GROUP 3 – 3:30-5:30 MWF A213 March 21, 2020

RESEARCH

-is a process of systematic inquiry that entails collection of data; documentation of critical information; and analysis and interpretation of that data/information, in accordance with
suitable methodologies set by specific professional fields and academic disciplines.

-is conducted to evaluate the validity of a hypothesis or an interpretative framework; to assemble a body of substantive knowledge and findings for sharing them in appropriate
manners; and to generate questions for further inquiries.

WHEN TO DO RESEARCH?

-According to Melagrito and Mendoza (2017), “Students seem to engage in research everyday of their lives -when they survey the market to determine the best product, be it an
apparel, gadget, pair of shoes, etc. ; when they access information from different sources just to answer a question posed in class; when they search for data or evidence to
support a claim or argument for a term paper; when they gather information about someone or something that has piqued their interest or curiosity; or when they become
respondents to opinion poll surveys.” We do research whenever we aim to answer a problem or question that bothers us. We do research to provide ourselves knowledge about a
certain topic such as researching about the Coronavirus pandemic. Pouspourika (2018) stated that research studies and scientific research are being conducted in order to provide
results that will help with social, professional, and scientific evolution. People conduct research with a mindset to improve or change what we know now. Epidemiologists research
about a disease common in certain population to provide data and solutions. Scientists conduct experimental researches to provide vaccines for new emerging viruses. To put it
simply, we do research from the simplest things like feeding our curiosity, to helping the society to prosper with new knowledge and answers to current problems.

WHO CAN DO RESEARCH?

-Any person can do research- those who search merely for curiosity’s sake, students and even professionals. Some professionals that involve conducting research are historians,
agriculturists, epidemiologists, medical scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, and the list goes on, Every student also experience conducting research papers to enhance their
academic writing skills because it is required in higher education and in their careers. Although doing research can be accomplished by anyone, there are those who excel in
research because they possess certain qualities and skills. According to Toledo-Pereyra (2012), the important qualities of a good researcher is some who has the intention to be
involved in research and subsequently show a dedicated interest to do the best research possible. Furthermore, someone who is motivated, inquisitive committed, integrated, and
has enough knowledge can engage in research (Toledo-Pereyra, 2012). Almy (2015), on the other hand, stated that great researcher is someone who is versatile, objective,
innovative, passionate, and enthusiastic in delivering what he/she has researched.

EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH THAT MAY REACH INACCURATE CONCLUSION DURING RESEARCH

-An example of how we can reach inaccurate conclusion given by Torchim (2020), “let’s say you conduct 20 statistical tests and for each one you use the 0.05 level criterion for
deciding whether you are observing a relationship. For each test, the odds are 5 out of 100mthat you will see a relationship even if there is not one there (that’s what it means to
say that the result could be “due to chance”). Odds of 5 out of 100 are equal to the fraction 5/100 which also equal to 1 out of 20. Now, in this example you conduct 20 separate
analyses. Let’s say that you find that of the twenty results, only one is statistically significant at the 0.5 level. Does that mean you have found a statistically significant relationship?
If you had only done the one analysis, you might conclude that you’ve found a relationship in that result. But if you did 20 analyses, you would expect to find one of them significant
by chance alone, even if there is no relationship in the data.

-Another example for instance, you would like to determine the acidity of a water sample collected from a nearby dumpsite using a pH meter, an analytical which measures the
hydrogen [H+] ion activity. A pH level of <7 means that the water is acidic (or those often associated with sour taste), while a pH level of >7 signifies that the water is basic (or those
associated with a soapy feel). Neutral water has a pH equal to 7. Prior to using a pH meter, it has to be calibrated with solutions in which the pH values have been certified at a
known temperature. Suppose the Calibration of the pH meter using a certified 7.00 pH solution at 20°C yielded 7.10 as reading and not 7.00 as it should be. Then you still decided
to use that pH meter without performing any corrective action to all your water samples. As a result, pH readings shall yield a lower pH, that is, lower than 0.10 unit.
REASONS OF INACCURATE CONCLUSIONS DURING RESEARCH

-There can be many reasons as to why we may reach inaccurate conclusions while conducting research. One reason is probably the low reliability of measures wherein poor
question wording, bad instrument or layout, and illegibility of field notes (Trochim, 2020) are included. Trochim (2020), added that an ability to see a relationship between variables
in a research may be due to noise or random irrelevances in the setting such as the disturbances in the hallway, setting of the room, the lighting, etc. Not being able to identify
extraneous variables/confounding variables- these refer to anything external to the research but can possibly affect the results- may also be a reason for inaccurate conclusions
(Volchok, 2015). Other reasons are the lack of information to see the relationship, the interviewee is under covert pressure to respond to the questions in a certain way instead of
the interviewee being able to respond freely, and “fishing” one result out of the twenty (20) and instantly conclude the relationship of the variables (Trochim, 2020). Another reason
is “bias”, which Simundic (2013) defined as any deviation from the truth in data collection, analysis, interpretation, and publication, done either intentionally or unintentionally. She
stated that this reason, can produce false than can possibly harm anyone.

THINGS TO DO TO AVOID INACCURATE INFORMATION

-On the part of the authors/researchers, (Trochim, 2020) provided ways on how to avoid any misinformation such as improving the reliability of the measure by doing a better job of
constructing measurement instruments, improve the consistency, increase the number of questions, and reducing any distractions that can hinder results. Alleviate the noise as
much as possible or if not avoided, make sure that every participant receives the same noise. One way is to increase the time of gathering data and expense of having more
participants to garner a clearer vision to observe if there is any relationship or not between variables (Trochim, 2020). Deviations from true data may pose a threat to the validity of
the research and possibly the lives of the people especially if it is a medical research therefor it must not be done or at least avoided. (Simundic, 2013) stated that every author
should confess the limitations of their research and must be very careful to minimize or eradicate bias.

-On the part of the editors and reviewers, Simundic (2013) said it is also the responsibility of editors and reviewers to detect any bias. If there were such, it is their decision to
analyze if the bias affects the conclusion. If that is the case, such articles are to be rejected for publication because the conclusions are invalid.

-On the part of the readers, know that not everything that we see or read on the internet is true, that is why it is the responsibility of the readers to always be mindful of the
authenticity of the material found on the internet. Different ways can be done in order to indicate whether the information is credible. Cullens (2013) suggested that the reader
should always check if the author or the article is clearly identified and the credentials of the author should be relevant to the content of the material or research. Always look for
multiple sources because even if research papers or websites are reputable, authors may show bias (Cullens, 2013). Checking for the website sponsor is also a good idea
because some website sponsors are more interested in making a profit, thus, they are not likely to provide balanced information and always check for the web address such as
“.gov”, which mean that the websites is owned and operate only by the government; “.edu” means that the website is affiliated with universities, colleges and educational sites
although keep in mind that not every website is not authored by an educator; “.org” means that the website is handled by non-profit organizations, non-profit schools or
communities, or for profit entities; and “.com” or “.net” means that the website is for public use but always be alert of these web addresses (Cullens, 2013). University of Georgia
(2019) suggested that credible articles or books are found in research databases or from well-established newspapers or magazines and are peer-reviewed

METHODS USED IN COLLECTING EVIDENCE:

Data or evidences in research could either be obtained through observation or experimentation. Depending on the type of research being conducted.

*Observations are used to describe attitude, perception, and opinions of the subjects regarding a specific issue or problem. It utilizes survey/interview through process of
disseminating questionnaires and survey forms that contain questions and queries raised in a concise, straightforward manner such that the target information would easily be
obtained. Questionnaires and survey forms are only limited to five to ten minute duration and interviewees or subjects must be fully aware of the process and oriented about the
purpose of the survey or interview constructed in waivers and full disclosure forms.

*Experimentation are used to test the hypothesis and, consequently, provide explanation or logical evidence. Basically, it involves work performed inside a laboratory. Those
highly scientific and technological research themes commonly employ laboratory work, that is those requiring the use of advanced analytical equipment and are subjected to a
series of experiments. Experiments are borne out of the “what if” questions, hence the need to conduct a series of experimental work.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH:

Ethics, pertains to moral principles that govern one’s behavior in relation to any activity. Ethical standards require a researcher to voluntarily present the outcome of the inquiry
before stakeholders, regardless of the results. Moreover, research ethics dictates good relations between research collaborators. Ethical Guidelines includes, but are not limited to
the following:

 Never compromise your virtues over fame or money

 Always value, honesty, accountability and integrity in conducting a research
 Intellectual property rights should be respected and other peoples’ contributions should be acknowledged
 Moral and Social responsibility should be seriously considered
 Trust, respect, and cooperation are fundamental values that should be adhered to by people involved in the field of research
 Must promote critical thinking and improve problem-solving abilities and skills
 Should not be used for black propaganda or to pursue unfounded allegations against an individual, group of people, or an organization
 Collaborator, researcher and a funding agency are required to stay committed to agreements they enter into
 Should be open to constructive criticism, and learn from biased and prejudicial comments

Research programs or inquiries are undertaken to generate new information or explore new technology to benefit mankind and should the quality of the research or inquiry
fail to meet the highest ethical and logical standards, its very purpose is defeated. Deviations from generally accepted research practices are considered unethical. And these may
include, but are not limited to the following:

- Conflict of Interest
- Poorly maintained research records and laboratory notebooks
- Violation of animal welfare in handling laboratory test animals
- Submitting for publication one paper or two different journals and concealing such act from both publishers
- Sabotaging colleagues’ or someone else’s work
- Guest or ghost authorship even if a colleague has no significant contribution to the paper
- Non-inclusion of outliers from a data set without explaining your reasons for doing so
- Proceeding with the presentation of your results to the public even without going through a peer-review process
- Enhancing the significance of your research using inappropriate statistical techniques or analytical method
- Discrepancy between a procedural description and what was actually arried out
- Improper waste disposal

References:

Cullens, F. (2013). Finding accurate information on the Internet. Publisher: Michigan State University.

Retrieved from: canr.msu.edu/news/finding_accurate_information_on_the_internet

Pousporita, K. (2018). How to conduct a research study. Publisher: Institute of Entrepreneurship Development.

Retrieved from: https://ied.eu/project-updates/how-to-conduct-a-research-study/

Simundic, A.M. (2013). Bias in Research. Bichemia medica, 23(1), 12-15.

Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.11613/bm.2013.003

Toledo-Pereyra, L.H. (2012). Ten qualities of a good researcher.DOI.

Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3109/08941939.2012.701543

Trochim, W. (2020). Threats to conclusion validity. Retrieved from: https://socialresearchmethods.net/kb/conclusion-validity-threats/

University of Georgia (2019). Finding reliable sources: what is a reliable source?

Retrieved from: https://guides.libs.uga.edu/reliability

Volchok, E. (2015). Extraneous Variables

Retrieved from: http://media.acc.qcc.cuny.edu/faculty/volchok/causalMR/CausalMR5.html