Chapter 1 Research

1. 1. Unit I: An Introduction to Research

2. 2. Knowing
the Real Meaning of Research • What is researcher? • Why do we need to conduct
research? • What are the contributions of research to each one of us?
3. 3. Chapter 1: The Nature of Inquiry and Research • The word “research” can be split into two
words: • Re – a prefix which means “again” Search which means “to look for something”
Thus, research means “TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING, AGAIN” Basically, it tries to unravel,
improve and create ideas or something useful out of something old.
4. 4. NATURE AND INQUIRY OF RESEARCH • Research, therefore, is an organized way of
finding new ideas from existing knowledge with the help of useful tools that will lead us to
discover new and useful concepts in order to improve quality life
5. 5. (1) Verification of Existing Knowledge • Research aims to verify or prove the truthful ness
of existing theories of knowledge This may lead to the development of new ideas, strengthen
a current knowledge, or debunk a theory
6. 6. (2) Acquisition of New Knowledge • If research can strengthen the truthfulness of a theory,
it can also bring forth new ideas regarding the theory or even create a new theory.
7. 7. (3) Application of New Knowledge • Once a new knowledge has been proven or verified,
the researcher’s next move is to utilize that new knowledge into something useful to
humankind.
8. 8. (4) Advancement of the Researcher’s Expertise • As researchers conduct more studies,
their knowledge on a particular field widens. They gain and learn a lot from every experience
they encounter. They become ‘experts’ of a particular field from which their study focuses on.
9. 9. Function of Research Why conduct RESEARCH?
10. 10. (A) Exploration • It seeks to find more information about a topic and broader perspective
or additional knowledge to what is currently known. Thus, it is a research that provides
foundation for future studies.
11. 11. (B) Description • The aim of descriptive research is to give additional information on
newly discovered ideas which were results of exploration.
12. 12. (C) Explanation • Explanatory research looks on how things are connected together and
how things interact. It aims to explain relationships existing between variables.
13. 13. CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH (A)Realistic (B)Logical (C)Cyclical (D)Analytical
(E) Objective (F) Critical (G)Replicable
14. 14. (A) Realistic • The results of an investigation should be based on actual data which was
gathered by the researcher himself. The data to be presented should be a valid evidence of
one’s investigation. (B) Logical • Research should follow valid procedures and principles.
There are proper and logical approaches to find out answers to a particular research
questions.
15. 15. (C) Cyclical • One of the characteristics of research is that it is cyclical. It starts with a
problem and ends with another problem. Thus research is not expected to end when the
research questions has already been answered. (D) Analytical • Before stating the
conclusion, the researcher must make sure that all acceptable procedures in data gathering
have been employed correctly.
16. 16. (E) Objective • Conclusion should be drawn based on the accuracy of the empirical data
that supports the study. (F) Critical • In using statistics, he/she has to establish a certain
confidence level to be precise in his/her interpretations whether the results are significant or
not.
17. 17. (G) Replicable • This is to verify the validity and consistency of the results of the research
if performed in the same conditions as the original research.
18. 18. Type of Research • Basic or Pure Research – researcher aims to come up with
knowledge or contribute to the existing body of knowledge. • Applied Research – if the aim of
 the researcher is to find applications for the theories or create a product employing the
existing idea.
19. 19. QUALITATIVE VERSUS QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
20. 20. • Qualitative research deals with the characteristics observed from the subjects and uses
minimal to no statistical analysis. • Quantitative research focuses on the analysis and
interpretation of the raw numerical data gathered.
21. 21. How is research conducted? (A)Identifying Research Problem (B)Formulating
Hypotheses and Designing your Study. (C)Data Collection (D)Analysis of Data and Testing
Hypotheses (E) Interpreting Data (F) Reporting Results
22. 22. (A) Identifying the Research Problem • Research problems may be in the form of
questions which the researcher aims to answer at the end of the research activity. A
research problem is the heart of a good qualitative research. It serves as the researchers’
guide throughout the research process and the focus of all research activities. (B)
Formulating Hypotheses and Designing your Study. • This guide the researcher toward
answering the researcher is to find out if the hypothesis he/she has formulated is correct or
not. • This is where careful planning and designing of the research comes in.
23. 23. (C) Data Collection • Data collection is the process of fathering information by means of a
defined method, in order to support your hypotheses. Data could be anything that is used to
represent facts and values or anything that may represent a characteristic of something that
is being measured. (D) Analysis of Data and Testing the Hypothesis • Data analysis is the
process of examining data for its conformity to the present hypotheses. If the data that has
been gathered suggests truthfulness of the hypotheses, then hypotheses will be accepted.
Otherwise, the hypotheses will be rejected.
24. 24. (E) Interpreting Data • Based on the results and analysis of data, conclusion may now be
drawn out. This may lead to evaluation of a particular theory or testing the hypothesis based
on the accounts of your subjects. • Further, in qualitative research, there is a need for the
researcher to return to the subjects for validation purposes or what is technically termed as
“member- checking”. (F) Reporting Results • Reporting or communicating the results of the
study is essential for the public to know. With this, the results of research become beneficial
to those stakeholders who might be using the findings of the study in the near future.
25. 25. CHARACTERISTIC OF A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCHER
26. 26. • Research-Oriented – he is curious to find out the intricacies of things • Efficient –
researchers make sure that they budget their time, effort, and resources wisely to
accomplish their task in proper time • Scientific – he follows scientific method in finding out
answers to their queries. • Effective – Being effective means doing the right things. Errors
cannot be avoided but can be foreseen. A proper protocol has to be developed for these
errors to be minimized. • Active – A researcher always respond to the challenges of the
modern world. He makes it sure that he is involved in all research endeavour he and his
team is up to. He consistently participates in all research activities relevant to his expertise. •
Resourceful – one of the good researcher qualities is being resourceful. Even if the
resources are limited, he can still make use of the available materials to compensate for the
things he needs. He is not stopped by lack of materials to do his tasks at the same time not
sacrificing the validity of research.
27. 27. • Creative – Researcher always have novel ideas in his minds. He makes use of his
creativity to think of unique ways in order to solve a problem. He always finds new ways to
address a difficult situation and eventually makes it easier to solve it than the traditional
method. • Honest – whatever the results of his investigation may be, a researcher reports
these in his write-up. Even the situation it for or against his expectations, he makes it sure
that he reports his findings. • Economical – Because of limited resources, a successful
researcher makes it a point that these resources will not be wasted. • Religious - a
researcher is faithful to do the tasks he is expected to do. He does the research earnestly
and does not give up easily even if non-favourable situations arise.
28. 28. Thank you so much