Inquiry and Research

Inquiry is asking questions to obtain information. This is an investigation to discover new information that could add to an existing knowledge to clarify doubts and even to solve existing problems. An inquiry can be launched to get behind the common understanding of certain issues, events, and circumstances that are otherwise difficult to comprehend due to some missing information. It involves checking the credibility and validity of available information, clarifying points of view, and drawing inferences, conclusions, and meaning. The process relies upon collective and even interdisciplinary efforts that can be put together to come up with credible information.

The word research, on the other hand, can be broken down into "re" and "search" to mean "to look again," Research then is reexamining and reinvestigating a particular topic or issue following logical steps. There are three major steps in the process of research: asking the question, finding the right data to answer the questions, and presenting an answer to the question based on the processed data (Creswell 2002). Asking the question sets the focus of the investigation and defines what needs to be answered. This is the starting point of the search for the appropriate data that could help understand the issue at hand.

The data is processed, analyzed, and interpreted to come up with a logical and credible conclusion. The result of which is the answer to the questions asked that would be an added knowledge on the topic or the issue being investigated.

Research Process

The research process describes the various steps the study will pass through starting from identification of the problem to utilization of the results of the study. The whole process is listed as follows:
a. Identification of the Problem

The first step in research writing is to identify and problematize an area of interest The researcher points out the area that needs further study or investigation given the current state of knowledge on the matter.

B. Literature Review

After the problem has been identified, the researcher checks for related materials on the topic that are available that could serve as a starting point or reference for the study. The materials provide the initial view of the extent of efforts done to study the topic as well as the areas that need further research often called the gap. The research gap will be the basis for the purpose of the study.

C. Setting the Direction of Study

This contains the purpose of the study, the research questions, and the manner in which the study will be conducted or the methodology. The purpose of the study explains why the study is needed. It identifies the importance of the study in terms of its contribution to the discipline as well as its impact on society or its social value. The research questions narrow down the problem to manageable and feasible tasks which will be carried out in the methodology. Methodology describes how to obtain and process the materials and

information needed to answer the research questions.

d. Collecting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Data

At this stage, the materials and needed information are gathered, analyzed, and interpreted. The treatment of the data depends on the approach that will be used appropriate for the study.

e. Evaluation and Report Writing

From the analyzed data, conclusion and learning are drawn. The conclusion is the synthesized answer to the research questions which is also the answer to the problem identified in the study. The conclusion of the study will be the basis for the recommendations that define the actions and interventions that could impact the context where the problem emanates. From this point, the researcher is now ready to write the whole research paper.

f. Community Application or Utilization of Research

This is the stage where the result of the study is disseminated back to the community For a research to make an impact on society, it is important that it is shared especially with the community concerned. This is best complemented with a plan on how research will be utilized to realize its full potential in creating a social value.

Importance of Doing Research

Research is important in the creation of value that can be classified in three ways (Creswell 2012):

a. It adds to the existing body of knowledge. The findings in a research study can provide added information to better understand issues or phenomena by confirming or contesting previous results. Research can likewise be a way to break ground on areas of interest that have not been investigated or studied before. The result will become the basis or reference for further studies.

Sample: College Educators Life Balance during K-12 Transition: Focus on Wellness

The study explored the relationship of K-12 Action Plans to educators' life balance (Ramos, 2019).

b. It can improve or enhance current practices. Research can evaluate current practices in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness refers to the ability of a practice to produce the set goal or social value, while efficiency refers to the facility in producing the social value. The results of the study can be the basis for decisions, intervention programs, or plans for improvement.

Sample: Teacher-Parent Collaborative Ethics in Facilitating Students' Hornework

The study highlighted the role of teachers in initiating collaboration with parents in doing the homework of the students (Miguel & Abulon, 2019).

c. It can inform policy. The results of a research study can be a starting point for changing policies that could affect the whole organization, community, or society. A policy, law, or regulation can be drawn as a response or intervention to the new information obtained in a research study.

Sample: Urban Poor and Climate Adaptation: The Issue of Equity in Two Emerging Urban Areas of Eastern Indonesia

The study looked at equity issue in the climate adaptation particularly in the context of the urban poor (Fathoni, 2018).

Characteristics of a Good Research

The qualities of a good research can be derived from how effective and efficient it is in achieving its purpose to create a value. The qualities can be summarized into five major characteristics:

a. Rigorous. The conduct of research must be systematic, scientific, and logical. It must follow clear and logical procedures aimed at answering the research problem. Each step must be properly justified in terms of appropriateness.

b. Replicable. The procedures utilized in research must be replicable in other contexts and the results must have a wide range of applicability. It is not enough that the results are only true for a single situation. They must have a certain degree of generalizability.

C. Accurate. The data that will be used to answer the questions must be representative of the actual responses of the participants or actual data as recorded in the instruments used.

d. Objective. In the analysis of data, the personal bias of the researcher must be managed well. Personal inclinations or desired results must be always avoided. Otherwise, the result will not be credible.

e. Ethical. Data or information from respondents must be handled with utmost confidentiality and honesty. Credit must also be given where it is due.

Major Approaches in Research and Areas of Interests

The manner on how research is conducted depends on the approach and the type of desired data appropriate for the study. A research study can be either qualitative research or quantitative research. However, there are cases when both can be utilized for a holistic view of the issue or concern.

Generally, a quantitative research answers the problem by describing the trend in a set of data often presented as frequency or percentage, or by establishing the effect or relationship of the variables of the study using statistical computation. Further, literature review plays a big role in establishing the context of the study, including the kind of questions that will be asked. The participants are determined for the purpose of being able to generalize the result of the study to the whole population. By the name itself, quantitative research deals with numerical representations of a phenomenon.

Quantitative research can be applied to evaluating work performance of the employees which can serve as input to plans for interventions like incentives, sanctions, and reward packages. It can also be used to predict the upcoming trends in the areas of product development, technology, and finance. It can be employed in determining preferences of customers in new products through surveys as well as in determining profile of a society in a census. This approach is also applied in psychometric tests like determining the aptitude, cognitive ability, and affective tendencies of a person.

Sample: Students' Perception of the Safety and Security of the Boarding Houses Around Philippine Normal University Mindanao

This is a perception study on the safety and security of the boarding houses around PNU Mindanao by the third (3rd) and fourth (4") year students. The data indicated that all other factors are favorable and safe except location which is found to be significantly different (Dimpas, Azarcon, Dela Cruz, & Tampon, 2019).

Qualitative research can be described generally as being concerned with the details of the phenomenon as experienced by the participants. The result of the study is an in-depth treatment of the responses describing the phenomenon being studied. Related literature comes handy as a support to or an enrichment of the phenomenon. The participants are determined in terms of how much knowledge or experience they have of the phenomenon being studied. Qualitative research deals with the narrative responses of the participants.