What is the meaning of scope and delimitation of the study?

The scope of study is a section of a research paper that explains what information
or subject is being analyzed. For example, the scope of a historical research paper
includes a scope section that explains what time period the writer is analyzing.
Since it is impossible to study every aspect of every subject, the scope of study tells
the reader which aspects of a subject the writer has chosen to analyze. Most
research is limited in scope by sample size, time and geographic area. The scope of
study is usually followed by an explanation of the limitations of the research.

The delimitation of study is the explanation of the scope of study. This section
allows the writer to explain why certain aspects of a subject were chosen and why
others were excluded. It is also common for a writer to explain the chosen research
method in this section and explain why certain theories were applied to the data.