Module #1: Course Overview and Introduction to Research Qualitative research methods are used to obtain detailed answers
tative research methods are used to obtain detailed answers to the questions.
Research
• is a systematic process of collecting and analyzing data and information for some purpose.
• is a systematic attempt to provide answers to questions.
Nowdays, research has become a tool for finding ways to solve problems and also improve lives
of people.
Through this, medicines for diseases considered to be without cure before, were discovered.
It is also the reason for the continuing improvement of the gadgets being enjoyed by all people
today.
a. Research comprises “creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase
the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this
stock of knowledge to devise new applications.” - OECD (2002) Frascati Manual
b. “In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of
data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge.” - A broad definition of research
given by Martyn Shuttleworth
c. Another definition of research is given by Creswell who states that – “Research is a process
of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or
issue”. It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and
present an answer to the question. Another definition of research is given by Creswell who
states that – “Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase
our understanding of a topic or issue”. It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to
answer the question, and present an answer to the question.
Module 2: Identifying Types of Research Design, and the Characteristics, Strengths and
Weaknesses of Qualitative Research
Research design refers to the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different
components of the study in a logical way, ensuring that you will effectively address the research
problem.
Main Research Designs:
Qualitative
• Is a scientific research used to collect non-numerical data through different qualitative
research methods like observational methods, Face-to-Face interviews, case studies.
• Dynamic systems -- there is attention to process; assumes change is ongoing, whether
the focus is on an individual, an organization, a community, or an entire culture, therefore, the
researcher is mindful of and attentive to system and situational dynamics.
The Analysis
• Unique case orientation -- assumes that each case is special and unique; the first level of
analysis is being true to, respecting, and capturing the details of the individual cases being
studied; cross-case analysis follows from and depends upon the quality of individual case
studies.
• Inductive analysis -- immersion in the details and specifics of the data to discover
important patterns, themes, and inter-relationships; begins by exploring, then confirming
findings, guided by analytical principles rather than rules.
• Holistic perspective -- the whole phenomenon under study is understood as a complex
system that is more than the sum of its parts; the focus is on complex interdependencies and
system dynamics that cannot be reduced in any meaningful way to linear, cause and effect
relationships and/or a few discrete variables.
• Context sensitive -- places findings in a social, historical, and temporal context; researcher
is careful about [even dubious of] the possibility or meaningfulness of generalizations across
time and space; emphasizes careful comparative case analyses and extrapolating patterns for
possible transferability and adaptation in new settings.
• Voice, perspective, and reflexivity -- the qualitative methodologist owns and is reflective
about her or his own voice and perspective; a credible voice conveys authenticity and
trustworthiness; complete objectivity being impossible and pure subjectivity undermining
credibility, the researcher's focus reflects a balance between understanding and depicting the
world authentically in all its complexity and of being self-analytical, politically aware, and
reflexive in consciousness.
↬ Strengths of Qualitative Research
• All the problems and the topics covered under this research are in detail.
• This method majorly focuses on small groups which ultimately do not require more
expenses when compared to quantitative research.
• On the emergence of new developed information and findings, the revision, direction and
framework of the data can be done easily quickly.
• The data is collected from a small group which bounds it to be universal for a large
population.
• The data with this method is collected based on genuine efforts and gives a clear vision
on what can be expected.
↬ Weaknesses of Qualitative Research
• As the data is collected for a small group, due to which assumptions cannot be made
beyond the small group of people.
• It becomes difficult to demonstrate, maintain and assess the rigidity of the data.
Participants of the research are asked open-ended questions rather than asking close-
ended questions through surveys and questionnaires.
• It establishes a relationship between the cause and effect of a situation.
• It is a casual design where one observes the impact caused by the independent variable on
the dependent variable.
Quantitative
• It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations.
• Also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem.
Mixed methods
• A design characterized by the combination of at least one qualitative and one quantitative
research component.
Characteristics of Qualitative Research
The Design
• Naturalistic -- refers to studying real-world situations as they unfold naturally; non-
manipulative and noncontrolling; the researcher is open to whatever emerges [i.e., there is a
lack of predetermined constraints on findings].
• Emergent -- acceptance of adapting inquiry as understanding deepens and/or situations
change; the researcher avoids rigid designs that eliminate responding to opportunities to pursue
new paths of discovery as they emerge.
• Purposeful -- cases for study are selected because they are “information rich” and
illuminative.
The Collection of Data
• Data -- observations yield a detailed, "thick description" [in-depth understanding];
interviews capture direct quotations about people’s personal perspectives and lived
experiences; often derived from carefully conducted case studies and review of material
culture.
• Personal experience and engagement -- researcher has direct contact with and gets
close to the people, situation, and phenomenon under investigation; the researcher’s personal
experiences and insights are an important part of the inquiry and critical to understanding the
phenomenon.
• Empathic neutrality -- an empathic stance in working with study respondents seeks
vicarious understanding without judgment [neutrality] by showing openness, sensitivity,
respect, awareness, and responsiveness; in observation, it means being fully present
[mindfulness].
• Collection of statistical data is not easy and cannot be done solely by using this method.
• As the data is in big quantity, analysis and interpretation of the data takes much time.
• The responses of the subjects might be affected as the researchers are bound to be
present during the process of data gathering.
•
Module #3: Introducing Kinds of Qualitative Research and Its Importance Across Fields
When we speak about a qualitative research study, it’s easy to think there is one kind. But just
as with quantitative methods, there are actually many varieties of qualitative methods.
A popular and helpful categorization separate qualitative methods into FIVE GROUPS:
ethnography, narrative, phenomenological, grounded theory, and case study. John Creswell
outlines these five methods in Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design.
Ethnography Ethnographic research is probably the most familiar and applicable type of
qualitative method to UX professionals. In ethnography, you immerse yourself in the target
participants’ environment to understand the goals, cultures, challenges, motivations, and
themes that emerge. Ethnography has its roots in cultural anthropology where researchers
immerse themselves within a culture, often for years! Rather than relying on interviews or
surveys, you experience the environment first hand, and sometimes as a “participant observer.”
For example, one way of uncovering the unmet needs of customers is to “follow them home”
and observe them as they interact with the product. You don’t come armed with any hypotheses
to necessarily test; rather, you’re looking to find out how a product is used.
Narrative The narrative approach weaves together a sequence of events, usually from just one
or two individuals to form a cohesive story. You conduct in-depth interviews, read documents,
and look for themes; in other words, how does an individual story illustrate the larger life
influences that created it. Often interviews are conducted over weeks, months, or even years,
but the final narrative doesn’t need to be in chronological order. Rather it can be presented as
a story (or narrative) with themes, and can reconcile conflicting stories and highlight tensions
and challenges which can be opportunities for innovation.
For example, a narrative approach can be an appropriate method for building a persona. While
a persona should be built using a mix of methods—including segmentation analysis from
surveys—in-depth interviews with individuals in an identified persona can provide the details
that help describe the culture, whether it’s a person living with Multiple Sclerosis, a prospective
student applying for college, or a working mom.
Phenomenological When you want to describe an event, activity, or phenomenon, the aptly
named phenomenological study is an appropriate qualitative method. In a phenomenological
study, you use a combination of methods, such as conducting interviews, reading documents,
watching videos, or visiting places and events, to understand the meaning participants place on
 whatever’s being examined. You rely on the participants’ own perspectives to provide insight
into their motivations.
Like other qualitative methods, you don’t start with a well-formed hypothesis. In a
phenomenological study, you often conduct a lot of interviews, usually between 5 and 25 for
common themes, to build a sufficient dataset to look for emerging themes and to use other
participants to validate your findings.
For example, there’s been an explosion in the last 5 years in online courses and training. But
how do students engage with these courses? While you can examine time spent and content
accessed using log data and even assess student achievement vis-a-vis in-person courses, a
phenomenological study would aim to better understand the students experience and how that
may impact comprehension of the material.
Grounded Theory
Whereas a phenomenological study looks to describe the essence of an activity or event,
grounded theory looks to provide an explanation or theory behind the events. You use primarily
interviews and existing documents to build a theory based on the data. You go through a series
of open and axial coding techniques to identify themes and build the theory. Sample sizes are
often also larger—between 20 to 60—with these studies to better establish a theory. Grounded
theory can help inform design decisions by better understanding how a community of users
currently use a product or perform tasks.
For example, a grounded theory study could involve understanding how software developers
use portals to communicate and write code or how small retail merchants approve or decline
customers for credit.
Case Study
Made famous by the Harvard Business School, even mainly quantitative researchers can relate
to the value of the case study in explaining an organization, entity, company, or event. A case
study involves a deep understanding through multiple types of data sources. Case studies can
be explanatory, exploratory, or describing an event. The annual CHI conference has a peer-
reviewed track dedicated to case studies.
For example, a case study of how a large multi-national company introduced UX methods into
an agile development environment would be informative to many organizations.
What is the importance of qualitative research across fields of inquiry?
Qualitative research is oriented toward analyzing concrete cases in temporal and local
particularity. It starts from the respondents’ perspectives, expressions, and activities in their
local context. In this case, qualitative research is important across many fields of inquiry because
it is designed for social sciences, psychology, and other fields. With this, qualitative research
would verify or validate the tendencies, transform it into research programs, and maintain the
necessary changes toward its objectives and tasks.
Subjects Protection- When conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and risks
and maximize benefits; respect human dignity, privacy, and autonomy.
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
The following steps outline a simple and effective strategy for writing a research paper.
Depending on your familiarity with the topic and the challenges you encounter along the way,
you may need to rearrange these steps.
Step 1: Identify and develop your topic
Selecting a topic can be the most challenging part of a research assignment. Since this is the
very first step in writing a paper, it is vital that it be done correctly. Once you have identified
your topic, it may help to state it as a question. By posing your subject as a question you can
more easily identify the main concepts or keywords to be used in your research.
Step 2 : Do a preliminary search for information
Before beginning your research in earnest, do a preliminary search to determine whether there
is enough information out there for your needs and to set the context of your research. Look up
your keywords in the appropriate titles in the library's Reference collection (such as
encyclopaedias and dictionaries) and in other sources such as our catalogue of books, periodical
databases, and Internet search engines.
Step 3: Make notes
Consult the resources you have chosen and note the information that will be useful in your
paper. Be sure to document all the sources you consult, even if you there is a chance you may
not use that particular source. The author, title, publisher, URL, and other information will be
needed later when creating a bibliography.
Step 4: Write your paper
Begin by organizing the information you have collected. The next step is the rough draft,
wherein you get your ideas on paper in an unfinished fashion. This step will help you organize
your ideas and determine the form your final paper will take. After this, you will revise the draft
as many times as you think necessary to create a final product to turn in to your instructor.
Step 5: Cite your sources properly
Give credit where credit is due; cite your sources.
Citing or documenting the sources used in your research serves two purposes: it gives proper
credit to the authors of the materials used, and it allows those who are reading your work to
duplicate your research and locate the sources that you have listed as references. The MLA and
the APA Styles are two popular citation formats. Failure to cite your sources properly is
plagiarism. Plagiarism is avoidable!
For example, qualitative research can be employed in health care research. One may study
people’s experiences of and access to health care. Various perspectives of patients and
professionals can be understood using qualitative research. An individual’s experiences,
attitudes, and circumstances in life that affect his/her health needs and behavior can likewise
be studied.
Module #4: Ethics and Process of Research
Designing a Research Project Related to Daily Life (Outlining)
ETHICS are broadly the set of rules, written and unwritten, that govern our expectations of our
own and others’ behavior. Effectively, they set out how we expect others to behave, and why.
While there is broad agreement on some ethical values (for example, that murder is bad), there
is also wide variation on how exactly these values should be interpreted in practice.
RESEARCH ETHICS are the set of ethics that govern how scientific and other research is
performed at research institutions such as universities, and how it is disseminated.
Honesty- Honestly report data, results, methods and procedures, and publication status. Do not
fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data.
Objectivity- Strive to avoid bias in experimental design.
Integrity- Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of
thought and action.
Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and
action.
Carefulness- Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine your own
work and the work of your peers. Keep good records of research activities.
Openness- Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources. Be open to criticism and new ideas.
Respect for Intellectual Property- Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual
property. Do not use unpublished data, methods, or results without permission. Give credit
where credit is due. Never plagiarize.
Confidentiality- Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants submitted for
publication, personnel records, trade or military secrets, and patient records.
Social Responsibility- Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social harms
through research, public education, and advocacy.
Competence- Maintain and improve your own professional competence and expertise through
lifelong education and learning; take steps to promote competence in science as a whole.
Legality- Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.
Step 6: Proofread
through the text and check for any errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Make sure the
sources you used are cited properly. Make sure the message that you want to get across to the
reader has been thoroughly stated.
Module #5: Writing a Working Research Title
The purpose of this lesson is to help you craft a remarkable title that reflects your qualitative
work, data and results.
The title is without doubt the part of a paper that is read the most, and it is usually read first. It
summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. A good title contains the fewest possible words
that adequately describe the contents and/or purpose of your research paper.
1. Appropriately reflecting the qualitative paradigm. Manuscript and research titles
matter for qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research. They offer the first
“impression” someone will make of your work. When it comes to qualitative research, certain
words or expression do not naturally fit within the qualitative paradigm as they tend to be linked
to statistical methods used in quantitative research. Some examples are correlation,
increased/decreased risk, association, effect, etc. Obviously, these words might be used in
participants quotations and in the context of a qualitative study; however, avoid using them in
the title because they might covey the wrong impression and, consequently, not reach the right
audience.
2. Knowing your audience. Audience is the key word for the second point about
qualitative research titles. Who is your audience? Where is your qualitative work being
presented? You need to take that into consideration. Depending on where your research is
being presented, you might choose a title that highlights the methods used or one of your
key findings.
3. Being ethical while honoring your participants’ stories, strengths and particularities.
The third and last point about qualitative research titles are also the most important one. If
your participants are individuals or communities who cope with difficult circumstances,
have suffered any form of racism or marginalization and/or have been portrayed in the
media in a negative way, what picture is your title painting? What is your ethical
responsibility? What words can you use to showcase their strengths or uniqueness? Words
and their meaning are powerful and, when in doubt, conduct a quick Google search and use
a reputable dictionary to understand the various meanings of the words you are choosing.
4. Characteristics of a Good Research Title According to rhetoric scholars Hairston and
Keene, making a good title for a paper involves ensuring that the title of the research
 accomplishes four goals. First, a good title predicts the content of the research paper.
Second, a good title should be interesting to the reader. Third, it should reflect the tone of
the writing. Fourth and finally, it should contain important keywords that will make it easier
to be located during a keyword search.
Tips for Writing an Effective Working Research Paper Title
Effective titles in academic research papers have several characteristics.
Module #6: Formulating the Research Questions
A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be improved, a
difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory,
or in practice that points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate
investigation. In some social science disciplines the research problem is typically posed in the
form of a question. A research problem does not state how to do something, offer a vague or
broad proposition, or present a value question.

✓ Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study.

✓ Avoid using abbreviations.
✓ Use words that create a positive impression and stimulate reader interest.
✓ Use current nomenclature from the field of study.
✓ Identify key variables, both dependent and independent.
✓ May reveal how the paper will be organized.
✓ Suggest a relationship between variables which supports the major hypothesis.
✓ Is limited to 10 to 15 substantive words.
✓ Do not include "study of," "analysis of" or similar constructions.
✓ Titles are usually in the form of a phrase, but can also be in the form of a question.
✓ Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words and last words capitalized,
including the first word of a subtitle. All nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that
appear between the first and last words of the title are also capitalized.
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.
The following is a presentation on how a broad topic is limited to create a working title.
General topic : Social Sciences
First reduction: Social Media & Education
Second reduction: Social Media use & Effect on Performance
Third reduction: Social Media Usage & Effect on Performance in
Academics
Final reduction: Social Media Usage on Students’ Academic Performance
Complete Research Title: Effects of Social Media Usage on Students’ Academic
Performance
The purpose of a problem statement is to:
1. Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The reader is oriented
to the significance of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow.
2. Places the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be
investigated.
3. Provides the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary
to conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.
Choose an Effective Purpose Statement
After choosing a specific topic for your academic paper, you need to state it as a clear research
problem that identifies all the issues that you’ll address.
Basic Characteristics of Research Problem
For your research problem to be effective, make sure that it has these basic characteristics:
• Reflecting on important issues or needs;
• Basing on factual evidence (it’s non-hypothetical);
• Being manageable and relevant;
• Suggesting a testable and meaningful hypothesis (avoiding useless answers).
• Formulating your research problem with ease
• Formulating your research problem enables you to make a purpose of your study clear
to yourself and target readers. Focus your paper on providing relevant data to address it. A
problem statement is an effective and essential tool to keep you on track with research and
evaluate it. How can you formulate a powerful research problem? Consider 5 ways to
formulate the research problem:
What Should A Formal Version Be Like?
Any research starts with a problem that you derive from the topic that attracts your attention
after general reading, classroom discussions, etc. Most instructors prefer to set general topics.
To formulate a powerful research problem and impress them, it should be:

• Interesting; of questions in General Physics.

• Relevant;
More specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
• Specific and focused;
• Researchable. 1. What are the pretest and posttest performances of students exposed to the two
different approaches?
Your question should have enough bearing on a given topic and stay within the limits set
by your professors in advance. Pick an interesting subject to stimulate your motivation. It 2. Is there a significant difference in the pretest and posttest performances of students
shouldn’t be very vague or broad. If your research question is broad, you can make it more exposed to the
specific by specific aspects, time periods, or events. There shouldn’t be more than a. conventional approach; and
b. contextual framing approach?
This is working title of the sample study to be used throughout the course is:
Module #7: Establishing the Background Information (Rationale)
EFFECTS OF CONTEXTUAL FRAMING APPROACH ON STUDENTS’
PERFORMANCE IN GENERAL PHYSICS Providing Background Information
The reader should be able to understand your topic and its importance. The length and detail
Here’s how you will do it in your own research title: of your background also depend on the degree to which you need to demonstrate your
understanding of the topic. Paying close attention to the following questions will help you in
1. List down the main ideas in your research title.
writing the background information in your research paper:
a. independent variable: two teaching approaches involved
• conventional approach and
• contextual framing approach Are there any theories, concepts, terms, and ideas that may be unfamiliar to the target
audience and will require you to provide any additional explanation?
b. dependent variable: performance of students in general physics exposed to the two teaching Any historical data that need to be shared in order to provide context on why the
approaches current issue emerged?
• pretest and post test performance of students exposed to conventional approach
Are there any concepts that may have been borrowed from other disciplines that may
• pretest and post test performance of students exposed to contextual framing approach
be unfamiliar to the reader and need an explanation?
2. Convert the main ideas into research questions.
Question 1 What Makes the Introduction Different from the Background?
What are the pretest and posttest performances of students exposed to the two different Your introduction is different from your background in a number of ways. First, the
approaches? introduction contains preliminary data about your topic that the reader will most likely read.
Secondly, the background of your study discusses in depth about the topic, whereas the
Question 2
introduction only gives an overview. Lastly, your introduction should end with your research
Is there a significant difference in the pretest and posttest performances of students exposed
to the questions, aims, and objectives, whereas your background should not (except in some cases
a. conventional approach; and where your background is integrated into your introduction).
b. contextual framing approach?

After try to formulate the research questions according to standards:

Here’s the final sample:

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to determine the effects of contextual framing approach on students’ level
What sources of information can you use?
1. A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or
work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts,
results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings,
speeches, and art objects. 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. The results of empirical studies are typically found in scholarly
articles or papers delivered at conferences.

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 or evaluate someone else's original research.

NOTE: Research studies cited as part of the background information of your introduction
should not include very specific, lengthy explanations. This should be discussed in greater
detail in your literature review section.