RESEARCH (MODULE 1) Research is original
In simple language, research means searching for knowledge.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary expands this definition as a
“careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about
something.”
According to research authors:
 Systematic inquiry that is designed to collect, analyze and
interpret data to understand, describe or predict
phenomenon.
 Formal and disciplined application of scientific inquiry to
the study of problems.
Among its practical applications are discovering medical
breakthroughs, advancing technological developments and
understanding and solving problems in education, business,
economy and society.
Importance of Research
1. Gather Relevant Information
 Results of research (es) are used as a springboard in
conducting more researches or in planning new projects.
2. Improve Quality of Life
 Geared toward improving quality of life. The major
breakthroughs are all possible because of researches
conducted. Through continuous research these
breakthroughs are further improved to make people’s lives
convenient and comfortable.
3. Understand History
 Understanding history can help us better understand our
current society and the behaviour of the people.
4. Personal and professional Development
 Research challenges us to become better individuals
through the new ideas, perspectives and skills that we can
get when doing research.
Characteristics of Good Research
Research is empirical
 It uses facts and data that are obtained through a
thorough investigation.
Research is analytical
 The researcher carefully analyses and interprets the
gathered data before arriving at a conclusion.
Research is systematic
 It follows procedure in order to obtain objective results.
Research is cyclical
 It begins with a problem and ends with the resolution or
tentative answers to the problem to complete the cycle.
This only means that every step in the research process is
vital to the success of the research.
 It is expected that any research output is a product of
novel ideas and shows originality.
Research Process
 Choose and define a topic
 Write the problem statement or general problem that the
research aims to answer
 Write down all the gathered relevant information in line
with the topic and logically organize the outline
 Develop research strategy to save time and effort in
conducting the research
 Evaluate and check the credibility of the sources employed
in the research
 Write, revise and check the contents of the paper
 Cite documents or sources properly to be able to establish
the credibility of the research.
Ethics in Research
Ethics are norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable
and unacceptable behaviour.
1. Honesty
 Do not fabricate, falsify or misrepresent data.
2. Objectivity
 Avoid or minimize self-deception.
3. Integrity
 Keep your promises and agreements; act with
sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and
action.
4. Carefulness
 Keep good records of research activities such as
data collection, research design and
correspondence with agencies.
5. Openness
 Be open to new ideas and criticism.
6. Respect for intellectual property
 Give proper acknowledgement or credit for all
contributions to research never plagiarize.
7. Confidentiality
 Protect confidential communications and
personal information of your respondents.
8. Social Responsibility
 Strive to promote social good and prevent or
mitigate social harms through research, public
education and advocacy.
9. Competence
 Maintain and improve your social competence
and expertise through lifelong education and
learning.
10. Legality
 Know and obey relevant laws and institutional
and governmental policies.
11. Animal Care
 Do not conduct unnecessary or poorly designed
animal experiments.
12. Human Subjects Protection
 When conducting research to human subjects,
minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits;
respect human dignity and privacy; take special
precautions with vulnerable populations; strive
to distribute the benefits and burden of research
fairly.
 RESEARCH (MODULE 2)
Qualitative Research versus Quantitative Research
Inside the classroom, the teacher made a remark, “you got 75
passing mark!” The teacher also commented that “your classmate
seems uninterested to study the lessons.”
Quantitative observations are usually characterized by numerical
measure such as the passing mark of 75.
Qualitative observation meanwhile, describes a certain
phenomenon or event can be observed through the senses. Usually
qualitative data are in words such as the statement made by the
teacher that the student seems uninterested to study the lessons.
Research techniques can be qualified into two broad categories:
1. Quantitative
2. Qualitative
Quantitative
(From the root word quantity)
Collect data in the form of numbers. Some examples of quantitative
data are height, weight, and age of a person; daily or monthly
income of an employee; and your grades in your academic subjects.
Qualitative
(From the root word quality)
Collect data in the form of words or statements.
Difference between qualitative and quantitative research
Qualitative Research
The researcher ask the participants to respond to some questions
and further probe the answers by giving follow-up questions to get a
thorough response to a certain question.
Below are some examples of qualitative research topics:
1. Students images of Chemistry
2. Gender and cultural gaps in the classroom
3. Science practices of the Mangyan tribe
Looking at these topics, you may infer that the data that can be
gathered will not be numerical data but symbols and verbal
descriptions.
Quantitative Research
Research questions are usually geared toward measuring hypothesis
using statistical tools.
Example of quantitative research topics:
1. Predictors of science performance
2. Growth performance of Organic Fertilizer
3. Population rate in Metro Manila in the next 20 years
Looking at these examples, you may say that the kind of data that
can be generated is numerical. The primary data is obtained from
existing data or experiment.
Like for instance, population rate, you may the get data from the
available statistics and predict the rate in the next 20 years using a
statistical formula.
Likewise, a numerical data can be obtained of you are aiming to find
growth performance of organic fertilizer by taking the length of the
leaves or the stem of experimented plants.