WHY IS RESEARCH

IMPORTANT?
 CRITICAL THINKING: RESEARCH HELPS DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, AS
STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO ANALYZE INFORMATION, IDENTIFY PATTERNS, AND
MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
PROBLEM SOLVING: THROUGH RESEARCH, STUDENTS ARE TRAINED TO IDENTIFY
SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS THEY ENCOUNTER IN DAILY LIFE OR SPECIFIC SUBJECTS
OF INTEREST.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: RESEARCH CONNECTS THEORY TO PRACTICE. STUDENTS
APPLY WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED IN CLASS TO REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS.
CAREER PREPARATION: RESEARCH SKILLS ARE HIGHLY VALUABLE IN ALMOST EVERY
FIELD, INCLUDING BUSINESS, MEDICINE, SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND TECHNOLOGY.
RESEARCH PROCESS OVERVIEW
 HERE’S AN OUTLINE OF THE BASIC STEPS IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS:
TOPIC SELECTION: CHOOSE A TOPIC THAT IS BOTH INTERESTING AND MANAGEABLE WITHIN
THE GIVEN TIMEFRAME.
LITERATURE REVIEW: GATHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE TOPIC FROM CREDIBLE
SOURCES SUCH AS BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND ACADEMIC JOURNALS.
RESEARCH QUESTION: DEVELOP A CLEAR AND CONCISE RESEARCH QUESTION THAT GUIDES
THE STUDY.
RESEARCH DESIGN: DECIDE ON THE METHODS YOU’LL USE TO COLLECT DATA (QUALITATIVE
OR QUANTITATIVE).
DATA COLLECTION: GATHER INFORMATION THROUGH SURVEYS, EXPERIMENTS, INTERVIEWS,
OBSERVATIONS, ETC.
DATA ANALYSIS: ANALYZE THE DATA TO IDENTIFY TRENDS OR ANSWERS TO YOUR RESEARCH
QUESTION.
CONCLUSION AND REPORTING: SUMMARIZE THE FINDINGS, DISCUSS THEIR IMPLICATIONS,
AND SUGGEST RECOMMENDATIONS.
TYPES OF
RESEARCH
 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH: FOCUSES ON DESCRIBING THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF A PHENOMENON OR POPULATION.
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH: INVOLVES MANIPULATING
VARIABLES TO SEE HOW THEY AFFECT OUTCOMES.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING
EXPERIENCES, BEHAVIORS, OR CONCEPTS, OFTEN THROUGH
INTERVIEWS OR CASE STUDIES.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: INVOLVES NUMERICAL DATA AND
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS TO FIND PATTERNS OR TEST HYPOTHESES.
 WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1?

 RESEARCH ETHICS: LEARN HOW TO RESPECT PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY,

AND INFORMED CONSENT WHEN CONDUCTING RESEARCH.
 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES: UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE SURVEYS,
QUESTIONNAIRES, AND INTERVIEWS TO GATHER INFORMATION.
 WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER: LEARN HOW TO ORGANIZE AND PRESENT
YOUR RESEARCH FINDINGS IN A CLEAR AND STRUCTURED FORMAT.
 CITATION AND REFERENCING: UNDERSTAND HOW TO PROPERLY CITE
SOURCES TO AVOID PLAGIARISM AND GIVE CREDIT TO ORIGINAL AUTHORS.
 WHY IS THIS COURSE USEFUL?

• PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1 HELPS DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS

FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT. WHETHER YOU WANT TO PURSUE HIGHER
EDUCATION OR ENTER THE WORKFORCE, THE ABILITY TO
CONDUCT AND PRESENT RESEARCH IS A KEY ASSET.
INTRODUCTION TO
RESEARCH ETHICS
 WHAT IS RESEARCH
ETHICS?
•Set of moral principles guiding how research should
be conducted.
•Ensures honesty, integrity, and respect in research
processes.
•Protects participants and maintains trust in scientific
work
 WHY ARE RESEARCH
ETHICS IMPORTANT?
•Protects Participants: Ensures safety, dignity, and
privacy.
•Promotes Integrity: Prevents falsification,
plagiarism, and fraud.
•Encourages Reliable Results: Ensures results are
trustworthy and valid.
•Fosters Trust in Science: Builds public confidence
in research findings.
 KEY ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
IN RESEARCH
•Respect for Persons:
•Treat participants as autonomous individuals.
•Informed consent: Participants must voluntarily agree to participate.
•Beneficence:
•Do no harm to participants.
•Maximize benefits and minimize risks.
•Justice:
•Ensure fair selection of participants.
•Avoid exploiting vulnerable groups.
 INFORMED CONSENT
• DEFINITION: ENSURING PARTICIPANTS ARE FULLY AWARE OF
THE RESEARCH PURPOSE, PROCEDURES, RISKS, AND BENEFITS.
• PROCESS:
• PROVIDE CLEAR INFORMATION.
• OBTAIN VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT (WRITTEN OR VERBAL).
• ENSURE PARTICIPANTS CAN WITHDRAW AT ANY TIME WITHOUT
PENALTY.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND
ANONYMITY
•Confidentiality: Researchers must protect the privacy of
participants and ensure their information is not disclosed
without consent.
•Anonymity: When participants’ identities are not connected
to the data collected.
 ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN
RESEARCH
•Example: Should researchers use a
control group with no treatment in medical
research?
•Ethical Considerations: Harm vs. benefit,
right to informed consent, and how to
handle sensitive data.
 PLAGIARISM AND HONESTY
IN RESEARCH
•Plagiarism: Using someone else’s work without proper
attribution.
•Importance: Maintains academic integrity and ensures
original contribution.
•Avoiding Plagiarism: Cite sources correctly and always
acknowledge others’ ideas.
 ANIMAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
•Animal Research: Ethical use of animals in
research with humane treatment and
minimizing harm.
•Environmental Considerations: Research
should avoid harm to the environment and
promote sustainability.
 ROLE OF ETHICAL REVIEW
BOARDS
• ETHICS COMMITTEES (IRB):REVIEW RESEARCH
PROPOSALS TO ENSURE ETHICAL STANDARDS ARE
MET.
• PROTECT PARTICIPANTS' RIGHTS AND WELL-BEING.
• ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL GUIDELINES.
 CONCLUSION
•Summary: Ethical research protects participants,
ensures honest practices, and builds trust in scientific
findings.
•Key Takeaway: Always prioritize ethical principles in
research to maintain integrity and respect for all
involved.
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH IS FOCUSED ON EXPLORING COMPLEX PHENOMENA AND
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN EXPERIENCES. IT AIMS TO GATHER DESCRIPTIVE DATA THAT IS
OFTEN NON-NUMERICAL AND SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY SOMETHING
HAPPENS. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TYPICALLY INVOLVES INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS,
AND OBSERVATIONS TO CAPTURE DETAILED, IN-DEPTH INSIGHTS INTO PEOPLE'S
BEHAVIORS, ATTITUDES, AND SOCIAL CONTEXTS.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
o IN CONTRAST, QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DEALS WITH NUMERICAL DATA AND SEEKS TO
MEASURE QUANTITIES OR RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VARIABLES. IT AIMS TO ESTABLISH
PATTERNS OR STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE USING TOOLS SUCH AS SURVEYS, EXPERIMENTS,
AND QUESTIONNAIRES. THE FOCUS IS OFTEN ON TESTING HYPOTHESES, GENERALIZING
FINDINGS TO A LARGER POPULATION, AND ANALYZING DATA THROUGH STATISTICAL
METHODS.
 RESEARCH GOALS AND APPROACH
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THE GOAL IS TO EXPLORE DEEPER MEANINGS, PERCEPTIONS, AND EXPERIENCES. IT EMPHASIZES
UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT AND EXPLORING SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES.
o THE APPROACH IS INDUCTIVE, MEANING THAT THEORIES OR CONCLUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED BASED
ON THE DATA, OFTEN THROUGH THEMES OR PATTERNS THAT EMERGE.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THE GOAL IS TO QUANTIFY THE PROBLEM, MEASURE VARIABLES, AND ESTABLISH GENERALIZABLE
CONCLUSIONS. IT AIMS TO TEST HYPOTHESES AND ASSESS CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN VARIABLES.
o THE APPROACH IS DEDUCTIVE, STARTING WITH A HYPOTHESIS AND USING DATA TO CONFIRM OR
REJECT IT.
 DATA COLLECTION METHODS
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
o INTERVIEWS: OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ARE USED TO GATHER INSIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS.

o FOCUS GROUPS: GROUP DISCUSSIONS TO EXPLORE COLLECTIVE PERSPECTIVES.

o OBSERVATIONS: DIRECTLY OBSERVING SUBJECTS IN THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

o TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: REVIEWING WRITTEN DOCUMENTS, SPEECHES, OR MEDIA TO INTERPRET

MEANINGS.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
o SURVEYS: STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRES THAT COLLECT NUMERICAL DATA FROM LARGE GROUPS.

o EXPERIMENTS: CONTROLLED TESTING TO DETERMINE CAUSAL EFFECTS.

o STATISTICAL RECORDS: USING EXISTING DATA SETS TO ANALYZE TRENDS, LIKE GOVERNMENT
REPORTS OR CENSUS DATA.
 NATURE OF DATA
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THE DATA IS TYPICALLY DESCRIPTIVE, NON-NUMERICAL, AND OFTEN INVOLVES WORDS,
IMAGES, OR OBSERVATIONS. THIS TYPE OF DATA IS RICH AND PROVIDES DEEP INSIGHT
INTO THE RESEARCH SUBJECT BUT MAY LACK GENERALIZABILITY.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THE DATA IS NUMERICAL, FOCUSING ON MEASUREMENTS AND QUANTITIES. IT IS
GENERALLY EASY TO ANALYZE STATISTICALLY AND CAN BE USED TO GENERATE GRAPHS,
TABLES, AND MODELS THAT DESCRIBE PATTERNS OR RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DATA.
 ANALYSIS
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THE ANALYSIS INVOLVES IDENTIFYING PATTERNS, THEMES, OR NARRATIVES FROM THE DATA. IT
OFTEN REQUIRES SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION, AND FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED IN DESCRIPTIVE
TERMS.
o TECHNIQUES LIKE THEMATIC ANALYSIS, CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND GROUNDED THEORY ARE
COMMONLY USED.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
o THE ANALYSIS INVOLVES STATISTICAL METHODS TO TEST HYPOTHESES OR IDENTIFY RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN VARIABLES. COMMON TOOLS INCLUDE STATISTICAL TESTS, CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS,
AND REGRESSION ANALYSIS.
o THE FOCUS IS ON ENSURING RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE DATA, OFTEN WITH THE HELP OF
SOFTWARE LIKE SPSS OR R.
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
o STRENGTHS:

 PROVIDES DEEP INSIGHTS AND A RICH UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTEXT.

 FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE DURING DATA COLLECTION.

 WELL-SUITED TO EXPLORING NEW TOPICS WHERE LITTLE IS KNOWN.

o WEAKNESSES:

 DIFFICULT TO GENERALIZE RESULTS TO LARGER POPULATIONS.

 SUBJECT TO RESEARCHER BIAS DUE TO THE INTERPRETIVE NATURE OF ANALYSIS.

 DATA ANALYSIS IS OFTEN TIME-CONSUMING AND SUBJECTIVE.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:

o STRENGTHS:

 ALLOWS FOR THE GENERALIZATION OF RESULTS TO LARGER POPULATIONS.

 PROVIDES A CLEAR, OBJECTIVE VIEW OF DATA RELATIONSHIPS.

 ALLOWS FOR REPLICABILITY AND COMPARABILITY OF RESULTS.

o WEAKNESSES:

 MAY OVERSIMPLIFY COMPLEX PHENOMENA BY REDUCING THEM TO NUMBERS.

 CAN LACK DEPTH IN UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT OR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES.

 REQUIRES CAREFUL OPERATIONALIZATION OF VARIABLES TO ENSURE ACCURACY.

 USE CASES
 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
o USEFUL WHEN EXPLORING TOPICS WHERE UNDERSTANDING HUMAN EXPERIENCE OR SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION
IS IMPORTANT, SUCH AS:
 UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.

 EXPLORING SOCIAL PHENOMENA (E.G., CULTURAL PRACTICES, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS).

 STUDYING SMALL GROUPS OR SPECIFIC CASES IN DEPTH.

 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
o BEST USED WHEN TRYING TO MEASURE OR COMPARE LARGE-SCALE PATTERNS, SUCH AS:

 TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TREATMENT OR INTERVENTION.

 ANALYZING TRENDS IN LARGE POPULATIONS (E.G., PUBLIC HEALTH DATA).

 INVESTIGATING CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VARIABLES.

 COMBINING BOTH APPROACHES: MIXED METHODS
RESEARCH

 MIXED METHODS RESEARCH IS AN APPROACH THAT COMBINES QUALITATIVE AND

QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES WITHIN A SINGLE STUDY. IT CAN PROVIDE A MORE
COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM. FOR EXAMPLE:
o USING QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS TO EXPLORE PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES AND THEN USING
QUANTITATIVE SURVEYS TO TEST THE EXTENT OF THESE EXPERIENCES ACROSS A LARGER
POPULATION.
o THIS COMBINATION ALLOWS RESEARCHERS TO CAPITALIZE ON THE STRENGTHS OF BOTH
APPROACHES, OFFERING A MORE COMPLETE AND NUANCED PERSPECTIVE.