Practical

Research
2 Module
Compiled and edited by Marielle Dominique G. De la Cruz

About this Module

Practical Research 2 is a subject that encourages young minds to think of ideas that are
useful and practical through logical and scientific methods. This module is a compilation of
lessons from various credible sources that comprehensively tackle research for how it
should be--fun and exciting. The lessons included here are sequential in a way that as you
go through the materials, you are also making the core output of the subject which is the
research paper. Although the term 'research' itself sounds difficult, the lessons are
simplified and contextualized to suit the general experience of the learner. With the aim of
 imbuing critical thinking skills, this module included higher-order thinking activities that will
train their minds to efficiently and effectively solve real-life problems.

Table of
Contents
About this Module 2 Unit 1: Nature of Inquiry and Research 4

Lesson 1: Characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative

research5
Lesson 2: Nature, Kinds, and Uses of Variables 11

Unit 2: Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem 15 Lesson 1:

Quantitative Research Problem 16 Lesson 2: Statement of the Problem and

Research Questions 21 Lesson 3: Research Title and Background of

Research 28

Lesson 4: Scope and Delimitations of the Study 37 Lesson 5:

Significance of the Study 40

Unit 3: Learning from Others and Reviewing the Literature 44 Lesson 1:

Review of Related Literature 45 Lesson 2: In-Text Citations and Referencing

Styles 48 Lesson 3: Conceptual Framework 62

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|2

Lesson 4: Operational Definitions 66

Unit 4: Understanding Data and Ways to Systematically Collect Data 70

Lesson 1: Quantitative Research Designs 71 Lesson 2: Sampling Methods 76

Lesson 3: Data Collection Technique and Research Instruments 82

Unit 5: Finding Answers through Data Collection 90 Lesson 1: Data Collection

Procedures and Analysis 91 Lesson 2: Quantitative Data Analysis 96 Lesson 3:

 Interpreting, Organizing, and Presenting the Data 103

Unit 6: Reporting and Sharing Findings 111 Lesson 1: Summary, Conclusions,

and Recommendations 112 Lesson 2: Abstract 118 Lesson 3: Research-Report

Writing 122

Appendices 127 Appendix A: Approval Sheet Template 128 Appendix B:

Curriculum Vitae Sample 129 References 130

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|3

UNIT 1: Nature of Inquiry and Research

There are many things that you want to know in this world. People, things, places,
events--their characteristics or qualities make you wonder continuously, frequently, or
intermittently. Marveling at them, you tend to immerse yourself in a situation where you seem
to be grappling with a problem or a puzzle. Questions after questions on the many aspects of
the object of your curiosity prod you to move, act, or do something to find answers to your
questions or to discover truths about your inferences or speculations on such object. Behaving
like an investigator, asking and seeking answers to some questions about the thing you find
puzzling indicates the true nature of inquiry or research. ~Esther L. Baraceros
 UNIT 1: Nature of Inquiry and Research

Content Standard:
The learner demonstrates understanding of:
1. the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative
research; 2. the importance of quantitative research across fields; and

3. the nature of variables.

Performance Standard: The learner is able to decide on suitable quantitative

research in different areas of interest.

Learning Competencies:
The learner:

1. describes characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative

research (CS_RS12-Ia-c1);

2. illustrates the importance of quantitative research across fields; and

3. differentiates kinds of variables and their uses.

Lesson 1: Characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative

research Time Frame: Week 1

OVERVIEW

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|4

Isaac Newton:
The
man who
discovered
gravity

Research
contributes
to the
advancement of
knowledge and to the
good of the world. Isaac
Newton changed the way
we understand the
universe. This all started when, as a child, he was sitting under an apple tree,
watching the apple fall down. He wondered why ALL things always fall down,
not up. Newton’s law of gravity explains how all particles in the universe attract
other particles with a force that is equal to the product of the particles' mass
and the distance between the particles. This law is expressed in a mathematical
equation used to calculate gravitational force.

Newton was an inquisitive child. He always asks questions, is

always
curious about the the things around him, and made every scientific
steps
to find answers to his
questions. Like Newton, we
almost do research
every day. How exactly do you
start research? Well, it begins
by
asking good questions.

Which came first: the

chicken or the egg?
Why do we dream?
Why do we sneeze?
What happens after death?
According to TEDed, a nonprofit organization that produces educational videos,
these are just some of the unanswered questions Science has not explained yet.
These questions have remained elusive and scientists do research to get
answers to these mysteries. When we encounter baffling problems, we tend to
find ways to solve them. We also are curious creatures. We engage in or do
social research as we act on the basis and results of our own research and
theories. Therefore, what we think affects the way we behave.
What do we research?
We research people and their behaviour, opinions, attitudes, trends and
patterns, also politics, animals, health and illness. Research can be conducted
either informally for our own benefit, through asking questions, watching,
counting or reading, and formally, for medical or academic purposes, as a
marketing strategy, to inform and influence politics and policy.
Research may be carries out in our own lives, through the media, in our
workplace, with our friends and family or through reading past research.
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|5
Our views--personal, social, community and worldwide and our own identities
are socially constructed through our own theorizing.

Research gives us information about:

1. Thoughts and opinions 5. Norms

2. Attitudes 6. Scientific facts

3. Habits 7. Medical information

4. Culture

What do we do with research?

1. Have it as an interesting fact

2. Use it to make decisions

3. Use it to persuade and influence others

4. Use it to affect change

5. Use it to change behaviour
6. Use to educate people on how to better utilize resources

With all the predicaments the world is facing right now, research and intuitive
individuals are needed now more than ever. We do research to understand
society and societal processes, to prevent possible dangers, and to potentially
improve our lives.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative research is defined by Bryman and Bell (2005, p. 154) that ‘entailing
the collection of numerical data and exhibiting the view of relationship between
theory and research as deductive, a predilection for natural science approach,
and as having an objectivist conception of social reality’. Quantitative research is
influenced by the empiricist paradigm, which means that it is concerned with
cause and effect of social phenomena and uses the data - which is based on
empirical observation and their critical interpretation. Quantitative research is
the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via statistical,
mathematical or computational techniques.
The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical
models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of
measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the
fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical
expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in
numerical form such as statistics, percentages, etc. The researcher analyzes the
data with the help of statistics. The researcher is hoping the numbers will yield
an unbiased result that can be generalized to some larger population.
"Qualitative research, on the other hand, asks broad questions and collects word
data from phenomena or participants. The researcher looks for themes and
describes the information in themes and patterns exclusive to that set of
participants. "
 This research method is used:

-to describe variables

-to examine relationships among variables
-to determine cause-and-effect interactions between variables (Burns & Groove,
2005:23)

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|6

Quantitative r -

-
-Modeling and analysis of data
Researchers analyze the data through the use of Statistics. Statistics is the most
widely used branch of mathematics in quantitative research outside of the
physical sciences, and also finds applications within the physical sciences.
Quantitative research using statistical methods starts with the collection of
data, based on the hypothesis or theory. Usually a big sample of data is
collected – this would require verification, validation and recording before the
analysis can take place. Software packages such as SPSS and R are typically
used for this purpose.
SPSS Statistics is a software package used for logical batched and non-batched
statistical analysis. Long produced by SPSS Inc., it was acquired by IBM in 2009.
The current versions (2015) are officially named IBM SPSS Statistics. Companion
products in the same family are used for survey authoring and deployment (IBM
SPSS Data Collection), data mining (IBM SPSS Modeler), text analytics, and
collaboration and deployment (batch and automated scoring services). The
software name originally stood for Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
(SPSS), reflecting the original market, although the software is now popular in
other fields as well, including the health sciences and marketing. International
Business Machines Corporation (commonly referred to as IBM) is an American
multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, United
States, with operations in over 170 countries. R is an open source programming
language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics that
is supported by the R Foundation for Statistical Computing. The R language is
widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical
software and data analysis. Polls, surveys of data miners, and studies of
scholarly literature databases show that R's popularity has increased
substantially in recent years.

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Your goal in conducting quantitative research study is to determine the

relationship between one thing [an independent variable] and another [a
dependent or outcome variable] within a population. Quantitative research
designs are either descriptive [subjects usually measured once] or experimental
[subjects measured before and after a treatment]. A descriptive study
establishes only associations between variables; an experimental study
establishes causality. Quantitative research deals in numbers, logic, and an
objective stance. Quantitative research focuses on numeric and unchanging
data and detailed, convergent reasoning rather than divergent reasoning [i.e.,
the generation of a variety of ideas about a research problem in a spontaneous,
free flowing manner].

Researcher has a clearly defined research question to which objective answers

are sought.

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Data are in the form of numbers and statistics, often arranged in tables, charts,
figures, or other non
Project can be used to generalize concepts more widely, predict future results, or

Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or computer software,

to collect numerical data.

The overarching aim of quantitative research study is to classify features,

count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what
is observed. These are:

The weight of a person (in kilograms)

The height of a person (in meters)
The age of a person (in years and months)

The gender of a person (using numerical system of categorization, e.g. 1 for

female, 2 for male)

A person’s education (e.g. number and grade of school certificates; classification

of undergraduate degree)

A person’s political views (e.g. using a scale that goes from 0 for extreme
left-wing to 10 extreme right-wing)

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF RESEARCH

 STRENGTHS

Allows for a broader study, involving a greater number of subjects, and

enhancing the
Allows for greater objectivity and accuracy of results. Generally, quantitative
methods are designed to provide summaries of data that support
generalizations about the phenomenon under study. In order to accomplish this,
quantitative research usually involves few variables

Applying well-established standards means that the research can be replicated,

and then
You can summarize vast sources of information and make comparisons across
categories
Personal bias can be avoided by keeping a 'distance' from participating subjects
and using accepted computational techniques.

WEAKNESSES

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Quantitative data is more efficient and able to test hypotheses, but may miss
contextual

The development of standard questions by researchers can lead to "structural

bias" and false representation, where the data actually reflects the view of the
researcher instead of the participating subject;

Results are limited as they provide numerical descriptions rather than detailed
narrative
The research is often carried out in an unnatural, artificial environment so that
a level of control can be applied to the exercise. This level of control might not
normally be in place in

Preset answers will not necessarily reflect how people really feel about a
subject and, in some cases, might just be the closest match to the preconceived
hypothesis.

KINDS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

There are four (4) main types of quantitative designs: descriptive, correlational,
quasi experimental, and experimental.
 Descriptive research is a study designed to depict the participants in an accurate
way. More simply put, descriptive research is all about describing people who take
part in the study.

There are three ways a researcher can go about doing a descriptive research
project, and they -Observational

-Case study, defined as an in-

-Survey, defined as a brief interview or discussion with an individual about a
specific topic
Correlational study is a quantitative method of research in which you have 2 or
more quantitative variables from the same group of subjects, & you are trying to
determine if there is a relationship (or covariation) between the 2 variables (a
similarity between them, not a difference between their means). Theoretically, any 2
quantitative variables can be correlated (for example, midterm scores & number of
body piercings!) as long as you have scores on these variables from the same
participants; however, it is probably a waste of time to collect & analyze data when
there is little reason to think these two variables would be related to each other.

Quasi-experimental design involves selecting groups, upon which a variable is

tested, without any random pre-selection processes. For example, to perform an
educational experiment, a class might be arbitrarily divided by alphabetical selection
or by seating arrangement. The division is often convenient and, especially in an
educational situation, causes as little disruption as possible. After this selection, the
experiment proceeds in a very similar way to any other experiment, with a variable
being compared between different groups, or over a period of time.

Experimental research is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and

psychology, physics, chemistry, biology and medicine etc. It is a collection of research
designs which use manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal
processes. Generally, one or more

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|9

variables are manipulated to determine their effect on a dependent variable. The
experimental method is a systematic and scientific approach to research in
which the researcher manipulates one or more variables, and controls and
measures any change in other variables. The word experimental research has a
range of definitions. In the strict sense, experimental research is what we call a
true experiment. This is an experiment where the researcher manipulates one
variable, and control/randomizes the rest of the variables. It has a control group,
the subjects have been randomly assigned between the groups, and the
researcher only tests one effect at a time. It is also important to know what
variable(s) you want to test and measure.

ACTIVITY
Activity 1. Memory Recall
Directions: Read the comic. Then, express your answers on the question given.

What discoveries and advancements in the modern world were born out of research
and fun? Cite at least 2 examples.

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REFLECTION
 Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|10
Directions: In a separate sheet of paper,express your ideas on the
following question:

What does Isaac Newton mean when he said, “No great discovery was
made without a bold guess?”

ASSIGNMENT

In a short bond paper, write about the importance of quantitative research in daily life.

Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your
class code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the deadline.

Lesson 2: Nature, Kinds, and Uses of Variables

Time Frame: Week 1

OVERVIEW

In research, especially quantitative research, one important thing you have to

focus on at the start of your study is to determine the variables involved in your
research. To understand more about variables, let’s consider this dialogue:
 Nick is having a hard time starting his research. So, he asked Mike, his colleague, to help
him sort things out.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|11

MIKE: Hey, Nick! How’s your research going? You started on anything yet?

NICK: Ugh! I can’t think of a specific problem to study about. I already have a
general topic which is health. But there are two many researches out there who
have studied about this already. I have to find a new and unventured area. Well,
do you have any ideas?

MIKE: Hmm…since your topic is about health, then you should think about your
variables next. It should help you specify the focus or goal of your study. Even if
you have a common topic, the variables involved in your study should be enough
to make your paper different.
NICK: Yeah! I totally forgot about variables. Hmm…maybe I should study about
mental health, specifically on teenagers. But, it should be in relation to social
media.

MIKE: That’s pretty interesting. I think you should go for this, Nick.

NICK: Yes. Thank you for discussing it with

me. You’re such a great friend!

Variables are ‘changing qualities or

characteristics” of persons or things like age, gender, intelligence, ideas,
achievements, confidence, and so on. It is made up of the root word ‘vary’ which
 means to undergo changes or to differ from. Variables have different or varying
values in relation to time and situation. For instance, as years go by, your age or
intelligence increases. However, when faced with a disease or have no means of
reading or no access to any sources of knowledge, your intelligence tends to
decrease. With this, we can say that variables influence each other.

How does variable help your research? Variables help your research
to attain it’s goal. It gives you the direction that you need to focus on. They help
you give answers to your research questions.
KINDS OF VARIABLES
There are three (3) types of variables: Independent variable, Dependent variable,
and Extraneous variable.

Independent variables are those that cause changes in the subject.

Dependent variables are those that bear or manifest the effects caused by the
independent variable.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|12

The relationship of independent and dependent variables is like
cause-and-effect relationship. However, as you carry out the research, it is
possible that two or more variables or extra variables would crop up to create an
impact on the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
This type of variable is the Extraneous variable

Extraneous Variable which are also called, interfering variables, are conditions
that undesirably impact on the dependent variable. This undesirable impact on a
dependent variable should be prevented with the elimination and/or
minimization of all extraneous variables.

When variables are put on a graph, the independent variable, like time in the
graph above, is typically shown along the horizontal x axis of the graph and the
dependent variable, like speed which increases with time in the graph above is
typically placed and shown along the y axis.

How do you identify the variables? Here are some examples:

1. Changes in the Filipino Value System by Koreanovelas
 Dependent Variable
Independent Variable

2. Knowledge levels (dependent variable) after an educational class on

stress management techniques (independent variable)
3. The levels of stress (dependent variable) relating to the increasing severity
of a chronic, progressive disease or illness (independent variable)

OTHER TYPES OF VARIABLE.

There are other types of variables which are as follows (Russell 2013; Babbie
2013): 1. Constant - also called ‘control variable’; do not undergo any changes
during an experiment 2. Attribute - characteristics of people: intelligence,
creativity, anxiety, learning styles, etc.

3. Covariate - included in the research study to create interactions with the

independent variables

4. Continuous - quantitative in nature and is used in interval or ratio scale of

measurement 5. Dichotomous - has only two possible results: one or zero

6. Latent - cannot be directly observed like personality traits

7. Manifest - can be directly observed to give proofs to latent variables

8. Exogenous - found outside an identified model

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|13

9. Endogenous - found inside; as a part of identified model

ACTIVITY
Activity 1: Idea Extension

Directions: Keeping in mind the meaning of variables in research, check all words
in the list that can operate as variables in any research study.

____ water ____ voice ____ textbooks ____ skills ____ handwriting ____

economic status ____ ghost ____ guardian angel ____ mental pictures ____

experience ____ life plans ____ physical exercise ____ world ____ class size

____ intelligence ____ dreams ____ academic grades ____ age

____ reading comprehension ____ aspirations ____ health Activity 2: Variable
Identification

Directions: Identify the independent and dependent variables in each research

problem. Write your answer under the right column.
Research Problem Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Ex. How does logical Logical Thinking Critical Thinking

thinking develop critical
thinking?

1. In what way does

collaborative learning
increase communicative
competence?

2. To what extent does

texting decrease
students’ grammatical
competence?

3. What corrupt practice

trigger off one’s
resignation?

4. How does Coronavirus

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|14

affect a the global
economy?

5. What are the effects

violent movies to
children’s behaviour?

Activity 3: Variable Identification

Directions: Think of three (3) research problems then write them on the box
provided. Underline once the independent variable; twice the dependent
variable.
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REFLECTION

Directions: In a separate half sheet of paper, answer the following questions in

five (5) sentences:

Q1: How important is variable in research?

Q2: How do you choose good and efficient variables in your study?

Q3: What are the implications of using good and efficient variables in your
study?

UNIT 2: Identifying the

Inquiry Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|15

and Statin the Problem

In research, you are prone to thinking in various levels that range from the simplest to
the most complex modes or patterns of thinking. Your initial thinking acts here pertain to
what you want to research on or what you intend to subject more to higher levels of
thinking as you go through the several stages of research. The kind or quality of thinking
and attention you give to your acts of choosing your research topic and of spcecifying
questions you want your research study to find answers to strongly determine the success
of your research work. ~Esther L. Baraceros
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|16
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|17

UNIT 2: Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem

Content Standard:

The learner demonstrates understanding of:

1. the range of research topics in the area of inquiry;

2. The value of research in the area of interest; and

3. The specificity and feasibility of the problem posed.

Performance Standard: The learner is able to formulate clearly the statement of

research problem Learning Competencies:

The learner:

1. designs a research useful in daily life;

2. writes a research title;

Lesson 1: Quantitative Research Problem
3. describes background of research;

Time Frame: Week

4. states research questions;

5. indicates scope and delimitation of the study;

OVERVIEW
6. cites benefits and beneficiaries of the study; and
John of Salisbury said, “Seeking is a necessary preliminary to finding, and one
who cannot endure the hardshop of inquiry cannot expect to harvest the fruit of
knowledge”.
7. presents written statement of the problem.
Currently, our world is experiencing stronger problems that seem impossible to solve.
As such, it is the duty of researchers and scientists to pour all their knowledge in
venturing new sources of knowledge--one that is useful in our day-to-day lives. To
start, researchers should select a research topic.

How do you find the right research topic?

If you are
in a class
that
allows
you to
choose
your own
term
paper
topic,
there are
some

important areas to consider before you begin your project:

Your Level of Interest: Research papers are time-consuming; you will be spending countless
hours researching the topic and related topics, developing several primary and secondary sources,
and putting everything together into a paper that is coherent and accomplishes your objectives. If
you do not choose a topic you are passionate about, the process will be far more tedious, and the
finished product may suffer as a result.

Your Level of Experience: Being interested in a topic is great, but it is even more helpful if you
already know something about it. If you can find a topic that you already have some personal
and/or professional experience with, it will vastly reduce the amount of research needed and make
the whole process much easier.

Available Information on the Topic: Be sure to choose a topic that is not only interesting but
also one that has numerous sources available from which to compile your research. A researchable
topic with several potential sources gives you access to the level of information you need to
become an authority on the subject
 Your Audience: An interesting topic to you may not necessarily be interesting to your
professor or whoever is grading your research paper. Before you begin, consider the level of
interest of the person(s) who will be reading it. If you are writing a persuasive or argumentative
essay, also consider their point of view on the subject matter.

Source: https://www.myspeechclass.com/good-and-interesting-research-paper-topics.html

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|18

Here are some research topics you can choose from:

Source: https://www.myspeechclass.com/good-and-interesting-research-paper-topics.html

RESEARCH PROBLEM

After picking a topic, researchers will now formulate a research problem. A

research problem is a specific issue, difficulty, contradiction, or gap in knowledge
that you will aim to address in your research. You might look for practical problems
aimed at contributing to change, or theoretical problems aimed at expanding
knowledge. Here are steps in making a research problem:

STEP 1: IDENTIFY A BROAD PROBLEM OR AREA

Remember! Your main goal in research is to

find A GAP that your research project can fill.

Practical research problems

If you are doing practical research, you can identify a problem by reading reports,
following up on previous research, and talking to people who work in the relevant
field or organization. You might look for:
 Issues with performance or efficiency in an organization
Processes that could be improved in an institution

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Areas of concern among practitioners in a field
Difficulties faced by specific groups of people in society

If your research is connected to a job or internship, you will need to find a research
problem that has practical relevance for the organization

Examples of practical research problems:

1. Unhealthy emotional labor in public and private schools have been increasing,
influencing absenteeism and suicide.
2. Delusional entitlement of people towards social issues in social media turn
drastic as influenced by quarantine.

Theoretical research problems

Theoretical research focuses on expanding knowledge and understanding rather
than directly contributing to change. You can identify a research problem by reading
recent research, theory and debates on your topic to find a gap in what is currently
known about it. You might look for:

A phenomenon or context that has not been closely studied

A contradiction between two or more perspectives
A situation or relationship that is not well understood
A troubling question that has yet to be resolved

Theoretical problems often have practical consequences, but they are not focused on
solving an immediate issue in a specific place (though you might take a case study
approach to the research).

Examples of theoretical research problems:

1. The effects of long-term Vitamin D deficiency on cardio-vascular health

are not well understood.
2. The relationship between gender, race, and income inequality has yet to be
closely studied in the context of the millennial gig economy.

STEP 2: LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROBLEM

Next, you have to find out what is already known about the problem, and pinpoint
the exact aspect that your research will address.

Context and background

Who does the problem affect?

Has it been an issue for a long time, or is it a newly discovered problem?
What research has already been done?
Have any solutions been proposed?
What are the current debates about the problem, and what do you think is
missing from them?

Specificity and relevance

 What particular place, time and/or people will you focus on?
What aspects will you not be able to tackle?

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|20

What will be the consequences if the problem is not resolved?
Whose will benefit from resolving the problem (e.g. the management of an
organization or future researchers)?

Bear in mind that some research will do both of these things, but usually the
research problem focuses on one or the other. The type of research problem you
choose depends on your broad topic of interest and the type of research you want to
do.

When you have narrowed down your problem, the next step is to formulate a
problem statement and research questions or hypotheses

ACTIVITY

Activity 1. Choosing a Research Topic

Directions: Fill in the boxes to decide on your research topic using the list of
research topics given above. Then, create a research problem.
What major problems did you What variables will be
What is the research topic you observe from your chosen involved in your study?
are most interested in? research topic?
Activity 2. Creating a Research Problem

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|21

Directions: If you are done filling out the boxes, determine your research problem by
answering these questions. Use the internet to find the sources you need. Write your
answers in a 1 whole sheet of paper.

Context and background

Who does the problem affect?

Has it been an issue for a long time, or is it a newly discovered problem?
What research has already been done?
Have any solutions been proposed?
What are the current debates about the problem, and what do you think is
missing from them?

Specificity and relevance

What particular place, time and/or people will you focus on?
What aspects will you not be able to tackle?
What will be the consequences if the problem is not resolved?
Whose will benefit from resolving the problem (e.g. the management of an
organization or future researchers)

Final Research Problem:

__________________________________________________________________
 ______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

Note: The research problem you chose would be the topic of your research paper. So, choose
well.

REFLECTION

Directions: Express your ideas on the following questions. Write your

answers on the space below.

1. How do you know if you have a good research problem?

2. Why do you need to find a gap in published research studies?

3. State a research problem that you think should be addressed by

researchers today. Explain why.

Lesson 2: Statement of the Problem and Research Questions

Time Frame: Week 2

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|22

OVERVIEW

After you have determined your research problem, the next step is to present a
written statement of the problem with the research questions. Let us first know how
to write a statement of the problem.
HOW TO WRITE A STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The statement of the problem is where you would narrow down your research
problem into something more specific. It describes how and why your study is new
and unique from all other studies researching the same topic. Your statement should
justify why you are trying to study the problem and how beneficial it will be. It should
be straight-to the point and should:

put the problem in context ( what do we already know?);

describe the precise issue that the research will address (what do we need
 to know?); show the relevance of the problem (why do we need to know

it?); and

set the objectives or goal of the research (what will you do to find out?)

Here are steps on how to write your problem statement:

STEP 1: CONTEXTUALIZE THE PROBLEM

The problem statement should frame your research problem in its particular
context and give some background on what is already known about it.

Practical research problems

For practical research, focus on the concrete details of the situation:

Where and when does the problem arise?

Who does the problem affect?
What attempts have been made to solve the problem?

Step 2: SHOW WHY IT MATTERS

The problem statement should also address the relevance of the research: why is
it important that the problem is solved?

This doesn’t mean you have to do something groundbreaking or world-changing.

It’s more important that the problem is researchable, feasible, and clearly addresses a
relevant issue in your field.

Practical research problems

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|23

Practical research is directly relevant to a specific problem that affects an
organization, institution, social group, or society more broadly. To make it clear
why your research problem matters, you can ask yourself:

What will happen if the problem is not solved?

Who will feel the consequences?
Does the problem have wider relevance (e.g. are similar issues found in
other contexts)?

Step 3: SET YOUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Finally, the problem statement should frame how you intend to address the
problem. Your goal should not be to find a conclusive solution, but to seek out the
reasons behind the problem and propose more effective approaches to tackling or
understanding it.

The aim is the overall purpose of your research. It is generally written in the infinitive form:

The aim of this study is to determine…

This project aims to explore…
 I aim to investigate…

The objectives are the concrete steps you will take to achieve the aim:

Qualitative methods will be used to identify…

I will use surveys to collect…
Using statistical analysis, the research will measure

Example:

If your research problem is on the increase of negative impacts of social media to

teenagers’ mental health, your problem statement should be like this:

Social media is a big part of many teens' lives. A 2018 Pew Research Center survey of nearly
750 13- to 17-year-olds found that 45% are online almost constantly and 97% use a social
media platform, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. But what impact does
social media use have on teens? Social media allows teens to create online identities,
communicate with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teens with
valuable support, especially helping those who experience exclusion or have disabilities or
chronic illnesses.

Teens also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. And the platforms can
expose teens to current events, allow them to interact across geographic barriers and teach
them about a variety of subjects, including healthy behaviors. Social media that's humorous or
distracting or provides a meaningful connection to peers and a wide social network might even
help teens avoid depression. However, social media use can also negatively affect teens,
distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading,
unrealistic views of other people's lives and peer pressure. The risks might be related to how
much social media teens use. A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S.
found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at
heightened risk for mental health problems.

This research, therefore, aims to categorize aspects of social media that greatly and
negatively affect teenagers’ mental health. This study will also provide new methods in
lessening nagative impacts of social media. Using survey research and interview, the study will
collect information on teenagers and their parents affected by this dilemma.
Source:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research| Remember that your problem statement

specifies and elaborate your chosen research 24
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art problem. It
should convince the readers the uniqueness and usefulness of your study.
20474437https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art 20474437

Lastly, your aims and objectives should lead directly to your research
questions. HOW TO WRITE YOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The next step to your problem statement is formulating your research questions.
Research questions are subquestions that pinpoint exactly what you want to find out
from your research problem. All research questions should be:

Focused on a single problem or issue (which is your chosen research

problem) Researchable using primary/secondary sources

Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints

 Specific enough to answer thoroughly

Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
Relevant to your field of study and/or scoeity more broadly

If your research questions are good, it will greatly help you in finding answers to
your research problem. Here are some examples:
Example research problem Example research question(s)

The teachers at school X do not What practical techniques can teachers at

have the skills to recognize or school X use to better identify and guide
properly guide gifted children in the gifted children?
classroom.

Under-30s increasingly engage in What are the main factors that influence
the “gig economy” instead of young people’s decisions to engage in the
traditional full-time employment, but gig economy? What do workers perceive
there is little research into young as its advantages and disadvantages? Do
people’s experiences of this type of age and education level have an effect on
work. how people experience this type of work?

What makes a strong research question?

Making questions is not a dificult task. But in order to make good research
questions, one must take some time and effort to refine them. Here are some criteria
given by McCombes (2019) to evaluate the strength of your research questions:

Focused and researchable

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|25

Criteria Explanation

Focuses on a Your central research question should follow from your research
single topic problem to keep your work focused. If you have multiple questions,
and they should all clearly relate to this central aim.
problem

Answerable You must be able to find an answer by collecting quantitative

using primary and/or qualitative data, or by reading scholarly sources on the
or secondary topic to develop an argument. If such data is impossible to access,
data you will have to rethink your question and ask something more
concrete.
 Does not ask Avoid subjective words like good, bad, better and worse, as these
for a do not give clear criteria for answering the question. If your
subjective question is evaluating something, use terms with more
value measurable definitions.
judgement
X Is X or Y a better policy?

How effective are X and Y policies at reducing rates of Z?

Does not ask Why questions are usually too open to serve as good research
why questions. There are often so many possible causes that a research
project cannot give a thorough answer. Try asking what or how
questions instead.

X Why does X occur?

What are the main factors contributing to X?

How is X influenced by Y?

Feasible and specific

Criteria Explanation

Answerable Make sure you have enough time and resources to do the
within practical research required to answer the question. If you think you
constraints might struggle to gain access to enough data, consider
narrowing down the question to be more specific.

Uses specific, All the terms you use in the research question should
well defined have clear meanings. Avoid vague language and broad
concepts ideas, and be clear about what, who, where and when
your question addresses.

X What effect does social media have on people’s minds?

What effect does daily use of Twitter have on the

attention span of under-16s?

Does not ask for Research is about informing, not instructing. Even if your
a conclusive project is focused on a practical problem, it should aim to
solution, policy, improve understanding and suggest possibilities rather than
or course of asking for a ready-made solution.
action

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|26

Criteria Explanation

X What should the government do about low voter turnout?

What are the most effective communication

strategies for increasing voter turnout among under-30s?
Complex and arguable
Criteria Explanation

Cannot be Closed yes/no questions are too simple to work as good

answered with research questions — they don’t provide enough scope for
yes or no investigation and discussion.

X Has there been an increase in homelessness in the UK in

the past ten years?

How have economic and political factors affected

patterns of homelessness in the UK over the past ten
years?

Cannot be If you can answer the question through a Google search or by

answered with reading a single book or article, it is probably not complex
easily found enough. A good research question requires original data,
facts and figures synthesis of multiple sources, interpretation and/or argument
to provide an answer.

Provides scope The answer to the question should not just be a simple
for debate and statement of fact: there needs to be space for you to discuss
deliberation and interpret what you found. This is especially important in an
essay or research paper, where the answer to your question
often takes the form of an argumentative thesis statement.

Relevant and original

Criteria Explanation

Addresses a The research question should be developed based on initial

problem relevant reading around your topic, and it should focus on addressing a
to your field or problem or gap in the existing knowledge.
discipline

Contributes to a The question should aim to contribute to an existing debate —

topical social or ideally one that is current in your field or in society at large. It
academic debate should produce knowledge that future researchers or
practitioners can build on.

Has not already You don’t have to ask something groundbreaking that nobody
been answered has ever thought of before, but the question should have
some aspect of originality (for example, by focusing on a
specific location or taking a new angle on a long-running
debate).

ACTIVITY
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|27
Activity 1. Writing a Statement of the Problem

Directions: Below is a sample research problem. Research about it on the web and
make a brief problem statement.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

The Coronavirus pandemic may go on for a year and schools may have to switch to
online classes. There is a possibility that homeschooling will be a normal trend. The need to
turn homes into self learning areas are affecting the household routines of some families in
the Philippines. There is still no research venturing in to how homeschooling might affect
day-today living in the new normal.

Activity 2. Evaluating Research Questions

Directions: Below is a list of research questions. Evaluate the quality of these

questions based on the criteria stated above.
Research Questions Evaluation

1. What is an English grammar

textbook?

2. What is communicative
competence?

3. How did humans evolve?

4. Is blackhole dangerous?

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|28

 5. To what extent do Manila private
universities find grammar textbooks
effective in helping college students
attain communicative competence?

Activity 3. Creating Research Questions

Directions: Using the same research problem and statement of the problem in activity
1, make research questions that follow the guidelines correctly. Write at least 3
questions in the space provided.

REFLECTION

Directions: Express your ideas on the question given. Write your answer on
the space below.

If you have the ability to find answers to your questions, what questions
do you want to ask? Why?

ASSIGNMENT

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|29

Make your problem statement and research questions on the research topic and
problem you have chosen. Encode your work in a short-sized bondpaper using Times
New Roman size 12, double-spacing.
 Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your
class code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the deadline.

Lesson 3: Research Title and Background of Research

Time Frame: Week 2

OVERVIEW

Writing the title of your research may seem a simple task, but it requires some
serious thought. The way you form your research title will determine the fate of your
research paper. Let us follow Nick’s storyline again.

Nick is struggling with the title of his research. So, he asked for some advice
from his professor.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|30

NICK: Good morning, sir! Could I ask for your advice

PROFESSOR: Sure! What’s it about

NICK: I’m having a hard time making a title for my research. I can’t seem to find an
appropriate one

PROFESSOR: Can you let me see your titles you’ve come up so far
NICK: Of course, sir. Here they are.
PROFESSOR: Hmm…I admit. These are not good. The purpose of your title is to give
some teaser to your readers about what your study is about. It should make your
readers curious in just one read. Otherwise, no matter how good your research is, if
they don’t like your title then they won’t read it

NICK: I see. Well, what should I include in my title?

PROFESSOR: Include your variables and give hints on what problem you’re studying.
But don’t make your title too lengthy. Maybe 10-13 words should be enough.

NICK: Right! Thank you, sir! You’re a great help!

PROFESSOR: You’re welcome!

HOW TO MAKE A RESEARCH TITLE

Based on the dialogue, you have seen Nick struggle in making his research title.
It’s because it’s not as easy as it seems. Most authors, having known most of the
content of their paper, are perplexed on how to make their title concise as possible
without sacrificing any relevant elements.

If you make a mistake, readers who stick by “judging the book by its cover” will
never throw your paper a second glance. Therefore, your research title is the most
important since it determines how many people will read it.

A good research paper title:

Condenses the paper’s content in a few words

Captures the readers’ attention
Differentiates the paper from other papers of the same subject area

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|31

So here are three basic tips to keep in mind while writing a title:

1. Keep it simple, brief and attractive: The primary function of a title is to

provide a precise summary of the paper’s content. So keep the title brief and clear.
Use active verbs instead of complex noun-based phrases, and avoid unnecessary
details. Moreover, a good title for a research paper is typically around 10 to 12 words
long. A lengthy title may seem unfocused and take the readers’ attention away from
 an important point.

Avoid: Drug XYZ has an effect of muscular contraction for an hour in snails of
Achatina fulcia species

Better: Drug XYZ induces muscular contraction in Achatina fulcia snails

2. Use appropriate descriptive words: A good research paper title should contain
key words used in the manuscript and should define the nature of the study. Think
about terms people would use to search for your study and include them in your title.

Avoid: Effects of drug A on schizophrenia patients: study of a multicenter mixed group

Better: Psychosocial effects of drug A on schizophrenia patients: a multicenter

randomized controlled trial

Here are a few points to help you check whether your title is suitable:

1. Does the title clearly indicate what your research is about?

2. Is it brief, informative, and attractive?
3. Does it include relevant descriptive keywords that readers are most likely to search for?

Normally, your research title should be done after you finish your research. But
it is also good to have some prospects early on to avoid struggling too much at
the end.

When you are done with you research problem, statement of the problem and
research questions, the next thing to do is to make the background of the study.

HOW TO MAKE THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The background of your study, also called as ‘Rationale of the Study’, outlines the
review of the area being researched, current information surrounding the issue,
previous studies on the issue, and relevant history of the issue (when it started).
When making your rationale, you are

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|32

presenting the gaps of literature--the areas of previous studies not ventured by
other researchers.

The purpose of a background study is to help you to prove the relevance of your
research questions and to further develop your research problem

How to structure the background of the study

 In this section, the author usually outlines the historical developments in the
literature that led to the current topic of research concisely. If the study is
interdisciplinary, it should describe how different disciplines are connected and
what aspects of each discipline will be studied.

Additionally, authors should briefly highlight the main developments of their

research topic and identify the main gaps that need to be addressed. In other
words, this section should give an overview of your study. The section should be
organized as:

What is known about the broad topic?

What are the gaps or missing links that need to be addressed?

What is the significance of addressing those gaps?

What are the rationale and hypothesis of your study?

The background section, therefore, should provide general information about

the topic of your research and emphasize the main aims of the study. Please
ensure that you only discuss the main and relevant aspects of the studies that
have led to your aims. Do not elaborate on them as this should be done in the
literature review section. The background section should discuss your findings in a
chronological manner to accentuate the progress in the field and the missing
points that need to be addressed. The background should be written as a
summary of your interpretation of previous research and what your study
proposes to accomplish.

How to make the background of the study engaging

As the background includes a lot of information, it can become a long drag,

causing the readers to lose interest. To ensure that your background is engaging,
you should try to build a story around the central theme of your research.

Ensure that the story adheres to the core idea and does not digress into a
broad literature review. Each idea should lead to the next so that readers are able
to grasp the story and themselves identify the gaps that your study is going to
address.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|33

How to avoid common mistakes in writing the background

While writing an effective background, you ought to steer clear of some

 mistakes. The most common mistakes in writing the background include the
following:

Sample Background of the Study

Cockroaches are common pests in the tropics. They have been known to cause
allergic reactions to most people and chew holes on clothes. According to Bato Balani
for Science and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 2, the real danger of cockroach lies in their
ability to transmit sometimes lethal diseases and organisms such as Staphylococcus
spp., Streptococcus spp., Hepatitis viruses,

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|34

and Coliform bacteria. They have been known to contaminate food, at the same time
infect it with the bacteria they carry. The bacteria they spread in food can cause food
poisoning. People have used various instruments to control the cockroach problem in
homes. The most popular is the commonly used insecticide sprays. Most of these can
destroy cockroaches but they can also do serious damage to humans as well.
According to the experts of the website www.bayer.co.th, the active ingredients in
these sprays, like tethramethrin, and petroleum distillates can cause severe chest
pains and cough attacks when inhaled. The second most popular instrument is the
cockroach coils. These coils can kill roaches yet the active ingredients in these coils
like allethrin, pynamin forte, prothrin and pyrethrin, can cause harm to humans when
inhaled. It also has an ozone depleting ingredient. The third most popular is the
flypaper. The concept of the flypaper is simple. The roaches just stick into it. But
when they are stuck, the roaches die and carcass can spread more bacteria. In
addition to the side effects of these materials, the costs of these insecticides are
high. All these set aside, the question on everyone’s mind is: “What can be an
effective and natural insecticide?” Tubang Bakod (Jatropha carcas) is a common plant
in the Philippines. According to the website, www.davesgarden.com, its seeds
contain a certain toxic substance known as toxalbumin carcin, Along with other
ingredients like sap, onions and weeping willow leaves, are Tubang Bakod seeds
feasible to be used as cockroach killer?

Activity 1. Searching for Sample Research Titles

Directions: Search and list down 5 sample research titles of the following

research topics. 1. Technology

2. Education

3. Social Media

4. Health

Activity 2. Evaluating Research Title

Directions: Choose which research title is better from the list. Put a check mark on the
correct research title. Then, explain why the title is better.

1. _____ Effects of Child labor to children

_____ Psychological effects of Child labor to children ages 10-15

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|35

What made it better?
_________________________________________________________________
 2. _____ Influences of divorce to teenagers aged 15-17

_____ Psychological influences of divorce to the marriage perceptions of teenagers

What made it better?

__________________________________________________________________

3. _____ Academic success among minority students

_____ Rate of academic success among minority students

What made it better?

__________________________________________________________________

4. ____ Social Emotional Learning: Developing Social and Emotional Intelligence in

students with Incarcerated Parents

_____ Developing Social and Emotional Intelligence in students

What made it better?

__________________________________________________________________

5. _____ Child Obesity

____ Child Obesity: An Examination of its impacts to Health and Social Condition of Children

What made it better?

__________________________________________________________________

Activity 3. Writing a Research Title

Directions: Write 2 research titles based on the given background of the study

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|36

1. Current theories focus on personal characteristics to explain wrong-doing and how
someone can intentionally harm others. In a survey, professionals such as doctors,
psychologist and laymen predicted that a small proportion of a population (1-3%)
would harm others if ordered to do so. In the recent war trial with Adolph Eichmann,
he claims to only have been “following orders". The author wanted to test this claim.
Can people harm others because they are merely obeying orders? Can people be
ordered to act against their moral convictions? The experiment will test whether a
person can keep administering painful electric shocks to another person just because
they are ordered to do so. The expectation is that very few will keep giving shocks, and
that most participants will disobey the order.

Research Title:

2. Cockroaches are common pests in the tropics. They have been known to cause
allergic reactions to most people and chew holes on clothes. According to Bato Balani
for Science and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 2, the real danger of cockroach lies in their
ability to transmit sometimes lethal diseases and organisms such as Staphylococcus
spp., Streptococcus spp., Hepatitis viruses, and Coliform bacteria. They have been
known to contaminate food, at the same time infect it with the bacteria they carry.
The bacteria they spread in food can cause food poisoning. People have used various
instruments to control the cockroach problem in homes. The most popular is the
commonly used insecticide sprays. Most of these can destroy cockroaches but they
can also do serious damage to humans as well. According to the experts of the
website www.bayer.co.th, the active ingredients in these sprays, like tethramethrin,
and petroleum distillates can cause severe chest pains and cough attacks when
inhaled. The second most popular instrument is the cockroach coils. These coils can
kill roaches yet the active ingredients in these coils like allethrin, pynamin forte,
prothrin and pyrethrin, can cause harm to humans when inhaled. It also has an ozone
depleting ingredient. The third most popular is the flypaper. The concept of the
flypaper is simple. The roaches just stick into it. But when they are stuck, the roaches
die and carcass can spread more bacteria. In addition to the side effects of these
materials, the costs of these insecticides are high. All these set aside, the question on
everyone’s mind is: “What can be an effective and natural insecticide?” Tubang Bakod
(Jatropha carcas) is a common plant in the Philippines. According to the website,
www.davesgarden.com, its seeds contain a certain toxic substance known as
toxalbumin carcin, Along with other ingredients like sap, onions and weeping willow
leaves, are Tubang Bakod seeds feasible to be used as cockroach killer?

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|37

Research Title:
Activity 4. Understanding the Process of Writing the Research Background

Directions: Using the concept map, write down your ideas on how to write or structure
your background of the study.

How do I write my

background of the study?

Activity 5. Writing the Background of the Study

Directions: Research more information about the given research problem. Make a
background of the study using the outline below. Write it on a separate sheet of
paper.

Research Problem:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|38

As more and more people get infected by COVID-19, the need for a vaccine is the
focus of researchers and medical experts worldwide. However, some experts claim
that vaccines may not be necessary since the virus itself is weakening and may die by
itself in the next months. How exactly does one kill a virus? How does a virus die by
itself? What are the best methods to prevent a global pandemic?

Background of the Study:

Introduction (1 paragraph)

What do other sources tell about the topic?

Why is it a recurring problem?

Body (2 paragraphs or more)

What findings did previous researchers say about the problem?

What steps have been done to address it?

What are the gaps of previous researches did you observe?

Why are these gaps of knowledge relevant? Why should they be studied?

Conclusion (1 paragraph)

What is the main goal of your research?

REFLECTION

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|39

Directions: Express your ideas in the following question. Write your answer in
a sheet of paper.
 Why can an article, research, book, or novel be made or unmade by its title?
What happens when a piece of writing remains unread?

ASSIGNMENT

Make your background of the study on the research topic and problem you have
chosen. Encode your work in a short-sized bondpaper using Times New Roman size
12, double-spacing.

Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your class
code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the dealing.

Lesson 4: Scope and Delimitations of the Study

Time Frame: Week 2

OVERVIEW

In doing your research, specificity is important to avoid ambuiguities and

redundancy in your paper. Be specific in your variables, environment, and your
respondents. The scope and delimitations of your study help set boundaries on what
you should or should not include in your paper. The words scope and delimitation
might seem similar but they are different in terms of what they limit.

In this Venn diagram, write the similarities (in the sides) and differences (center)
of SCOPE and DELIMITATION.

SCOPE DELIMITATION

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|40

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCOPE AND DELIMITATION
 Scope identifies the boundaries of the study in terms of subjects, objectives,
facilities, area, time frame, and the issues to which the research is focused.

Example:

The scope of the study will be the impact of mobile devices on the behavior
patterns of elementary school kids.

This scope is too broad and infeasible to cover all of it. Instead, it would be better
if you restrict the scope to a specific section of the target population over a specified
duration.

Sample phrases that help express the scope of the study:

The coverage of this study……….
The study consists of ……..
The study covers the ……….
This study is focus on……..
If the scope is too broad, you use Delimitation to limit the scope by geographic
location, age, sex, population traits, population size, or other similar considerations.
Delimitation is used to make study better and more feasible and not just for the
interest of the researcher. It also identifies the constraints or weaknesses of your
study which are not within the control of the researcher.

Example:

The scope of the study will be the impact of mobile devices on the behavior
patterns of elementary school kids. This will be delimited to a group of 25 kids in
grades 3 to 5 at a particular school to study their behavior patterns for five
months.

Your scope is more specific because you have delimited your population, the
age of your respondents, the location, and the duration of the research.

Sample phrases that expressed the delimitations of the study:

The study does not cover the……

The researcher limited this research to……
This study is limited to………

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|41

If you have a well-defined scope and delimitation, your research will avoid
unlikely ambiguity and errors in your presentation of data.
 ACTIVITY

Activity 1. Determining Scope and Delimitations

Directions: Determine the scope and delimitation from the research problem and title
given.
Research Problem and Title Scope and Delimitations

1. School is a forum where students are

preparing themselves for the future
life. Through the school activities, they
gain self confidence and skills that will
help them in being successful later in
life. Interest of parents in a child’s
schooling life also plays an important
role in his self-confidence. The more
parents participate in a child’s life, the
more secure child will feel which in turn
will raise his self-confidence. It is one
of the ideal conditions where children’s
personality can be built for future in a
manner that they can tackle the
challenges successfully. The aim of the
research is to determine the impact of
a parent’s participation in a child’s
school activities to boost his
self-confidence. We plan to study here
that the more interest parent’s show,
the more self-confident the child will
be.

2. For a college student who wants to

be successful in life, it is important
that he be focused in his studies and
does not give in to
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|42
peer-pressure and coercion. Sadly,
despite having knowledge of the
consequences, many students are
resorting to substance abuse practices
because they are intimidated or
bullied. The aim of the study is to
determine the factors due to which
students are practicing substance
abuse which has affected their studies.
We plan to study what has caused
some intelligent students to shift their
focus from studies to substance abuse
activities.

Research Title

3. Factors That Influence a Child’s

Decisions to Read Outside-of-School

4. The Relationship between Low

Socioeconomic Status and Student
Achievement

5. Childhood Grief and Loss: Support

and Interventions used to promote
Healthy Coping Strategies

ASSIGNMENT
Make your scopes and delimitations on the research topic and problem you have
chosen. Encode your work in a short-sized bondpaper using Times New Roman size
12, double-spacing.
Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your class
code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the deadline.

Lesson 5: Significance of the Study

Time Frame: Week 2

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|43

OVERVIEW

For what or whom are you researching for? What benefit will your study to the
world and its people?

In solving the problem you are struggling with, it’s important that your methods
and actions are significant and helpful in solving the dilemma. When doing research,
you should ask yourself these questions:

How important is this to the people affected by the problem?

What will it change?

What benefits will it give?

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Significance of the Study is another section of your research paper where you
 will state the relevance, importance, and usefulness of your study. It provides
information on WHO will benefit from the study and WHAT benefits are to be
received

2 TIPS IN WRITING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. REFER TO THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Your problem statement can guide you in identifying the specific contribution of
your study. You can do this by observing a one-to-one correspondence between
the statement of the problem and the significance of the study.

For example, if you ask the question “Is there a significant relationship between
the teacher’s teaching style and the students’ long quiz scores in
Mathematics?” then the contribution of your research would probably be a
teaching style or styles (among say, three teaching styles you evaluated) that
can help students perform better in Mathematics. Your research will
demonstrate that that teaching style really works. That could be a
groundbreaking approach that will change the way teachers teach Mathematics
which many students abhor.

2. WRITE FROM GENERAL TO SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTION

Write the significance of the study by looking into the general contribution of
your study, such as its importance to society as a whole, then proceed
downwards—towards its contribution to individuals and that may include
yourself as a researcher. You start off broadly then taper off gradually to a
specific group or person.

Coupled with reference to the problem statement, this effectively stimulates the
mind to think in a deductive mode, i.e., from general to specific. This writing
approach is similar to the Inverted Pyramid Approach discussed in How to Write
a Good Thesis Introduction.

For example, in the study on teaching style given in #1, you may write:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|45

Using these techniques, you can present a clear and honest significance of your
study. Applying them will save time thus allowing you to focus on the next section of
your study.

Your significance of the study, besides your research title, will also help
convince your readers to read your research paper. So, present the
significance of the study without leaving out important points in your
research.

ACTIVITY

Activity 1. Discussing the Significance of Comics

Directions: In a sheet of paper, discuss in five (5) sentences the significance of the
following comics in today’s Coronavirus pandemic. You should be able to answer
these questions:

How significant is this comic in today’s situation?

What meaning does it tell us?

How can it help us?

1.
REFLECTION

Directions: Express
your ideas in the
following question.
Write your answer in
a sheet of paper.

What significant methods did the government do to prevent COVID-19 from

spreading? What methods or rules, in your opinion were unhelpful? Why do you
think so?
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|46
ASSIGNMENT

Make your significance of the study on the research topic and problem you have
chosen. Encode your work in a short-sized bondpaper using Times New Roman size
12, double-spacing.

Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your class
code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the deadline.

UNIT 3: Learning from Others

and Reviewing the Literature

UNIT 3: Learning from Others and Reviewing the Literature

Content Standard:
The learner demonstrates understanding of:

1. the criteria in selecting, citing, and synthesizing related literature;

2. the ethical standards in writing literature;

3. the formulation of conceptual framework;

4. the research hypotheses (if appropriate)
Performance Standard:

The learner is able to:

Several reasons are behind your choice of a particular topic to research on. Your curiosity or
familiarity 1. select, cite, and synthesize judiciously related literature and use sources
according to ethical about an animate creature or inanimate object and its functionality inspire you
to discover more about such standards;
person or thing. Whatever experience or background knowledge you have about your chosen
topic becomes 2. formulate clearly the conceptual framework, research hypotheses
(if appropriate), and
valuable believable only as regards your acts of improving the validity or truthfulness of your
claims about define terms used in study; and
your topic, if these ideas of yours are related to what the world or other people already know or
have already 3. present objectively written review of related literature and conceptual
framework discovered or done about your chosen topic. Aligning your thinking with other people’s
ideas displayed legally Learning Competencies:
and professionally in varied literary works lends credibility to whatever ideas you have about
your research study. ~Esther L. Baraceros

The learner:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|47

1. selects relevant literature;

2. cites related literature using standard style ( APA, MLA or Chicago Manual
of Style); 3. synthesizes information from relevant literature;

4. writes coherent review of literature;

5. follows ethical standards in writing related literature’

6. illustrates and explain conceptual framework;

7. defines terms used in study; and

8. presents written review of literature and conceptual framework.

Lesson 1: Review of Related Literature (RRL)

Time frame: Week 3

OVERVIEW
There is no one better than having good sets of evidence that will support your
research. When you have finally paved the direction of your research, the next thing to
do is to make a literature review. This section is called Review of Related Literature.

The RRL is an essential part of your paper. This is the section where you take a lot
of time reviewing concepts or ideas related to your research--may it be in books,
journals, or other reading materials in the past. It includes current knowledge of the
issue being examined. Literature reviews do not contain reports on the original
experimental work thus, they are known as secondary sources. Literature reviews are
often a key component in writing research project paper as part of the research that
forms your project paper; it tells your readers the depth of your academic maturity.

PURPOSES OF RRL

You make the RRL to:

find out the connection of your research to the current conditions or situations
of the world;

know more about theories or concepts underlying your research and to learn
 from them with respect to your own research study;

discover the relation of your research with previous research studies; and

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|48

obtain information on the accuracy or relevance of your research

questions; and Familiarize yourself with technical terms related to

your research.

Your literature review should be well understood and be able to tell your reader
how your research topic fits with the current body of published works that you have
included in your review

It is important to establish the fact that a poorly written literature review can
destroy a scientific thesis. This causes you to lose credibility to your findings, which
means your project paper cannot be acknowledged in future studies and it can also
make your project writing lack structure or foundation. Not presenting a proper
literature review gives your audience no way to justify the position of your proposed
research. That is, they do not know if you are filling an identified gap or addressing a
weakness in someone else’s study. If your literature review is not comprehensive
enough you would lack the grounds on which to criticize an already existing or
published material.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE LITERATURE REVIEW?

Determine what materials are available with regards to the topic, what type of
sources you would be consulting (books, journals, articles and websites. You
can also decide to use all these sources to write your review) and how many of
those sources should be included in your review.

Find out what relevant information concerning the topic has been written in
those materials.

Identify the relationships and patterns that exist across the materials.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses those materials contain.
Identify the gaps in the research materials you are consulting.
Identify any conflicting evidence in those materials.

When you have successfully done the above, then you can begin the process of
writing the review.
WRITING THE REVIEW

The first thing to do as you write your literature review is to;

Consider the organization: What do you think would be the most effective way
to present the information you have gathered? Consider the most important
subtopics that should

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be included in your review and in what order they should be presented. Your
review content should be presented sequentially as;

-Introduction: This gives your readers, at a glance; the central theme of

your literature review.

-Body: This is the part or section of your literature review that contains
your discussion of sources. Sources can be arranged thematically,
methodologically or chronologically.

-Conclusion: Your conclusion should contain or discuss what you have

drawn from the review.

Use evidence: This is where a lot of people have problems. Every idea in the
literature review is not yours therefore; you should always acknowledge the
source. Except it is common knowledge, always remember to acknowledge the
source. At least, cite every paragraph. For example, you can say; “studies
conducted by Mill and Shaw in 1830 shows that breast cancer can be
hereditary”. Doing this provides an evidence to show that your point is valid.

Be selective and relevant: Every point mentioned or stated in your review must
be relevant to your research topic. Don’t include everything you see in the
sources you are consulting. This would make your review lack focus and
relevance.

Use quotes: This is very important in avoiding the event of plagiarism. When
you have to directly lift an idea; word for word, it is important to put the idea in
quotes. After putting the idea in quotes, the next and very important thing to
do is to cite or acknowledge the source. For example, “An average adult female
cockroach has a short life span of 12days”, Obi and Yale, 2013. I have said you
should use quotes but do so in moderation. It is more professionally preferable
to paraphrase and cite the sources than to always quote them directly.
 Remain original: It is the originality of your work that separates it from other
available materials on that topic and also keeps your readers interested. Yes!
Your review contains other people’s idea. But, you should at all times express
this idea in your own voice.

You can paraphrase: Instead of always quoting, paraphrase what has been
written in your own voice. Find the information, read it and represent it the way
you have understood it.

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Revise: Read through your work. Ask yourself if you have represented the
information in the best way possible. Check for grammatical errors and
spelling errors. Make sure your references are correct. Check for places you
failed to add a reference. Check to make sure that your review centers on your
research project topic. Remember that your literature review serves as a
building block for the argument or hypothesis in your project topic. You can
decide to employ the services of a professional to help edit your work.

At the end of your literature review, your reader should be able to effortlessly
decipher the relationship that exists between your research project topic and your
literature review. If your reader fails to see this relationship because of your inability
to make the connection then, your review has failed; both as a stand-alone piece
of academic work and as a building block for your research topic.

Do not do
copy-pasting in
your RRL. If it is
not your idea, use paraphrasing and give credit to whom it is due. This will help
you avoid plagiarism which will destror the trustworthiness of your research.

Lesson 2: In-Text Citations and Referencing Styles

Time frame: Week 3

OVERVIEW

Ever since the copy and paste function

was invented by Larry Tesler for the
computer, students and professionals
 around
the world have been using this for their
convenience. However, this brilliant
invention may had been abused for a long
time and had led from cheating in tests to serious crimes like plagiarism.

Since then, most students would commit this crime as if it is something that they
could get away with. Due to overdependency towards the internet and the lack of
information evaluation, most students would copy and paste what they see without
knowing if the information they acquired is credible or not.

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Before going over the rest of the lesson, fill in some of the news you have heard
about plagiarism in the Philippines. Write about what happened, who did it, how the
person did it, and how the authorities dealt with it.

In research, plagiarism is definitely a NO NO! When you write your literature

review, plagiarism is PROHIBITED. Of course, copying and using resources from the
internet is allowed but, as a researcher, you are bound to follow ethical standards as
much as possible. You have to give credit where it is due. You have to cite and
reference your sources.

IN-TEXT CITATION AND REFERENCING

When you write your RRL, you have two main ways in crediting the author of the
source you are using: CITATION and REFERENCES.

Citation or In-text citation is referring to the author within the main body of the
paper. Reference is a list of sources put at the end of the paper.

In writing your citation and reference, there are two main types: APA

and MLA. APA (American Psychological Association)

 Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|52
How to do APA In-Text Citation

In-text references must be included following the use of a quote or

paraphrase taken from another piece of work.

In-text citations are citations within the main body of the text and refer to a
direct quote or paraphrase. They correspond to a reference in the main reference
list. These citations include the surname of the author and date of publication
only. Using an example author James Mitchell, this takes the form:

Mitchell (2017) states… Or …(Mitchell, 2017).

The structure of this changes depending on whether a direct quote or parenthetical used:

Direct Quote: The citation must follow the quote directly and contain a
page number after the date, for example (Mitchell, 2017, p.104). This rule
holds for all of the variations listed.

Parenthetical: The page number is not needed.

Other APA in-text citation rules:

Two Authors:

The surname of both authors is stated with either ‘and’ or an ampersand

between. For example:

Mitchell and Smith (2017) state… Or …(Mitchell & Smith, 2017).

Three, Four or Five Authors:

For the first cite, all names should be listed:

Mitchell, Smith, and Thomson (2017) state… Or …(Mitchell, Smith, & Thomson, 2017).

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|53

Further cites can be shorted to the first author’s name

followed by et al: Mitchell et al (2017) state… Or …(Mitchell

et al, 2017).

Six or More Authors:

Only the first author’s surname should be stated followed by et al, see the

above example. No Authors:

If the author is unknown, the first few words of the reference should be used.
This is usually the title of the source.

If this is the title of a book, periodical, brochure or report, is should be

italicised. For example:

(A guide to citation, 2017).

If this is the title of an article, chapter or web page, it should be in quotation

marks. For example:

(“APA Citation”, 2017).

Citing Authors With Multiple Works From One Year:

Works should be cited with a, b, c etc following the date. These letters are
assigned within the reference list, which is sorted alphabetically by the surname
of the first author. For example:

(Mitchell, 2017a) Or (Mitchell, 2017b).

Citing Multiple Works in One Parentheses:

If these works are by the same author, the surname is stated once followed by
the dates in order chronologically. For instance:

Mitchell (2007, 2013, 2017) Or (Mitchell, 2007, 2013, 2017)

If these works are by multiple authors then the references are ordered
alphabetically by the first author separated by a semicolon as follows:

(Mitchell & Smith 2017; Thomson, Coyne, & Davis, 2015).

 Citing a Group or Organisation:

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For the first cite, the full name of the group must be used. Subsequently this
can be shortened. For example:

First cite: (International Citation Association, 2015)

Further Cites: (Citation Association, 2015)

Citing a Secondary Source:

In this situation the original author and date should be stated first followed by
‘as cited in’ followed by the author and date of the secondary source. For example:

Lorde (1980) as cited in Mitchell (2017) Or (Lorde, 1980, as cited in Mitchell, 2017)

How to do APA References

Core Components of an APA Reference

APA Referencing according to the Type of Source

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|55
1. Book referencing is the most basic style; it matches the template above,
minus the URL section. So the basic format of a book reference is as follows:

Examples:

Mitchell, J.A., Thomson, M., & Coyne, R.P. (2017). A guide to citation. London,
England: My Publisher

Jones, A.F & Wang, L. (2011). Spectacular creatures: The Amazon rainforest
(2nd ed.). San Jose, Costa Rica: My Publisher

2. Edited Book in APA Format. This reference format is very similar to the
book format apart from one extra inclusion: (Ed(s)). The basic format is as
follows:

Example:

Williams, S.T. (Ed.). (2015). Referencing: A guide to citation rules (3rd ed.).
New York, NY: My Publisher

3. Chapter in an Edited Book in APA Format. Edited books are collations of

chapters written by different authors. To reference a single chapter, a different
format is needed. The basic

structure is as follows

Example:

In the following example, B.N. Troy is the author of the chapter and S.T.
 Williams is the editor.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|56

Troy, B.N. (2015). APA citation rules. In S.T, Williams (Ed.). A guide to
citation rules (2nd ed., pp. 50-95). New York, NY: Publishers.

4. E-Book in APA Format. An E-Book reference is the same as a book reference

expect the publisher is swapped for a URL. The basic structure is as follows:

Author surname, initial(s) (Ed(s).*). (Year). Title (ed.*). Retrieved from URL

*optional. Example:

Mitchell, J.A., Thomson, M., & Coyne, R.P. (2017). A guide to citation. Retrieved
from
https://www.mendeley.com/reference-management/reference-manager

5. E-Book Chapter in APA Format. This follows the same structure as an edited
book chapter reference except the publisher is exchanged for a URL. The structure
is as follows:

Last name of the chapter author, initial(s). (Year). Chapter title. In editor
initial(s), surname (Ed.). Title (ed., pp.chapter page range). Retrieved from URL

Example:

Troy, B.N. (2015). APA citation rules. In S.T, Williams (Ed.). A guide to
citation rules (2nd ed., pp. 50-95). Retrieved from
https://www.mendeley.com/reference management/reference-manager

6. Journal Article in Print or Online in APA Format. Articles differ from book
citations in that the publisher and publisher location are not included. For journal
articles, these are replaced with the journal title, volume number, issue number
and page number. The basic

structure is

Examples:

Mitchell, J.A. (2017). Citation: Why is it so important. Mendeley Journal, 67(2), 81-95

Mitchell, J.A. (2017). Citation: Why is it so important. Mendeley Journal, 67(2),

 81-95. Retrieved from
https://www.mendeley.com/reference-management/reference-manager

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|57

7. Newspaper Articles in Print or Online in APA Format. The basic
structure is as follows:

Author surname, initial(s). (Year, Month Day). Title. Title of Newspaper,

column/section, p. or pp. Retrieved from URL*

**Only include if the article is online.

Note: the date includes the year, month and date.

Example:

Mitchell, J.A. (2017). Changes to citation formats shake the research

world. The Mendeley Telegraph, Research News, pp.9. Retrieved
from

https://www.mendeley.com/reference-management/reference-manager 8.

Magazine Articles in Print or Online in APA Format. The basic structure is as

follows: Author surname, initial(s). (Year, month day). Title. Title of the Magazine,

pp. Example:

Mitchell, J.A. (2017). How citation changed the research world. The Mendeley, pp. 26-28

9. Website in APA Format. When citing a website, the basic structure is

as follows: Author surname, initial(s). (Year, month day). Title. Retrieved

from URL

Example:

Mitchell, J.A. (2017, May 21). How and when to reference. Retrieved
from https://www.howandwhentoreference.com.

MLA (Modern Language Association)

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|58
How to do MLA In-text Citation

In-text references must be included following the use of a quote or paraphrase

taken from another piece of work. In-text citations are citations within the main
body of the text and refer to a direct quote or paraphrase. In-text citations:

Correspond to a reference in the main reference list.

They contain the first word of the reference, which is usually the author’s
surname, and the page, or page-range in which the reference is found.

They come directly after the quote or parenthetical or in a natural pause.

Using the example author James A. Mitchell they take the form:

Mitchell states “...” (189) Or (Mitchell 189)

Other MLA in-text citation rules:

More than One Author:

For 2-3 authors, all the names can be listed along with the page number in the
following format:

(Mitchell, Thomson, and Smith 189)

 For 3+ authors, only the surname of the first author should be listed followed

by ‘et al’: (Mitchell et al. 189)

No Authors:

In this case, the whole title italicised, a shortened title within quotation marks
or an article or webpage in quotation marks should be used in place of the author.
Using the example of a book ‘A guide to citation’ and an article ‘APA Citation
guide’, this takes the form:

Book Title: A Guide to Citation states “..” (189) Or (A Guide to Citation

189) Article Title: “APA Citation Guide” states “...” (189) Or (“APA Citation

Guide” 189) Authors With Multiple Cited Works:

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Include a shortened version of the title within the citation: (Mitchell, A Guide to
Citation 189)

Authors With the Same Surname:

In this case, include an initial: (J. Mitchell 76) and (M. Mitchell 100-120)

No Page Number

If the source includes another numbered pattern (eg chapters, paragraphs)

then these numbers can be used instead: (Mitchell, ch. 7) ch referring to chapter.

If there are no numbered sections then the name is quoted alone.

Citing a Quote or Parenthetical:

In these cases, use ‘qtd.’ before the name: (qtd. In Mitchell 189)

Citing Audio-Visual Sources:

In these cases a time stamp must be used in place of the page number in the
form hh:mm:ss: (Mitchell 00:18:23)

How to do MLA References

Core Component of MLA Reference

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|60
APA Referencing according to the Type of Source

1. Book referencing is the most basic type of reference. The basic format is as

follows:

Example:

Mitchell, James A. A Guide to Citation. 2nd ed, My London

Publisher, 2017. Note: Author name. Title. Version, Publisher, Year

of Publication.

2. Edited and Translated Books. The format of these is the same as a book
reference except that the editor or translator must be specified. This is done in
 one of two ways:

-Editor or translator is added after the names in the author list. This is done if
the editing or translation is the focus of you work. E.g. Mendeley, James, editor.

-The names are added to the contributors list preceded by ‘translated by’ or
‘edited by’. This is done if the author or work itself is the focus of your work, no
the editing or translation. E.g. Edited by James Mendeley,

The two possible formats are as followed:

Last name, first name, editor. Title. Title of container, Contributors, Version,
Number, Publisher, Year of publication. Or

Last name, first name. Title. Title of container, edited by Contributors, Version,
Number, Publisher, Year of publication.

Examples:

Troy, Ben N., editor, and Mary Smith. A Guide to Citation Rules. Oxford Publishers, 2015.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|61

Coyne, Kate and Nick A. Smith. MLA Citation Rules. Translated by Chris
Andrews, New York Publishings, 2004.

3. E-Books. An e-book is considered to be a different version of a book, so the

e-book identity is entered into the version section of the regular book reference
template. Specific providers of e-book can be referenced for instance kindle which
is referenced as ‘kindle ed.’. The basic format of an e-book citation is:

Last name, first name. Title. Title of container, Contributors, edition, e-book,
Number, Publisher, Year of publication.

Example:

Troy, Ben N., et al. A Guide to Citation. 2nd ed, e-book, New York Publishers, 2010.

4. Chapter (or Essay) in a Book. This reference takes a slightly different form to
the book reference.

Example:

Mitchell, James A. “MLA Citation”. A Guide to Citation, My London Publisher,

2017, pp. 107-13
 5. Article. The basic format for citing journal, newspaper and magazine articles is
the same:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|62

There are variations between journal, magazine and newspaper article
references within the date and title of container sections.

Journal Example:

Mitchell, James A. “Citation: Why is it Important”. Mendeley Journal, vol. 4,

no. 6, Summer

1999, pp .607-674.

Newspaper/Magazine Example:

Mitchell, James A. “How Citation Changed the Research World”. The Mendeley,
weekend edition, vol. 62, no. 9, 6 September 2017, pp. 70-81.

Online Example:

The only change when referencing an online article is the addition of the
database title and a URL or DOI corresponding to the article.

Mitchell, James A. “Citation: Why is it Important”. Mendeley Journal, vol. 4,

no. 6, Summer 1999, pp .607-674. Journal Database,
https://www.mendeley.com/reference management/reference-manager

6. Webpage. The basic format for this is:

Last name of author, first name. “Title of page/document”. Title of overall

webpage, date, URL.

Example:
 Mitchell, James A., and Martha Thomson. How and When to Reference. 25 Jan.
2017: https://www.howandwhentoreference.com/

ACTIVITY
Activity 1. APA and MLA Checker

Directions: Check the right column for each referencing item.

Referencing Item True only for True only for True for both
APA style MLA style APA and MLA
1. (Bravo, 2016, p.83) style

2. Colon after publication

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place

3. Date after author

4. Period after
bibliographical entry

5. Underlined title of the

book

6. Date after the

publisher

7. Italicized title of the

book

8. Capitalized content
words in the title

9. (Araullo 383)

10. Capitalized initial

word and proper nouns
in the title

Activity 2. Multiple-choice

Directions: Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1.What is the correct reference format for a book?

A. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2011).

B. Weinberg, RS and Gould, D 2011,

C. R. S. Weinberg & D. Gould, (2011).

D. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2011).

2. What is the correct author and year format for a journal article in a

reference list? A. Brill, J. B. (2011).

B. Brill, JB, (2011).

C. Brill, J. B. 2011.

D. John Brill, 2011.

3. What is the correct reference format for a web document?

A. What is holistic medicine? 2012. Retrieved from

http://www.holisticmed.com/whatis.html B. Gold, M. (2012). What is holistic
medicine? http://www.holisticmed.com/whatis.html C. Martin Gold. (2012). What is
holistic medicine? http://www.holisticmed.com/whatis.html

D. Gold, M 2012, What is holistic medicine?, viewed 30 July 2014,

http://www.holisticmed.com/whatis.html.

4. What is the correct in-text reference format for a direct quote?

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A. Veit and Gould (2010) emphasise the importance of ‘using your own words and
your own style’ when paraphrasing.Veit & Gould (2010, p158) emphasise the
importance of ‘using your own words and your own style’ when paraphrasing.

B. Veit & Gould (2010, p158) emphasise the importance of ‘using your own words
and your own style’ when paraphrasing.

C. Veit and Gould (2010) emphasise the importance of “using your own words and
your own style" (p. 158) when paraphrasing.

D. Veit and Gould, page 158, emphasise the importance of ‘using your own words
and your own style’ when paraphrasing.

5. The reference list is arranged in the order in which resources are cited in your

assignment. A. TRUE

B. FALSE

6. In which text the citation is correct according to APA style?

A. Milgram (1963) was interested in the extend in which people would be willing to
obey an authority figure. The percentage of subjects that obeyed in Milgram’s
experiment (1963), was much greater . . .

B. Milgram (1963) was interested in the extend in which people would be willing to
obey an authority figure. The percentage of subjects that obeyed in his experiment,
was much greater . . .

C. Milgram (1963) was interested in the extend in which people would be willing to
obey an authority figure. The percentage of subjects that obeyed in Milgram’s
experiment (ibid.), was much greater . . .
 D. Milgram (1963) was interested in the extend in which people would be willing to
obey an authority figure. The percentage of subjects that obeyed in Milgram’s
experiment (see Milgram, 1963), was much greater . . .

7. In which text the citation is correct according to APA style?

A. Vroom & Yetton (1973) define leadership in a more practical way.

B. Vroom/ Yetton (1973) define leadership in a more practical way.

C. Vroom and Yetton (1973) define leadership in a more practical way.

8. What is wrong in this reference?

Eagly, A. H., and Carli, L. L. (1981). Sex of researchers and sex-typed

communications as determinants of sex differences in influenceability: A
meta-analysis of social influences. Psychological Bulletin, 90, 1-20.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.90.1.1

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|65

A. Between author names “&” should be used instead of “and”.

B. There should be quotation marks around the title: " “

C. The year should not be in parentheses.

9. What is wrong in this reference?

Deaux, Kay. (1976). The Behavior of Women and Men. Monterey, CA:

Brooks/Cole. A. Kay should be K.

B. The year should not be in parentheses

C. The words Behavior, Women en Men should not begin with capitals

10. You want to cite information from the chapter “Culture and social class” of P. J.
Henry. This chapter is part of the book ”Culture reexamined: Broadening our
understanding of social and evolutionary influences” from 2014, of which A. B. Cohen
is the editor. How do you cite this source?

A. In text:
. . . culture is defined in many different ways in different disciplines (Henry, in Cohen, 2014).

In the reference list:

Cohen A. B. (Ed.). Culture reexamined: Broadening our understanding of social and

evolutionary influences. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

B. In text:
. . . culture is defined in many different ways in different disciplines (Henry, 2014).
 In the reference list:

Henry, P. J. (2014). Culture and social class. In A. B. Cohen (Ed.), Culture

reexamined: Broadening our understanding of social and evolutionary influences
(pp. 49-75). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

REFLECTION

Directions: Express
your ideas in the
following question.
Write your answer in

a sheet of paper.

What is the history of plagiarism? What are the root causes of plagiarism?

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|66

ASSIGNMENT

Make a table with 2 columns. Each column will be labeled APA and MLA,
respectively. Cite all their differences in in-text citation and referencing. Answer in a
sheet of paper.

Lesson 3: Conceptual Framework

Time Frame: Week 3

OVERVIEW

While you are doing your research, you might have included important concepts,
elements, and components in your paper that your readers might overlook or be
confused about.

So, wanting to make clear the ins and outs of

your research in a nutshell, you make the
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK of the study.

A conceptual framework is a graphical

presentation
of your concepts or ideas on the basic structure or
components of your research as well as on the
relationship of these elements with one another (Baraceros, 2016). It is a broad
outline or plan that shows the components of your study. It is the researcher’s
understanding of how the particular variables in his study connect with each
other. Thus, it identifies the variables required in the research investigation. It is the
researcher’s “map” in pursuing the investigation.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|67

Simply put, you are being transparent in the direction your research is taking. Here is
an example of a conceptual framework:

Thesis statement: Chronic exposure to blue light from LED screens (of computer
monitors and television) deplete melatonin levels thus reduce the number of sleeping
hours among middle aged adults.
 The study claims that blue light from the light emitting diodes (LED) inhibit the
production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles. Those
affected experience insomnia; they sleep less than required (usually less than six
hours), and this happens when they spend too much time working on their laptops or
viewing the television at night.

Notice that the variables of the study are explicit in the paradigm presented in
Figure 1. In the illustration, the two variables are 1) number of hours devoted in front
of the computer, and 2) number of hours slept at night. The former is the
independent variable while the latter is the dependent variable. Both of these
variables are easy to measure. It is just counting the number of hours spent in front
of the computer and the number of hours slept by the subjects of the study
(Regoniel, 2015).

Here is another example:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|68

You can also make a framework by showing the inter-relationships of your

variables and how it will impact the study.

Based on the diagram, the need of students to belong depends on the

significance of others and how the person perceives that significance. This
perception of others greatly influences the level of ‘mattering’ to Latino students
which will greatly impact their persistence to graduate with their peers. This
diagram showed both the INPUT (the research problem) and the OUTPUT (end
result) of the study which are to study the levels and influencers of ‘mattering’
(input) and its impacts on the persistence to graduation of Latino students
(output).

POINTERS IN WRITING A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

 1. Familiarize yourself with the objective of the conceptual framework.

2. Base the contents of the conceptual framework on your own understanding

of the elements and of the relationships of the research components.

3. See to it that all aspects of the framework are related to the objective of the research.
4. Let others read your conceptual framework for comments or feedback for
improvement purposes.

When you finally structure your conceptual framework, you can use different kinds
of concept maps. CONCEPT MAPS are made up of lines, circles, boxes, or symbols that
represent concepts of varied features of your research. Here are some types of
concepts maps you can use:

1. Flowchart

2. Systems concept map

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|69

3. Tree diagram

4. Spider Map

If you ever get

confused on how
to determine the relationship of your variables, remember to read the literature
about them. Remember why you are studying this issue, what you want to
understand about it, and what problem you want to solve. Always stick to the
objective of your research.

OVERVIEW

Activity 1. Concept Explanation

Directions: Answer each question intelligently and concisely.

1. Describe the behavior of one writing a conceptual framework of research.

__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

2. In what stage of research is conceptual framework written? Give reasons for your
answer.
 __________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

3. Why should a research be given a conceptual framework?

__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

4. Suppose the research has no conceptual framework, what would the consequences be?

__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

5. How does a conceptual framework mirror some personality traits of the researcher
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

Activity 2. Creating a Conceptual Framework

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Directions: Make a conceptual framework on the research topic provided. Draw your
map in the box given.

Research topic: “Improving Critical Thinking through Systemic Functional Grammar”

Systemic Functional Grammar or SFG is a modern language theory which states
that man’s critical thinking increases whenever he uses language for these reasons:
first, for ideational function or for knowledge acquisition; second, for interpersonal
function or creating human relationships, and third, for trxtual function or for
strategic and coherent expression of ideas. In this case, the independent variables are
the SFG components (ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions) and the
dependent variable is critical thinking.

REFLECTION
 Directions: Express your ideas in the following
question. Write your answer in a sheet of paper.

ASSIGNMENT

Make the conceptual framework of the study on the research topic and problem
you have chosen. Encode your work in a short-sized bondpaper using Times New
Roman size 12, double spacing.

Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your class
code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the deadline.

Lesson 4: Operational Definitions

Time Frame: Week 3

OVERVIEW

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|71

Every good research study always has some definitions to clarify as regards the
variables used in the study. To do this, researchers do not just define the variable
based on what it is (THEORETICAL DEFINITION), but how it is supposed to be used in
the study. This is called OPERATIONAL DEFINITION.

An operational definition allows the researchers to describe in a specific way what

they mean when they use a certain term. Generally, operational definitions are
concrete and measurable. Defining variables in this way allows other people to see if
the research has validity. Validity here refers to if the researchers are actually
measuring what they intended to measure.

We need operational definitions, so that we know exactly what researchers are

talking about when they refer to something. There might be different definitions of
words depending on the context in which the word is used. Think about how words
mean something different to people from different cultures. To avoid any confusion
about definitions, in research we explain clearly what we mean when we use a certain
term.

Operational Definition Examples

Example One:

A researcher wants to measure if age is related to addiction. Perhaps their

hypothesis is: the incidence of addiction will increase with age. Here we have two
variables, age and addiction. In order to make the research as clear as possible, the
researcher must define how they will measure these variables. Essentially, how do we
measure someone’s age and how to we measure addiction?

Variable One: Age might seem straightforward. You might be wondering why we
need to define age if we all know what age is. However, one researcher might decide
to measure age in months

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|72

in order to get someone’s precise age, while another researcher might just choose to
measure age in years. In order to understand the results of the study, we will need to
know how this researcher operationalized age. For the sake of this example lets say
that age is defined as how old someone is in years.

Variable Two: The variable of addiction is slightly more complicated than age. In order
to operationalize it the researcher has to decide exactly how they want to measure
addiction. They might narrow down their definition and say that addiction is defined
as going through withdrawal when the person stops using a substance. Or the
researchers might decide that the definition of addiction is: if someone currently
meets the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for any substance use disorder. For the sake of
this example, let’s say that the researcher chose the latter.

Final Definition: In this research study age is defined as participant’s age measured in
years and the incidence of addiction is defined as whether or not the participant
currently meets the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for any substance use disorder.

Example Two:

A researcher wants to measure if there is a correlation between hot weather and

violent crime. Perhaps their guiding hypothesis is: as temperature increases so will
violent crime. Here we have two variables, weather and violent crime. In order to
make this research precise the researcher will have to operationalize the variables.

Variable One: The first variable is weather. The researcher needs to decide how to
define weather. Researchers might chose to define weather as outside temperature
in degrees Fahrenheit. But we need to get a little more specific because there is not
one stable temperature throughout the day. So the researchers might say that
weather is defined as the high recorded temperature for the day measured in degrees
Fahrenheit.

Variable Two: The second variable is violent crime. Again, the researcher needs to
define how violent crime is measured. Let’s say that for this study it they use the FBI’s
definition of violent crime. This definition describes violent crime as “murder and
nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault”.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|73

However, how do we actually know how many violent crimes were committed on a
given day? Researchers might include in the definition something like: the number of
people arrested that day for violent crimes as recorded by the local police.

Final Definition: For this study, temperature was defined as high recorded
temperature for the day measured in degrees Fahrenheit. Violent crime was defined
as the number of people arrested in a given day for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and
aggravated assault as recorded by the local police
 GUIDELINES IN GIVING OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

Gleaned from books on research are the following pointers on defining terms operationally:

1. Have a clear understanding of the concept focused on by your study before

you begin such concept operationally.

2. Base your operational definition on the concept under study.

3. Express the operational definition in only one sentence.

4. Let the operational definition explain the measurement of the variables clearly.

5. Construct an operational definition that other researchers can understand,

assess, and repeat in other research studies.

ACTIVITY

Activity 1. Theoretical definition vs Operational Definition

Directions: On the line provided, write OD if the sentence defines the term
operationally; TD, if it defines the term theoretically or conceptually.
___________1. A sentence is a worf or group of words that expresses a complete
thought.
___________2. A sentence is made up of a subject, consisting of a name word, and a
predicate, madeup of an action words, to express a complete thought.
___________3. A bug is a fault or an error in a computer program.
___________4. A bug is an error in a computer program that is characterized by
high-speed telegraph key.
___________5. Strangury is less than 20-minute slow and bloody way of
urinating. ___________6. Strangury is a person’s abnormal way of
urinating

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|74

___________7. Sterilization is any procedure such as the use of a steam-pressure
cooker to destroy microorganisms.
___________8. Sterilization is a complete destruction of all microorganisms.
___________9. Analog is the representation of values through the use of
physical variables. ___________10. Cycle is a set of operations.
Activity 2. Making Operational Definitions
Directions: Convert each theoretical definition to operational definition.
1. A unversity is a place for learning.

__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
_____________
2. Electric fan is a device for convenience
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
3. Painting is an art.

__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
4. A phrase is a group of words
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
_____________
5. Patience is an ability to wait.
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________
__________________________________________________________________
______________

REFLECTION

Directions: Express
your ideas in the
following question.
Write your answer in
 a sheet of paper.

Why do we need to define the variables operationally? How do you know if

a term is defined operationally? How do we differentiate a theoretical definition
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|75
from an operational definition?

.
ASSIGNMENT

You have two (2) assignments:

1. Surf the internet and look for published research study. Make a list of terms
that the study defined operationally. Then, evaluate the way the online operational
definitions were made.

2. Make the definition of terms of the study on the research topic and problem
you have chosen. Encode your work in a short-sized bondpaper using Times New
Roman size 12, double spacing.

Note: All assignments shall be passed online through Google Classroom. Your class
code will be given to you at the start of the class, so pass your assignments and
activities before/on the deadline.
Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|76

UNIT 4: Understanding Data

and Ways to Systematically
Collect Data

A lot of data from different sources preoccupy your mind as you go through the several
stages of research. To understand the data; that is, to find meanings in them in relation to
your study, you have to conduct an orderly manner of gathering, identifying, and grouping
them. A set-by-set arrangement of facts and information is a must in research, because in
arriving at a conclusion about your study on the basis of

the collected data, you don’t only deal with lone proof or evidence but also with several
proofs hinging upon Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|77
a common theme, concept or theory.
 UNIT 4: Understanding Data and Ways to Systematically Collect Data

Content Standard:

The learner demonstrates understanding of:

1. quantitative research designs;

2. description of sample;

3. instrument development;

4. data collection and analysis procedures such as survey, interview, and

observation; and 5. guidelines in writing research methodology.

Performance Standard:

The learner is able to:

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|78
1. describe adequately quantitative research designs, sample, instrument used, data collection,
and analysis procedures.
Lesson 1: Quantitative Research Designs

Time Frame: Week 4

OVERVIEW

Once you have decided on what research problem to study, have already studied
about its background and its current situation, and
have decided the framework , the next thing to do is
to plan out how to collect data for your research
questions. This planning section of your research
paper is called METHODOLOGY.
 Much like fashion designing and other fields, your own research needs to have a
plan of action. How would you get the answers you need? What instruments will you
need to gather data? From whom will you aquire the data? Where will you get them?
These are questions that you need to

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|79

provide for in this section. In the methodology section is comprised of: research
design, respondent, instruments, sampling technique, data gatherting procedure,
and data analysis.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

A research design is a systematic approach that a researcher uses to conduct a

scientific study. It is the overall synchronization of identified components and data
resulting in a plausible outcome. To conclusively come up with an authentic and
accurate result, the research design should follow a strategic methodology, in line
with the type of research chosen. To have a better understanding of which research
paper topic, to begin with, it is imperative to first identify the types of research to
start writing a research proposal.

What is Quantitative Research design?

A quantitative research design is used to examine the relationship between
variables by using numbers and statistics to explain and analyze their findings.

There are 4 types of quantitative research design:

Descriptive design research: As the name implies, it is intended to describe
the present status of this type of design that does not require a hypothesis, to
begin with. These analyses are generated from existing data.
Here are some methods that you can use in this design:
1. Observational method
2. Case Study Method
3. Survey Method

Correlational design research: This seeks to discover If two variables are

associated or related in some way, using statistical analysis, while observing the
variable. It measures a relationship between two variables without the researcher
controlling either of them. It aims to find out whether there is either:
Positive Both variables As height increases, weight also
correlation change in the same increases
direction
 Negative The variables As coffee
correlation change in opposite consumption increases, tiredness
directions decreases

Zero correlation There is no

relationship
between the
variables

Experimental design research: This is a method used to establish a cause and

effect relationship between two variables or among a group of variables. The
independent variable is manipulated to observe the effect on the dependent
variable. For example, a certain group is exposed to a variable and then compared
with the group not exposed to the variable.

Practical Research 2: Quantitative Research|80