Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

University Town, Northern Samar
GRADUATE STUDIES

COURSE TITLE: EDUC 800 METHODS OF RESEARCH

NAME: BROZAS, GIRLIE FAITH M.
TOPIC: NATURE OF RESEARCH: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
RESEARCH AND PROBLEM-SOLVING
TIME: 8:00-12:00 AM
PROFESSOR: MARLO D. ALVAREZ, PhD

ARTICLE: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PROBLEM-SOLVING

I. INTRODUCTION
In the Philippine Educational System, problem-solving has already been part of the lives of
the students since grade school especially in Mathematics. It was only later in High School
when Research was introduced to them. In other words, everyone is so familiar with these
that they sometimes think these are the same since both are dealing with coming up with an
answer to difficult questions. Indeed, these two common concepts can often be confusing.
This is because both research and problem-solving revolve around one common factor:
problem.

Nevertheless, this paper seeks to briefly discuss the difference between the two so as to
eradicate the confusion.

II. SUMMARY

Research is a process which aims to answer a problem initially created by the researcher
him/herself with the data s/he gathered and analyzed. This is commonly used not only in
natural science but even in social sciences and arts. The first step of this process is identifying
a proper problem. Once this is done, the researcher comes up with research questions and
objectives. After which, s/he will find other works which will give him/her more idea about
the same problem. Once established, the researcher will then figure out the methodology of
the research s/he will use in order to come up with a valid answer. This includes identifying a
sample data collection and methods and techniques. After doing the data gathering, the
researcher is now ready to analyze them, finally allowing him/her to write the research report.

While there are a number of steps towards finishing a research paper, in Problem-solving, on
the other hand, an individual does only three things: define the problem, identify possible
solutions, and evaluate the solutions and decide which one will be most effective. It is so
much easier to find different solutions to problems since the information here are already
available.

Below is a table which shows their difference according to this article.

RESEARCH PROBLEM-SOLVING
Scientific
Scientific Not always
Follows a specific set of steps.
Follows only identifying problem
Process From identifying the problem to
and using identified solution
analyzing the data
Not required as information is
Sampling Required
already available
hypothesis Hypothesis is built Not required

III. REFLECTION

In this world where human minds are just getting more inquisitive— digging deeper into
things that were not even thought of before; discovering what seems to have been the
forgotten unknown, people always have something to ask in their minds, to seek, to discover,
to learn, whether it be for the advancement of the whole world or just for their self-
satisfaction.

It does not really matter whether one is working on a scientific problem through a research,
or seeking for a solution to a recurring problem in an organization, for as long as one is using
the right tool for his objectives, needs are met, questions are answered, no one is wasting
anything.

IV. REFERENCE

Anonymous. (2016). Difference Between Research and Problem Solving.

DifferenceBetween.com,2016.Retrieved from https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-
between-research-and-vs-problem-solving/