Step 1 : Identifying Your Topic and Ensuring it is

This inquiry is practical in nature. Researching children’s behavioral problems and family’s communication as a practitioner would give me worthwhile knowledge that I could use for practice. However, Kerlinger and Lee (1999) stated that the primary purpose of empirical research is theory. Solving an applied problem is not a sufficient or an appropriate reason to conduct empirical research. Empirical research needs to contribute to building a theory; that is, significantly contribute to scholarly literature to the field. This is especially true when writing a thesis or dissertation. An “I wonder if...?” is a good place to start when proposing empirical research or developing an empirical research plan, but that is simply what it is, a place to start. This starting place is necessary, but not sufficient.