NATURE OF

INQUIRY AND
RESEARCH
How do you make sense of
the world?
WHAT IS RESEARCH?
“the systematic process of collecting
and analyzing information (data) in order
to increase our understanding of the
phenomenon with which we are
concerned or interested” (Leedy, 1997).
“derives new knowledge, generally
involving studious inquiry and a search
for new theories in order to contribute to
an existing academic wealth of
knowledge” (Oldfield, 2015).
PARADIGM
“a cluster of beliefs and dictates which for
scientists in a particular discipline influence
what should be studied, how research should be
done, and how results should be interpreted”
(Bryman, 2008).
RESEARCH PARADIGM

QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
DEFINITION, CHARACTERISTICS, AND TYPES
 QUANTITATIVE OR QUALITATIVE?
1. Places more emphasis on the study of phenomena from the
perspective of those who experience it.
2. Interested not only in examining the phenomenon but also its
causes.
3. Immerses oneself and views meaning as more context and
time-specific, and in most cases, not generalizable.
4. Attempts to remain independent or detached from the
phenomena that one studies.
5. Uses interpretive frameworks.
QUANTITATIVE OR QUALITATIVE?
(CONTINUED)

6. Concerned about findings that can be generalized.

7. Applies the deductive method.
8. Applies the inductive method.
9. Concerned about in-depth understanding of the situation.
10. Concerned about numerical data.
WHAT QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
IS…
 numerical
 structured
 objective
 representative
 generalizable
 replicable
CHARACTERISTICS OF
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Independent Value-free
Objective from the and
subject unbiased

Deductive Formal
RESEARCH PARADIGM
ASSUMPTIONS
Ontological

Epistemological

Axiological

Rhetorical

Methodological
ASSUMPTION QUESTION QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE

Ontological What is the nature of Reality is subjective and Reality is objective, out
reality? multiple. there and singular.
Epistemological What is the Researcher interacts with Researcher is independent
relationship of the that being researched. from that being researched.
researcher to that
researched?
Axiological What is the role of Value-laden and biased Value-free and unbiased
values?
Rhetorical What is the • Informal • Formal
language of • Evolving decisions • Based on set definitions
research? • Personal voice • Impersonal voice
• Understanding, meaning • Relationship, comparison
Methodological What is the process • Inductive • Deductive
of research? • Emerging design • Cause and effect
• Context-bound • Static design
• Patterns, theories • Context-free
• Verification • Generalizations
• Validity and reliability
 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Orientation Characteristics
Paradigm Positivism and realism
Research Purpose Numerical; causal; and prediction
Ontology Nature of social reality
Epistemology Objectivist
Methodology Experimental/manipulative
Research Methods Empirical; measurement; hypothesis testing; randomization;
research protocol; and questionnaire
Scientific Method Deductive approach/theory testing
FOUR THINGS THAT MATTER IN
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Measurement

Causality

Generalization

Replication
MEASUREMENT

RELIABILITY VALIDITY
Stability Face
Internal validity Concurrent
Inter-observer reliability Predictive
Construct
Convergent
TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH TYPES

Descriptive

Experimental

Survey

Correlational
Causal-
Comparative
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
• Answers who, what, when, where and how much.
• Simply describes the phenomenon.
• Gathers a big volume of data
• Basis for decision-making and improvements of
certain practices.
• Does not disprove a hypothesis nor discover a
definitive answer.
• Relies on instrumentation.
EXAMPLES
A description of how senior high school students celebrate
birthdays
A study on the learning styles of Grade 12 senior high school
students at a private University
Awareness level of students towards the effective and
efficient use of Canvas online learning system
EXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH
• Controls the situation
• Identifies cause-and-effect relationships between
variables
• Considered as a benchmark
EXAMPLES
The effect of counseling and medical treatment on
alcoholicism
The effect of support groups on smoking
The effect of reinforcement on one’s attitude to excel in
school
SURVEY RESEARCH
• Gathers evidence of people’s knowledge, opinions,
attitudes, and values on various issues.
• Personal interviews
• Checklist
Survey on sexual violence against women and girls in
Quezon City
Metro Manila survey of adolescence on health
On skills and competitiveness
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
• Determines the relationships of two or more variables but
NOT causality.
• Can be used as prediction
EXAMPLES
The relationship between successful career and educational
attainment
The correlation between English-captioned Korean drama
viewership and reading comprehension skills
The relationship between smoking and tuberculosis
CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE
(QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL)
• Generates cause-and-effect relationships
• Nonexperimental
• Variables observed as they arise naturally
EXAMPLES
The effect of exercising regularly to body fitness
The effect of gender on college course choices
The effect of good family upbringing to good performance in
class
TRUE EXPERIMENTAL VS. QUASI-
EXPERIMENTAL
With an experimental research study, the participants in both
the treatment (product users) and control (product non-
users) groups are randomly assigned.
Quasi-experimental research designs do not randomly
assign participants to treatment or control groups for
comparison
STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES OF
QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
WEAKNESSES
• Structured instruments are limiting
• Some groups are difficult to reach
• Inaccurate or incomplete data obtained

• Unnatural situation

• Studies are expensive and time-consuming.

• Inflexible
• Correlations may ignore causes or realities.

• Untested variables may account for program

impacts.
• Errors in the selection of statistical procedures
yield erroneous findings.
 IMPORTANCE OF
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
 Useful in generating large amounts of data and in identifying the
patterns of behavior of various sectors in different settings.
 Objective
 Can look at relationships between variables
 Can establish cause-and-effect relationships
 Can test theories and hypotheses
 Representativeness
 Less detailed than qualitative
DIFFERENT
VARIABLES IN
QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH AND
THEIR USES
WHAT ARE VARIABLES?
• Any aspect of a theory hat can vary or
change as part of the interaction within
the theory.
• Anything that can effect or change the
results of a study.
TYPES OF VARIABLES
LEVEL OF MEASUREMENT

TYPES OF VARIABLES CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES

categorical made up of different gender

types or categories

quantitative varies in degree or annual income

amount
 TYPES OF VARIABLES
ROLES OF VARIABLES

TYPES CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES

Independent variable Causes changes in another Amount of studying
variable
Dependent variable Changes because of Test grades
another variable
Mediating variable Comes in between two Knowledge in one’s long
variables term memory
Moderator variable Delineates how a Level of use of a drug such
relationship of interest as a Ritalin
changes under different
conditions
VARIABLES AND THEORIES
• Theory ties to explain a phenomenon while model
tries to represent a phenomenon (Bhattacherjee,
2012).
Building Blocks of Theory Description

Constructs What

Propositions How

Logic Why

Conditions/Assumptions Who, what and where

IDENTIFYING THE
INQUIRY AND
STATING THE
PROBLEM
IDENTIFYING THE RANGE OF
TOPICS IN AN AREA OF INQUIRY

Knowing what to research and

understanding the purpose of the research.

Exploratory Descriptive Causal

IDENTIFYING A
RESEARCH TOPIC
Ask yourself questions of what you want
to study.
Develop a working title.
Be brief and avoid wasting words.
Write a title of no longer than 12 words.
DESCRIBING THE
BACKGROUND
 Overview of the topic
 Previous studies and relevant information on the topic
RESEARCH PROBLEMS
AND QUESTIONS
Guiding principle of the research
analysis.
Aims of a problem statement:
1. Introduce the reader to the importance of the
topic being studied.
2. Place the problem in a particular context.
3. Provide the framework for reporting the results.
WHAT PROBLEM STATEMENTS
SHOULD HAVE….(BRYMAN, 2008)
 Clarity and precision
 Researchable topic
 Avoidance of value-laden words
 Identification of overarching and a small sets of questions
 Identification of key concepts
 Articulation of limitations
 Some generalizability
 Conveyance of the research importance
 Avoidance of unnecessary jargons or complex sentence constructions
 Conveyance of more than the mere data gathering
STATING THE QUESTIONS
Foundation of the research
Research questions must be “potentially
testable”.
 CATEGORIES OF RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
Type Relevant Questions Examples
Descriptive What events…? What is the frequency of the use of different
What characteristics….? training methods in industry?
Explorative Which characteristics relate How do voting patterns of a given community
to….? compare to the results of the most recent
election?
Evaluative How will/did a process or Which teaching strategy has the greatest effect
procedure work? on student learning?
Predictive What will happen if one variable If family size increases, will the family income
changes? also increase or decrease?
Explanatory What are the causes of an Does internet addiction have impact towards
observed outcome? students’ study habits?
Control What will happen to a second Can stress in patients about to undergo surgery
proposed DV if the suspected IV be reduced by specific types of nurse
is changed? intervention?
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Clear and intelligible
2. Researchable
3. Connected with theories
4. Interconnected with one another
5. Prospective of original contribution
6. Not too broad, not too narrow
THE VALUE OF RESEARCH IN
YOUR AREA OF INTEREST
Researcher’s area of interest is the most
valuable ingredient of a good research.

Two things to consider:

a. Contribution in the field of knowledge or literature
b. Benefits to the users of the knowledge generated
VALUE OF RESEARCH

1. Increasing the stock of useful knowledge

2. Training skilled people

3. Creating new scientific instrumentation, methodologies and collaboration with users

4. Market spillover

5. Knowledge spillover

6. Coproduction of knowledge
CITING BENEFITS AND
BENEFICIARIES
List any academic beneficiaries from the
research
Specific beneficiaries might be researchers,
students, school administration, parents, etc.
Describe the relevance of the research to its
beneficiaries