Practical Research 1 Unit 1 Lesson 2: Research Process and Ethics PDF

Unit 1: Nature of Research Lesson 2: Research Process and Ethics Contents Engage 2 Introduction 2 Objectives 3 Explore 3 Explain and Elaborate 5 Characteri...

Unit 1: Nature of Research Lesson 2: Research Process and Ethics Contents Engage 2 Introduction 2 Objectives 3 Explore 3 Explain and Elaborate 5 Characteristics of Research 5 The Research Process 6 Principles of Research Ethics 11 Extend 11 Activity 1 11 Evaluate 12 Wrap Up 14 Bibliography 15 1 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Engage Introduction Fig. 1. Different steps in research Research is a highly systematic process. With this description, we can think that research consists of several steps that must be done in a highly organized manner in order for the entire research project to succeed. These characteristics set the research process differently from the usual investigation that we do. A researcher must carefully follow the standard steps involved in the research process in order to properly accomplish the research. In this lesson, the characteristics of research will be explained. The different steps of the research process will then be discussed. The lesson will end with the principles of ethics that must be upheld all throughout the research process. 2 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Objectives In this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Recognize the characteristics of research. Enumerate the steps involved in the research process. Explain the importance of ethics in research. DepEd Competency Describe the characteristics, processes, and ethics of research. (CS_RS11-IIIa-3) Explore 10 minutes Find a partner for this pair activity. Read the given sample research problems below, then make an outline on the possible ways of answering each problem. Write your answers in the space provided below. Discuss your answers with your partner using the guide questions that follow. Research Problem Outline for Solving the Research Problem 1. Reasons behind the low student performance in rural areas than that of urban cities 3 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics 2. Vegetable preferences of nursery students in Metro Manila 3. Effects of banana peels on the growth of tomato seeds Guide Questions 1. What is the common initial step in solving research problems? 2. Do you think having a systematic process to answer these research problems is important? Why? 4 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics 3. Is it possible to answer the given research problems without a step-by-step process to follow? Explain your answer. Explain and Elaborate Characteristics of Research In order to be considered a research, it must exhibit the following characteristics: Controlled Research is controlled and manipulated in order to come up with a valid result. Extraneous variables must be controlled to ensure that they will not influence the results in any way. Rigorous Following stringent procedures in finding out the answers to questions is what makes a research rigorous. Certain steps in the research process require a lot of work and effort in order to ensure the validity of results and compliance to research ethics. Systematic Research must follow a structured plan. This plan should contain a step-by-step procedure in solving the research problem. Researchers must faithfully follow the research process to make sure that there will be accurate results and a reliable conclusion upon completion of the research. 5 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Valid Research must only involve data and results that are correct and verifiable not just by the researcher but also by other people. Validity also refers to how sound the concepts and theories the research is based on, and how well-founded the conclusions are drawn. Empirical Research must be completely based on hard evidence which the researcher personally collected from observation and/or real-life experiences. The Research Process The research process refers to the overall steps needed to accomplish the entire research according to a scientific method. It can be divided into three phases: research proposal, research activity, and written content. Specifically, the following are the steps of the scientific research process: Fig. 2. Steps of the research process 6 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics How do the steps involved in the research process reflect the characteristics of research? Research Proposal The research proposal phase is the first phase of the entire research process. Most of the time, it requires the researcher to identify the actual research problem that he or she wants to address. It involves three steps: Identifying the General Study Area The researcher needs to select a research topic that is within his or her subject area of interest. The field of interest may further branch out to a wide range of areas. For this reason, it is important for the researcher to pick a study area to explore that will serve as the general field of focus of the research. Choosing a Research Topic The researcher needs to start observing the surroundings or environment. Through keen observation, processes or things that require improvement can be identified. In identifying a research topic, it is important that the researchers choose a topic that can address real-life problems they usually encounter in the academe and society. This step also considers the significance of the chosen topic in the general field of focus, whether it is worth the time and effort to conduct the research or not. Formulating Plans and Methodology Research methodology refers to the set of methods, procedures, or techniques that will be used for the overall handling of data about a topic. It is highly relevant in research, as it serves as the blueprint in the conduct of the study. This step also considers the schedule, budget, and feasibility of the research. The following diagram shows the contents of a research proposal. 7 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Fig. 3. Contents of a Research Proposal Research Activities The research activities phase includes all the necessary procedures needed for data collection and analysis. The following are the steps of this phase: Data Collection Data collection comes directly after polishing every detail of the research methodology. It is a critical step as this establishes the accuracy of data that will determine the conclusion of the study. Data can be collected in several ways that will be discussed in the succeeding lessons, but the following is an overview: 8 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Fig. 4. Overview of Data Collection Methods used in Research Data Analysis Data analysis refers to the process of extracting the essential information needed to answer the research questions from the collected data. This step can be done through the use of statistical methods or by deriving themes from the gathered data. The results of the analysis must then be interpreted and discussed with the support of related literature. Written Content The written content phase of the research process involves the process of consolidating all the information from the data analysis. Writing Conclusions Conclusion is the part of the study derived from the analysis and interpretation of the collected data. This serves as the direct answer to the research questions posed at the start of the project. In this step, the researchers need to process the essential information to form the final conclusion of the research. 9 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Sharing the Publication Once all the results of the study are consolidated and written into a final research manuscript, the researchers are obliged to present and share their findings with the public or the rest of the community. Mostly, researches can be presented in the form of a poster or oral presentations during organized conferences. Researchers may also publish their work in journals or any form of media that allows their work to be accessed by other people. Remember The research process is an endless cycle. It does not stop when the results are published and shared with the rest of the community. Your current results can still be improved and modified by future research on the same topic. Principles of Research Ethics Research ethics is important because it serves as a guide for all researchers to keep the integrity of their research. It refers to all the practices that must be followed by the researcher to ensure that the steps of the research process are adhered to with utmost integrity and the set standards agreed upon by the community of researchers all over the world are upheld. The following table enumerates the ethical principles that should be exemplified in the conduct of research: Ethical Principles Explanation Honesty Researchers must honestly present information on research methods and procedures, data, and results. Researchers must not falsify and distort the data to deceive the public or to attain a desired result. Objectivity Researchers should remove any form of bias in all stages of research. All observations and data collected must not be changed in any way to agree with the goals of the researchers. 10 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Prudence Researchers must be careful in evaluating their own work. Responsible publication Researchers must publish the results of their research and share it with other people for their academic and practical contributions. Confidentiality Researchers must treat with confidentiality the information of anyone involved in the research project, especially that of the respondents. Respect for intellectual Researchers must respect patents, copyrights, and other property forms of intellectual property. It is a criminal act for anyone to plagiarize. Social responsibility Researchers must conduct research studies that would be beneficial to society. Anti-discrimination Researchers must avoid discrimination against any form of social labels like sex, gender, religion, and culture. Extend Activity 1 Based on your understanding of the discussed principles of research ethics, cite scenarios where you can apply each principle as a student researcher. Write your answers on the space below. Ethical Principles Use for Student Researchers Honesty Objectivity 11 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Prudence Responsible publication Confidentiality Respect for intellectual property Social responsibility Anti-discrimination Evaluate A. Identify the step of the research process being described in each item. Write your answers in the space provided. 1. The process of gathering useful information for answering the research question 12 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics 2. The process of drafting detailed procedures for data collection and analysis 3. The process of consolidating essential information gathered from the analyzed data B. Evaluate which characteristics of research is exemplified in the situations below. Write your answers in the space provided. 1. The researcher made sure that all data are based on real-life observations and facts. 2. The researcher always cites the source of all information he used for the research. 13 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics 3. The researcher did not exhibit any preference towards gender or age in his or her sample population. Wrap Up ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Research is characterized by a systematic inquiry that is guided by scientific methods. The research process involves three phases: research proposal, research activities, and written content. Research ethics refers to all the practices that must be followed by the researcher in order to ensure that all steps of the research process will be adhered to with utmost integrity. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 Unit 1.2: Research Process and Ethics Bibliography Ackoff, Russell L. Scientific Method. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1962. Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 3rd edition. California: SAGE Publications Inc., 2009. Hillway, Tyrus. Introduction to Research, 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1964. Kothari, Crisan R. Quantitative Techniques, 2nd ed. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.,1984. Leavy, Patricia. Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods, Arts-Based, and Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches. New York: The Guilford Press, 2017. Neuman, Lawrence W. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 7th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2014. 15