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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
