sample scope and limitations in research paper

What Is Scope And Limitation In Research?

Post author By admin
April 16, 2024

Research is the cornerstone of progress in any field, be it science, social sciences, or humanities. But behind every research endeavor lies a crucial aspect that often goes unnoticed by many: the scope and limitation. In this blog, we’ll delve into what is scope and limitation in research, why they matter, and how they influence the outcome of a study.

Table of Contents

What Are The Main 10 Stages Of Research Process?

The research process typically involves several stages, each crucial for the successful completion of a study. Here are the main 10 stages of the research process:

Identifying the Research Problem: This stage involves identifying a topic or issue that warrants investigation. Researchers should ensure the problem is significant, relevant, and feasible for study.
Reviewing the Literature: Conducting a thorough review of existing literature on the chosen topic is essential. This helps researchers figure out what we already know, spot where there are holes in our knowledge, and make their research questions clearer.
Formulating Research Questions or Hypotheses: Based on the identified research problem and literature review, researchers develop specific research questions or hypotheses that they aim to address through their study.
Designing the Research Methodology: This stage involves selecting the appropriate research design, methods, and techniques for data collection and analysis. Researchers must consider factors such as the research objectives, the nature of the data, and ethical considerations.
Sampling: Researchers need to determine the sampling strategy and select participants or samples that represent the population of interest. Sampling methods may vary depending on the research design and objectives.
Data Collection: This stage involves collecting data using the chosen methods and techniques. Data collection may involve surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, or analysis of existing data, among other methods.
Data Analysis: After collecting data, researchers look at it carefully using the right tools to figure out what it means. They want to find important ideas, check if their guesses are right, and answer the questions they’re studying.
Interpreting Results: Researchers analyze the results of their data to understand how they relate to the questions or guesses they had at the beginning of their study. They assess the significance of the results, identify patterns or trends, and draw conclusions.
Drawing Conclusions and Implications: Based on the interpretation of results, researchers draw conclusions regarding the research questions or hypotheses. They discuss the implications of their findings, their relevance to theory or practice, and any recommendations for future research or applications.
Writing and Presenting the Research Report: Finally, researchers write a comprehensive research report detailing the entire research process, from problem identification to conclusions. The report typically includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. Researchers may also present their findings at conferences or publish them in academic journals.

Scope in Research

Definition: The scope of research outlines the boundaries and extent of the study.
Components: It includes various elements such as research objectives, questions, methodology, timeframe, and geographic coverage.
Guiding Factor: Scope guides researchers in determining what aspects of the topic will be included in the study and what will be excluded.
Clarity: Defining the scope ensures clarity and focus, preventing researchers from straying off-topic.
Relevance: It helps in ensuring that the research addresses pertinent issues and contributes meaningfully to the existing body of knowledge.

Limitation in Research

Definition: Limitations refer to constraints or weaknesses within the research study that may impact its validity or generalizability.
Types: Limitations can arise due to various factors such as methodological constraints, resource limitations, scope constraints, ethical considerations, and time constraints.
Acknowledgement: Researchers should openly acknowledge limitations to maintain transparency and credibility.
Mitigation: While some limitations may be unavoidable, researchers can mitigate their impact through careful planning, rigorous methodology, and transparent reporting.
Future Implications: Identifying and addressing limitations can provide valuable insights for future research, guiding researchers in overcoming similar challenges in subsequent studies.

What Is Scope And Limitation In Research Example?

Scope in research example.

Let’s consider a research study investigating the impact of social media usage on teenagers’ mental health in urban areas of a particular city over the past three years. The scope of this study would include:

Research Goals: We want to understand how using social media affects how teenagers feel.
Research Questions: How much do teenagers in cities use social media, and for how long? Does using social media relate to how teenagers feel, like if they feel sad or anxious?
Research Methodology: Utilizing surveys and interviews to gather data on social media usage patterns and mental health indicators.
Timeframe: The study will focus on data collected over the past three years to capture recent trends and changes.
Geographic Coverage: The study will concentrate on urban areas within a specific city, ensuring relevance and context specificity.

Limitation in Research Example

In the same study, limitations may arise due to various factors:

Methodological Limitation: The reliance on self-reported data from surveys and interviews may introduce response bias and inaccuracies.
Resource Limitation: Limited funding and time constraints may restrict the sample size and the depth of data collection, potentially affecting the study’s comprehensiveness.
Scope Limitation: Focusing solely on urban areas may limit the generalizability of the findings to rural or suburban populations.
Ethical Limitation: Ensuring informed consent and protecting the privacy of participants may pose ethical challenges, especially when dealing with sensitive topics like mental health.
Time Limitation: The study’s timeframe of three years may not capture long-term effects or trends in social media usage and mental health outcomes.

In this example, the scope defines the parameters and objectives of the study, while the limitations highlight potential constraints and challenges that may impact the research process and findings.

How Do You Write Scope And Limitations In Research?

Writing the scope and limitations section in a research paper involves clearly defining the parameters of your study and acknowledging any constraints or weaknesses that may impact its validity or generalizability. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write the scope and limitations in research:

Begin with the Scope
Start by defining the scope of your research. This involves outlining the boundaries and extent of your study.
Clearly state the objectives of your research and the specific aspects you will investigate.
Identify the research questions or hypotheses that you aim to address.
Describe the methodology you will use, including data collection and analysis techniques.
Specify the timeframe and geographic coverage of your study.
Be Concise and Specific
Avoid ambiguity by being concise and specific in your description of the scope. Clearly define what will be included in your study and what will be excluded.
Use clear and precise language to convey the scope of your research to your readers.
Acknowledge Limitations
After defining the scope, acknowledge any limitations or constraints that may impact your study.
Identify potential methodological limitations, such as sample size, data collection methods, or measurement tools.
Consider resource limitations, including funding, time, and access to data or participants.
Discuss any scope limitations, such as geographic or demographic restrictions.
Address ethical considerations and any potential biases or confounding factors.
Provide Justification
Explain why these limitations are relevant to your study and how they may affect the interpretation of your results.
Justify your choices and decisions regarding the scope and limitations of your research.
Demonstrate awareness of potential challenges and demonstrate transparency in your reporting.
Offer Recommendations
Despite limitations, suggest ways to mitigate their impact or address them in future research.
Provide recommendations for researchers who may encounter similar constraints in their own studies.
Highlight the implications of your research findings in light of the acknowledged limitations.
Review and Revise
Review your scope and limitations section to ensure clarity, coherence, and accuracy.
Revise as needed to ensure that your description accurately reflects the parameters of your study and acknowledges any potential constraints.

In conclusion (of what is scope and limitation in research), scope and limitation are integral components of any research project. Understanding the scope helps researchers define the boundaries and parameters of their study, while acknowledging limitations ensures transparency and credibility.

By carefully considering scope and limitation, researchers can conduct more rigorous and meaningful studies that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields.

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Limitations in Research – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Limitations in research refer to potential weaknesses, constraints, or shortcomings that may affect the validity, reliability, or generalizability of a study’s findings. Identifying and acknowledging these limitations is an essential part of the research process, as it demonstrates transparency and allows readers to assess the study’s credibility.

This article explores the types of research limitations, provides examples, and offers a guide to effectively write about them in your research paper or thesis.

Limitations in Research

Limitations are factors that restrict the scope, methodology, or interpretation of research findings. They arise due to constraints such as time, resources, design choices, or external influences beyond the researcher’s control. While limitations do not necessarily invalidate a study, they highlight areas for improvement or further investigation.

Key Features:

Acknowledged Weaknesses: Reflect the challenges faced during the research process.
Context-Specific: Vary depending on the research design, methodology, or field of study.
Enhance Credibility: By addressing limitations, researchers demonstrate critical thinking and transparency.

Example: Limited sample size in a survey study may reduce the generalizability of the results to a broader population.

Types of Limitations in Research

1. methodological limitations.

Description: Constraints related to the research methods used.
Use of a non-random sampling technique.
Reliance on self-reported data, which can introduce bias.
Impact: Affects the accuracy or reliability of the data collected.

2. Sample Size and Composition

Description: Issues with the number or characteristics of participants in the study.
Small sample sizes reduce statistical power.
Sampling bias occurs when the sample is not representative of the population.
Impact: Limits the generalizability of the findings.

3. Time Constraints

Description: Insufficient time to conduct research thoroughly.
Limited duration of an experiment.
Inability to collect longitudinal data due to time restrictions.
Impact: Affects the depth of the analysis and the ability to explore trends over time.

4. Resource Limitations

Description: Constraints on financial, technological, or human resources.
Inability to afford advanced equipment for data collection.
Insufficient access to databases or archival materials.
Impact: Limits the scope of data collection and analysis.

5. External Influences

Description: Factors beyond the researcher’s control that impact the study.
Changes in political or economic conditions during the study.
Unexpected interruptions, such as natural disasters or pandemics.
Impact: May introduce variability or disrupt data collection.

6. Ethical Limitations

Description: Restrictions due to ethical considerations and guidelines.
Inability to experiment on certain populations due to ethical constraints.
Limited access to sensitive or confidential data.
Impact: Restricts the scope and design of the study.

7. Theoretical Limitations

Description: Constraints related to the theoretical framework or assumptions used.
Dependence on outdated theories.
A narrow focus on a specific aspect of a complex phenomenon.
Impact: Limits the applicability of findings to broader contexts.

Examples of Research Limitations

Example 1: survey study.

Research Topic: Effects of social media on mental health.
Limitation: The study used a convenience sampling method, leading to a sample dominated by young adults, limiting its applicability to older populations.

Example 2: Experimental Research

Research Topic: Testing a new drug for diabetes management.
Limitation: The study was conducted over a short period, making it difficult to assess long-term effects.

Example 3: Qualitative Research

Research Topic: Examining workplace culture in multinational corporations.
Limitation: Data was collected from only three organizations, which may not represent all industries or geographic regions.

Example 4: Historical Analysis

Research Topic: The economic impacts of the Great Depression.
Limitation: The study relied on archival data, and some documents were inaccessible due to preservation issues.

Writing Guide: How to Address Limitations in Research

1. acknowledge limitations transparently.

Be honest about the weaknesses of your study.
Avoid attempting to hide or downplay limitations, as this may reduce credibility.
Example: “One limitation of this study is the small sample size, which limits the generalizability of the findings.”

2. Provide Context for the Limitations

Explain why the limitations occurred and whether they were unavoidable.
Example: “The time constraints of a semester-long project restricted the ability to conduct a longitudinal study.”

3. Discuss the Impact of the Limitations

Highlight how the limitations might affect the interpretation of the results.
Example: “The use of self-reported data may introduce bias, as participants could have exaggerated their responses.”

4. Suggest Strategies to Mitigate Limitations

Propose ways future research can address these issues.
Example: “Future studies could use a randomized sampling method to enhance representativeness.”

5. Balance Limitations with Strengths

Emphasize the overall validity of your study despite its limitations.
Example: “Although the sample size is small, the findings provide valuable preliminary insights into this understudied topic.”

Best Practices for Writing Limitations

Be Specific: Clearly state which aspects of your study were limited.
Use Professional Tone: Discuss limitations objectively without undermining your work.
Avoid Overgeneralization: Do not claim that your findings are entirely invalid due to limitations.
Relate to Objectives: Tie limitations to your research aims to show their relevance.
Incorporate Suggestions: Include recommendations for how future research can overcome the identified constraints.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Limitations: Failing to address limitations can appear dishonest or careless.
Overemphasizing Weaknesses: Excessive focus on limitations may overshadow the study’s contributions.
Being Defensive: Avoid justifying limitations with excuses; instead, explain them objectively.
Generalizing Findings: Be cautious about making broad claims when limitations restrict generalizability.

Limitations are an integral part of any research study, as no research is entirely free from constraints. By acknowledging and addressing limitations transparently, researchers enhance the credibility and reliability of their work. Understanding the types, providing context, and offering strategies to overcome limitations ensure that these weaknesses become opportunities for further investigation rather than flaws in the research process.

Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches . Sage Publications.
Babbie, E. R. (2020). The Practice of Social Research . Cengage Learning.
Trochim, W. M. K. (2021). The Research Methods Knowledge Base . Atomic Dog Publishing.
Kumar, R. (2019). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners . Sage Publications.
Bryman, A. (2015). Social Research Methods . Oxford University Press.

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Muhammad Hassan

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research limitations examples and definition, explained below

Research limitations refer to the potential weaknesses inherent in a study. All studies have limitations of some sort, meaning declaring limitations doesn’t necessarily need to be a bad thing, so long as your declaration of limitations is well thought-out and explained.

Rarely is a study perfect. Researchers have to make trade-offs when developing their studies, which are often based upon practical considerations such as time and monetary constraints, weighing the breadth of participants against the depth of insight, and choosing one methodology or another.

In research, studies can have limitations such as limited scope, researcher subjectivity, and lack of available research tools.

Acknowledging the limitations of your study should be seen as a strength. It demonstrates your willingness for transparency, humility, and submission to the scientific method and can bolster the integrity of the study. It can also inform future research direction.

Typically, scholars will explore the limitations of their study in either their methodology section, their conclusion section, or both.

Research Limitations Examples

Qualitative and quantitative research offer different perspectives and methods in exploring phenomena, each with its own strengths and limitations. So, I’ve split the limitations examples sections into qualitative and quantitative below.

Qualitative Research Limitations

Qualitative research seeks to understand phenomena in-depth and in context. It focuses on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions.

It’s often used to explore new or complex issues, and it provides rich, detailed insights into participants’ experiences, behaviors, and attitudes. However, these strengths also create certain limitations, as explained below.

1. Subjectivity

Qualitative research often requires the researcher to interpret subjective data. One researcher may examine a text and identify different themes or concepts as more dominant than others.

Close qualitative readings of texts are necessarily subjective – and while this may be a limitation, qualitative researchers argue this is the best way to deeply understand everything in context.

Suggested Solution and Response: To minimize subjectivity bias, you could consider cross-checking your own readings of themes and data against other scholars’ readings and interpretations. This may involve giving the raw data to a supervisor or colleague and asking them to code the data separately, then coming together to compare and contrast results.

2. Researcher Bias

The concept of researcher bias is related to, but slightly different from, subjectivity.

Researcher bias refers to the perspectives and opinions you bring with you when doing your research.

For example, a researcher who is explicitly of a certain philosophical or political persuasion may bring that persuasion to bear when interpreting data.

In many scholarly traditions, we will attempt to minimize researcher bias through the utilization of clear procedures that are set out in advance or through the use of statistical analysis tools.

However, in other traditions, such as in postmodern feminist research , declaration of bias is expected, and acknowledgment of bias is seen as a positive because, in those traditions, it is believed that bias cannot be eliminated from research, so instead, it is a matter of integrity to present it upfront.

Suggested Solution and Response: Acknowledge the potential for researcher bias and, depending on your theoretical framework , accept this, or identify procedures you have taken to seek a closer approximation to objectivity in your coding and analysis.

3. Generalizability

If you’re struggling to find a limitation to discuss in your own qualitative research study, then this one is for you: all qualitative research, of all persuasions and perspectives, cannot be generalized.

This is a core feature that sets qualitative data and quantitative data apart.

The point of qualitative data is to select case studies and similarly small corpora and dig deep through in-depth analysis and thick description of data.

Often, this will also mean that you have a non-randomized sample size.

While this is a positive – you’re going to get some really deep, contextualized, interesting insights – it also means that the findings may not be generalizable to a larger population that may not be representative of the small group of people in your study.

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that take a quantitative approach to the question.

4. The Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne effect refers to the phenomenon where research participants change their ‘observed behavior’ when they’re aware that they are being observed.

This effect was first identified by Elton Mayo who conducted studies of the effects of various factors ton workers’ productivity. He noticed that no matter what he did – turning up the lights, turning down the lights, etc. – there was an increase in worker outputs compared to prior to the study taking place.

Mayo realized that the mere act of observing the workers made them work harder – his observation was what was changing behavior.

So, if you’re looking for a potential limitation to name for your observational research study , highlight the possible impact of the Hawthorne effect (and how you could reduce your footprint or visibility in order to decrease its likelihood).

Suggested Solution and Response: Highlight ways you have attempted to reduce your footprint while in the field, and guarantee anonymity to your research participants.

5. Replicability

Quantitative research has a great benefit in that the studies are replicable – a researcher can get a similar sample size, duplicate the variables, and re-test a study. But you can’t do that in qualitative research.

Qualitative research relies heavily on context – a specific case study or specific variables that make a certain instance worthy of analysis. As a result, it’s often difficult to re-enter the same setting with the same variables and repeat the study.

Furthermore, the individual researcher’s interpretation is more influential in qualitative research, meaning even if a new researcher enters an environment and makes observations, their observations may be different because subjectivity comes into play much more. This doesn’t make the research bad necessarily (great insights can be made in qualitative research), but it certainly does demonstrate a weakness of qualitative research.

6. Limited Scope

“Limited scope” is perhaps one of the most common limitations listed by researchers – and while this is often a catch-all way of saying, “well, I’m not studying that in this study”, it’s also a valid point.

No study can explore everything related to a topic. At some point, we have to make decisions about what’s included in the study and what is excluded from the study.

So, you could say that a limitation of your study is that it doesn’t look at an extra variable or concept that’s certainly worthy of study but will have to be explored in your next project because this project has a clearly and narrowly defined goal.

Suggested Solution and Response: Be clear about what’s in and out of the study when writing your research question.

7. Time Constraints

This is also a catch-all claim you can make about your research project: that you would have included more people in the study, looked at more variables, and so on. But you’ve got to submit this thing by the end of next semester! You’ve got time constraints.

And time constraints are a recognized reality in all research.

But this means you’ll need to explain how time has limited your decisions. As with “limited scope”, this may mean that you had to study a smaller group of subjects, limit the amount of time you spent in the field, and so forth.

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will build on your current work, possibly as a PhD project.

8. Resource Intensiveness

Qualitative research can be expensive due to the cost of transcription, the involvement of trained researchers, and potential travel for interviews or observations.

So, resource intensiveness is similar to the time constraints concept. If you don’t have the funds, you have to make decisions about which tools to use, which statistical software to employ, and how many research assistants you can dedicate to the study.

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will gain more funding on the back of this ‘ exploratory study ‘.

9. Coding Difficulties

Data analysis in qualitative research often involves coding, which can be subjective and complex, especially when dealing with ambiguous or contradicting data.

After naming this as a limitation in your research, it’s important to explain how you’ve attempted to address this. Some ways to ‘limit the limitation’ include:

Triangulation: Have 2 other researchers code the data as well and cross-check your results with theirs to identify outliers that may need to be re-examined, debated with the other researchers, or removed altogether.
Procedure: Use a clear coding procedure to demonstrate reliability in your coding process. I personally use the thematic network analysis method outlined in this academic article by Attride-Stirling (2001).

Suggested Solution and Response: Triangulate your coding findings with colleagues, and follow a thematic network analysis procedure.

10. Risk of Non-Responsiveness

There is always a risk in research that research participants will be unwilling or uncomfortable sharing their genuine thoughts and feelings in the study.

This is particularly true when you’re conducting research on sensitive topics, politicized topics, or topics where the participant is expressing vulnerability .

This is similar to the Hawthorne effect (aka participant bias), where participants change their behaviors in your presence; but it goes a step further, where participants actively hide their true thoughts and feelings from you.

Suggested Solution and Response: One way to manage this is to try to include a wider group of people with the expectation that there will be non-responsiveness from some participants.

11. Risk of Attrition

Attrition refers to the process of losing research participants throughout the study.

This occurs most commonly in longitudinal studies , where a researcher must return to conduct their analysis over spaced periods of time, often over a period of years.

Things happen to people over time – they move overseas, their life experiences change, they get sick, change their minds, and even die. The more time that passes, the greater the risk of attrition.

Suggested Solution and Response: One way to manage this is to try to include a wider group of people with the expectation that there will be attrition over time.

12. Difficulty in Maintaining Confidentiality and Anonymity

Given the detailed nature of qualitative data , ensuring participant anonymity can be challenging.

If you have a sensitive topic in a specific case study, even anonymizing research participants sometimes isn’t enough. People might be able to induce who you’re talking about.

Sometimes, this will mean you have to exclude some interesting data that you collected from your final report. Confidentiality and anonymity come before your findings in research ethics – and this is a necessary limiting factor.

Suggested Solution and Response: Highlight the efforts you have taken to anonymize data, and accept that confidentiality and accountability place extremely important constraints on academic research.

13. Difficulty in Finding Research Participants

A study that looks at a very specific phenomenon or even a specific set of cases within a phenomenon means that the pool of potential research participants can be very low.

Compile on top of this the fact that many people you approach may choose not to participate, and you could end up with a very small corpus of subjects to explore. This may limit your ability to make complete findings, even in a quantitative sense.

You may need to therefore limit your research question and objectives to something more realistic.

Suggested Solution and Response: Highlight that this is going to limit the study’s generalizability significantly.

14. Ethical Limitations

Ethical limitations refer to the things you cannot do based on ethical concerns identified either by yourself or your institution’s ethics review board.

This might include threats to the physical or psychological well-being of your research subjects, the potential of releasing data that could harm a person’s reputation, and so on.

Furthermore, even if your study follows all expected standards of ethics, you still, as an ethical researcher, need to allow a research participant to pull out at any point in time, after which you cannot use their data, which demonstrates an overlap between ethical constraints and participant attrition.

Suggested Solution and Response: Highlight that these ethical limitations are inevitable but important to sustain the integrity of the research.

For more on Qualitative Research, Explore my Qualitative Research Guide

Quantitative Research Limitations

Quantitative research focuses on quantifiable data and statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques. It’s often used to test hypotheses, assess relationships and causality, and generalize findings across larger populations.

Quantitative research is widely respected for its ability to provide reliable, measurable, and generalizable data (if done well!). Its structured methodology has strengths over qualitative research, such as the fact it allows for replication of the study, which underpins the validity of the research.

However, this approach is not without it limitations, explained below.

1. Over-Simplification

Quantitative research is powerful because it allows you to measure and analyze data in a systematic and standardized way. However, one of its limitations is that it can sometimes simplify complex phenomena or situations.

In other words, it might miss the subtleties or nuances of the research subject.

For example, if you’re studying why people choose a particular diet, a quantitative study might identify factors like age, income, or health status. But it might miss other aspects, such as cultural influences or personal beliefs, that can also significantly impact dietary choices.

When writing about this limitation, you can say that your quantitative approach, while providing precise measurements and comparisons, may not capture the full complexity of your subjects of study.

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest a follow-up case study using the same research participants in order to gain additional context and depth.

2. Lack of Context

Another potential issue with quantitative research is that it often focuses on numbers and statistics at the expense of context or qualitative information.

Let’s say you’re studying the effect of classroom size on student performance. You might find that students in smaller classes generally perform better. However, this doesn’t take into account other variables, like teaching style , student motivation, or family support.

When describing this limitation, you might say, “Although our research provides important insights into the relationship between class size and student performance, it does not incorporate the impact of other potentially influential variables. Future research could benefit from a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative analysis with qualitative insights.”

3. Applicability to Real-World Settings

Oftentimes, experimental research takes place in controlled environments to limit the influence of outside factors.

This control is great for isolation and understanding the specific phenomenon but can limit the applicability or “external validity” of the research to real-world settings.

For example, if you conduct a lab experiment to see how sleep deprivation impacts cognitive performance, the sterile, controlled lab environment might not reflect real-world conditions where people are dealing with multiple stressors.

Therefore, when explaining the limitations of your quantitative study in your methodology section, you could state:

“While our findings provide valuable information about [topic], the controlled conditions of the experiment may not accurately represent real-world scenarios where extraneous variables will exist. As such, the direct applicability of our results to broader contexts may be limited.”

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will engage in real-world observational research, such as ethnographic research.

4. Limited Flexibility

Once a quantitative study is underway, it can be challenging to make changes to it. This is because, unlike in grounded research, you’re putting in place your study in advance, and you can’t make changes part-way through.

Your study design, data collection methods, and analysis techniques need to be decided upon before you start collecting data.

For example, if you are conducting a survey on the impact of social media on teenage mental health, and halfway through, you realize that you should have included a question about their screen time, it’s generally too late to add it.

When discussing this limitation, you could write something like, “The structured nature of our quantitative approach allows for consistent data collection and analysis but also limits our flexibility to adapt and modify the research process in response to emerging insights and ideas.”

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will use mixed-methods or qualitative research methods to gain additional depth of insight.

5. Risk of Survey Error

Surveys are a common tool in quantitative research, but they carry risks of error.

There can be measurement errors (if a question is misunderstood), coverage errors (if some groups aren’t adequately represented), non-response errors (if certain people don’t respond), and sampling errors (if your sample isn’t representative of the population).

For instance, if you’re surveying college students about their study habits , but only daytime students respond because you conduct the survey during the day, your results will be skewed.

In discussing this limitation, you might say, “Despite our best efforts to develop a comprehensive survey, there remains a risk of survey error, including measurement, coverage, non-response, and sampling errors. These could potentially impact the reliability and generalizability of our findings.”

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will use other survey tools to compare and contrast results.

6. Limited Ability to Probe Answers

With quantitative research, you typically can’t ask follow-up questions or delve deeper into participants’ responses like you could in a qualitative interview.

For instance, imagine you are surveying 500 students about study habits in a questionnaire. A respondent might indicate that they study for two hours each night. You might want to follow up by asking them to elaborate on what those study sessions involve or how effective they feel their habits are.

However, quantitative research generally disallows this in the way a qualitative semi-structured interview could.

When discussing this limitation, you might write, “Given the structured nature of our survey, our ability to probe deeper into individual responses is limited. This means we may not fully understand the context or reasoning behind the responses, potentially limiting the depth of our findings.”

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that engage in mixed-method or qualitative methodologies to address the issue from another angle.

7. Reliance on Instruments for Data Collection

In quantitative research, the collection of data heavily relies on instruments like questionnaires, surveys, or machines.

The limitation here is that the data you get is only as good as the instrument you’re using. If the instrument isn’t designed or calibrated well, your data can be flawed.

For instance, if you’re using a questionnaire to study customer satisfaction and the questions are vague, confusing, or biased, the responses may not accurately reflect the customers’ true feelings.

When discussing this limitation, you could say, “Our study depends on the use of questionnaires for data collection. Although we have put significant effort into designing and testing the instrument, it’s possible that inaccuracies or misunderstandings could potentially affect the validity of the data collected.”

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will use different instruments but examine the same variables to triangulate results.

8. Time and Resource Constraints (Specific to Quantitative Research)

Quantitative research can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially when dealing with large samples.

It often involves systematic sampling, rigorous design, and sometimes complex statistical analysis.

If resources and time are limited, it can restrict the scale of your research, the techniques you can employ, or the extent of your data analysis.

For example, you may want to conduct a nationwide survey on public opinion about a certain policy. However, due to limited resources, you might only be able to survey people in one city.

When writing about this limitation, you could say, “Given the scope of our research and the resources available, we are limited to conducting our survey within one city, which may not fully represent the nationwide public opinion. Hence, the generalizability of the results may be limited.”

Suggested Solution and Response: Suggest future studies that will have more funding or longer timeframes.

How to Discuss Your Research Limitations

1. in your research proposal and methodology section.

In the research proposal, which will become the methodology section of your dissertation, I would recommend taking the four following steps, in order:

Be Explicit about your Scope – If you limit the scope of your study in your research question, aims, and objectives, then you can set yourself up well later in the methodology to say that certain questions are “outside the scope of the study.” For example, you may identify the fact that the study doesn’t address a certain variable, but you can follow up by stating that the research question is specifically focused on the variable that you are examining, so this limitation would need to be looked at in future studies.
Acknowledge the Limitation – Acknowledging the limitations of your study demonstrates reflexivity and humility and can make your research more reliable and valid. It also pre-empts questions the people grading your paper may have, so instead of them down-grading you for your limitations; they will congratulate you on explaining the limitations and how you have addressed them!
Explain your Decisions – You may have chosen your approach (despite its limitations) for a very specific reason. This might be because your approach remains, on balance, the best one to answer your research question. Or, it might be because of time and monetary constraints that are outside of your control.
Highlight the Strengths of your Approach – Conclude your limitations section by strongly demonstrating that, despite limitations, you’ve worked hard to minimize the effects of the limitations and that you have chosen your specific approach and methodology because it’s also got some terrific strengths. Name the strengths.

Overall, you’ll want to acknowledge your own limitations but also explain that the limitations don’t detract from the value of your study as it stands.

2. In the Conclusion Section or Chapter

In the conclusion of your study, it is generally expected that you return to a discussion of the study’s limitations. Here, I recommend the following steps:

Acknowledge issues faced – After completing your study, you will be increasingly aware of issues you may have faced that, if you re-did the study, you may have addressed earlier in order to avoid those issues. Acknowledge these issues as limitations, and frame them as recommendations for subsequent studies.
Suggest further research – Scholarly research aims to fill gaps in the current literature and knowledge. Having established your expertise through your study, suggest lines of inquiry for future researchers. You could state that your study had certain limitations, and “future studies” can address those limitations.
Suggest a mixed methods approach – Qualitative and quantitative research each have pros and cons. So, note those ‘cons’ of your approach, then say the next study should approach the topic using the opposite methodology or could approach it using a mixed-methods approach that could achieve the benefits of quantitative studies with the nuanced insights of associated qualitative insights as part of an in-study case-study.

Overall, be clear about both your limitations and how those limitations can inform future studies.

In sum, each type of research method has its own strengths and limitations. Qualitative research excels in exploring depth, context, and complexity, while quantitative research excels in examining breadth, generalizability, and quantifiable measures. Despite their individual limitations, each method contributes unique and valuable insights, and researchers often use them together to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon being studied.

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Clark, T., Foster, L., Bryman, A., & Sloan, L. (2021). Bryman’s social research methods . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Köhler, T., Smith, A., & Bhakoo, V. (2022). Templates in qualitative research methods: Origins, limitations, and new directions. Organizational Research Methods , 25 (2), 183-210. ( Source )

Lenger, A. (2019). The rejection of qualitative research methods in economics. Journal of Economic Issues , 53 (4), 946-965. ( Source )

Taherdoost, H. (2022). What are different research approaches? Comprehensive review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method research, their applications, types, and limitations. Journal of Management Science & Engineering Research , 5 (1), 53-63. ( Source )

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