LECTURE

METHODS OF RESEARCH
1st Semester SY 2020-2021

Atty. Irmina H. Bautista, Ll.M., DCL

RESEARCH

Research has always been a significant and challenging component of graduate

education. It is a scholarly aimed at advancing knowledge by finding new truths about specific
disciplines which, in turn would open the door to the enhancement of the culture of research in
the Philippines and other developing countries as well.

Research topics may focus on specific areas, but they should be aligned with the
students’ area of specialization.

Research Paper vs. Term Paper

Research Paper presents and argues a thesis, the writer’s proposition or opinion. It is an
analytical or persuasive essay that evaluates a position.

It tries to convince readers that the writer’s argument is valid or at least deserves serious
consideration.

Term Paper is a collection of facts. It does not usually argue a point. It does not try to
persuade readers to think or act a certain way. It is a summary of one or more sources, one is
merely reporting what others have said.

WHAT IS A THESIS?

“A proposition one wishes to defend.”

The end therefore, of a thesis is not simply writing it for the sake of writing per se but
with the view of defending it in due time before a qualified panel.

A thesis proposal is like an “action plan” for your proposed piece of research. It shows
what you believe your research will cover, and serves as a provisional agreement between you
and your adviser and the school.

Main points that a thesis proposal is likely to include:

1. A provisional title

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 2. A description of the field in which the study is to be located; the background provided
for the research should be brief but provide an adequate context for the study
3. A summary of key research findings and/or important theories in the field; a small
number of recognized and appropriate references help set the research in a context and
show that you have done some relevant and selective reading in your intended area of
research.

4. A description of the problem to be tackled by the research; this could arise from a gap
or conflict in previous research or be an extension of what others have done. It could
also arise from a puzzling issue in your professional situation.
5. The aim of research; this could be written in the form of research questions,
hypotheses or purpose sentences (e.g. the aim of this study is to investigate).
6. Justification for the study; the need for the research can be related to the state of
knowledge in the discipline or to the value of the outcome to a particular profession.
7. Possible outcome/s
8. An outline of the intended approach to research, the methodology and data analysis. A
timetable for the research.
9. Resources needed and estimated costs.

RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

Research misconduct does not include honest error or honest differences in the
interpretation or judgment data. The following are examples of research misconduct:
1. deliberate fabrication of research data;
2. misrepresentation of data;
3. plagiarism
4. violation of the rules of confidentiality and intellectual property; and
5. dishonesty in publication

Responsibilities of the adviser

1. An adviser is assigned by the Dean or chosen by the student based on the following
criteria:
a. academic qualifications
b. expertise in the chosen topic
c. willingness to accept the assignment
2. Advising may be done face-to-face or through e-mail/on-line.
3. Proofreading is not part of the adviser’s task.
4. The adviser shall:
a. provides direction to the student in writing the paper
b. guides the student in areas where he/she finds difficulty and give encouragement to
boost the student’s confidence
c. evaluates student’s work objectively, explain the strengths and weaknesses of the
paper
d. knows the student’s research needs
e. Makes oneself available during advising appointments

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 f. Keeps a record of all meetings related to advising
g. monitors the advisee’s progress
h. determines the readiness of the student for proposal and final defense
i. helps the student during decision making on related academic matters, and
j. makes the advisee aware of his/her expectations

Responsibilities of the advisee/student

1. Understanding his research needs and doing his own initiatives to meet them.
2. Knowing and meeting the expectations of the adviser.
3. Being on time during advising appointments.
4. Keeping in mind that the adviser has other responsibilities and time commitments, hence,
seeing the adviser only at the appointed time must be observed.
5. Keeping the adviser informed of his progress.
6. Keeping with following adviser’s recommendations.
7. Being open to critique on the written work and other matters related to advising.
8. Maintaining professionalism at all times.
9. Understanding fully that the adviser’s task is simply to guide/advise/set direction that it is
the student’s task to write the paper.
10. Knowing fully that the thesis writing is his own responsibility.

STEPS IN WRITING A THESIS

1. Pick an area of research that you are excited about.

2. Select a topic which is unique and novel.
3. Ask well-defined open-ended questions for the thesis.
4. Look for a topic that is educational and incorporate your marketable skills.
5. Visualize your finished publication.

Title

- concise
- stimulating
- exact term
- the specific issue
- should not exceed 12 words and 2 lines

Acknowledgment

This includes names of institutions or people who extended help and support in the
course of making the thesis. Designation/position of the person may be indicated. The author
is free to decide on the order/hierarchy of persons to be acknowledged. It is suggested,
however, that funding institutions, if there are, are mentioned first.

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FOCUSING ON A TOPIC

In some subject areas students will simply sign up for a topic of research that interest
them from a designated list of lecturers and their areas of expertise.

In other subjects, students will not only be invited to choose a topic that interests them,
but expected to define their own research question, which will become their thesis title.

It is likely that their initial choice of title/topic may change after they have worked out
what is manageable and feasible in the time available.

 Formulate some exploratory questions that would like to address

 Develop and clarify the questions after further reading and through discussions with
colleagues and adviser
 Consider how are going to approach of the research required to answer the problems,
i.e. what is the methodology? Will the student examine secondary evidence (data
sheets, census, reports, etc.) or collecting his own data (conducting field research,
survey, interviews, etc.) or collecting data?

It is essential that the research question is clearly focused and precisely phrased:
answering it must be achievable in the time available to the student.

Before settling on a question– ask yourself:

• Will it keep you interested for a long period?

• Can you answer it with the time and resources you have?
• Is there someone who can supervise you and can you get on with him/her?
• Do you have some ideas of how to go about answering?

Thesis Abstract

The thesis abstract is essentially a brief summary of the whole paper. It gives an
overview of the research study including the conclusions.

It includes description of the study, methodology, major findings, conclusions and

recommendations. This should be a one-page summary of the paper and should not be more
than 200 words.

The main purpose of abstract is to give the readers a general idea of the content of the
thesis. The abstract will help the readers decide whether to read the whole text in detail. An
additional purpose is to inspire interest in the thesis.

This section is limited to 100-200 words (approximately 12-15 lines), single space and
must include at least four (4) keywords.

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Background of the Study

This part includes the background information about the problem at hand. The
elements in the statement include a precise and clear description of the research and it
highlights the results or outcomes.

It must show how the research problem statement has arisen from a context or study
locale.

Statement of the Problem

The major problem is stated in a declarative form. This usually bears the title of the
thesis or the main objective in conducting the study.

The sub-problems are in question form.

The researcher should consider the following guidelines in evaluating the statement of
the problem:

 Is the problem part of the graduate school research agenda and significant enough to
add to the existing knowledge?
 Is the problem testable, that is, is it possible to collect data to answer the questions
asked?
 Are the sub-problems completely researchable units?

Literature Review

The Literature Review is the part of the thesis where there is extensive reference to
related research and theory in the field; it is where connections are made between the source
texts that the student draws on and where he position himself if amongst these sources. It is
the student’s opportunity to engage in a written dialogue with researchers in his area whilst at
the same time showing that he has engaged with, understood and responded to the relevant
body of knowledge underpinning the research.

Overall, the function of a literature review is to show how related work in the field has
shaped and influenced the student’s research. The researcher should aim to use the literature
selectively and creatively to provide a stimulus for his own work.

More specifically, the literature can be used for the following purposes:

1. To provide a historical context for the research

2. To give an overview of the current context in which the research is situated

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3. To show relevant theories and concepts for the research
4. To provide definitions and relevant terminology for the research
5. To describe related research in the field and how the work extends this or addresses a gap
in previous work in the field
6. To provide supporting evidence for a practical problem which the research is addressing

Methodology

Methodology implies more than simply the methods intend to be used to collect data. It is
often necessary to include a consideration of the concepts and theories which underlie the
methods.

In describing the methods used, it is necessary to state how the writer addressed the
research questions and/or hypotheses. The methods should be described in enough detail for
the study to be replicated, or at least repeated in a similar way in another situation. Every stage
should be explained and justified with clear reasons for the choice of the particular methods
and materials.

There are many different ways to approach the research that fulfills the requirements of a
thesis. These may vary both within and within disciplines. It is important to consider the
expectations and possibilities concerning research in the writer’s own field. The writer can do
this by asking to his adviser and looking at the manuscripts written by former researchers.

Qualitative Research Method is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain

understanding of underlying reasons, opinions and motivations. It provides insights into the
problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. It is used
to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem.

Quantitative Research Method is used to quantify the problem by way of generating

numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify
attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a
larger sample population.

Quantitative data collection methods include various forms of surveys --- on line
surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, etc.

Historical Research Approach involves interpreting past events to predict future ones.
It is a method of analyzing and interpreting what was happened using records in the past.

Historical Research was necessary to present the historical background of the topic
(law), the underlying reasons for its legislation and importance of the law at the time of its
enactment. It was used to identify the social and political conditions that led to the passage of
the law and the intendment of the framers of the law as culled from the deliberations in both
houses of congress.

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 A Descriptive Research Method is a process of observing and describing a topic of
study. It is concerned with the conditions, practices, structure, differences or relationships that
exist, opinions held, processes that are on going, trends that are evident and cause-effect
relationships.

Analytical Method involves the identification and interpretation of data already

existing in documents. It is a technique for objective, systematic and quantitative description
of the manifest content of communication. The researcher uses facts or information already
available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of a material.

Data Analysis is a process for obtaining raw data and converting them into
information useful for decision making by users. Data is collected and analyzed to answer
questions, test hypotheses or disprove theories.

Document Analysis basically involves the analysis of all information and data that
were collected. It is through the collected data and information that the author interpreted and
provided the justification for the work made during the study.

Results and Discussion

This part is introduced by the limitations of the study, which the researcher wishes to
control or limit in order to delimit the broad coverage of the study, thereby permitting a
thorough and a more in-depth investigation or discussion of the problem.

This chapter presents the answers to the specific problems earlier raised in the study. The
headings are topics based on the problems raised in the study. Citations are required to support
to the findings and interpretation.

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Summary

A brief discussion of everything that have been discussed in the previous chapters. It is a
condensed version of a larger reading. It is not a rewrite of the original piece and does not
have to be long nor should it be long. To write a summary, use your own words to express
briefly the main idea and relevant details of the piece you have read. The purpose in writing
the summary is to give the basic idea of the original reading.

B. Conclusion

Conclusion is often the most difficult part of the study to write. The researcher needs
to keep in mind that the conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. It could be the best
part of the research.

A conclusion should:

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  Stress the importance of the thesis statement
 Give the research a sense of completeness
 Leave a final impression on the reader

Conclusion shows the readers the value of the researcher’s completely developed
argument or thoroughly answered questions/problems. At the end of the thesis, a reader wants
to know how to benefit from the work accomplished in the paper.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations are the remedies to the problems posed.

These can take two forms:

1. Recommendations for change; or

2. Recommendations for further study; or
3. Both

Each recommendation should trace directly to a conclusion.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

This part contains all sources cited in the study. Only works that appear in the text are
included, which means that the in-text citations should match the reference list. All the
sources are arranged in alphabetical order or from the most important sources.

It is a vital part of the thesis process as it allows the reader to:

1. Find the sources of quotations, theories, data or other information that referred to in
the thesis.
2. Follow the intellectual contribution other authors have made to the development of a
concept or argument the students put forward.
3. Check the integrity of the research work in terms of plagiarism.

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