1. Increase the number of English words you know; 2. Express your world views using newly learned words; 3. Familiarize yourself with the nature of non- experimental research; 4. Trace the development of survey research; 5. Present a good plan of your survey research; 6. Practice honesty and integrity in researching; and 7. Conduct a practicable survey research. NON- EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
Definition of Non- Experimental Research
Non-Experimental Research is a way of finding out truths about a subject by describing the collected data about such subject and determining their relationships or connections with one another. Any treatment or condition is not involved in this type of research. But there is a measuring of variables here; hence, once you do a non-experimental research, you deal with both qualitative and quantitative data. Your desire to discover people's thought, views, feelings and attitudes about a certain societal issue, object, place or event causes you to use non-experimental research. Characteristics:
1. It is incapable of establishing cause-effect
relationships; by itself, it is able, if it takes place in conjuction with other experiment and quasi- experimental research methods. 2. It involves various ways of data analysis: Primary - analysis of data collected by the researcher himself Secondary - examination of data collected by other people Meta-analysis - analysis of data expressed numerically 3. It uses research methods applicable to both qualitative and quantitative data. It collects data through survey, observation, historical studies, case studies, documentary analysis, and so on (Suter 2012; Sarantakos 2013). Definition of Survey Research
Many immidiately come to think of survey research the
moment they hear or read the expression Non- Experimental Research. This is so because survey research is the most used non-experimental research in the field of Sociology, Psychology, and Humanities. Inquiries, investigations, and experiments also happen in this type of non-experimental research. But in terms of types and analysis of data, survey research follows a standard that is applicable to social sciences (Schreiber 2011). Survey research is a method of research that aims at knowing what a big number of people think and feel about some sociological issues. The data it collects from these people serving as representatives or informants explain or describe the society's thoughts, attitudes and feelings towards environmental issues. Although survey research is a very old research technique that began in the period of the ancient Egyptian rulers, many still consider this as a very popular means of social inquiry (Babbie, 2013:383). The extensive use of survey research is proven by the fact that more than one-third of published research online in sociology, psychology, and humanities were done through survey research. Usually used by researchers to study issues affecting a large population, survey research requires data gathering techniques such as interview, questionnaire, online survey, and telephone interview that primarily consider the size of the group being studied ( Schutt, 2013). Here, the researcher selects a sample of respondents from a small/large population and provide the chosen subjects a formalized questionnaire. Purposes of Survey Research
1. To obtain information about people's
opinions and feelings about an issue. 2. To identify present condition, needs, or problems of people in a short span of time. 3. To seek answers to social problems. 4. To give school officials pointers on curricular offerings, guidance and counseling services, teacher evaluation, and so on. Planning a Survey Research
The research design of a survey research is
similar to that of the experimental research, only, that when it comes to data collection method and instrument, survey research goes through the following phases: 1. Explanation of the objectives clearly 2. Formulation of research questions or hypothesis to predict relationships of variables. 3. Determination of the exact kind of data referred to by the hypotheses or research questions 4. Assurance of the population or group of people to which the findings will be applied to 5. Finalization of the sampling method for selecting the participants 6 Identification of the method or instrument in collecting data, that is, whether it is questionnaire on paper, through phone, via computer, or face-to- face. Strengths of Survey Research
Stressing the effectiveness and usefulness of
survey research, Schutt (2013) gives the following pluses of survey research: 1.Versatility. It can tackle any issue affecting society. 2.Efficiency. It is not costly in terms of money and time, assuming there is excellent communication or postal system. 3.Generality. It can get a good representation or sample of a large group of people. 4. Confidentiality. It is capable of safeguarding the privacy or anonymity of respondents. Here are the weak points of survey research: 1. It cannot provide sufficient evidence about the relationships of variables. 2. It cannot examine the significance of some issues affecting people's social life. 3. It cannot get data reflecting the effects of the interconnectedness of environmental features on the research study. 4. It cannot consider man's naturalistics tendencies as the basis of human behaviour unless his ways or styles of living are related to his sorroundings. 5. It cannot promote interpretative and creative thinking unless its formation of ideas results from scientific thinking. 6. It cannot have an effective application to all topics for research. 7. It cannot use a questioning or coding method that can accurately register differences among the participants' responses. 8. It cannot diffuse the main researcher's abilities to control and manipulate some factors affecting the study. 9. It cannot account for real or actual happenings, but can give ideas on respondents' views, beliefs, concepts, and emotions. Ethical Principles and Rules in Survey Research You are in a higher education institution (HEI) called college or unversity that always considers academic excellence as its number one goal. Be academically competent by producing excellent research paper that will mirror not only your intellectual abilities but your valuing system as well. Considering the importance of honesty and integrity in conducting a research paper, keep in mind the following ethical priciples and rules in producing an honest-to-goodness research paper (Ransome, 2013; Corti, 2014): 1. Respect whatever decision a person has about your research work for his participation in your study comes solely from his or her own decision-making powers. 2. Make sure that your study will be instrumental in elevating the living conditions of people around you or in bringing about world progress. 3. Conduct your research work in a way that the respondents will be safe from any injury or damage that may arise from their physical and emotional involvement in the study. 4. Practice honesty and truthfulness in reporting about the results of your study. 5. Accept the reality that the nature, kind and extent of responses to your questions depend solely on the dispositions of the respondents. 6. Decide properly which information should go public or secret. 7. Stick to your promise of safeguarding the secrecy of some information you obtained from the respondents.