WHAT IS AN INQUIRY Importance of research

- Is a learning process that inspires you to  The research aims for truth ( polfe,
obtain knowledge or information about 2002)
people, things, places, or events by
- establishing facts based on evidence or data
asking questions about somethings you
are curious about (baraceros, 2016)  Research improves the quality of
human life (bornmann, 2023)
What is research?
– All of the technological advancements are
- Etymologically, research came from
brought by different research and they improve
“re” and “search”. "Re" is a prefix that
our standard of living.
means again and search is a word which
means to look for. Therefore, research  Research saves life ( cancer research
is to look for something (Chapman UK, 2019)
1979). There are two (2) things that we
need to take note of in this definition. - Research on understanding the disease will
First, research is not only about the save us. Later, research will succeed and will
discovery of something unknown, it is continue to provide us a safer life.
coming up with a new explanation of  Research gathers necessary information
something that is known. Second, ( Igwenagu, 2016)
research is a process. It is a process of
searching for something to solve an - Researchers collect important data to find a
existing problem or difficulty to solve solution to the problem.

- A systematic process of gathering,  Research explores humanity (Lee, Tran,

interpreting and analyzing information and Lee, 2017)
to solve a specific problem (Apolinario - Research deals with the investigations of
2017). culture to understand and appreciate others
Research can be categorized into two practices and beliefs.

Basic research -sometimes called fundamental Characteristics, Process, and Ethics in research
or pure. This type of research that is a purely Following are the major characteristics of
direct application but increasing the nature of research
understanding about the problem. It develops
the scientific theories to be more 1. Empirical- is based on the observations
understandable to the readers and experiments of theories
2. Logical – research is based on valid
-it’s conducted to satisfy curiosity or develop a procedures and principles
full body of knowledge on a specific answer 3. Cyclical- its start with the problem and
ends with a problem
4. Analytical- utilizes proven analytical
Applied research-it is a type of research that procedures in gathering the data.
needs an answer to a specific question. It 5. Critical- exhibits careful and precise
provides solutions and validation in order to judgement
apply to the real setting
6. Methodical. Research is conducted in a
methodical manner without bias using  Informed consent- required to secure in
systematic method and procedures. order protect the rights of the
7. 7. Replicability. The research design participants in your study.
and procedures are replicated or  Honesty- maintain all communication.
repeated to enable the researcher to Data should not be faked
arrive at valid and conclusive results  Objectivity- The researcher should
The following are the Research process avoid being biased. The study should
1. Identify the Research problem not be influenced by his/her personal
factors to consider in selecting a motives, beliefs and opinions.
research problem  Integrity- keep your promises and
 Interest agreements
 Availability of funds  Carefulness- avoid careless errors and
 Researchers ability negligence
2. Review of related literature  Openness- share data, results, ideas
Read various publications or surf the and tools. Be open to criticism and new
internet to become aware of the ideas
previous works already done about the  Confidentiality- protect confidential
chosen topic. communication.
3. Formulate hypothesis.  Responsible publication- avoid
A hypothesis is a theoretical statement duplicating publications
in solving a logical relationship  Respect colleagues- treat all peers fairly
between variables. It should be based  Legality- be informed and obey relevant
on the problem being solved. laws and institutional government
4. Prepare the research design. policies
Identify what is the best means to  Respect of intellectual property- give
collect and analyze data in the study proper acknowledgement or credits to
to clarify and improve the research all researchers.
problem, purpose, and questions. Avoid plagiarism –stealing some
5. Collect data. ones intellectual report
Use an appropriate data collection Claiming it is your own
method to elicit the needed
information. Quantitative and Qualitative
6. Analyze data. Research
Utilize strategies and methods that
make sense of the data to answer (Cristobal & Cristobal, 2017) There are two
the research problem. broad categories of research methodology:
7. Interpret and report the findings. quantitative research and qualitative research.
Put the information in perspective and The method to be used in conducting a research
present the solution to the will determine the approach the researcher
proposed problem based on the takes in identifying relevant data, and collecting
findings of the investigation. and analyzing the information gathered in the
research. Choosing either a quantitative or
Ethics codes and policies for research qualitative approach will affect the components
of the research. For instance, a researcher may
decide to undertake a scientific research. If
he/she takes a quantitative approach, he/she
will use statistical data to provide an
explanation of the phenomenon. On the other
hand, if the researcher chooses qualitative
approach, the goal of the study will be to Characteristics of Qualitative Research
discuss and analyze the underlying concepts
and theories related to the research topic. Qualitative research can be easily characterized
by carefully observing how some research
Generally, quantitative and qualitative research elements such as: research design, data
differs on the type of data they produce. The collection procedure, and data analysis have
former dwells on the collection of numerical been put into considerations. As cited from
data analyzed by statistical analysis, while the Spalding University Library (2020), these three
latter deals with descriptive, in-depth and key elements will guide the researcher to
holistic data analyzed by summarizing, properly conduct a qualitative research study.
categorizing and interpreting. On this note, you To further understand this kind of research,
need to use quantitative research if you want its characteristics are presented as follows:
to confirm or test a theory or hypothesis and
use qualitative research if you want to 1. Qualitative research is naturalistic. A
understand concepts, thoughts and study to be conducted by the
experiences. researcher should be based on real-life
situations. Likewise, the researcher
should also unfold the study in a natural
manner, that is, the findings are derived
from the analysis of authentic data
gathered from the participants.

2. Qualitative research is purposeful. In

conducting a qualitative type of study,
the researcher should select the
participants in a purposive manner, that
is, they will be selected because they
either have easy access to the
information needed or simply have the
knowledge to provide a great deal of
information needed to the study.
Hence, these participants are called
“information rich” in the context of
research.

3. Qualitative research is detailed. A

thick description of gathered data from the
participants makes this type of study a detailed
one. It is important that the researcher should
capture the direct quotations of the
responses of the participant/s from the Strengths:
conducted interview or observation.
1. Qualitative research complements
4. Qualitative research requires engagement quantitative data. Interview and observation
and neutrality. Direct contact with the people, are the common instruments used in the
situation, and phenomenon under investigation conduct of a qualitative study. Such instruments
should be established by the researcher. can provide qualitative data that can be utilized
Immersing oneself would enable the as a support for any quantitative data appearing
researcher to acquire personal experiences in a study, hence, a more reliable result will be
and insights which are essential to better ensured.
understand the phenomenon. Further, the
2. Qualitative research provides more detailed
researcher should also be neutral in the
information to explain complex issues. Since
responses and observations he/she may get
this type of research study requires the
while engaging with the participant/s. The
researcher to immerse himself/herself in the
researcher should likewise show openness,
phenomenon under investigation, direct
sensitivity, and respect.
experiences can be acquired. Similarly,
5. Qualitative research follows an inductive considering “information rich” participant/s, as
procedure. As the researcher immerses well as utilizing interview and observation as
himself/herself in the phenomenon under qualitative research instruments, may enable
investigation, specific details and data will be the researcher to gather more accurate data
gathered from the target participant/s. These needed in explaining a complex phenomenon.
data then can be used to discover emerging
3. Qualitative research is cost efficient. Small
patterns and themes. Following an inductive
number of participants is usually considered in
procedure, the researcher will start from
qualitative research. Hence, less resources
exploring the phenomenon and will end to
will be needed to accomplish the study.
confirming findings of the works.
Likewise, interview schedule and observation
6. Qualitative research is viewed in a holistic checklist as qualitative research tools demand
perspective. A study in a qualitative type the researcher to spend less resources unlike
cannot be simply done in a linear and cause questionnaires as a primary tool utilized in
and effect relationship approach. Rather, it quantitative research.
requires the researcher to view the whole
Weaknesses:
phenomenon under investigation in a complex
system, that is, different variables can either 1. Qualitative research cannot generalize the
cause or effect the phenomenon. findings to the study population. The use of a
small number of participants in qualitative
Strengths and Weakness of Qualitative
research may result in limited responses. Thus,
Research
findings of the study might not be possibly
It is known that a qualitative type of research generalized to a larger population. Replication
focuses more on explaining why subjects under of the study is often suggested.
investigation think and behave in certain ways.
2. Qualitative research is more difficult to
With such purpose, it can be observed that
analyze. Unlike quantitative research which
there are corresponding strengths and
deals with numeric data and can be
weaknesses a qualitative research may have
interpreted through statistical formula,
once it is employed by the researcher.
qualitative research presents non-numeric data researcher is required to engage
which are all based on the subjective responses himself/herself with the participants
of the participants. If data are not critically through immersion in an extended
analyzed and carefully interpreted, results may period of time. Observation, along with
become biased and even less credible. the use of interview and survey, is an
essential instrument for this type of
3. Qualitative research is time consuming.
study.
Though qualitative research utilizes a small
3. 3. Grounded Theory. This kind of
number of participants, this, however, demands
qualitative research intends to
the researcher to spend more time in dealing
explain a phenomenon through
and engaging with them. Similarly, the
developing a theory. In comparison
analysis and interpretation phase of the study
with phenomenological study that
also requires the researcher to take more time
primarily describes lived experiences,
in observing the emerging patterns and
grounded theory aims to provide
themes derived from participants’ provided
explanation and theory behind those
data
lived experiences. Interview and
Kinds of Qualitative Research supporting documents are the
commonly used data collection
In conducting a qualitative type of research on instrument for its participants
different fields such as business, education, approximately ranging from 20 to 30 or
medicine, etc., there are six (6) widely used until data achieve saturation.
qualitative research kinds namely: (1) 4. . Case Study. It is a qualitative research
phenomenological; (2) ethnographic; (3) kind which allows the researcher to
grounded theory; (4) case study; (5) historical; have an intensive analysis of the
and (6) narrative. phenomenon. The aim of this study is to
1. Phenomenological. This kind of accurately describe the case through an
qualitative research focuses on in-depth examination of a single person
subjective lived experiences of the or single institution. With this, thorough
participants in order to understand interview, observation, and
phenomenon. Here, the researcher is documentation are all utilized as
concerned with the feelings of the multiple data collection instruments.
participants regarding a particular 5. Historical. This qualitative research kind
event or activity, hence, the uniqueness is concerned with the identification,
of their lived situations can be evaluation, and synthesis of past event
described. Interview is the common data. Further, it aims to understand
instrument used for its data collection present patterns and to anticipate
with the suggested sample size ranging future choices through clearly relating
from 5 to 25. the past event data which are obtained
2. 2. Ethnographic. It is a kind of from sources such as documents, relics
qualitative research which concentrates and artifacts, and oral reports.
on the study of a group of people in a 6. Narrative. Life accounts of individuals
particular environment. To characterize based on their personal experiences are
behaviors, cultures, challenges, and typically obtained and analyzed in the
possible occurring themes, the conduct of this kind of qualitative
 research. The primary objective of the CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD RESEARCH TITLE
study is to extract meaningful context
 summarizes the main idea/s of your study
based on the documented experiences.
Unlike phenomenological research  it is the part of the paper that is read the most
which focuses on describing and and is usually read first
explaining a phenomenon through the
lived experiences of the participants,  captures reader’s attention and draws his
narrative research focuses merely on attention at the research problem being
the nature of the story told by the investigated
participants. Hence, phenomenological  differentiates the paper from other papers of
research may use narrative, but the same subject area
narrative research does not
necessarily need phenomenological.  Predicts content
Discourse analysis is one of the  Contains keywords that will make it easy to
commonly and widely employed access by a computer search
approaches of narrative research
Here are basic reminders to keep in mind while
Importance of Qualitative Research writing a research title:

1. Keep it simple, brief, and attractive.

Qualitative research is known for
The primary function of a title is to
providing meaning to understand an
provide a precise summary of the
existing phenomenon. With this, the
paper’s content. So, keep the title brief
perspectives, expressions, and
and clear. Moreover, a good tile for a
activities of the participants play a vital
research is typically around 10-15
role to unveiling the local context
substantive words long. A lengthy title
across different fields.
may seem unfocused and take the
The development in any fields such as
reader’s attention away from an
in education, business, medical and
important point.
health allied services, etc. is made
Avoid: Drug X has an effect of muscular
possible by means of qualitative
contraction for an hour in snails
research.
Better: Drug X induces muscular
Writing the Research Title contraction in snails
2. Use appropriate descriptive words. A
The following are important terminologies for good research title should contain key
you to take note: words used in the manuscript and
Research Title- Is the first thing that is read on a should define the nature of the study.
research paper that outlines the purpose of the Think about terms people would use to
research, the methods used and the overall search for the study and include them
tone of the paper. in the title.
Avoid: Effects of Drug A on
Working Research Title- Contains few possible schizophrenia patients
words that could not adequately describe the Better: Psychosocial effects of Drug A
contents of your research paper on schizophrenia patients
3. Avoid abbreviations and jargon. Known Step Two
abbreviations such as AIDS, HIV, and so Use your answers to list key words.
on can be used in the title. However, Step Three
lesser-known or specific abbreviations Create a sentence that indicates the
and jargon that would not be
key words you listed.
immediately familiar to the readers
Step Four
should be left out.
Avoid: MMP expression profiles cannot
Delete all unnecessary/repetitive
distinguish between normal and early words and link the remaining.
osteoarthritic synovial fluid Step Five
Better: Matrix metalloproteinase Delete non-essential information
protein expression profiles cannot and reword the title
distinguish between normal and early
osteoarthritic synovial fluid Designing a research project
4. It is a good idea to create a ‘working’ related to daily life
research title first. This title helps focus
Guidelines in Choosing a Research
the research and writing but can be Topic
changed if needed. The final title should 1. Interest in the subject matter
be a phrase or a question that indicates Your interest in a topic may be
the subject and scope of the research caused by your rich background
while generating the reader’s interest knowledge about it and by its novelty
and enthusiasm for the topic.
2. Availability of information
Avoid: MMP expression profiles cannot Collecting a lot of information as
distinguish between normal and early evidence to support your claims
osteoarthritic synovial fluid about your subject matter from
Better: Matrix metalloproteinase varied forms of literature like books,
protein expression profiles cannot journals, and newspapers, among
distinguish between normal and early others, is a part and parcel of any
osteoarthritic synovial fluid research work
3. Timeliness and relevance of the topic
The topic is relevant if it yields
HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH TITLE results that are instrumental in
Follow these steps: societal improvement. It is timely if it
Step One is related to the present
Ask yourself these questions and 4 Personal resources
Before sticking fully to your final
make note of the answers: choice, assess your research abilities in
1. What is my paper about? terms of your financial standing, health
2. What techniques/designs will be condition, mental capacity, needed facilities,
used? and time allotment to enable you to
complete your research.
3. Who/What will be studied? Research Topics to be Avoided
4. Where is the setting of the study? 1. Controversial topics. These are topics
5. When is the period or duration of that depend greatly on the writer’s opinion,
the study? which may tend to be biased or prejudicial.
Facts cannot support topics like these.
2. Highly technical subjects. For a
beginner, researching on topics that require
an advanced study, technical knowledge,
and vast experience is a very difficult task.

3. Hard-to-investigate subjects. A subject

is hard to investigate if there are no
available reading materials about it and if
such materials are not up-to-date.

4. Too broad subjects. Topics that are too

broad will prevent you from giving a
concentrated or an in-depth analysis of the
subject matter of the paper. The remedy to
this is to narrow or limit the topic to a
smaller one.

5. Too narrow subjects. These subjects

are so limited or specific that an extensive
or thorough searching or reading for
information about these is necessary.

6. Vague subjects. Choosing topics like

these will prevent you from having a clear
focus on your paper. For instance, titles
beginning with indefinite adjectives such as
several, many, some, etc., as in “Some
Remarkable Traits of a Filipino” or “ Several
People’s Comments on the RH Law,” are
vague enough to decrease the readers’
interests and curiosity.