RESEARCH BASICS

Reported by: Micxe Q. Abat & Novelyn B. Dela Cruz

Why do we need research? -G A P

What is a Research?
Can be diverse
General definition is “finding answers to questions in an organized and logical systematic fashion.”
A systematic means of problem solving.
How Have We Searched for Truth?
Tradition or custom
Authority
Personal Experience
Deductive reasoning
Scientific inquiry (research)
Nature of Research
Systematic- Ordered structure of inquiry
Logical- process to evaluate conclusions drawn
Empirical- collection of data (facts, experience, etc) on which to base decisions.
Reductive- individual events (data) are used to establish general relationships
Replicable- process is recorded so findings and procedures can be tested again
Kinds of Research
BASIC RESEARCH
APPLIED RESEARCH
EXPERIMENTAL RESERCH
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
CASUAL-COMPARATIVE RESEARCH
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Basic Research
It investigates fundamental questions about behavior without particular reason to study except to acquire a better
knowledge of how these processes occur.
It provides underlying principles that can be used to solve specific problems.
Basic (aka fundamental or pure ) research is driven by a scientists curiosity or interest in a scientific question. The
main motivation is to expand mans knowledge, not to create or invent something.
There is no obvious commercial value to the discoveries that result from basic research
For example, basic science investigations probe for answers to questions such as:
• How did the universe begin?
• What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
• How do slime molds reproduce?
• What is the specific genetic code of the fruit fly?
APPLIED RESEARCH
Applied research refers to scientific study and research that seeks to solve practical problems.
Applied research is used to find solutions to everyday problems, cure illness, and develop innovative technologies,
rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledges sake.
For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:
• Improve agricultural crop production.
• Treat or cure a specific disease
• Improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of transportation

Experimental Research
Most conclusive of all scientific methods.
The researcher establishes treatments and studies the effects, which can lead to clear interpretations.
The independent variable: What is being tested
The dependent variable: What is the outcome (i.e., score)
Single Subject Research is another form of Experimental Research.
Experimental Study Steps
Identify and define the problem.
Formulate hypothesis and deduce its consequence.
Construct an experimental that represents all the elements, conditions, and relations to the consequence.
Conduct the experiment.
Compile raw data and reduce to usable form.
Apply an appropriate test of significance.
EXAMPLE: “Does protein supplementation increase muscle hypertrophy?”

Educational Research
The goal is to explain, predict, and/or control educational phenomena.
Steps for conducting educational research
Selection of a problem
Use of specific research procedures to design and collect data
Analysis of data
Statement of conclusions based on the results of the data analyses
Parallels the steps in the scientific method
TOPIC SAMPLE: “The effects of study habits on the academic performance of students.”
Qualitative Research
‘Qualitative Research…involves finding out what people think, and how they feel - or at any rate, what they say they
think and how they say they feel. This kind of information is subjective. It involves feelings and impressions, rather
than numbers
‘Qualitative Researchers study “things” (people and their thoughts) in their natural settings, attempting to make
sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.
Types of Qualitative Data
Interviews
Observations
Documents
INTERVIEWS:
Open-ended questions and probes yield in-depth responses about people’s experiences, opinions,
perceptions, feelings and knowledge.
Data consist of verbatim quotations with sufficient context to be interpretable.
OBSERVATIONS
Fieldwork descriptions of activities, behaviors, actions, conversations, interpersonal interactions,
organizational or community processes, or any other aspect of observable human experience.
Data consist of field notes: rich detailed descriptions, including the context within which the observations
were made.
DOCUMENTS:
Written materials and other documents, programs records; memoranda and correspondence; official
publications and reports; personal diaries, letters, artistic works, photographs, and memorabilia; and written
responses to open-ended surveys.
Data consists of excerpts from documents captured in a way that records and preserves context.
Quantitative Research
Formal, objective, rigorous, systematic process for generating information
Describes new situations, events, or concepts
Examines relationships among variables
Determines the effectiveness of treatments
All aspects of a certain study are carefully designed before a data is collected.
Data is in the form of numbers and statistics.
Quantitative versus Qualitative
Quantitative Research Strategy
Investigation aims to assess a pre-stated theory (Deductive Reasoning)
Often involves hypothesis testing
Attempts to minimise the influence of the researcher on the outcome
Quantitative data infers statistics
Data collection therefore requires ‘closed’ responses
Qualitative Research Strategy
Investigation aims to create a novel theory (Inductive Reasoning)
Researcher becomes an inherent part of the study - ethnography
Qualitative data infers complex statements or opinions
Data collection therefore permits ‘open’ responses
CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
Correlational research refers to the systematic investigation or statistical study of relationships among two or
more variables, without necessarily determining cause and effect.
It Seeks to establish a relation/association/correlation between two or more variables that do not readily lend
themselves to experimental manipulation.
For example, to test the hypothesis “ Listening to music lowers blood pressure levels”
There are 2 ways of conducting research
Experimental – group samples and make one group listen to music and then compare the levels
Survey – ask people how they feel ? How often they listen? And then compare.
Advantages:
1) Can collect much information from many subjects at one time.
2) Can study a wide range of variables and their interrelations.
3) Study variables that are not easily produced in the laboratory.
Disadvantages:
1) Correlation does not indicate causation( cause and effect).
2) Problems with self-report method.

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
Descriptive research refers to research that provides an accurate portrayal of characteristics of a particular
individual, situation, or group.
Descriptive research, also known as statistical research. These studies are a means of discovering new
meaning, describing what exists, determining the frequency with which something occurs, and categorizing
information.
In short descriptive research deals with everything that can be counted and studied, which has an impact of
the lives of the people it deals with.
Example:
• Finding the most frequent disease that affects the children of a town. The reader of the research
will know what to do to prevent that disease thus, more people will live a healthy life.
Advantages:
• The people individual studied are unaware so they act naturally or as they usually do in everyday situation;
• It is less expensive and time consuming than quantitative experiments;
• Collects a large amount of notes for detailed studying;
• As it is used to describe and not make any conclusions to start the research
Disadvantages
• Descriptive research requires more skills.
• Does not identify cause behind a phenomenon
• Response rate is low in this research.
• Results of this research can change over the period of time.

ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
Ethnographic research refer to the investigation of a culture through an in-depth study of the members of the
culture; it involves the systematic collection, description, and analysis of data for development of theories of
cultural behaviour.
It studies people, ethnic groups and other ethnic formations, their ethno genesis, composition, resettlement,
social welfare characteristics, as well as their material and spiritual culture.
Data collection is often done through participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, etc.
The purpose of ethnographic research is to attempt to understand what is happening naturally in the setting
and to interpret the data gathered to see what implications could be formed from the data.
Causal-Comparative Research
Determines the cause for, or consequences of, differences between groups of people.
Interpretations are limited due to the fact that the investigator can not say conclusively whether a particular
factor is a cause for or a result of a behavior.
Differences may occur, but the investigator will not be able to say for sure what caused the difference.
Historical Research
Another form of Qualitative Research.
Some aspect of the past is studied.
Data is collected and evaluated objectively in order to establish whether causes, effects, or trends of a past
event may explain present or future events or occurrences.
The major problem with this research is the question of using an event or time sequence as a true outcome.
• Historical Research – Utilize historical sources to study events of the past
• Conclusion oriented – Picking a problem, redesign enquiry, conceptualize
• Decision oriented – For the need for a decision maker, researcher cannot embark upon research his own
inclination –
e.g.: Operations Research
Historical research gives a social scientist a better context for making realistic decisions.
Provides a comprehensive picture of historical trends
Uses existing information
Provides evidence of on-going trends and problems
Limitations
Time-consuming
Resources may be hard to locate
Resources may be conflicting
May not identify cause of a problem
Information may be incomplete, obsolete, inconclusive, or inaccurate
Data restricted to what already exists
PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Phenomenological research an inductive, descriptive research approach developed from phenomenological
philosophy;
its aim is to describe an experience as it is actually lived by the person
Phenomenology is concerned with the study of experience from the perspective of the individual, ‘bracketing’
taken-for- granted assumptions and usual ways of perceiving.
They are based in a paradigm of personal knowledge and. subjectivity, and emphasize the importance of
personal perspective and interpretation.
As such they are powerful for understanding subjective experience, gaining insights into people’s motivations
and actions, and cutting through the clutter of taken-for-granted assumptions and conventional wisdom.

REFERENCES
McGraw-Hill, Nature of Research (2006). The Mcgraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All rights reserved.
James Betts FACSM. Recognizing Research: Approaches and Designs
Other power point presentations.
-shsu.edu/mcnair-scholars-
program/documents/QuantitativevsQualitativeResearch.ppt
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https://www.okstate.edu/ag/agedcm4h/academic/aged5980a/5980/.../EXPRES.PPT
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https://www.slideshare.net/jahanzebjahan/basic-research
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https://www.okstate.edu/ag/agedcm4h/academic/aged5980a/.../history/HISTORY.PPT