Research is a careful, detailed and systematic study of a specific problem, concern, or 4.

4. Numerical data and statistical treatment (unbiased results)

issue to establish facts This is best accomplished by turning the issue into a question, with 5. Large sample size (represents a population)
the intent of the research to answer the question. 6. Replication (high reliability—stable and consistent)
7. Future outcomes (new concepts and further studies)
When is a research practical?

Practical research means actual doing or using of something rather than theories
and ideas. It involves inquiry methods and immersion activities in order to achieve the Kinds of Quantitative Research
correct information.
1. Causal-comparative research attempts to determine the cause or consequences
The Scientific Method of differences that already exist between or among groups of individuals.
a. Female and male employees and their job satisfaction
1. Ask a question- state the problem
b. Gender causes on differences in abilities
2. Research- collect sources
2. Correlational research determines the extent of a relationship between two or
3. Hypothesis- an educated guess (If I will…it will…)
more variables using statistical data.
4. Experiment- design and perform to test hypothesis and variables
a. Relationship between intelligence and friendliness
5. Data/Analysis- record observations, analyze the data, prepare a graph or table
b. Student’s hours of study and their stress level
6. Conclusion- accept or reject hypothesis, communicate results
3. Descriptive research provides systematic information about a phenomenon.
Questions that Delimits Research a. The attitudes of scientists regarding global warming
b. Impacts of Qatari diplomatic crisis on OFWs
1. What is the meaning of life? 4. Evaluation research provide a means to judge actions and activities in terms of
2. What is the origin of God? values, criteria and standards
3. Is the universe finite or infinite? a. Performance of newly-hired SH teachers in MMC for S.Y. 2017-2018
4. When did time begin? b. Water quality assessment of Boac River
5. Why is the future unknowable? 5. Experimental research uses the scientific method to establish the cause-effect
6. Why do we fear the unknowable? relationship among a group of variables
7. Why are there exceptions to every rule? a. Levels of heavy metal bioaccumulation of Nypa fruticans from Boac
River
Types of Research
b. Solar purification for water potability
1. Qualitative- used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and 6. A survey is a brief interview or discussion with individuals about a specific topic
motivations. Used in social science and natural sciences a. Acceptance of Boakenos to Boac cityhood
2. Quantitative- deals in numbers, logic, and an objective stance. Quantitative b. Approval rate for Duterte Cabinet members
research focuses on numeric and unchanging data and detailed, convergent
Strengths
reasoning rather than divergent reasoning. Used in psychology, marketing and
political science 1. Fast speed data collection (sampling methods)
2. Findings can be generalized (if sample is from a population)
Characteristics of Quantitative Research
3. Easy to analyze data (use of statistical data)
1. Objective- impartial, unbiased and neutral 4. Consistent and reliable data (use of research manipulations—experiment,
2. Clearly defined questions (What, Which, how much) surveys etc)
3. Structured research instruments (surveys, questionnaires, software) 5. Can be anonymous (for sensitive topic)
Weaknesses d. Family income
3. Independent variable is a variable in research that causes a change esp. on other
1. Requires a large number of respondents
variables. It can be controlled to monitor such changes.
2. Costly and expensive
4. Dependent variables result from the independent variables. It the variable being
3. Secondary data may be unavailable
tested and monitored.
4. Many info are difficult to answer (sensitive topic)
5. More structured research instruments A. The effect of temperature on plant pigmentation
IV= temperature DV= plant pigmentation or color
Importance of Quantitative Research Across Fields B. Effects of fertilizer on plant growth
IV= brand/amount of fertilizer DV= height/weight/no. of leaves of
1. Business- estimates consumer attitudes and behavior, market sizing, and
plants
marketing tactics
C. Brightness of light has any effect on a moth being attracted to the light
2. Political science- measures political behavior and attitudes of citizens and IV= brightness of light DV=reaction of moth
politicians D. Time spent studying and its effects the test scores of students
3. Psychology- measures human attributes/beahvior and analyzes psychological IV= time spent studying DV=test scores
processes E. relationship between disposable income and location amongst young adults
4. Medicine- measures clinical and methodologic standards in medicinal IV=location DV=disposable income
prescription and composition and laboratory experimentations F. Salary and job satisfaction among Gasan residents
5. Economics- evaluates economic behavior and designs economic policies and IV=salary DV=job satisfaction
techniques
6. Demographics- discover patterns, associations, correlations, and other features Research Topic
of a population An area of focus that falls within the perimeter of a niche area or research environment,
which directly relates to a particular discipline (field of study).
7. Education- discover solutions to issues in educational research, assessment, and
Example: Effects of climate change
program evaluation and curriculum implementation
Research Problem
Quantitative Research Variables
A research problem is a definite or clear expression [statement] about:
Variables refer to factors or conditions that can change during the course of an  an area of concern
experiment.  a condition to be improved upon
 a difficulty to be eliminated, or
1. Discrete- variable that can only take on a certain number of values. In short,  a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or within existing
these are variables that are countable where the range of specified values is practice that points to a need for meaningful understanding and deliberate
complete. investigation.
a. Classroom attendance
Pertains to a particular problem within the research environment, which will form the
b. Grade level of students
primary focus of a research study (a real-life problem which can be mitigated and/or
c. Number of cars in a parking lot solved)
d. Baby’s age in months Example: How do the Philippines respond to the effects of Climate Change?
2. Continuous- a variable that has an infinite number of possible values. In short,
these are variables that are obtained by measuring. Remenyi, Williams, Money and Swartz (2009:46) intonate that the research problem
a. Person’s weight/age/height should be a clear, unambiguous statement (perception) that is relevant to the research
b. Travel time from Boac to Gasan title, research topic, the identified niche area and respected discipline alike.
c. Price of commodities
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
 the variables in the problem must be clear  it should be free from ethical constraints
 it should be limited in scope and should be specific,  good research problem must be researchable
 It must have a goal
SOURCES OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS / TOPICS
 Contemporary issues  personal interest and experience
 theory deductions  replication of previous studies
 funding agencies  clarification of contradictory research results
 past researches and literature review  archive data
 casual observation  interdisciplinary perspectives
 related and relevant literature
 Explain how the findings will present the information.
Research Title Research Questions
A specialised area of focus that falls both within the boundaries of a research (delineation) Good research questions possess four essential characteristics as stated by Fraenkel and
and the perimeter of a niche area, which directly relates to a particular discipline. The title Wallen (2007, p.29). They are as follows:
summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study (USC, 2017)  The question is feasible (i.e. it can be investigated without an undue of time,
Example: The Case of Climate Change in the Philippines: Responses and Measures energy, or money)
to its Effects
 The question is clear (i.e. most people would agree as to what the key words in
According to Watkins (2008:23) a research title should have the following characteristics: the question mean).
1. Short, descriptive and to the point  The question is significant (i.e. it is worth investigating because it will contribute
2. Identify the main variables of the research important knowledge about the human condition).
3. Allude to the area of study  The question is ethical (i.e. it will not involve physical or psychological harm or
4. Attract the attention and interest of the reader damage to human beings or to the natural or social environment of which they
5. Make academic sense are part.
Background of the Research
Significance of the Study
 It identifies and describes the history and nature of a well-defined research
problem with reference to the existing literature.  The significance of the study will mainly focus on the question “Who will benefit
from the study?”
 It indicates the root of the problem being studied, appropriate context of the
problem in relation to theory, research, and/or practice, its scope, and the extent  This states the contribution of your study and the usefulness of your study in the
to which previous studies have successfully investigated the problem, noting, in society.
particular, where gaps exist that your study attempts to address.
Scope and Delimitations of the Study
Statement of the Problem Parameters that prevent researchers from pursuing further studies due to time and
budgetary constraints
 reflected to the research title
A. Scope- the coverage, range and period of the study
 The problem must not be answerable by yes or no
B. Delimitations- weaknesses of the study beyond the control of the researcher
 must be arranged in the flow of the study
Definition of Terms
 Introduces the reader to the importance of the topic being studied
Terms used either operationally or technically in a research study
 Places the topic into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is A. Operational- definition based on how a word/s are used in the research study
to be investigated B. Technical- definition based on how a word/s are used in a particular field or
 Provides the framework for reporting the results specialization
 Indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the study
THE VARIABLES IN RESEARCH
The term ‘variable’ has been mentioned several times so that it is
necessary to define it here. In research, a variable refers to a “characteristics that
has two or more mutually exclusive values or properties” (Sevilla and Other,
1988). Sex, for instance, has two properties which are maleness and femaleness.
The ages of different persons have different values; so with their size, height,
weight and income. The phenomenon of variety is what makes life interesting; it
is one of the motivating factors of the research undertaking.
The root word of the word variable is “vary” or simply “can change”.
These variables are among the fundamental concepts of research, alongside with
measurement, validity, reliability, cause and effect; and theory. Bernard (1994)
defines a variable as something that can take more than one value, and values
can be words or numbers.
A variable specifically refers to characteristics, or attribute of an
individual or an organization that can be measured or observed and that varies
among the people or organization being studied (Creswell, 2002).
TYPES OF VARIABLES
1. CONTINUOUS VARIABLES – A variable that can take infinite number on the
value that can occur within the population. Its values can be divided into
fractions. Examples of this type of variable include age, height, and temperature.
Continuous variables can be further categorized as:
a. INTERVAL VARIABLES – It have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range
of numbers. It is a measurement where the difference between two values does
have meaning. Examples of interval data include temperature, a person’s net
worth (how much money you have when you subtract your debt from your
assets), etc. In temperature, this may illustrate as the difference between a
temperature of 60 degrees and 50 degrees is the same as difference between 30
degrees and 20 degrees. The interval between values makes sense and can be
interpreted.
b. RATIO VARIABLES – It have values that lie along an evenly dispersed range of
numbers when there is absolute zero. It possesses the properties of interval
variable and has a clear definition of zero, indication that there is none of that
variable. Examples of which are height, weight, and distance. Most scores
stemming from response to survey items are ratio-level values because they
typically cannot go below zero. Temperature measured in degrees Celsius and
degrees Fahrenheit is not a ratio variable because 0 under these temperatures
scales does not mean no temperature at all.
2. DISCRETE VARIABLES – This is also known as categorical or classificatory
variable. This is any variable that has limited number of distinct values and which
cannot be divided into fractions like sex, blood group, and number of children in
family. Discrete variable may also categorized into:
a. NOMINAL VARIABLE – It represent categories that cannot be ordered in any
particular way. It is a variable with no quantitative value. It has two or more
categories but does not imply ordering of cases. Common examples of this
variable include eye color, business type, religion, biological sex, political
affiliation, basketball fan affiliation, etc. A sub-type of nominal scale with only two
categories just like sex is known as dichotomous.
b. ORDINAL VARIABLE – It represent categories that can be ordered from greatest to
smallest. This variable has two or more categories which can be ranked. Examples of
ordinal variable include education level, income brackets, etc. An illustration of this is, if
you asked people if they liked listening to music while studying and they could answer
either “NOT VERY MUCH”, “MUCH”, “VERY MUCH” then you have an ordinal variable.
While you can rank them, we cannot place a value to them. In this type, distances
between attributes do not have any meaning. For example, you used educational
attainment as a variable on survey, you might code elementary school graduates = 1, high
graduates = 2, college undergraduate = 3, and college graduate = 4. In this measure,
higher number means greater education.
KINDS OF VARIABLES
Several experts have lumped together the following as the major kinds of
variables:
1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES – Those that probably cause, influence, or
affect outcomes. They are invariably called treatment, manipulated, antecedent or
predictor variables. This is the cause variable or the one responsible for the
conditions that act on something else to bring about changes.
EXAMPLE: A study is on the relationship of study habits and academic 5. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES – Variables that are not actually measured
performance of UTNHS senior high school students. STUDY HABITS is the or observed in a study. They exist but their influence cannot be directly detected
independent variable because it influenced the outcome or the performance of in a study. Researchers comment on the influence of confounding variables after
the students. the study has been completed, because these variables may have operated to
explain the relationship between the independent variables and dependent
variable, but they were not or could not be easily assessed.
2. DEPENDENT VARIABLES – those that depend on the independent
variables; they are the outcomes or results of the influence of the independent
variable. That is why it is also called outcome variable.
EXAMPLE: A study is on the relationship of study habits and academic
performance of UTNHS senior high school students. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE is
the dependent variable because it is depending on the study habits of the
students; if the students change their study habit the academic performance also
change.

3. INTERVENING OR MEDLING VARIABLES – Variables that “stand

between” the independent and dependent variables, and they show the effects of
the independent variable on the dependent variable.
EXAMPLE: Consider the given below. Even if farm production is good, if the
attitude towards payment is negative, loan repayment would be low, whereas, if
the attitude towards repayment is positive or favorable, loan repayment would
be high.

4. CONTROL VARIABLES – A special types of independent variables that are

measured in the study because they potentially influence the dependent variable.
Researchers use statistical procedures (e.g. analysis of covariance) to control
these variables. They may be demographic or personal variables that need to be
“controlled” so that the true influence of the independent variable on the
dependent variable can be determined.