The Nature of Research, Characteristics and

Types of Research
We do research in our every day life!
• What to wear to a party
• Punctured electrical wiring
• Broken washing machine
• Malfunction cellphone
• Cooking for dinner
• Finding new home
• Family problems
Research Task Everyday thinking
Identify a problem What to cook for dinner?
Gather data Look what is in the refrigerator
Analyze the data Is it enough for everybody in the house?
Everybody’s favorite food?
Interpret the data Need more ingredient
Gather more data Where can I get the ingredient?
Simple to cook? Enough time?
Analyse the data The cheapest shop? Fresh ingredients? Buy readymade
meals?
Interpret the data JGA’s shop sell fresh chicken. Everyone in the house
loves chicken “Bicol Express”. But preparing “Bicol
Express” will take a lot of time, tiring, too many ingredients
Draw conclusion Go to the stall & buy readymade “Bicol Express”
 Research
Creation of new knowledge, using an appropriate process
to the satisfaction of the users of the research
- learn how to cook “bicol Express”, learn the best stall that sell cheap & tasty
Chicken bicol express
Everyday thinking Good academic research
• Poor data • Sufficient data sources
• Incomplete data • Appropriate data sources
• Hasty thinking • Accurately recorded
• Properly analyzed
• No hidden assumption
• Conclusion well-founded
• Properly presented

As judged by the users of the research

What is Research?
Research is a human activity based on
intellectual investigation and aimed at
discovering, interpreting, and revising human
knowledge on different aspects of the world.

Research is the method used to accumulate

scientific knowledge.

Roscoe, J.T. (1975)

Research is any conscious premeditated (planned/ intended/
studied) inquiry – any investigation which seeks to increase one’s
knowledge of a given situation.
Goldhor, H. (1972)

Research is the scientific investigation

of phenomena which includes
collection, presentation, analysis and
interpretation of facts that lines an
individual’s speculation with reality.
“Research is the systematic approach to
obtaining and confirming new and reliable
knowledge”
– Systematic and orderly (following a series of
steps)
– Purpose is new knowledge, which must be
reliable
Research is not
Accidental discovery :
1. Accidental discovery may occur in structured
research process
2. Usually takes the form of a phenomenon not
previously noticed
3. May lead to a structured research process to
verify or understand the observation

Data Collection
• an intermediate step to gain reliable knowledge
• collecting reliable data is part of the research process
Research is…
1. Searching for explanation of events,
phenomena, relationships and causes
– What, how and why things occur
– Are there interactions?
2. A process
– Planned and managed – to make the
information generated credible
– The process is creative
– It is circular – always leads to more
questions
 Characteristics of Research
1. Empirical. Research is based on direct experience or observation by
the researcher.
2. Logical. Research is based on valid procedures and principles.
3. Cyclical. Research is a cyclical process because it starts with a
problem and ends with a problem.
4. Analytical. Research utilizes proven analytical procedures in gathering
the data, whether historical, descriptive, experimental and case study.
5. Critical. Research exhibits careful and precise judgment.
6. Methodical. Research is conducted in a methodical manner without
bias using systematic method and procedures.
7. Replicability. The research design and procedures are replicated or
repeated to enable the researcher to arrive at valid and conclusive
results.
 Activities in a Research
Research Problem Research Design

Observation Data Collection

Literature
Data Analysis

Existing
Findings & Future works
Problems
 Research Process
Data
Data
Strateg generatio
analysi
ies n
s
methods

Survey Interviews
Outcome
Research
Problem/
• Framework
Design &
Research creation • Model
question(s) • Algorithm
Experiment Observation Quantitative • System
Literature • Application
Review Case Study

Action
Questionnaires Qualitative
Research
Conceptual
Framework
Ethnography

Grounded
Documents
Theory
 Reasons for doing research
To add to the body of knowledge
To solve a problem
To find out what happen
To find evidence to inform practice
To develop a greater understanding of people or their world
To predict, plan and control
To contribute to other people’s well-being
To contribute to personal needs
To test or disprove a theory
To come out with a better way
To understand another person’s point of view
To create more interest in the researcher
 Sources of research ideas
 Suggestions from people
 Past research students’ work
 Recent conference & journal paper
(www.scholar.google.com)
 Call for papers
 Current issues
 Clients needs
 To support or refute certain statements
e.g: - Green computing is the future
- Social networking is the future communication
- RE is the solution to high energy cost
 Types of Research
Basic research – also called as “fundamental
research” or “pure research”. It seeks to discover
basic truths or principles
Applied research – involves seeking new
applications of scientific knowledge to the solution of
a problem, such as a development of a new system or
More
procedure, new device, or new method in order to Specific
solve the problem
Developmental Research. This is a decision-oriented
research involving the application of the steps of the
scientific method in response to an immediate need
to improve existing practices
 Basic Research
- fundamental research, is driven by a scientist’s curiosity or interest
in a scientific question; the main motivation is to expand mans
knowledge, not to create or invent something;

- studies phenomena to get a fuller understanding of it

 Basic Research
Characteristics of Basic Research
1. It is based on the belief ‘knowledge for knowledge’s sake.’
2. It involves collection and analysis of data to develop or enhance
theory.
3. It leads to advancement of knowledge.
4. It takes place in a sterile environment.
5. It is carried out for understanding theoretical relationship between
variables.
6. It is explanatory in nature.
7. Its application may or may not have any bearing on any application in
the immediate future or even after a long time.
8. Basic research lays down the foundation for the applied science that
follows.
 Basic Research

For example, basic science investigations probe for answers to questions

such as:
 How did the universe begin?
 What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
 How do molds reproduce?
 What is the specific genetic code of the fruit fly?
 How is electricity produced?
 Applied Research
- refers to scientific study and research that seeks to solve practical problems;
used to find solutions to everyday problems, cure illness, and innovative
technologies, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledges sake.

- is usually conducted for industries or governments by universities or by

specialised research laboratories or institutions
- is always for development purposes; it is generally referred to as Research
and Development (R& D)
- hence, designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather
than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake
 Applied Research

For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:

• Treat or cure a specific disease
• Improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of
transportation
• Cheaper source of energy
• Mitigate the impact of climate change
 Applied Research

Characteristics of Applied Research

1. solution-specific and addresses practical questions
2. involves collection & analysis of data to examine the
usefulness of theory in solving practical problems.
3. can be explanatory but usually descriptive.
4. involves precise measurement of the characteristics and
describes relationships between variables of a studies
phenomenon.
 Action Research
• Action research is an extension of applied research;
• “Action research is focused on the immediate application and
not the development of theory; it has placed its emphasis on a
real problem in a local setting; its findings are to be evaluated in
terms of local applicability, not in terms of universal validity”
(John Best & Kahn)
• focused on immediate application, not on the development of a
theory, not upon general application
 Action Research
Characteristics of Action Research
1. It is situational
2. It is a reflective inquiry
3. It is based on scientific approach
4. It is a scientific way of solving problems
5. It is a small scale intervention
6. It is a unified exercise to bridge the gap between theory and practice
7. Its emphasis is not on obtaining general scientific knowledge but on
obtaining knowledge concerning a specific local problem
Examples of Action Research
 Control of dengue in ____.
 Use of group work to improve students' ability to solve Math Problems
 Effect of remedial classes in student’s performance Engineering Prof
subs
 Action Research

Relationship between Basic and Applied Research

o Basic research provides the theory that produces the concepts
for applied research for solving specific problems
o Applied research provides the data to support, help, guide, and
revise the development theory resulted from basic research
o Doing basic research ensures that applied researchers don’t
need to reinvent the wheel every time they start on a new
project as it lays a readymade groundwork.
 Pure Research

- kind of research oriented towards understanding the basic

principles behind the operation of the world
- main purpose is to satisfy curiosity or provide answers to a
scientific curiosity
- also to increase the bases of scientific knowledge
- this type of research is exclusively theoretical, since they only
seek to improve human understanding of certain phenomena
or a particular behavior
 Pure Research

Examples
Valid questions for a pure investigation
•What effect does roasting coffee beans have on their antioxidant
properties?
•What makes the wood so hard?
•What are the protons, neutrons and electrons made up of?
•How do cockroaches reproduce?
•How the universe came to be what it is today?
 Pure Research

Pure research that can be developed

•An investigation that reviews whether stress levels cause students to cheat on exams.
•A study that looks at the impact of caffeine consumption on the brain.
•An investigation that examines whether men or women are more likely to suffer from
depression.
•A study that explores how attachment between children of divorced parents compares
to children raised by parents who remain together.
 Categories of Research in Engineering

Application-Based Research
How knowledge areas of Electrical and Electronics Engineering can
contribute to other fields eg Bioinformatics, Healthcare, Mechanical,
production, earthquake prediction system
Theory-Based Research
How knowledge of Electricity and electronics can be enhanced, improved,
formulated eg Fuzzy Set Theory, Pattern recognition.
Industry-based Research
Practical usage e.g. CAD, QC Dept, Human resource dept.
 EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Experimental research is an objective, systematic, controlled

investigation for the purpose of predicting and controlling phenomena
and examining probability and causality among selected variables.

Advantages
• Best establishes cause-and-effect relationships

Disadvantages
• Artificiality
• Feasibility
• Unethical
 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
- a type of research conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined; it
helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection
of subjects

• The results of exploratory research are not usually useful for decision-making
by themselves, but they can provide significant insight into a given situation

• is not typically generalizable to the population at large

• can be quite informal, relying on secondary research such as reviewing

available literature and/or data, or qualitative approaches such as informal
discussions with consumers, employees, management or competitors, and
more formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective
methods, case studies or pilot studies
On a broader perspective, all researches can be
classified into two groups:

 Qualitative Research
 Quantitative Research
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research is research dealing with phenomena that are difficult

or impossible to quantify mathematically, such as beliefs, meanings,
attributes, and symbols

Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of

human behaviour and the reasons that govern such behaviour. The
qualitative method the why and how of decision making, not just what,
where, when.
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Advantages
• It enables more complex aspects of a persons experience to be studied
• Fewer restriction or assumptions are placed on the data to be collected.
• Not everything can be quantified, or quantified easily, Individuals can be studied
in more depth
• Good for exploratory research and hypothesis generation
• Participants are able to provide data in their own words and in their own way

Disadvantages
 It is more difficult to determine the validity and reliability of linguistic data
 there is more subjectivity involved in analyzing the data.
 “Data overload” – open-ended questions can sometimes create lots of data,
which can take along time to analyse!
 Time consuming
 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
- refers to the systematic empirical investigation of any phenomena via
statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. The objective of
quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories
and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena

QR is generally made using scientific methods, which can include:

• The generation of models, theories and hypotheses
• The development of instruments and methods for measurement
• Experimental control and manipulation of variables
• Collection of empirical data
• Modelling and analysis of data
• Evaluation of results
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Advantages
Quantitative research allows the researcher to measure and analyze data.
• The researcher is more objective about the findings of the research
• Quantitative research can be used to test hypotheses in experiments
because of its ability to measure data using statistics

Disadvantages
• The main disadvantage of quantitative research is the context of the study
or experiment is ignored.
• Quantitative research does not study things in a natural setting or discuss
the meaning things have for different people
• A large sample of the population must be studied for more accurate
results
 END...

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