Practical Research 2 Reviewer:

Nature of an inquiry

 People need to reinvent themselves in order to easily cope with the changing times so as to not
be left behind.
 Inquiry is defined as “the quest for truth, information or knowledge through questioning.”
 It follows the development stage of a person, which proceeds from “womb to tomb”
 Through the process of inquiry, individuals construct much of their understanding of the natural
and human designed world.

Importance of an inquiry

 Information revolution (Having information available through books and internet)

 Understanding on how data and information may be explored and used productively.
 Go beyond information accumulation and move toward the application of useful and relevant
knowledge.
 Inquiry implies a “need or want to know” premise.
 It is vital in the generation and transmission of knowledge.
 Inquiry helps develop higher order information literacy and critical thinking skills.

Outcomes of an inquiry

 Inquiry provides individuals with different views of the world, communicating about it, and
successfully coping with the questions and issues of everyday life.
 Questioning and searching for answers are extremely important parts of research.
 Should be about a greater understanding of the world we live in.

Research helps us…

 Gather information and investigates phenomena: allowing us to test theories and make
predictions.
 Creates new knowledge and understanding, thus solves problems.
 Reduces the chances of making poor or dangerous choices; Protecting us from false ideas and
risky beliefs.

Research -Re (do again), Search (To seek, explore and investigate)

 A natural day to day activity of gathering information

 a process or a means of obtaining info to seek solutions to problems.
 Acquisition of new knowledge through a purposive organized and designed programs for the
activity.
 A continuous and repetitious pursuit of knowledge in order to arrive at the truth.

Aims of research

 Produce new knowledge or information

 Utilizes new knowledge
 Validate existing knowledge
  Improve the investigator/ researcher

How to locate reliable online resources

 Literature search – it is the stage in which the researcher systematically looks for and selects
reference material relevant to the research.
 Review the documentation style (eg. APA, MLA, Chicago)
 Choose and focus on a topic that you will explain.
 Determine the kind and number of sources you will be using.
 Survey the available online database relevant to your topic.
 Use relevant keywords when searching for scholarly documents or articles.
 Always evaluate the sources.

Qualitative

 The world is complex, and no single variable can adequately explain such phenomena.
 The world is constructed from the point of view of participants.
 Physical reality is understood from the perspectives or stories of stories of participants.

Quantitative

 The world or physical reality is explained by the laws of nature and science.
 Data can be objectively and reliably drawn from a sample.
 Data can accurately reflect reality.

Research Goal and Purpose

 To understand a social phenomenon, seek meaning, and interpret reality as seen from the
perspective of participants.
 To gain insight, describe events and patterns, and increase understanding of ideas, feelings,
beliefs, and motives of participants.
 To explain the causes of phenomena through objective measurement and numerical analysis.
 To predict and establish relationships, and generalize findings.

Sampling

 Qualitative - Small, purposive, and context-specific.

- Evolving and flexible
- minimal disturbance to the participants and the research setting.
 Quantitative - Randomized and controlled for extraneous variables. Large samples are usually
needed to represent the population.
- formal, and inflexible.
- usually involves an intervention and manipulation of variables.
- Uses robust instrumentation

Strengths of Quantitative Research

 Uses robust instrumentation

 It allows for greater accuracy of data
  Results can be replicated, analyzed and compared with similar studies
 Numerical data allow summary of huge amount of information
 Personal bias is avoided.

Kinds of Quantitative Research

 Experimental - involves the researcher introducing the intervention that is assumed to be the
cause of change. Starting from the cause to establish the effects
- True Experimental - Characterized by rigid manipulation of variables;
use of control, selection, and random assignment of participants.
- Quasi Experimental - Characterized by rigid manipulation of variables;
use of control but no randomization; intact groups or participants are
used instead.
 Non Experimental - involves the researcher observing the phenomenon and attempting to
establish what caused it. Starting from the effects to trace the cause.
- Descriptive - Seeks to describe the current status of an identified
variable.
- Predictive - Designed to predict or forecast some event or phenomenon
in the future without necessarily establishing cause and effect
relationship.
- Explanatory - Aims to develop or test a theory to explain how and why it
operates
- Cross-Sectional - Data are collected at a single point in time
- Retrospective - Comparisons are made between the past, as estimated
by the data, and the present for the cases in the data set.
- Longitudinal - Data are collected starting at the present and are
collected again sometime in the future to compare past and future data
sets.

Quantitative Research Across Fields

 Business - Improve the overall marketing strategy. Utilized in product development. helps
business and entrepreneurs shape the future direction of their business.
 Economics - Banks and investment companies rely on analysis and predictions in making

business decisions. What will likely be affected by the global and regional economic
developments or issues.
 Education - used in measuring the level of performance of students as well as the teachers.
 Environment - useful in measuring and studying the environmental issues.
 Governance - systematically collect and analyze information to better perform their mandates.
useful to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the policies and programs
implemented by the government.
 Medical and Health - Experimental research on effective medicines, vaccines and other drugs to
cure specific illness is conducted through quantitative research.
 Politics - results of the political surveys in order to assess their chances of winning and to
determine the areas where they need to develop support.
  Psychology and Sociology - allow us to get a sense of prevailing social attitudes or beliefs on
topics such as charity, racism, health and many others.
 Science and Technology - To examine the trends and tendencies in the use of technology.

Research Topic

 Research title conveys the central idea behind your research while a research topic is a broad
idea. (Torneo A. and Torneo H., 2017)
 Components of a Research Title
- Subject Matter – the topic that the researcher(s) will talk about/talking about
- Locale – the place where research will happen/have happened
- Population – the people/participants involved in the study
- Period – the duration how long the study will happen/have happened
- Purpose – the created/innovated intervention

Statement of The problem

 Also known as the Research Puzzle or the problematique

 a formal articulation of the specific topic which you intend to address through research.
 It provides greater focus to the research or clarify the direction of the investigation.
 Core or the heart of the study

General Problem

 It is the key question from which all other sub problems stem from.
 derived from the main problem of the study.

Subproblems

 anchored on the general question.

 It must include the significant variables in the study and the subject being analyzed.
 It serves to break down the inquiry into smaller and more manageable components, which the
researcher can investigate separately.

A good research Question should

 Clarify
 Be empirical
 Be complex and Not terminal
 Be relevant
 Be practical

Types of Research Questions

 Factor-Isolating Questions –What is this (To categorize/Identify)

 Factor-Relating Questions –What is happening here (Determine relationship of Factors)
 Situation-Relating Questions –What will happen if (Manipulates variables to see result)
 Situation-Producing Questions –How can I make It happen (Establishes goals and ideas)
Variables in Research

 Variable – Is any factor or property that a researcher measures, controls/ manipulates.

- Independent Variable – Manipulated by the Researcher
- Dependent Variable – Cannot be Manipulated

Example: Amount of Water a Tree receives (IV), The height of the tree (DV)

 Importance of IV and DV
- Guides the researchers
- Drives the research Process
- Gives the study a Focus
- Determine the causes and Effects

Variables based on its value on a scale

 Continuous – measured by ranges; non whole number.

 Discrete – can be counted. Whole number.

Variables based on Levels of Measurement

 Nominal – Label, classification of individuals

 Ordinal – Value of a rank or logical order
 Interval – Numerical Measurements
 Ratio – Ratio scale :/

Introduction

The primary purpose of this part is to give the readers an overview of what the entire study is all about

It aims to introduce the readers to the research topic and the research problem that the study is trying
to address.

A well-written introduction catches the attention and interest.

This section persuades the reader that the study is important and interesting and keep them reading
the entire study.

Discuss why there is a need to study the problem.

Clarifying the importance terminologies for the reader to easily understand what the research is about.

Establishes the degree of seriousness of the problem which has prompted the researcher to look for
solutions.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ON CREATING AN INTRODUCTION

1. What is the rationale of the research problem?

Is It answer by sharing to the readers the reason why the researcher has decided to look for
solutions to the problem.
A narration of the researcher’s experience that has driven him/her to conduct is commonly
done. Must be presented using collective nouns such as, “The Researchers”

2. What is the setting of the research problem?

It forms part the delimitation of the problem, as it defines the geographic boundaries of the
study. Implies the certain demographic characteristics. Let the readers know about PCC
Ex. Discuss the mission and vision of school

3. What is the basic literature foundation of the study?

This part defines or clarifies the terms or variables used in the study. The terms must be clear,
or variables must be clear to the researchers so that he can make his reader understand them
as well.
It assist the researcher in determining the boundaries of the study.
Ex. Speaking proficiency – how well are the students in speaking the language.

4. How serious is the chosen research problem?

Why is there a need to look for solutions to the problem? In this aspect, the researcher must
see the intensity and magnitude of the problem.
Ex. How bad is covid? Do people really need to know about it… importance something.
The researcher may act and work on the problem. He can also look for statistical or quantitative
evidence to assess the weight of the problem.

5. What is the general objective of the research problem?

This is derived from the general statement of the problem. And should be the basis of the
enumerated statements of specific problems.

6. What is the overall purpose of the research problem?

It must be stressed that the researcher should be totally aware of the purpose. He must know
how the research findings will help his fellow students,

The introduction must be only be short and concise. It must be composed of about one to three pages.
Background of the Study

1. Knowing possible effects

2. The overview of the research topic through years, is it new or old? Is it experienced by the
readers? Historical account of the problem
3. Possible effects to different stakeholders.

- Introduces important facets of that establish the general context where the study revolves.
- Historical Account of your Research.

Research Gap

It is an issue that has not been fully addressed by previous studies. Doing this helps you show where
your research stands in the academic field.

Ya’ll fill up those gaps left by the previous researchers as a present researcher of that study.

Four Components in Establishing the Research Gap (Must be present on the background)

1. Current State of field – area of your research. Point out that it continues to interest many
researchers and practitioners. Status of that research topic
2. Current and Conventional Practices – Discuss the current practices being used by the
researchers. Acknowledging the number of researchers that conducted your study. Make sure to
explain the merits of these practices and their contribution to your study.
3. Research Gap – Explaining that there are other aspects left unexplored and not addressed.
Additionally, state that there are few studies that have explored the area of your current
research. Do not degrade other researchers.
4. Contribution of the present study – Discuss how your current study will help fill the research gap
may be in form of a new methodology or approach or the development of a new perspective or
theory. What is new in your research? How is it different from the others? What will be the
contribution of your research?

AVOID MAKING NEGATIVE OR BIASED REMARKS

STATE YOUR IDEA IN AN OBJECTIVE MATTER

Ex. “While the (Author X) investigates the area of _____, the current study focuses on ________.”

IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO DEFIE TERMS OR CONCEPTS MENTIONED FOR THE FIRST TIME.

How are you suppose to attack the dependent and independent variable.
Statement of Hypothesis

It is a logical supposition, a reasonable guess, an educated conjecture that is based on an extensive

review of an extensive review of literature.

These are intelligent, tentative guesses that tells us about how a research problem may be solved.

It is a statement that defines the testable relationship you expect to see from examining the variables in
your research.

Making educational guesses.

Looking for possible explanations on an issue/problem.

Writing a hypothesis depends on the situation of the variables in the research.

Alternative (HA)

Devil’s advocate, It usually predicts that there there is a significant relationship between the variables.

Null (HO)

Devil’s advocate position, it usually predicts that there is no significant relationship between the
variables.

Creating a hypothesis

1. Identify the independent and dependent variables in your study, as they need to stated in
your hypothesis.
2. Your hypothesis must be falsifiable. This means that your hypothesis can be proven wrong
through experiments or empirical data.
3. Your hypothesis must show a relationship between your variables. Will your independent
variable increase, improve or decrease your dependent variable.

Ex. Is there a significant relationship between the profile and the degree of trauma of the respondents?

Alternative: There is a significant relationship between the profile and the degree of trauma of the
respondents.

Null: There is no significant relationship between the profile and the degree of trauma of the
respondents.