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Important Terms in Research

There are important terms in research. The most common are:

1. Variable. In the broadest sense, a variable is anything in a research situation that

varies and can be measured. It can be human characteristics (students, teachers, or
school administrators) or it can be characteristics, groups, schools, districts,
instructional materials. The various characteristics are called variables and can be
measured. Educationally relevant traits of humans, include age, intelligence, reading
scores, learning comprehension, level of motivation, sensitivity to noise and light, and
ethnicity. Another relevant nonhuman characteristics includes the size and print of
books, the frequency an event occurs, the location of classes, the economic status of
teachers and students attendance records.

2. Research design. The research design is the plan used to study a problem or issue.
There are two basic designs based on the way data and information are collected,
synthesized and analyzed are quantitative research (statistical data analysis) and
qualitative research (non-statistical data analysis).

3. Hypothesis. A hypothesis is a tentative statement about how one or more variables are
related.

4. Subjects. The subjects are the particular individuals used in the research.

5. Control group. The group of objects in experimental research not receiving the
experimental research not receiving the experimental conditions of treatment

6. Correlation. A measure of the extent to which two or more variables have a

systematic relationship.

7. Dependent variable. The variable researchers make the acted upon variable. It is the
variable whose value may change as a result of the experimental treatment.

8. Independent variable. The influencing variable in experimental research, the one to

which the researcher attributes causation (sometimes called experimental variable)
which each research project is unique in some ways, all projects involve the same
stages.
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Hypothesis
This is understood as:

a statement of what one expects to find;

a statement to be proven;
an initial answer to the research questions;
a common sense statement;
an expected relationship between variables;
an explanation of the phenomena;
a statement of patterns of behavior.

Forms of Hypothesis
1. Null hypothesis. This says “there is no difference,” meaning the independent variable
does not affect the dependent variable. If data reject the null hypothesis, then the
alternative hypothesis should be true.

2. Alternative hypothesis. This says “there is a difference,” meaning, that the independent
variable affects the dependent variable. The alternative hypothesis serve as the real
concern of the research, it is definite statement of the relationship between variables. This
is what the research hopes to determine

Importance or Significance of the Study

1. It is where the significant contributions of the results of the study are enumerated. Such
contributions may be viewed from the point of the target beneficiaries like the researcher
himself, service providers, client, society, administrators, planners, decision-makers,
implementers, the community, the educational institutions, legislatures, and practitioners.

2. It may also be viewed on their contributions to the accumulation of knowledge, solving a

problem which improves certain of refinement of concepts and theories, improvement of
research instruments and methods and meeting the priorities of institutions.

The use of the following phrases could help express the importance of the study:

The results of this study could help them realize…

The useful and relevant information acquired from the study will encourage them to continue…
This study will encourage them to…
This study will enhance involvement in the…
Results could help benefit…
It will also serve as basis in the study of…
This study will also afford the management to know…
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Similar organizations will benefit from the study in…

Researchers may find the findings useful as…

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The scope identifies the boundaries or coverage of the study in term of subjects, objectives,
facilities, area, time frame, and the issues to which the research is focused.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

The theoretical framework shapes the justification of the research problem objectives in
order to provide the basis on its parameters. It is desirable for a researcher to identify the key
concepts that are used in the study for better understanding of the rule of theory in research. It is
a symbolic construction, which uses abstract, concepts, facts or laws, variables and their relations
that explain and predict how an observed phenomenon exists and operates.

Conceptual framework presents specific and well-defined concepts, which are called
constructs. Its function is similar with theoretical framework because the constructs used are
derived from abstract, concepts of the theoretical framework.

Paradigm is a diagrammatic representation of a conceptual framework. It depicts in a

more vivid way what the conceptual framework want to convey.

Definition of Terms
This section of the research includes important or key terms that should be substantially
and clearly defined according to how they are used in the study in order to facilitate
understanding of the problem and avoid ambiguous meaning to terms which can be otherwise
interpreted in different ways.

Definitions of terms may be of two categories, namely;

(1) operational and (2) conceptual or lexical definitions with the research or exercising
option in the use of these two categories.

Operational definitions express the meaning of the terms as used in a particular field of
study while conceptual definition is usually taken from the dictionary. It carries a universal
meaning easily understood by people.
Related Literature

Literature may be defined as written works collectively, especially, those enduring

importance, exhibiting creative imagination and artist’s skill, which are written in a particular
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period, language, and subject. In other words, any written matter such as book, journal,
magazine, novel, poetry, yearbook, and encyclopedia are considered as literature.

The following guidelines on effective writing of the literature and review can guide the
researcher:

1. Research papers must be written in a formal style, which is the third person, not the
first person.

2. Avoid highly descriptive writing style, not appropriate for a scholarly research.

3. Use the active voice for direct impact and easy understanding.

4. Avoid the use of jargon, use familiar terms in place of terminologies

5. Language should be neutral gender, no sexy language like his.

6. Make the conclusions and contradictions found in the literature clear in the report.

7. Use the short sentences, avoid elongated and run-on expressions.

8. Use the proper grammar and proofread the work.

9. Never plagiarize; give credit to the original author ideas.

10. Pay attention to the structure and form of published articles, which are good examples
of how literature reviews can be written.

Related Studies
Related Studies in contrast to related literature are works based on empirical data. In
reviewing related studies, one must be careful to the: (1) problem, (2) methodology, including
the sampling plan, (3) instrument used, (4) findings, and (5) conclusions.

The use of the following phrases and expressions that help express related literature and
studies are:

In 1999, Dizon stresses that…

From the book of Espidido entitled “Practice of Research” published by the National
Bookstore Inc., in 1999 he expounded that…
Gay (1998) said that…
Fox (1990) suggested that…
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Gates (1998) pointed out that…

Punzalan (1980) used…
Flanders system focused…
Amidos and Hunters system investigated…
Barne’s system made detailed and interesting…
Bellack, et al., proposed…
Malcolhm, on the other hand credited for…
Costales largely based on the…
Zulueta postulated that these…
Nebrez directed that…