A systematic and scientific procedure of data collection, compilation, analysis, interpretation, and implication pertaining to any problem
Why is research important?
To inform action
To prove a theory
To contribute to developing knowledge in a field or study
Concept
A term that abstractly describes and names an object, a phenomenon, or an idea
Examples of Concept
income – P5,000 – P8,000
age – 18 y/o – 20 y/o
education level – high school graduate, college graduate, post graduate
number of siblings – 3 siblings in the family, 4 or more siblings in the family
Theory
An organized body of concepts and principles intended to explain a particular phenomenon
Variables
Any quality of a person, group subject, event, condition or situation that varies or takes on different values
Quantitative Research
Describes, infers, and resolves problems using numbers. Emphasis is placed on the collection of numerical data, the summary of those data and the drawing of inferences from the data.
Qualitative Research
Based on words, feelings, emotions, sounds and other non-numerical and unquantifiable elements. Information is considered qualitative in nature if it cannot be analyzed by means of mathematical techniques.
Hypothesis
A logical supposition, a reasonable guess, and educated conjecture. It provides a tentative explanation of a phenomenon under investigation.
Example of Hypothesis
A researcher might be interested in the relationship between study habits and test anxiety. The researcher would propose a hypothesis about how these two variables are related, such as "Test anxiety decreases as a result of effective study habits."
Sampling
The process of selecting participants who are representatives of a largerpopulation to gain an understanding of a larger population.
Example of Sampling
A random sample may include choosing the names of 25 employees out of a hat in a company of 250 employees. The population is all 250 employees, and the sample is random because each employee has an equal chance of being chosen.
