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CHAPTER III

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

This chapter shows the method and procedures that will be used by the

researcher to gather the needed data. Particularly, it discussed the research

design, research locale, respondents, sampling procedures, research instrument,

data gathering procedure, and statistical treatment.

Research Design

The descriptive analysis method of research will be used in this study.

Descriptive research, as defined by Manuel and Medel (1993), is a method that

involves description, recording, analysis, and interpretation of the present nature,

composition or process of phenomena. This method describes what is. This

focuses 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.

Furthermore, Calderon and Gonzales (1993) defines descriptive research

as a purposive process of gathering, analyzing, classifying and tabulating, data

about prevailing conditions, practices, beliefs, processes, trends, and cause-effect

relationships and then making adequate and accurate interpretations about such

data with or without the aid of statistical methods.

Since the present study is concerned with the assessment of the May 2013

automated election in Jomalig,Quezon, the descriptive method of research will be

the most appropriate method to use.

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Described in the study is the overall process of the automated elections

system and its transition from the manual election system. Evaluated will be the

impact of the automation to the Commission on Elections and the voters and the

problems encountered in the process.

Research Locale

The study will be conducted in 5 barangays of the Municipality of Jomalig,

Province of Quezon in the Philippines. An island municipality composed of coastal

barangays namely Apad, Bukal, Casuguran, Gango and Talisoy with a total of

6,884 population with 3,634 registered voters as of May 2013 Election.

Jomalig, Quezon was chosen to be the locale of the study due to the

observations that election automation turnout is huge in remote areas due to

possibilities of high rate illiteracy and ignorance for the new technology in rural

municipalities and also the town has a very small population with only 50% voting

populace.

Respondents

In selection of respondents, the researcher will be identifying the target

population of the study and will be computing for the actual sample.

Since the feedback from the people should come from the electorate

or those who have voted in the election, the 100 respondents should be chosen by

considering certain criteria such as the following:

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1. The respondents must be registered voter of the municipality and

have voted at least 3 consecutive elections (including the manual

election.)

2. The respondents must be 18 years old and above

3. The respondents must have participated in the May 2013 national

and local elections.

The researcher chose respondents that are registered voters of the

municipality and have voted at least twice in national elections, including the

manual election for the purpose of availability and familiarity with the said topic.

Likewise, the researcher choose to include those respondents who

have voted thrice in the national elections, assuming that most of them are familiar

both in manual and automated elections.

Finally, the respondents must have exercised their right to vote in the

last May 2013 elections to be able to obtain the data needed with regards to the

Automated Election System.

Sampling Procedure
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The sampling procedure will explain the sampling technique that will be

employed in the study. This will also determine the study population that will be

used by applying certain criteria.

The researcher will make use of the purposive sampling technique.

Purposive sampling, as defined by Calderon and Gonzales (1993), is determining

the target population of those to be involved in the study. The respondents are

chosen on the basis of their knowledge of the information desired. It is a sampling

technique where the selects a particular group or groups based on certain criteria,

purposes, or variables.

Purposive sampling will be used in this research because the data that is

needed shall come from a part of the population that belong to certain criteria that

are absent from others.

Research Instrument

After reading and studying samples of questionnaire and interview guide

from related studies, the researcher prepared his own questionnaire and interview

guide. He also consulted some knowledgeable people about how to prepare one.

The researcher saw to it that there were enough items to collect data to

cover all aspects of the problem and to answer to all the specific questions under
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the statement of the problem. Attached hereto is a sample of the questionnaire

and the interview guide that will be used in the collection of data.

Data Gathering Procedures

The method of collecting data that will be used in the study is the normative

survey. Calderon and Gonzales (1993) explain that the normative survey is

concerned with looking into the commonality of some elements. It is used in

collecting demographic data about people’s behavior, practices, intentions, beliefs,

attitudes, opinions, judgements, interests, perceptions, and the like and then such

data are analyzed, organized, and interpreted. Since the present research is a

status study, the normative survey would be the most appropriate method to use in

gathering data.

The instrument that will be used to collect data is a questionnaire. This will

be used because it gathers data faster than any other method. They could read

and answer the questionnaire without difficulty. The questionnaire will be used to

gather feedback of the voters on the automated election system.

The researcher will also use the reading and interview method in gathering

necessary data from government instrumentalities especially the Comelec. This

will help the researcher arrive at a more complete and valid information wherein
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greater complex questions can be asked by the researcher to be provided by

greater complex data which shall be vital to the study.

Statistical Treatment

The study will utilize statistical formula to interpret the data gathered. In

particular, the researcher will be using Pagoso’s formula which is

n=

1 + Ne2

where:

n = sample

N = population

e = margin of error