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Inquiries, Investigation and
Immersion: A Guide to Effective
Research Planning and Execution
Preparing, Conceptualizing and Focusing a
Research Plan
Inquiries, Investigation and Immersion
Congratulations! You have reached the final course in your research journey: the Inquiries, Investigation and Immersion. It is sure that you have learned so much about qualitative and quantitative research methods from your previous research classes. With that, you are now ready to carry out your best research ideas about any topic that interests you the most! In this learning material, you will study how to prepare a research plan and how to execute it to achieve your goals and objectives as a young researcher. This will serve as your most valuable guide towards a successful research work.
At the end of this course, you are expected to present your research work to your fellow researchers, research adviser and a panel of experts to gather constructive remarks and suggestions to enhance your work.
You may have heard that research is complicated and that it is difficult to do. Many students, and even professionals, would have that hesitation to doing a research. That is only one of the many cliché misconceptions about research. Research is just any other task that we do. It is like a celebration or a party that in order to be meaningful and successful, serious planning and careful execution are necessary. It needs time and proper organization of things and ideas.
Moore (2009), a contributor to Ezine articles offers five (5) things worth considering when doing a research work:
Never choose a topic that is out of personal interest. The success rate of your research work is equal to the level of your interest and drive to do such a research. It is always easier to do something that you really like to do and be engaged with. Do not let yourself in the situation of losing that high level of enthusiasm towards your own research.
Never use needless words. Less is more. Sometimes, you would think that having so much to say when it comes to research is an advantage. However, we have to realize that the longer or the wordy our sentences become, the more they appear less relevant and needless to be listened to or read.
Keep thoughts intact. Establishing that sense of focus on your research paper is one of the most important characteristics that you should always observe. Clattering ideas will not make your paper enticing.
Don't let failure distract you. Failure is normal. It is okay to fail at times in order for us to realize what we have to do. Failure is an opportunity to recreate and refine our research work at its best. Do not be afraid to fail!
Always consult the opinion of other people. Feedback from others especially of a more knowledgeable others is always good to hear. It widens our understanding and opens higher chances of making the research better! Collaboration and teamwork do not only make the task lighter, but rather more successful!
Always keep and observe these simple yet useful reminders as you push through in your quest towards becoming the best researcher you could ever be! The activities below will help you activate your research skills and interests, so you can start efficiently.
Learning Task 1: Identifying Research Interest
On your notepad, write random words that come to your mind. Any word will do. Take your thoughts in the situation where you find yourself most interested in. Do this in three (3) to five (5) minutes.
The random words that you have written on your notepad are your personal interest. These are the topics or subjects that first inspires your interest. These are the concepts and constructs that your mind has which will serve as the baseline of your formal research topic.
Now, go back and look at the random words that you have written. Study them and think about each word again. Choose and encircle only three(3) from the random words that appear to be relevant, timely and interesting for you.
At this time, you just have decided your research interest. It pertains to personal interests that has been screened and chosen by means of its meaning, coverage, relevance and focus.
After refining your research interest, you will be able to have a preliminary topic. This topic is already researchable, but should still be narrowed where gaps will arise. Check how to perform a few more steps below to construct your research topic.
Example of Research Interest: agriculture
Perform the same steps with your own topic interests. Write it on your notebook. Do this in 30 minutes.
III. Objectives and Methods
Cite in this section the long term and short term objectives or targets of your research work. Indicate also whether you are using quantitative, qualitative or mixed method of research.
IV. Working Framework
Through an illustrative illustrations or diagrams, show the variables or concepts that are involved in your paper. Show the connections and relationship and role of these important constructs in achieving the results of the study. The Input-Process-Output Model is commonly used. However, feel free to execute your creativity and ideas in crafting the framework for your paper.
V. Expected Outcomes
This part contains the expected outcome of the study. It is better that you construct positive results regarding the research that you plan to undertake. This can be in numbered form, bulleted, or in a paragraph or two.
VI. Timetable
You may have heard about Gantt Chart of activities. This section contains the same concept but in simplified and detailed format in order for you to plan things out even more systematically and productively.
Developing a Research Plan
Timetable for Research Activities
A timetable guides you in working on important activities necessary to complete your research. The example timetable below provides ideas on how a research plan can be structured and what information can be included.
| Date | Persons Involved | Output | Resources Needed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | October 8, 2020 | The Researcher | A. List of concepts and definitions related to the initial topic B. List of references read | Books, newspapers, print materials | | October 15, 2020 | The Researcher, Teacher of Research | A. Draft of the Background of the Study | List of concepts and definitions related to the initial topic, List of references used | | October 16, 2020 | The Researcher, Teacher of Research | A. Receipt of Submission B. Teacher's Feedback | Draft of the Background of the Study, Internet Access |
List of References
The references used in the formulation of the research plan should be presented here. The entries should be in the American Psychological
Association (APA) 6th or 7th edition style/format and arranged alphabetically.
These tasks may not be entirely new to you, as you have likely encountered similar concepts and activities in your previous research classes. If you have any inquiries or need clarifications, do not hesitate to reach out to your subject teacher or ask family members who have a good understanding of these details to assist you.
Preliminary Research Topic
From the previous activity, you have constructed three (3) preliminary research topics. Now, choose one that you find most interesting and write it in your notebook. This preliminary research topic will serve as your initial research topic that you will plan for.
Drafting a Research Plan
After gaining a good background on the definition, parts, and purposes of a research plan, it is now time for you to give it a try. On a typewriting/ intermediate paper, write a draft of your own research plan with the following parts:
Background Objectives and Methods Working Framework Assumptions Timetable References
Evaluating the Research Plan
Use the provided scoring rubric to evaluate your work. Ask one of your classmates to also evaluate your work. If going out is not allowed, you can send your work to your classmate or ask a family member to perform the evaluation. Record the scores in your notebook.
The scoring rubric includes the following success indicators:
Basic information about the researcher is complete, accurate, and has no erroneous details. Background has brief but essential basic concepts and information about the research topic from relevant readings, literature, and the importance of the study. Objectives and Methods include long-term and short-term objectives or targets of your research work, and the plan has a specific method to be used. The working framework shows the variables or concepts involved in the paper, their connections, and relationship in achieving the results of the study, and it is creatively done. The assumptions clearly indicate the expected results in numbered form, bulleted, or in a paragraph or two.
Guidelines in Formulating Research Problems
Calderon and Gonzales (2014) provided the following general guidelines in formulating the general problem and the specific sub-problems or specific questions:
The general statement and specific sub-questions should be formulated before carrying out actions in the conduct of the research work. State the specific sub-problems in interrogative form. The specific question should bear only one clear meaning. Every question should not be dependent apart from other questions, requiring answers apart from other questions. It must be based on facts and phenomena. The answers to each specific question should be contributory to the development of the general problem statement.
Types of Research Questions
According to Clemente, Julaton, and Orleans (2016), there are four types of research questions based on their purpose:
Factor-isolating questions : These questions aim to categorize, label, or name factors and situations that exist or are present in the research work. Factor-relating questions : These questions establish relationships between and among the identified factors. Situation-relating questions : These questions emphasize the observable changes that happen to variables involved in the study as a result of experimentation. Situation-producing questions : These questions open the opportunity to create a definite course of action, policies, or conditions to accomplish or achieve a certain goal.
Applying the Concepts
The provided learning tasks will guide you in crafting research questions that are SMART and comply with the discussed guidelines. Exercise your critical thinking skills by accomplishing the tasks.
Review of Related Literature
Related Literature
A research should have a good review of existing knowledge that it will stand on. A research topic is more likely to become "researchable" if it is a determined research gap from the available literature and studies from various resources. Literature in its conceptual definition refers to a collection of written work with a heightened and artistic use of words, may it be fiction or nonfiction. However, in its operational definition in research, this terminology refers to published information in a particular subject area which sometimes covers a certain period of time.
Related literature can come and be taken from the following types of resources (Clemente, Julaton, & Orleans, 2016):
A. General references - books, monographs, conference manuals, research articles, professional journals and similar documents B. Primary sources - academic research and university research journals and reputable organizations C. Secondary sources - articles, analyses, essays, newspaper, single or multiple authored textbooks D. Tertiary resources - books based on secondary sources that interprets the work of others.
One of the major tasks of a researcher is to review various references to survey theories and concepts about their research interest. This will give them a better perspective of their research topic and eventually identify the research gap.
Ethically Selecting, Citing and Synthesizing Related
Literature
It is important to learn how to distinguish a good literature to be cited or included in the review. Calderon and Gonzales (2014) identified the following characteristics of ideal materials to be cited:
Recency: The materials that should be included in the review should be recent as much as possible. For general references, published materials 10 years ago are yet sound and valid. Meanwhile, primary, secondary and tertiary references within the last five years are ideal. Archived materials may also be used as reference for theories and concepts.
Objectivity: Since research is academic and scholarly, the materials should be fair, objective and bias-free. It should not favor any extreme and obvious vested interest aside from delivering facts, information, and findings.
Relevance: The weight of relevance of the material to the current research undertaking must be checked. Before citing it, it should bear essential information to clarify and deepen the issues and concepts of the research being conducted. Otherwise, the material should not be considered for the review.
Conciseness: The materials that the review should have must be sufficient enough, not too few and not too many, to provide the researcher and the readers strong insight about the general and specific problems that the research is trying to address or answer.
The number of related literature that a review should have for a senior high school research is only 4 to 6 local and international publications or materials. However, in higher education, graduate and post-graduate level, the number of literature will range from 15-50.
Research Methods
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
When choosing the research method that best fits your research, you need to consider the nature of your research question or problem, as well as the collection and analysis tools required for the data.
Quantitative research deals with numerical data and requires statistical treatment, while qualitative research involves data in the form of words and extracting meanings, which demands a framework of data analysis. If your research problem involves both types of data, then your research may require mixed methods and processes.
The table below outlines the various elements that distinguish quantitative and qualitative research:
| Elements | Quantitative Research | Qualitative Research | | --- | --- | --- | | FOCUS | Testing theories and hypotheses | Exploring ideas and forming theories | | TREATMENT | Statistical analysis | Summarization, categorization, and interpretation | | DATA FORM | Numbers, graphs, and tables | Words and paragraphs | | INSTRUMENT | Fixed-objective questions | Open-ended questions | | PARTICIPANTS | Large samples | Small samples | | DATA COLLECTION | Survey, experiments, observations | Interviews, focus groups, ethnography, literature review |
Research Design
Research design is the process of structuring techniques and strategies that help researchers solve their problems or answer their questions. Here are some common research designs:
1. Action Research Design
A collaborative and adaptive research design that focuses on socially and solution-driven outcomes. Mostly applicable in the teaching-learning process.
2. Case Study Design
Widely used by social scientists to examine contemporary situations happening in real life. Can provide the bases for the application of concepts and theories as well as detailed descriptions of unusual cases.
3. Causal-Comparative Design
Commonly used to measure the impact of a particular change on an existing situation or norm. Seeks to find causal explanations to reflect on hypotheses testing.
4. Cross-Sectional Design
Capable of using data from a large number of subjects, primarily using survey techniques to gather data. Can only measure differences between or from among a diverse set of participants, subjects, or phenomena.
5. Descriptive Design
Answers the questions who, what, when, where, and how of a research problem. Cannot provide reasons or exact answers to the question "why". Intends to describe 'what exists' in a situation and its related variables.
6. Experimental Design
Involves an experimental group and a control group, with the independent variable applied to the experimental group while maintaining the control group. May require the use of more groups and measurements over periods of time to validate the results. Typically done in the field of medicine and science.
7. Exploratory Design
Fitted to a research problem that is not yet saturated or with only a few or no previous investigations.
Research Design
Historical Design
The historical research design aims to collect, verify, and synthesize evidence from the significant past in order to establish factual bases to defend, challenge, or nullify existing knowledge. This design involves data from secondary sources, primary documents, and artifacts such as records, materials, archives, and visual artifacts like maps, images, and recordings. It combines quantitative and qualitative methods, where the strengths of one method can be used to fulfill the weaknesses of another. The mixed-method design can provide sufficient evidence to support a conclusion or set of recommendations, as it deals with statistical data and insights from patterns and relationships of the involved variables.
Descriptive Research Design
The descriptive research design is appropriate for collecting necessary information about the present existing status, issues, and concerns in the implementation of programs. It is helpful in describing the actual condition and position of the situation as it occurs at the time of the study to discover the causes of a certain occurrence. The descriptive approach in studies is
Observation: Naturalistic Observation: The researcher observes the subjects in their actual setting or natural environment without intrusion or involvement. Participative Observation: The researcher is involved in the activities of the subjects to directly know and feel what they experience. Non-naturalistic Observation: The subjects are taken away from their usual situation and will experience the ideal conditions set by the researcher. Questionnaire-Checklist: Tag Questions: Answerable by yes or no. Multiple Choice: Providing options for the respondents to choose from. Open-ended Questions: Requiring the respondents to continue an incomplete statement. Coding/Ranking: Asking the respondents to rank or give numerical ratings. Short-response Questions: Subjective questions that require short answers. Combination: A combination of different forms of questions in a single questionnaire. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
Characteristics of FGD
FGD is a way to understand the perspectives which cannot be explained by statistical data. It is composed of a totally diverse set of individuals to express their personal views about the topic. The researcher should be skilled in moderating and documenting the conduct to gather the needed data.
Examples and Evidence
FGD allows the researcher to gather in-depth information that may not be captured through quantitative methods like surveys. The diverse group of participants in an FGD can provide a range of perspectives and insights on the topic. Skilled moderation and documentation are crucial to ensure the FGD is effective in collecting the necessary data.
Data Collection Instruments
Some appropriate data collection instruments for research scenarios include:
Observation Questionnaire-checklist Interview Document review Focus group discussion (FGD)
Characteristics of a Good Data Collection Instrument
A good data collection instrument should have the following characteristics:
Realistic Time-Bound Specific Measurable Achievable
Drafting a Data Gathering Tool
When creating a draft of an appropriate data gathering tool for an initial research topic, consider the following:
Utilize the various approaches, guidelines, and types of data collection instruments discussed. Seek assistance from family members and consult with your subject teacher if needed. Ensure the data gathering tool is tailored to your specific research topic and objectives.
