Pr 1

• Research


  The scientific investigation of phenomena which includes collection, presentation, analysis and interpretation of facts that lines an individual's speculation with reality
• Inquiry


  A seeking for truth, information or knowledge. A problem-solving technique where information and data is pursued through questioning and applying different human senses
• Investigation


  A systematic examination of a certain event or phenomenon, with a deeper meaning compared to inquiry
• Immersion


  A process where a researcher deeply involves himself in the data gathering activities and carefully reads or examines the data in detail
• Purposes of Research

  • To perform an action
  • To prove or generate a theory
  • To augment knowledge in a field or study
• Characteristics of Research

  • Empirical - based on direct experience or observation by the researcher
  • Logical - based on valid procedures and principles
  • Cyclical - cyclical process because it starts with a problem and ends with a problem
  • Analytical - utilizes proven analytical procedures in gathering the data
  • Critical - exhibits careful and precise judgment
  • Methodical - conducted in a methodical manner without bias using systematic method and procedures
  • Replicability - research design and procedures are replicated or repeated to enable the researcher to arrive at valid and conclusive results
• Steps of Research Process

  • Define and develop your topic (Research Problem)
  • Find background information about your chosen topic (Review of Related Literature)
  • Plan your research design including your sample (Methodology)
  • Gather necessary data using open ended questions (for qualitative research) and closed-ended questionnaire or paper pencil test questionnaire (for quantitative research) (Data Gathering Activities)
  • Process and analyze data using thematic analysis (for qualitative research) and statistical tools (for quantitative research)
  • Formulate new insights gained (for qualitative research) conclusions (for quantitative research) and recommendations
  • Define new problem
• Research Ethics


  Guidelines for the responsible conduct of research which educates and monitors researchers to ensure high standard
• Rights of Research Participants

  • Human Rights - moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behavior and are regularly protected as natural and legal rights
  • Intellectual Property - protects creations of the mind, which have both a moral and a commercial value
  • Copyright Infringement - the rights accorded to the copyright holder are breached by a third party
• Voluntary Participation


  People must not be coerced into participating in research process
• Anonymity


  Protection of people's identity through not disclosing their name or not exposing their identity
• Privacy


  Someone's right to keep his personal matters and relationships secret
• Qualitative Research


  Used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions and motivations. It is used in social science and natural sciences. It asks broad questions and collects word data from phenomena or participants. The researcher looks for themes and describes the information in themes and patterns exclusive to that set of participants.
• Quantitative Research


  Deals in numbers, logic, and an objective stance. It focuses on numeric data. It can be used in psychology, marketing and political science. The researcher analyzes the data with the help of statistics.
• Differences of Qualitative and Quantitative Study

  • Qualitative Research aims to create new theory based on the gathered data, gain understanding of individual differences in terms of feelings and experiences
  • Quantitative Research tests a hypothesis or theory, measures problem using rating scale and other research parameters of group similarities
• Qualitative Research


  • Pictures, words, sentences, paragraphs, compositions, narrations and short stories
  • Small judgment (by decision) sampling, uses interviews, participant observation, group discussions, uses open ended questions
• Quantitative Research


  • Numbers, scales, hypotheses, calculations, computations and statistics tools
  • Large sample representatives of population, uses census, survey questionnaire, checklist, paper-pencil test and experimentation, uses closed ended questions
• Data Gathering

  • Qualitative: freeform survey questions allow a participant to answer in open-text format, responses are unlimited to a set of options
  • Quantitative: questions can only be answered by selecting from a limited number of options, usually "multiple-choice", "yes or no", or a rating scale
• Data Analysis

  • Qualitative: synthesize data, interpret, thematic, influenced by the personal experiences and views, cultivates understanding with high validity
  • Quantitative: statistical, objective, employs standard criteria in analyzing data, has high output replicability
• Outcome

  Qualitative: there are no conclusions formulated

  Quantitative: conclusion is formulated towards the end of the research process
• Similarities between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

  • Both have the process of inquiry and investigation

  Both improve life and help us in understanding various issues of life and in giving solutions to our problems

  Both start with a problem and end with a new problem

  Both use textual forms in analyzing and interpretation of data

  Both use inductive and deductive methods of presenting data
• Strengths of Qualitative Research


  • It adopts a naturalistic approach to its subject matter

  Promotes a full understanding of human behavior/personality traits in their natural setting

  It is instrumental for positive societal changes

  It engenders respect for people's individuality

  It is a way of understanding and interpreting social interactions

  Increases researcher's interests in the study

  Offers multiple ways of acquiring and examining knowledge about something
• Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

  • Involves a lot of researcher's subjectivity in data analysis
  • Hard to know the validity/reliability of the data
  • Open-ended questions yield "data overload" that requires long-time analysis
  • Time-consuming
  • Involves several processes, whose results greatly depend on the researcher's views or interpretations
• Kinds of Qualitative Research

  • Case studies – long time study that investigates a phenomenon
  • Ethnographic studies – a study of a particular cultural group
  • Phenomenology – "live-experienced" of a phenomenon
  • Content Analysis – research technique that analyzes the modes of communication such as letters, e-mails etc.
  • Discourse Analysis – is the study of social life, understood through analysis of language it includes face-to-face talk, non-verbal interaction, images and symbols
  • Historical Analysis – examining of past events to draw conclusions and make predictions about the future
  • Grounded Theory – discovery of new theory which underlies your study at the time of data collection and analysis
  • Narrative Report – present things or events that have happened in the past through a logical progression of the relevant information
  • Biography – study of an individual's life and struggles and how they reflect cultural themes of the society
  • Action research – seeks transformative change through the process of taking action and doing research
• Research Title


  The most important element that defines the research problem
• The research title does not need to be entertaining but informative
• Elements of a Research Title


  • The subject matter or topic to be investigated ("What?")
  • The place or locale where the research is to be conducted ("Where?")
  • The population like the respondents' interviewees ("Who"?)
  • The time period of the study during which the data are to be collected ("When"?)
• Characteristics of a Research Title


  • Keep it simple, brief, and attractive
  • Use appropriate descriptive words
  • Avoid abbreviations and jargon
  • It is a good idea to create a 'working' research title first
• Choosing a Research Topic

  • Identify problem situations
  • Interest in the subject matter
  • Availability of information
  • Timeliness and relevance of the topic
  • Limitations on the subject
  • Personal resources
  • Master the skill of finding the right research topic
• Sources of Research Topics

  • Mass media communication – press (newspapers, ads, TV, radio, films, etc.)
  • Books, Internet, peer-reviewed journals, government publications
  • Professional periodicals like College English Language Teaching Forum, English Forum, the Economist, Academia, Business Circle, Law Review, etc.
  • General periodicals such as Readers' Digest, Women's Magazine, Panorama Magazine, Time Magazine, World Mission Magazine, etc.
  • Previous reading assignments in your other subjects
  • Work experience – clues to a researchable topic from full-time or part-time jobs, OJT (on-the-job training) experience, fieldwork, etc.