Methods of Research

for Graduate Students

Dr. Virginia D. Akiate, CESO III
Professor-in-Charge
10 Keys to Successful Research
1. Work on a topic you are keen on and really care about.
2. Work closely and well with your Thesis Adviser.
3. Start early.
4. Set specific, time-bound goals.
5. Question your questions.
6. Document, document, document.
7. Step back often.
8. Keep your focus.
9. Pace yourself.
10. Believe you can complete your thesis.
Glatthorn and Joyner (2005) pointed out some of these
attributes:
1. They are long—“longer than a term paper, shorter than a book” (p. 6). Their average length is around 200 pages
(the usual range is between 125 and 225 pages).

2. They “look scholarly—they are replete with citations of previous research.” They “build upon previous
knowledge…. You can’t simply make assertions; you have to document them” (pp. 6-7) (i.e., cite previous studies to
support your statements).

3. They “sound scholarly.” They do not sound like informal essays or editorials. They are written “in a style that is
formal, not colloquial and is objective, not subjective” (p. 7).

4. They are “organized in a special way,” usually following “this time-honored pattern: introduction, review of the
literature, methodology, results, and summary and discussion.” There can be variations from this standard pattern,
but the order is predictable: “tell what problem you studied; explain how you studied it; report the results;
summarize and discuss the findings” (p. 7).

5. They “tend to follow very specific rules about matters of style” (p. 7), faithfully following the preferred style guide.
What It Takes to be a Researcher
KNOWLEDGE
Principles of and theories in
the field of specialization
Characteristics, methods,
and instruments of
educational (qualitative,
quantitative, and mixed)
research
Use of information and
communication technology
in research
Specific knowledge related to
thesis topic or research
problem
SKILLS OTHER ATTRIBUTES
Thinking (divergent, convergent, creative, critical, Imaginativeness, creativity, and
systems) resourcefulness
Planning and implementation of an educational
Resiliency
research project
Use of “connections” and
Multitasking and time management
networking
Negotiation and interpersonal relations Intellectual stamina
Written and verbal communication
Problem solving
Searching for related literature; data collection
(conducting interviews, observations, FGDs,
surveys, archival research)
Data analysis and synthesis
Documentation and management of collected data
and information and records
 Ethical Norms
As a researcher, you should keep in mind and respect the key ethical
norms and values at play in educational research, summarized in the
table below.
The Researcher Other Researchers Research Subjects
Academic integrity Intellectual property Human dignity
rights
Intellectual honesty Right to privacy, good
Justice name, and reputation
Self-respect
Ethical Norms
Macfarlane (2009) listed a set of general ethical principles that should inform
university-level research. These are:
• Minimal risk of harm to participants and researchers
• Potential for benefit by society
• Maintenance of the dignity of participants
• Minimal risk of harm to the environment
• Voluntary informed consent by participants, or special safeguards where this is
not possible
• Transparency in declaring funding sources
• Confidentiality of information supplied by research participants and anonymity of
respondents
• Acknowledgment of assistance
• Appropriate publication and dissemination of research results
• Independence and impartiality of researchers. (p. 28, italics in the original)
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
 YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC:
CHOICE, PROPOSAL, AND
APPROVAL
 General Guidelines
1. The research topic should have a clear relation to your field of specialization. You will have to show
this relation in your thesis topic rationale, in your thesis proposal, and in your full thesis.
2. The inquiry into the research topic should call for more than just desktop or library research. It
should involve field work or the gathering of empirical data on the topic from actual research subjects
and informants. Here are the following reasons:
a. The ability to carry out educational research is a specific competency that all graduates of
master’s degree programs are expected to develop. This ability is considered necessary for the
improvement of their teaching practice and also for their long-term scholarly development.
b. Education is not only a practice-intensive field; it is also increasingly becoming a research-
intensive profession. Moreover, there is growing pressure for educational policymaking and teaching
practice to be more “evidence-based.”
3. The research topic should be researchable—i.e., you should be able to turn it into a specific central
research problem and related research questions that can be addressed through a workable research
plan involving field work.
4. The research topic should be specific and narrow enough to allow the completion of the research
plan by one principal researcher (you) working over a period of a few months.
 Assessing Prospective Research Topics
Suggestions of Glatthorn and Joyner (2005) for assessing prospective research topics using the
following selection criteria:
1. “Professional significance”
The study makes an important contribution to the field in any of these ways:
a. Tests a theory
b. Contributes to the development of theory
c. Extends existing knowledge
d. Changes prevailing beliefs
e. Suggests relationships between phenomena
f. Extends a research methodology or instrument
g. Provides greater depth of knowledge about previously studied phenomena
• “Significance” does not necessarily mean “originality.” If a study has been previously done
on the same topic or even the same research subjects, put in your own variation: different
methodology, different research instruments, more research subjects, etc.
 Assessing Prospective Research Topics (Cont’d)
2. “Continuing professional interest”
This refers the extent to which the topic will continue to be of interest to the profession or field in
general. Avoid studying educational fads (i.e., popular only for a short period). Focus on a topic or
problem not likely to fade soon.
3. “Personal interest”
Choose a topic in which you are keenly interested. [However, it can also happen that in looking
more deeply into a relatively new or unfamiliar topic, you may find it highly interesting.]
4. “Career advancement”
You also need to weigh the impact of your thesis topic on your present and future career. Is it of
immediate value to your current school or employer? If you expect to be promoted or to change
jobs or schools, is the topic professionally timely? If you hope to pursue a scholarly career, will
your study enable you to publish a few articles or even a book?
5. “Professional knowledge, experience, and skills”
It may be more advantageous for you to work on a thesis topic that allows you to draw on your
professional knowledge and experience and/or your research skills.
 Assessing Prospective Research Topics (Cont’d)
6. “Likely support”
The more support you have (from your school or your superior at work), the easier
it will be to finish your thesis. It will also help if your Thesis Adviser is highly
knowledgeable about your thesis topic.
7. “Time required”
Make sure that the research topic is sufficiently narrow and focused so that it can
be intensively studied within a reasonable time.
8. “Accessibility”
This refers to issues of access: to prospective research sites, research subjects and
informants (including their willingness to provide the information you will need to
gather).
 The Research Topic Rationale
Your research topic rationale is a concisely written paper that states your proposed thesis
topic and presents your reasons, arguments, and considerations for choosing this topic.
Your rationale should include the following:
1. The tentative or working title of the thesis
2. A concise statement of the central research problem to be addressed in the thesis
(including, if applicable, a brief literature-supported description of the phenomenon that you
will look into)
3. The proposed research questions
4. Working operational definitions of key terms in the title, in the central research problem,
and the research questions
5. A brief explanation of why you are interested in and propose to undertake the study
6. Description, explanation, and justification of the following research parameters:
a. The research population or subjects
b. The site(s) or setting(s) (schools, firms, organizations, etc.) in which you will gather data and how
you plan to secure research access to the site(s) or setting(s)
c. The aspects or features of the study showing its relation or linkage to your field of specialization
PROPOSAL
General Guidelines
The thesis proposal consists of two chapters:
• Chapter I (The Problem and Its Background)
• Chapter II (Method)
General Guidelines
• To minimize changeovers when you prepare your full thesis, it is best that in
drafting your thesis proposal you already follow the recommended format for the
thesis manuscript.

• Make at least three drafts of your thesis proposal:

1st draft: Put your ideas and facts together. (Your concern: substance)
2nd draft: Rewrite or revise for coherent and logical thought flow. (Your concern:
structure)
3rd draft: Edit for clarity and proofread for correctness (consistency with chosen
manual of style, grammar, spelling, etc.). (Your concern: style)
Chapter I: The Problem and
Its Background
These then are the main elements of chapter I:
• Introduction (Review of Related Literature)
• Conceptual Framework
• Statement of the Problem
• Hypothesis/ Hypotheses
• Significance of the Study
• Scope and Delimitation
• Definition of Terms
• Acronyms
Chapter 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS
BACKGROUND
c Introduction
This refers to the synopsis of the research discussing the reasons or situations
which led the researcher to the conceptualization of the research topic. The
researcher should present pre-existing problems related to his study taken
from local, national, and/or international sources (peer-reviewed journals
and other academic publications), and should strongly justify the rationale
of choosing the research problem. The review of literature is included in this
section. This section should point out both consistencies and contradictions
in the literature, and should be summarized in the researcher’s own words.
More importantly, the literature review should make note of gaps in the
research.
c Conceptual Framework
This includes a discussion of the theory or model that provides the
conceptual underpinning of the study or the legitimate bases for
the variables under consideration. The framework helps to explain
the relationship between concepts, and links concepts selected
from several theories, from previous research results, or from
the researcher’s own experiences.
c Statement of the Problem
This refers to the expression of a dilemma that needs investigation.
It should be broad (main problem) enough to include central
concerns, but narrow (sub-problems) enough in scope to serve as
a guide to study design.
c Hypothesis
This (if applicable) should be highlighted and discussed in this
section as the interrelationship of the variables are shown in the
framework. The researcher should express this using the
alternative hypothesis.
c Significance of the Study
This is the part of the research which justifies the start of the
research undertaking. It is the section where the researcher
expresses persuasion about the value of the study so as to get the
approval of the screening and approving committee.
c Scope and Delimitation
The Scope defines the coverage or boundaries of the study in terms
of area or locality and subjects, population covered, and the
duration or period of the study. On the one hand, the Delimitation
refers to the restriction that the researcher placed on the study
prior to data gathering.
c Definition of Terms
The researcher must define the important terms used in the study.
He must provide both conceptual and operational definitions.
c Acronyms
Important acronyms used in the study should be written in this
section.
c Acronyms
Important acronyms used in the study should be written in this
section.
Additional Information in
Writing Chapter I
 Writing Chapter I (The Problem and Its Background)
The introductory chapter is meant, among other things, to answer these questions (not
necessarily in the stated order and allowing for some degree of overlap for related
questions):
• What is the study all about? (Essence)
• Why is the study needed? (Rationale)
• What are the study’s ultimate purposes or goals?
• What “audience” or “readership” does the study target or appeal to?
• What is significant about the study?
• What contribution will the study make?
• In what way is it different from previous, similar, or related studies? Where does the study “jump
in” (in relation to these other studies)?
• Why should the study matter to the target audience or readership? Why should they care about
the results of the study?
• Why does the researcher want to conduct the study?
• What central or main research problem does the study seek to answer or resolve?
Why is it important to answer or resolve this problem?
• In other words, the introductory chapter “sets up” the whole study and shows both
its importance and its “logic chain.”
Introduction (Review of Related Literature)
The Importance of a Good RRL
The importance of doing a good RRL cannot be overemphasized.
• Burton, Brundrett, and Jones (2008) said that “conducting a high
quality review of existing ideas is probably the most important
element of any successful research study in the Social Sciences and
education in particular” (p. 29).
Introduction (Review of Related Literature)
• According to Lunenberg and Irby (2008), the RRL “can illuminate
every aspect of a research problem” (p. 137) in the following ways:
• providing a historical background for it
• describing its current status
• supporting the purpose of the study
• identifying gaps in the literature
• becoming aware of variables relevant to the problem
• understanding the application of appropriate methodological procedures, and
• observing comparative studies that assist in analyzing data and interpreting
the results. (p. 137)
 Significance of the Study
Marshall and Rossman (1999) suggested that the significance of a study can be
described by answering these questions:
• What are the potential contributions of the study?
• Who might be interested in the results?
• With what groups might the results be shared?
• In what way is the study significant in relation to (1) theory, (2) policy, (3) practice,
and (4) social issues and action?
Chapter II : METHOD
These are the main elements of chapter II:
• c Research Design
• c Respondents
• c Instruments
• c Data Collection
• c Ethical Considerations
• c Statistical Treatment of Data
c Research Design
This section contains the detailed scheme of the research. It may
be experimental or non-experimental in nature. The researcher
should write this comprehensively by giving conceptual definition
of the design used and, more importantly, by providing
justification of its usage.
c Respondents
The researcher should discuss the locale where the study will be
conducted. He must also describe the specific sample population
(Raosoft Sample Size Calculator), as well as the sampling design
used in the study. The researcher may want to provide a table to
offer a quick view of the respondents .
c Instruments
This section describes the instrument to be used in the study. Data
collection tools such as questionnaires, survey forms, interview
guides, and the like are to be discussed. Measures in assessing the
reliability and validity of the instruments must be presented in this
section.
c Data Collection
The researcher must systematically describe the data collection
procedure he plans to do in the conduct of his study. He should
write in this section the ways and means of collecting necessary
data from obtaining permission letters to the actual distribution
of the survey materials, for example.
c Ethical Considerations
This section explains the methods of the researcher on how to
protect his potential respondents in the conduct of the study
(i.e., by securing informed consent, practicing the principles of
confidentiality, beneficence, justice, right to withdraw from the
study, and the like.
c Statistical Treatment of Data
This section explains the specific statistical test to be used in order to
analyze and interpret the collected data. However, the researcher should
not explicitly explain the formula and the procedural means in dealing
with statistics. He should only present which statistical test is to be
utilized, and the rationale of choosing the said test. The researcher
should indicate which statistical software will be used (i.e. Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences [SPSS] which is available in the Research
Laboratory).
Additional Information in
Writing Chapter II
Writing Chapter II (Methodology)
• In this section, you describe the “HOW” of your study—i.e., how you
plan to gather and analyze the data and information that you need in
order to answer your research questions and ultimately your central
research problem.
Writing Chapter II (Methodology)
You should describe this plan with enough detail to make the following
points clear to the thesis panel:
1. The kind of study you propose to do (e.g., qualitative-descriptive, case
study, phenomenological or ethnographic study, grounded theory, action
research, quantitative-experimental, or mixed-method study) and why you
have chosen to do this kind of study
2. The kind of data or information you plan to gather
3. The sources of these data or information
4. Description of research settings or sites, research population, research
participants, informants, and selection criteria
5. The data collection methods or procedures (including the
instrumentation) you intend to use
6. If your data collection will include the use of a sample, the sample size to
be taken and the sampling procedure to be followed
Writing Chapter II (Methodology)
7. The matching of the research questions and the research methods or
procedures to be used (to show that all the research questions can be
answered, using the proposed research methods or procedures)
8. The flow or sequence of data gathering and analysis, showing the
specific stages or activities and the corresponding objectives of each
stage or activity
9. How you plan to record data and information (e.g., from interviews,
focus group discussions, or observations)
10. How you plan to analyze the data and information you will gather
11. Questions related to research reliability and validity and how these
will be addressed in the research
12. Aspects or issues related to research ethics and how you plan to
address or handle them
Writing Chapter II (Methodology)
• In general, the section should be written in the future tense—to
reflect the fact that it is describing a research plan that will be carried
out. (In the full thesis, this section will have to be written in the past
tense to indicate that the research has been actually conducted and
completed.)

• If you plan to use standardized tests or instruments (questionnaires,

etc.) in your research, copies of the specific tests or instruments to be
used should be included in the thesis proposal. Describe these
instruments and explain why you have chosen them.
References
References
c This section includes all materials used by the researcher such
as peer-reviewed journals, books, periodicals, speeches from
conferences, and the like.