Nature of Inquiry and Research.pdf

Nature of Inquiry and Research 6. OBJECTIVE - it is unbiased and logical. All findings are logically based on real-life situations. What is RESEARCH?...

Nature of Inquiry and Research 6. OBJECTIVE - it is unbiased and logical. All findings are logically based on real-life situations. What is RESEARCH? 7. ORIGINAL WORK - it requires its own examination and produces the data needed to complete the study. Research is an organized investigation and study of materials and sources to create facts and reach new inferences. Research has come up with It is said that research can be done in different ways. It can be either developing appropriate solutions to improve the individual’s quality of life. a well-planned and methodical process that is based on keen observation and Although it may take place in a different setting and may use different concrete and valid evaluation. Integration is the best way to evaluate the methods, scientific research is universally a systematic and objective search validity of a certain study. for reliable knowledge (Walker, 2010). Research is a verified approach of thinking and employing legalized Prieto, et.al. (2017) also added that the following are involved in the instruments and steps to obtain a more adequate solution to a problem that is Research Processes: otherwise impossible to address under ordinary means (Crawford, as cited by 1. DEFINE RESEARCH PROBLEM: What is the problem? Alcantara & Espina, 1995). 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE: What evidence is already presented? In most cases, research helps society to answer the WHAT and HOW 3. FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS: How are we going to find/look for the questions. It must be a proper investigation and should reach a valid answer to questions being studied? conclusion that would facilitate the finding of answers to the questions. Some of these questions are: How can research affect society? What is the impact 4. RESEARCH DESIGN: Where will the study be shown and with what of the research to daily life? population? 5. COLLECTING DATA: Are we ready to gather the data? Where do we Research can be categorized into two: find the data? 6. ANALYZING DATA: How do the data answer the research queries? Basic Research This is the type of research that is a purely direct application 7. INTERPRET AND REPORT: What are the implications of the results? but increasing the nature of understanding about the problem. It develops the scientific theories to be more understandable to the readers. According to Resnik, 2007, ethical norms are significant in conducting research studies as explained in the following: Applied Research It is a type of research that needs an answer to a specific question. It provides solutions and validation in order to apply to the real First, ethics promotes the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and credibility. It also setting. fosters values that are essential to collaborative work. CHARACTERISTICS, PROCESSES, AND ETHICS IN RESEARCH Second, ethical norms help individuals to be accountable in every act that the researcher/s undertake. Prieto, et.al. (2017) stated that the following are the major characteristics of research: Third, ensure that researchers are held accountable to the public. 1. EMPIRICAL - is based on observations and experiments of theories. 2. SYSTEMATIC - follows orderly and sequential procedures, based on Lastly, an ethical norm in research also needs public awareness. This can be valid procedures and principles. evaluated by the researcher before conducting the study because this may 3. CONTROLLED - In research, all variables, except those that are help a certain population in an area once the study is completed. tested/ experimented on, are kept constant. 4. EMPLOYS HYPOTHESIS - refers to a search for facts, answers to Ethical Codes and Policies for Research, Resnik, 2007 questions and solutions to problems. 5. ANALYTICAL - shows analytical procedures in gathering the data, Given the importance of ethics in the conduct of a research, you will follow whether historical, descriptive, and or case study. codes and policies for research:  Honesty Maintain all communication. Data should not be faked. Qualitative Research and Its Importance in Daily Life Objectivity Avoid biases in experimental designs, data analysis, interpretation, expert testimony, and other aspects of research. Kinds of Qualitative Research Integrity Keep your promises and agreements. Carefulness Avoid careless errors and negligence. Below are the kinds of qualitative research that you may venture Openness Share data, results, ideas and tools. Be on. Your choice of conducting a qualitative research study depends on open to criticism and new ideas. your interest, on the issues and concerns need to be addressed in the Confidentiality Protect confidential communication. community, and on your curiosity as an individual. Responsible Publication Avoid duplicating publications. Phenomenology Responsible Mentoring Help to educate, mentor, and advise others. Respect Colleagues Treat all peers fairly. It is the study of how people give meaning to their experiences, Social Responsibility Strive to promote social good. Avoid social like the death of loved ones, care for the people, and friendliness of the harm. people. Non- Discrimination avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, races, Ethnography ethnicity, and or others. Legality Be informed and obey relevant laws and institutional It is understanding of how a particular cultural group goes about governmental policies. their daily lives which includes their organizational set-up, internal Respect of Intellectual operations, and lifestyle. Property Give proper acknowledgment or credits to all researchers. Human Subject Minimize risks that involve human lives, dignity, and privacy. Grounded theory KINDS OF RESEARCH: This occurs when a researcher discovers a new theory based on the data collected. It is a research methodology for discovering theory in QUANTITATIVE VERSUS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH a substantive area. There are two categories of research methodology: Case study QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - This study involves an investigation of a person, group, - is a is defined organization, or situation for a long period of time to explain why such positivist scientific method as the “naturalistic method of things occur to the subject under study. Some examples of this type of which refers to a general set research which deals with the study are the fields of social care, nursing, psychology, rehabilitation of orderly discipline concern of human difficulty by centers, education, etc. procedures to acquire discovering it straightly.” information (Beck, 2004). (Beck, 2004) Content and Discourse Analysis Mostly, it is concerned with It is concerned with the This method requires the examination or analysis of the substance numbers and measurement. experiences, understanding or content of the communication that takes place through letters, books, and words of the individual. journals, photos, video recordings, short message services, online messages, emails, audio-visual materials, etc.  Weaknesses of Qualitative Research Historical Analysis 1. Research quality is heavily dependent on the researcher’s This is the study of primary documents to explain the connection of skills and may be influenced by the researcher's outlooks. past events to the present time. An example of this is explaining the 2. The volume of data makes analysis and interpretation time- happenings during the Marcos regime. consuming. Characteristics and Uses of Qualitative 3. It is sometimes hard to prove. Research 4. The researcher's presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable in qualitative research, can affect the subjects' ∙ Qualitative research takes place in a natural setting like home, school, attitudes towards the process. institution, or community. Researchers gain actual 5. Issues of anonymity and confidentiality can bring/result in experiences of the research participants. problems when presenting findings. ∙ It focuses on participants’ perceptions and experiences (Franenkel 6. Findings can be more difficult and take time to visualize. and Wallen, 1988 in Creswell, 2013) ∙ Researchers are sensitive to participants’ needs and participants are Importance of Qualitative Research across Different Fields actively engaged in the process. ∙ Data are collected through observation, interviews, documents, e- Qualitative Research in Education mails, blogs, videos, etc. ∙ It may result in changes in research questions after new discoveries To better understand research in education, Green and Bloome occur. ∙ It develops from a specific to a general understanding (1997) gave a distinction between Ethnography of education and of concepts. Ethnography in education. ∙ It is a process of describing a situation, analyzing data for themes or categories, and making interpretations or drawing conclusions. Ethnography of education seeks to understand what counts as ∙ It may be subjected to the researcher’s personal interpretation. education for members of a particular group while ethnography in ∙ The researchers, as a primary instrument in data collection, view education studies about social and cultural dynamics of a school or social phenomena and situations holistically. classroom. An example is how teaching styles match the learning styles of students. Strengths of Qualitative Research They concluded that ethnographic practice-like any set of social and cultural practicesare ways that people in a certain place react to each 1. Issues can be analyzed through detailed and deep other to pursue an agenda: including research agenda, educational examination. agenda, and social, cultural, and instructional change agenda. An example 2. Interviews are not being delimited to specific questions and of this study is how students react to the evaluation of their academic can be guided/redirected by the researcher along the process. performance. 3. The research framework and direction can be easily revised as new information emerges. Qualitative research is important as it navigates towards the 4. The obtained data from human experience is powerful and improvement of performance in education. sometimes more interesting than quantitative data. 5. Data usually are collected from a few cases or individuals so Qualitative Research in Technical Communication findings cannot be generalized to a larger population. Findings can however be transferable to another setting. Qualitative research can also be used in studying the effective use of technology in the workplace to ensure a smooth flow of communication. This can be conducted using focus groups.  Technical communications under study can be in the forms of e- 3. Awareness of identity- awareness of values and the mail, fax messaging, video and voice conferencing, intranet and extranet, construction of personal characteristics of each partner and of jargon, and graphics. the couple as a unit The advancement in technical communication is a product of 4. Alienation-refusal to observe, reflect or remember exploration using qualitative research. Qualitative Research in Marketing Qualitative Research in Psychology Historically, qualitative research in marketing is influenced by social According to Braun and Clarke (2013), the qualitative research research and has embedded projective devices within the approach of in- paradigm in psychology has been emerging since the second half of the depth interview. nineteenth century. The more modern qualitative marketing studies use the grounded Psychology has been strongly shaped by the behavioral and theory approach. For example, Flint, Woodruff, and Guardial (2002, as cognitive traditions within which psychology should seek to understand and cited in Belk, 20016) studied customers at different levels in US automobile determine an observable, objective psychological reality. An example of this manufacturing. is, psychologists seek to understand why some students lack the motivation Thus, by thorough investigation through research, marketing to go to school and why some students resort to bullying and the like. strategies are improved for better return of investment. Understanding the psychological processes and how they affect society is the contribution of qualitative research. Qualitative Research in International Business Business establishments use methods like participant observation, content analysis focus groups, narrative interviews, and “hidden” methods Qualitative Research in Advertising such as archival research (Marschan, Pekkari & Welch, 2004). In this manner, business establishments can collect reliable Morrison et al. say that great advertising comes along from an information and come to a decision of improving their ways and processes. understanding of consumer’s wants and needs. Further, they say that qualitative research approaches, or methods useful in advertising have been used by advertising researchers. The stated connection of understanding the connection between advertising and consumers’ preferences can be explained through qualitative research. Qualitative Research in Social Work Conducting research under social work means studying people’s experiences especially what they found traumatic and painful. This can be done by analyzing interview data and narratives which has four broad categories: 1. Knowledge-direct remembering and reliving, with complete details of the events 2. Awareness of mental process: awareness of emotions and of cognitive processes