IIAM10E: Inquiries, Investigation, and Immersion
ADT 121 || Quarter 3
Lesson 1: Inquiry as the Foundation of Research
Defining Research
- a scientific process of asking questions and answering them
through a systematic use of a predefined set of procedures.
- involves systematically collecting evidence using
procedures; produces findings that are applicable beyond the
immediate boundaries of the study.
- a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting
information to increase our understanding of a phenomenon
about which we are interested or concerned; a dynamic, multiple,
adaptable activity of inquiry.
Defining Inquiry as the Foundation of Research
- Inquiry is defined as “a seeking for truth, information, or
knowledge” which is sought through questioning.
- The process of inquiry begins with gathering information and
data through applying the various human senses.
★ Purposes of Research
1. to add to the existing body of knowledge;
2. to improve one’s way of life;
3. to solve societal, global, or community-specific problems;
4. to raise awareness; and
5. to explore and discover useful truth.
Research and Society
- The results and findings of studies also affect society and each
one’s lives; research is vital to our everyday decision-making.
- The research one does, and the evidence gathered will be useful
for future endeavors; it hones basic life skills and makes learning
a lifelong endeavor.
- Research fills in the need to love reading, writing, analyzing, and
sharing valuable information.
- Research is also important in providing a solid foundation for:
- discovery and creation of knowledge, theory-building;
- testing, confirmation, revision, and refutation of knowledge as
theory;
- advancing a discipline or field; and
- advancements and improvements in various aspects of life.
Research Ethics
- the norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and
unacceptable behavior; a method, procedure, or perspective for
deciding how to act and analyzing complex problems and issues.
- A few ethical principles in conducting research include:
- integrity, - confidentiality,
- respecting colleagues, - respect for intellectual property,
- honesty, - legality
- objectivity,
★ Functions of Ethics in Research
- Norms promote the aims of research such as knowledge, truth, and
evidence.
- Ethical standards promote the values that are essential to
collaborative work—trust and accountability.
those
- Ethical norms ensure that researchers can be held accountable to
the public and help build public support for the quality and integrity
of research.
★ Ethical Considerations in Conducting Research
- The following are generally perceived as:
1. The researcher writes a letter and seeks to be allowed to elicit
information needed in their study.
2. The researcher may uncover or get hold of practices may not
be acceptable and sensitive.
3. The researcher is expected to act professionally, maintaining
respect towards the participant.
4. The issues of anonymity and confidentiality are to be observed.
Lesson 2: Introduction & Literature Review
★ Constructing the Research Title
- Precisely indicate the subject and extent of the investigation.
- Avoid utilizing shortened forms.
- Use words that make a positive impression.
- Avoid using the terms “An analysis of…”, “A study of…”, “An
investigation of…”, and the like.
- Use current nomenclature from the field of study.
- Restrict to 10 to 15 meaningful words.
- Use right punctuation and upper casing with every single first word
and final words promoted.
Research and Society
- Far from a traditional format that individuates parts of a research
through chapters, the introduction of an IMRaD format includes:
a. Background of the Study
b. Research Gap
c. Scope and Limitation & Significance of the Study
d. Objectives of the Study
Background of the Study
- the explanation of the area of your study; gives a brief account of the
history of the problem, mentioning whether it has been addressed in any
form before.
- provides context to the topic being discussed in your study, where other
already published sources may either support or refute your thesis.
- The information in your background also depends on the degree to which
you need to demonstrate your understanding of the topic as researchers,
by underscoring whether there are any theories, concepts, terms, and
ideas that may be unfamiliar to the target audience and will require you
to provide any additional information.
- Historical data may also need to be shared to provide context for your
study.
 Research Gap Review of Related Literature (RRL) Matrix
- something that remains to be done or learned in an area of research; it - Using a review matrix enables you to quickly compare and
is the gaps that every research project must have, which the researchers
contrast articles to determine the scope of research across time.
attempt to fill in by conducting the study.
- Also helps you more easily spot differences and similarities
- succinctly identifies the gap the researcher will attempt to address;
between sources about a given research topic.
might be a lack of understanding about how well a particular instrument
works, or introducing a new method that needs to be tested. - This can be customized according to the researcher’s
organization and sorting of information they want to attain,
Scope and Limitation of the Study
- explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the
which may include the following but is not limited to:

work and specifies the parameters within the study will be operating. - Name of Author/s, - Method (addressing the objectives),

- A good scope statement will answer the following questions: - Year of Publication, - Findings, and

1. Why, the general aims and objectives (purpose) of the research. - Title of the Source, - Additional Notes.
2. What, the subject to be investigated and the included variables. - Objectives/Questions,
3. Where, the location or setting of the study; where the data will be gathered
and to which entity the data will belong.
Lesson 3: Materials and Methods
4. When, the timeframe within which the data is to be collected.
5. Who, the subject matter of the study and the population from which they will Defining Materials and Methods
be selected; the population needs to be large enough to be able to generalize.
- This section describes how the results were achieved; thus, this
6. How, how the research is to be conducted, including a description of the
research design (e.g. experimental research, qualitative, case study), should be concise and well-written to help the audience establish
methodology, research tools, and analysis techniques. the proper thought process and understanding of the
Research Gap investigation.
- provides the details about the people and groups of people who will - also serves as a set of instructions for anyone desiring to replicate
benefit upon the completion of the study. the study in the future; with this, it should be straightforward and
- The beneficiaries—individuals and sectors, should be presented.
detailed so that future researchers pursuing the same topic or
Researchers are expected to state the benefits and implications of the
field could reproduce the results sufficiently to allow validation
research to the beneficiaries.
of conclusions.
Objectives of the Study
- The purpose of this section is to provide specific materials,
- a set of declarative statements that explain the purpose and aims of a
general procedures, and methods to critique the scientific value
researcher in studying a certain topic.
of the paper.
- gives the researchers directions on what to focus on the research, how
to construct the literature review, and can serve as a guide in Research Design
formulating the methodology.
- The framework of research methods and techniques chosen by a
- In this manner, the researcher can avoid collecting or including
researcher, which allows the researcher to appropriately choose
information which is unnecessary in understanding the research topic.
their research methods that are suitable for the topic that they
- Questions must be researchable, should be lenient to the research title,
and must be also arranged in logical order. are investigating and set up their studies for success.

Experimental vs. Non-experimental Research Designs

Literature Review
- Experimental research design centers its method on experiments
- a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic,
which includes an experimental group and a control group.
surveys books, scholarly articles, books, and any other sources
- Meanwhile, non-experimental design can describe
relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory
characteristics in a sample or population, establish associations
- contains 3 to 5 paragraphs with 10 to 20 references.
between variables, and can show the similarities and differences
- The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively
of a sample or population.
evaluate, and clarify this previous research; thus, provides a
description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in ★ Common Types of Quantitative Designs
relation to the problem being investigated. Experimental Non-experimental
- designed to provide an overview of sources explored while a. True Experimental - Action research
- Pretest-Posttest - Comparative studies
researching a topic and to demonstrate to the readers how your
- Posttest only - Correlational studies
research fits within a larger field of study. b. Quasi-experimental - Descriptive studies
- It creates a “landscape”, giving readers a full understanding of - Nonequivalent - Developmental studies
- Time Series - Meta-analysis
the developments in the field and informs them that the author
c. Pre-experimental - Methodological studies
has assimilated all previous significant works in the field into - One-shot Study - Needs assessment studies
their research. - One group Pretest-Posttest - Survey studies
★ Common Types of Qualitative Designs
1. Ethnographic Study
- The researcher immerses himself with the people and becomes part of their culture.
2. Historical Study
- concerned with identification, location, evaluation, and synthesis of data from past
events.
3. Case Study
- involves a comprehensive and extensive examination of a particular individual,
group, or situation over time.
4. Grounded-Theory Study
- involves comparing collected units of data against another until categories,
properties, and hypotheses that state relations between these emerge.
5. Narrative Analysis
- The main source of data are the life accounts of individuals based on their personal
experiences.
6. Critical Qualitative Research
- seeks to bring about change and empower individuals by describing and critiquing
social, cultural, and psychological perspectives in present-day contexts.
7. Post Modern Research
- seeks to analyze the facts that have been established as truths, the ability of
research and science to discover the truth, and all generalizations and typologies.
8. Phenomenological Design
- seeks to find the essence or structure of experience by explaining how complex
meanings are built out of simple units of inner experience.
9. Basic Interpretative Qualitative Study
- used when a researcher is interested in identifying how individuals give meaning to
a situation or phenomenon.
10. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
- aims to explore in detail how participants are making sense or give meanings in
particular experiences, events states for participants.
Conceptual Framework
- a graphic representation or non-prose text that provides the
scope, range, or limit of the research; presents the understanding
of the researchers about how their valuables in their study
become connected to each other.
- Furthermore, it acts as a map that guides both the researchers
and the reader about the direction of investigation.
★ Sample Conceptual Frameworks
1. Input-Process-Output (IPO) Model
- describes the information processes by listing the independent variable, the analysis
of data, and the dependent variable.
2. Independent Variable-Dependent Variable (IV-DV) Model
- especially useful for experimental research and it presents a “higher order” of
variable relationship.
3. Predictor-Criterion (PC) Model
- presents the influence or association between variables, useful in presenting impacts
between variables under study.
★ Purposes of Conceptual Framework
1. It enables the readers to obtain a general understanding of the
research.
2. It gives people a notion on the research activities you want to
perform, on the manner you want to carry these activities out, and
on the knowledge you have to prove your familiarity with your
research topic.
3. It also serves the purpose of clarifying concepts and their
relationships with one another in a research study.
Operational Definition of Terms
- Researchers may use some terms that are too technical to define,
either jargon or cannot be expressed in simple terms.
- These terms can be defined conceptually through browsing the
definitions in a dictionary, or defined based on how it is used in
the research—operational definition. The definition of terms may
differ among studies.
Research Instruments
- acts as a tool in collecting or obtaining, measuring, and analyzing
data that are connected to the topic of interest of the researchers.
- There are many different types of research instruments (survey
questionnaire, interview, experiments, observation), however,
the researchers should choose an appropriate tool that will
answer the objectives of their research.
★ Common Types of Qualitative Designs
1. Interview
- where the researchers and participants interact; takes place when verbal questions
are asked by an interviewer to elicit verbal responses from an interviewee.
2. Observation
- where the researchers make observations and record individual’s behavior.
3. Survey Questionnaire
- consists of series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from
participants; a set of standardized questions for gathering information from a group
of individuals.
- Usually, before a survey questionnaire is administered to your actual participants,
its reliability index needs to be determined in order to say that the survey
questionnaire you will create or adopt shall possess an adequate reliability rate.
★ Common Types of Quantitative Designs
Open Question - the respondents will make their own answers
based on their insights and ideas.
Closed Question - the respondents will choose their answers to the
given choices or alternatives.
4. Experiment
- a scientific method of data gathering; follows a strict protocol or procedure to
eliminate possible error.
Participants
- The researchers should explain who their participants are, as well
as the criteria in selecting them: the age, place, gender, and how
you recruited them.
- should also narrate the sampling technique and sample size
employed in selecting participants.
Sample vs. Population
- A population is the entire group that you want to draw
conclusions about, while sample is the specific group that you
will collect data from.
- The sample serves as the representative of the population. In
research, population is not only about people, but could be
species, organisms, countries, objects, etc.
★ Purpose of Sample in Research
- Utilizing samples in research is essential because it will not be
practical if the researchers will use the whole population as
participants because of:
1. large and complicated characteristics;
2. time factor—a sample can give immediate information than
population;
3. inaccessibility of some population which is also associated with
time, cost, and accessibility.
4. accuracy—a sample may be more accurate than testing the whole
population sloppily.

Data Gathering Process

- a detailed presentation of the various phrases of the data

gathering, from start to finish; provides a description of what

exactly transpired in each phrase.
- It entails how you are going to collect needed data for your study

using the research method you will employ. For this part, you can
include steps as to how you will undertake your research.

Data Analysis
- clearly states the statistical tools used to address the problems

that require quantitative techniques. It is important to define the

statistical tools that you will use in your study.
- As a researcher, it is essential that you also discuss how you will

use the specific statistical tool/treatment in your study.

Ethical Considerations
- Researchers should consider the privacy and confidentiality of the

included participants. Further, you should state the measures you

conducted to maintain the confidentiality of the participants.
- As researchers, you should discuss that consent was given before

the conduct of an interview or of facilitating the survey

questionnaires or experiments.

★ Common Pitfalls when Writing Materials and Methods

1. including results in the Method section,
2. including extraneous details, and
3. treating the method as a chronological history of what happened.

★ Common Mistakes when Writing Research Papers

1. overlength papers,
2. proofreading and unreadable papers,
3. paper that contains plagiarized content,
4. irrelevant information,
5. poor organization—paragraphs should flow naturally,
6. not showing that the problem that the author wants to solve is
important and challenging.