nor does it examine the content viewed on screens, since these are beyond the time available for data collection.
6. Definition of terms
Define the key terms readers might understand differently. A conceptual definition gives the general meaning (often from a dictionary or source, with a citation); an operational definition says how the term is measured or used in your study. Panels usually prefer operational definitions, and many schools ask for both. List the terms alphabetically.
Academic performance. In this study, the respondents' general weighted average for the first semester, as recorded by the school registrar.
Common mistakes panels point out
- Specific questions that can't be answered by the data collected (for example, asking "why" in a survey of numbers only).
- A background with no sources, or with figures that can't be traced.
- A scope that doesn't match the research title: different respondents, place or year.
- Hypotheses written for descriptive questions.
- Definitions copied from a dictionary when an operational definition is needed.
- Tense: Chapter 1 of a proposal uses the future ("will determine"); the final paper is often revised to the past. Ask your adviser which they want.
Format the citations and reference list in the style your school uses, usually APA. The citation generator formats references from a DOI, ISBN, title or link.
Example papers
Sample papers written with EssayMate, to read for structure and citations, not to copy.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chapter 1 of a research paper?
It is the introduction to the study, often titled The Problem and Its Background. It presents the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the hypotheses (for quantitative studies), the significance, the scope and delimitation, and the definition of terms.
How many pages is Chapter 1?
Usually 5 to 10 pages in senior high school Practical Research papers and 8 to 15 in a college thesis, depending on the format your school requires.
Is the conceptual framework in Chapter 1 or Chapter 2?
It depends on the school. Many senior high schools put the theoretical and conceptual framework in Chapter 1; many colleges put them at the end of Chapter 2, after the review of related literature. Follow your adviser's template.
What is the difference between scope and delimitation?
The scope describes what the study covers: the variables, respondents, place and period. The delimitation states what was deliberately left out and the reason, so readers know the boundaries of the findings.
Should Chapter 1 be in future or past tense?
A research proposal is written in the future tense because the study has not been done yet. Many schools ask you to change it to the past tense in the final paper. Check with your research teacher.
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