Research 2O1

• Research

  • Scientific basis for practice in any discipline
  • Continuous development and productivity
  • Develop tools for assessment
  • Solutions to problems
  • Decision-making
  • Evaluation of various approaches
  • Advancement of personal and professional qualifications
• Research Paradigm - an outline that guides the researcher in conceptualizing and conducting the research.
• An effective research must address these two important aspects:

  • research foundations

  • research methodology
• conceptual framework - an outline or paradigm that present the topics to be studied, the various variables and contexts, and how these relate to or influence each other
• Research Questions - May either be framed in a quantitative (How much, how often, to what extent) or qualitative (what , why, how) manner
• research problem - requires describing the undesirable situations related to the problem and the needed knowledge or information in order to solve the problem
• theoretical framework - connects the theories, assumptions, beliefs, and concepts behind your research
• Hypothesis - . a statement of expectation or prediction that will be tested by research
• Data analysis - consists of strategies and methods that make sense of the data to answer the research problem and questions
• Research approach and design - identifies what is the best means to collect and analyze data in the study
• Conclusion - summarizes the key results of the study and discusses how these are relevant to the research problem
• Data collection - gives the methods to determine who will be the participants in the study, how the variables will be measured, and how data will be documented and collected
• Review of literature - analyzes the existing knowledge

  regarding the research topic
• Research follows a step-by-step process of investigation that uses a standardized approach in answering questions or solving problems (Beck & Polit, 2004)
• Research is a continuous undertaking of making known the unknown (Sanchez, 2002). It entails an investigation of new facts leading to the discovery of new ideas, methods or improvements. The end of research is to arrive at a new truth.
• Research is a very careful investigation of something that purports the contribution of additional or new knowledge and wisdom. (Bassey, as cited in Coleman & Briggs, 2002)
• Characteristics of Research (what makes it research?)

  1. It should be systematic.

  The macrosystem is composed of chapters that are organized in a logical and scientific manner. The microsystem consists of the detailed contents of each chapter. The contents are further divided into elements that are organized following a systematic procedure.

  2. It should be objective.

  3. It should be feasible.

  4. It should be empirical.

  5. It should be clear.
• Quantitative research – “the traditional positivist scientific method which refers to a general set of orderly, disciplined procedures to acquire information” (Beck and Polit, 2004); gather empirical evidence that is within the realm of the senses. The method used in the analysis of data is usually statistical in nature. Thus, the resulting information from the study is usually measurable.
• Qualitative research – “naturalistic method of inquiry of research which deals with the issue of human complexity by exploring it directly” (Bek and Polit, 2008).
• What makes research qualitative in nature?

  1. Data collection occurs at the area where the problem was observed, from people who are directly involved with the problem or issue.
  2. Data collection involves interviews, observations and documentations.
  3. Concerned with understanding human behavior in their natural environment.
  4. More flexible as you can add more data until no new participant is around.
  5. Hypothesis is generated during or after observation of data.
• Phenomenological study – this seeks to understand a certain phenomenon as it is perceived and experienced by the research participants. This aims to describe what it is like to be in a particular situation based on one’s personal experiences. In this type, the researcher looks into an individual’s life experiences told through anecdotes.
• Ethnographic study – this study involves the collection and analysis of data about specific groups of people sharing a common culture. The researcher immerses himself or herself in a community to observe the behaviors and interactions of its members up close and experience some of their daily activities and struggles firsthand. The main purpose of this study is the development of cultural theories
• Historical study – this study is concerned with the identification, location, evaluation and synthesis of data from past events. This is not only limited to obtaining data from the past, but it also involves relating their implications to the present and future time.
• Case study – it is an in-depth examination of an individual, a group of people or an institution. Some of its purposes are to gain insights into a little-known problem, provide background data for broader studies and explain sociopsychological and socio-cultural processes
• What should be in a research paper?

  1. Problem
  2. Purpose
  3. Questions
  4. Framework
  5. Review of related literature and studies
  6. Approach and design
  7. Analysis of gathered (research) data
  8. Conclusion and recommendations
• Resnik (2007), in his article “What is Ethics in Research and Why is it important?” explains the importance of ethics in research. These are as follows:

  1. Ethics promotes the pursuit of knowledge, truth and credibility. It also fosters values that are essential to collaborative work. The important values include trust, accountability, mutual respect and fairness.

  2. Many of the ethical norms ensure that researchers are held accountable to the public.

  3. Adherence to ethical principles helps build public support for research.
• Honesty – this must be maintained in all communications (ex. When reporting data, results, and procedures). Data should never be fabricated, falsified or misrepresented.
• Objective (objectivity) – biases should be avoided in the experimental design, data analysis, interpretation, expert testimony and the other aspects of research.
• Credible (integrity) – consistency of thought and action is the foundation of the credibility of any research work. Promises and agreements should be kept and all actions should be made with a sincere purpose.
• Careful (Care) – careless errors and negligence should be avoided. Your work and the works of your peers should be critically examined. Records of research activities should be kept in good order and condition
• Open-minded (openness) – the researcher should be open to criticisms and new ideas. Research data, results, ideas and resources should also be shared with the public
• Responsible (publication and mentoring) – the study should be done with purpose of advancing research and scholarship. Any paper should not be submitted to two or more journals or publications at the same time; the researcher should seek to educate, mentor and advise students.
• Respect (respectful) for intellectual property – proper acknowledgement should be given to all authors cited and sources used in your research. Patents and copyrights should be recognized. Any unpublished data, methods or results should not be used without permission. Credit should be given where it is due.
• Respectful of other people (esp. research participants) – all peers should be treated fairly; confidential communications or documents should be protected. Data gathered from the participants must be kept confidential to ensure their privacy and safety. There may be legal repercussions of not following this, such as the violation of RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 in the Philippines.
• (Socially) responsible – social good should be promoted and social harm should be avoided. Research must advance the common good and not the interests of a few. Researcher should ensure that research will benefit most people in the society.
• Competence (competent) – professional competence and expertise should be maintained and improved with the research.
• Research Title – prefaces the study by providing a summary of the main idea or the theme and focus of the research problem. A good research title is usually concise, clear and interesting.
• A research title should have the following characteristics:

  1. It should summarize the main idea of the paper.
  2. It should be a concise statement of the main topic.
  3. It should include the major variables of the research study.
  4. It should be self-explanatory.
  5. It should describe or imply the participants of the study
• Participants of the study – this include either the subjects or the respondents. The subjects are individuals, groups, or organizations where the problem is related to
• Topics or themes – these are the subject matters or concepts that are the focus of the investigation and discussion in the paper.