Lesson 2: Research Process

Dudovskiy (2018) enumerated the steps of the research process since previous discussion explained that
research is a systematic inquiry. This is a simplified suggested strategy in finding information for a
research undertaking.

Step 1: Selecting the Research Area

Researchers are expected to select the research area of either their professional or personal interest. The
importance of this stage in the research process is often underestimated by many students. This is because
of the fact that researchers are aggressive if they are writing a study within their interest. Aside from that,
it is also assumed that barriers are easier for the researchers to be faced if they are writing their research
within their interest.

Step 2: Formulating Research Problem

Research Problem is different from practical problem. In research problem, it is important to know what
is the question that must be answered through research methodology. Here, specific problems are
expected to be formulated or what the research objective is all about. These are the set questions or
statements that must be answered or attained which will address the general research problem. For
example, knowing the experiences of HOPE Hotline callers in Metro Manila (Bondoc, Pascua, & Yu,
2017) the general research problem, there is specific set of research questions or objectives that were
formulated to generally address the general research problem. This includes the following:

 -  To know the problem of the informants before calling HOPE Hotline;
 -  To disclose how the informants were influenced to contact HOPE Hotline;
 -  To narrate the experiences of the informants while disclosing their problem to HOPE

Hotline; and

 -  To discuss the outcomes of communication between the informants and HOPE

Hotline.

Step 3: Conducting the Literature Review

This is usually the longest stage in the research process. This is because the review of literature
and studies review starts before the formulation of the problem and even providing analyses to
the gathered data. In this stage, the researchers use secondary data sources such as books,
newspapers, magazines, journals, online articles etc.

Step 4: Selecting Methods of Data Collection

Considering the research problem, there are various data collection methods that are need to be
selected. This involves the justifications of the researchers on choosing the appropriate research
design, method, approach, sampling technique, instrument and statistical treatment.

Step 5: Collecting the Primary Data

 Primary data collection needs to be preceded by a great level of preparation and pilot data
collection may be required in case of administration of questionnaire in quantitative research. In
the qualitative research, on the other hand, the Contact Summary Form for one informant or
participant should be prepared to provide additional knowledge or information to be addressed to
the next informants through inquiry.

Step 6: Data Analysis

Analysis of data plays a significant role in attaining the research problem in general and
specifically the sub-problems or objectives. In this stage, the researcher critically analyzes how
gathered data support or contradict the existing foreign or local literature and studies. This will be

done to establish the interpretation of the researchers which will link to what the conclusions are and what
recommendations should be given.

Step 7: Reaching Conclusions

The conclusions indicate the attainment of the research problem and sub-problems or objectives. These
are the products of the interpreted data.

Step 8: Completing the Research

In this stage, the researcher orgnizes ensure the consistency in the entire paper.

Scientific research is an organized, objective, controlled, qualitative or quantitative empirical analysis of

one or more variables. The terms that define the scientific research method describe a procedure that has
been accepted for centuries. All research, whether formal or informal, begins with a basic question or
proposition about a specific phenomenon.

Methods of Knowing

There are several possible approaches in answering research questions. Kerlinger and Lee (2000), using
definitions provided nearly a century ago by C. S. Peirce, discuss four approaches to finding answers, or
methods of knowing: tenacity, intuition, authority, and science.

Method of Tenacity. True because it is always true (ex. I don’t believe advertising because my parents
said so).
Method of Intuition. True because it is self-evidence (ex. A Creative Director uses certain method and
always work).

Method of Authority. True because an authoritarian person said so.

Method of Science. Scientific method; definition: “an organized, objective, controlled, qualitative or
quantitative empirical analysis of one or more variables”. Scientific method is the standard procedures

Research Procedures
The purpose of the scientific method of research is to provide an objective, unbiased

collection and evaluation of data. To investigate research questions and hypotheses systematically, both
academic and private sector researchers follow a basic eight-step procedure. However, simply following
the eight research steps does not guarantee that the research is good, valid, reliable, or useful. An almost
countless number of intervening variables (influences) can destroy even the best-planned research project.
The situation is similar to someone assuming he or she can bake a cake by just following the recipe. The
cake may be ruined by an oven that doesn’t work properly, spoiled ingredients, altitude, or numerous
other variables. The typical research process consists of these eight steps:

1. Select a problem.
2. Review existing research and theory (when relevant).
3. Develop hypotheses or research questions.
4. Determine an appropriate methodology/research design.
5. Collect relevant data.
6. Analyze and interpret the results.
7. Present the results in an appropriate form.
8. Replicate the study (when necessary).

Notes: Step 4 includes deciding whether to use qualitative research (such as focus groups or one-on-one
interviews) with small samples or quantitative research (such as telephone interviews), in which large
samples are used to allow results to be generalized to the population under study. Steps 2 and 8 are
optional in the private sector, where some research is conducted

to answer a specific and unique question related to a future decision, such as whether to invest a large
sum of money in a developing medium. In this type of project, there generally is no previous research to
consult, and there seldom is a reason to replicate the study because a decision is made based on the first
analysis. However, if the research produces inconclusive results, the study is revised and replicated.

Each step in the eight-step process depends on all the others to produce a maximally efficient research
study. For example, before a literature search is possible, the researcher must have a clearly stated
research problem; to design the most efficient method of investigating a problem, the researcher must
know what types of studies have been conducted; and so on. In addition, all the steps are interactive—a
literature search may refine and even alter the initial research problem, or a study conducted previously
by another company or business in the private sector might expedite (or complicate) the current research
effort.