ACTIVITY 1.

1 RESEARCH: MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE

1. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, BRIEFLY BUT SUBSTANTIALLY.

A. What do you personally mean by research?

For me, research is the most important and a broad part of life. it is very
helpful especially to our daily living. Why? because many of us wants to learn
about things that made us confuse. Not only for that, Research also gives us the
ability to think about the problem; what? when? how and where? It only means
that without a research, we cannot’ even solve a problem.
B. What is the significance of research in the modern times?
The significance of research in the modern times will enhanced skills and
grow new strategies for human services. It helps us to be more fast in discovering
ideas and ways to work. It is important because it helps us especially to our daily
living. It gives us the idea and information to come out with an answer to
problems and questions.
C. Hudson Maxim said “all progress is born inquiry, Doubt is often better
than overconfidence, for it leads to inquiry. and inquiry leads to
invention.” Comment on the statement and relate it to yourself as a
future researcher.
I strongly agree to the quote of Maxim that inquiry leads to invention,
because when you inquire, you gathered data, and when you gathered data there
will be an invention that leads to the formulation of the hypothesis. it only means
that research has a problem, has a data and intervention.
There are lots of undiscovered things in the world and the only way is to discover.
It is through asking questions and that question gives an individual a motivation to
answer and that leads to a discovery.
As a future Professional Researcher, I will use my curiosity to gather data, to
learn, and to be determined in solving problems. I always put myself, below and
see the process of my progress, sooner or later, if God allows me to be a
professional researcher, I will always be humble, respectful, has a dignity and
determination to reach my goals in life. I will always use my curiosity to learn
more things because I learned and I believed that curiosity opens a door to a new
discovery.
ACTIVITY 1.2 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: SIMILARITIES AND
DISSIMILARITIES

State the similarities and dissimilarities of Quantitative and Qualitative research.

Use the template to complete the matrix below.

SPECIFIC TO QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

ANSWER:

Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. It

can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal
relationships, and generalize results to wider populations.

You can use quantitative research methods for descriptive, correlational or

experimental research.

In  descriptive research, you simply seek an overall summary of your study
variables.
In correlational research, you investigate relationships between your study
variables.
In experimental research, you systematically examine whether there is a cause-
and-effect relationship between variables.
Quantitative research is often used to standardize data collection and generalize
findings.

Strengths of this approach include:

Replication
Repeating the study is possible because of standardized data collection
protocols and tangible definitions of abstract concepts.

Direct comparisons of results

The study can be reproduced in other cultural settings, times or with
different groups of participants. Results can be compared statistically.
 Large samples
Data from large samples can be processed and analyzed using reliable and
consistent procedures through quantitative data analysis.

Hypothesis testing
Using formalized and established hypothesis testing procedures means that
you have to carefully consider and report your research variables,
predictions, data collection and testing methods before coming to a
conclusion.

SPECIFIC TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

 Qualitative research is a type of social science research that collects and

works with non-numerical data and that seeks to interpret meaning from
these data that help understand social life through the study of targeted
populations or places.

 Qualitative research is designed to reveal the meaning that informs the

action  or outcomes that are typically measured by quantitative research. So
qualitative researchers investigate meanings, interpretations, symbols, and
the processes and relations of social life.

 What this type of research produces is descriptive data that the researcher
must then interpret using rigorous and systematic methods of transcribing,
coding, and analysis of trends and themes. Because its focus is everyday life
and people's experiences, qualitative research lends itself well to creating
new theories using the inductive method, which can then be tested with
further research.

 Methods

Qualitative researchers use their own eyes, ears, and intelligence to collect in-
depth perceptions and descriptions of targeted populations, places, and events.
Their findings are collected through a variety of methods, and often a researcher
will use at least two or several of the following while conducting a qualitative
study:

 Direct observation: With direct observation, a researcher studies people as

they go about their daily lives without participating or interfering. This type
of research is often unknown to those under study, and as such, must be
conducted in public settings where people do not have a reasonable
expectation of privacy. For example, a researcher might observe the ways
in which strangers interact in public as they gather to watch a street
performer.
 Open-ended surveys: While many surveys are designed to generate
quantitative data, many are also designed with open-ended questions that
allow for the generation and analysis of qualitative data. For example, a
survey might be used to investigate not just which political candidate voters
chose, but why they chose them, in their own words.
 Focus group: In a focus group, a researcher engages a small group of
participants in a conversation designed to generate data relevant to the
research question. Focus groups can contain anywhere from 5 to 15
participants. Social scientists often use them in studies that examine an
event or trend that occurs within a specific community. They are common
in market research, too.
 In-depth interviews: Researchers conduct in-depth interviews by speaking
with participants in a one-on-one setting. Sometimes a researcher
approaches the interview with a predetermined list of questions or topics
for discussion but allows the conversation to evolve based on how the
participant responds. Other times, the researcher has identified certain
topics of interest but does not have a formal guide for the conversation,
but allows the participant to guide it.
 Oral history: The oral history method is used to create a historical account
of an event, group, or community, and typically involves a series of in-depth
interviews conducted with one or multiple participants over an extended
period.
 Participant observation: This method is similar to observation, however
with this one, the researcher also participates in the action or events to not
only observe others but to gain the first-hand experience in the setting.
  Ethnographic observation: Ethnographic observation is the most intensive
and in-depth observational method. Originating in anthropology, with this
method, a researcher fully immerses themselves into the research setting
and lives among the participants as one of them for anywhere from months
to years. By doing this, the researcher attempts to experience day-to-day
existence from the viewpoints of those studied to develop in-depth and
long-term accounts of the community, events, or trends under observation.
 Content analysis: This method is used by sociologists to analyze social life
by interpreting words and images from documents, film, art, music, and
other cultural products and media. The researchers look at how the words
and images are used, and the context in which they are used to draw
inferences about the underlying culture. Content analysis of digital
material, especially that generated by social media users, has become a
popular technique within the social sciences.

COMMON BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

One similarity between qualitative and quantitative research is that raw data is
ultimately qualitative. Even though numbers are unbiased, the researcher still has
to choose some numbers and disregard others. So, while the numbers themselves
are objective, the process of choosing them and justifying why they are more
important than other numbers is qualitative, which makes all research qualitative to
some degree.

Qualitative and quantitative research methods are also similar because both
methods are limited by variables.

Lastly, both research methods are similar because both methods are affected
by the researcher conducting the research. For example, each researcher
chooses which information to gather and how to interpret the data. This has a
significant impact on the outcome of research, regardless of which method is
used.
ACTIVITY 1.3- FIELD WORK ACTIVITY

Look for 5 individuals in your area who have finished graduate studies
and interview them about the following after construct a one page
summary paper of your findings.

1. What had been their personal motivation or continued interest in

conducting research?
2. What personal and professional rewards/benefits do they received
after conducting research?
3. What problems they have encountered as researchers?
4. What suggestions could they give to you as student-researcher in the
future?
 ACTIVITY 1. 4 ONLINE RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Search online for 5 research journal articles related to your academic discipline.
Use the template to complete the matrix of research below.

Matrix of Research
Data
Name of Title of Classification Types of Purpose of Collection Findings of
Researcher Research of Research Research Research technique the study
             
             
             
             
             
 ACTIVITY 1.5 – REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY

Own personal experiences are one of the many sources of knowledge. This refers to
knowing, encountering and analyzing oneself. Write a one page paper titled “Conflicting
Responsibilities: Profession vs Researcher” that describe a situation in which you see conflict
between your profession and as a researcher.

Evaluation

Answer the following briefly but substantially.

1. What is your conceptual understanding of research?

2. What are the purposes of research?
3. What are the functions of research?
4. How do you characterize research?
5. How is research being classified?
6. What are the criteria of good research?