Descriptive research designs help provide answers to the questions of who, what, when, where, and how associated

with a particular research problem; a descriptive study cannot conclusively ascertain answers to why. Descriptive
research is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena and to describe "what exists"
with respect to variables or conditions in a situation.
What do these studies tell you?
a) The subject is being observed in a completely natural and unchanged natural environment. True experiments, whilst
giving analyzable data, often adversely influence the normal behavior of the subject.
b) Descriptive research is often used as a pre-cursor to more quantitative research designs with the general overview
giving some valuable pointers as to what variables are worth testing quantitatively.
c) If the limitations are understood, they can be a useful tool in developing a more focused study.

4. Experimental Research design - A blueprint of the procedure that enables the researcher to maintain control over
all factors that may affect the result of an experiment. In doing this, the researcher attempts to determine or predict
what may occur. Experimental research is often used where there is time priority in a causal relationship (cause
precedes effect), there is consistency in a causal relationship (a cause will always lead to the same effect), and the
magnitude of the correlation is great. The classic experimental design specifies an experimental group and a control
group. The independent variable is administered to the experimental group and not to the control group, and both
groups are measured on the same dependent variable. Subsequent experimental designs have used more groups
and more measurements over longer periods. True experiments must have control, randomization, and manipulation.
What do these studies tell you?
a) Experimental research allows the researcher to control the situation. In so doing, it allows researchers to answer the
question, “What causes something to occur?”
b) Permits the researcher to identify cause and effect relationships between variables and to distinguish placebo
effects from treatment effects.
c) Experimental research designs support the ability to limit alternative explanations and to infer direct causal
relationships in the study.
d) Approach provides the highest level of evidence for single studies.
Research Instrumentation
Alongside with choosing the method of data collection is choosing the research instrument. Dagdag et. al (2006)
defined research instruments as devices or tools which the research uses to gather answers to his research questions.
Researchers can choose the type of instruments to use based on their research question or objectives. There are two
broad categories of instruments namely; researchers – completed

Mechanical devices include almost all tools (such as microscope, telescopes, thermometers, rulers, and monitors) used
in the physical sciences. In the social sciences and nursing, mechanical devices includes such equipments as tape
recorders, cameras, films and video tapes. In addition, included also the laboratory tools and equipments used in
experimental research in the chemical and biological sciences as in industry and agriculture.

Clerical tools are used when the researcher studies people and gathers data on the feelings, emotions, attitudes, and
judgments of the subjects. Some of clerical tools are: filled record, histories, case studies, questionnaires, and interviews
schedules

According to Falatado et al. (2016) the following are the general criteria of good research instruments.

A ) Content validity primarily focuses on the appropriateness, authenticity and representativeness of the items of the
test to measure the behavior or characteristics to be investigated. This normally determined after a group of experts on
the subject matter has examined systematically the test items.

B ) Construct validity refers to whether you can draw inferences about test scores related to the concept being
studied. The extent of a test to appropriate its ability to demonstrate a particular theoretical construct or development
characteristics or indicator is described by the materials‟ construct validity. There are three types of evidence that can
be used to demonstrate a research instrument has construct validity:

C ) Criterion- related validity is achieved by determining the effectiveness of the test to measure results against a
given set of criteria or standards. In achievement or performance test, the desired competencies are used as the
criteria. This type of validity is better understood statistically. A criterion is any other instrument that measures the same
variable. Correlations can be conducted to determine the extent to which the different instruments measure the same
variable.

Reliability relates to the extent to which the instrument is consistent. The instruments should be able to obtain the same
response when applied to respondents who are similarly situated. Likewise, when instrument is applied at two different
points in time, the responses must highly correlate with one another. Hence reliability can be measured by correlate
the responses of subjects exposed to the instrument at two different time periods or by correlating the responses of the
subjects who are situated.

a) Internal consistency or homogeneity is when an instrument measures a specific concept. This concept is through
question or indicators and each question must correlate highly with the total for this dimension.

b) Stability or test - retest correlation this is an aspect of reliability where many researchers report that a highly reliable
test indicates that the test is stable over time. Test - retest correlation provides an indication of stability over time. It
is an extent to which scores on a test are essentially invariant over time. This definition clearly focuses on the
measurement instrument and the obtained test scores in terms of test - retest stability. An example of this is when
we ask the respondents in our sample the four questions once in the month of September and again in December.
We can examine whether the two waves of the same measures yield similar results.

c) Equivalence reliability is measured by the correlation of scores between different versions of the same instruments
or between instruments that measure the same or similar constructs, such that one instrument can be reproduced
by the other. If we want to know the extent to which different investigators use the same instrument to measure
the same individuals at the same time yield consistent results. Equivalence may also be estimated by measuring
the same concepts with different instruments, for example, survey questionnaire and official records, on the same
sample, which is known as multiple - forms reliability.