Inquiry vis-a-vis Research

Research – the act of collecting information about a particular subject. It is a careful or diligent search. A
studious inquiry or examination.

Research, like inquiry, starts from what you are ignorant about. It makes you learn something by means
of a problem-solving technique.

Both inquiry and research encourage you to formulate questions to direct you to the exact information
you want to discover about the object of your interest or curiosity.

In other words, the questions we use in inquiry and research are like a scrutiny of a person's attire.

But despite their resemblance, their similarities, still they are not exactly the same in all respects.

Research includes more complex acts of investigation than inquiry because it follows a specific
procedure.

Characteristics of Research

Research is scientific, experimental (and non experimental), and uses inductive manner of thinking.

Inductive means using particular example to reach a general conclusion about something.

Cognitively driven terms to characterize research

Empirical - based on testing or experience

Ex. Prove that ABM is better than GAS through exposure, immersion with them

Logical - thinking faculties

Cyclical - follows a cycle (strictly)

Ex. water cycle, how-tos, steps-in

Analytical - uses analysis

Critical - looks for flaws

Methodical - follows a method

It also follows steps like Cyclical but it can stop or interrupted when the method used is not effective

METHODS OF RESEARCH

Inductive

- examine the details first and the subject matter

- start from particular to more complex ideas (LOTS-HOTS)

Identifying the problem

Gathering Data

Making Theories

Formulate Hypotheses

Analyzing Data

Drawing Conclusions

Deductive

- use logic or reason to form a conclusion or opinion about something

- form generalizations about something

Drawing Conclusions

Analyzing Data

Formulating Hypotheses

Making Theories

Gathering Data

Identifying the Problem

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

One word that reflects the true nature of this type of research is NUMERICAL.

Numerical

- denotes a number or symbol to express how many, how much, or what rank things are or have in this
world
- Expresses meaning through numerals or a set of symbols that indicates specificity, particularity, or
exactness of something

- uses Mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, division, multiplication to study and express
relationships between quantities or magnitudes shown by numbers or symbols

- seeks to find answers to questions starting with HOW MANY, HOW MUCH, HOW LONG, TO WHAT
EXTENT, and the like. Answers to these questions come in numerals, percentages, and fractions, among
others

What makes it Quantitative?

It uses objective thinking

It is statistical

It uses measurement

Characteristics of Quantitative Research

- It requires focus on the object of your study, tending to exclude your own thoughts and feelings
about the subject or object.

- It is objective, not subjective.

- In Quantitative Research, only the real or factual, not the emotional or cognitive existence of the
object, matters greatly.

- It is analogous to scientific or experimental thinking

- In Quantitative Research, you just don’t identify problems but theorize, hypothesize, analyze,
infer, and create as well.

- It usually happens in hard Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine)

Importance of Quantitative Research

It produces precise results/precise measurement and an in-depth analysis of data

It is useful in obtaining an objective understanding of anything; meaning, attaching accurate or exact

meanings to objects or subjects, rather than inflated meaning.