Research Procedure

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Research Procedure

• J199 under Prof. R.E.Khan

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• 7 basic steps
• Select a topic
• Review existing research and theory that are
  relevant
• Develop a hypothesis or research question/s
• Determine the appropriate methodology/research
  design
• Collect relevant data
• Analyze and interpret the results
• Present the results in an appropriate form

Research is basically scientific. Purpose to
provide an objective, unbiased evaluation of
data.
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• Factors to consider in the choice of a research
  topic
• Novel When considering a research topic, the
  researcher has to focus on one which has not been
  investigated before. In the event that the
  problem has been studied before, he has to inject
  originality in it by coming up with another
  research design, using a different data-gathering
  tool or a different scheme for analyzing the
  research data.
• 2. Interesting The researcher needs to consider
  his interest in the choice of a research problem.
  Interest counts a lot in the conduct of a study.
  If a researcher is not interested in the topic,
  it will be difficult on his part to put his heart
  and soul in it.

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• Factors to consider in the choice of a research
  problem
• 3. Relevant The results of the study on a given
  problem should be of practical value to the
  researcher and the significant others in the
  field.
• This means that once the study had been
  completed, its findings, its conclusions and
  recommendations can be used in improving
  practices or solving an identified difficulty.
• Will the results add knowledge to information
  already available in the field?

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• Factors to consider in the choice of a research
  problem
• 4. Feasible This means that a problem that an
  investigator is going to work on can be completed
  without undue amount of time, money or effort.
  Feasibility of research also means that the
  researcher has the necessary competence or
  expertise to conduct the study on the chosen
  problem.
• Is the topic too broad? (e.g. the effects of TV
  violence on children)
• Can the problem really be investigated? (e.g.
  availability of information)
• What costs and time are involved in the
  analysis?

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• Factors to consider in the choice of a research
  problem
• 5. Researchable Data can be collected to answer
  the problem posed by the researcher.
• Can the data be analyzed? (Can the data be
  measured?)
• 6. Ethical A problem is said to be ethical when
  it does not involve physical or psychological
  harm or damage to human beings or organizations.
  In other words, a study on a particular topic
  should not put people or institutions in a bad
  light.

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• Reviewing the Literature
• The review of literature invoves the critiquing
  or looking over what other researchers have done
  in relation to the topic to be studied.
• Purpose
• the review of literature can broaden the
  researchers knowledge base in research area
• it is a means of ensuring originality in the
  conduct of ones research
• it is a way of ensuring clarity and focus on
  ones study
• it can also provide the researcher insights on
  the weaknesses and strengths of previous studies

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• Reviewing the Literature
• it can provide findings and conclusions of past
  studies, which a researcher can use in relating
  to his own study.
• it can help the researcher in formulating the
  theoretical and conceptual framework for his
  research problem.

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• Guidelines in doing the Review
• Search for existing literature in the library and
  on the web

• 2. Prepare a working bibliography. Record all
  vital details concerning the books or research
  you are including in your bibliography (look at
  APA style book)
• Write in 3x5 index cards group together
  references from a. booksb. journals and
  periodicalsc. unpublished material
• 3. Examine each material, then decide which ones
  will actually be included in your review

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• Characteristics of the Review
• The text of the review should be brief and to the
  point.
• To ensure brevity and conciseness, you have to
  summarize or paraphrase important points. Avoid
  direct quotations of the authors ideas or the
  results of the studies you are reviewing.
• 2. Have a plan on how you are to present the
  review.
• Prepare an outline before finally writing the
  review. This will ensure coherence and unity of
  ideas presented. The problem you are going to
  work on can serve as your outline for discussion
  of related literature and studies that are
  relevant to your proposed research.

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• Characteristics of the Review
• 3. Emphasize relatedness
• Keep the reader aware of the manner in which the
  literature you are discussing is related to your
  problem.
• Try to point out what that relationship is.
• 4. Review the literature, dont reproduce it
• Refrain from copying verbatim what authors and
  researchers say. Critically review and discuss
  the literature in relation to your research work.

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• Writing the Review
• Approaches to presenting the review
• Chronological
• Literature and studies are presented according to
  the year they were written. Sample outline
• A. IntroductionB. Recent literature
  studiesC. Least recent literature studiesD.
  Synthesis of the review

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• Writing the Review
• 2. Thematic
• Literature and studies with the same findings are
  grouped together. Sample outline
• A. IntroductionB. Literature studies on
  Variable 1C. Literature studies on Variable
  2 D. Synthesis of the review

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• Writing the Review
• 3. Country of origin
• Literature and studies are categorized based on
  the country/continent where they came from.
  Sample outline
• A. IntroductionB. Foreign literature studies
  C. Local literature studies D. Synthesis
  of the review

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• Writing the Review
• Some notes
• It is in the introduction where you make your
  readers aware of your approach in presenting the
  related literature
• It is the synthesis where you specify the
  uniqueness of your study vis-à-vis the literature
  you had just discussed in the review.

Assignment After approval of topic. Start
researching for and writing your Review of
Related Literature.
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Timetable July 11 13 consultation of research
topic July 27 submission of Review of Related
Lit oral reports on methodology begins Aug 3
10 continuation of oral reports Aug
24 submission of problem statement and
delimitation Sept 7 submission of proposed
theory and methodology Sept 28 submission of
1st draft of completed proposal
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Focusing on the Research Problem
The problem is the Y of any research project.
Without a focused problem, there is no research.
In order to be able to identify a research
problem, a researcher needs to know what are the
available sources. A research problem is
usually posed as a question, preferably a direct
and simple one.
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Focusing on the Research Problem

• Types of Research Problems
• Descriptive research asks what is and
  suggests a survey research design
• Some examples
• What is the prevailing organizational culture in
  broadcast networks?
• What is the status of the professional
  satisfaction of provincial radio journalists?
• What is the level of ethical awareness of
  newspaper beat reporters in Metro Manila?

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Focusing on the Research Problem

• 2. Relationship research asks what is the
  relationship between two or more variables and
  implies a correlational design.
• Some examples
• Does a commitment to ethics among media
  practitioners depend on their educational or
  professional training?
• Has the number of students pursuing a degree in
  journalism been affected by the issue of slain
  journalists?
• How does the relationship between the mayor and
  beat reporters affect the latters coverage of
  city hall?

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Focusing on the Research Problem

• 3. Difference research asks what is the
  difference between two or more groups/
  approaches
• Some examples
• Is there a significant difference in the number
  of UP journalism and broadcast graduates who
  actually pursue a career in their field of study?
• Is there a difference between the work values of
  journalists who come from the State University
  vis-à-vis the private schools?
• How do male and female journalists compare in
  their coverage of disasters?

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Focusing on the Research Problem

• There are generally two ways of stating a
  research problem
• Declarative or descriptive usually used in
  stating the main problem/ general objective
• In question form usually used in stating the
  sub-problems/specific objectives

• Sub-problems/specific objectives simply breakdown
  the main problem into small units. It should be
• each sub-problem should be a completely
  researchable unit
• interpretation of data must be apparent with
  each sub-problem
• the sub-problems must add up to the totality of
  the main problem.

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Defining Key Terms

• In any study, you need to define the key terms or
  concepts in the statement of the problem to avoid
  confusion or ambiguity.
• e.g. This research shall attempt to probe the
  relationship between the news about slain
  journalists and the number of students entering
  the journalism programs in Metro Manila
  universities.
• Slain journalists
• Metro Manila universities
• Journalism programs

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Defining Key Terms

• Two types of definitions
• Conceptual definition definition of a term as
  given by authoritative sources (e.g. Websters
  dictionary a well-known research study
  textbook, etc..)
• Operational definition researchers own
  definition, based on how it will be used in the
  study
• This requires the researcher to specify actions
  or operations necessary to identify and measure
  the term
• e.g. slain journalist A Filipino repoter killed
  because of his journalistic work

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Identifying Variables
To ensure the objectivity in the study of an
identified problem, the researcher has to be
clear as to what variables are to be examined or
investigated.

• A variable is a property or characteristic that
  takes on different values.
• It is a symbol to which numbers or values can be
  attached or assigned.

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Identifying Variables

• Types of variables
• Independent variables the cause supposed to be
  responsible for the bringing about change in a
  phenomenon or situation.
• Dependent variables the outcome of change
  brought about by change in the independent
  variable
• Intervening variable a variable whose existence
  is inferred but cannot be manipulated or
  controlled
• Moderator variable a variable that may or may
  not be controlled but has an effect on the
  research situation/phenomenon.

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Identifying Variables

• For example
• Does a commitment to ethics among media
  practitioners depend on their educational or
  professional training?
• Independent variable educational attainment of
  journalist.
• Dependent variables ethical behavior, knowledge
  of Code of Ethics
• Intervening variable newsroom policies
• Moderator variables civil status, age, years of
  work experience

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Delimiting Research
One way of making a study on a problem more
focused is by delimiting it. Delimiting research
is giving full disclosure of what the researcher
intends to do or does not intend to do. When a
researcher is able to set the scope and
delimitation of his study, he can make his
research manageable. At the same time, this can
direct him to the choice of research method to
employ.
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Delimiting Research

• Points for delimiting study
• Purpose of study
• Time coverage of investigation
• Geographical coverage of inquiry
• Variables to be studied
• Specific indicators of variables
• Types and size of respondents if the study
• Data collection tools