The Nature and

Functions
of Research

The Meaning of Research

Research

On the basis of its structure, the word

research or re-search implies that the
person has To search again, to take
another more careful look, to find out
more. (Selltiz and others, 1976)

Research ..

is a systematic, objective
and
comprehensive
investigation of
certain phenomenon
which involves
accurate gathering,
recording and critical

Major Types of Research

In general, there are two major types of research
the pure or theoretical and the applied or
practical.
Pure or theoretical conducted for the sake of
knowing. Its main objective is to test or arrive at a
theory with the ultimate goal of establishing
general principles conducted for the sake of
knowing.. (Fox, 1969)

Major Types of Research

Applied or practical done so as to obtain
knowledge for useful ends. In this kind of
research, the intention is not just to obtain
knowledge but to use that knowledge to
solve certain difficulties or discomfort.

The Research Process

Problem/Obj
ectives
Theoretical/Concept
ual Framework

Hypoth
eses

Data
Processing
and Analysis
Data
Collection

Research
Design

Data
Interpretatio
n and
Discussion
Conclusions and
Recommendations/i
mplications

Functions of Research
Some of the general functions of research:

corrects perceptions as well expands them

gathers information on subjects or phenomena we
lack or have little knowledge about
develops and evaluates concepts, practices and theories
develops and evaluates methods that test concepts, practices
and theories
obtains knowledge for practical purposes like solving problems
on population explosion
provides hard facts which serve as basis for planning, decisionmaking, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

The Role of Research

Researc
h

Planni
ng

Implemen
tation

Evaluat
ion

Monitor
ing

Research
Problem
and
Objectives

The Research
A problem is researchable when:
Problem

there is no known answer or solution to it such that a

gap in knowledge exists
there are possible solutions, the effectivity of which is
untested or unknown yet
there are answers or solutions, the possible result of
which may seem or may be factually contradictory
there are several possible and plausible explanations
for the undesirable condition
when the existence of a phenomenon requires
explanation

Sources of a Research
Problem
personal experience
symposia, dialogues or ordinary
meetings
journals, books, theses or dissertations
and mass media
theories

Good Research Problem

The following criteria will be useful in choosing a good
research problem:
problem should be of great interest to the
researcher
problem should be relevant and useful to a specific
group of people
good problem is novel in that it possesses the
element of newness of freshness
problem should be well-defined or specified

Good Research Problem

problem should be measurable
problem is time bound
a problem is good if the study of it will contribute to
the refinement of certain important concepts,
creation or improvement of research instruments
and analytical system and will permit generalizations
problem is good and researchable on the basis of
the investigators capability to meet what it requires:
expertise, manpower, money and time

Justifying the Research

Problem
The following guide questions will be helpful in justifying the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

research problem:
Is the problem a current and timely one?
Is it pervasive or widespread?
Does it affect a special group of people such as mothers
or children?
Does it relate to ongoing programs such as land reform,
family planning, etc.?
Does it relate to broad social, economic and health
issues, such as unemployment, income maldistribution,
aggression?

Justifying the Research

Problem

6. Who else is concerned about the problem top

government officials, medical doctors, or other
professionals?
7. What are its direct and indirect, short- and longranged contributions, to the welfare of a group of
people or to the whole society?

The Research
Objectives
Definition
An objective has
been defined as an effect that is
desired or expected to be achieved
by an activity, project or program.
(Blumenfeld, 1985)

Good Research Objectives

Good research objectives should not only flow from the
identified research problem but should also have the
following characteristics:
1. they should be stated in simple language;
2. they use measurable concepts;
3. they are attainable;
4. they result-oriented; and
5. they are time-bounded

SMAR-T

The Hypotheses
For hypotheses to be considered
sound or good, they must possess
three major characteristics:
it should be reasonable
it should be testable
it should conform

Uses of Research
Hypotheses
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Aside from making the research problem or

objectives explicit or more specific, hypotheses serve
the following functions:
they provide guide and direction to the research,
they indicate the major independent and dependent
variables being considered,
they suggest the type of data that must be collected,
they also suggest the type of analyses that must be
made, and
they indicate the type of statistical measure appropriate
to various tests to be conducted.

Assumptions
Meaning
Assumptions are statements of facts
related to the research problem which
are presumed to be true on the basis of
observations and experience although
not actually verified.

Examples
The following are examples of assumptions which investigators
have used in their study.
1.
People have certain attitudes toward anything.
2.
The subjects under study belong to a certain socioeconomic stratification.
3.
Administrators or managers experience job-related tension.
4.
Any individual wishes/desires acceptance by and belonging
to a social group
5.
Any social group desires peace, harmony and prosperity
6.
Rural families have much smaller income than their
counterparts in urban areas.

Scope and Limitations

Scope
..
defines the coverage or boundaries of the study in
terms of the area or locality and subjects or population
covered, the duration or period of the study, and the research
issues or concerns to which the investigation is focused.
Limitations
..
statements which alert the reader of the research
report to certain constraints over which the researcher has
no control.

Review of Related Literature

............books

...magazines
theses
dissertations
related readings
files
maps
clippings
websites
from local or foreign authors

Why Review?

The following are some reasons for making the review.

1. Provides the researcher knowledge and background on the
subject under study.
2. Enable the researcher to avoid duplicating or doing the
same study that was already done before.
3. If a study on the same topic has been conducted before, it
provides the researcher information about the aspects of
the problem which have not been investigated.
4. The researcher will be helped in developing various parts
of his study.
5. Provides the researcher insight on the weakness and
problems of previous studies.

Why the Review?

6. Provides the researcher ideas on how to proceed with his
investigation.
7. In relational and explanatory study, it provides the researcher
basis in determining what variables are related with each
other
8. Provides findings and conclusions of past studies which the
researcher may relate to his own findings and conclusions.
9. Provide the researcher motivation and impetus that will
ensure a good progress toward the goal of completing his
study.

Research Designs

Appropriateness of the
Research Design

Research design
refers to a scheme or plan of action for
meeting the objectives of the study
each design has its own applicability
depending on the problems and objectives of
the study
appropriateness of the research design
depends on which method will help the
investigator attain his research objectives

Reliability and Validity

Reliability refers to the consistency,
stability or dependability of the data
Validity refers to data that are not only
reliable but also true and accurate.

Threats to Validity
The most common threats to validity:
History
Selection
Testing
Instrumentation
Maturation
Mortality

Location of Source Materials

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Historical materials are likely to be found in the

following:
National libraries National Library, Bureau of
Higher Education Library
Local libraries libraries of local colleges and
universities
Public and private museums
Collections of private individuals
Records of private and government agencies

Descriptive Research
Forms
Descriptive research design consists of various
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

form of which the most widely-employed are:

Survey
Case study
Content analyses
Trend analyses
Feasibility studies
Correlational Study

Data Collection

Types of Research Data

Data refers to research results from which inferences
are drawn. (Kerlinger, 1986)
By source
Primary data are those which are gathered directly
from the informants of the study
Secondary data are those which have been
previously gathered, compiled and are made available
to the researcher for examination and analysis

Types of Research Data

By form..
Quantitative when the data are numerical
in nature and have the property of measurability
Qualitative when the data are descriptions
of the basic nature or characteristics of the object
of investigation

Data Collection Methods

Observation is one of the earliest methods for
acquiring knowledge. (Ardales, 1987)
Observations can be classified into two categories:
Structured the researcher knows what aspect of
the group activity are relevant to his or her purposes
and is therefore in a position to develop a specific
plan for the making and recording of observations
before he or she begins collecting data.
(Selltiz and Others, 1976)

Data Collection Methods

Unstructured is open and flexible.
According to the proponents of this method,
this type of observation provides a richer
and more direct description of the
phenomena under investigation.
(Filstead, 1970; Habenstein, 1970; Lafland,
1971; and McCall and Simmons, 1969)

Data Collection Methods

Interviews considered mans oldest and most
often used device for obtaining information from
people. It is a face-to-face interpersonal role
situation in which one person, the interviewer, asks a
person being interviewed, the respondent, questions
designed to obtain answers pertinent to the research
problem. (Kerlinger, 1986)

Data Collection Methods

Questionnaire is a set of
carefully prepared and logically
ordered questions. It is selfadministered by the respondent,
meaning, he reads the
questions and writes down his
answers on the space provided.

Data Collection Methods

Focus Group Discussion with the
cooperation of a relatively large number of
persons from whom information is sought, the
researcher brings them together in one place
for discussion focused on the concerns of the
study.

Data Collection Methods

Use of Available Data
The researchers study may not call for the use of the
above methods in generating data. Instead, it may
only require an examination of:
1. Data which have been previously gathered or
accumulated through a regular and systematic
system,
2. Materials about personal introspection,
3. Those which were written to inform, entertain or
influence public opinion.

Data Analysis And

Interpretation

Data Analysis
Analysis is the examination of data
in terms of characteristics, patterns,
trends and relationship so as to answer
questions or to meet the objectives of
the study.

Analytical Procedures for Qualitative

Data data can be analyzed by way of classifying them into
Qualitative
categories.

In the classification of answers/observations into categories three basic

rules should be applied.
1.
The set of categories should be derived from a single classificatory
principle.
2.
The set of categories should be exhaustive, that is, it should be
possible to place every response in one of the categories of the set.
3.
The categories within the set should be mutually exclusive, meaning,
one should not place a given response in more than one category
within the set.

Analytical Procedures for

Quantitative Data

Level of Measurement There are four

levels of measurement which are the:

Nominal measurement
Ordinal measurement
Interval measurement
Ratio measurement

Types of Analytical
Procedures

In a research proposal, there is a need to

indicate the analytical procedure that
will be used in the study.
1. Descriptive Analysis
2. Univariate Analysis
3. Bivariate Relationships
4. Multivariate Analysis
5. Comparative Analysis
6. Time-series Analysis
7. Cost-effective Analysis

Data Interpretation
After the data have been analyzed, it is
the task of the researcher to interpret the
results of the analysis. The purpose of data
interpretation is to search for the broader
meaning of the research findings. (Selltiz
and Others, 1976)

The Research
Report

Purpose of the Research

Report

The purpose of the research report is

to tell its target users and those who will
find value in it the problem investigated,
the methods used to attain the study
objectives, the results and the
conclusions and implications derived
from the results.

Content and Structure of the

Report
Basically, the research report should include the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

following:
Introduction
Review of Related Literature
Methodology
Research Results
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
and/or Implications

Content and Structure of the

Report
The other parts of the report are the following:
Before the body of the report
1. Title Page
2. Approval Sheet (if theses/dissertations)
3. Preface or Acknowledgement
4. Table of Content
5. List of Tables
6. List of Figures
7. Abstract or Executive Summary
After the body of the report
8. References/ Bibliography
9. Appendices

Writing the Research

Proposal

Content and Structure

I. Title
II. Introduction
a. Background of the study
b. The Problem and/or Study Objectives
c. Theoretical and/or Conceptual Framework
d. Assumptions and hypotheses
e. Definition of Terms
f. Scope and Limitations
g. importance of the Study
III. Review of Related Literature

Content and Structure

IV. Methodology
a. Research Design
b. Determination of Sample Size (if sample survey)
c. Sampling Technique (if sample survey)
d. Data Gathering Procedure
e. Instrument
f. Data Gatherers
g. Data processing Methods
h. Analytical Procedures
i. Statistical Measures
V. Schedule of Activities
VI. Budget
VII. Proponent's Curriculum Vitae

Thank you for your cooperation !

Corazon S. Morill