Nature and Characteristics of Research

• The presentation is titled "Nature and Characteristics of Research", and focuses on pure and applied research.
• Mary Rose F. Persincula created the presentation for ENGG 416 Research Methods.
• Calmorin, L.P., Calmorin, M.A. wrote "Methods of Research and Thesis Writing" in 1995.

Research Characteristics

• Research is empirical, based on direct experience or observation by the researcher.
• Research is logical, based on valid procedures and principles.
• Research is cyclical, starting with a problem and ending with a problem.
• Research is analytical, utilizing proven analytical procedures in data gathering.
• Research has replicability, designs and procedures are replicated.
• Research is critical, exhibiting careful and precise judgment.

Differences Between Research and Problem-Solving

• Research answers a question or query, and problem-solving solves a problem.
• Research is more rigorous and broader in scope than problem-solving.
• Research problems are not specifically defined, unlike problem-solving.
• Research intends to solve problems but isn't its primary aim.
• Research is conducted to contribute to general knowledge, unlike problem-solving.
• Research addresses broad and regularly occurring phenomena.
• Problem-solving does not always involve research.
• Problem-solving focuses on specific problems with a definite end after resolution.

Types of Research

• Research can be classified by purpose, time dimension, data collection techniques, intended uses, and sources.

Descriptive vs Analytical Research

• Descriptive research describes the current state of affairs, with no control over variables.
• Survey methods, including comparative and correlational methods, are used in descriptive research.
• Analytical research involves using available facts or information to make a critical evaluation of the material.

Types of Research by Purpose

• Exploratory, or Formulative Research
• Descriptive Research
• Explanatory Research

Exploratory/Formulative Research

• This research formulates precise questions for future research.
• Goals include becoming familiar with facts, setting, and concerns, and developing a well-grounded picture of the situation.
• Goals include developing tentative theories, generating new ideas, and determining study feasibility.
• Goals include formulating questions, refining issues for systematic inquiry, and developing techniques for future research.
• Sources for this research includes experience surveys, secondary data analysis, case studies, and pilot studies.

Descriptive Research

• This research presents a picture of specific details in a situation, social setting, or relationship.
• This describes characteristics of a population or phenomenon.
• This seeks answers to who, what, when, where, and how questions.
• This provides a profile or description of aspects of interest.
• Goals include describing the situation in terms of its characteristics.
• Goals include providing an accurate profile of a group.
• Goals include presenting background information, creating a set of categories, and clarifying a sequence of stages.
• Goals include focusing on who, what, when, where, and how, but not why.
• Data-gathering techniques include surveys, field research, and content analysis.

Explanatory Research

• This research aims to explain why by identifying reasons for an occurrence.
• This builds on exploratory and descriptive research.
• Goals of explanatory research include elaborating on and enriching a theory's explanation.
• Goals include determining which of several explanations are best.
• Goals include determining theory accuracy and advancing knowledge about underlying processes.
• Goals include building and elaborating a theory, extending a theory to new areas, and providing evidence to support predictions.

Research as a Time Dimension

• Cross-Sectional Research involves observation at one point in time.
• It is the simplest and least costly alternative but cannot capture change processes.
• It is used for exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory purposes.
• Longitudinal Research examines features of people or other units at more than one time.
• This is more complex and costly than cross-sectional research but more powerful for understanding change & includes time series, panel, and cohort studies.

Research Data-Collection Techniques

• Quantitative examples include experiments, surveys, and content analysis using existing statistics.
• Qualitative examples include field research, case studies, and focus group discussions.

Quantitative vs Qualitative Research

• Quantitative research summarizes results numerically and applies to phenomena expressed in quantity.
• Qualitative research concerns phenomena relating to quality or kind.
• Qualitative approaches use observations, interviews, document analysis, and narrative summaries.

Methodology Comparison

Types of research as to Use

• Basic Research
• Applied Research

Applied vs Fundamental

• Applied Research finds solutions for societal, industrial, or business problems.
• Fundamental Research focuses on broad generalizations and theory formulation and contributes to scientific knowledge.

Basic Research

• Basic research advances fundamental knowledge about the human world.
• Focuses on refuting or supporting theories.
• It explains how the world operates and addresses societal changes.
• It is the source of new ways of thinking about the world.
• Basic research can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory, and generates new ideas.
• It rarely helps practitioners directly, but stimulates new ways of thinking.
• Researchers at the center of the scientific community conduct most of the basic research.

Applied Research

• Applied research solves specific policy problems or helps practitioners.
• It emphasizes solutions more than theory for a limited setting.
• It is often descriptive, with immediate practical use.
• It is conducted when decisions are needed about real-life problems.
• It answers questions about specific problems and guides particular courses of action or policy.

Types of Applied Research

• Action Research treats the study as a form of power to improve social setting
• Impact Assessment estimates the consequences of a planned change.
• Evaluative Research determines if something worked via value judgments and measures the effectiveness of a program or policy.

Other Categories of Research (Educational Research)

• Types of Research Methodologies include:
  • Causal-Comparative
  • Correlational
  • Survey
  • Action Research
  • Ethnographic

Causal-Comparative

• It is “Ex post facto research".
• It investigates effects of independent variables on a dependent variable by comparing two or more groups.
• Research designs try to define relationships between variables but no manipulation as these are already in practice
• The researcher cannot control over the variable, sometimes reversal causation could occur and the ability to construct random samples could be affected

Correlational

• It does not investigate cause and effect, and it also does not manipulate variables.
• It does not randomly assign participants when it has only one group study and does not allow group comparison
• It study 2 or more variables and focuses on the relationship among them

Survey

• Used for collecting data from respondents in order to receive information about any relative interest
• Can have multiple purposes and researchers can conduct in many ways depending on the methodology chosen and goal.
• Data is usually obtained with the use of standard procedures for each respondent in order to avoid any biased opinion that could influence the research

Action Research

• An approach where the action researcher and a client work together in defining the problem to develop a solution for.
• Divides into 3 categories: positivist, interpretive and critical.
• Is applied to improve action practices based on collected data.

Ethnographic

• The study through direct observation of users in their natural environment.
• The objective of is to gain insights into how users interact where they feel most comfortable and in an environment they are used to.
• Including direct observation, diary studies, video or other recordings.

Based on Source

• Conceptual Research relates to an abstract idea or theory and uses it to develop new concepts or reinterpret existing ones.
• Empirical Research is data-based research.

Classifications of Research

• Library research is done where answers to questions or problems are available.
• Action research is a decision-oriented research to improve immediate needs.
• Field research is conducted in natural settings.
• Laboratory research is conducted under artificial conditions.

Purpose of Laboratory Research

• To test a hypothesis derived from a theory, control variance under research conditions.
• To discover the relations between the dependent and independent variables.