DEFINITION OF TERMS

• INQUIRY = IS LOOKING FOR INFORMATION MAINLY THROUGH ASKING QUESTIONS.

• RESEARCH = ETYMOLOGICALLY DERIVED FROM THE FRENCH WORD “RECHERCHÉ” WHICH MEANS TO
TRAVEL THROUGH OR TO SURVEY.
= IT IS THE ORDERLY INVESTIGATION OF A SUBJECT MATTER FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADDING
TO KNOWLEDGE – (UNESCO, 1962)
= THE SYSTEMATIC PROCESS OF COLLECTING AND ANALYZING INFORMATION (DATA) IN
ORDER TO INCREASE TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHENOMENON WITH WHICH WE ARE CONCERNED OR
INTERESTED. – ( LEEDY, 1997)
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH PROCESS
RESEARCH ORIGINATES WITH A QUESTION OR PROBLEM
RESEARCHERS REQUIRE A CLEAR ARTICULATION OF A GOAL.
RESEARCH REQUIRES A SPECIFIC PLAN OF PROCEDURES.
RESEARCH USUALLY DIVIDES THE PRINCIPAL PROBLEMS INTO MORE MANAGEABLE SUB – PROBLEMS.
 RESEARCHERS ARE GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEMS; QUESTIONS OR HYPOTHESIS.
HYPOTHESIS = IS A LOGICAL SUPPOSITION, A REASONABLE GUESS, AN EDUCATED CONJUNCTURE.
RESEARCH ACCEPTS CERTAIN CRITICAL ASSUMPTION.
RESEARCH REQUIRES THE COLLECTION AND PRESENTATION OF DATA IN ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THE
PROBLEM THAT INITIATED THE RESEARCH.
RESEARCH IS BY ITS NATURE CYCLICAL OR MORE PRECISELY HELICAL.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH:
TO DETERMINE THE ACCURACY OR OTHERWISE AND VALIDITY OF POPULAR BELIEFS, AND RELIGIOUS
PRACTICES BY SUBMITTING THEM TO SYSTEMATIC SCRUTINY.
TO ENHANCE, MODIFY OR REFINE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF PHENOMENON OR VARIOUS THEORIES
SURROUNDING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY.
TO GENERATE NEW CONCEPTS AND EXPLANATIONS OF EXISTING RULES AND POLICIES, BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES, ECONOMICS, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SYSTEM.
TO FIND ANSWERS TO PARTICULAR EXISTING QUESTIONS THROUGH INVESTIGATION.
TO EVALUATE THE FINDINGS OF OTHER RESEARCHES/ STUDIES OR BUILD ON WHERE THEY STOPPED.
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH
• 1. ACCURACY = RESEARCH MUST GIVE FACTUAL AND EXACT DATA IN WHICH SHOULD BE CORRECTLY AND APPROPRIATELY
DOCUMENTED OR ACKNOWLEDGE.
• 2. OBJECTIVITY = RESEARCH MUST DEAL WITH FACTS AND NOT WITH MERE OPINIONS ARISING FROM ASSUMPTIONS,
GENERALIZATIONS PREDICTIONS, OR CONCLUSIONS.
• 3. TIMELINESS = IT MUST WORK ON A TOPIC THAT IS FRESH, NEW, AND INTERESTING TO THE PRESENT SOCIETY.
• 4. RELEVANCE = ITS TOPIC MUST BE INSTRUMENTAL IN IMPROVING SOCIETY OR IN SOLVING PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE
LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
• 5. CLARITY = IT MUST SUCCEED IN EXPRESSING ITS CENTRAL POINT OR DISCOVERIES BY USING SIMPLE, DIRECT, CONCISE
AND CORRECT LANGUAGE.
• 6. SYSTEMATIC = IT MUST TAKE PLACE IN ORDERLY OR PRECISE MANNER.
• 7. ETHICAL = IT MUST GEARED TOWARD WHAT ARE ADVANTAGEOUS OR BENEWFICIAL RATHER THAN WHAT IS DETRIMENTAL
BY RESPECTING PREFERENCES ON MATTTERS OF CONFIDENTIALITY, INDEPENDENCE OR FREEDOM.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL
RESEARCH:
• WIDE READING
• THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING
• INDEPENDENT OPINION
• ORIGINALITY
• EFFECTIVENESS
RESEARCH ETHICS – GUIDELINES FOR
RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH
• HONESTY
• OBJECTIVITY
• INTEGRITY
• CAREFULNESS
• OPENNESS
• RESPECT FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
• CONFIDENTIALITY
• RESPONSIBLE PUBLICATION
• RESPECT FOR COLLEAGUES
• SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
• NON – DISCRIMINATION
• COMPETENCE
• LEGALITY
• ANIMAL CARE
• HUMAN SUBJECTS PROTECTION
RESEARCH MISCONDUCTS
A. FABRICATION = MAKING UP DATA OR RESULTS OR REPORTING THEM.
B. FALSIFICATION = MANIPULATING RESEARCH MATERIALS, OR CHANGING OR OMITTING DATA OR RESULTS
SUCH THAT THE RESEARCH IS NOT ACCURATELY REPRESENTED IN THE RESEARCH RECORD.
C. PLAGIARISM = THE APPROPRIATION OF ANOTHER PERSON’S IDEAS, PROCESSES, RESULTS, OR WORDS
WITHOUT GIVING APPROPRIATE CREDIT.
D. RESEARCH MISCONDUCT DOES NOT INCLUDE HONEST ERROR OR DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.