RESEARCH ESSENTIALS

SHIELILO R. AMIHAN
09178028162/ shielilo.amihan@perpetualdalta.edu.ph
OBJECTIVES
• UNDERSTANDING ON ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS IN
RESEARCH
• CONCEPTUALIZE A GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM
• DECIDE ON MOST APPROPRIATE RESEARCH
DESIGN
• DEVELOP A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
• ADDRESS KEY CONCERNS AND ISSUES IN
RESEARCH
• MOTIVATED IN DOING RESEARCH
THE NATURE OF RESEARCH
“Research consists in seeing what
everyone else has seen, but thinking
what no one else has thought.”

― Albert Sczent-Gyorgyi
NATURE OF RESEARCH…

•OBJECTIVE
•SYSTEMATIC
•EMPIRICAL
•LAWFUL
RESEARCH REALITIES
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
 γνῶθι σεαυτόν
• The search for truth=
love for wisdom=
PHILOSOPHY

• “KNOW THYSELF”
• PHILOSOPHICAL ORIENTATIONS=PARADIGMS

• POSITIVISM------------------------CONSTRUCTIVISM
 COMPARISON OF THE RESEARCH
PARADIGMS
ASSUMPTION TYPE POSITIVIST CONSTRUCTIVIST
Nature of Reality Universal and Local and Subjective
Apprehendable
The Researcher Independent Interactive
and those being
Researched
Role of Values Biases held in Subjectivity is
check (Objective) inevitable and
desirable
Methodology QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
 PURPOSES OF RESEARCH
PURPOSE QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE

IDENTIFY X +

DESCRIBE + +

EXPLORE + +

PREDICT AND CONTROL + X

EXPLAIN + +
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
CONCEPTUAL

DESIGN
AND
DISSEMINATION
PLANNING

ANALYSIS EMPIRICAL
THE CONCEPTUAL PHASE
•FORMULATE AND LIMIT THE
PROBLEM
•REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE
•DEVELOP THE THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
•FORMULATE THE HYPOTHESES
KEY CONCEPTS AND
INTERRELATIONSHIPS

CONCEPT VARIABLE THEORY HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH PLANNING:
the PROBLEM
EVOLVED INTO ANOTHER
PROBLEM!
THE CURRENT SCENARIO
GUIDES IN RESEARCH
CONCEPTUALIZATION
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM:
CONCEPTUALIZATION
BROAD TOPIC

EXPERTS’ VIEW

RESEARCH
FINDINGS

GAPS

FOCUSED
TOPIC
CONSIDERATIONS
• POTENTIALS AND INTEREST OF
RESEARCHER
• RELEVANCE
• SIGNIFICANCE
• RESEARCHABILITY
• MANAGEABILITY
• AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES
• RIGOR
SOURCES
1. RESEARCH AGENDA
2. CURRENT TRENDS
3. NEW POLICIES
4. CRITICAL ISSUES
5. POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE FUTURES
6. GAPS
7. INNOVATIONS
8. SPECIALIZATION
9. CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE
10. PUBLISHABLE
LITERATURE REVIEW
• RULE OF THUMB: “KEEP THEM LONG
ENOUGH TO COVER THE AREA, BUT SHORT
ENOUGH TO REMAIN INTERESTING”

• DILEMMA: OMITTING RELEVANT LITERATURE-

OVERDONE LITERATURE

• SYNTHESIS: PREPARING THE SPRINGBOARD

THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• THEORIES
• Best possible explanations of
phenomena (explanatory model)
• Suggest the variables of study
• Propose the relationships among
variables

• CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
THE RESEARCH PARADIGM
• SERVES AS OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK OF THE
RESEARCH BASED ON THE THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
• ILLUSTRATION OF THE VARIABLES UNDER STUDY
• REVEALS THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG
VARIABLES
• SERVES AS GUIDE IN THE ANALYSIS OF DATA
• BASIS IN STATING OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY, IN
TURN, THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY
RESEARCH PARADIGM
DESCRIPTIVE/STATUS STUDY

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RESEARCH PARADIGM
CORRELATIONAL/ASSOCIATIONAL

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- -
-
RESEARCH PARADIGM
CAUSE AND EFFECT

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- -
-
RESEARCH PARADIGM
CAUSATION WITH MODERATOR VARIABLE

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-

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RESEARCH PARADIGM
CAUSAL SEQUENCE
RESEARCH PARADIGM
REGRESSION/PREDICTOR
THE DESIGN PHASE
•METHODOLOGY
•PARTICIPANTS
•APPARATUS/INSTRUMENTS
(DATA COLLECTION)
•PROCEDURE
THE QUANTITATIVE METHOD
• Strengths
• Easy to implement the research (surveys,
questionnaire)
• Precise and numerical research data for ANALYSIS
AND INTERPRETATION
• Useful for large sampling size
• Weaknesses
• Theory and hypotheses might not reflect real
phenomena
• could be too general and lack depth
• Bias on pre-determined theory and hypotheses
QUALITATIVE METHOD
• Strengths
• For Complex phenomena and unique context
• Research is more dynamic and flexible
• More in-depth
• Weaknesses
• Applies only to specific context
• Time consuming and resource intensive
• Personal biases
QUALITATIVE DESIGNS
• ETHNOGRAPHY
• CONVERSATION ANALYSIS
• DISCURSIVE ANALYSIS
• FOUCAULDIAN DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
• NARRATIVE
• PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
• INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL
ANALYSIS
• GROUNDED THEORY
• CASE STUDIES
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
• SURVEY
• OBSERVATION (NATURALISTIC)
• EXPERIMENTS
• INTERVIEWS
• FOCUS GROUPS
• HISTORICAL DATA/ARCHIVES
PARTICIPANTS
•POPULATIONS AND SAMPLES
•SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
•COMPUTING FOR THE SAMPLE
SIZE
POPULATION VS SAMPLE
RATIONALE FOR SAMPLE
• Less time consuming than a census

• Less costly to administer than a

census

• It is possible to obtain statistical

results of a sufficiently high precision
based on samples.
 SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
Samples

Non-Probability Probability Samples

Samples

Simple Systematic
Judgement Random

Convenience Cluster
Stratified
THE SAMPLE SIZE
• FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED:
• the effect size,
• tolerance for errors in decision (Type I and
Type 2 errors),
• statistical power, and
• statistical test to be used.

Statistical power analysis involves finding

the optimal combination these, along with the
sample size (through software packages e.g.
G*Power)
CONSIDERATIONS IN
INSTRUMENTATION
• Validity
• Reliability
• Sensitivity
• Generalizability
• Appropriateness
• Objectivity and Fairness
ANALYSIS OF DATA
•QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS (NVIVO…)
•QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS (SPSS)
• LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT
• UNIVARIATE, BIVARIATE AND
MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS
STATISTICS ANALYSIS
• FOR ASSOCIATION
• PEARSON R
• PARTIAL CORRELATION
• SPEARMAN RHO
• CHI-SQUARE TEST
• FOR CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS
• REGRESSION ANALYSIS
• PATH ANALYSIS
• STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING
• FOR DIFFERENCE
• T-TEST
• ANOVA
RESEARCH PROCEDURES
• KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN INTERVIEW
• THE IMPORTANCE OF RAPPORT
• FOLLOW-UP
• LEADING AND OTHER TECHNIQUES
• TIME CONSIRATIONS
• KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN SURVEY
• ATTRITION RATE
• TIME CONSIDERATIONS
• ADMINISTRATION
• COMMUNICATION PRE-REQUIREMENTS
• COVER LETTER
PROPOSAL COMPONENTS
• TITLE
• PROPONENT/S
• DEPARTMENT/AFFILIATION
• BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE
• OBJECTIVES
• METHODOLOGY
• THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• PROPOSED SCHEDULE
• BUDGET ESTIMATE
• ENDORSEMENT AND APPROVAL
RESEARCH PLAN EVALUATION
RESEARCH WRITING
•CONTENT
•FORMAT
•EXPRESSION OF IDEAS
•PUBLICATION
EVALUATING CONTENT
• QUESTION SIGNIFICANT?
• WORK ORIGINAL?
• RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF INSTRUMENT?
• OUTCOMES ALIGNED?
• DESIGN TEST THE HYPOTHESIS?
• REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POPULATION?
• ETHICAL STANDARDS?
• PUBLISHABLE?
FORMAT: THE IMRAD
•INTRODUCTION
•METHOD
•RESULTS, AND
•DISCUSSIONS
RESEARCH ETHICS
•to ensure the accuracy of
scientific knowledge
•to protect the rights and welfare
of research participants
•to protect intellectual property
rights
ETHICAL ISSUES
• DECEPTION
• DEBRIEFING
• INFORMED CONSENT
• CONFIDENTIALITY
• PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION
• ETHICAL AWARENESS
 GENERAL
REMINDERS
DOs OF RESEARCH
•KNOW PRIORITIES
•COLLABORATE
•BE RESOURCEFUL
DON’TS OF RESEARCH
• DON’T STUDY UNDER THOSE WHO HAVE
NOT PUBLISHED IN PEER-REFEREED
JOURNALS ON THEIR OWN
• DON’T DO QUANTI W/O A CLEAR THEORY
• DON’T DO QUALI W/ SUPERFICIAL
ANALYSIS
• DON’T STOP UNTIL YOUR WORKS GET
PUBLISHED
PRACTICAL TIPS!
• HAVE AS MANY “LAWYERS” AS YOU CAN HAVE.
• UNDERSTAND “INSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS”.
• STUDY THE PROBABLE “INTERROGATORS”.
• MAKE USE OF “RECOMMENDATIONS”.
• STANDARDIZED INSTRUMENTS ARE
“PACKAGES”.
• SUBSCRIBE TO “YOUR” JOURNALS.
• DO NOT “OVER-ANALYZE”
• LISTEN TO YOUR “SUPER EGO”
 RESEARCH IS A
JOYFUL AFFAIR…
THERAPEUTIC AND
REWARDING!
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!