General Types

of
Research
(Fraenkel and Wallen, 1996)
Descriptive Research
 Correlational or
Association Research
 Experimental or
Intervention
Research
 Descriptive Research
 It finds answer to the question who, what, when,
where, and how.
 It describes situation or a given state of affairs in terms
of specified aspects or factors.
 What may be described are characteristics of
individuals or groups (farmers, students,
administrators, entrepreneurs, patients etc.) or physical
environments (schools, business establishments,
hospitals, cooperatives etc.) or conditions (epidemic,
calamities, leadership styles, anxiety level, sales and
profit etc.)
Examples of research topics in specific areas fall under the descriptive
type:

“The management style of school administrators in Iloilo City”

“Tardiness and absenteeism among high school students”

“The medical components of five kinds of Philippine backyard

plants”

“Smoking habits of health service providers in government and

private hospitals”

“Marketing practices of the loom weaving industry in Region VI”

“A typical office day of a government employee: a time allocation

study”

“The industrial properties of pepper”

 Explanatory or Correlation Research
 Goes beyond description of the problem or situation.
 Attempts to explain possible factors related to a
problem which have been observed in a descriptive
study.
 This type of study answers the questions why and
how?
 The factors related to the problem, however, need
not be viewed as real “causes” of the problem, but
factors which are associated with and may contribute
to the occurrence of the problem.
 Explanatory or Correlation Research
 The researcher investigates relationships
between factors or variables.
 Certain factors are “assumed” to explain or
contribute to the existence of a problem or a
certain condition or the variation in a given
situation.
 The researcher usually uses theory or a
hypothesis to account for or explain the forces that
are “assumed to have caused” the problem.
Examples of research topics that fall under the explanatory
or correlation category:
“Knowledge about Cancer and Compliance with Diet, Exercise, and
Medical Regimen among Cancer Patients”
“Relationship Between Socioeconomic Factors and Absenteeism Among High
School Students in the District Jaro”
“Attitudes Towards Health and Smoking Habits of Health Service Providers in
Government and Private Hospitals in Iloilo City”
“Marketing Strategies and Sales Performance of Garment Industries
in the Province of Antique”

“Employment and Income as Determinants of Loan Payment Status of Borrowers

of Credit Cooperatives in Ilocos Norte”

“Factors Associated with Extent of Involvement in Local Governance

among Barangay Officials in Region XI”
 Intervention or Experimental Research
 It evaluates the effect or outcome of a particular
intervention or treatment.
 It studies the “cause and effect” relationship
between certain factors on a certain phenomenon
under controlled conditions.
 The subjects of the study are randomly assigned
to the experimental group and controlled group and
both groups are exposed to similar conditions except
for the intervention/treatment.
 Examples of research problems that fall under the
intervention/experimental type of research:

“The Effects of Cooperative Learning Approach on the Performance

in Mathematics of Junior High School Students of Central Philippines
University”

“Advertising: Its Effects on Sale and Profit of Auto Parts Business

Establishment in Metro Manila”

“The Effects of Different Levels of Applied Nitrogen on the Growth

and Yield of Rice”

“The Impact of the ADB-Assisted Microfinance Projects on the

Living Condition of the Beneficiaries”
DRILL: Listed below are research questions. What type of research
can best answer each? Support your answer.

1.Is exposure to television a factor for students to engage

into bullying in school?
2.Is Hagunoy leaf extract an effective coagulant to hasten
blood clotting and wound healing?
3.Is there a significant relationship between reading speed
and reading comprehension?
4.Which of the two groups have greater life expectancy,
those who are living in the urban or those in the rural?
5.What are the medical components of Tawatawa plant?
6.How does senior high school students cope with the
challenges they encounter in their core subjects?
7.What is “walwal” according to senior high school
boys and girls?
8.What is the effect of “search-pair-share” as a
teaching strategy in Science to the students’
performance in Science?
9.Do student behavior and motivation significantly
predict success of students in scholastic endeavors?
10.What is the extent of students’ knowledge on
Statistics?