METHODS OF RESEARCH

METHODS OF
RESEARCH
Transcript by: Nicka Mae
METHODS OF RESEARCH

What is Research? viii. Numerical projection of perceptions.

Research is a process of systematic inquiry that
entails collection of data; documentation of Qualitative Research
critical information; and analysis and ▪ Qualitative research involves collecting and
interpretation of that data/information, in analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text,
accordance with suitable methodologies set by video, or audio) to understand concepts,
specific professional fields and academic opinions, or experiences. It can be used to
disciplines. gather in-depth insights into a problem or
generate new ideas for research.
Characteristics of Research ▪ Qualitative research is commonly used in the
1. The research should focus on priority humanities and social sciences, in subjects
problems. such as anthropology, sociology, education,
2. The research should be systematic. health sciences, history, etc.
3. The research should be logical. i. One-on-one interview.
4. The research should be reductive. ii. Focus group.
5. The research should be replicable. iii. Ethnographic research.
6. The research should be generative. iv. Case study research.
7. The research should be action-oriented.
v. Record keeping.
8. The research should follow an integrated
vi. Process of observation.
multidisciplinary approach, i.e., research
approaches from more than one discipline are
needed. Sample Gatherings
9. The research should be participatory, Data collection is a systematic process of
involving all parties concerned (from gathering observations or measurements.
policymakers down to community members) Whether you are performing research for
at all stages of the study. business, governmental or academic
10. The research must be relatively simple, purposes, data collection allows you to gain
timely, and time-bound, employing a
first-hand knowledge and original insights
comparatively simple design.
11. The research must be as much cost-effective into your research problem.
as possible. While methods and aims may differ between
12. The results of the research should be
fields, the overall process of data collection
presented in formats most useful for
administrators, decision-makers, business
remains largely the same. Before you begin
managers, or the community members. collecting data, you need to consider:
▪ The aim of the research.
Quantitative Research ▪ The type of data that you will collect.
Quantitative research is the process of collecting ▪ The methods and procedures you
and analyzing numerical data. It can be used to will use to collect, store, and process
find patterns and averages, make predictions, test the data.
causal relationships, and generalize results to
wider populations. Observation
i. Quantifying a problem. Questionnaires
ii. Random sampling. Interviews
iii. Deductive reasoning.
Focus Group Sessions
iv. Object-based research.
Lecture Video: https://youtu.be/mV0bUQpz468
v. Systematic operations.
vi. Advanced statistical analysis. What comes to mind when you think about
vii. Graphical data representation. research? Probably a laboratory with test tubes,
METHODS OF RESEARCH

microscopes, and scientists wearing white lab When a literary scholar reads a number of texts
coats. This setup is ideal for researchers in some by authors writing in the same time period and
disciplines, such as; notices thematic similarities - they’re making
observations. When they ask why these themes
a. Virologists studying viral infections, are important to the writers in this time period,
b. Physicists developing new electronic they’re asking a research question. Then, they
devices, or might argue that the particular themes they are
c. Chemists creating new materials. seeing are a result of certain economic or social
d. Other possibilities, such as someone digging conditions that characterized that time period -
through historical archives or this is a hypothesis. In order to collect data, the
e. Someone distributing surveys about scholar can read more texts from that time period
consumer preferences, may also come to and contrast them with texts from other periods to
mind. That’s research, too! see if there are sufficient similarities and
So what is research? What unites these very differences. Finally, they can publish their work
different approaches? and allow other scholars to study it and ask their
own questions.
They share the same fundamental goal: the
creation of new knowledge or ideas. Every Maybe you have a burning question that you’d
good research project begins with a question that like to solve, or perhaps you’re itching to join an
has no known answer. These questions vary from existing research team. Luckily, there are
field to field. A research product can be; numerous ways that you can get involved with
research.
a. Something tangible, such as a new drug
for curing a particular disease, i. One pathway that leads to a career in
b. Or it can be intangible, such as a new research involves attending college
understanding of an archival text. and eventually pursuing an advanced
degree, such as a PhD.
Many people associate the idea of research with ii. But even people who don’t have a
the scientific method - a cyclical process of college education can contribute to
posing questions and reaching conclusions. research projects, for instance by
participating in surveys or helping
1. The first step in this process is making
researchers gather data.
observations and asking questions.
iii. Through research, you can contribute
2. Then, the researcher formulates
to tackling major obstacles of our
hypotheses, or educated guesses, that try
generation, from conserving
to answer those questions, and
endangered species to monitoring
3. Develops experiments to collect data
public health crises.
and produce results.
4. The results help the researcher to form a As long as you’re curious and hard-working,
conclusion. research is for you!
5. The final step of the scientific method is
sharing the results of the research with
other scholars so that they can observe,
verify, and ask their own questions.
Academic Honesty/Plagiarism
This process is an ongoing loop that pushes
Academic Honesty
discovery and innovation forward. But the
At most educational institutions, “academic
processes and principles of the scientific method
honesty” means demonstrating and upholding the
aren’t limited to the sciences.
highest integrity and honesty in all the academic
work that you do. In short, it means doing your
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own work and not cheating, and not presenting 4. Plagiarism

the work of others as your own. • Plagiarism, as defined in the 1995
Random House Compact Unabridged
The following are some common forms of Dictionary, is the “use or close imitation
academic dishonesty prohibited by most of the language and thoughts of another
academic institutions: author and the representation of them as
1. Cheating one’s own original work.”
• Cheating can take the form of crib notes, • In an academic setting, it is seen as the
looking over someone’s shoulder during adoption or reproduction of original
an exam, or any forbidden sharing of intellectual creations (such as concepts,
information between students regarding ideas, methods, pieces of information or
an exam or exercise. expressions, etc.) of another author
• Many elaborate methods of cheating have (whether an individual, group, or
been developed over the years—from organization) without proper
hiding notes in the bathroom toilet tank to acknowledgment.
storing information in graphing • This can range from borrowing a
calculators, pagers, cell phones, and other particular phrase or sentence to
electronic devices. paraphrasing someone else’s original idea
• Cheating differs from most other forms of without citing it.
academic dishonesty, in that people can • Today, in our networked digital world, the
engage in it without benefiting themselves most common form of plagiarism is
academically at all. copying and pasting online material
• For example, a student who illicitly without crediting the source.
telegraphed answers to a friend during a
test would be cheating, even though the Common Form of Plagiarism
student’s own work is in no way affected. • Submitting someone else’s work as their
own.
2. Deception • Taking passages from their own previous
• Deception is providing false information work without adding citations.
to an instructor concerning an academic • Rewriting someone’s work without
assignment. properly citing sources.
• Examples of this include taking more time • Using quotations, but not citing the source.
on a take-home test than is allowed, giving • Interweaving various sources together in
a dishonest excuse when asking for a the work without citing.
deadline extension, or falsely claiming to • Citing some, but not all passages that
have submitted work. should be cited.
• Melding together cited and uncited sections
3. Fabrication of the piece.
• Fabrication is the falsification of data, • Providing proper citations, but failing to
information, or citations in an academic change the structure and wording of the
assignment. borrowed ideas enough.
• This includes making up citations to back • Inaccurately citing the source.
up arguments or inventing quotations. • Relying too heavily on other people’s
Fabrication is most common in the natural work. Failing to bring original thought into
sciences, where students sometimes the text.
falsify data to make experiments “work”
or false claims are made about the How to avoid Plagiarism?
research performed. i. Understand what constitutes
plagiarism.
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ii. Learn what does not constitute You should always behave with integrity in
plagiarism. exams and assessments. Failing to recognize
iii. Check out the rules regarding someone else’s ideas by:
plagiarism. a. Not referencing,
iv. Learn how to properly cite references. b. dishonestly working with another student
v. Learn how to paraphrase. on an individual assignment, or
vi. Review, review, review. c. Cheating on an exam or assignment,
vii. Take advantage of your professor’s d. Can result in a charge of Academic
knowledge. Misconduct.
e. Other examples include paying or asking
Quotes: If you quote another work directly in someone to write an assignment for you
your work, cite your source. or attempting to bribe someone in the
academic community.
Paraphrase: If put someone else’s idea into your
own words, you still need to cite the author. Academic Misconduct can have serious
consequences for both your academic and
Visual Materials: If you cite statistics, graphs, or professional career.
charts from a study, cite the source. Keep in mind
that if you didn’t do the original research, then In some academic cultures, copying content may
you need to credit the person(s) or institution, etc. be seen as honoring the creator. However, at
that did. RMIT you must clearly state where ideas,
words and images originated because they
Video Lecture: belong to the person or people who created them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AKdsDMP
v20 Everyone has a responsibility for maintaining
academic integrity, but don't worry, there's lots of
Academic integrity means acting with honesty, support available. You can ask your tutor or
trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in lecturer to clarify the task.
learning, teaching and research.
You can also take your assignment to the study
This includes support hub for extra help or use the Ask the
a. Doing your own original work, Library online chat service. While they can’t
b. Respecting and acknowledging the work write the content for you, they can help you with
of other people, and structure and grammar.
c. Clearly stating when you use someone
else's ideas, words or images by citing By strengthening your understanding of
correctly in the body of your work and academic integrity, you can develop skills which
referencing your sources accurately. will be valuable throughout your work and life.

Academic integrity involves recognizing people Types of Research

and publications that have influenced your 1. Descriptive Research
thinking and taking personal responsibility for the • Descriptive research is a type of research
way you behave in an academic context. It's that describes a population, situation, or
important to complete individual assignments on phenomenon that is being studied. It
your own or acknowledge who you work with in focuses on answering the how, what, when,
group assignments. and where questions in a research problem,
rather than the why.
• This is mainly because it is important to
have a proper understanding of what a
METHODS OF RESEARCH

research problem is about before • Fundamental research is defined as basic

investigating why it exists in the first place. and applied research in the areas of science
and engineering where the resulting
Example: information is intended to be published and
An investor considering an investment in shared broadly within the scientific
the ever-changing Amsterdam housing community with no governmental
market needs to understand what the restrictions.
current state of the market is, how it
changes (increasing or decreasing), and 5. Basic Research
when it changes (time of the year) before • Basic research refers to the activities of
asking for the why. This is where scientists who are investigating theoretical
descriptive research comes in. questions for the sake of building
knowledge.
2. Analytical Research • Basic research is constituted by the types of
• Analytical research is a specific type of investigative practices that both inform and
research that involves critical thinking reflect the current understanding of “basic
skills and the evaluation of facts and science.”
information relative to the research being • These forms of research practice and
conducted. scientific knowledge form a reciprocal
• A variety of people including students, relationship, in that knowledge informs the
doctors and psychologists use analytical basis of research methods, and these
research during studies to find the most methods in turn shape the questions and
relevant information even the findings of scientists.
• From analytical research, a person finds out
critical details to add new ideas to the 6. Empirical Research
material being produced. • Empirical research is a type of research
methodology that makes use of verifiable
3. Applied Research evidence in order to arrive at research
• Applied research is a methodology used to outcomes. In other words, this type of
solve a specific, practical issue affecting an research relies solely on evidence obtained
individual or group. This scientific method through observation or scientific data
of study and research is used in business, collection method.
medicine, and education in order to find • Empirical research can be carried out using
solutions that may improve health, solve qualitative or quantitative observation
scientific problems or develop new methods, depending on the data sample,
technology. that is, quantifiable data or non-numerical
• It typically address the real world problem. data. Unlike theoretical research that
depends on preconceived notions about the
Applied Research Fields research variables, empirical research
i. Health carries a scientific investigation to measure
ii. Education the experimental probability of the
iii. Society research.
iv. Technology
v. Crime Qualitative Research Method
vi. Business I. Context-dependent finding by
vii. Government evaluating a subject or a predicate.
II. Popular researches through
4. Fundamental Research communication, ethnography, and
phenomenology.
METHODS OF RESEARCH

III. Critical analysis and assessment of the Basic research is equally important as it
findings to identify its veracity and enhances our understanding of the world
integrity. around us. This is because basic research
IV. Building negative hypothesis and provides us with a systematic and deep insight
compelling readers to think the other into a problem that can have practical
way. significance to our life and the society as a
V. Growing dependency through whole scholar’s further divide basic research
intellectual decency and confirmation. into pure and strategic types of research.
Or…
I. Quantifying a problem a. Pure research is conducted without any
II. Random sampling specific outcome in mind other than the
III. Deducting reasoning advancement of knowledge
IV. Object-based research b. Strategic research is conducted with the
V. Systematic operation intention of providing a broad base of
VI. Advanced statistical analysis knowledge which may help in addressing
VII. Graphical data representation a specific problem
VIII. Numerical projection of perceptions
2. Applied Research
Video Lecture #1: i. Applied research on the other hand is a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEZjwlDNE type of research that aims at finding
HY solutions to pressing problems that
society organizations and the like are
Types of research facing by employing well-known theories
There are two types of research in terms of the and principles.
nature and purpose of the study namely ii. Sometimes applied research is conducted
to determine the possible uses or
1. Basic or Fundamental Research applications of the findings of basic
i. Is a type of research that investigates the research.
basic reasons and principle behind the iii. An example of an applied research is a
occurrence of a particular phenomenon or study that attempts to determine the
event? impact of mining and the socio-economic
ii. Basic research is also referred to as life of the indigenous peoples.
theoretical research as a theoretical
research. Now basic and applied research are further
iii. Basic research therefore is driven by divided into three types of research in terms of
pure curiosity and the desire to expand methods namely
one's knowledge on a specific subject
matter or discipline. 1. Quantitative Research
iv. Hence as we can see basic research may Quantitative research method is a systematic
not necessarily lead to an immediate use investigation of observable phenomena
or application. through a computational mathematical
and most especially statistical technique.
An example of basic research is an Hence in quantitative research method the
investigation that looks at the factors that researcher analyzes the data with the help of
trigger depression although this type of statistics and hopes that the figures will
research does not directly address real-world produce logical and unbiased results.
issues or problems.
Now in terms of purpose quantitative
research method aims to develop
METHODS OF RESEARCH

mathematical models hypotheses and For instance in the Philippines educational

theories that pertain to the quantifiable system many humanities graduate teachers in
phenomena under investigation as we can see the senior high school were asked to teach
quantitative research method is numerical in science subjects needless to say these teachers
nature and employs statistics and have been experiencing problems in terms of
mathematics in the interpretation of data. mastery and content delivery.

This explains why results in the quantitative Thus one of the best ways to help these teachers
research method are presented in tables and deliver a quality instruction is to know their
graphs as a matter of fact research papers that lived experiences particularly their difficulties
employ. A quantitative research method are and challenges. This is because once we know
replaced with tables and graphs as is well the difficulties and challenges that these
known quantitative research method is teachers have been experiencing. We can easily
widely employed in the social sciences. offer some practicable alternatives that may
help address the problem.
Such as sociology psychology gender studies
development studies economics community As we can see a qualitative research method
health demography and political science is non-numerical descriptive exploratory
researchers in education. Also employ and narrative in nature. It investigates the
quantitative research method although other why and how questions of human experience
educational research themes can be and attempts to understand holistically.
conducted using a qualitative research
method. A particular phenomenon or situation and in
terms of purpose a qualitative research method
primarily aims to know the meaning nature and
dynamics of a particular phenomenon or
2. Qualitative Research situation under investigation.
Now let's discuss the qualitative research
method qualitative research method is a type of 3. Mixed Research Method
research that does not require a Lastly we have the mixed research method the
sophisticated statistical treatment. Defined mixed research method as the name suggests
more broadly qualitative research method is a involves a systematic integration or
scientific investigation of non-quantifiable combination of both quantitative and
phenomena such as experiences with the qualitative research methods in the
intention of understanding a particular investigation of a particular phenomenon
phenomenon through a holistic description and event or situation
exploration of the meaning nature and
dynamics of the said phenomenon or situation. The fundamental premise of this method or
type of research is that the integration or
This explains why qualitative research is the combination of both the quantitative and
best method when it comes to researching qualitative methods and types of research will
about the why and how questions of human result in a holistic and more meaningful
experience. A concrete example of a interpretation of data. In most cases the
qualitative research is a study that attempts to qualitative aspect of this type of research
determine the lived experiences of senior high supports the findings and conclusion arrived at
school teachers who were asked to teach the quantitative interpretation of data.
subjects that are not aligned with their field of
specialization. But of course on the other hand the quantitative
aspect may also support the findings and
METHODS OF RESEARCH

conclusion arrived at in the qualitative • Time consuming

interpretation of data mixed method originates • Involves subjectivity
in the social sciences. But it has been expanded
recently into the medical and allied health Types of Qualitative Research
sciences such as nursing social work 1. Case Study – why cases happens and
community health mental health pharmacy and seeks to find answers as to why a certain
alternative medicine. thing occurs to the subject.
2. Ethnography – understanding a certain
As we can see mixed method may involve group of people. The lives, beliefs,
analyzing both numerical and non- cultures, and practices of a certain ethnic
numerical data. It may also present results group. Involves the study of a group to
in tables and graphs backed up by a strong understand its organizational set up,
narrative mixed method can also be internal operation, and lifestyle.
exploratory and conclusive at the same time. 3. Phenomenology – lived experiences.
Refers to the study of how people find
Video Lecture #2: their experiences meaningful.
(40) PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1 - Types of 4. Content and Discourse Analysis –
Qualitative Research - EP.6 (Research language used in communication. A
Simplified) - YouTube study of social life and how people
interact with each other. Focuses on the
substance of the mode of
communication.
Qualitative Research 5. Historical Analysis – the past events and
• No numbers involved (no surveys, no how these events affect our present and
yes/no, no true/false, no set of options) future. Examines primary documents to
• Use explanations, experiences, stories, find the connection of past events to the
and observations. present/future times.
• Not everything may be quantifies. 6. Grounded Theory – Reveals a
• No calculations discovery of a new theory at the time of
• Aims to understand the human mind, data collection and analysis.
behavior, and characteristics. 7. Narrative Report – narration of what
• Uses interview questions (face-to-face, happened in the past. Factual explanation
calls, video calls, and chats through of what happened in the past. Presents
gadget. events which happened in the past
• A platform to understand the human through a logical progression.
mind. 8. Biography – study of an individual’s life
• Promotes respect for peoples and concerned with reconstruction of life
individuality. histories. Studies an individual’s life
• Prone to biases/subjectivity. struggles, and their relation to societal
times.
Strengths of Qualitative Research 9. Action Research – a classroom based
• Natural Setting type of qualitative research. That seeks
• Elevates respects for individualities for transformation through actions that
• Promotes positive societal changes. needs to be taken.

Naturalistic Approach – observing or detailing

real-life events in their natural settings.

Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

METHODS OF RESEARCH