Research Notes

What is Research?

  • Research is the systematic investigation into a topic to discover new facts, solve problems, or revise existing theories.

  • It involves studying something carefully and extensively to attain deep knowledge.

  • Research contributes to the welfare of humanity.

  • It can be creative, exploring, or reassuring in nature (Rivera, 2023).

  • Research follows a step-by-step process using a standardized approach to answer questions or solve problems.

  • It is a careful and continuous examination of problems.

  • It is a continuous undertaking to make known the unknown, following ordered steps leading to new information (Rivera, 2023).

Inductive Research

  • Research is done inductively if it starts with analyzing a phenomenon and ends with identifying its principles, theories, or processes.

  • It goes from minor details to generalizing everything.

Deductive Research

  • A deductive approach begins with specifying hypotheses and continues with verifying these through evidence or data.

  • It starts with specific guesses and expands until minor details are created.

Importance of Research

  1. Research provides a scientific basis for any practice or methodology in any field of discipline.

  2. Research helps develop tools for assessing the effectiveness of any practice and operation.

  3. Research impacts decision-making.

  4. Research develops and evaluates alternative approaches to the educational aspects of any discipline.

  5. Research aims to advance the personal and professional qualification of a practitioner.

  6. Research provides solutions to problems concerning almost all issues encountered in the different areas of work.

The Role of Research

  • It is an inquiry process.

  • It is a formal process of problem-solving.

  • It is a set of procedures and stages.

  • It originates with a question or a problem.

  • Often, it is an iterative process.

Research is important in providing a solid foundation for:

  • The discovery and creation of knowledge, theory building.

  • Testing, confirmation, revision, and refutation of knowledge as theory.

  • Advancing a discipline or field.

  • Advancements and improvements in various aspects of life.

  • Promotion and tenure of individuals.

Characteristics of Research

  1. SYSTEMATIC

    • There is a system to follow in conducting research, including a system for formulating each of its parts.

    • Two types:

      • Macrosystem: The composition of chapters is organized logically and scientifically.

      • Microsystem: The formulation of the detailed content of each chapter; contents are further divided into elements.

  2. CLEAR

    • The choice of variables used in the study should be explained by the researcher.

    • This can be done by enriching the review of literature or discussing the different theories on which the selection of the variables is based.

  3. OBJECTIVE

    • A researcher should objectively look at the basis on which the work is founded.

    • The researcher must never produce results out of nowhere; the results, after being determined, should be verified and validated.

    • These results must never be based on biases or out of respect for any personality or organization.

  4. FEASIBLE

    • In any profession, any problem of extraordinary nature that directly or indirectly affects the profession is a feasible problem to study.

    • In settings like the community, school, or workplace, unusual phenomena may happen and can turn into potential problems.

  5. EMPIRICAL

    • There should be supporting pieces of evidence and accompanying details for every different variable used in the study.

    • References and citations of facts and information that the researcher has gathered in his/her paper must not be forgotten as well.

    • Plagiarism constitutes claiming another person’s idea or intellectual property as one’s own.

Research Process

  • Identification of Problem

  • Statement of the Problem (With Scope and Limitation)

  • Review Process

  • Research Design, Research Approach, and Research Tools

  • Data Collection, Treatment, Processing, and Analysis

  • Data Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation

  • Conclusions, Implication, and Recommendation

Qualitative Research

  • Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in its objectives, techniques, and design.

  • Qualitative research aims to gain insights into phenomena, groups, or experiences that cannot be objectively measured or quantified using mathematics.

Quantitative Research

  • Quantitative research provides precise causal explanations that can be measured and communicated mathematically.

  • Quantitative research is usually conducted in a controlled environment.

Differences

Qualitative Research

  • Answers how, why, or what

  • Understanding people’s feelings, perceptions, experiences, and cultures

  • Comprehensive findings

  • Descriptive analysis

  • Natural setting

Quantitative Research

  • Numerical measurement

  • Experimentation or tests

  • Numerical data and statistical analysis

  • Highly controlled setting

Characteristics of Qualitative Research

  1. More flexible compared to quantitative research.

  2. It usually follows an iterative process.

  3. It focuses on gathering rich insights from few respondents.

  4. Collection of data is continuous.

  5. Uncontrolled naturalistic setting.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

CATEGORY

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

Participants

10 – 15 participants only

Few sources of data

Contact Time

More time to gather data

It is lengthier to gather data from 1 participant

Flexibility

Topics can be almost anything

The researcher must remain objective all the time

Ethics

Ethics are heavily incorporated

The researcher must be cautious when asking questions

Kinds of Qualitative Research

Ethnographic

  • This study involves the collection and analysis of data about cultural groups or minorities.

  • The researcher immerses with the people who are the Key Informants and becomes part of their culture.

Narrative

  • The main sources of data for this type of research are the life accounts of individuals based on their personal experiences.

  • The life accounts may be analyzed psychologically, biographically, or through discourse.

  • Tell the story about the person.

Phenomenological

  • This kind of research is being used when a researcher wants to describe an event, activity, or phenomenon.

  • It uses a combination of methods such as interviews, reading documents, watching videos, or visiting places and events to describe the meaning of the human experiences (lived experiences) provided by the subjects or participants.

  • Collective experience of the person.

Case Study

  • It is an in-depth examination of an individual, groups of people, or an institution.

  • It provides information on where to draw conclusions about the impact of a significant event in one’s life (Sanchez, 2002).

  • Specific na hinahanap/ specific na place/ detailed.