Name: Dustin Rodney M.

Ramos

Course and Year: BSN 3

Questions:

1. Discuss what research problems are and its variables.

● Upon looking through the module and the internet, I believe that research problems can
be considered as the foundation of the study. The main reason is that they are the ones
that set the direction of the study. Furthermore, these are the questions or issues that the
research will thoroughly analyze in order to find a solution, a way to answer or explain
the phenomena that the study is focusing on. It can come from various sources such as
concerning technologies, and theories, as well as in the professional field like nursing and
more. Moving on, research also has variables that are being addressed and evaluated.
Likewise, these are the ones that can be manipulated or changed, which include people,
age, height, and so on. It has two types that are often used in research, the independent
variable that is the cause, which can be controlled by the researchers, whereas the
dependent variable is the one being measured and affected. However, it also has other
types of variables, which include dichotomous, explanatory, and so on.

2. Discuss the characteristics and qualities of researchable problems.

● Based on what I have read and understood, characteristics and qualities of researchable
problems include originality, significance, manageability, measurability, and availability
of resources. Originality focuses on the thought that the research problem is something
that should produce new findings about a certain phenomenon that is being examined.
Likewise, applying originality allows researchers to avoid any problems of plagiarism.
Another one is its significance, which means that the research problem that researchers
want to study is aligned and will provide additional knowledge on the field they are in.
For example, those who are taking the nursing program in college are expected to focus
their research on problems in the nursing profession. Furthermore, it should be
manageable and measurable. The focus of the research problem must be clearly identified
and can be done within the specific time frame that the research professors have set for it.
The last one is the availability of resources. In looking for research problems, it is
important to consider whether it is feasible and if there are any available resources such
as books, articles, and more that can be used to provide support to the study.

3. Enumerate and discuss the different types of variables.

● Based on my understanding, variables are highly essential to be identified by the
researchers in their study. The main reason is that it will serve as their guide to properly
determine the flow and further analyze the research that they will be doing. These
research variables have several types, which some of it has subcategories. The first one is
the explanatory variable, which includes independent, dependent, intervening, and
moderator variables. It is a variable that can explain or cause changes in a response or
 outcome variable. Moreover, though interchangeably used along with independent
variables, a difference can be distinguished in which explanatory variables are identified
or called when the independent variables are connected. Independent variables, on the
other hand, are defined as a variable that researcher can manipulate in their study. It can
focus on various aspects such as demographic profile and more. Likewise, it is most
likely to be known as the cause of the phenomena in the study. On the other hand, the
dependent variable is what the term says, which is that it relies on other variables being
measured or analyzed in the study. Basically, it is the effect in the study in which it is the
one being affected by the independent variable, the cause. We also have an intervening
variable that is also called the mediating variable, which primarily focuses on describing
the mechanisms concerning the connection or relation of two variables being studied.
Meanwhile, the moderator or moderating variable is the one that acts on strengthening the
impact of the intervening variable leading to a change in the connection between the
dependent and independent variable making it relatively stronger. Moving on, we also
have extraneous or exogenous variable, which has organismic and environmental as its
subcategories. Extraneous variables are not the focus but can impact the dependent
variable of the study. For organismic, these are variables that encompass the internal
aspects of a person such as physiological, psychological, and demographic factors.
Meanwhile, environmental centers on external factors of the participants, which include
physical, sociological, and more. Both of these could affect the results of the research. We
also have an abstract or continuous variable that is known to presumptively have an
infinite or different range of values that highly depend on the respondents of the study
such as height, weight, and more. On the other hand, dichotomous variables only focus
on two values and are typically used in comparative studies. Another one is the active
variable, which is somehow similar to an independent variable as it can also be
manipulated by the researchers to further understand the problem being studied in the
study. Lastly, we have attribute variables. These are the ones that are predetermined
values that researchers look into and analyze but cannot be manipulated and may not
directly impact the problem of the study.

4. Discuss the meaning, significance and importance of literature review.

● From what I have learned from looking into various sources, a literature review includes
searching for information on various sources such as books, articles, websites, and more
that have relation to the topic that the researchers are pursuing in their study. However,
the research must still ensure that the source is reliable by critiquing it. After verifying its
credibility, synthesizing or summarizing will take place on the gathered information.
Moreover, it can be considered to be highly essential to the research. It is primarily
because it serves as the support system of the study, which is composed of various pieces
of evidence that serve as the foundation of the research that will help strengthen and
provide the historical background of the aspects of the research such as the issues or
problems that is being studied by the researchers. It is also important because it allows
the researchers to look for the results or outcomes of other studies, which will help the
researchers to further understand the study that they are doing.
5. Differentiate and discuss the similarities and differences of a theoretical framework and a
conceptual framework.
● According to what I have researched, theoretical and conceptual framework are similar to
each other as they both contribute to the credibility of the research as it serves as one of
the aspects of the study that provides adequate support that will help understand the
significance and relevance of it in the field that the researchers belong with. It also
outlines the path that the research will take, especially in its future applications.
Moreover, it can also serve as a foundation for the questionnaire and stating of the
research problem for the researchers, which are both highly necessary to accomplish in
the study. However, there are also differences between the two frameworks. The
theoretical framework focuses on utilizing theories that previously or currently exist such
as Self-Care Deficit Theory, Environmental Theory, and so on. Furthermore, considering
that it uses theories, the research will then look into the research problem from the
perspective of significant theories that apply to the study. It is also in accordance with the
research paradigm, frequently utilized in quantitative studies, and has a narrow scope,
which I think can also be advantageous for the researchers. On the other hand, a
conceptual framework has the idea that centers on the exact definition of the study's
concept as determined by meaning from dictionaries and data gathered empirically from
other works of literature. Also, instead of theories, it uses previous and current available
sources of knowledge to look into the problem of the study and what the researchers want
to convey to other people about it. In addition, it is often used in qualitative studies but
can also be applied to quantitative research, usually based on factual, verified, and
thoroughly analyzed results, and has a border scope than a theoretical framework.