Introduction to Research Methods and Approaches

Research

An investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws.

Qualitative Research

Involves processes, feelings, and motives (the why's and the how's) and produces in-depth and holistic data.

Quantitative Research

Aims to characterize trends and patterns.

Mixed Method Research

Combines quantitative and qualitative approaches in a study, highlighting the strength of both approaches.

Research Preparation

Involves focus, deciding on a topic, understanding the problem, and designing on the problem.

Brainstorming

A way of inquiring ideas that will help you to develop concepts and focusing techniques by asking questions and knowing the interests of the persons involved.

Criteria in Choosing a Research Topic

It should be something new or different from what has been already written about, must be original, significant to the field of study, and must arouse intellectual curiosity.

Field Research

A method used in qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of a particular context or phenomenon.

Case Study

An in-depth examination of a single instance or event, often used in qualitative research.

Secondary Analysis

The analysis of data that has been collected by someone else, applicable in both qualitative and quantitative research.

Census

A method in quantitative research that involves collecting data from every member of a population.

Survey

A quantitative research method that collects data from a sample of individuals to generalize findings to a larger population.

Experiments

A quantitative research method that tests hypotheses through controlled conditions.

Structured Research Instruments

Tools like questionnaires or schedules used in quantitative research to gather data.

Unstructured Instruments

Flexible tools used in qualitative research that allow for open-ended responses.

Sample Size

The number of participants included in a study, which can vary significantly between qualitative and quantitative research.

Holistic View

An understanding that encompasses both subjective and objective aspects of a research problem.

Intellectual Curiosity

A desire to learn and understand more about a subject, which should be aroused by the research topic.

Financial Capacity

The ability of the researcher to support the project financially.

Time Factor

The amount of time available to complete the research project, which should be considered in the planning stages.

Background of the Problem

The background of your study will provide context to the information discussed throughout the research process.

Elements of Background of the Study

The background of the study have three elements: The problem itself, The method of solving the problem, The purpose.

Research Problem

A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be improved, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.

Conceptual Framework

A conceptual framework is an analytical tool with several variations and contexts that can be applied in different categories of work where an overall picture is needed to come up with the desired goal.

How to Create a Conceptual Framework

Conduct a Literature Review, Create a Flow Chart, Write a Narrative, Return and Revise.

Research Hypothesis (Quantitative Research)

Research Hypothesis is vital to all research endeavors, whether qualitative or quantitative, exploratory or explanatory.

Formulation of your Hypothesis

Be certain to read on the subject matter to explain with it before making a final decision.

Research Hypothesis Definition

A research hypothesis is more than just a topic. Your hypothesis is what you propose to 'prove' by your research.

Hypothesis Expression

You will be expressing your hypothesis in 3 ways: As a one-sentence hypothesis, As a research question, As a title for your paper.

Statement of the Problem

Address the relevance of the research.

Purpose of the Statement of the Problem

To describe the substantive focus of the research study, To frame it as a larger theoretical policy, A practical problem and thereby develop its significance, To pose initial research questions, To forecast the literature to be discussed in the second section and To discuss the limitations of the study.

Importance of the Study

The section on the significance of the study provides information to the reader on how the study will contribute.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The scope and delimitation of the study set borders and limitations of the problem inquiry and narrow down the scope of the inquiry.

Delimitation Purpose

The purpose of the delimitation of the study is to delimit by geographic location, Age, Sex, Population traits, Population size, Or other similar aspects.

Examples of Delimitation of Research

This study covers only those families in Barangay San Jose, Pasig City, benefited by the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Definition of Terms

Glossary of Research Terms- this glossary is intended to assist you in understanding commonly used terms and concepts when reading, interpreting, and evaluating scholarly research in the social sciences.

Types and Functions

Conceptual Definition refers to the dictionary meaning.

Operational Definition

The meaning of the concept or terms as used in a particular study.

Research

A structured process involving collection of data, documentation of critical information, and analysis and interpretation.

RRL

Refers to published works that discuss a specific research topic and provides an overview of previous studies, theories, and findings that help contextualize new research.

Primary Sources

Original materials.

Secondary Sources

Summaries or analyses of primary sources.

Reliable Source Characteristics

Sources should be updated and reliable, must be fair and objective, should be relevant, and must provide accurate and sufficient information.

Citation

A way of acknowledging the sources of information you use in research, showing that you borrowed data from other works to support your article.

In-text Citation

Appears within the body of your paper, right after mentioning a borrowed idea or data.

Reference List (Bibliography)

Detailed list of all sources cited in the research, found at the end of the paper.

Key Components of Citation

Includes Authors name, Publication Date, and Page Number.

American Psychological Association (APA)

Citation style commonly used in social sciences, psychology, education, and business. Format: (Author, Year, Page).

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Citation style commonly used in humanities, literature, and arts. Format: (Author Page Number).

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

Citation style with two variations: Author-Date System used in sciences & social sciences. Format: (Author Year, Page).

Qualitative Research

Focuses on understanding experiences, meanings, and themes.

Quantitative Research

Uses numbers, statistics, and objective measurements.

Experimental Research

Tests cause-and-effect relationships.

Quasi-Experimental Research

Similar to experimental but lacks random assignment.

Non-Experimental Research

Observes without manipulation (e.g., surveys, correlations).

Mixed Methods Research

Combines qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Independent Variable (IV)

Causes changes.

Dependent Variable (DV)

Receives the effect.

Moderating Variable

Influences the IV-DV relationship.

Controlled Variable

Remains constant.

Intervening Variable

Indirectly affects the IV-DV relationship.

Types of Data

Includes Qualitative Data (Nominal and Ordinal) and Quantitative Data (Discrete and Continuous).