CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

Objectives

At the end of this chapter, the students will be able to

1. Define research;
2. explain the importance of research in the daily life of an individual;
and
3. describe the characteristics of research and the goals for conducting
such.

Opening Activity

A. Read the following sentences. Put a check (✔) on the space

before the number if you think that the sentence is a description of
research. Put a cross (✘) if you think that it is not.

1. Research must be hurriedly conducted.

2. There should be enough data before conducting research.
3. Research must observe a step-by-step process.
4. The researcher must have the final say in his or her findings.
5. A person’s opinion is acceptable and considered as an answer to
the questions asked by the researcher.
6. Any concern or issue confronted by the students is researchable.
7. The causes why students fail in quizzes are worth researching.
8. The student-researcher must read literature related to the problem
he or she is studying.
9. The researcher must avoid listening to another researcher to have
an objective view of his or her study.
 10. The steps in the conducting research are patterned.

B. Encircle the words in the box that are related to the definition
of research.

investigation subjective biases literature theories

system phenomena intuition guessing factual

opinions experiences discovery dreams data

interview soap operas instrument productivity validate

C. Using all the sentences you checked (✔) in Activity A and the
encircled words in Activity B, formulate a good and acceptable
definition of research.

Investigation

Definition of Research
 Over the years, many experts have given their own definitions of the word
“research.” Different perspectives on the subject have been adopted that
resulted in the following definitions:

1. Research follows a step-by-step process of investigation that uses a

standardized approach in answering questions or solving problems (Polit &
Beck, 2004).
2. Research plays an important role in tertiary education. Though there are
many problems confronted by higher education, developments are realized
through research. After all, its main purpose is to answer a question or to solve
an issue (Palispis, 2004).
3. 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. It is an attempt to widen
one’s outlook in life. It always proceeds from the known to the unknown. Thus,
the end of research is to arrive at a new truth.
4. Research is an investigation following ordered steps leading to a
discovery of new information or concepts (Sanchez, 1999).
5. Research is a very careful investigation of something that purports the
contribution of additional or new knowledge and wisdom (Bassey, as cited by
Coleman & Briggs, 2002).
6. Research is a tested approach of thinking and employing validated
instruments and steps in order to obtain a more adequate solution to a problem
that is otherwise impossible to address under ordinary means (Crawford, as
cited by Alcantara & Espina, 1995).

Characteristics of Research

The abovementioned definitions of research lead to the following common

characteristics of research:
 1. The research should be systematic. There is a system to follow in
conducting research as there is a system for formulating each of its parts.
There is a big system (macro) and under it are small systems (micro). In
research writing, what is referred to as the “system” is composed of the
chapters and their elements. The macrosystem is composed of chapters that
are organized in a logical and scientific manner. On the other hand, 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. The research should be objective. Research involves the objective
process of analyzing phenomena of importance to any profession or to
different fields or disciplines (Nieswiadomy, 2005). A researcher should
objectively look at the basis on which the work is founded. He or she must
never produce results out of nowhere; the results of the research should be
validated. These results must never be based from biases. It is very important
for the researcher to clarify indicators and boundaries within which the
research is confined because these factors could affect objectivity.
3. The research should be feasible. Any problem of extraordinary nature
that directly or indirectly affects any profession is a feasible problem to study.
In settings like in the community, school, or workplace, unusual phenomena
may happen and can turn into potential problems.
4. The research should be empirical. There should be supporting pieces
of evidence and accompanying details for every variable used in the study.
References and citations of facts and information that the researcher has
gathered in his or her paper must be included. Plagiarism constitutes claiming
another person’s idea or intellectual property as one’s own. Through proper
attribution, the researcher states that the knowledge being shared through the
study was taken from the study of other experts.
5. The research should be clear. The choice of variables used in the
study should be explained by the researcher. This can be done by enriching
the review of literature or by discussing the different theories on which the
selection of the variables is based. Therefore, there must be sufficient
indicators for each variable. These variables can be gathered from different
published and unpublished materials.
 Review
Compare the definition of research that you formulated based on your
analysis with the given definitions of research and its characteristics.
Identify which parts are correct based on the given definitions and
characteristics. Then, try to make an improved version of your own
definition of research.

Research Paradigm

The research paradigm is an outline that guides the researcher in

conceptualizing and conducting the research. An effective research must
address these two important aspects: research foundations and research
methodology.
The research foundations refer to the fundamental components of
research such as the research problem, purpose, specific questions to be
addressed, and the conceptual framework to be applied.
In determining the research topic or problem, the researcher must look at a
significant real-life problem. Formulating a research problem requires
describing the undesirable situations related to the problem and the needed
knowledge or information in order to solve that problem. The purpose of the
research describes how the study will fill this “knowledge gap.” To address this
purpose, the researcher must formulate necessary questions that will help
distinguish the significant points of the research. The research questions
may be either framed in a quantitative (how much, how often, to what extent)
or qualitative (what, why, how) manner. The possible answers to the research
questions are the hypotheses, which will be either confirmed or rejected by the
data collected in the study. Lastly, the conceptual framework is an outline or
paradigm that presents the topics to be studied, the various variables and
contexts, and how these relate to or influence each other.
On the other hand, the research methodology describes how the
researcher will answer the research questions in a credible manner. Research
methods are employed to address the research purpose and gain new
information and insights to answer the problem. The methodology of the
research includes the review of literature, research approach and design, data
collection, methods of analysis, and conclusions.
 The review of literature analyzes the existing knowledge regarding the
research topic. It identifies gaps in information that may be addressed by the
research. It is also an important basis of the conceptual framework of the study.
With the existing knowledge about the study, the research approach and
design identifies what is the best means to collect and analyze data in the
study. The design is used to clarify and improve the research problem,
purpose, and questions. Having the best way to gather the data, the
researcher will proceed to the data collection. 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.
The collected data will then undergo data analysis, which consists of the
strategies and methods that makes sense of the data to answer the research
problem and questions. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the key results of
the study and discusses how these are relevant to the research problem. At
this point, the research addresses the hypotheses and determines if they are
accepted or rejected. It also addresses the knowledge gap and presents new
insights into the problem.

Outline of the Research Paper

A research paper is divided into chapters which are then subdivided

into various components of the research study. The following is the
conventional outline of an academic research paper:

Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Background

a. Introduction, Background of the Study

b. Statement of the Problem
c. Scope and Delimitation
d. Significance of the Study

Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework

a. Review of Related Literature

b. Review of Related Studies
 c. Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
d. Hypothesis of the Study
e. Assumptions of the Study
f. Definition of Terms

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

a. Research Design
b. Respondents of the Study
c. Instrument of the Study
d. Validity and Reliability
e. Statistical Treatment

Chapter 4: Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

a. Presentation of Data
b. Analysis
c. Interpretation
d. Discussion

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

a. Summary and Findings

b. Conclusions
c. Recommendation

Various institutions often prescribe research outlines that are

variations of the outline presented above. It is therefore important for the
 researcher to familiarize himself or herself with the standards and
conventions of research that is implemented within a certain field or
discipline.

Roles of the Researcher

According to Nieswiadomy (2005), the researcher serves different roles in

a study. These are as follows:

1. As principal investigator
2. As member of a research team
3. As identifier of researchable problems
4. As evaluator of research findings
5. As user of research findings
6. As patient or client advocate during study
7. As subject/respondent/participant

Importance of Research

Research is as important as any field of study. Its significance cuts across

all disciplines—engineering, architecture, medicine, arts and sciences,
education, management, tourism, among others. It also benefits all strata of
society—people with diverse jobs, different income rates, varying financial
status, or distinct social and political capabilities.

As such, following are the importance of research:

1. Research provides a scientific basis for any practice or methodology in
any field or discipline. This is important since an entire system or operation and
all the stakeholders of an institution or organization are at stake. Without
scientific basis, someone may be affected or may suffer. For example, in the
field of medicine, a new drug must first be tested to determine its efficacy in
curing sickness before it can actually be prescribed.
 2. Research is undertaken for the continuous development and further
productivity in any field. Any system that will be utilized in any organization
must first be tried to determine its value and it must be better than the previous
system used. Simply, research is the result of advancing knowledge from the
past.
3. Research helps develop tools for assessing effectiveness of any practice
and operation such as psychological tests, intelligence quotient tests,
psychological assessments, among others. This importance of research is
observed in behavioral science, physical science, and others as well.
4. Research provides solutions to problems concerning almost all issues
encountered in the different areas of work. Some issues include the tardiness
of employees, incentives given to the staff, sportsmanship among school
athletes, and implementation of a “clean and green” program in school. This
also applies to higher level problems.
5. Research impacts decision-making. It is a common mistake for people
to make decisions without solid information to back them up. It requires time,
effort, and sometimes money to gather the evidence needed for making a
sound decision. For example, for a teacher to change his or her teaching
methodology for the first-period and last-period classes, he or she must
conduct a study considering the time element, enthusiasm to teach, academic
standing of the students, instructional aides used, and several other factors.
6. Research develops and evaluates alternative approaches to the
educational aspects of any discipline. This enables the students to gain broad
knowledge and specialized skills for safe practice. For example, research can
help determine whether lecture is a better method than experiment in teaching
Science.
7. Research aims to advance the personal and professional qualifications
of a practitioner.

Goals for Conducting Research

Research is a scientific endeavor which serves many goals in different

fields (workplaces, profit or non-profit organizations, governmental or
non-governmental entities), educational disciplines (medicine, engineering,
sciences, arts, humanities, and information technology), and even in the
personal life of the researcher. Some of the goals for research are as follows:
1. To produce evidence-based practice. Every discipline or institution
must provide the best practice of operation based from research studies. In the
health profession, for example, a professional nursing practitioner must ensure
that he or she is able to give proper health care to his or her patient. To do this,
only the best clinical practices as proven by nursing research should be
provided. The principles on which the tasks and functions of a nurse are based
can be formulated through research. The different standard operating
procedures in hospitals, such as admission, release, assessment, and
diagnosis of patients must be dealt with accordingly. The results of the
research must be published in books and journals for other health practitioners
to access and adopt for use in their respective communities.
Research findings can also be utilized in seminars, workshops, or trainings
so that new knowledge or methods in the delivery of more effective health care
can be shared. This can also be applied by practitioners of other fields of study.
Effective and efficient practices or operations are results of research.
2. To establish credibility in the profession. A profession is defined by
the body of knowledge and discipline it employs. In line with this, research is
essential for a profession in producing new procedures, programs, and
practices. This continuous improvement leads to distinctiveness which can
only be achieved when there are special practices and peculiarity of services
in a given area or field. This sense of individuality contributes to the credibility
of a profession.
3. To observe accountability for the profession. Every action
conducted by a professional must have a rationale. There are principles that
justify why a nurse has to wash his or her hands regularly, why a teacher has
to prepare a lesson plan, why a manager needs to plan ahead, why a
businessman needs to conduct feasibility studies, and many more. The nurse,
teacher, manager, or businessman must be accountable for each task he or
she performs. All tasks must be carried out with the circumspect care and
awareness that everything has to be done efficiently.
4. To promote cost-effectiveness through documentation. The
findings of research must be shared with and utilized by the individuals, group,
and community for which the study is intended. They are useless if these
results are not made known publicly. These results, however, must first satisfy
the researcher’s goals before he or she can share them with other researchers
and professionals who may find these findings beneficial. Anybody who is in
the same condition as the subject/s of the study may also utilize the findings,
thus saving on expenses for doing the same research again.
 Chapter Summary

1. Research should be systematic, objective, feasible, empirical, and clear.

2. The research paradigm guides the researcher in formulating and
implementing the research. It ensures that the research foundations and
methodology are well-defined and organized. The research foundations
refer to the fundamental components of research such as the research
problem, purpose, specific questions to be addressed, and the conceptual
framework to be applied. The methodology of the research includes the
review of literature, research approach and design, data collection, methods
of analysis, and conclusions.
3. As a researcher, one can play the role of a principal investigator, a
member of a research team, an identifier of researchable problems, an
evaluator of research findings, a user of research findings, a patient or client
advocate during study, and a subject/respondent/participant.
4. Research is very important. It provides scientific basis for any discipline
and its continuous development. It helps develop tools to improve the
effectiveness of solving various problems, and formulate solutions to
problems concerning almost all issues. It also allows the evaluation of
alternative approaches to the educational aspects of any discipline.
5. The goals of conducting research are to produce evidence-based
practice; to establish credibility in the profession; to observe accountability
for the profession; and to promote cost-effectiveness through
documentation.
 Check-up

Write TRUE if the statement is correct, FALSE if it is incorrect.

1. Research entails an investigation of new facts leading to the discovery

of new ideas, methods, or improvements.
2. The microsystem is the composition of chapters organized in a logical
and scientific manner.
3. In settings like the community, school, or workplace, unusual
phenomena may happen and can turn into potential problems.
4. Plagiarism constitutes claiming another person’s idea or intellectual
property as one’s own.
5. Research provides an artistic basis for any practice or methodology in
any field or discipline.
6. According to Crawford, researchers serve different roles in a study such
as principal investigator, member of a research team, financier of the study,
among others.
7. Research aims to advance the personal and professional qualifications
of a practitioner.
8. One of the goals of research is to produce results-based practice.
9. Every action conducted by a professional must have a rationale.
10. Research promotes cost-effectiveness through documentation.

Application

Answer the following questions.

1. What is Research?
______________________________________________________________
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2. What is the importance of having a good research foundation and
methodology?
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3. What is the Importance of you research in your education as a student?
______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
4. As a student, what do you want to research on? Why?
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 Assignment

Interview your parents about their current profession. Ask them how
research has played a major role in their line of work. Make a report about it
and then share it to the class.