TYPES OF RESEARCH

Descriptive Research. This type of research seeks to describe systematically, factually, accurately, and
objectively a situation, problem or phenomenon. It seeks to describe what is. A psychology student who is
assessing the work values of a group of rank-and-file employees in one company is actually doing a descriptive
study.

• Correlational or Associational Research. In this type of research, the investigator tries to probe on the
significance of the relationship between two or more factors or characteristics. A researcher who undertakes a
study to find out the significance of association between job performance and commitment is doing correlational
research.

• Explanatory Research. In this type of inquiry, the researcher seeks to clarify why and how a relationship
exists between two or more aspects of a situation or phenomenon. Questions like, why job stress contributes to
burnout or why low morale can lead to lower productivity among employees are problems which can be
designated through an explanatory research design.

• Exploratory Research. This kind of study is undertaken when the investigator is after prob-ing or exploring
areas where little is known about the research problem. Feasibility and pilot studies fall under this type.

• Experimental Research. This type of research probes into the cause of an effect by expos-ing one or more
experimental groups to one or more treatments or conditions. For example, when a mathematics professor is after
determining the effectiveness of a learning module or packet in raising the performance of his students, he is
engaging in experimental research.

• Ex-post Facto or Causal-Comparative Research. Research is of this type when the in-vestigator delves in
analyzing the possible effect of a factor which cannot be manipulated and controlled. A guidance counselor who is
after singling out the variables associated with failing marks in some college courses or a health science student
who is interested in the incidence of lung cancer among heavy smokers are situations where this research is
appropriate to employ.

• Historical Research. In historical research, the researcher attempts to reconstruct the past objectively and
accurately or to explain an incident that happened in the past with the use of data taken from the past. For
instance, why the Filipino elite collaborated with the American imperialists during the American regime can be
answered through this research methodology.

• Ethnographic Research. This type of research is done when the researcher is concerned with explaining or
describing a phenomenon holistically, with the use of multiple data collec-tion techniques. Topics like, the culture
of law and graduate students of Jose Rizal University and the teaching of accounting in selected business
administration schools in NCR lend them-selves to this research methodology.

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

As a systematic process solving a problem or add-ing to the existing body of knowledge, research is not hap-
hazardly done. It follows a standard procedure in a logical sequence of steps, which are discussed below.
Step 1: Idea-Generating Phase. Research be-gins with an idea in which the researcher has interest. It is in this
phase wherein the researcher has to identify topics that interest him the most. It is in this step where he has to
justify why a study on a particular topic is needed. Once a topic is identified, the researcher has to start reading
articles and books, talk with people who are knowledgeable in the area, and begin thinking about it.
Step 2: Problem-Definition Phase. As the ideas generated in the first phase are very general or vague, the
researcher has to refine them. This is the problem-definition phase. This step involves the following activities:
identification and definition of the variables to be studied, devel-opment of the theoretical and conceptual
frameworks of the study, the formulation of the major and specific problems to be investigated, and the
formulation of hypothesis.
Step 3: Procedures-Design Phase. After identifying the problems and hypothesis, the researcher has to
decide on the methods and procedures he will use in the collection and analysis of data. This is the procedure-
design phase. The activities a researcher has to undertake in this phase includes the following: selection of
research participants, decision on what methodology to employ, development and validation of data-gathering
tools, specification of the procedures to be observed in the actual collection of data, and planning and analysis of
the data gathered.
Step 4: Data-Collection Phase. After preparing the research plan, the researcher has to proceed collecting the
data from the subjects of the study. It is in this phase where the procedures, designed in the previous step, are
implemented by the researcher rigorously.
Step 5: Data-Analysis Phase. In this particular phase, the researcher analyzes the col-lected data from the
previous step based on his data-analysis plan. Appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques and procedures
are then applied to the data that have been recorded, cod-ed, and tabulated.
Step 6: Interpretation Phase. Having analyzed the data, the researcher continues to make sense out of the
data by interpreting the results in terms of how they aid in responding to the research problem posed at the
beginning of the study and how this answer contributes to knowledge in the field. After generating answers to the
problem, the researcher has to compare the results predicted based in the theoretical framework of the study.
Step 7: Communication Phase. After completing the data analysis and interpretation phases, the researcher
has to prepare a written or oral report of the study conducted, either for publication or presentation to colleagues
or a panel of experts. This report has to include a descrip-tion of all the above steps in the research process.

A research problem is exactly that—a problem that someone would like to research.
• Problems involve areas of concern to researchers, conditions they want to improve, difficulties they want to
eliminate, questions for which they seek answers.
• For researchers and students alike, research problems are usually identified from several sources including (a)
the research literature; (b) problems in practice or work-related contexts; and (c) personal biography or history
(such as current or past personal experiences or identi-ties, race, ethnicity, gender, class background, family
customs, religion, and so forth).

The question form is often preferred due to its sim-plicity and directness. Research question, however, may be
descriptive, relationship, or difference.

• A descriptive research question typically asks “what is” and suggests a survey research design. Some
examples of descriptive research questions are as follows:

 What is the reading comprehension level of Grade III pupils in Dumingag Central Ele-mentary School?
What are the dominant leadership styles of local barangay chief executives in the 1st Con-gressional District of
Zamboanga del Sur as perceived by themselves and their constitu-ents?
What common strategies do itinerant pre-school teachers employ in teaching kindergar-ten pupils?

• A relationship research question asks, “what is the relationship between two or more var-iables or factors
under study?” and implies a correlational design. The following are examples of relationship research questions:

 Is there a significant association between performance in the Licensure Examination for Teachers and
graduates’ grade-point averages in general and professional education cours-es?
 Is there a significant relationship between managerial styles of school administrators and their teachers’ job
performance?
 How significant is the relationship between job stressors and coping strategies of sec-ondary school teachers in
Dumingag?

• A difference research question typically asks, “is there a difference between or among the respondents in
relation to a characteristic or factor under study?” This type of question is often used when a researcher is after of
comparing two or more observations. Examples of difference research questions are:

How do male and female teacher education graduates compare in their performance in the Licensure
Examination for Teachers?
 How significant is the difference in the leadership styles of local barangay chief execu-tives of Zamboanga del
Sur when they are grouped according to their philosophy of leader-ship?

 Is there a significant difference between the research skills of instructors and professors
in J.H. Cerilles State College?

PRESENTING THE REVIEW

There are three (3) ways of presenting the review, namely: chronological approach; thematic
or variable/factor approach; and country of origin approach.
➢ Chronological approach. In this approach, literature and studies are presented according to
the year when they were written. When using this approach, the review can be presented following
the outline below.
• Introduction
• Recent Literature and Studies
• Least Recent Literature and Studies
• Synthesis of the Review
➢ Thematic or variable approach. Here, literature and studies with the same findings or themes
are grouped together. When using this approach, follow the outline below.
• Introduction
• Literature and Studies on Variable 1
• Literature and Studies on Variable 2
• Synthesis of the Review
➢ Country of origin approach. In this approach, literature and studies are categorized by the
country where they came from. In most colleges and
universities in the Philippines, this scheme is popularly
used. When using this model, use the following outline.
• Introduction
• Foreign Literature and Studies
• Local Literature and Studies
• Synthesis of the Review

METHODOLOGY