INTRODUCTION TO

RESEARCH:
A REVIEW
OBJECTIVES:
• Review what research is
• Review the characteristics of research
• Describe a good researcher
• Explain the purposes of Research and types of
Research
• Discuss the different phases and steps in
conducting research
Research is…
The word research is composed of two
syllables, re and search. The dictionary
defines the former as the prefix
meaning again, anew or over again
and the latter as a verb meaning to
examine closely and carefully, to test
and try, or tom probe.
Research is a structured inquiry that
utilizes acceptable scientific
methodology to
solve problems
and creates new knowledge
that is generally acceptable
(Grinnel, 1993 as cited by Kumar,
2011).
Research is finding out what you
don't already know.

• No one knows everything, but everybody

knows something. However, to complicate
matters, often what you know, or think you
know, is incorrect.
There are two basic purposes for
research:

• to learn something,
• or to gather evidence.
• The first, to learn something, is for your
own benefit. It is almost impossible for a
human to stop learning

• Research is organized learning, looking

for specific things to add to your store of
knowledge.
What is not
Research?
Research is not just information
gathering
• A person collecting information o
n a specific subject is not resear
ch.
Research is not rearranging
of facts
• A person writing a report on a kno
wn subject is not research
“Research is not about where
you get things from, but
where you bring them”
Research requires imagination
Imagination is more important than knowledge

• For knowledge is limited to all we now know

and understand,
• While imagination embraces the entire world, and all there
ever will be to know and understand.
• Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you
everywhere

- Albert Einstein
Research requires hardwork
“Work is 1% inspiration plus 99% tran
spiration”
-Albert Einstein
The Research Process:
Characteristics and
Requirements
Controlled

The concept of control implies that, in

exploring causality in relation to two
variables, you set up your study in a way
that minimizes the effects of other factors
affecting the relationship
Rigorous

Ensuring that the procedures followed to find

answers to questions are relevant, appropriate,
and justified.
The degree of rigour varies markedly between
the physical and the social sciences and within
the social sciences.
Systematic

This implies that the procedures adopted

to undertake an investigation follow a
certain logical sequence. The different
steps cannot be taken in haphazard way.
Some procedures must follow others.
Valid and verifiable

This concept implies that whatever you

conclude on the basis of your findings is
correct and can be verified by you and
others.
Empirical

That means that any conclusions drawn are

based upon hard evidence gathered from
information collected from real-life
experiences or observations.
Critical
Critical scrutiny of the procedures used and
the methods employed is crucial to a
research enquiry. The process of
investigation must be foolproof and free
from any drawbacks. The process adopted
and the procedures used must be able to
withstand critical scrutiny.
 Types of Research

Application Objectives Enquiry mode

Descriptive Quantitative
Pure Research Research

Exploratory
Qualitative
Applied Research Research
Correlational

Explanatory
APPLICATION PERSPECTIVE

Pure Research
Involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses
that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but
may or may not have practical application at the present
time or in the future. Thus, such work often involves
testing the hypotheses containing very abstract and
specialized concepts.
Pure Research
it is also concerned with the examination, development and
verification of research methods, procedures, techniques, tools that
form the body of research methodology.
• developing sampling technique that can be applied to a
particular situation
• Developing a methodology to assess the validity of a procedure
• Developing an instrument, say, to measure the stress level in
people, and finding the best way of measuring people’s attitude.
• The knowledge produced through pure research is sought in
order to add to the existing. Body of knowledge of research
methods
Applied Research
Most of the research in the Social Sciences is Applied.
In other words, the research techniques, procedures
and methods that form the body of research
methodology are applied to the collection of
information about various aspects of a situation, issue,
problem, or phenomenon so that the information
gathered can be used in other ways- such as policy
formulation, administration and the enhancement of
the understanding of the phenomenon.
OBJECTIVES PERSPECTIVE

Descriptive Research
Attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem,
phenomenon, service or programme or provides information
about, say, the living conditions of a community, or describes
attitudes towards an issue.

For example, it may attempt to describe the type of service

provided by the organization, the administrative structure of an
organization, the needs of the community, what it means to go
to a divorce, how a child feels living in a house with domestic
violence, or the attitudes of employees, towards management
Descriptive Research
The main purpose of such study is to describe what is
prevalent with respect to the issue / problem under
study.
Correlational Research
A correlational research shows relationships or
connectedness of the two factors, circumstances, or
agents called the variables that affect the research.

It is only concerned in indicating the existence of a

relationship, not the causes and ways of the
development of such relationship.
Correlational Research
The main emphasis is to discover or establish the existence of a
relationship/association/ interdependence between two or more
aspects of a situation.

What is the impact of an advertising campaign on the sale of a

product?
What is the relationship between stressful living and the incidence of
heart attack?
What is the relationship between fertility and mortality?
What is the relationship between technology and unemployment?
What is the effect of health service on the control of a disease, or the
home environment on educational achievement?
Explanatory Research
This type of research elaborates or explains not just the
reasons behind the relationship of two factors, but also
the ways by which the relationship exists.

Attempts to clarify why and how there is a relationship

between two aspects of a situation or phenomenon.
Explanatory Research
This type of research attempts to explain for example,
why stressful living results heart attacks?
Why a decline in mortality is followed by fertility
decline? Or the home environment affects children’s
level of academic achievement?
Exploratory
An exploratory research’s purpose is to find out
how reasonable or possible it is to conduct a
research study on a certain topic.

Here, you will discover ideas on topics that could

trigger your interest in conducting research
studies.
This is when the study is undertaken with the
objective either to explore an area where little is
known or to investigate the possibilities of
undertaking a particular research study.

Feasibility study- carried out to determine its

feasibility. It is also called “Pilot study”
Action Research
• This type of research studies an
ongoing practice of a school,
organization, community, or
institution for the purpose of
obtaining results that will bring
improvements in the system.
Types of research studies from the perspective of Objectives

Examples of Studies Aim Main theme Type of

Research
• Socio-economic characteristics of To describe what is To the describe Descriptive
residents of a community prevalent regarding what is prevalent Research
• Attitudes of students towards • A group of people
quality teaching • A community
• Types of service provided by an • A phenomenon
agency • A situation
• Needs of a community • A program
• Sale of a product • An outcome
• Attitudes of workers towards
management

• Number of people living n a

community
• Problems faced by new immigrants
• Consumers’ like and dislikes with
regard to a product
• Effects of living in a domestic
violence
• Strategies put in place by a
company to increase productivity
of workers
Types of research studies from the perspective of Objectives

Examples of Studies Aim Main theme Type of

Research
• Impact of a programme To establish or explore To ascertain if there Correlational
• Relationship between stressful • A relationship is a relationship research
living and incidence of heart • An association
attacks • An interdependence
• Impact of technology on
employment
• Impact of maternal and child
health services on infant mortality
• Effectiveness of a marriage
counselling services on extent of
marital problems
• Impact of an advertising campaign
on sale of product
• Impact of incentives on
productivity of workers
• Effectiveness of an immunization
programme in controlling
infectious disease
Types of research studies from the perspective of Objectives

Examples of Studies Aim Main theme Type of

Research
• Why does stressful living result in To explain To explain why the Explanatory
heart attack? • Why a relationship, relationship is research
• How does technology create association or formed
unemployment/employment? interdependence
• How do maternal and child health exists
services affect infant mortality? • Why a particular
• Why do some people have positive event occurs?
attitude towards an issue while
others do not?
• Why does a particular intervention
work for some people and not for
others?
• Why do some people use product
while others do not?
• Why do some people migrate to
another country while other do
not?
• Why do some people adopt a
programme while others do not?
Mode of Enquiry Perspective

The Structure Approach

(Quantitative)
• Everything that forms the research
process- objectives, design, sample,
and the questions that you plan to ask
of respondents- is predetermined.
• More appropriate to determine the
extent of the problem, issue, or
phenomenon.
The Unstructured Approach
(Qualitative)
• The unstructured approach, by
contrast, allows flexibility in all
these aspects of the process.
• More appropriate to be used to
explore its nature, in other words,
variation/diversity per’se in a
phenomenon, issue, problem or
attitude towards an issue.
The Research Process:
A quick glance
Phase 1: Deciding what to Research

Step 1: Formulating a research problem

• Identifies your destination
• What you want to find out.
• What you intend to research. The more specific,
the better, as everything that follows in the
research process is greatly influenced by the way
you formulate your research problem.
What to consider?
• Financial resources
• Time available
• Expertise
• Knowledge in the field
• Identify any gaps in your knowledge of relevant
disciplines, such as statistics as required for the
analysis
• Sufficient knowledge about computers and other
software if you plan to use them
Phase II: Planning a research study

Step II: Conceptualizing a research design

• The main function of the Research design is to
explain how you will find answers to your research
questions.
• It sets out specific details of your inquiry.
• It should include the study design, logical
arrangements that you propose to undertake,
measurement procedures, sampling strategy, time
frame of analysis, and the time frame.
• the selection of appropriate research design
is crucial in enabling you to arrive at valid
findings, comparisons and conclusions.
• A faulty design results in misleading
findings, and is therefore tantamount to
wasting human and financial resources.
Step III: Constructing an instrument
• Anything that becomes a means of
collecting information is called ‘research
tool’ or ‘research instrument’.
• For example, observation forms,
interview schedules, questionnaires and
interview guides.
Step IV: Selecting a sample

• The basic objective of any sampling design is to to

minimize, within the limitation of cost, the gap between
the values obtained from your sample and those prevalent
in then study population.

• The underlying premise is that a relatively small number of

units, if selected in manner that they genuinely represent
the study population, can provide- with a sufficiently high
degree of probability- a fairly true reflection of the
sampling population that is being studied.
Step V: Writing a research proposal
• The overall research proposal will tell the reader
about your research problem and how you are
planning to investigate.

• What you are proposing to do

• How you plan to proceed
• Why you selected the proposed strategy
Therefore, it should contain;
• Statement of the objectives
• a list of hypotheses, if testing any
• The study design you are proposing
• The setting of your study
• The research instruments you are planning to use
• Information on data processing procedures
• An outline of the proposed chapters for the report
• The study’s problems and limitations
• The proposed time frame
Phase III: Conducting a Research Study

Step VI: Collecting data

• Collect data as planned from which you are going

to draw inferences and conclusions
Step VII: Processing and Displaying Data
• The way you analyze the information you collected largely
depends upon two things
• The type of information (descriptive, qualitative, or
attitudinal)
• The way you want to communicate your findings to
your readers
Step VIII: Writing a Research Report
• This is the last and for the many, the most difficult.
• this report informs the world about what you have
done, what have you found out, what you have
discovered, and what conclusions you have drawn
from your findings.
• If you are clear about the whole process, you will
also be clear about the way you want to write
your report.
• The report should be written in academic style.
References:

Kumar, R. (2011). Research Methodology: A step-by- step

guide for beginners (3rd ed). Los Angeles CA: SAGE.

Calmorin, L. & Calmorin, M.(2007). Research Methods and

Thesis Writing (2nd ed). Quezon City: Rex Printing
Company.