INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH
FORMAT (IRF)
Annabelle A. Chavez, PhD
Research Professor
USLS
OBJECTIVES
Provide the overview and
rationale of the change in the
IRF
Present old and new/modified
IRF
What is the modified
format?
Why?
What?
Introduction
Methods/Materials and Methods
Results
and
Discussion
Conclusions
IMRaD Format
- introduced in 1965 by Sir Bradford Hill, a British
statistician
- a way of structuring a scientific article, although
the main headings are standard for many
scientific fields, details may vary depending on
the discipline
- more defined version of the IBC (Introduction,
Body, Conclusion) used in academic writing
Why?
- So that USLS will have an Institutional
Research Format (IRF) that is distinct for the
university but common to all Lasallian
researchers (Tatak Lasalle)
- Because the IRF is patterned after international
conventions for writing scientific paper
(IMRAD), it will make research inputs at least
easier to convert into journal articles and ready
for presentation in local, national and
international conferences as well as in
publication
RESEARCH OUTLINE
OLD NEW
Title Page Title Page
(One Page) (One Page)
Abstract Abstract
(One Page) (One Page)
RESEARCH OUTLINE
OLD NEW
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Statement of the Problem
Background of the Study
Hypotheses (if any)
Theoretical/Conceptual Statement of the Problem
Framework (if applicable) Hypothesis/Hypotheses
Scope and Limitations Theoretical/Conceptual
Significance of the Study Framework (if applicable)
Definition of Terms Scope and Limitations
Significance of the Study
Chapter 2
Definition of Terms
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE Review of Related
• Synthesis Literature
RESEARCH OUTLINE
OLD NEW
Chapter 3
METHODS/MATERIALS
METHODOLOGY AND METHODS
Research Design Research Design
Respondents of the Study Participants/ Subjects of
the Study
Sampling Design
Instrument
Research Instrument
Data Gathering Procedure
Data Gathering, Procedure
Statistical Tools
Statistical Treatment of
Data Other components/variations
c/o discipline
RESEARCH OUTLINE
OLD NEW
Chapter 4
PRESENTATION, RESULTS AND
INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION
ANALYSIS
RESEARCH OUTLINE
OLD NEW
Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSIONS AND conclusions
RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLICATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
*Variations c/o discipline
RESEARCH OUTLINE
OLD NEW
References References
Appendix/Appendices Appendix/Appendices
IMRaDC:
What goes into each section?
Introduction (Why did you start?)
Background of the Study
Provide a background/scenario which leads to the
present investigation
Point out that there is an existence of an
unsatisfactory condition or felt problem that needs
a solution
Discuss how this existing problem has been
addressed
Express the desire to have a deeper and clearer
understanding of a situation, circumstance, or
phenomenon
Link all this to the aim of the study
Statement of the Problem
State the main goal of your study
List down the specific objectives/specific
problems
Hypothesis
Include this if you want to test for significant
relationship or difference between or among
variables
Theoretical Framework (TF)
Create a brief introductory paragraph that leads
to the mention of the theory
State and discuss the theory. Mention the
proponent(s)
Conceptual Framework (CF)
Discuss the system of concepts, assumptions,
expectations, and beliefs that support your
study
Discuss your CF in a diagram or illustration by
identifying the key factors, concepts or
variables of the study
Scope and Limitations
State the locale of the study, the population from which
the respondents/data will be selected/collected and
the period of the study
Discuss the limitations or constraints of the study
Significance of the Study
Discuss the relevance of the study. Of what use is it?
What practical values does it have?
Discuss how your paper could best benefit related
groups of people in the organization and other sectors
of society, e. g. school administration, instructor,
students, etc.
Definition of Terms
Identify the salient terms in your study
Provide both the conceptual meaning (with
cited reference) and the operational meaning
for each term
Review of Related Literature
Provide related concepts and studies and
discuss their findings
Employ the THEMATIC APPROACH
Methods/Methods and
Materials (What did you do?)
Research Design
State the research design used in the study
Briefly discuss the characteristics and
applicability of the research design (cite
references)
Explain what methods you have employed in
using this design
Participants/Subjects
Identify the population, sample size, and
sampling technique
Mention the groupings that you need to
categorize your respondents as needed, e.g. sex
(male/female), course, etc.
State the time/period during which they were
involved in the study and the place where the
study was conducted
Instrument
Describe the instrument(s) that was used
(adopted or researcher-made?)
Explain what the instrument includes and how
it was used to gather data
Discuss how you tested the instrument for
validity and reliability. State the statistical tool
used to test for reliability, if there was any
Discuss how the data from the administered
instrument were analyzed (scoring guide, scale)
and interpreted
Data gathering Procedures
State the steps that you underwent in gathering
your data until the time you came up with the
findings (discuss in narrative form what you did
in each step)
Statistical Tools
State what statistical method(s) you used in
treating each problem
State what statistical software was used in
processing the data
Results (What did you find?)
Present your key results without interpretation,
in an orderly and logical sequence using both
text and illustrative materials (Tables and
Figures)
Do not reiterate each value from a Figure or
Table – only the key result or trends that each
conveys
Do not present the same data in both Table and
Figure- this is considered redundant and a
waste of space and energy
Discussion (What does it mean?)
Interpret your results in the light of what
was already known about the subject of the
investigation
Fundamental questions to answer:
* Do your results provide answers to your
hypotheses? If so, how do you interpret your
findings?
* Do your findings agree with what others
have shown? If not, do they suggest an
alternative explanation or perhaps design
flaw in your experiment (or theirs).
Conclusion: Research Findings
• Describing the macro structure of a thesis is
Bunton’s (2005) study. He examined 45 PhD
theses selected from the departments and
faculties across University of HongKong. The
faculties represented (and the number of
theses) were: Arts (3), Education (3), Social
Sciences (7) Architecture (1), Engineering
(10), Science (12), Medicine (6), Dental (1),
plus the School of Business (1) and the Centre
of Urban Planning & Environmental
Management (1).
Research Findings on Conclusion
The results of the study reveal that
Conclusions vary in terms of their titles.
The following are the six major roles that
conclusion play: 1. Summarizing thesis
findings, 2. Discussing the findings more
broadly than in earlier chapters, 3.
Coming to conclusions (more generalized
than findings), 4. Giving implications of
findings, [Link] recommendations,
[Link] areas of future research.
Examples:
1. CONCLUSION (Implications)
The present study verified that student engagement at
school was a significant predictor of academic performance.
By examining behavioral and emotional components of
student engagement as well as academic performance, the
present study provided a better understanding of relationships
among these student outcomes. The findings from the
present study can inform educators, practitioners, and policy
makers who are interested in promoting student
engagement and enhancing academic performance.
‘ The Relationship Between Student Engagement and academic
performance: Is it Myth or Reality?’ By JUNG-SOOK LEE,
University of South Wales, Australia
2. Conclusion (Summary of Findings)
An Excerpt
The superimposed graphs of the data obtained
from frequency versus harmonic number (f-vs-n)
experiments (i.e. open-pipe and stopped-pipe
procedures, respectively) show straight-line curves.
Therefore, the relationship between frequency and
harmonic number variables is linear.
‘Development and Utilization of an Experimental
Resonance Tube Setup with Laptop-Generated Sound
Source’ By Alwielland Q. Bello, Bukidnon State
University
The chief virtue of research is in its
accuracy, and students are
capable of accurate work.
(Dean Memering)
LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS!
