What is Research?
Research is the systematic investigation and the study of materials and source in order
to obtain, establish facts and to reach new conclusions.It is the scientific investigation of
phenomena which includes collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of facts
that lines with an individual’s speculation of reality
Significance of Research
1. To gather necessary information
2. To make changes
3. To improve standard of living
4. For safer life
5. To know the truth
6. To explore history
7. To explore the arts
Types of Research
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1. Empirical
2. Logical – based on valid procedures and principles
3. Cyclical – begins with a problem and ends with a problem
4. Analytical – utilizes proven analytical procedures in gathering data whether historical,
descriptive, experimental, and case study
5. Critical
6. Methodical – conducted in a methodical manner without bias using systematic method and
procedures
7. Replicability – research design and procedure are replicated or repeated to enable the
researchers to arrive to valid and conclusive results
Ethics on Research
What is Ethics?
Branch of study that deals with what is right and what is wrong
Norm for conduct to distinguish between what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior
Functions of Ethics
1. Norms promote the aims of research such as knowledge, truth, and evidence of error.
2. Ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work such as trust,
accountability, mutual respect, and fairness.
3. Ethical norms ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the public.
4. Ethical norms in research is research that helps build public support quality and integrity of
research
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Major Differences Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH RESEARCH
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Types of Research Across Fields
E.g.
Look for HIV cure
How do mushrooms reproduce
E.g.
No. of children affected by measles
Total number of people affected by the super typhoon Yolanda
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7. Exploratory Research – investigates a specific phenomenon which is not clearly defined
- when the issue is new or when the data is difficult to collect
8. Historical Research – analysis of events that occurred in the remote or recent past
E.g.
10. Action Research – refers to the wide variety of evaluative and analytical research methods
designed to diagnose problems
- application of the scientific method in classroom problems
- limited scope
- helpful to beginning researchers
4. Focus Group Discussion – diverse group of six to ten people and whose reactions are
studied especially in market research or political analysis in guided or open discussions about a
new product, concept, etc.
5. Content Analysis - research method for studying documents and communication artifacts,
which might be texts of various formats
6. Narratology – looks at what narratives have in common and what makes one different from
another
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8. Ethnographic Method
9. Case Study - examines a person, place, event, phenomenon, or other type of subject of
analysis in order to extrapolate key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate
previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for
understanding an important research problem with greater clarity
10. Grounded Theory - systematic methodology in the social sciences involving the
construction of theories through methodical gathering and analysis of data
Data Collection
Note Taking
Coding
Memoing
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MODULE 3 – IDENTIFYING THE INQUIRY AND STATING THE PROBLEM
Guidelines in Choosing a Research Topic
1. Interest in the subject matter
Background information
Unfamiliarity
2. Availability of information
Visit the library / e-libraries
RRL sources should at least be 5 years updated
3. Timeliness and Relevance
Timeliness – related to present / updated
Relevance – Significance
4. Limitations on the Subject
5. Personal Resources
Finances, mental capacities, time factor, etc.
Sources of Topics
1. Mass Media Communication – TV, radio, e-mail,
2. Books, Internet, journals, thesis
3. Professional Periodicals
4. General Periodicals
5. Reading Assignments
6. Work Experiences / Student Experiences
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3. The use of terms as “Analysis of”, “A Study of”, “An Investigation of” and the like should
be avoided. All of these are understood to have been done in a research.
4. If the title contains m
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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION
Also called the background of the study
General orientation to the problem area
1. Discussion of the problem in general and the scientific situation observed and experiment by
the researcher (macro to micro approach) – in-text citations should be in APA Style
2. Concepts and ideas related to the problem; definition; including clarification of terminologies
3. Discussion of existing or present conditions and what is aimed to be in future or the gap to be
filled in by the researcher
This is the basic difficulty, the issue, the area of concern, the circumstance which exist,
then how they ought to be
Answer the following questions:
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Tips:
Scope – describes the coverage of the study; answers what is included in the study in terms of
the concept, no. of subjects, and timeline
Delimit – by citing the factors (or variables) are not to be included and the boundary in terms of
time frame, no. of participants who are excluded
DEFINITION OF TERMS
intended to assist you in understanding commonly used terms and concepts when
reading, interpreting, and evaluating scholarly research
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
- network or a “plane” of linked concepts in research
Usually in INPUT, PROCESS, OUTPUT form
Related Literature
Any written materials published in book, journal, magazines, novel, poetry, yearbook,
and encyclopedia
Related Studies
Published and unpublished research studies such as thesis, dissertation, and research
proceedings
Writing an RRL and RRS requires the ability to juggle multiple tasks, from finding and
evaluating relevant material to synthesizing information from various sources, from critical
thinking to paraphrasing, evaluating, and citation skills.
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Ten Simple Rules
1. Define the topic and the audience.
2. Search and re-search the literature.
3. Take notes while reading.
4. Choose the type of review you wish to write.
5. Keep the review focused, but make it of broad interest.
6. Be critical and consistent.
7. Find a logical structure.
8. Make use of feedback.
9. Include your own relevant research.
10. Be up-to-date in your RRL.
Types of Information
General References
Primary Sources – directly report or present a person’s own experiences
Secondary Sources – describe other people’s experiences; most number of materials
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Stage 2: Reading the Source Material
Opening an article with a bibliographical list that begins with the author’s name like the following
is not good.
Examples of better article openings manifesting critical thinking through analysis, comparison
and contrast of ideas and findings are as follows:
Transitional Devices
- also, additionally, again, similarly, a similar opinion, however, conversely, on the
other hand, nevertheless, a contrasting opinion, a different approach, etc.
Active Verbs
- analyze, argues, assess, assert, assume, claim, compare, contrast, conclude,
criticize, debate, defend, define, demonstrate, discuss, distinguish, differentiate,
evaluate, examine, emphasize, expand, explain, exhibit, identify, illustrate, imply,
indicate, judge, justify, narrate, outline, persuade, propose, question, relate to, report,
review, suggest, summarize
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Acknowledgment
– can be found at the beginning of the paper and contains the list of individuals
who contributed in writing the paper
References
- Complete list of all the reading materials and sources that were used in writing the
paper
Citation or In-text
- Reference within the main body of the text
1. Integral Citation
- One way of citing or referring to the author whose ideas appear in your work.
- Often used in social sciences or subjects belonging to the soft sciences
Examples:
APA
One study by Macdon (2018) reveals…
The latest work by (Vitto, 2015) asserts…
According to Abad et. al. (2011) context is..
2. Non-integral Citation
- The stress is given to the piece of information rather than to the owner of the ideas
Example:
a. The Code of Ethics for Intercultural Competences give four ways by which people from
different cultural background can harmoniously relate themselves with one another. (Dela Cruz,
2015)
Patterns of Citation
1. Summary – shortened version of the text that is expressed in your own language
2. Paraphrase – antithesis of the first; instead of shortening the form of the text, you explain
what the text means to you using your own words
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Example:
Sipher (2005) concludes his essay by insisting that schools have failed to fulfill their primary
duty of education because they try to fill multiple social functions.
Example:
Some scholars believe that schools have failed to fulfill their primary duty of education
because they try to fill multiple social functions (Sipher, 2005).
Note: You do not have to include page numbers in paraphrases. Include them only when you feel it
would help the reader find the information (if it's coming from a very long work, for example).
3. Short Direct Quotation – Only a part of author’s sentence, or several sentences, not
exceeding 40 words. It is what you can quote or repeat in writing through this citation pattern.
Since this makes you copy the exact words of the writer, it is necessary that you give the
number of the page where the readers can find the copied words.
Example:
Patients who prayed had "less congestive heart failure, required less diuretic and antibiotic
therapy, had fewer episodes of pneumonia, had fewer cardiac arrests, and were less frequently
intubated and ventilated" (Byrd, 1988, p. 829).
4. Long Direct Quotations or Block Quotations, or Extract – Named in many ways, this
citation pattern makes you copy the author’s exact words, numbering from 40 up to 100 words.
Under APA, the limit is eight lines. Placed at the center of the page with no indentation, the
copied lines look like they compose a stanza of a poem.
Tips:
Place direct quotations in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation
marks.
Indent “about a half inch from the left margin (in the same position as a new paragraph)”
The citation should include the page(s) or paragraph number and should appear after
the end punctuation.
Note:
Block quotations should be used sparingly. Block quotations tend to take over the voice of the paper,
often overshadowing the voice of the author with that source’s voice. Instead, if at all possible, try to
quote smaller portions of the piece of text and incorporate these into your own voice. This practice will not
only allow you to establish your voice as the author but also show the way you are engaging with the
information, not just reporting it.
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Example:
Active verbs are effective to use in reporting author’s ideas. Present their ideas in any of these
tenses: present, simple past, or present perfect tense. The APA system, however, prefers the
use of present perfect tense.
Examples:
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