Billono, John Lester U.

BSCE-III
Research Methods (Assignment)

• CONCEPTS SET 1:
(1.1) Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods and Designs
Qualitative research focuses on understanding the meaning of behavior. It helps researchers to
gain more understanding and can help them interpret and contextualize information.
Comparatively, Quantitative research uses numerical data that researchers can analyze
statistically.
You can further divide both research methods into subtypes.
Qualitative research has 8 different types, namely:

1. Action Research

In action research, the researcher participates in a situation and collects data on it.
The researcher uses this data to analyze the situation and collects more data if they want
to adjust the scope of the study or its results. Action research is cyclical, meaning each
step involves collaboration between the study participants and the researcher. You can
conduct action research at any level, including the individual, group or community level.
This type is appropriate when you want to learn how something works within its natural
environment. For example, if you want to understand people's challenges while using
technology at work, you can collaborate with teams in different departments to study this
topic.

2. Phenomenology

The phenomenological model seeks to identify how participants feel about certain
occurrences or activities. Researchers study the unique ways individuals experience
events through observation and interviews before, during, and after an event. The
phenomenological approach focuses on subjective descriptions of the experiences of
participants.

3. Ethnographic

In an ethnographic study, researchers immerse themselves within a distinct

culture to study the group's patterns, behaviors, rules, and communication. Researchers
are less interested in testing a theory with this method and more interested in observing
 how subjects react and interact with one another or with a product. Sometimes,
researchers may also take part in the group's activities to experience them firsthand.

4. Case Study

Case studies follow a single subject and collect in-depth data to determine more
general conclusions. Subjects may be individuals, families, businesses, or cities.
Researchers typically gather, report, and analyze an extensive amount of data using this
method. Case studies are often longer than other types of research studies, some lasting a
year or more because researchers seek to measure changes or results over time.

5. Narrative research

Is a popular qualitative research method because it helps you understand how

people live and make decisions. You collect data about subjects by tracking them as they
go through different stages of your study. By understanding these experiences through
observations of participants over time, businesses can create buyer personas for their
products and services based on these narratives. Researchers explore a few participants'
experiences by collecting information on their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors during
specific situations. This method allows researchers to gather data from several sources at
one time to identify themes or patterns. The narrative research method involves collecting
stories from participants to share later.
This process involves asking questions like:
What was happening?
How did it feel?
Why was this important?
What did you do next?

6. Grounded Theory

The grounded theory model uses a systematic review of existing data in large
quantities to develop theories about why events transpired in a certain way or what causes
led to certain results. Data analysis in this method helps identify trends and
commonalities that provide insights into questions of “why” and “how” about the data.
Researchers and organizations can determine the practical applications of this
information when using this approach.

7. Focus Groups

Focus groups are an important tool in qualitative research. They reveal people's
attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs to enhance researchers' knowledge of a particular topic.
For instance, moderators might conduct focus groups with eight to 12 participants who
 meet at set times over several weeks or months. Participants may test out a new product,
and researchers can observe subjects and conduct interviews about their experience. For
example, a beverage company may plan to launch a new brand of energy drinks. It invites
people of different ages and backgrounds to taste the drink over multiple days. The
researchers then conduct follow-up interviews asking each person what they think about
the new drink relative to other drinks currently available on the market.

8. Historical

The historical model attempts to predict future results by studying and

interpreting historical data. Researchers analyze previous trends and results to create
current strategies. Historical research studies begin with a hypothesis or research question
that you want to test. Once you know what question to answer, you can decide what
sources to use for your research. This often involves reading firsthand accounts,
interviewing people who experienced a particular phenomenon, and reviewing other
research about the topic. Once you examine your sources' reliability, you can analyze
your data and develop a theory to answer your initial research question.

Quantitative research has 4 different types, namely:

1. Experimental

Experimental design, researchers test one or more hypotheses in an experiment by

creating a model and testing it in a controlled environment to determine cause-and-effect
relationships. In this type of study, researchers randomly assign participants to groups
that compare different treatments of the subject. For example, in a study comparing
children who drink soda vs. children who drink juice, researchers might assign one group
to drink only soda and the other group only juice to measure results.

2. Quasi-experimental

A quasi-experimental design is like an experiment, except researchers cannot

control experimental variables or examine cause and effect. There may be confounding
factors that affect the study, such as if researchers cannot assign participants to groups
because of ethical concerns. Researchers may also use a quasi-experimental design when
they have incomplete information about a subject's experience, or when it may be
dangerous to test a hypothesis in an experiment.
 3. Correlational Studies

A correlational study is a type of research design that looks at the relationships

between two or more variables. Correlational studies are non-experimental, which means
that the experimenter does not manipulate or control any of the variables. A correlation
refers to a relationship between two variables.

4. Survey Research

It is a method used for collecting data from a set of respondents. It has been
perhaps one of the most used methodologies in the industry for several years due to the
multiple benefits and advantages that it has when collecting and analyzing data.

(1.2) Applied and Basic Research Types

APPLIED RESEARCH BASIC RESEARCH

Solves particular life problems
Practical and descriptive in nature
More specific scope
Associated with advancement of technology
Creates solutions/preventions future problems
Client- driven
Has direct commercial objectives
Highly connected with economic pursuits
More often appears in academic publications
Occurs in real-world settings
Expand current knowledge
Theoretical and exploratory in nature
Wilder scope
Less associated with technology
Predicts future events/situations
Curiosity-driven
Does not have direct commercial objectives
Less connected with the economy
Less often appear in academic publications
Takes place in a sterile environment

• CONCEPT SET 2:
(2.0) What Research Type(s) and Design(s) are best appropriate for the ENGINEERING
Field/Course?

• CONCEPT SET 3:
(3.0) Search about the iEEE Citation Format for Engineering and other Applied Type of
Research Studies/Projects
The two most common citation styles in science and engineering are APA style (an
'author-date' style) and IEEE (a numbered style). There are other styles in particular fields
(ASME ASCE) that are like these. Engineering generally uses IEEE or APA Style.