WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER

(For Qualitative Research)

Ignatius Deodatus E. Alonso, LPT

University of the Visayas – Dalaguete Campus
 TITLE
Is the title a good one, does it suggests key variables and
the study population?
 WRITING THE INTRODUCTION
Guide Question for each paragraph:
First Paragraph
What is the study all about? (1-2 paragraphs)
Second Paragraph
What other authors say about the topic? This is the
literature review part. (2 or more paragraphs)
Paragraph 3
What are the gaps in knowledge with respect to the
topic? (1-2 paragraphs)
Paragraph 4
What do you plan to do with the gap in knowledge? (1-
2 paragraphs)
 FIRST PARAGRAPH
I usually write the answer to the question: WHAT IS THE
STUDY ABOUT? at the end of the first paragraph. Then, I
work my way up to the first sentence of the paragraph.
The last sentence of the paragraph serves as my compass
in writing.
Last sentence: “This study models the spread of HIV in the city of
Cebu and uses the model to predict the AIDS cases in the city by
2020”.
Second to the last sentence: ”Although statistical data on HIV
incidence in Cebu point to an alarming 7% incidence rate (DOH,
2015), no scientific model has been developed for public health
policy purposes.”
Third to the last sentence: ”The World Health Organization
(WHO, 2010) warned of the unprecedented rise in HIV cases
particularly among developing countries in the world.”
Fourth to the last sentence: “ De Groot et al. (2010) averred that
AIDS is a disease that spreads as a function of the lifestyle of
people across the globe.”
First Sentence: “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is
a communicable disease caused by human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) which damages the human immune system (Harvard
Center for Communicable Diseases, 2009).
 PUT SENTENCES TOGETHER:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a communicable disease
caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which damages the human
immune system (Harvard Center for Communicable Diseases, 2009). De
Groot et al. (2010) averred that AIDS is a disease that spreads as a function
of the lifestyle of people across the globe. The World Health Organization
(WHO, 2010) warned of the unprecedented rise in HIV cases particularly
among developing countries in the world. Although statistical data on HIV
incidence in Cebu point to an alarming 7% incidence rate (DOH, 2015), no
scientific model has been developed for public health policy purposes in the
country. This study models the spread of HIV in the city of Cebu and uses
the model to predict the AIDS cases in the city by 2020.
 SECOND PARAGRAPH
1. Emphasize that the literature must pertain to the topic
mentioned in the previous paragraph.
2. In order ensure a sound sampling of the recent studies
conducted, require at least five(5) studies or literature to
be reviewed.
 SECOND PARAGRAPH
“The most common epidemiologic model for the spread of
communicable diseases uses the compartmentalized
“Susceptibles-Infectious-Recovered” (SIR) model (Devaney, 2000;
Yamasaki et al. , 2007). Such models are useful for controlling the
spread of communicable diseases since one can concentrate on
any one or two compartments at any given time (De Groot, 2010;
Albert, 2012).”
 THIRD PARAGRAPH
1. The determination of the gap in knowledge can be tricky. It
requires thorough knowledge of the subject matter.
2. The “gap in knowledge” that one identifies here leads to the
need to conduct the study and justifies paragraph one.
3. The usual default answer to this question is to say “no
studies have yet been done in the Philippine setting” or some
similar statement.
 THIRD PARAGRAPH
“The models that have been reviewed revealed that the main
focus of the epidemiologic models is on the relative changes in
the sizes of the compartments of the S-I-R. The models have not
taken into consideration how these relative sizes are influenced
by the social lifestyles of the people under consideration”
 FOURTH PARAGRAPH
This is a sketch of the idea that one wishes to try out to
respond to the gap in knowledge.
 FOURTH PARAGRAPH
“Social lifestyles such as multiple sexual partnerships,
commitment, protected sex practices, and health checkups are
lifestyle factors that can impact on the rate at which entry into
any of the epidemiologic compartments S, I or D (death) slows or
accelerates. Functional relationships between these social
parameters and the disease parameters will be determined in the
final model to be developed in this study.”
 ATHEORITICAL STANCE
•Most qualitative researches need no theoretical
background
•Discuss that the study starts without a theory in order to
suspend a priori and avoid biases in the data collection.
Atheoretical Stance
The researcher decided to keep away from referring to any theoretical framework,
linguistic notion or principle in the whole phase of this study. This is to primarily
uphold a raw and unbiased study treatment to the structural analysis of the Cebuano-
Visayan language. While this research aims to identify a specific linguistic notion
through studying morphological variation of the language, it is expedient that the
research will not be predisposed by prevailing studies so to get a first-hand and raw
findings to formulate a specific theoretical stance that will support whatever the
resulting claims this study will produce in the end. Primarily, this study will focus only
on the structural analysis of the morphological variations through data gathered and
their interpretation as collated by the researcher. However, this research will highlight
the philosophical stances of the researcher. It is highlighted that a research study must
be ensured of its reliability and validity through the use of the appropriate questions
especially in asking informants of their knowledge, views, opinions to the subject
matter as well as the differences of which that prevail. The philosophical stance is also
the foundation of a qualitative research since it is viewed from a very subjective
standpoint. Specifically, this study will focus on the following assumptions:
 Philosophical Stance (Assumptions)

•Ontology
•Epistemology
•Axiology
•Methodology
•Rhetoric
 DOMAIN OF INQUIRY
Composed of the Main Problem and the Specific Research Questions.
For the main problem:
For Qualitative Research. The (purpose/aim/goal/intent/objective) of this
(qualitative tradition) study is to (action of the research) the
(foci/outcome: encode/buzz verbs) of the (central phenomenon)
for/among (participant/s) at (site).
For the specific research question:
Phenomenology ask meaning questions and descriptive experiential
questions, Grounded Theory asks process questions, Ethnography asks
descriptive questions about culture.
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH FOCI/OUTCOME:ENCODE/BUZZ
ACTION OF THE RESEARCH
TRADITION VERBS

•Explore •Lived-in experience

Phenomenology •Describe •Experience
•Discover •Meaning
•Essence

•Culture
•Describe •Roles/lifeways
Ethnography •Analyze •Cultural
•Conduct an in-depth analysis behavior/language/portraits/
•Discover themes
•culture sharing group
•Understand •Processes
•Discover •Social structures
Grounded Theory •Develop •Social interactions
•Generate •Grounded/substantive theory
•discover •propositions
 Types of Sample Format
Questions

Meaning •What does it take for (population) to experience (condition/illness/circumstance)?

Process •What is the process by which (population) copes with, adopts to, or lives with
(condition/ illness/circumstance)?

Descriptive,
•What is it like for (population) to experience (condition/illness/circumstance)?
Experiential

Descriptive, •How does (cultural group) manage/experience/address/structure

Cultural (condition/illness/circumstance)?
Domain of Inquiry
The purpose of this phenomenological study is describe the lived experiences of
being a student and at the same time an employee among the non-academic scholars at
the University of the Visayas – Dalaguete Campus for the School Year 2017 -2018
Specifically, it answers the following set of questions:
1. What is it like for the non-academic scholars at UV-Dalaguete to experience studying
and working at the same time?
2. What are the challenges encountered in being a non-academic scholars in performing
their duties as:
2.1. a student;
2.2. an employee.
3. What are the benefits of being a non-academic scholar?
4. Based on the findings, what intervention program can be proposed?
 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The researchers need to identify those who are to benefit
from the study: people, institutions, and agencies. The
researchers need to cite how they will be benefited from
the findings of the research. The researchers should not
fail to include the other researchers as beneficiaries and
what they are expected to benefit.
 Significance of the Study
The study is very significant nowadays for the Philippine Education
committees propose the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) and discourage the
use of traditional methods (e.g. lecture method) in teaching. The study is
beneficial to the following individual/s, group of individuals, and organization/s.
The students are the primary benefactor of this study for they directly
experience the method the teacher utilized in teaching the subject specifically
the three (3) core subjects namely: (1) English, (b) Mathematics, and (c) Science.
The teachers will also benefit the study for they are the implementer of the
teaching-learning process. They are people who will utilize the different methods
in teaching to bring meaningful learning to the students.
 Definition of Terms
The first step is to determine the key terms or phrases used in the
study. The researchers need to determine first its conceptual
definition before defining them operationally. Conceptual
definitions are taken from books, encyclopedias, periodicals,
magazine and journals. After determining its conceptual definition,
the researchers define the key terms and phrases operationally.
Operational definition is how these key terms or phrases are: (1)
taken to mean in the study; (2) used in the study; or (3) measured in
the study. Terms to be defined should be arranged alphabetically.
 Definition of Terms
• Cebuanos refer to the individuals who speaks Visayan dialect
rooted from Astro-Malayan language and who performs a
specific culture-based health care practice. This refers to the
informants of the study.
• Mathematics achievement is the measure of students’
learning in algebra. In this study, mathematics achievement
refers to the score of a student in the thirty-item teacher-made
test on polynomials.
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND
STUDIES
Related Literature
An introductory statement should be made before presenting the
related literature. Conceptual literature cited should be taken from
books, news papers or magazines.
Related Studies
This should be taken from published or unpublished thesis, journals
and other research study materials.
Note: For qualitative studies which are inductive in nature, this chapter
is omitted in this portion and related literatures and studies are
integrated in the results and discussion chapter/s or collapsed in the
theoretical framework as the case may be.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES
DESIGN
A research method refers to the design for data collection and
data analysis. The major research design is quantitative and
qualitative study. It should be discussed or presented on how the
design helps in data gathering.

•Discuss the research design or method of choice

•Discuss how the design will be applied in the current study
Common Designs for Quantitative Common Designs For Qualitative

• Descriptive Correlational • Descriptive Qualitative

• Descriptive Comparative • Phenomenology
• Experimental • Ethnography
• Quasi-Experimental • Grounded Theory
• Survey Designs and • Case Studies
Evaluations • Historical
ENVIRONMENT/LOCALE
If the study is qualitative or non experimental, the research
environment should be presented with its locale. The research
environment presents a profile, historical account, vision-
mission, and the feature of the participants being studied.
Present the practices, lifeways, educational statistics, health
statistics, as the case may be.
The research locale only refers to the place or locale of the
study. If the study is experimental, we only present the research
locale without the research environment.
PARTICIPANTS
Subjects/Respondents/Informants. Please use the
appropriate terminology, informants for qualitative researchers,
respondents for those who answer the questionnaire, and
subjects for those being acted upon by the study.
Sampling Technique. This presents the sampling technique.
For quantitative study, probability sampling designs are
recommended, but may use nonprobability sampling designs.
Qualitative study will only use nonprobability technique.
INSTRUMENTS
The most common research instruments are review of
documents, direct observation, participant observation,
interview, self-made questionnaire. The researchers need to
decide on the type of research instrument that will best gather
the data and information needed in the study (questionnaire,
opinionnaire, schedule interview guide, observation).
DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE
Dry Run Procedures. This segment renders an exposition of
the dry run procedures for establishing the validity and reliability
of the data collection instruments.
Data Collection. This segment describes and narrates the step-
by-step process, courses of action or sequence of events in the
administration of the instruments and the retrieval of
accomplished instruments.
DATA ANALYSIS (may use Statistical Treatment for
quantitative research)
This presents the statistical tests used in the processing of
data. Describe the statistical tools used and for what purpose it is
used.
If a software was used in the computation, then indicate the
software and its version and license, if any (SPSS, MINITAB,
STATA, etc.).
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
– Protection of Human Rights
– Privacy and confidentiality
– Incentives or Compensation
– Conflict of Interest
– Vulnerability of the Participants

REFER TO IRB
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary Of Findings
Present in outline form the main findings without giving any
interpretation. The order should follow the sequences of the
topics previously based on the sub-problems.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion is the formulation of generalizations based on collected
data. This presents broad statements or generalizations based on the
findings of the study with the purpose of answering the main problems.
Broad generalizations not supported by data or findings should be
avoided. The statements should be based from the theory used.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations are suggestions for the improvement of practices,
policies, and implementing strategies relative to the research.
Recommendations are divided into specific and general
recommendations. Specific recommendations are based on the findings
and conclusions of the study itself.
 Thank You !!!

“Nothing is constant, so embrace change.”

-Babaran-