ENGLISH 10

LESSON 1: Nature of Research

INQUIRY vs. RESEARCH

Inquiry is to look for information Both involve investigation. Research is to discover truths by
by asking various questions about Cooperative learning investigating on your chosen topic
the thing you are curious about. scientifically.

I. Research
 It is a process of executing various mental acts for discovering and examining facts and
information to prove the accuracy or truthfulness of your claims or conclusions about the topic
of your research.
 It requires you to inquire or investigate about your chosen research topic by asking questions
that will make you engage in top-level thinking strategies. (interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing,
criticizing, appreciating, creating).
(Litchman 2013)
 It carries out a particular order of research stages.
 It is a process requiring you to work logically or systematically and collaborative with others.

II. Characteristics, Purposes & Approaches to Research (Badke 2012; Silverman 2013; De Mey 2013)
Characteristics of Research
1. Accuracy. It must give correct or accurate data, which the footnotes, notes, and bibliographical
entries should honestly and appropriately documented or acknowledge.
2. Objectiveness. It must deal with facts, not with mere opinions arising from assumptions,
generalization, predictions, or conclusions.
3. Timeliness. It must work on a topic that is fresh, new, and interesting to the present society.
4. Relevance. Its topic must be instrumental in improving society or in solving problems affecting
the lives of people in a community.
5. Clarity. It must succeed in expressing its central point or discoveries by using simple, direct,
concise, and correct language.
6. Systematic. It must take place in an organized or orderly manner.
Purposes of Research
1. To learn how to work independently
2. To learn how to work scientifically or systematically
3. To have an in-depth knowledge of something
4. To elevate your mental abilities by letting you think in higher-order thinking strategies (HOTS) of
inferring, evaluating, synthesizing, appreciating, applying, and creating.
5. To improve your reading and writing skills
6. To be familiar with the basic tools of research and the various techniques of gathering data and
of presenting research findings.
7. To free yourself, to a certain extent, from the domination or strong influence of a single
textbook or of the professor’s lone viewpoint or spoon feeding.
Types of Research
1. Based on Application of Research Method
a) Pure Research – deals with concepts, principles, or abstract things
b) Applied Research – to apply your chosen research to societal problems or issues, finding
ways to make positive changes in society
2. Based on Purpose of the Research
a) Descriptive Research – aims at defining or giving a verbal portrayal or picture of a
person, thing, event, group, situation, etc.
b) Correlational Research – shows relationships or connectedness of two factors,
circumstances, or agents called variables that affect the research.
c) Explanatory Research – it elaborates or explains not just the reasons behind the
relationship of two factors but also the ways by which such relationship exists.
 d) Action Research – studies an ongoing practice of a school, organization, community, or
institution for the purpose of obtaining results that will bring improvements in the
system.
3. Based on the types of Data needed.
a) Qualitative Research – requires non-numerical data. The research uses words rather
than numbers to express the results, the inquiry, or investigation about people’s
thoughts, beliefs, feelings, views, and lifestyle regarding the object of the study.
b) Quantitative Research – involves measurement of data. It presents research findings
referring to the number of frequency or something in numerical forms.
Approaches to Research
a) Scientific or Positive Approach – discover and measure information as well as observe and
control variables in an impersonal manner. It allows control of variables.
b) Naturalistic Approach – uses words. Directs you to deal with qualitative data that speak of how
people behave toward their surroundings.
c) Triangulation Approach – you are free to gather and analyze data using multiple methods,
allowing you to combine or mix up research approaches, research types, data gathering, and
data analysis techniques.

LESSON II: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH and ITS IMPORTANCE in DAILY LIFE

Qualitative Research

 This type of research puts premium or high value on people’s thinking or point of view
conditioned by their personal traits.
 Subjective in nature.

Characteristics of a Qualitative Research

1. Human understanding and interpretation

2. Active, powerful, and forceful
3. Multiple research approaches and methods
4. Specificity to generalization
 It follows an inductive or scientific method of thinking. (specific-general)
5. Contextualization
 Examining the context or situation of an individual’s life---the who, what, why, how, and
other circumstances which affects his or her way of life.
6. Diversified data in real-life situations
 Collecting data in a natural setting.
7. Abounds with words and visuals
8. Internal analysis
 -Studying people’s perception or views about a topic.

Types of Qualitative Research

1. Case Study
 This involves a long-time study of a person, group, organization, or situation. It seeks to
find answers to why such thing occurs to the subject. (social care, nursing, psychology,
rehabilitation centers, education, etc.)
2. Ethnography
 The study of a particular cultural group to get a clear understanding of its organizational
set-up, internal operation, and lifestyle.
3. Phenomenology
 The study of how people find their experiences meaningful. Its primary goal is to make
people understand their experiences about death of loved ones, care for handicapped
persons, friendliness of people, etc.
 4. Content and Discourse Analysis
 It requires an analysis or examination of the substance or content of the mode of
communication (letter, books, journals, photos, video recordings, SMS, online messages,
emails, audio-visual materials, etc.)
5. Historical Analysis
 It is the study of primary documents to make you understand the connection of past
events to the present times.
6. Grounded Theory
 It takes place when you discover a new theory to underlie your study at the time of data
collection and analysis.

Advantages or Strengths of Qualitative Research

1. It adopts a naturalistic approach to its subject matter, which means that those involve in the
research understand things based on what they find meaningful.
2. It promotes a full understanding of human behavior or personality traits in their natural setting.
3. It is instrumental for positive societal changes.
4. It engenders respect for people’s individuality as it demands the researcher’s careful and
attentive stand toward people’s world views.
5. It is a way of understanding and interpreting social interactions.
6. It increases the researcher’s interest in the study as it includes the researcher’s experience or
background knowledge in interpreting verbal and visual data.
7. It offers multiple ways of acquiring and examining knowledge about something.

Disadvantages or Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

1. It involves a lot of researcher’s subjectivity in data analysis.

2. It is hard to know the validity or reliability of the data.
3. Its open-ended questions yield “data overload” that requires long-time analysis.
4. It is time-consuming.
5. It involves several processes, which results greatly depend on the researcher’s views or
interpretations.

Prepared by
JDB