Practical Research 21st SE 2023 | MIDTERMS

Inquiry Common tools used are interviews, questionnaires,

➔ Process of finding answers to questions and sampling polls. These can be done n person, over
➔ Aim to solve problems, resolve doubts, or argument the phone, or through mail or email.
knowledge ➔ Correlational Research – tests for the relationships
➔ Easier to carry out than research studies between two or ore variables. Three types of
Research correlation: (1) Positive Correlation – increase in one
variable leads to an increase in the other, and a
➔ Careful study conducted using a systematic
decrease in one leads to a decrease in the other, (2)
approach and scientific methods
Negative Correlation – increase in one variable leads
➔ Types of research: quantitative research and
to a decrease in another and vice versa, (3) No
qualitative research
Correlation – two variables are uncorrelated when
➔ Should always be objective and unbiased change in one doesn’t lead to a change in the other.
➔ Systematic formal investigation and study of ➔ Casual-Comparative Research – also known as “ex-
materials and sources in order to establish facts and post facto” ( Latin for “after the fact” ). Looks to
reach new conclusions uncover a cause-effect relationship.
➔ Tend to be more systematic and formal ➔ Experimental Research – systematic and scientific
➔ Main aim may involve gathering new information or approach to research. Purpose is to investigate the
testing a theory influence of one or more variables.
➔ Aims to contribute new knowledge over some Research (Creswell, 2012)
existing truths. ➔ Is process of steps to collect and anlayze
Research Study information to increase our understanding of a topic
➔ Involves several components: abstract, introduction, or issue.
literature review, research design and method, ➔ Three important steps: Pose a question, Collect data
results and analysis, conclusion, bibliography. to answer the question, Present an answer to the
Similarities of Inquiry and Research question.
➔ Both aim to augment knowledge Why do we do Research?
➔ Both inquiry and research may involve systematic ➔ Research is an academic endeavor – enables every
studies student to “re” “search” or “to look once again”. The
➔ Sometimes, inquiry into a problem may take the form primary goal of research is “to search for truth”. It is
of a research study also a contribution to knowledge.
Quantitative Research ➔ Research allows continuous improvement
➔ Involves collection and study of numerical data. ➔ Research directly addresses problems and issues
➔ Seeks to find answers to questions starting with how and explores possible solutions – through research,
many, how much, how long, to what extent. we develop results that help to answer questions and
➔ Come in numerals, percentages, and fractions as we accumulate the results, we gain deeper
Characteristics of Quantitative Research understanding of the problems.
Values of Quantitative Research
➔ Described as objective research in contrast to
qualitative research that is subjective. ➔ More reliable and objective
Characterized by objectiveness, in which only the ➔ Can use statistics to generalize a finding
real or factual, nor the emotional or cognitive ➔ Often reduces and restructures a complex problem
➔ Focuses on the development of explanations of to a limited number of variables.
social phenomena. Concerned with the cause and ➔ Looks at relationships between variables and cam
effect of social phenomena. establish cause-and-effect in highly controlled
Kinds of Quantitative Research circumstances.
➔ Survey research – is one of the most common areas ➔ Test theories or hypothesis
of measurement in applied social research. Often ➔ Assumes sample is representative of the population
used to collect thoughts, opinions, and feelings of ➔ Subjectivity of researcher in methodology is
people. It aims at knowing what a big number of recognized less.
people think and feel about some sociological issues.

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 Practical Research 21st SE 2023 | MIDTERMS
➔ Less detailed than qualitative data and may miss a
desired response from the participant.
Variables
➔ Changing qualities or characteristics of persons or
things that are involved in your research study.
➔ Made up of the root word or base word “vary” which
means to undergo changes or to differ from,
variables have different or varying values in relation
to time and situation
➔ Is an object, event, idea, feeling, time period, or any
other type of category you are trying to measure
Basic Types of Variables
➔ Independent variables – are those that cause
changes in the subject. It is an element that
influences or affects the dependent variable. It is
also that thing that you change and it’s the
dependent variable that receives the effects of that
change.
➔ Dependent variables – are those that bear or
manifest the effects caused by the independent
variables. It is the observable and measurable
element in an experiment. It is also called responses.
Other types of variables
➔ Constant – do not undergo any changes during an
experiment
➔ Attribute – characteristics of people: intelligence
creativity, anxiety, learning styles
➔ Covariate – included in the research study to create
interactions with the independent and dependent
variables
➔ Continuous – quantitative in nature and is used in
interval or ratio scale of measurement
➔ Dichotomous – has only two possible results: one or
zero
➔ Latent – cannot be directly observed like personality
traits
➔ Manifest – can be directly observed to give proofs to
latent variables
➔ Exogenous – found outside an identified model
➔ Endogenous – found inside; as a part of identified
model