1

Assignment #1

Ellaine P. Almirañez
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
RSH 630: Research Seminar 1
Dr. Juan C. Birion
December 7, 2019
 2

Difference between Qualitative Research Method and Quantitative Research

Method
Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an
understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into
the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research.
Qualitative Research is also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive
deeper into the problem. Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or
semi-structured techniques. Some common methods include focus groups (group
discussions), individual interviews, and participation/observations. The sample size is
typically small, and respondents are selected to fulfil a given quota while Quantitative
Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data
that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions,
behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a larger sample
population. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover
patterns in research. Quantitative data collection methods are much more structured than
Qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative data collection methods include various
forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and kiosk surveys,
face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal studies, website interceptors,
online polls, and systematic observations.

Difference between Historical Research Method and Experimental Research

Method
Historical research or historiography, "attempts to systematically recapture the
complex nuances, the people, meanings, events and even ideas of the past that have
influenced and shaped the present". (Berg & Lure, 2012, p. 305) Historical research relies
on a wide variety of sources, both primary & secondary including unpublished material.
While Experimental Research method is a systematic and scientific approach to research
in which the researcher manipulates one or more variables, and controls and measures
any change in other variables. Experimental Research is often used where: there is time
priority in a causal relationship (cause precedes effect); there is consistency in a causal
relationship (a cause will always lead to the same effect) and when the magnitude of the
correlation is great.

What is Meta-Analysis?
A subset of systematic reviews; a method for systematically combining pertinent
qualitative and quantitative study data from several selected studies to develop a single
conclusion that has greater statistical power. This conclusion is statistically stronger than
the analysis of any single study, due to increased numbers of subjects, greater diversity
among subjects, or accumulated effects and results.
Meta-analysis would be used for the following purposes:
• To establish statistical significance with studies that have conflicting results
• To develop a more correct estimate of effect magnitude
• To provide a more complex analysis of harms, safety data, and benefits
• To examine subgroups with individual numbers that are not statistically
significant
 3

If the individual studies utilized randomized controlled trials (RCT), combining several
selected RCT results would be the highest-level of evidence on the evidence hierarchy,
followed by systematic reviews, which analyze all available studies on a topic.
Advantages
• Greater statistical power
• Confirmatory data analysis
• Greater ability to extrapolate to general population affected
• Considered an evidence-based resource
• Disadvantages
• Difficult and time consuming to identify appropriate studies
• Not all studies provide adequate data for inclusion and analysis
• Requires advanced statistical techniques
• Heterogeneity of study populations
• Design pitfalls to look out for

What is Triangulation?
Triangulation facilitates validation of data through cross verification from more than
two sources. It tests the consistency of findings obtained through different instruments
and increases the chance to control, or at least assess, some of the threats or multiple
causes influencing our results.
Triangulation is not just about validation but about deepening and widening one’s
understanding. It can be used to produce innovation in conceptual framing. It can lead to
multi-perspective meta-interpretations. [Triangulation is an] attempt to map out, or explain
more fully, the richness and complexity of human behavior by studying it from more than
one standpoint? - Cohen and Manion

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the practice of taking credit for someone else's words or ideas. It's
an act of intellectual dishonesty. In colleges and universities, it violates honor codes and
can cause irreparable damage to a person's reputation. It also comes with serious
consequences; a plagiarized assignment may lead to a failing grade, a suspension, or an
expulsion.

Types of Plagiarism
1. Direct plagiarism is the act of copying another person's work word for word.
Inserting a paragraph from a book or article into your essay without including attribution
or quotation marks, for example, is direct plagiarism. Paying someone to write an essay
for you and submitting it as your own work is also direct plagiarism. If you commit direct
plagiarism, you're likely to be caught thanks to software and tools such as Turnitin.
2. Paraphrased plagiarism involves making a few (often cosmetic) changes to
someone else’s work, then passing it off as your own. Unless a specific idea is common
knowledge, you cannot include it in your paper without providing a citation—even if you
do not include any direct quotes.
3. "Mosaic" plagiarism is a combination of direct and paraphrased plagiarism.
This type involves tossing various words, phrases, and sentences (some word for word,
some paraphrased) into your essay without providing quotation marks or attributions.
 4

4. Accidental plagiarism occurs when citations are missing, sources are cited
incorrectly, or an author shares an idea without a citation that isn't as common of
knowledge as they thought. Accidental plagiarism is often the result of a disorganized
research process and a last-minute time crunch. Ultimately, if you fail to cite your sources
appropriately, you've committed plagiarism—even if you had every intention of giving
credit.

What is APA Style?

APA (American Psychological Association) Style originated in 1929, when a group
of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers convened and sought to
establish a simple set of procedures, or style rules, that would codify the many
components of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension.
As with other editorial styles, APA Style consists of rules or guidelines that a
publisher observes to ensure clear and consistent presentation of written material. It
concerns uniform use of such elements as selection of headings, tone, and length,
punctuation and abbreviations, presentation of numbers and statistics, construction of
tables and figures, citation of references, and many other elements that are a part of a
manuscript.

What is MLA Style?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style for documentation is widely used in the
humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. MLA style features brief
parenthetical citations in the text keyed to an alphabetical list of works cited that appears
at the end of the work.

Core Elements
Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—
the MLA core elements. They are assembled in a specific order.

Containers
The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being
documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a
container that holds the source. For example, a short story may be contained in an
anthology. The short story is the source, and the anthology is the container.

Rationale
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a
fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are
published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print,
online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version. On the Web, modes
of publication are regularly invented, combined, and modified. Previous editions of the
MLA Handbook provided separate instructions for each format, and additional instructions
were required for new formats. In this groundbreaking new edition of its best-selling
handbook, the MLA recommends instead one universal set of guidelines, which writers
can apply to any type of source. Shorter and redesigned for easy use, the eighth edition
of the MLA Handbook guides writers through the principles behind evaluating sources for
 5

their research. It then shows them how to cite sources in their writing and create useful
entries for the works-cited list. More than just a new edition, this is a new MLA style.

What is Chicago Style?

Chicago is a documentation style that has been published by the Chicago
University Press since 1906. This citation style incorporates rules of grammar and
punctuation common in American English. Typically, Chicago style presents two basic
documentation systems: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. Choosing
between the two often depends on subject matter and the nature of sources cited, as
each system is favored by different groups of scholars.
The notes and bibliography style is preferred by many in the humanities, including
those in literature, history, and the arts. This style presents bibliographic information in
notes and, often, a bibliography.

Harvard (Author-Date) style

The Harvard referencing style is another popular style using the author-date
system for in-text citations.

In-text citation:
It consists mainly of the authors' last name and the year of publication (and page
numbers if it is directly quoted) in round brackets placed within the text. If there is no
discernable author, the title and date are used.

Reference list:
The reference list should be ordered alphabetically by the last name of the first
author of each work. References with no author are ordered alphabetically by the first
significant word of the title.
Use only the initials of the authors' given names. No full stop and space between
the initials. Last name comes first.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

The PUP used the American Psychological Association (APA) style. The APA style
follows the author-date method of in-text citation. The references should contain the
author’s name, date of publication, tittle of the work, and publication data.
 6

References
(DeFranzo, 2011). What’s the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?
Retrieved from https://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/qualitative-vs- quantitative-
research/
(Berg & Lune, 2012, p.311). Historical Research Method. Retrieved from
https://ecu.au.libguides.com/historical-research-method
The Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library. (2011-2019). Meta-Analysis. Retrieved from
https://himmelfarb.gwu.edu/tutorials/studydesign101/metaanalyses.cfm
Betterevaluation. (2018). Triangulation. Retrieved from
https://www.betterevaluation.org/en/evaluation-options/triangulation
(Valdes, 2019). What Is Plagiarism? Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/plagiarism-definition-1691631
University of Pittsburgh. (2019). Citation Styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, IEEE:
APA 6th Edition. Retrieved from.
https://pitt.libguides.com/c.php?g=12108&p=64730
Macquarie University. (2019). Referencing. Retrieved from.
https://libguides.mq.edu.au/referencing/Harvard
Graduate School. (2007). Policy Manual on thesis and dissertation. Sta. Mesa, Manila:
Polytechnic University of the Philippines.