QUALITATIVE

RESEARCH

Practical Research 1
 What is Research approach that deals
with the understanding the
Qualitative meaning people
Research? have constructed, that is,
how people make sense of
their world and the
experiences they have in
the world (Merriam, 2009. )
Qualitative Research Methods?
1. Participant Observation- Immersion in
the natural setting.
2. Observation- systematic noting or
recording of events.
3. In-depth Interviewing- Large amount of
data are gathered quickly and immediate
follow-up and clarifications are possible.
Qualitative Research Methods?
4. Focus Group Interviewing- Asks
focused questions, in order to encourage
discussion and the expression of differing
opinions and points of view.
5. Content Analysis- Systematic
examination of forms of communication to
document patterns objectively.
Qualitative Research Methods?
6. Narratology- Narrative inquiry (story
telling, retelling and reliving of personal
experiences)
7. Films, Videos and Photography-
Provide visual records of events.
Strengths of Qualitative Research
1. Offers the best light on or best answers
to certain phenomena-social, economic,
political or even psychological.
2. Results are exhaustive.
Strengths of Qualitative Research
3. Offers several avenues to understand
phenomena, behavior, human conditions
and the like.
4. Can build on, or even develop theories
through consistent themes, categories,
relationships.
Weaknesses of Qualitative Research
1. Total immersion in the natural setting of
the research can be time-consuming,
tedious and resource-draining.
2. The personal-self and the researcher-self
are inseparable, so, subjectivity, on the
part of the researcher, can happen.
 Begin with a
TOPIC in mind
9
TOPIC
Relevant
Clear Ethical
Feasible 10
Problem A problem is precisely a question
that needs an answer or solution.
One who contemplates to work
on a research study must first of
all be able to identify a specific
problem; hence the study on the
stages of research process is the
temple of his soul, to a research
study, the problem is the
centerpiece of a scientific inqiury.
Selecting the Problem
P - Propriety - is the inquiry appropriate in terms of the needs of the
respondents or significant others? it is a pressing a problem that needs
immediate attention?
R - Relevance - is the subject relevant to the present time, condition, and
place?
O - Originality - is it an original study in some respects in the area? is it not a
repetition of a study in the same span of period in the same place?
B - Benefits - will the findings give the greatest good of the greatest
number?
L - Legality - is the study lawful? will it not encroach upon the lawful rights of
others?
E - Essentiality - will the findings be essential to some particular fields of
disciplines?
M - Measurability - is the study measurable? does it fit the essence of the usual
acronym, SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-
Bound.
SOURCES OF RESEARCH TOPICS
1. Pressing issues on an individual, organizational
or societal level or success stories
2. Wide reading/critical film viewing (books,
journals, magazines, newspapers,
monographs, films, videos and documentaries)
3. Social networking
SOURCES OF RESEARCH TOPICS
4. Replication (theses and dissertations)
5. Lectures, Talks, Seminars
6. Gray Areas (these are points of interest but very
little is known about them)
Ex: Is female circumcision still practiced among
specific groups of people?
Synthesis: Your interest will bring you
to wider reading, pursuit of relevant
materials like pictures, videos and the
like, and equally important, to people
who have knowledge of interest in your
topic.
WRITING A RESEARCH
TITLE
Title: Original, Clear,
Concise & Specific
 3 Basic tips on writing a good
research paper title
1] Keep it simple, brief and attractive: The
primary function of a title is to provide a precise
summary of the paper’s content. So keep the title
brief and clear.
2] Use appropriate descriptive words: A good
research paper title should contain key words used in
the manuscript and should define the nature of the
study.
 3 Basic tips on writing a good
research paper title
3] Avoid abbreviations and jargon. Lesser-
known or specific abbreviations and jargon that
would not be immediately familiar to the
readers should be left out.
 
Randomized trial of X therapy for improving cognitive
function in 40 dementia patients from 6 cities in Japan
reports improved cognitive function

Randomized trial of X therapy for improving cognitive

function in 40 dementia patients 
(Length of finalized title: 13 words) 

Subtitle title
X therapy improves cognitive function in 40 dementia
patients: A randomized trial 
(Title length: 12 words)
 Broad and Specific Topics
Broad: Low Self-Esteem
Specific: Low Self-Esteem in Adolescents: Root
Causes, Manifestations and Intervention

Broad: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Specific: HIV: Causes, Prevention, Treatment and
Care
 Broad and Specific Topics
Broad: Pioneer Senior High School Graduates
Specific: Pioneer Senior High School Graduates:
Experiences, Achievements and Challenges
Broad: Smoking
Specific: Health Hazards of Direct and Indirect
Smoking: Prevention and Cure
THE
RESEARCH
PROBLEM
What is a • It is a situation that needs a
solution and for which there
Research are possible solutions.
Problem? • It may be described as an
incongruence; a discrepancy
between what is and what
ought to be. (knowledge gap
to be filled)
WRITING THE
STATEMENT
OF THE
PROBLEM
 What is • It is a description of an issue
currently existing which needs
the to be addressed . It provides
Problem context for the research study
and generates the questions
Statement? which the research aims to
answer.
• It is the focal point of the
research, the alpha and omega.
Key • The Problem itself, stated clearly
Components and with enough contextual detail
to establish why it is important
of the • The Method of solving the
Statement of problem, often stated as a claim
the Problem or working thesis
• The Purpose, statement of
objective and scope of the project
being proposed
 Stating Research Questions
Specific: Low Self-Esteem in Adolescents: Root
Causes, Manifestations and Intervention
Research Questions:
1. What are the root causes of low self-esteem in
adolescents?
2. What kind of behavior do adolescents with low
self-esteem manifest?
3. What intervention program could be proposed
to boost the self-esteem of adolescents?
 Stating Research Questions
Specific: Experiences of Filipino Fathers and
Mothers on Natural Disaster
Research Questions:
1. What reactions do Filipino fathers and mothers
experience during and after a natural disaster?
2. How do they cope with the experience of a
natural disaster?
3. How do the experiences of Filipino fathers and
mothers differ in terms of coping and reaction?
 Stating Research Questions
Specific: Impoverished School Children in Legazpi City: A
Case Study
Research Questions:
1. How are the impoverished school children analyzed in the following
conditions:
1.1 Social
1.2 Economics
1.3 Health and Nutrition
2. What are the difficulties and concerns of these school children in attending
school?
3. What assistance program could be proposed to help in the socio-economic
and health concerns of the school children?