Research 1 Module 1

Introduction to Research

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Research 1 Module 1
Introduction to Research

This topic is designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and desirable attitudes of an
individual in the field of Research where the student is expected of the following:

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the module the student should have:

 demonstrated content knowledge and its application within and/or
across curriculum teaching areas in the field of research particularly
in the concept, purpose and types of research.

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INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH

Topic Outline:
I. Introduction to Research
A. The Value & Nature of Research
B. The Research Process
C. Types of Research

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Introduction to Research

PRE – ACTIVITY:
Instruction:

Close your eyes for a minute and utter the word research to yourself. Based on
your prior knowledge about research, what word can you associate it with for
each letter. Use the guide below.

R
E
S
E
A
R
C
H

What made you think about these words?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________

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Introduction to Research

LESSON CONTENT

CONCEPTS OF RESEARCH

Educational researchers cannot simply ‘read off ’ the planning and conduct of research as
though one were reading a recipe for baking a cake. Nor is the planning and conduct of research
the laboratory world or the field study of the natural scientist. Rather, it is to some degree an art,
an iterative and often negotiated process and one in which there are typically trade-offs between
what one would like to do and what is actually possible. There is no one best way to plan and
conduct research, just as there is no one single ‘truth’ to be discovered.

Life is not that easy, unidimensional or straightforwardly understood, just as there are no
simple dichotomies in educational research (e.g. quantitative or qualitative, objective or
subjective). Rather, we live in a pluralistic world with many purposes and kinds of research,
many realities and lived experiences to catch, many outcomes, theories and explanations, many
discoveries to be made, and many considerations and often contradictions or sensitivities to be
addressed in the planning and conduct of the research. Our analysis of things around us takes an
important notion according to Hitchcock and Hughes (1995) as mentioned by Cohen, Manion &
Morrison (2018), who suggest that ontological assumptions (assumptions about the nature of
reality and the nature of things) give rise to epistemological assumptions (ways of researching
and enquiring into the nature of reality and the nature of things); these, in turn, give rise to
methodological considerations; and these, in turn, give rise to issues of instrumentation and data
collection. Added to ontology and epistemology is axiology (the values and beliefs that we hold).
This view moves us beyond regarding research methods as simply a technical exercise to being
concerned with understanding the world; this is informed by how we view our world(s), what we
take understanding to be, what we see as the purposes of understanding and what is deemed
valuable.
How is research defined? Or, can it be satisfactorily defined? Of course, there are
numerous competing definitions of the term and little apparent consensus (Calvert & Martin,
2001).

What is research?
According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “Research is a systematic
inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the observed phenomenon. Research involves
inductive and deductive methods.”
According to many scholars, Research is a careful, systematic study in a field of
knowledge that is undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles. (Webster, 1984). It is
the scientific investigation of phenomena which includes collection, presentation, analysis and
interpretation of facts that links an individual’s speculation with reality. Others say it is a
systematic process of collecting and analyzing data to find an answer to a question or solution to

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Introduction to Research

a problem, to validate or test an existing theory. And some says that it is a careful, systematic
study in a field of knowledge that is undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles.

Common usage holds that research is a truth-seeking activity which contributes to

knowledge, aimed at describing or explaining the world, conducted and governed by those with a
high level of proficiency or expertise. Some (e.g., Boyer, 1990; Calvert & Martin, 2001;
COSEUP, 2001; Glassick, Huber, & Maeroff, 1997; OECD, 2002b) would object to this
definition, however, and claim that research should be distinguished and separately defined as
basic or applied (i.e., a research purpose or objective). Since both basic and applied research are
a contribution to knowledge, the need for the Combined, or separately, these two parts result in a
contribution to knowledge. Third, research is conducted and governed by those who have the
requisite proficiency or expertise. To be proficient or to be an expert means that one is well
advanced in a branch of knowledge derived from training or experience. There might seem to be
some circularity here, however, because one is proficient or an expert does not imply that one
contributes to knowledge. It only implies that the latter is necessary, but not sufficient, for doing
research. Therefore, it may also be claimed that the task or duty of researchers is truth seeking,
aimed at describing or explaining, conducted at a high level of proficiency or expertise, which
results in a contribution to knowledge.

Research can come from different sources like our Experience, Authority, Deductive
Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning and the Scientific Approach.
Inductive research methods are used to analyze an observed event. Deductive methods
are used to verify the observed event. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative
research and deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative research.

Research is conducted with a purpose to understand:

 What do organizations or businesses really want to find out?
 What are the processes that need to be followed to chase the idea?
 What are the arguments that need to be built around a concept?
 What is the evidence that will be required for people to believe in the idea or concept?

Nature of Research

As research is the application of the scientific approach to study educational problems

and Research in education is the process, whereby people acquire dependable and useful
information about the educative process. So then, Research is a process of executing various
mental acts for discovering and examining facts and information to prove accuracy or
truthfulness of your claims and conclusions about a topic. It requires you to inquire or investigate
about your chosen topic by asking questions that will make engage in top – level thinking
strategies of analyzing, interpreting, synthesizing, criticizing, appreciating or creating to enable
you to discover truths about many things you tend to wonder about the topic of your research
work.

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Characteristics of Research
Accuracy
Objectiveness
Timeliness
Relevance
Clarity
Systematic

Characteristics of Scientific Social Research :

 It is directed towards the solution of problems. The ultimate goal is to discover cause-
and-effect relationship between social problems.
 It emphasis the development of generalizations, principles or theories that will be
helpful in predicting future occurrences.
 It is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence.
 It demands accurate observations and description. Researchers may choose from a
variety or nonqualitative description of their observations.
 It involves gathering new data from primary sources or using existence data for new
purpose.
 Although social research activities may at time be somewhat random and unsystematic,
it is more often characterized by carefully designed procedure that applies rigorous
analysis.
 It requires expertise. The researcher knows what is already known about the problem
and how others have investigated.
 It strives to the objective and logical applying every possible test to validate the
procedure employed, data collected and conclusion reached.
 It involves the guests for answer to unsolved problems.
 It is characterized by patient and unhurried activity.

In simple understanding, generally, the following are characteristics of a Good Research

1. Research is systematic.
2. Research is controlled.
3. Research is empirical.
4. Research is analytical.
5. Research is objective, unbiased and logical.

Researcher must expect disappointment and discouragement as they pursue the answer to
difficult question
 It is carefully recorded and reported. Each important term is defined, limiting factors are
recognized, procedures are described in detail, reference are carefully documented,
results are objectively recorded and conclusions are presented with scholarly caution and
restraint.

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 It is interdisciplinary in nature
 It sometimes requires courage.

Objectives of social research

 To facilitate the understanding of human behavior.
 To acquire knowledge about social phenomena, events, issue, problems etc.
 To identify functional relationship existing in the social phenomena.
 To find out the natural laws that regulates or directs social phenomena.
 To standardize the society concept, e.g. culture, struggle, generation gap, social distance
etc.
 To formulate solution to social problems.
 To maintain social organization, remove social tension, misconception, etc
 To develop social revival plan.

The Values of Research

 It helps us answer questions, solve problems, and make decisions
 It enables us to see and understand how and why a situation or problem exists
 It helps us to discover new things and ideas
 It allows us to validate existing theories or generate new ones
 It helps us identify and understand the causes and effects of situation or a phenomenon

Types of Research
1. Based on Application of Research Method
2. Based on Purpose of the Research
3. Based on the Types of Data Needed

Based on Application of Research Method

1. Pure or Basic Research
It is also called fundamental research. It is undertaken to improve our
understanding of certain problems that commonly occur in social setting and how to
solve them. It undertaken for sole purpose of adding to our knowledge that is
fundamental and generalizable. This type of research may have no immediate or planned
application. But it may later used in further research of an applied nature. Its objective is
therefore, is not apply the findings to solve immediate problems at hand, rather to
understand more about certain phenomena or problem that occur in social life or settings,
and how they can be solved. It contributes to theory formation. This research work of
professors, scholars and other researchers devoted to generate new knowledge in
particular area of their interest can be called fundamental research. Basic research is
essentially positive. It explains the phenomena as they are and as not they should be. It
may verify or establish new one

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2. Applied Research
It is also called action or decisional research. It is undertaken in response to a
social problem, which requires a solution. Its major purpose is to answer practical and
useful question. The results are practically applied to solve immediate problems. It
involves normative prescription. As applied research is concerned with knowledge that
has immediate application. It is also called decisional research.
Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method, a harnessing
of curiosity. This research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation
of the nature and the properties of the world around us. It makes practical applications
possible. Scientific research is funded by public authorities, by charitable organizations
and by private groups, including many companies. Scientific research can be subdivided
into different classifications according to their academic and application disciplines.

Based on Purpose of the Research

 Descriptive
 Correlational
 Explanatory
 Exploratory
 Action

Based on the Type of Data Needed

 Quantitative Research
 Qualitative Research
 Mixed Method

OTHER LEARNING SUPPORT MATERIALS

Use the following video links below to enhance your learning experiences.

The Nature of Research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5yWTFKoajM

Characteristics of Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCvLcOvNgFw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ijYqyWnog
Quantitative vs Qualitative
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-QSU6-hPU

Mixed Method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OaNiTlpyX8

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Introduction to Research

POST – ACTIVITY

Instruction: Explain and elaborate on the following.

1. Base on your readings and understanding,

a. How do you define research?
b. What things should you consider when you are going to write your own research?
c. What are your attitudes that may be barriers to research writing? How should you
overcome them in order to succeed?

2. The following are simplified approach in understanding the characteristics of a Good

Research. Explain each in not more than five (5) sentences but not less than three (3).
a. Research is systematic.
b. Research is controlled.
c. Research is empirical.
d. Research is analytical.
e. Research is objective, unbiased and logical.

3. What do you think is achieved when you do the following researches?

a. Descriptive
b. Correlational
c. Explanatory
d. Exploratory
e. Action

4. Many people seem to be uneasy about the idea of research, particularly research in
schools/education. How would you explain this?

***End of Module***