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ADVANTAGES OR STRENGTHS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH B. REVIEWING RELATED LITERATURE

1. It adopts a naturalistic approach to its subject matter, which means The review of literature is the process of compiling,
that those involve in the research understand things based on what classifying, and evaluating what other researchers have written on a
they find meaningful. certain topic. It serves the following purposes:
2. It promotes a full understanding of human behavior or personality 1. It helps in placing the work being reviewed in its context.
traits in their natural setting. 2. It describes the relationship of each work to the research
3. It is instrumental for positive societal changes. being undertaken.
4. It engenders respect for people’s individuality as it demands the 3. It identifies new ways to interpret and shed light to various
researcher’s careful and attentive stand toward people’s world views. gaps based from previous researches.
5. It is a way of understanding and interpreting social interactions. 4. It helps in solving conflicts among seemingly contradictory
6. It increases the researcher’s interest in the study as it includes the previous studies.
researcher’s experience or background knowledge in interpreting 5. It identifies the areas that are subject to a prior study to
verbal and visual data. prevent duplication of efforts.
7. It offers multiple ways of acquiring and examining knowledge about 6. It points to another research undertaking.
something.
It answers the following questions:
DISADVANTAGES OR WEAKNESSES OF QUALITATIVE 1. How are your variables defined?
RESEARCH 2. What has been researched about these variables in the past
1. It involves a lot of researcher’s subjectivity in data analysis. decade?
2. It is hard to know the validity or reliability of the data. 3. Are your variables interrelated? If so, what has been found
3. Its open-ended questions yield “data overload” that requires long- about these interrelations?
time analysis. 4. Is there a gap in the literature? (identify areas that have not
4. It is time-consuming. received much attention in the past decade)
5. It involves several processes, which results greatly depend on the
researcher’s views or interpretations C. RESEARCH QUESTION
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Question the research study wishes to answer.
STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS • Should be based on gap identified in the RRL.
1. Identifying the topic • Must not be answerable by yes or no.
2. Reviewing the related literature Types of Research Questions
3. Drafting the research question 1. Non-researchable Questions
4. Determining the appropriate method 2. Researchable questions
5. Presenting the results
6. Answering the research question: Conclusion Other classification of research questions (Wilson, 1989)
7. Introducing the research study 1. Factor-isolating questions
8. Finalizing the title 2. Factor-relating questions
9. Writing the research paper 3. Situation-relating questions
4. Situation-producing questions
A. IDENTIFYING THE RESEARCH TOPIC/PROBLEM
The research problem states the area of concern of the (see pages 4 and 5 for broader description, and examples)
research paper whether it is a circumstance needing development, a
difficulty requiring attention, or an inquiry necessitating an answer. D. RESEARCH VARIABLES
A variable refers to any characteristic that can have different
Research Problem can be commonly based from circumstances with values or traits that may vary across research participants. Variables
the following characteristics: are measured, controlled, and manipulated by the researcher.
1. It conveys a feeling of discomfort or difficulty. Examples include age, gender, height, and weight.
2. It has perceived difficulty in broad subjects such as family
affairs, home management, and leadership system. A quantitative variable can be either discrete or continuous.
3. It displays a gap between theory and practice: what is said 1. Discrete variables are quantitative variables whose
by the elders and what the students see and observe. observations can assume only a countable number of
4. It utilizes a procedure requiring technologically advanced values.
equipment. Examples: number of children in a family; number of
5. It involves the experience of any kind of individual. absences in the workplace; number of tardiness in the class.
6. It shows some kind of pattern or trend.
7. It makes use of literature reviews, continuous readings, and 2. Continuous variables are quantitative variables whose
past studies. observation can assume any one of the countless number
8. It relates to an individual’s curiosity and interest. of values in a line interval.
Examples: height (5 feet, 4inches; 6 feet; etc.); weight
(115lbs; 68 kgs; etc); and time (hours, minutes, seconds,
milliseconds, nanoseconds
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Another way of classifying variables is based on their level of PROBABILITY SAMPLING

measurement. Variables are either discrete if categorically scaled 1. Simple random sampling – there is an equal chance for each
(nominal or ordinal) or continuous if continually scaled (interval member of the population to be selected for the sample.
or ratio). 2. Systematic sampling – the process of selecting every nth
member of the population arranged in a list.
Nominal Nominal-level variables Examples: 3. Stratified sample – obtained by dividing the population into
variables are variables whose data subgroups and then randomly selecting from each of the
values are nonnumeric subgroups.
group labels that do not 4. Cluster sampling – cluster sampling groups are selected
reflect quantitative rather than individuals.
information.
Ordinal Ordinal-level variables are Examples: NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING
variables variables where there is a 1. Availability or convenience sampling– the investigator
meaningful order of simply reaches out and takes the cases that are at hand,
categories but there is no continuing the process until the sample reaches a
measurable distance designated size.
between categories. 2. Purposive or judgement sampling – used when practical
Interval Variables which can be Examples: considerations prevent the use of probability sampling. This
variables measured along a is choosing respondents based on the experience of the
continuum and have a researchers.
numerical value. It is 3. Quota sampling – A technique where sample has the same
similar to an ordinal proportions of individuals as the entire population with
variable except that the respect to known characteristics.
intervals between the a. Proportional quota sampling – it is used when the
values of the interval researcher knows the distribution of target people
variable are equally across a set of groups.
spaced. b. Non-proportional quota sampling – the researcher
Ratio These are interval Examples: specifies the minimum number of sampled units
variables variables but with the he/she wants in each category.
added condition that 0 4. Voluntary sampling – a sampling technique where
(zero) of the measurement respondents “self-select” in answering a survey
indicates that there is questionnaire.
none of that variables 5. Snowball sampling – a technique which asks other person
to name people who could be a part of your research.
E. SAMPLING DESIGN
• Sampling is a means of selecting ad getting participants of F. METHOD (DATA GATHERING METHODS)
the study for the purpose of gathering information. The The means by which you will find the answer to the research
process of choosing a sample from a population. question.
• Sample- The term for the chosen set of people to represent
the population. Main methods used in Qualitative Research:
• Population- A technical term in research which means a big a. Interviews – unstructured or structure; individual interview
group of people where you choose the sample. b. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) – group interviews
c. Observation
• Sampling unit- The term referring to every individual in the
d. Survey
population.
• Sampling frame- The list of the members of the population
G. CONCLUSION
to which you want to generalize or apply your findings about
• Presents an answer to the research question.
the sample.
• Should not be a reiteration of the results/findings.
• Sampling error- In research, this is the term for the
deviation of something.
H. THE INTRODUCTION
Advantages of Sampling (Calmorin & Calmorin, 2007) • Presents a broad backgrounder to the study.
a. It saves time, money and effort. • Narrows down the discussion leading to the research
b. It is more effective. problem.
c. It is faster, cheaper, and economical. Elements of Introduction
d. It is more accurate. a. Rationale
e. It gives more comprehensive information. b. Setting of the problem
c. Literature foundation
SAMPLING METHODS d. Seriousness of the problem
Methods for selecting a sample from the population. e. General objective
f. General purpose
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DEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGIES (PER CHAPTER)

I. THE TITLE Chapter 1: The Problem and A Review of Literature
Characteristics of a good title: a. Introduction – Presents a broad backgrounder to the study
• It should summarize the idea of the paper. and narrows down the discussion leading to the research
• Has a maximum of 12 words. problem.
• Includes only words that contribute meaning. b. Review of Related Literature - researches about research
• Gives away the ending. variables in the past decade.
c. Synthesis – summary of RRL
BAD TITLE GOOD TITLE d. Theory Model - A map or travel plan that provides a general
Transformed letters and The effect of transformed letters representation of relationships between things in a given
reading speed on reading speed phenomenon.
Social support and academic Social support and Academic e. Conceptual Framework - The researcher’s idea on how the
motivation Motivation: Mediation by self- research problem will have to be explored.
determination needs f. Statement of the Problem - the focal point of the research. It
OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCH PAPER should clearly state the main problem, written in declarative
A research paper is divided into chapters which are then statement.
subdivided into various components pf the research study. g. Hypotheses - It is a proposition that suggests that one thing
will result in some effect on or change in another.
Preliminary Pages h. Scope and Delimitation – Identifies and defines significant
a. Title page variables that are the focus of the study (SCOPE)
b. Approval Sheet Identifies and defines the limitations encountered by the
c. Acknowledgement study. ( DELIMITATION)
d. Dedication i. Significance of the Study - Discusses the benefits of the
e. Abstract study to the society in general, and to its beneficiaries in
f. Table of Contents particular.
j. Definition of Terms - This section defines the major terms in
Chapter 1: The Problem and A Review of Literature the statement of the problem (SOP) and conceptual
a. Introduction framework.
b. Review of Related Literature
c. Synthesis Chapter 2: Research Methodology
d. Theory Model/ Conceptual Framework a. Research Design – a plan to answer your research question
e. Statement of the Problem b. Participants – identifies the participants of the study and the
f. Hypotheses process of selecting the sample.
g. Scope and Delimitation c. Instruments – measurement/tools designed to obtain data
h. Significance of the Study on a topic of interest from research subjects
i. Definition of Terms d. Data-Gathering Procedure – presents the process/
sequence of data gathering
Chapter 2: Research Methodology e. Data Analysis – presents the method used in analyzing the
a. Research Design data gathered
b. Participants
c. Instruments
d. Data-Gathering Procedure
e. Data Analysis

Chapter 3: Results and Discussion

Chapter 4: Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations

a. Summary
b. Conclusion
c. Recommendations

References
Appendices
List of Tables
List of Figures
Curriculum Vitae
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