Basis of

Research
• Philosophical Outlook
 Contents:
I. Research standing of the Philippines.
II. What is research?
III.Values of Research
IV. Characteristics of Research.
V. Kinds and Classifications of Research.
VI. Problem solving Procedures.
VII. Classification of Research.
VIII. Some hindrances to scientific Inquiry.
IX. The Scientific Method of Research.
 I. Research standing of the Philippines
• In the 1950’s, the Philippines was second to Japan
economically. Forty-five years ago, the Philippines was
scientifically ahead to most of the Southeast and East
Asian nations as well as to Japan. But now, the Philippines
is less than a squeaky one tenth of one percent. (Arroyo,
1989).
• This fact is indeed embarrassing. One relevant indicator is the
number of scientists, teachers and engineer engaged in Research
and Development (R&D) per 10,000 populations.
• The figure for Japan is 40; for Korea, 7 and the
Philippines, 1.5. Arroyo stressed further that 45,000; in
Korea, 245; in the Philippines, 52.
• According to science officials, the Philippines is among the
cellar dwellers as regards the so-called technology index.
• If the United States is assigned 100 points, then Japan
gets 87;West Germany, 45; and the Philippines – a
blushing negative 0.1.
• All these result to inadequate research.
• According to Aquino (1992), when man faces
problems, he sooner or later seeks a solution.
Research is born of these problems and of man’s
determination to solve them. Man’s progress over
the years has depended on research.
• Today virtually every field of life has been touched
by the research process – mathematics, astronomy,
physics, chemistry, geology, biology, medicine, space
exploration, nuclear warfare, the social fields, and
many others.
II. What is
research?
 Q. What is research?

• According to Isidro and Malolos (1979), research is

a process of scientific thinking that leads to the
discovery or establishment of new knowledge or
truth. It is not a subjective expression of ideas or
opinion.
• In the words of Good and Scates (1972),
research is the open door to a better future; it is
the source of faith that man can go forward; it
is the challenge that removes the threat of
stagnation and decay from all society.
• Research is the key to progress.The main or
principal purpose and goal of research is the
preservation and improvement of the quality of
human life. (Calderon and Gonzales, 1993)
 III.Values of Research

Research has no end.

1. Research improves the quality of life.
Example: Socio-economic
2. Research improves instruction.
Example: Education
3. Research improves students’ achievement.
4. Research satisfy man’s needs.
5. Research reduces the burden of work.
Example: Agriculture
IV. Characteristics of Research

• According to Crawford (1967), “Research is simply

a systematic and refined technique of thinking,
employing specialized tools, instruments and procedures
in order to obtain a more adequate solution of a
problem than would be possible under ordinary means.
• It starts with a problem, collects data or facts, analyze
these critically, and reaches decisions based on actual
evidence.
• It involves original work instead of a mere exercise of
personal opinion.
• It evolves from genuine desire to know rather than a
desire to prove something, seeking to know not only
what but how much and measurement is therefore a
central feature of it.”
• Best (1970), stated the following important
characteristic of a research in the following slides.
1. Research is systematic. It follows an orderly and
sequential procedure that leads to the discovery of
truth, solution of a problem, or whatever is aimed
to be discovered.
2. Research is controlled. All variables except
those that are tested or being experimented upon
are kept constant so that the changes made on the
subjects of the study can be attributed only to the
experimental variable. This is especially true in an
experimental research.
3. Research is Empirical – Research is based on direct
experience or observation by the researcher. The
collection of data relies on practical experience without
benefit of the scientific knowledge or theory.
4. Research is analytical. There is a critical analysis of all
data used so that there is no error in their
interpretation.
5. Research is objective, unbiased and logical. All
findings and conclusions are logically based on empirical
data and no effort is made to alter the results of the
research.
6. Research employs hypothesis.
7. Research employs qualitative or statistical
methods. Data are transformed into numerical
measures and are treated statistically to determine
their significance or usefulness.
8. Research is original work. Except in historical
research, data are gathered from primary sources or
first hand sources and not from secondary sources
(usually printed materials such as books, or theses, etc.)
9. Research is done by expert. The researcher
uses valid and carefully designed procedures, valid
data gathering instruments, and valid data. Subjects
his data to expert scrutiny.
10.Research is accurate investigation,
observation and description. In fact, every
research activity must be done accurately so that
the findings will lead to the formulation of scientific
generalizations. All conclusions are based on actual
evidence.
11.Research is patient and unhurried activity.
This is to ensure accuracy. Research that is
hurriedly done or conducted carelessly due to
racing against time may lead to shaky conclusions
and generalizations.
12. Research requires an effort making capacity.
No research can be conducted without the
exertion of much effort. No one without any effort
making can conduct a research because research
involves much work and time.
13. Research requires courage. Research requires
courage because the researcher often times
undergo hazards, discomforts and the like. At times
the researcher encounter public and social
disapproval. Also, disagreements with colleagues
may arise.
 V. Kinds and Classifications of Research
(Calderon and Gonzales, 1993)

1. According to purpose
2. According to goal
3. According to the levels of investigation
4. According to the type of analysis
5. According to scope
6. According to choice of answers to problems
7. According to statistical content
8. According to time element
 Discussions:

1. According to purpose. Three broadly different

kinds of research, namely; predictive, directive and
illuminative.
2. According to goal. Research may be classified as
basic or pure research and applied research.
a. Pure research – “Basic research” or “fundamental
research.”
• It aims to discover basic truths or principles. It is intended
to add to the body of scientific knowledge by exploring the
unknown to extend the boundaries of knowledge as well as
to discover new facts, and learn more accurately the
characteristics of known without any particular thought as
to immediate practical utility.
• Examples: Archimedes’ Principle, Newton’s law, Hooke’s law,
Boyle’s law.
b. Applied research
• This type of research involves seeking new
applications of scientific knowledge to the solution
of a problem, such as the development of a new
system of procedure, new device or new method in
order to solve the problem.
• In this type of research, problem is identified and a
new system or new method is applied in order to
solve the problem.
• Applied research is essential as it informs
decision makers at every level.
• This research explores problems in real contexts
with the goal of providing practical solutions.
• Often it builds on basic research.
• In this way new knowledge about genetic coding of
people susceptible to diabetes will be basic,
quantitative research but if we want to implement
any of this we might just have to do some applied
research that looks at both applying the knowledge
to a new product and to understanding how to
implement this in a range of different
populations/cultural groups.
• It is the groundwork necessary to set up and
maintain quality and effectiveness in our systems
both technological and relational.
• Applied research is as rigorous as other forms of
research, using both quantitative and qualitative
methodologies.
• When we look at education, its field of investigation
is the social systems of humans.
• We can hardly set up research with the tight
controls of experimental research as you would find
in science.
• Not only would there be ethical problems, we
would end up trivial results because an experimental
methodology and its instruments could not capture
meaningful data.
Example: diseases
• The multidisciplinary approach to research is based
around an integration
of applied research, research in generic
technologies and fundamental research.
• Key areas of applied research are energy,
environment, transportation, construction,
engineering systems management and biomedical
processes.
• These are supported by research into the generic
technologies of optical instrumentation, sensors
and communications.
• Fundamental research in mathematics, systems,
control, and computational fluid dynamics
underpins these activities.
The Process
3. According to the levels of investigation.
French categorizes research according to the levels
of investigation into exploratory research,
descriptive research, and experimental research.
4. According to the type of analysis. This
category classifies research into analytic research
and holistic research.
5. According to scope. Under this category is
action research. This type of research is done on a
limited scope to solve a particular problem which is
not so big. It is almost problem solving.
 Action research

Q. What is action research?

• Discussions about the history of action research
usually begin with the work of Kurt Lewin in the
1940s.
• Although most literature concerns educational action
research an action research approach is also sometimes
employed in community and organization research.
(McNiff, 2002).
• “Action research is a term which refers to a
practical way of looking at your own work to
check that it is as you would like it to be.
• Because action research is done by you, the
practitioner, it is often referred to as
practitioner based research; and because it
involves you thinking about and reflecting on
your work, it can also be called a form of self-
reflective practice.
• The idea of self reflection is central. In traditional
forms of research – empirical research –
researchers do research on other people. In
action research, researchers do research on
themselves. Empirical researchers enquire into
other people’s lives. Action researchers enquire
into their own” (McNiff, 2002).
• This is a decision-oriented research involving the
application of the steps of scientific method in
response to an immediate need to improve
existing practices.
• This process involves practitioners who study a
certain problem from such experience draw their
decisions and actions as well as evaluation.
Example: Housing Problem
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330984228/figure/fig1/AS:72437453765
8370@1549715756813/An-action-research-cycle.png
The Process
6. According to choice of answers to problems.
Ackoff (1978) divides research that is concerned
with finding answers to problems into evaluation
and developmental research.
a. in evaluation research, all possible courses of
action are specified and identified and the
researcher tries to find the most advantageous.
b. non qualitative research. This is research in
which the use of quantity or statistics is practically
nil.
 This is especially true in anthropological studies
where description is usually used. Descriptive data
are gathered rather than quantitative data.
7. According to statistical content. Under this
type may be mentioned quantitative research and
non quantitative research.
8. According to time element. Best classifies
research as historical, descriptive and experimental.
VI. Problem solving Procedures
1. Developmental procedure
- Concerns with “What to do?”
Example: A manufacturer of Ceramic Tiles
Process materials Finished Products = Less Quality
Raw Materials and other output

• The problem is to make improvement in the quality of the

end product.
• Therefore there is a need to make a research in order to
pinpoint and identify the weakness…. Is it in the process?
Raw materials?
2. Evaluative procedure
- Concerns with “What to choose?”
Example: Purchasing a water closet product from a
hardware outlet.
Company Product A Product B Product C Result
(Water (Lavatory) (Shower)
Closet)
HCG
American-
Standards
Toto
• To have evaluators in this research.
- Criteria: 1. Quality in terms of:
a. Durability,
b. Size,
c. Weight,
d. Beauty… etc
3. Research procedure proper
- Concerns with “What to know?”
Example: Purpose is to gain knowledge

known Unknown

- Problem is to expand the boundary of knowledge

VII. Classification of Research

• Library research
• Field research
• Laboratory research
VIII. Some hindrances to scientific Inquiry
(Errors in Personal Judgment)

1. Tradition, 6. Made up
2. Authority, information,
3. Inaccurate 7. Illogical reasoning,
observation, 8. Mystification,
4. Overgeneralization, 9. “To err is human,”
5. Selective 10. Dogmatism and
observation,
11. Ego-involvement in understanding.
 This is giving an explanation when one finds himself
in an unfavorable situation.
 For instance, when a student gets a low or failing
grade, he/she says that he/she got a low or failing
grade because his/her teacher has a personal
grudge against him/her and he/she is a victim of
vindictiveness. He/she does not make any effort to
examine his/her abilities, habits of study, or attitude
toward the subject or toward the instructor.
 IX. The Scientific Method of Research

• One of the characteristics of good research is that, it

is systematic. It follows the scientific method of
research which includes the following sequential steps:
1) Determining (recognizing) the problem;
2) Forming a hypothesis;
3) Doing library search;
4) Designing the study;
5) Developing the instruments for collecting data;
6) Collecting the data;
7) Analyzing the data;
8) Determining implications and conclusions from the
findings and;
9) Making recommendations for further research.
End!
 References:
• Aquino, Gaudencio V. (1992). Fundamentals of Research.
• Calderon, Jose F. and Expectacion C. Gonzales (1993). Methods of
Research and Thesis Writing.
• Calmorin, Laurentina and Melchor A. (2003). Methods of Research
and Thesis Writing.
• Fonollera, Maura B. (2003). Developing Competencies in Research
Writing.
• Tejero, Erlinda G. and Gerry C. Catchillar (2004). Thesis and
Dissertation Writing: A Modular Approach.
• Ackoff, Rusell (1978). The Art of Problem Solving: Accompanied by
Ackoff's Fables 1st Edition.
• www.llas.ac.uk/projects/2837
• community.flexiblelearning.net.au/GlobalPersp..