Disciplines in Social Sciences

and Research Design and Method

DISCIPLINE
From the LATIN word disciplina, which means
“instruction” is derived from the root word “discere”, which
means “to learn”, and it is taught to a discipulus, which
means “a disciple or a pupil”.

Disciplines in Social Sciences and Research Design and Method

DISCIPLINE
In an academic context, discipline or academic discipline
refers to a specific branch or field of learning and the
systematic production of new knowledge made up of
elements that include assumptions, epistemology,
concepts, theories, and methods (Repko, 2008, 4)

Disciplines in Social Sciences and Research Design and Method

Anthropology

is the study of humans; the social science that seeks to understand

human origins and adaptation, and the diversity of cultures and
worldviews. The term anthropology comes from the Greek words
anthropos (human) and logos (study). This etymology relates to the
scope of anthropology as a discipline, which includes everything about
humans – from their biological and evolutionary past, to ways of life and
traditions that they uphold.
Anthropology

The Development of Anthropology

- Dawn of Imperialism and
Colonialism
- Rise of Empires and States
Anthropology
Important Personalities in Anthropology
Franz Boas Boas (1858–1942)

– Considered as the Father of American Anthropology. He gave modern

anthropology its rigorous scientific methodology, patterned after the natural
sciences and it was him originated the notion of “culture” as learned
behaviors. He did not use science to justify the racism. His evolutionary
stand in societal development: culture is not by-product of a human group’s
physical characteristics, but of social learning affected by the various
factors like environment and history. This argument became the foundation
of human variation analysis that is based on cultural differences, a far cry
from the biological deterministic framework of the evolutionists.
Anthropology
Important Personalities in Anthropology
Franz Boas Boas (1858–1942)

– Anthropology was developed as a discipline in response to the

sociocultural shifts and issues that transpired when people of
various backgrounds came in contact with one another. As the
discipline progressed, various approaches in understanding
society were used by its practitioners. Today, anthropology
remains relevant as it attempts to address contemporary issues
for the general public.
Important Personalities in Anthropology
Anthropology
Edward Burnett Tylor (1832–1917)

Father of Cultural Anthropology. He defined anthropology as the

“science of culture,” which was the first time that culture had been
declared as an object of study. He argued that just like any topic of
science, culture could be objectively studied with proper
methodology and theoretical framework.

He said that “culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic

sense, is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art,
morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired
by man as a member of society
Important Personalities in Anthropology
Anthropology

Lewis Henry Morgan (1818–1881)

- lawyer by training and profession, who became

fascinated with the land disputes between the United
States government and the American Indian people as
the Iroquois. What defined Morgan’s career as an
anthropologist was his success in documenting the
kinship system of the Iroquois.
 - is the social science that studies
Economics how people interact with things of
value; in particular, the
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and
services.

Economics was first conceived as the study of the

allocation of resources within the household level. Its origin
could be traced back to two ancient Greek words: oikos
(house) and nomos (custom or law), referring to the rules
implemented in the household to ensure its efficient
management. Such idea allowed for the inquiry of small-
scale interactions among economic factors, which in turn
formed the microeconomic approach
Economics
- TYPES OF ECONOMICS

Microeconomics – which is focuses on the behavior of

individual consumers and producers.

Macroeconomics - focuses on analyzing the

determinants of national income.

This approach allows for the aggregation of individual

responses and behavior within market system.
FIELDS of
Economics

Mainstream economics – focuses on understanding

the interconnections between the concepts of rationality,
individualism, and equilibrium.

Positive Economics – viewed as the descriptive form

of economics wherein its chief aim is to describe and
explain economic phenomena and behavior.
FIELDS of
Economics

Economic Theory – an umbrella term that refers to the explanation

and understanding of the processes and interactions related to the
production and consumption of goods within a market system.
Heterodox economics – It focuses on the interconnection of
concepts like institutions, history, and social structure.
Normative Economics – is often associated with welfare
economics, as it is focused on providing explanations and
arguments on how economic policies should be.
Applied Economics – utilizes economic theories and formulas to
real-world scenarios with the goal of predicting possible events that
would affect the individuals within the economic system.
Economics

The Discipline of Economics was perceived to address the

shift in production and distribution of goods, as mechanized
factories were instituted as replacement for basic manual
labor by the turn of the century. The issues and challenges
of this shift centered on topics like labor cost, values in
production, price shifts and production processes. The sub
disciplines of economics are guided by the theoretical
approaches that range from highly macro perspective to a
micro perspective.
Adam Smith (1723-1790)
Father of Modern Economics. A philosopher, prominent thinker.
was a philosopher. He is often considered one of the fathers of modern
economics and was a prominent thinker within the classical school of
economics. A believer in laissez-faire policies, Smith suggested that free
markets tend to be self-regulating, alluding to this concept as the
“invisible hand.” His most famous works include The Theory of Moral
Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth
of Nations, which were released in 1759 and 1776, respectively.
David Ricardo (1772-1823)
Another classical economist, David Ricardo had many theories regarding
wages, profits and labour, including:
the concept of economic rent;
comparative advantage; and
the labour theory of value.
His most famous work is The Principles of Political Economy and Important
Taxation, which was released in 1817. Personalities in
Economics
John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946)
Keynesian economics had a huge role to play in the field of
of macroeconomics
Not only are Keynes' theories still taught in schools today, but they have
spawned their own offshoots, with economists such as the late Michal Kalec
having acted as proponents for the post-Keynesian school of economic
thought.
In short, Keynes argued against laissez-faire, believing instead that
governments should intervene in order to:
stabilise the booms and busts of economic activity;
decrease unemployment; and
prevent an economic recession.
Equally revolutionary for his time, Keynes suggested that demand, and not
supply, was the most important force driving the economy, Important
which went against common belief at the time. Personalities in
Economics
 GEOGRAPHY

is the study of the earth’s surface; a specialized investigation of

the physical structure of the earth, including its terrain and its
climates, and the nature and character of its contrasting
inhabited portions. The word geography comes from the Greek
word “geo” (earth, land or ground) and “graphia” (to write, an
art, or a study). The combination of the two words provides an
elementary definition of geography, which is the study of
describing the earth. This study also accounts for the people
living in it and their interactions with the environment

Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 Fields of GEOGRAPHY
- Physical geography is a discipline which studies the changes in the
natural patterns and processes of Earth’s surface over time.
- Human geography is a discipline which studies the relationship of people,
communities and cultures across space and place.
- Integrated geography is a discipline which studies how human activities
impact the environment through the analysis of the shifts in landforms and
cycles of natural resources.
- Geomatics is a discipline which focuses on the scientific management of
geographic data. It involves the methodology by which data are gathered,
processed, stored, and delivered to users using the aid of the latest computer
software and hardware.
- Regional Geography is a discipline which focuses on a particular region on
the surface of the earth.
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 History
the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. it
describes /narrates and analyses human activities in the past
and the changes that they had undergone. The word history
came from the Greek word historia which means “finding out,”
“inquiry,” and “narrative.” In some interpretations, historia
means “knowledge acquired investigation.”
The American Historical Association(AHA) defines history as
“the never ending process whereby people seek to
understand the past and its meaning.” History, in many ways
is a way for us to understand ourselves and make sense of the
world Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 History
Herodotus (c. 484 – c. 425 BC)
-Father of History. He was an ancient Greek historian who was
born in Halicarnassus in the Persian Empire. He is known for
having written the book The Histories, a detailed record of his
"inquiry" on the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars
Thucydides (460–400 BCE)
a Greek Philosopher, historian and general. He is
known as the Father of Scientific History as his
History of the Peloponnesian War (431 BCE)
recounted events, based on evidence and analysis
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 Field of History

• Cultural history focuses on the study of belief systems, customs, social

forms, political systems, material traits, and economic activities of a
group or community usually for the purpose of cross comparison with
others.

• Social history is concerned with the study of particular kinds of

phenomena such as family and marriage, adolescence, and work and
leisure through the use of sociological theories and approaches.

• Intellectual history looks into the history of ideas and theories.

Historiography is one of its primary subfields wherein the development of
schools and approaches are documented.
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
Political Science
occasionally called Politology, is a
social science which deals with systems of
governance, and the analysis of political
activities, political thoughts, associated
constitutions and political behaviour.

Aristotle is called the father of political science

because he elaborated the topics and thinking of
Ideal state, slavery, revolution, education,
citizenship, forms of government, the theory of
golden mean, theory of constitution etc. ... Hence he
is regarded as the father of political science
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
Fields of Political Science

Comparative Politics studies the differences and similarities of the political

systems of the world in an empirical manner. It is not focused on analyzing
countries but is more of a method of analysis.

Political Philosophy is the root from which Political Science sprouted from. The
most notable concepts in Political Philosophy include justice, law, rights and
government. Political Philosophy as a field of study covers theories from the
ancient past to postmodern thoughts on politics.

Public Law is a field in Political Science which focuses on the legal concerns
between the state and the people such as constitutional law and administrative law
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior, according to the
American Psychological Association. Psychology is a multifaceted discipline
and includes many sub-fields of study such areas as human development,
sports, health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes
Fields of Psychology
 Biological Psychology studies Psychology from a biological perspective. It
examines how thoughts, feelings, and behavior physically affect human beings
or animals.

 Behavioral Psychology or behaviorism determines psychological

processes through the use of observable data. Behaviorism is essentially a
learning theory as it inquires the developmental aspect of behavior and
Disciplines in
analyzes quantitatively the changes that occurred overtime. Social Sciences
Fields of PSYCHOLOGY

Cognitive Psychology analyzes how sensory data are interpreted and are
used by the mind to produce behavior. It is a field focused on how information
and knowledge is gained, selected, stored in memory, retrieved, and internally
manipulated.
Social Psychology interprets the behavior of groups in the presence of
others. It is the area of Psychology that inquires on the changes in behavior,
emotions, thoughts, and feelings of individuals in a group or as a group, in
relation to other groups or the community.
Psychoanalysis is an area of Psychology that can be philosophical and
practical inquiry, such that ideas and concepts which are metaphysical in
nature can only be theorized but not experimented on.
Humanistic Psychology is a field that focuses on how a person can better
achieve self-actualization through the development of his or her abilities. It is a
holistic approach to Psychology as it aims to maximize one’s self-awareness
Disciplines in
and behavior. Social Sciences
 the study of the development, structure, and functioning of
SOCIOLOGY human society.
the study of social problems.

The definitions of sociology vary depending on a sociologist’s perspective. Like other disciplines
the social sciences, confining sociology in a strict and formal definition is still up for debate:

- Emile Durkheim defined sociology as “the science of social

institutions.”
- Max Weber defined sociology as “the science which
attempts the interpretative understanding of social action
in order thereby to arrive at a casual explanation of its
course and effects.”
- Morris Ginsberg defined the discipline as “the study of
human interactions, their conditions and consequences.”
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 Important Personalities of SOCIOLOGY

Herbert Spencer -The English Social philosopher applied biological concepts

into the field of Sociology with his theory of organic analogy. In his work
Principles of Sociology (1876), Spencer compared the development and activity
of the society to a living organism.

Lester F. Ward-He introduced Sociology as an academic discipline in American

higher education institutions. Ward theorized that a society’s progress could be
controlled and cannot be simply driven by deterministic forces like evolution.

Max Weber- A German Sociologist is credited for being one of the founding
fathers of modern Sociology. Weber’s inquiries revolved around his idea of social
action. For him, Sociology must aim to determine the motivation behind these
actions, and why and how these actions are done.
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 Important Personalities of SOCIOLOGY

Karl Marx-A German Sociologist and Philosopher credited for being one of the
founding fathers of modern Sociology. For Marx, the truth about society is not found in
abstract ideas or principles but is found instead in the observable and knowable
world.
Auguste Comte- Sociology is the youngest of all social sciences. Developed in 1838
by August Comte in his series of text titled A Course on Positive Philosophy (1830-
1842), wherein his theory aimed to make the structural components of the society
(government, family, and economics) comprehensible through systematic, empirical
observation and classification.

Emile Durkheim- A French sociologist, social psychologist, and philosopher, who

focused his study on the phenomenon of suicide. He was credited for being one of the
founding fathers of modern sociology. His findings suggest that an individual is less
likely to commit suicide when he/she connects more with society. Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 FIELDS of SOCIOLOGY

Human Ecology studies society in relation to its environment. This

discipline also considers how the environment is affected by society and
how it is utilized for production and habitation.

Penology or penal science studies how punishment is conducted on the

offending members of society. As an interdisciplinary approach between
Sociology and Criminology, this field involves laws and the implementation
of policies and procedures.

Sociology of work was historically used as an inquiry into the effects of

the Industrial Revolution on societies. Today, however, this field shifted its
inquiry on how individuals, groups, communities, and societiesDisciplines
relate into
and interact with different industries. Social Sciences
 DEMOGRAPHY

Demography is the statistical study of human populations especially

with reference to size and density. The term demography comes from
the Greek words demos (people) and graphia (a description of). From
this etymology, we may derive that demography is a study of describing
people. As an academic field under Social Sciences, demography is the
study of human populations through the use of statistical analysis and
mathematical modelling

Demography is the study of human populations – their size,

composition and distribution across space – and the process through
which populations change. Births, deaths and migration are the ‘big
three’ of demography, jointly producing population stability or Disciplines
change.in
Social Sciences
 Field of DEMOGRAPHY

Historical demography is the quantitative study of populations in the

past. Historical demographers use, among others, censuses conducted
by governments, historical records, church registries, genealogies, and
family trees to establish an approximation of demographic data.

Social demography uses demographic data to describe and explain

social phenomena. It investigates social phenomena that affect the
distribution, growth, migration, and settlement of populations. Social
demography also studies social status distribution within a population.

Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 Scientific Method

Refers to standardized set of techniques for building scientific

knowledge, such as how to make valid observations, how to interpret
result and to generalize results. It allows researchers to find
independently and impartially test preexisting theories and prior
findings.” (Bhattacherjee 2012, p5

It has the same objective with research, which investigates and studies
different materials and sources in the pursuit of advancing knowledge.

Disciplines in
Social Sciences
 Scientific Method

In the field of social science, research is an

indispensable tool in addressing social issues and
problems.
Through research, a social scientist can try to find
answers to questions like what is poverty? Who are the
poor? Why does poverty exist in society in society? How
can society best address or solve the problem of poverty?
In pursuing research, the use of the scientific method is
required
Disciplines in
Social Sciences
STEPS in SCIENTIFIC METHOD (Rajasekharan 2013):
1.Defining the problem
2.Reviewing the Literature
3.Forming hypothesis
4.Collecting and Analyzing data
5.Drawing conclusions.
The application of the
scientific method to social
science research simply
involves the use of its steps
and procedures to specific
research interest. The
stages of the research
process (Garg, 2012) below
can be serve as a guide in
pursuing research.
Research Design and Method
Table 1:Stages if the Research Process and Key Questions

Stages of the Research Process Key Questions

Define the Research Problem What are the variables or the unit of analysis
being studied?
What is the time frame or period of the study?

Review the related literature What are already written about the topic?
What are the research gap?

Formulate hypothesis What are the specific parameters of the research

problem?
What are the means of manipulating the variable
and/or measuring the result of the study?

Research Design and Method

Table 1:Stages if the Research Process and Key Questions
Stages of the Research Process
Prepare the research design
Collect data
Analyze data
Interpret the results and write the report
Key Questions
Is the research going to be descriptive,
exploratory or experimental?
How should the sample be selected from the
population?
Will the interviews be done personally or over
the phone?
Who are the target participants of the survey?
What do the data reveal about the relationships
of the variables being studied?
How do the data answer the research problem?
What are the social implications and significance
of the findings?
Are the source, both primary and secondary
properly cited in the study?
Research Design and Method
TYPES OF RESEARCH
DESIGN
Research Designs can be grouped into three
categories: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed
Methods (Creswell, 2014).

QUANTITATIVE DESIGNS, also called as Positivist

Designs, are intended for theory testing. These
research designs analyze objective theories through
the examination of the relationship among variables

Research Design and Method

TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE DESIGN

Survey Research – it is a non-experimental research design

that focuses on measuring the variables by means of
quantitative research instruments, such as tests and
questionnaires, and analyzing the effects of these variables
through statistical, mathematical, or numerical methods; this
offers quantitative or numeric descriptions of practices,
attitudes, beliefs, opinions, or situations of a certain population
by examining a specific sample within that population;

Example: Distance Education and its Effects on the Academic Achievement of the
Senior High School Learners

Research Design and Method

TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE DESIGN

Experimental Research – this research design is intended to

analyze cause and effect relationships in a firmly controlled
context by segregating the cause or the certain treatment from
the effect in time, providing the cause or the specific treatment
to one group of subjects (experimental group) but restraining it
from another group (control group), and determining how the
mean affects these two groups; it seeks to verify if a cause or a
certain treatment affects the result of an experiment

Example: The Impact of Integrating Peace Education in teaching Disciplines and

Ideas in the Social Sciences

Research Design and Method

TYPES OF RESEARCH
DESIGN
Research Designs can be grouped into three
categories: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed
Methods (Creswell, 2014).

QUALITATIVE DESIGNS, also called as Interpretative

Designs, are intended for theory building. These
strategies of inquiry explore and interpret the meanings
that people or groups of people ascribe to a specific
social or personal issue.
Research Design and Method
TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DESIGN

Narrative Research – it is a strategy of inquiry that aims to

comprehensively
explore the life experiences of individuals and the meanings
they ascribe to these experiences; it is a research design from
the Humanities wherein the researcher asks a small sample of
participants to tell stories about the topic of interest for him/her
to obtain valuable information that can used in his/her research
project;
Example: A Narrative Inquiry of Learners’ Perceptions Regarding Alternative
Delivery Mode (ADM) Modules

Research Design and Method

TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DESIGN

Phenomenological Research – this qualitative research

design from Philosophy and Psychology concentrates on
describing the commonality among the lived experiences of
several individuals within a specific group who have all
experienced a certain phenomenon; its ultimate goals are to
establish a universal meaning or essence of the experience,
event, or situation and to attain a deeper understanding or
description of the nature of a specific phenomenon

Example: The Lived Experience of Being an Online Seller during the Enhanced
Community Quarantine (ECQ) Period. Narrative Research – it is a strategy of
inquiry that aims to comprehensively

Research Design and Method

TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DESIGN

Grounded Theory – it is a type of inductive research design

that came from Sociology in which a researcher utilizes a
systematic set of techniques in order to formulate a focused
abstract and conceptual theory regarding a specific
phenomenon grounded in the perspectives which are
considered as data of the participants; its main objective is to
develop a scientific explanation for a certain phenomenon by
recognizing the fundamental elements of that phenomenon
(specific) and then classifying the relationships of those
elements to the process and context of the experiment
(general)
Example: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Career Decisions among Senior High
School Learners
Research Design and Method
TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DESIGN
Ethnography – this interpretative research design from Anthropology and
Sociology emphasizes the significance of exploring a specific social
phenomenon such as an event, an interaction, or a relationship within the
context of its culture, which means that a researcher should study the common
patterns of behavior, system of communication, and action of an intact group
of people by deeply immersing himself/herself in its natural environment over a
prolonged period of time (8 months to 2 years), and not by using impersonal
methods of data collection like survey instruments; it is a strategy of inquiry
wherein a researcher engages with the chosen cultural group, observes its
daily life, records what he/she truly perceives about it, and hypothesizes
regarding the evolution and behaviors in that specific group; it can be referred
to as Field Research Design or Participant Observation.

Example: Coping with Work-Related Stress during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Pandemic: An Ethnographic Study
Research Design and Method
TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DESIGN
Case Study – it is a strategy of inquiry that is characterized as an in-
depthanalysis of a specific issue or phenomenon such as an event or an
activity in one or more real-life settings over an extended period of time, rather
than a wide-ranging statistical survey or an all-encompassing comparative
inquiry; it is frequently utilized by the researchers in narrowing down wide-
ranging fields of research into one or a few conveniently researchable
examples; this research design can be used by a researcher in testing a
theory or prevailing knowledge (Positivist) or in formulating a new theory or
scientific knowledge (Interpretative); its strength as a research design is its
ability to explore a wide variety of cultural, social, and political aspects possibly
connected to the desired phenomenon that may not be known before or not
much is known; it can be called as Case Research

Example: Dog as an Emotional Support Animal: A Qualitative Case Research

Research Design and Method

TYPES OF RESEARCH
DESIGN
Research Designs can be grouped into three
categories: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed
Methods (Creswell, 2014).

MIXED METHODS DESIGNS, differently, involve the

collection of both qualitative and quantitative data, the
integration of these two types of datum, and the use of
special research designs that may include
philosophical assumptions and theoretical frameworks
Research Design and Method
 TYPES OF MIXED METHOD
Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods – this research design uses
concurrent timing, a timing within mixed methods designs in which a
researcher carries out both the qualitative and quantitative strands
during a single phase of the research process and prioritizes the
strands evenly; this form of mixed methods design takes place when a
researcher simultaneously collects both qualitative and quantitative
data at roughly the same time, independently examines both forms of
datum, and then logically merges or converges the qualitative and
quantitative results during the overall interpretation in order to
formulate a comprehensive analysis of a specific research problem; it
can be referred to as Convergent Design.

Example: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Investigation of Distance Education for

Learners with Special Educational Needs
Research Design and Method
 TYPES OF MIXED METHOD
Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods – it is a type of research design
that employs sequential timing, a timing within mixed methods designs
wherein a researcher implements the quantitative and qualitative strands in
two different
interactive phases of the research study; this mixed methods design
prioritizes the gathering and analysis of quantitative data in addressing the
research problems of a specific study; it is considered sequential owing to
the fact that the first or initial phase, which involves the collection and
examination of quantitative data, is subsequently followed by the second
phase, which includes the gathering and investigation of qualitative data; this
research design is considered explanatory since the initial quantitative
results are explained in more details by the qualitative results; it can be
called as Explanatory Design

Example: The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Family Resilience: An Explanatory

Sequential Mixed Methods Approach Research Design and Method
 TYPES OF MIXED METHOD
Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods – this form of mixed methods
design, although it also utilizes sequential timing, is the opposite sequence
of the Explanatory Design since it prioritizes the collection and examination
of qualitative data in the first or initial phase; it is a strategy of inquiry in
which a researcher uses the initial qualitative results to build the research
instruments that are suitable for the participants of the study, to determine
the applicable research tools to employ in the second phase, which is the
quantitative phase, or to point out the variables that need to go into a follow-
up quantitative research; it is considered exploratory because it explores the
views and opinions of the participants regarding the phenomenon of interest
and the initial qualitative results, or the exploratory results, will be explored
further by the quantitative results; it can be referred to as Exploratory
Design.

Example: The Quarantine Culture: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Method of Study

Research Design and Method
RESEARCH METHODS

The selection of specific research methods to be employed in order to

collect, analyze, and interpret data depends on the overall aims of the
study and on the subjects or research participants he/she wants to
examine or investigate.
Considering these two factors will help a researcher choose the best
research method/s for his/her study and, as a result, will help him/her
achieve his research goals. In some cases, one specific research method
may be better suited for the study than others since data from different
research methods vary in quantity and quality. However, when a
researcher is dealing with a multifaceted social phenomenon, a multi-
method approach may be more appropriate because it can generate
understandings or insights that may not be gained using a single research
method. In this circumstance, it is advantageous for a researcher to
consider the full range of possibilities of data gathering.
Research Design and Method
RESEARCH METHODS

In the field of Social Sciences, there are three

major groups of research methods:

1. Empirical-Analytical Method
2. Interpretative Method
3. Mixed Methods Group

Research Design and Method

 RESEARCH METHODS
Empirical-Analytical Group
– it is the group of research methods that approaches the study of
Social Sciences in a similar way that the researchers analyze the
Natural Sciences; this group concentrates on objective knowledge,
closed-ended or instrument based questions that can only be answered
by predetermined responses such as yes or no, which can be found on
a test or on a checklist, and operational definitions of the variables to be
measured; it is the group of research methods that uses deductive
reasoning, which employs prevailing knowledge as a foundation for
formulating hypotheses that need to be examined or tested through
statistical analysis and interpretation; this group is focused on
explanation since it uses quantitative research instruments; it can be
called as Quantitative Group
Research Design and Method
 RESEARCH METHODS
Interpretative Group –
this group of research methods is focused on exploring and
understanding a specific phenomenon in a comprehensive and holistic
manner; it is a group of research methods wherein a researcher visits a
research site, observes the behavior of the subjects or research
participants living in it, and conducts interviews at large with the use of
open-ended questions, in which the key informants or participants are
allowed to talk openly regarding a phenomenon of interest so that the
important information will emerge from them; its primary goal is to
analytically disclose the meaning-making practices or lived experiences
of the subjects or research participants through text analysis and theme
interpretation; this group requires careful analysis of the variables
involved since it concentrates more on subjective knowledge; it can be
referred to as Qualitative Group
Research Design and Method
RESEARCH METHODS

- Mixed Methods Group –

it is the group of research methods wherein both
qualitative and quantitative data are gathered,
examined, and interpreted; this group requires a
researcher to create interpretations across both the
qualitative and quantitative collections of data; it is
the group of research methods in which the
research instruments can be altered, such as
behavioral checklists with open-ended questions.

Research Design and Method

RESEARCH METHODS

Research Design and Method