Types of Research

1. Based on Application of Research Method

 Pure or Basic research- if it deals with concepts, principles or abstractt things. This type of research aims to
increase your knowledge about something.
 Applied research- if your intention is to apply your choosen research to societal problems or issues, finding
ways to make positive changes in society.

2. Based on the Purpose of Research

 Descriptive Research- this type of esearch aims at defining or giving a verbal portrayal of picture of a person,
thing, event group, situation, etc.
 Correlational Research- shows relationships or connectedness of two factors, circumstances, or agents
called variables that affect the research.
 Explanatory Research- this type of research elaborates or explains not just the reasons behind the
relationship of two factors, but also the ways by which such relationship exists.
 Exploratory Research- this type of research purpose is to find out how reasonable or possible it is to
conduct a research study on a certain topic.
 Action Research- this type of research studies on going practice of a school, organization, community or
institution for the purpose of obtaining results that will bring improvements in the system.

3. Based on Types of Data Needed

 Qualitative research -requires non-numerical data, which means that the research uses words rather than
numbers to express the results, the inquiry, or investigation about people’s thoughts, beliefs, feelings, views
and lifestyles regarding the object of the study.-
-is defined as the “naturalistic method of research which deals with the concern of human difficulty by
discovering it straightly.” (Beck, 2004)
-It is concerned with the experiences, understanding and words of the individual
 Quantitative research- mostly, it is concerned with numbers and measurement of data.-
-Is a positivist scientific method which refers to a general set of orderly discipline procedures to acquire
information (Beck, 2004).

Approaches to Research:

1. Scientific or positive approach- discover and measure information as well as observe and control variables
in an impersonal manner.
 the data gathering, techniques are structured interviews, questionnaires, and observational
checklists.
 data given by these techniques are expressed through numbers which means that this method is
suitable for quantitative research.
2. Naturalistic approach- this contrast to scientific approach because this approach uses words.
 are non-numerical data that expresses truths about the way people perceive or understand the
world.
3. Triangulation approach –this is the combination of the two approaches.
 you are free to gather and analyze data using multiple methods, allowing you to combine or mix up
research approaches , research type, data gathering, data analysis techniques.
 -gives you opportunity to view every angle of research from different perspectives.

Kinds of Qualitative Research

 Phenomenology
It is the study of how people give meaning to their experiences, like the death of
loved ones, care for the people, and friendliness of the people.
 Ethnography
It is understanding of how a particular cultural group goes about their daily lives which
includes their organizational set-up, internal operations, and lifestyle.
  Grounded theory
This occurs when a researcher discovers a new theory based on the data collected.
It is a research methodology for discovering theory in a substantive area.
 Case study
This study involves an investigation of a person, group, organization, or situation for a
long period of time to explain why such things occur to the subject under study. Some
examples of this type of study are the fields of social care, nursing, psychology, rehabilitation
centers, education, etc.
 Content and Discourse Analysis
This method requires the examination or analysis of the substance or content of the
communication that takes place through letters, books, journals, photos, video recordings,
short message services, online messages, emails, audio-visual materials, etc.
 Historical Analysis
This is the study of primary documents to explain the connection of past events to the
present time. An example of this is explaining the happenings during the Marcos regime.

Characteristics and Uses of Qualitative Research

 ∙ Qualitative research takes place in a natural setting like home, school, institution, or
community. Researchers gain actual experiences of the research participants.
 ∙ It focuses on participants’ perceptions and experiences (Franenkel and Wallen, 1988 in
Creswell, 2013)
 ∙ Researchers are sensitive to participants’ needs and participants are actively engaged
in
the process.
 ∙ Data are collected through observation, interviews, documents, e-mails, blogs, videos,
etc.
 ∙ It may result in changes in research questions after new discoveries occur. ∙ It
develops
from a specific to a general understanding of concepts.
 ∙ It is a process of describing a situation, analyzing data for themes or categories, and
making interpretations or drawing conclusions.
 ∙ It may be subjected to the researcher’s personal interpretation.
 ∙ The researchers, as a primary instrument in data collection, view social phenomena
and
situations holistically.

Strengths of Qualitative Research

1. Issues can be analyzed through detailed and deep examination.
2. Interviews are not being delimited to specific questions and can be guided/redirected
by the researcher along the process.
3. The research framework and direction can be easily revised as new information
emerges.
4. The obtained data from human experience is powerful and sometimes more interesting
than quantitative data.
5. Data usually are collected from a few cases or individuals so findings cannot be
generalized to a larger population. Findings can however be transferable to another
setting

Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

1. Research quality is heavily dependent on the researcher’s skills and may be influenced
by the researcher's outlooks.
2. The volume of data makes analysis and interpretation time-consuming.
3. It is sometimes hard to prove.
4. The researcher's presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable in qualitative
research, can affect the subjects' attitudes towards the process.
5. Issues of anonymity and confidentiality can bring/result in problems when presenting
findings.
6. Findings can be more difficult and take time to visualize.
Importance of Qualitative Research across Different Fields

Qualitative Research in Education

To better understand research in education, Green and Bloome (1997) gave a distinction
between Ethnography of education and Ethnography in education.
Ethnography of education seeks to understand what counts as education for members of a
particular group while ethnography in education studies about social and cultural dynamics of
a school or classroom. An example is how teaching styles match the learning styles of
students.
They concluded that ethnographic practice-like any set of social and cultural practicesare
ways that people in a certain place react to each other to pursue an agenda: including
research agenda, educational agenda, and social, cultural, and instructional change agenda.
An example of this study is how students react to the evaluation of their academic
performance.
Qualitative research is important as it navigates towards the improvement of performance in
education.

Qualitative Research in Technical Communication

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-mail, fax messaging,
video and voice conferencing, intranet and extranet, jargon, and graphics. The advancement
in technical communication is a product of exploration using qualitative research.

Qualitative Research in Psychology

According to Braun and Clarke (2013), the qualitative research paradigm in psychology has
been emerging since the second half of the nineteenth century. Psychology has been strongly
shaped by the behavioral and cognitive traditions within which psychology should seek to
understand and determine an observable, objective psychological reality. An example of this
is, psychologists seek to understand why some
students lack the motivation to go to school and why some students resort to bullying and the
like.
Understanding the psychological processes and how they affect society is the contribution of
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
3. Awareness of identity- awareness of values and the construction of personal
characteristics of each partner and of the couple as a unit
4. Alienation-refusal to observe, reflect or remember

Qualitative Research in Marketing

Historically, qualitative research in marketing is influenced by social research and has
embedded projective devices within the approach of in-depth interview. The more modern
qualitative marketing studies use the grounded theory approach. For example, Flint,
Woodruff, and Guardial (2002, as cited in Belk, 20016) studied customers at different levels in
US automobile manufacturing. Thus, by thorough investigation through research, marketing
strategies are improved for better return of investment.

Qualitative Research in International Business

Business establishments use methods like participant observation, content analysis focus
groups, narrative interviews, and “hidden” methods such as archival research (Marschan,
Pekkari & Welch, 2004).
In this manner, business establishments can collect reliable information and come to a
decision of improving their ways and processes.

The following are some examples of titles and abstract studies in different strands
in Senior High School.

Information and Commuication Technology (ICT)

Why Does the Use of Social Network Site (SNS) Make Users Happy? A Qualitative Analysis
Dogan, Ugur; Uysal, Humeyra; Sidekli, Sabri International Journal of Educational Methodology,
v4 n3 p109-124 2018
This study investigated the reasons why the usage of Social Network Sites (SNS) makes users
happy. To this end, the study was conducted with as a qualitative research method. The
phenomenological design, which is a qualitative research method, was utilized for
determining why SNS usage cause happiness and having a better understanding of how SNS
users describe SNSs and what they feel about it. The study group was composed of 137
university students (60 males and 77 females) attending the Faculty of Education, Faculty of
Science, Faculty of Literature, and Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at a
university in the southwestern of Turkey. A structured, open-ended interview was used as the
data collection instrument. The contributors were asked the question "Why does SNS usage
cause happiness?" and their answers were retrieved. The answers were encoded and entered
to the NVivo software to conduct analyses. Based on the most frequent answers of the
participants, three different experts were consulted, and seven themes were created
accordingly. These seven themes include Need for Stroke, Self-Concealment, Ease of
Interaction, Ease of Accessing and Disseminating Information, Ease of Shopping, Leisure
Activity, and Fear of Missing Out. Subcategories were also created for these seven themes. It
was concluded that the theme of FoMO is nourished by all other themes.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Black Undergraduate Women and Their Sense of Belonging in STEM at Predominantly White
Institutions
Dortch, Deniece; Patel, Chirag NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education, v10 n2 p202-
215 2017
Because little work exists on the sense of belonging focusing on just Black undergraduate
women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), especially at highly selective
predominantly whiteinstitutions (PWIs), this study takes a phenomenological approach to
understand the lived experiences of Black undergraduate women in STEM by exploring how
racial and gendered micro-aggressions influence how three African American women majoring
in the sciences experience sense of belonging at PWIs. A phenomenological inductive analysis
was used to compile the research findings, which indicated that racial and gender
discrimination, isolation, marginalization, and alienation resulting from microaggressions
occurred. Implications for inclusive practices are discussed.

Arts and Design

Social Phenomenological Analysis as a Research Method in Art Education: Developing an
Empirical Model for Understanding Gallery Talks, Hofmann, Fabian International Journal of
Education & the Arts, v17 n33 Dec 2016 Social phenomenological analysis is presented as a
research method to study gallery talks orguided tours in art museums. The research method
is based on the philosophical considerations of Edmund Husserl and sociological/social science
concepts put forward by Max Weber and Alfred Schuetz. Its starting point is the everyday life
world; the researcher interprets the phenomena that can be observed there as an individual,
intersubjective accessible reflection of subjective meaning. This approach is suitable for
research projects that seek correlations and structures of certain typical situations in domains
that are theoretically few restructured. The article explains the methodological principles, the
use and the profit of this research method.

Humanities and Social Sciences

Challenging Normative Assumptions Regarding Disengaged Youth: A Phenomenological
Perspective
Lewthwaite, Brian; Wilson, Kimberley; Wallace, Valda; McGinty, Sue; Swain, Luke International
Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v30 n4 p388-405 2017 This paper explored
the experiences of 12 young people, all teenagers, who have chosen to attend alternative
schools known as flexible learning options within the Australian context. Using a
phenomenological approach, the study seeks to understand their experiences outside the
normalized public discourse that they had "disengaged" from mainstream school. A
phenomenological approach is employed because of its potential to draw attention to
predetermined assumptions about, in this study's case, student disengagement, a concept
commonly framed within a pathologist and deficit perspective. The study gives evidence for
the utility of a phenomenological approach in providing insight into how macrosystem policy,
such as a nationalistic neoliberal agenda, influences "schooling" and subsequently students'
experiences with schools.
The implications of this study with attention to the nexus between methodology and policy
are discussed, especially in drawing attention to how phenomenology as a qualitative
methodology provides a means of agency for the disenfranchised to challenge existing policy
and public assumptions.

Sports
Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Experiences in Physical Education and Youth Sport Na,
Jaekwon Physical Educator, v72 n1 2015 The purpose of this study was to examine parents'
perceptions of their children's experiences in physical education and youth sport. Qualitative
research design was employed in this study. Data collection methods included
phenomenological interviews and qualitative questionnaires. Forty-one questionnaires were
collected and analyzed through inductive analysis method to identify themes. Ten parents
(either father or mother) participated in the interview process. Parents indicated aspects of
physical education classes (learning life skills, playing time, and health promotion) and
aspects of youth sport (learning life skills and health promotion). Parents believed that their
children learned more from youth sport than physical education because of deeper
understanding in one sport, children's choice of activities, and parental involvement.

Agriculture
Reflective Journeys of Five Women Agriculturists in Australia: A Qualitative Study Stephens,
Carrie A.; Brawner, Shelby; Dean, Amanda; Stripling, Christopher T.; Sanok, Danielle Journal of
Agricultural Education, v59 n1 p271-286 2018 Women comprise the minority in production
agriculture leadership, and their leadership roles in agricultural industries are rarely explored.
The purpose of this study was to explore
the reflective journeys of five Australian women in production agriculture. The central
research questions asked were "What lived experiences helped you obtain your leadership
position and what leadership characteristics do you identify as essential in your success?"
This study used a phenomenological approach, as reflecting upon the subjects past cultural
experiences was crucial in understanding their current positions in life and leadership. Five
women in agriculture from Australia served as the participants for this study, and they were
selected based upon their leadership presence in Australia. Specific themes were generated
which included (a) childhood experiences, (b) current family dynamics, (c) hardship, and (d)
perception of leadership style. The perception of leadership style is further divided into three
sub-themes:
(a) self-perception of leadership, (b) leading by example, and (c) outreach efforts for women
in the industry. The five women whose personal journeys were explored are primarily
concerned with improving the knowledge given to them and presenting new opportunities to
other women when they can. Some recommendations for future research are "What are the
reflective journey stories of women agriculturists in the United States?", "What are reflective
journey stories of men engaged in agriculture industries?" and "What mentoring strategies
are being utilized to recruit and retain women in agriculture industry fields?
Qualitative research has been found to be an effective method in finding answers to
phenomena in the context of different disciplines like education, technical communication,
and business, social and behavioralsciences advertising, and social work. Further, the latest
developments of these disciplines are relatively contributed by qualitative study.

Importance of Qualitative Research across Different Fields Qualitative

Research in Education

To better understand research in education, Green and Bloome (1997) gave a distinction
between Ethnography of education and Ethnography in education.

Ethnography of education seeks to understand what counts as education for members of a

particular group while ethnography in education studies about social and cultural dynamics of
a school or classroom. An example is how teaching styles match the learning styles of
students.

They concluded that ethnographic practice-like any set of social and cultural practicesare
ways that people in a certain place react to each other to pursue an agenda: including
research agenda, educational agenda, and social, cultural, and instructional change agenda.
An example of this study is how students react to the evaluation of their academic
performance.

Qualitative research is important as it navigates towards the improvement of performance in

education.

Qualitative Research in Technical Communication

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-mail, fax messaging,
video and voice conferencing, intranet and extranet, jargon, and graphics. The advancement
in technical communication is a product of exploration using qualitative research.

Qualitative Research in Psychology

According to Braun and Clarke (2013), the qualitative research paradigm in psychology has
been emerging since the second half of the nineteenth century. Psychology has been strongly
shaped by the behavioral and cognitive traditions within which psychology should seek to
understand and determine an observable, objective psychological reality. An example of this
is, psychologists seek to understand why some students lack the motivation to go to school
and why some students resort to bullying and the like.

Understanding the psychological processes and how they affect society is the contribution of
qualitative research.
Qualitative Research in Advertising

Morrison et al. say that great advertising comes along from an 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

3. Awareness of identity- awareness of values and the construction of personal characteristics

of each partner and of the couple as a unit

4. Alienation-refusal to observe, reflect or remember

Qualitative Research in Marketing

Historically, qualitative research in marketing is influenced by social research and has

embedded projective devices within the approach of in-depth interview. The more modern
qualitative marketing studies use the grounded theory approach. For example, Flint,
Woodruff, and Guardial (2002, as cited in Belk, 20016) studied customers at different levels in
US automobile manufacturing. Thus, by thorough investigation through research, marketing
strategies are improved for better return of investment.

Qualitative Research in International Business

Business establishments use methods like participant observation, content analysis focus
groups, narrative interviews, and “hidden” methods such as archival research (Marschan,
Pekkari & Welch, 2004).

In this manner, business establishments can collect reliable information and come to a
decision of improving their ways and processes.