MODULE IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH IN DAILY LIFE 1

Lesson 1: The Importance of Research in Daily Life

I. What is Research?
1. Research is defined as the scientific investigation of phenomena which includes collection,
presentation, analysis and interpretation of facts that lines an individual‘s speculation with reality.
2. Solutions to problems must be based on knowledge not on mere beliefs, guesses or theories.
3. In research a systematic and well-planned procedure is required to meet the need in order that
information is acquired and evaluate its accuracy and effectiveness.
4. It is a process of inquiring
 Inquiry- an act of asking for information

 TWO TYPES OF RESEARCH

Basic Research- A type of research that is purely direct in increasing the understanding about the
problem.
Applied Research- A type of research that provides solutions and validation in order to apply to the
real setting.

Parameters Basic Research Applied Research

Type of Knowledge Discovery, Gathering Application
Produced Information
Motivation Intellectual Curiosity Solving Problems
Key Questions Is it true? Does it work?
Objective To understand To come up with solutions

II. Nature of Inquiry.

1. Inquiry is defined as “a seeking for truth, information or knowledge”.
It is a problem solving technique.
2. The information and data pursued through questioning begins with gathering by applying the different
human senses.
3. Individuals carry on the process of inquiry from birth till death.
4. Inquiry is synonymous with the word investigation.

III. Investigation and Immersion

Investigation- A systematic examination of a certain event or phenomenon.
Immersion- A researcher immerses (deeply involves) himself in the data gathering activities.
Combining the idea of “inquiry”, “investigation” and “immersion”, the concept of “research” comes in.

IV. Purpose of Research

1. To inform action
2. To prove or generate a theory
3. To augment knowledge in a field or study

V. Importance of Research in Daily Life

1. Research directs us to inquire about the right information by conducting further investigation of the
actual condition. It leads us to be cautious in giving results and findings by proving lies and supporting
the truth.
2. Research empowers us with knowledge and discovers new things and issues in life. It helps us solve
problems in health, crimes, business, technology and environment.
3. Research facilitates learning as an opportunity to share valuable information to others as a way of
recognizing various concerns for public awareness.

Lesson 2: The Importance of Research in Daily Life

Research is a process of gathering, analysing and interpreting information to answer questions. A
good research follows processes that must have certain characteristic. It must be systematic, controlled,
rigorous, valid and verifiable, empirical and critical. To avoid unethical practices researchers had
obligations to adhere professional standards in conducting research .Thus to consider a research writing
ethical it must be clear, accurate, just and authentic.

I. Characteristics of Research

1. EMPIRICAL - is based on observations and experiments of theories.

2. SYSTEMATIC - follows orderly and sequential procedures, based on valid procedures and
principles.
3. CONTROLLED - In research, all variables, except those that are tested/ experimented on, are
kept constant.
4. EMPLOYS HYPOTHESIS - refers to a search for facts, answers to questions and solutions to
problems.
5. ANALYTICAL - shows analytical procedures in gathering the data, whether historical,
descriptive, and or case study.
6. OBJECTIVE - it is unbiased and logical. All findings are logically based on real-life situations.
7. ORIGINAL WORK - it requires its own examination and produces the data needed to complete
the study

II. Seven Steps of the Research Process

1. DEFINE RESEARCH PROBLEM: What is the problem?

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE: What evidence is already presented?
3. FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS: How are we going to find/look for the answer to questions
being studied?
4. RESEARCH DESIGN: Where will the study be shown and with what population?
5. COLLECTING DATA: Are we ready to gather the data? Where do we find the data?
6. ANALYZING DATA: How do the data answer the research queries?
7. INTERPRET AND REPORT: What are the implications of the results?

III. Ethical Codes and Policies for Research

Given the importance of ethics in the conduct of a research, you will follow codes and policies for
research:
Honesty Maintain all communication. Data should not be faked.
Objectivity Avoid biases in experimental designs, data analysis, interpretation, expert testimony,
and other aspects of research.
Integrity Keep your promises and agreements.
Carefulness Avoid careless errors and negligence.
Openness Share data, results, ideas and tools. Be open to criticism and new ideas.
 Confidentiality Protect confidential communication.
Responsible Publication Avoid duplicating publications.
Responsible Mentoring Help to educate, mentor, and advise others.
Respect Colleagues Treat all peers fairly.
Social Responsibility Strive to promote social good. Avoid social harm.
Non- Discrimination avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, races,
ethnicity, and or others.
Legality Be informed and obey relevant laws and institutional governmental policies.
Respect of Intellectual
Property Give proper acknowledgment or credits to all researchers.
Human Subject Minimize risks that involve human lives, dignity, and privacy.

IV. Rights of Research Participants

1. Copyright Infringement. It is the use or production of copyright-protected material without

permission of the copyright holder. Copyright infringement means that the rights accorded to the
copyright holder, such as the exclusive use of a work for a set period of time, are breached by a third
party
Examples:
a. Downloading movies and music without proper payment for use.
b. Recording movies in a theatre
c. Using others’ photographs for a blog without permission
d. Copying software code without giving proper credit
e. Creating videos with unlicensed music clips
2. Voluntary Participation. People must not be coerced into participating in research process.
Essentially, this means that prospective research participants must be informed about the procedures and
risks involved in research and must give their consent to participate.
3. Anonymity. It is the protection of people’s identity through not disclosing their name or not exposing
their identity. It is a situation in data gathering activities in which informant’s name is not given nor
known.
4. Privacy. It is someone’s right to keep his personal matters and relationships secret. It is the ability of
an individual to seclude him from disturbance of any research activity.
5. Plagiarism. It refers to the act of using another person’s ideas, works, processes, and results without
giving due credit.
Three different acts are considered plagiarism:
1. Failure to cite quotations and borrowed ideas,
2. Failure to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and.
3. Failure to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words.
 Lesson 3: Qualitative and Quantitative Research
I. Two Categories of Research Design
• Qualitative Research- A type of research that is concerned with the experiences, understanding
and words of the individual.

• Quantitative Research- It is a research that deals with information about quantities, mostly it is
concerned with numbers and measurement.

II. Difference of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATVE RESEARCH
Difference: Objective
• Aims to create a new theory based on the • The objective is to test a hypothesis or
gathered data theory

Difference: Data Descrition

• - Natural setting • - Measurement setting
• - Uses words, sentences, paragraphs, • - Uses numbers, scales, calculations,
narrations and short stories hypothesis, computations and statistics

Difference: Sample
• Small judgment (by decision) sampling • Large sample representatives of population

Difference: Data Gathering

• Uses interviews, participant observation, • Uses census, survey, questionnaire,
group discussions checklist
• - Unstructured • - Standardized/ Structured
• - Open ended questions • - Closed ended questions

Difference: Data Analysis

• Subjective • Objective

Difference: Outcoome
• There are no conclusions formulated • Conclusions is formulated

III. Similarities of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

1. Both have the process of inquiry and investigation
2. Both improve life and help us in understanding various issues of life
3. Both start with a problem and ends with a new problem
 NAME: SECTION:

ACTIVITY SHEETS

ACTIVITY #1:
Direction: Complete the concept map by writing words associated with the middle word.

RESEARCH

Direction: Choose the words in the box that are related to the definition of research. Using the
chosen words, formulate your own definition of research.
Biases Instrument Theories Factual Investigation
Intuition Discovery System Subjective Interview
Dreams Experiences Data Phenomena Guessing
Productivity Drama Validate Opinions Literature

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ACTIVITY #2:
NAME: SECTION:
A. Read the following statements. Answer TRUE if the statement describes a research,
FALSE if it is not. Write your answers on the blank.
_____ 1. A researcher must read literature that relates to the problem he or she is studying.
_____ 2. The researcher has the final say in his findings.
_____ 3. To have an objective view of his or study, the researcher should avoid listening to another
researcher.
_____ 4. There should be adequate data before conducting a research.
_____ 5. Inquiry is synonymous with the word investigation.
_____ 6. Solutions to problems must be based on knowledge not on mere beliefs, guesses or theories
_____ 7. Combining the idea of “inquiry”, “investigation” and “immersion”, the concept of “research”
comes in.
_____ 8. Immersion means a systematic examination of a certain event or phenomenon.
_____ 9. Immerses himself in the data gathering activities is called as Investigation.
 B. Identify what is being asked on the following questions.
_______________ 10. It refers to the act of using another person’s ideas, works, processes, and results
without giving due credit.
_______________11. A type of research that provides solutions and validations to apply in the real
world situations
_______________ 12. To study the same or very similar topic as yours but in a different set up, it
intended to guide you as you performed your study.
_______________ 13. He believed that human beings learned through by hands- on experiences. His
theory was called as “Learning by doing”.

C. Enumerate the seven steps of the research process. IN ORDER.

14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

ACTIVITY #3:
Direction: Using a venn diagram below, illustrate the differences and similarities between a
quantitative and qualitative research method. (20 PTS)
Similarities

Qualitative Research Quantitaive Research