PREPARING RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

➢ Is a tool used to gather data on a specific topic of interest. When conducting a research, you need to prepare
and implement the appropriate instrument to gather the data you need.

GENERAL GUIDELINES IN PREPARING AN INSTRUMENT

1. Do a preliminary research by visiting you library or checking online sources.

2. Talk to a person who is knowledgeable in preparing research instruments.
3. Master the guidelines.
4. Clarify your research questions.
5. Decide the number of people whom you want as respondents or participants.
6. Prepare the instrument using the appropriate format.
7. Edit your instrument.
8. Pilot your instrument to further improve its quality.

TYPES OF INSTRUMENT

1. Survey – contains planned questions which are used measure attitudes, perceptions, and opinions.

There are types of question that you can use when conducting a survey:

➢ Recall – type of question asks for specific information such as years of service, age, and address.
➢ Recognition – type of question, on the other hand, asks for a response to a specific question where options are
given such as in the case of multiple, dichotomous (yes/no), and rating scale format.
➢ Open-ended – type of question elicits brief explanations or impressions from the respondent.

INTERVIEW

❖ Is an instrument that allows the researcher to qualitatively gather data.

DIFFERENT STAGES OF INTERVIEW

1. PRE-INTERVIEW – an interview guide is prepared and respondents are identified and contacted.
2. WARM-UP STAGE – initial part of the interview when questions that will make respondents more at ease are
asked.
3. MAIN INTERVIEW STAGE – when the main questions directly related to the research questions are asked.
4. CLOSING STAGE- questions are asked to wind down the interview and respondents are acknowledged and
thanked.

QUESTIONNAIRE

❖ More quantifiable. It lists written questions to get specific information. Responses in a questionnaire are usually
dichotomous and use an identification type of test. In some cases, open-ended questions are incorporated in the
questionnaire.

PARTS OF QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Personal information section - includes the name (optional), age, date of birth, address educational background and
other personal information about the respondent. Note that only personal information relevant to the research study
should be asked.

2. Basic questions section - serves two purposes. The first one is to establish that the person you are asking is the right
person for the study. The second purpose (which is only applicable to interview) is to establish rapport with the
interviewees.

3. Main Questions section – questions that are directly related to your research.

4. Open-ended questions section – asks for a brief explanation or response to an open-ended questions.

2. Observation – allows the description of behavior in a naturalistic or laboratory setting.

TYPES OF OBSERVATION

• Participant and Non-participant Observation

➢ Non-participant – allows the researcher to observe the subjects without interacting with them.
➢ Participant observation – allows the researchers to interact actively with the subjects.

• Structured and Unstructured Observation

 ➢ Structured Observation – occurs when researchers has a list of behaviors that he/she wants to observe.
➢ Unstructured Observation – occurs when the researchers allows behaviors to emerge.

• Covert and Overt Observation

➢ Covert observation – occurs when the subjects are not aware that they are being observed.
➢ Overt observation – occurs when the subjects are aware that they are being observed.

3. Experiment – is a procedure undertaken scientifically and systematically to make a discovery and to test
hypothesis.

STEPS

1. Make observations.
2. Develop the hypothesis.
3. Design the experiment.
4. Conduct the experiment.
5. Analyze the results.
6. Decide on whether to accept or reject the hypothesis based on the results.

PREPARING AND INTERPRETING TABLES, GRAPHS AND FIGURES

CHART

➢ Graphical representation of data using symbols that are usually boxes, lines, and arrows.

STRATEGIES IN READING A CHART

1. study each step

2. pay attention to the arrows or lines
3. summarize each step
4. compare your mental chart to the description in the text to check how accurate you are.

(TWO COMMON CHARTS)

• Organizational chart – presents rankings, classification, and levels of ideas.

STRATEGIES IN PREPARING AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

1. Use varied shapes carefully

2. Connect the boxes with solid lines
3. Design the chart creatively but avoid making it too distracting.

• Flow chart – illustrates a process or direction of steps.

STRATEGIES IN PREPARING A FLOW CHART

1. Present only the capsule version of the whole version

2. Limit the number of shapes to avoid confusion. Some of the most basic shapes include:

➢ Rectangle which used to refer to an event which is part of the process.

➢ Diamond which is used to show a decision point in the process.
➢ Rounded box which is used to represent an event

3. Provide a legend when necessary

4. Sequence the data
5. Be creative in designing the flowchart but do not make it too complicated

TABLE

➢ Useful in displaying numbers in columns. It condenses and classifies information to make comparisons
between and among data and helps the readers grasp relationship that might be invisible in prose.
➢ The heading on the top is called boxhead while the heading on the far left column is called a stub.

STRATEGIES IN READING A TABLE

1. Read the title of the table

2. Check whether the information is updated or obsolete
3. Check the source of information
4. Study the headings and their relationships
5. Read the details
6. Compare and contrast
STRATEGIES IN PREPARING A TABLE

1. Informal or simple tables need not have table numbers and titles since they function as an extension of the text.
2. Formal tables, which contain complex data, should contain titles, table of numbers, and detailed headings.
3. Use plenty of white space within and around the text.
4. Use concise and clear headings for all columns and rows.
5. Assign a title and number to each formal table.
6. Use abbreviations and symbols when necessary.
7. Write the source of the table.
8. Use uppercase and lowercase instead of full caps.

GRAPHS

➢ Is a graphical representation of data using bars for bar graphs, line for line graphs, circles for pie graphs, and
picture for pictographs.

BAR GRAPH

• Uses vertical and horizontal bars that compare amounts and quantities.

STRATEGIES IN READING A BAR GRAPH

1. Read the title, caption, and source note.

2. Determine the purpose of the graph.
3. Look at the dates mentioned, if there are any.
4. Identify what is being compared. Is it an amount or quantity?
5. If the data changes over time, determine the time span and the amount of change.
6. If products, services, and other items are being compared look carefully at their names

STRATEGIES IN PREPARING A GRAPH

1. Limit the number of bars. Too many bars may create confusion and complicate the data.
2. Show the comparisons clearly.
3. Keep the bar widths consistent.
4. It is ideal to use spaces between bars. However, if comparisons are too close or too many, spaces between bars
may be deleted.
5. Arrange the bars based on sequence (by year to show trends) or by ascending/descending order (to show direct
comparison).
6. Use legends as much as possible.

LINE GRAPH

• Shows trends and changes in data. Usually, the bottom grid scale represents time.

STRATEGIES IN READING A LINE GRAPH

1. Read the title, caption, and source note

2. Determine the purpose of the graph
3. Read the horizontal axis
4. Determine the kind of time intervals.
5. Read the vertical axis and identify what is being measured
6. Trace the jagged line that connects each paint and determine the changes over time

STRATEGIES IN PREPARING A LJNE GRAPH

1. Plot the data very carefully

2. Use different line colors for line graphs using multiple lines.
3. Make the chart lines thicker than the axis lines.
4. Do not put the numbers on the line graph itself
CIRCLE GRAPH

• ( or pie graph ), which uses pie-shaped section, shows the relationship of the parts to the whole in percentage
and proportions.

STRATEGIES IN READING A CIRCLE GRAPH

1. Read the title and the captions carefully.

2. Note the number and labels of pie sections of the graph.
3. Check if there is any "legend" section and study it.
4. Identify the shares, quantity, and percentage of each section. Identify which sections have the smallest and
largest percentages.

STRATEGIES IN PREPARING A CIRCLE GRAPH

1. Use no more than seven divisions.

2. Move clockwise from 12:00. Start with the largest wedge going to the smallest. However, "others" or
miscellaneous items must be placed last no matter how large they cover.
3. Use circle graph for percentages and money especially when the items they represent are divisible by 100.
4. Make the circle graph as simple as possible.
5. Label each component.
6. If you want to show a subdivision of a particular wedge in a circle graph, use a "pie within a pie" technique.