Research Objectives: Types and Examples

What is Research?

• Research is obtaining knowledge of the unknown.
• It's a voyage of discovery, pursuing truth through study, observation, comparison, and experimentation.
• It's a movement from the known to the unknown, a systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic using objective methods to solve problems, generalize, and formulate theories.

What is Research? (continued)

• Research is a careful investigation or inquiry, specifically to find new facts in any branch of knowledge.
• It is a systematic effort to gain new knowledge.
• It involves defining and redefining problems, formulating hypotheses, collecting and evaluating data, making deductions and conclusions, and carefully testing conclusions to see if they fit the hypothesis.

What is Research? (continued)

• Research is a systematic method of enunciating problems, formulating hypotheses, collecting facts/data, analyzing them, and reaching conclusions (solutions).
• It's a process of gathering data to solve specific problems in a scientific manner.
• A thorough, critical, and disciplined inquiry to clarify or resolve a problem.

Why Research?

• To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or achieve new insights.
• To find answers to partially solved problems.
• To improve existing techniques and develop new instruments/products.
• To discover previously unrecognized substances/elements.
• To discover pathways of action of known substances/elements.
• To order valid generalizations into systematized science.
• To provide a basis for decision-making in various fields.
• To satisfy a researcher's curiosity.
• To find answers to queries using scientific methods.
• To portray the characteristics of individuals, situations, or groups.
• To expand or verify existing knowledge.
• To improve educational practices.
• To promote health and prolong life.
• To provide basic needs.
• To make work, travel, and communication faster, easier, and more comfortable.
• To determine the frequency of occurrences.
• To test if a hypothesis shows a causal relationship.

Why is Research Important?

• Research improves quality of life.
• It satisfies man's needs and reduces the burden of work.
• It taps immense natural resources and helps harness them.
• It enhances production to cope with increasing population needs.
• It inculcates scientific and inductive thinking.
• Research is crucial for solving operational and planning problems in business and industry.
• It helps determine manpower needs and ways to meet them.
• It's important in studying social relationships and solving social problems.
• Research forms the basis for most government policies in economic systems.
• It can help planners in education, industry, or government make future projections.
• Research improves instruction, student achievements, and maintains good health.
• It's crucial for modernization and promoting a country's progress.
• It's important for energy production and regulation.
• It's necessary to improve crop quantity and processing.
• Research can lead to high positions in social/organizational structures.
• It provides livelihood opportunities.
• It's a source of new ideas and insights (for philosophers & thinkers).
• It drives the development of new styles and creative works (for literary figures).
• It contributes to the generalizations of new theories (for analysts & intellectuals).

Motivation in Research

• Desire to get a research degree and its benefits.
• To face the challenge of solving unsolved problems.
• To enjoy the intellectual joy of creative work.
• To be of service to society.
• To gain respectability.

Characteristics of a Good Research

• Systematic: Follows a clear, ordered, and sequential procedure. Aims to discover truth and solve problems.
• Controlled: Studies cause-and-effect relationships; variables, except the one being tested, are kept constant. Isolates the effect of the tested variable.
• Empirical: Conclusions are based on verifiable evidence gathered from real-life experiences or observations.
• Analytical: Critical analysis of data to ensure no errors in interpretation; using standardized methods.
• Objective, unbiased, and logical: Findings and conclusions are purely based on empirical data, not guesswork, and avoids personal feelings or preferences. The researcher avoids expressions like "I believe this is the result," etc.
• Employs hypotheses: Uses hypotheses to guide the research process.
• Employs quantitative or statistical methods: Transforms data into numerical measures and statistically analyzed for significance.
• Original work: Gathers data from primary sources rather than secondary sources (historical research is an exception).
• Done by an expert: Researcher uses valid procedures and methods; submits data to expert scrutiny.
• Accurate investigation: Data meticulously gathered, organized, and reported for accuracy. An inaccurate research paper cannot be valid or generalizable.
• Patient and unhurried: Requires thorough and painstaking effort, suspending judgment to avoid hasty conclusions.
• Requires effort-making capacity: Research demands significant effort.
• Requires interest, motivation, and courage: Researcher faces hardships such as public disapproval or disagreements with colleagues.
• Carefully recorded and reported: Comprehensive, detailed, and precise reporting on all aspects of the study.
• Clear: Free of ambiguities and clear to understand. Clear research question or problem should be developed first.
• Concise: Add only relevant and original content, avoiding unnecessary information.
• Valid: Reliable results that can be repeated or verified.
• Verifiable/Replicable: The research can be repeated using the same methods and procedures, producing similar results.
• Readable and Attractive: Data clearly communicated and documented.
• Generalizable: Findings can be applied to a wider population or setting.
• Cyclic: Starts with a problem and ends with a problem; continual and iterative nature of research.

Processes in Research

• Stages of the research process: Includes selecting/defining the problem or opportunity; defining research objectives; designing a research plan; specifying required information; designing data collection methods; collecting data; analyzing data; creating a research report; presenting findings.
• Diagram of the research process: Include Problem/Objectives, Theoretical/Conceptual Framework, Hypotheses, Review of Related Literature, Research Design, Data Collection, Data Processing & Statistical Treatment, Data Analysis & Interpretation/Discussion, Summary, Conclusions, & Recommendations.

Research is controlled.

• Diagram of dependent/independent/confounding variables: Illustrates that other factors (confounding variables) are kept constant while the independent variable is tested.
• Example of independent, dependent variables: Provides a table showing variable relationships.

Research employs hypothesis.

• Examples of alternative and null hypotheses: Alternative hypotheses are stated in the affirmative. Null hypotheses are stated in the negative.

Types of Research

• Qualitative: natural environment; study of whole; flexible style; non-standardized interviews; in-depth, observation, documents, photographs, videos; empowering.
• Qualitative Characteristics: multiple, subjective; more flexible; thematic, constant comparative; grounded theory, ethnographic analysis, story, less generalizable, inductive reasoning, development of theory.
• Quantitative: controlled conditions; specific variables; more rigid style; close-ended questions, questionnaires, standardized interviews, documents, not empowering.
• Quantitative Characteristics: single, objective; less flexible; statistical analyses; measurable results; generalizable; findings; deductive reasoning; test theory.
• Types of research according to statistical content: soft and hard sciences.
• Relationships: Direct involvement, close relationship, limited involvement, distant relationship, researcher and participant biases.
• Rigor: Trustworthiness, authenticity; internal/external validity, reliability, generalizability.
• Other classifications: descriptive, developmental, exploratory, correlation, experimental, explanatory, library, field, laboratory/simulation.
• Qualitative types: case studies, ethnographic research, phenomenology, grounded theory, historical research.
• Research problems: Examples of research problems, with specific examples of aspects of child development influenced by media. The problem should be the focus of the research.

Explore diverse research objectives through applied scenarios. Understand primary goals, from community case studies after policy changes to refining engineering designs for seismic resilience. Examples cover theory challenges and more.