What is research?

A detailed study of a subject,

especially in order to discover new
Jose Rizal Memorial State University information or reach a new
understanding.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH Systematic investigation into a

problem or situation, where the
intention is to identify facts
and/or opinions that will assist in
solving the problem or dealing
with situation.

 Making a rigorous and relevant

contribution to knowledge.
 Understanding of a cause effect
relationship of a given
phenomenon or uncovering a
new phenomenon
 Organized inquiry to provide
information for the solution to a
problem (Emery&Cooper’91).
 A careful and systematic
investigation in some field of
knowledge, undertaken to
establish facts or principles
(Kumar’96).
 Scientific or scholarly inquiry or
investigation and the proper
communication of the findings
(McCuens’96).
 Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Action Research
Introduction Introduction Introduction
The introduction is developed in a preamble section that is not labeled
as a subsection. The introduction is developed in one to two paragraphs
This chapter of the paper presents the problem and its This part communicates your intentions as researcher.
discussing the general context of your research topic. You may setting. It includes the background of the study, the It makes clear the purpose of the intended study and its
recognize this as your background to the study. statement of the problem, significance of the study, and justification
Literature Review scope and delimitation of the study. Methods and Design
The literature review begins with a Preamble, which is not indicated
with a heading. This is presented differently from the introduction This part provides a step-by-step plan for
chapter. In two to four paragraphs discuss set the context for your Review of the Literature and Conceptual conducting the study. To write this part of an
literature review and discuss what you will cover or accomplish in this Framework
chapter. action research paper, you must narrate the
This chapter of the paper presents the review of related process of selecting a research design and
Research Methodology
literature, the conceptual framework, the research
The research methodology section describes the world view or methodology and designing an implementation
philosophy, the underpinning practices and procedures for conducting hypotheses, and the definition of terms.
and replicating your research, and the type or research study this is plan by answering the following questions
(observation, field, natural, or quasi-experiment). It also informs
scholars and practitioners regarding the rigor and the appropriateness Methodology
of your methodology in relation to the scholarly community in which This chapter includes the research design, the sample,  What research design and method will
the research belongs. Some research methodologies are rigid in their the instruments, the intervention (if research is you use?
expectations and do not allow for variance, while others allow for
experimental), the data collection procedure, and the  What programs, projects and activities or
variation in the form of the research design, which can make each
research project unique. This is acceptable as long as the research plan for data analysis. tasks will you do to implement the
design is approved by your faculty and can be replicated. Please do not strategy?
over invest your time until your instructor has approved your research
methodology.
Presentation and Data Analysis  What are your objectives in conducting
Findings In reporting the results, the researcher stays close to programs, projects, activities and tasks?
As in the previous chapters the findings begins with a Preamble, a the statistical findings without drawing broader  How will you collect, treat, analyse and
paragraph describing what will be covered or accomplished in this implications or meaning from them. Further, this
chapter. In the findings chapter the researcher will describe and define interpret data?
section includes summaries of the data rather than the
(analyze) the data collected, and only the data collected. The task is to
raw data (e.g., the actual scores for individuals). A Results
simply describe and define the data without assigning significance,
value, or meaning. This shows that the researcher understands what has results section includes tables, figures, and detailed This chapter presents the results and findings that
been collected and remains neutral and unbiased in confronting the explanations about the statistical results . you gathered from observation, interviews, data
phenomena of the data. As cribbing significance, value, or meaning is the
task of the final chapter, Discussion. analysis and interpretation. To write this part of
Discussion Conclusion and Recommendations an action research paper, you must answer the
As in the previous chapters the discussion begins with a Preamble, a This chapter presents the conclusions and following questions after the action plan is
paragraph describing what will be covered or accomplished in this recommendations of the study.
chapter. Use this to provide a brief preview of what will be covered in implemented
this chapter. This is the chapter that all the work is for. Here you will use  What results came after implementing the
the competencies of synthesis and evaluation to develop connections Conclusions action plan?
between what is known and what emerges from the research project to The portion that gives meaning to your research and
create new understandings or new knowledge. You will show that you  Provide answers to the research question
have a mastery of the topic; a command of the data collected through your results. The objective of the Conclusion section is
the project, and have resolved, answered, or addressed the research to examine the results, determine whether they solve based on the results findings.
question(s). This is a tall order and requires a great amount of reflection the research question, compare them within themselves Conclusion
and creative thought. Allow yourself space for this to happen. It is a This part states your general findings and based
shame to accomplish all of this work only to restate what is obvious
and to other results (from literature), explain and
while missing the gems hidden in your analysis. The discussion of the interpret them, and then draw conclusions or derive on your findings you will give your
significant data from the previous chapter, Findings, will provide the generalizations, and make recommendations for recommendations to improve local practice.
basis of the material for the researcher in addition to knowledge
expressed through or inferred by the Literature Review. You as the
applying the results or for further research.  How can the finding and conclusions are
researcher will determine value and meaning to data based on the meaningful and relevant to you?
expertise gained through the Literature Review and in analyzing the Recommendations  What do you recommend as a researcher?
collected data. For example, you will explain why a theme of hope for Write recommendations for beneficiaries of results of
battered children means something important to the research and to the
research question(s). study cited in Significance of Study.