Practical Research

• Inquiry is the process of looking for information by asking questions to prove a certain point. It requires the execution of various thinking strategies that range from lower-higher order thinking skills, is less formal, and easier to conduct.
• Research


  Came from the French word "Reserche" which means to search something closely. It is a process that deals with science, experiments and collection of data. It carries a systematic process in a particular order of research stages, should be objective, and is more complex.
• Scientific method of research

  1. Identifying problem

  2. Gather data (primary and secondary)

  3. Making theories

  4. Analyze data

  5. Drawing conclusion
• Research


  • Empirical
  • Logical
  • Cyclical
  • Analytical
  • Critical
  • Replicability
• Ethical norms in research


  • Honesty
  • Objectivity
  • Integrity
  • Carefulness
  • Openness
  • Respect for intellectual property
  • Confidentiality
  • Responsible publication
  • Responsible mentoring
  • Respect for colleagues
  • Social responsibility
  • Non-discrimination
  • Competence
  • Legality
  • Animal care
  • Human subjects protection
• Quantitative research


  Deals with number values, countable, or measurable. Requires a large number of respondents, uses closed-ended questions, and includes surveys, experiments, and statistical analysis.
• Qualitative research


  Deals with categorizing (descriptive) and is non-measurable. It is interpretation-based, descriptive, and relating to language. It does not require a large number of participants, uses in-depth investigation and open-ended questions, and includes interviews, observation, and thematic analysis.
• Six-step research process


  1. Identifying a research problem

  2. Reviewing the literature

  3. Selecting participants or sample

  4. Collecting data

  5. Analyzing & interpreting data

  6. Reporting and evaluating research
• Characteristics of qualitative research


  • Natural environment
  • Research as a key instrument
  • Multiple sources of data
  • Inductive data analysis
  • Participant's meaning
  • Emergent design
  • Theoretical perspective
  • Interpretive
  • Holistic account
• Qualitative research design includes phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, Narrative Inquiry, and Case study.
• Holistic


  As a whole
• Researchers usually try to make a complex picture of a research problem
• Researchers describe the perspectives and factors associated with the problem as a whole
• Phenomenology


  • Examines human experiences through the descriptions provided by the people involved
  • The goal is to describe the meaning that experiences hold for each subject
  • "Lived Experiences of.."
• Ethnography


  • Involves observing people in their own environment to understand their experiences, perspectives and everyday practices
  • Can give in-depth insight into a particular context, group or culture
  • Immerse yourself w/ the participants
  • Use your 5 senses to collect data
  • Studying indigenous people & ethnic groups
  • 6 mos - 6 years to conduct
• Grounded Theory


  • Studies in which data are collected and analyzed and then a theory is developed that is grounded in the data
  • Used when there is a developing or generating a non-existing theory or incomplete theory
• Narrative Inquiry


  • A form of qualitative research in which the stories themselves become the raw data
  • Focused on the stories/experiences of participants in a certain phenomenon
• Case Study


  • A detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, or phenomenon
  • Commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research
  • Find answers to why such things occur
• Process in generating theory


  1. Codes

  2. Categories of Themes

  3. Theory
• Research Purpose


  Your research goal on why you constructed this study
• Guidelines in writing research purpose

  • Use key identifier words - "The purpose of this study is..."
  • Use words that convey intent (explore, discover, understand, & describe)
  • State the central phenomenon - core or main idea being explored in your study
  • Mention that the study is "Qualitative"
  • Mention the participants & research site (locale)
• Qualitative purpose statement template


  The purpose of this qualitative study is to (explore/discover/understand/describe) (the central phenomenon) for (participants) at (research site)
• Guidelines in writing research question

  • Use open-ended questions
  • Begin w/ "what" or "how" questions. Never "why" questions at his cause & effects
  • Ask only a few general questions
  • Ask questions that are neutral (non biased), non-directional outcome (leading questions), or exploratory language (avoid using "effect")
• Types of qualitative research questions

  • Central Question - the general question (SOP)
  • Sub Question - specific question or follow up questions (Interview)
  • Issue sub questions - subdivide central question into detailed question
  • Procedural sub questions - to subdivide central questions into steps for data collection
• Literature Review


  Written summary of published studies that describes the past and current state of information on the topic of your research study
• Literature Mapping


  Organizes the information and data from published studies
• Elements of literature mapping


  • Title
  • Author's
  • Year
  • Theme
  • Key Findings
  • Paraphrased Findings
  • APA (American Psychological Association)
• Sources of literature


  • Primary Sources - first hand information written by the original researcher (Auto-Biography, Diary, Interview, Thesis)
  • Secondary Sources - second hand information written by someone other than the original author (Bigraphics, Lit. Reviews, Textbooks)
• Purpose of reviewing the related literature


  • Find out the connection of your research to the current conditions
  • Discover the relation of your research with previous studies
  • Know more about theories or concepts
  • Obtain information on the accuracy or relevance of your research questions
  • Familiarize yourself with technical terms (unfamiliar words) related to your research
• What does Chapter 1 comprise?

  • Introduction
  • Problem & the Background
  • RRL and Studies
  • Foreign Lit - studies outside the country
  • Local Lit - studies within the country
  • Rationale - discuss how your study filled the gap in the research
  • General Idea - main idea
  • Major Variables - not define the word based on your own words but from prev. studies then cite it
  • Research Objective/s
  • Statement of the Problem (SOP)
  • Scope and Delimitation
  • Locale
  • Significance of the Study
  • Definition of Terms
• Tips in writing the introduction


  • Avoid contractions of words (didn't)
  • Avoid POV (us, we), instead use "the researchers"
  • Use tenses of verb
  • Citing sources
• Citation


  • In-text Citation - According to surname (year), According to surname and surname (year), surname et al., (year)
  • Parenthetical Citation - (surname, year), (surname & surname, year), (surname et al., year)
• Population


  Group that you want to conduct a study or draw conclusion about
• Sample


  Specific group that you will collect data from
• Sampling


  Process of selecting a sample
• Sampling methods


  • Convenience Sampling - participants are selected based on their availability and proximity to the researcher
  • Snowball Sampling - relies on referrals from initial participants to recruit participants
  • Purposive Sampling (Subjective Sampling) - researcher uses judgment to select participants based on the study's purpose
  • Quota Sampling - identify the total population first, participants based on specific characteristics to ensure proportional representation within the population
• Sample size guidelines


  • Phenomenology - 10 participants are recommended, you may use fewer if data saturation is reached
  • Grounded Theory - 20-30 participants
  • Case Study - 4-5 participants
  • Ethnography - 1 cultural group, 30-50 participants
  • Narrative Inquiry - between 1-24 participants