The Nature of Research

What is research?

 Kerlinger (1973) defines research as “a systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical

investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural
phenomena.”

 According to Sevilla (1990), “research means searching a theory or solving a problem.”

 Aquino (1971) has a more detailed definition of research. He says that “research is, simply, the
systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic or problem.”

 Barredo and Ramirez define research as “the scientific method of exploring issues from different
areas of knowledge and of finding solutions to those issues by the application of your
intelligence, experiences and observations.”

 The term “research” according to Fraenkel and Wallen (1993), can mean any sort of “careful,
systematic, patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to discover
or establish facts and principles.”

 The word research means “finding out and searching repeatedly.”

 Research is central to a university life and to the lives of thousands of people employed in
institutions of higher learning. Indeed, some would say that it defines higher education. But it is
also hugely influential in society. It is intimately tied up with a country’s prestige, its wealth, its
history, and its destiny.

Is research similar to a report?

Similarities Differences

- Both papers depend on various sources. - Kind of data each presents.

- Presents facts and opinions about a particular subject matter. - A research paper includes the researcher’s own interpretation
Includes the researcher’s own interpretations about the subject matter. A report, on the other hand, doesn’t
add anything new to the body of facts and opinions presented.

The importance of research.

There are a number of reasons why research is important. Research allows us to identify problems and
find solutions. Fonollera (1993) identified some importance of research as follows:

 Research is a journey towards the search for infinite knowledge both in modern and social
sciences which are always unfinished processes.
  Research allows us to identify problems in treatment and find solutions.

 In the field of business, research has been undertaken to serve as a voice on key national issues
by providing research-based information to the commercial and industrial sectors as well as
services, such as product, consumer advertising and image studies, public opinion polls, labor
and employment data, viewership and listenership of mass communication, and information for
local and foreign investors.

The purpose of a research paper.

 To free yourself, to a certain extent, from the domination or strong influence of a single
textbook or of the instructor’s lone viewpoint or spoonfeeding;

 To learn how to work independently;

 To learn how to work systematically or scientifically;

 To improve your thinking skills by following top-level thinking needed in research work –
inferring, criticizing, comparing-contrasting, analyzing, synthesizing, generalizing and creating;
To have an in-depth knowledge of a certain topic;

 To be familiar with the basic tools of research and the various techniques of gathering data, as
well as the ways of presenting the results; and

 To improve your writing skills.

Characteristics of a good college research paper.

 Accuracy

 Objectiveness

 Timeliness

 Relevance

 Clarity

 Completeness

 Systematic

 Neatness

Techniques in writing a research paper.

 Think of the objectives, the readers, and the appearance of your paper.

 Give your topic the “best” and the latest data or information.
  Prove the correctness of your data by revealing the exact identity of the sources of your
information.

 Avoid plagiarism by writing in the text and in the bibliography, the names of the original owners
of copied, paraphrased, or summarized ideas.

Kinds of research. (According to application)

 Pure Research – This is also called “basic research” or “fundamental research.” It aims to
discover the basic truths of scientific knowledge. It is concerned with knowledge for the sake of
theory. Its design is not controlled by the practical usefulness of the findings. Basic research is
designed to advance knowledge with no application to existing problems in view. The audience
for basic research consists almost exclusively of scholars or researchers interested in learning
about phenomena.

 Applied Research – This is the application of scientific knowledge to the solution of a problem.
There is a development of a new system or procedure, new device, or new method in order to
solve the problem. In this type of research, a problem is identified and a new system or method
is applied in order to solve the problem. It is concerned with showing how the findings can be
applied to or summarized in some type of teaching methodology. Applied research is designed
to help solve particular, existing problems so there is much larger audience eager to support
research that is more likely to be profitable or solve problems of immediate concern.

Classification of research.

 Library Research – Research is conducted in the library in such a way that answers to the
specific questions/problems of the research study are available in the library. Historical research
is an example of library research because the study is focused in the past where the primary and
secondary sources are available in the library.

 Field Research – Research is conducted in a natural setting. There are no changes in the
environment. Field research is both applicable to descriptive and experimental methods.

 Laboratory Research – Research is conducted in an artificial or controlled conditions by isolating

the study in a rigorously specified and operationalized area. The purposes of this research are:
to test the hypothesis derived from a theory, to control variance under research conditions, and
to discover the relations between the dependent and the independent variables.

Types of research (According to objectives)

 Historical Research - Involves studying, understanding and explaining past events. It is

envisioned to assess the meaning and the message of the past happenings or occurrences that
may help to explain present events and anticipate future ones. The purpose of historical
research is to reconstruct past events. This can be accomplished by collecting and interpreting
data in an objective or unbiased way. Data can be from primary sources. If secondary sources
 are used for the purpose of data collection, these sources must be evaluated for accuracy and
bias.

 Descriptive Research – it involves the description, recording analysis, and interpretation of the
present nature, composition or processes of phenomena. The focus is on prevailing conditions,
or how a person, group or thing behaves or functions in the present. It often involves some type
of comparison or contrast. The process of descriptive research goes beyond mere gathering and
tabulation of data. It involves the elements or interpretation of the meaning or significance of
what is described.

 Experimental Research – looks at cause and effect relationships by comparing two or more
similar groups, usually chosen by random selection. This is accomplished by including an
experimental group undergoing a new treatment approach and a control group receiving the
treatment. In this way, the two groups are compared and the effectiveness of the new approach
can be evaluated.