APP 006 PRACTICAL RESEARCH
IDENTIFYING TYPES OF RESEARCH
DESIGN, AND THE
CHARACTERISTICS, STRENGTHS
AND WEAKNESSES OF
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
A research design is an approach
you can use to a solve a research problem.
Did you know that there are three types of
research designs? In this module, we will
focus on the three main research designs:
qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods.
Types of Research Designs
Qualitative
Exploring and understanding the
meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a
social or human problem.
Quantitative
Testing objective theories by
examining the relationship among variable.
Mixed
An approach to inquiry that
combines both qualitative and quantitative
forms.
Quantitative research design uses numbers
in stating generalizations about a given
problem or inquiry in contrast to qualitative
research that hardly uses statistical
treatment in stating generalizations.
Quantitative research makes you focus
your mind on specific things by means of
statistics that involve collection and study
of numerical data.
INTRODUICING KINDS OF
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
DESIGNS
Quantitative research designs use
numbers in stating generalizations about a
given problem or inquiry in contrast to
qualitative research designs that hardly use
statistical treatment in stating
generalizations.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
DESIGNS
Experimental research is a study that
strictly adheres to a scientific research
design. It includes a hypothesis, a variable
that can be manipulated by the researcher,
and variables that can be measured,
calculated and compared. Most importantly,
experimental research is completed in a
controlled environment.
Non-experimental research is the label
given to a study when a researcher cannot
control, manipulate or alter the predictor
variable or subjects, but instead, relies on
interpretation, observation or interactions to
come to a conclusion.
Experimental
1. True experimental design-is a type of
experimental design where the researcher
randomly assigns test units and treatments
to the experimental groups.
2. Quasi-experimental design-involves the
manipulation of an independent variable
without the random assignment of
participants to conditions or orders of
conditions.
3. Pre-experimental design- is the simplest
form of research design. In a pre-
experiment either a single group or multiple
groups are observed subsequent to some
agent or treatment presumed to cause
change.
Non-experimental/ Descriptive
 APP 006 PRACTICAL RESEARCH
1. Survey Research Design is used when  Counseling approach and level of
the researcher intends to provide a anxiety
quantitative or numeric description of  Nationality and liking for school
trends, attitudes or opinions of a population  Student gender and amount of praise
by studying a sample of that population. given by teachers
2. Correlational research is a type of non- 3. Two categorical variables
experimental research method, in which a
 Ethnicity and father's occupation
method, researcher measures two variables,
 Gender of teacher and subject taught
understands and assesses the statistical
 Administrative style and college
relationship between them with no influence
major
from any extraneous variable.
 Religious affiliation and political
3. Comparative design - involves party membership
comparing and contrasting two or more
A common and useful way to think about
samples of study subjects on one or more
variables is to classify them as independent
variables, often at a single point of time.
or dependent. Independent variables are
4. Evaluative design- seeks to assess or those that the researcher chooses to study in
judge in some way, providing information order to assess their possible effects) on one
about something other than might be or more other variables. The variable that
gleaned in mere observation or investigation the independent variable is presumed to
of relationships. affect is called a dependent variable. In
commonsense terms, the dependent variable
IDENTIFYING KINDS OF VARIABLES
"depends on" what the independent variable
Researchers often study the relationship does to it, how it affects it.
between (or among) either (1) two (or more)
A variable is a characteristic of an
quantitative variables; (2) one categorical
individual or organization that can be
and one quantitative variable; or (3) two or
observed and measured; it can vary among
more categorical variables. Here are some
people of organizations and studies.
examples of each:
Primary kinds of variables are:
1. Two quantitative variables
1. Independent variable - those that cause,
 Age and amount of interest in school
influence, or affect outcomes. They are
 Reading achievement and
invariably called treatment, manipulated,
mathematics achievement
antecedent or predictor variables.
 Classroom humanism and student
motivation 2. Dependent variable - those that show the
 Amount of time watching television effects or results or outcomes of the
and aggressiveness of behavior influence of the independent variables.
2. One categorical and one quantitative
variable
 Method used to teach reading and
reading achievement
 APP 006 PRACTICAL RESEARCH
3. Intervening or mediating variable -
those that are in-between the independent
and dependent variables, that is, showing
the effects of the independent variable on
the dependent variable.
4. Control variable - those that are
measured in a study because they potentially
influence the dependent variable, using
statistical procedures like analysis or
covariance to control these variables.
5. Confounding variable - those that are
not actually measured but they exist.
Researchers comment on the influence of
confounding variables, after the study has
been completed because those variables
may have operated to explain the
relationship between the independent and
dependent variables.
WRITING A RESEARCH TITLE
The title is a very essential component of a
research paper because it serves four things.
First, it predicts content Second, it catches
the reader's interest. Third, it reveals the
nature or genre of the manuscript. Fourth, it
contains keywords that will make it easy to
access by a computer search content in a
few words and captures readers' attention.
The title should, therefore, be specific and
indicate the problem the research project
had addressed using keywords that will be
helpful in literature reviews in the future.
Based on their construction, titles are
typically categorized into four types:
nominal titles, compound titles, full
sentence titles and question titles.
Most titles are nominal titles capturing the
main theme of the paper. Compound titles,
also called hanging titles, are those made
using a colon. It is a compound title
consisting of two phrases on either side of
the colon. Full sentence titles are apt to be
longer and accentuate the 0utcome of the
study.
To write your research article title, do your
best to make it meaningful and specific by
keeping in mind that a good title should:
 indicate the article content;
 catch the reader's interest;
 reflect the tone or slant of the piece
of writing; and
 contain keywords that will make it
easy to access by a computer search
A research title, or research project, is a
product of real-world observations,
dilemmas, wide reading, active viewing
(television programs, films, documentaries,
videos, etc.) meaningful interactions with
significant others, and deep reflection.
When you finally decide on a research topic,
make sure that your research topic and
research questions match. Too broad topics
will lead you to nowhere. In order to narrow
down broad topics to specific as, the
purpose or intent of the study must be clear.
Techniques in Narrowing Down a Broad
Topic
1. State your broad topic
2. Describe your broad area more
specifically
3. Ask familiar questions such as what,
who, where, when, why, and how
4. Name a specific topic to your broad
topic to make it a focused topic
SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC
AND FRAMING A RESEARCH TITLE
In writing your research paper, selecting
your topic is the first essential step. Your
research topic can be based either on an
observed phenomenon or on facts.
 APP 006 PRACTICAL RESEARCH
Here are some strategies to help narrow
your topic:
• Aspect - choose one lens through which to
view the research problem, or look at just
one facet of it.
• Components - determine if your initial
variable or unit of analysis can be broken
into smaller parts, which can then be
analyzed more precisely.
• Methodology - the way in which you
gather information can reduce the domain of
interpretive analysis needed to address the
research problem.
• Place - generally, the smaller the
geographic unit of analysis, the more
narrow the focus.
• Relationship - ask yourself how do two or
more different perspectives or variables
relate to one another. Designing a study
around the relationships between specific
variables can help constrict the scope
compare/contrast, contemporary/ historical,
of analysis.
• Time - the shorter the time period of the
study, the more narrow the focus.
• Type - focus your topic in terms of a
specific type or class of people, places, or
phenomena.
• Combination - use two or more of the
above strategies to focus your topic very
narrowly.
Strategy
Once you have a basic topic in mind, the
Who, What, Where, When or Why
Strategy is a great way to begin to think
about different aspects of your topic and
begin to focus on it.
WHY did you choose the topic? What
interests you about it? Do you have an
opinion about the issues involved?
WHO are the information providers on this
topic? Who might publish information about
it? Who is affected by the topic? Do you
know of organizations or institutions
affiliated with the topic?
WHAT are the major questions for this
topic? Is there a debate about the topic? Are
there a range of issues and viewpoints to
consider?
WHERE is your topic important: at the
local, national or international level? Are
there specific places affected by the topic?
WHEN is/was your topic important? Is it a
current event or an historical issue? Do you
want to compare your topic by time
periods?
ESTABLISHING THE BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Aspect is when you choose one lens
through which to view the research
problem, or look at just one facet of it.
Components is when you determine if the
initial variable or unit of analysis can be
broken into smaller parts, which can then be
analyzed more precisely.
Methodology is the way in which you
gather information can reduce the domain of
interpretive analysis needed to address the
research problem.
Place is the smaller the geographic unit of
analysis, the more narrow the topic is.
Relationship is when you yourself how do
two or more different perspectives or
variables relate to one another. Designing a
study around the relationships between
 APP 006 PRACTICAL RESEARCH
specific variables can help constrict the
scope of analysis.
Time is when time period is considered to
narrow the focus of the study.
Type is focusing your topic in terms of a
specific type or class of people, places, or
phenomena.
Combination is the strategy when two or
more of the above strategies to focus your
topic very narrowly.
The background of the study is basically an
overview of the research study and explains
why you, as researcher, are doing the study.
It provides information that is important or
essential to understand the main body of the
research investigation. In addition, the
background of the study will discuss your
problem statement, rationale, and research
questions. Thus, it helps readers understand
your reasons for conducting the study.
What sources of information can you
use?
1. A primary source provides direct or
firsthand evidence about an event, object,
person art. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork,
and internet communications via email,
blogs, and newsgroups are also primary
sources. In the natural and social sciences,
primary sources are often empirical
studies--research where an experiment was
performed or a direct observation was made.
2. Secondary sources describe, discuss,
interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate,
summarize, and process primary sources.
Secondary source materials can be articles
in newspapers or popular magazines, book
or movie reviews, or articles found in
scholarly journals that discuss.