Paper 2(199).docx

Sillo, Hanna Barbara S.

Paper 2

August 23, 2018

Research: An Overview

The universe where we exist is governed by rules and laws that keep it intact. There are universally accepted principles which explains phenomena that occurs in the most basic up to the more complex aspects of our life. But before ideas were accepted as facts and theories as laws, they have undergone a process of confirmation where their individual validity is tested. This method of testing hypothesis is called research. It involves using scientific method, which serves as an outline of arriving at a conclusion that can be used to predict or explain a happening natural occurrences and behaviors. Since a research process is a series of activities arranged logically to solve a problem, it is only fitting that it should start with formulating a question. The problem posed should not have a waiting answer, but the methods to answer said problem must be available. Generally, it must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bounded. Also part of the problem formulation is coming with a hypothesis, or an educated guess that answers the problem. For physical sciences the hypothesis are often positive or optimistic, and null or pessimistic for life sciences. The next step is reviewing literature related to the problem at hand. This involves reading researches previously done that investigates the same variables or are concerned about answering the same problem. It also helps solidify the problem by providing insights and widening one’s perspective of the topic. Following the review of related literature is structuring the research design. This outlines how the research is to be conducted. It states what method is to be used and what, where, when, and from whom will the data be gathered. This part of the process is generally followed through once commenced but certain types of research allows flexibility as long as it remains consistent with the objectives of the study. Next is the data collection where the research formally begins. Depending on the type of research, data gathering methods could differ. Quantitative researches mostly use objective numerical data while qualitative researches use more subjective data gathered from direct contact with subjects or participants and document analysis. After the data is gathered, it must be analyzed. For it to be meaningful, data is organized into graphs, tables, and charts. Different statistical tools also applied to get the desired information out of the quantitative presentation. A much harder task is analyzing qualitative data which cannot always be transformed into quantitative data and must be analyzed individually before any comparison could be made. Findings and conclusion derived from the data gathered must either prove or disprove the hypothesis previously posed. Quantitative researches acknowledges the chances in the analyzed results and qualitative ones are stated in narrative form. The most important task, after the entire research process, is reporting the information. It must be presented in a form that is understandable and meaningful, not only to the researchers, but also to other personalities who might use the information. Personally, I have performed researches of the qualitative, but mostly quantitative type. Experimental research is probably the most common type of research students conduct. Part of our requirement back in high school was to conduct an experimental research and my concentration was on life sciences, specifically looking for ways to quell the growth of mosquito population by looking for natural ways to eliminate them at the larvae stage. Following the research process, we started off by coming up with a question, formulating the hypothesis. Reviewing related literature also helped in forming the correct question and in selecting the appropriate methodology that would serve as the backbone of the entire study. Being experimental in nature, the research involved controlled variables to serve as the baseline for observation and experimental variables from which the actual observations are to

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Sillo, Hanna Barbara S.

Paper 2

August 23, 2018

be gathered from. The data gathered, namely the mortality rate of the larvae, served as the basis for proving the hypothesis and the conclusion.

Theory and Research

Theory and research are often discussed side by side to the point that their meanings overlap and one becomes inseparable from the other. Theory is regarded as the driving force of research, it is the search for theory that makes one perform a research. Research, conversely, is viewed as the vehicle for theory development. With these definitions at hand, it is conjectured that research is the function for theories—there is a necessity for an input theory which goes through the research machine and the resulting output is a derivative of the previous theory. There is a “dialectic relationship” in the Hegelian sense between the idea and the process wherein the concept undergoes a change and is preserved and fulfilled by its opposite (Merriam-Webster, 2018). Theory is a fundamental requirement for research. It is a previously established knowledge that would define the parameters and variables before a research is conducted. Theory also defines the data to be collected, and its method of collection. Research then comes in to test the theory that laid out its fundamentals into existence. Research and theory, therefore, are interdependent and the development of one is dependent on the other. It creates a mechanism akin to a check and balance where the output researches challenges accepted theories. Different theories requires different types of researches. Faucet and Downs generally classified them into descriptive, relational, and explanatory theory and research. Descriptive theory is used in defining a certain phenomenon where little to nothing is known. Under descriptive theory are two further classifications: naming theory and classification theory. Naming theory describes or classifies dimensions or characteristics by finding commonalities among them. Classification theory, on the other hand, finds relations among dimensions or characteristics that may or may not be mutually exclusive. Since theory requires a coinciding research, it is appropriate that a descriptive research should be performed to get the the desired data. Descriptive researches are not necessarily empirical and the data gathered may be quantitative or qualitative. It involves critical discussion and the observation of a phenomenon in its natural setting. The second classification is the relational theory and correlations research. The relational theory specifies relations between dimensions or characteristics of individuals, groups, situations, or events. It explains how one phenomena are relate to each other. This theory is usually formed after a descriptive theory has been established. Relational theories are developed by correlational research. This type of research asks what is happening, defines the extent to which characteristic are occurring together, and measures these dimensions and characteristics. The third and final classification is the explanatory theory and experimental research. An explanatory predicts precise relationships between dimensions or characteristics of phenomenon or difference between groups. It is concerned about cause and effect, answering why such phenomena occur. Explanatory theories are tested by experimental research. It is an empirical type of research that involves manipulation of some phenomenon to determine its effect on some dimension or characteristics of another phenomenon. It therefore requires a quantifiable set of data which allows numbers to be measured and for conclusions to be drawn eventually.

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Sillo, Hanna Barbara S.

Paper 2

August 23, 2018

What is Literature Review?

Before any inquiry could be pushed into a research, a basic reading of studies related to the topic at hand is required to better conceptualize and structure the problem. Related literatures are finished researches related to the problem being investigated. These literatures also present methods of solving problems that could be replicated with slight variations in the variables. Classic researches are often subject to replication, with the aim of extracting new insights and verifying previous conclusions. Literature review, in short, could direct the formation of the problem itself. Literature review is beneficial, especially when the variables to be observed are very specific. Previous researches, aside from narrating the research process, also contain recommendations of how future studies that are related should be conducted. Knowing what has already been done eliminates the possibility of wasting resources due to unnecessary replication. Being aware of previous studies helps the researchers figure out what further knowledge they could contribute specifically. Literature review helps define the limits of one’s study and facilitate hypothesis formation. It gives the researcher an option to select among different methodologies and find out what is most suitable in carrying out the study. It outlines what instruments are to be used, what research design should be followed, and what statistical analysis tool should be employed. In research papers, the review of related literature is used as justification for the current study. It is the part where the need for the research is explained. This constitutes a huge portion of the research duration wherein the researcher needs to go through numerous abstracts and analyze previous data findings of completed works. In summary, literature is simply parsing through information, delineating what is useful and discarding the unhelpful.

Sources: Ary, D., Jacobs, L., Sorensen, C., and Razavieh, A. (2010). 8th Edition. Introduction to Research in Education. US: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Fawcett, J. and Downs, F. (1986). The Relationship of Theory and Research. Norwalk, CT: Appleton Century Crofts.

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