THE NATURE AND

FUNCTIONS OF
RESEARCH

AUDIE BRYAN A. BUHAY,LPT, MAEd

Associate Professor I/ Assistant OIC Administrator
THE MEANING OF RESEARCH
Research…
On the basis of its structure, the
word research or re-search implies that
the person has “to search again, to take
another more careful look, to find out
more.” (Selltiz and Others, 1976)
 Research …..

is a systematic, objective and

comprehensive investigation of
certain phenomenon which
involves
accurate gathering, recording and
critical
analyzing and interpreting of all
facts
MAJOR TYPES OF RESEARCH

In general, there are two major types of research – the

pure or theoretical and the applied or practical.

Pure or theoretical – Its main objective is to test or arrive

at a theory with the ultimate goal of establishing general
principles conducted for the sake of knowing.
MAJOR TYPES OF RESEARCH

Applied or practical – done so as to obtain

knowledge for useful ends. In this kind of
research, the intention is not just to
obtain knowledge but to use that
knowledge to solve certain difficulties or
discomfort.
 THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Problem/Objectives Data Processing Data Interpretation and
Discussion
and Analysis

Theoretical/Conceptual Data Conclusions and

Framework
Collection Recommendations/implica
tions

Hypotheses Research
Design
FUNCTIONS OF
RESEARCH
Some of the general functions of research:

 corrects perceptions as well expands them

 gathers information on subjects or phenomena we
lack or have little knowledge about
 develops and evaluates concepts, practices and theories
 develops and evaluates methods that test concepts, practices and
theories
 obtains knowledge for practical purposes like solving problems on
population explosion
 provides hard facts which serve as basis for planning, decision-making,
project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
THE ROLE OF
RESEARCH
Research Planning Implementation

Evaluation Monitoring
RESEARCH
PROBLEM
AND OBJECTIVES
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
A problem is researchable when:
 there is no known answer or solution to it such that a gap in
knowledge exists
 there are possible solutions, the effectivity of which is
untested or unknown yet
 there are answers or solutions, the possible result of which
may seem or may be factually contradictory
 there are several possible and plausible explanations for the
undesirable condition
 when the existence of a phenomenon requires explanation
SOURCES OF A RESEARCH
PROBLEM


personal experience
 symposia, dialogues or ordinary
meetings
 journals, books, theses or
dissertations and mass media
 theories
GOOD RESEARCH
PROBLEM
The following criteria will be useful in choosing a good research
problem:
 problem should be of great interest to the researcher
 problem should be relevant and useful to a specific group of
people
 good problem is novel in that it possesses the element of
newness of freshness
 problem should be well-defined or specified
GOOD RESEARCH
PROBLEM
 problem should be measurable
 problem is time bound
 a problem is good if the study of it will contribute to
the refinement of certain important concepts,
creation or improvement of research instruments
and analytical system and will permit generalizations
 problem is good and researchable on the basis of
the investigator’s capability to meet what it requires:
expertise, manpower, money and time
JUSTIFYING THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
The following guide questions will be helpful in justifying the
research problem:
 Is the problem a current and timely one?
 Is it pervasive or widespread?
 Does it affect a special group of people such as mothers
or children?
 Does it relate to ongoing programs such as land reform,
family planning, etc.?
 Does it relate to broad social, economic and health
issues, such as unemployment, income maldistribution,
aggression?
JUSTIFYING THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
 Who else is concerned about the problem – top
government officials, medical doctors, or other
professionals?

 What are its direct and indirect, short- and long-ranged

contributions, to the welfare of a group of people or to
the whole society?
THE RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
Definition…
An objective has been defined as “ an
effect that is desired or expected to be
achieved by an activity, project or
program.” (Blumenfeld, 1985)
GOOD RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
Good research objectives should not only flow from the
identified research problem but should also have the
following characteristics:
 they should be stated in simple language;
 they use measurable concepts;
 they are attainable;
 they result-oriented; and
 they are time-bounded
 S–M–A–R-T
THE HYPOTHESES
For hypotheses to be considered sound or
good, they must possess three major
characteristics:

 it should be reasonable
 it should be testable
 it should conform
USES OF RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
Aside from making the research problem or objectives
explicit or more specific, hypotheses serve the
following functions:
 they provide guide and direction to the research,
 they indicate the major independent and dependent
variables being considered,
 they suggest the type of data that must be collected,
 they also suggest the type of analyses that must be
made, and
 they indicate the type of statistical measure appropriate
to various tests to be conducted.
ASSUMPTIONS
Meaning…
Assumptions are statements of
facts related to the research
problem which are presumed to be
true on the basis of observations
and experience although not
actually verified.
EXAMPLES
The following are examples of assumptions which investigators
have used in their study:
 People have certain attitudes toward anything.
 The subjects under study belong to a certain socio-economic
stratification.
 Administrators or managers experience job-related tension.
 Any individual wishes/desires acceptance by and belonging to
a social group
 Any social group desires peace, harmony and prosperity
 Rural families have much smaller income than their
counterparts in urban areas.
SCOPE AND
DELIMITATION:
Scope
….. defines the coverage or boundaries of the study in
terms of the area or locality and subjects or population
covered, the duration or period of the study, and the
research issues or concerns to which the investigation is
focused.
Delimitation
….. statements which alert the reader of the research
report to certain constraints over which the researcher
has no control.
Review of Related Literature

............books
……...magazines
………theses
………dissertations
………related readings
………files
………maps
………clippings
………websites
……………from local or foreign authors
 WHY REVIEW?
The following are some reasons for making the review.
 Provides the researcher knowledge and background on the
subject under study.
 Enable the researcher to avoid duplicating or doing the
same study that was already done before.
 If a study on the same topic has been conducted before, it
provides the researcher information about the aspects of
the problem which have not been investigated.
 The researcher will be helped in developing various parts
of his study.
 Provides the researcher insight on the weakness and
problems of previous studies.
WHY THE REVIEW?
 Provides the researcher ideas on how to proceed with his
investigation.
 . In relational and explanatory study, it provides the
researcher basis in determining what variables are related
with each other
 Provides findings and conclusions of past studies which the
researcher may relate to his own findings and conclusions.
 Provide the researcher motivation and impetus that will
ensure a good progress toward the goal of completing his
study.
RESEARCH DESIGNS
APPROPRIATENESS OF THE
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design…
 refers to a scheme or plan of action for
meeting the objectives of the study
 each design has its own applicability
depending on the problems and objectives of
the study
 appropriateness of the research design
depends on which method will help the
investigator attain his research objectives
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY
Reliability – refers to the
consistency, stability or
dependability of the data

Validity – refers to data that are not

only reliable but also true and
accurate.
THREATS TO VALIDITY
The most common threats to validity:
 History
 Selection
 Testing
 Instrumentation
 Maturation
 Mortality
LOCATION OF SOURCE
MATERIALS
Historical materials are likely to be found in the following:
1. National libraries – National Library, Bureau of Higher
Education Library
2. Local libraries – libraries of local colleges and universities
3. Public and private museums
4. Collections of private individuals
5. Records of private and government agencies
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
FORMS
Descriptive research design consists of various
form of which the most widely-employed are:
1. Survey
2. Case study
3. Content analyses
4. Trend analyses
5. Feasibility studies
6. Correlational Study
DATA COLLECTION
 TYPES OF RESEARCH
DATA
Data refers to “research results from which inferences are drawn.”
(Kerlinger, 1986)
By source…
Primary data – are those which are gathered directly from the
informants of the study
Secondary data – are those which have been previously gathered,
compiled and are made available to the researcher for examination
and analysis
TYPES OF RESEARCH
DATA
By form..
Quantitative – when the data are numerical in
nature and have the property of measurability

Qualitative – when the data are descriptions of

the basic nature or characteristics of the object of
investigation
DATA COLLECTION
METHODS
Observation is one of the earliest methods for acquiring
knowledge. (Ardales, 1987)
Observations can be classified into two categories:
Structured – the researcher “knows what aspect of
the group activity are relevant to his or her purposes and is
therefore in a position to develop a specific
plan for the making and recording of observations before he or she
begins collecting data.”
(Selltiz and Others, 1976)
DATA COLLECTION
METHODS
Unstructured – is open and flexible.
According to the proponents of this
method, this type of observation provides
a “richer” and more direct description of
the phenomena under investigation.
(Filstead, 1970; Habenstein, 1970;
Lafland, 1971; and McCall and Simmons,
1969)
DATA COLLECTION
METHODS
Interviews – considered man’s oldest and most often used device
for obtaining information from people. It is a “face-to-face
interpersonal role situation in which one person, the interviewer,
asks a person being interviewed, the respondent, questions
designed to obtain answers pertinent to the research problem.”
(Kerlinger, 1986)
DATA COLLECTION
METHODS
Questionnaire – is a set of carefully
prepared and logically ordered
questions. It is self-administered by
the respondent, meaning, he reads
the questions and writes down his
answers on the space provided.
DATA COLLECTION
METHODS
Focus Group Discussion – with the cooperation
of a relatively large number of persons from
whom information is sought, the researcher
brings them together in one place for
discussion focused on the concerns of the
study.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Use of Available Data
The researcher’s study may not call for the use of the above
methods in generating data. Instead, it may only require an
examination of:
1. Data which have been previously gathered or accumulated
through a regular and systematic system,
2. Materials about personal introspection,
3. Those which were written to inform, entertain or influence
public opinion.
DATA ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
DATA ANALYSIS
Analysis is the examination of
data in terms of characteristics,
patterns, trends and relationship so
as to answer questions or to meet
the objectives of the study.
 ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES FOR
QUALITATIVE DATA
Qualitative data can be analyzed by way of classifying them into
categories.

In the classification of answers/observations into categories three basic

rules should be applied.
1. The set of categories should be derived from a single classificatory
principle.
2. The set of categories should be exhaustive, that is, it should be
possible to place every response in one of the categories of the set.
3. The categories within the set should be mutually exclusive, meaning,
one should not place a given response in more than one category
within the set.
ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES
FOR QUANTITATIVE DATA
Level of Measurement – There are
four levels of measurement which are the:

 Nominal measurement
 Ordinal measurement
 Interval measurement
 Ratio measurement
TYPES OF ANALYTICAL
PROCEDURES
In a research proposal, there is a need to indicate the
analytical procedure that will be used in the study.
1. Descriptive Analysis
2. Univariate Analysis
3. Bivariate Relationships
4. Multivariate Analysis
5. Comparative Analysis
6. Time-series Analysis
7. Cost-effective Analysis
DATA INTERPRETATION
After the data have been
analyzed, it is the task of the
researcher to interpret the results of the
analysis. The purpose of data
interpretation is to “search for the
broader meaning of the research
findings.” (Selltiz and Others, 1976)
THE RESEARCH
REPORT
PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH
REPORT
The purpose of the research report is
to tell its target users and those who will
find value in it the problem investigated,
the methods used to attain the study
objectives, the results and the
conclusions and implications derived from
the results.
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
OF THE REPORT
Basically, the research report should include the following:
1. Introduction
2. Review of Related Literature
3. Methodology
4. Research Results
5. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations and/or
Implications
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF
THE REPORT
The other parts of the report are the following:
Before the body of the report –
1. Title Page
2. Approval Sheet (if theses/dissertations)
3. Preface or Acknowledgement
4. Table of Content
5. List of Tables
6. List of Figures
7. Abstract or Executive Summary
After the body of the report –
8. References/ Bibliography
9. Appendices
PROCEDURE IN WRITING
THE RESEARCH
PROPOSAL
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
Title
The Problem & its Setting
Introduction
a. Background of the study
b. The Problem and/or Study Objectives
c. Theoretical and/or Conceptual Framework
d. Assumptions and hypotheses
e. Definition of Terms
f. Scope and delimitation
g. significance of the Study
II Review of Related Literature and Studies
 III. Methodology
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

a. Research Design
b. Determination of Sample Size (if sample survey)
c. Sampling Technique (if sample survey)
d. Data Gathering Procedure
e. Scaling & quantification

g. Data processing Methods

h. Analytical Procedures
i. Statistical Measures

Schedule of Activities
Thank you for your cooperation !
John Jerick A. Aldovino, MVP