Inquiries and Investigation

1. QUARTER 3-WEEK 5
INQUIRIES AND INVESTIGATIONS
SYNTHESIZING REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
At the end of the lessons, you are expected to:
1. evaluate the information cited on your RRL;
2. identify the gaps, themes, and ideas conveyed by the sources on your RRL; and
3. write down the synthesis of your Review of Related Literature.
How to synthesize a review of Related Literature?
In a person’s daily routine, they always experience synthesizing information from different
sources, such as from the stories you have heard from a new source and discussions about the same
topic with others.
Below are the steps on how to synthesize a Review of Related Literature.
1. Digest the material and understand the content of the sources. In this process, you have to
determine and identify similarities among the articles by group in terms of concepts, patterns, and
relationship. You may ask these questions within yourself.
-Did the author used similar conceptual and theoretical framework, sample participants,
methodologies, or instruments and procedures to collect data?
-How and in what way are the findings similar?
-Are there any studies that served as an extension of another study?
Remember you should be noting not only the articles that are similar but how they are similar.
2. Review and critically analyze the sources. This second step may determine the differences
and contradictions among the
articles by group. You can ask these questions to yourself.
-Did the authors used different conceptual and theoretical framework, sample
participants, methodologies, or instruments and procedures to collect data?
-How and in what ways are the findings different and contradictory?
3. Synthesize the content of the information that you have gathered. It means going beyond
your critique to determine the relationships or patterns among sources, identifying then comparing
and contrasting common concepts or themes.

2. This step determines general observations and conclusions about each topic given the relationship
inferred from the group of articles within each topic. It also determines the existence of any
reoccurring concepts, relationships, patterns, or themes and if any of these are in need of further
inquiry.

3. For instance, on your three different sources you have found out different themes such as theme
A, theme B, and theme C. You might compare and contrast things on those three themes that
emerged on your sources. Consequently, it may also happen that there is one seminal study done
that all other researchers expanded upon. If you will to ask if there are overall themes that are used
in a review of related literature, the answer is whatever the theme or pattern appeared on your
information gathered, try to infer beyond what was indicated on your collection of sources. In
order for you to have a well-developed synthesis of your study, one must use their ability of having
the “higher ordered thinking skills”. Through your HOTS you will be able to write objectively and
constructively. Also, you can provide ideas clearly, logically organized, and focused writing.

4. Note: A key element to make a good synthesis of review of related literature is the integration,
which is about making connections between and among ideas and concepts. It is about applying
what you have researching within a larger framework, thereby providing you a new way of looking
onto a phenomenon. Here is a diagram which will help you synthesize and analyze your literature
review.
Write T if the statement is true and F if otherwise. Write your answers on the space provided.
1. A synthesis tries to determine the connection of the researcher’s review of related literature.
2. Integration of parts of the researcher’s information gathered into a whole new idea is a
characteristic of synthesis of RRL.
3. Synthesis is a combination of different ideas to form a new whole.
4. In synthesizing a collection of ideas, the researcher must identify the methodology used,
participants, and instruments used in the study of another researcher.
5. A synthesis of a research paper is about concisely summarizing and linking different sources to
get the idea of the literature review.
6. Synthesizing the collection of sources gathered in the research paper is not essential in
conducting research.
7. Synthesis and analysis usually goes together when you are synthesizing your Review of Related
Literature.
8. Synthesis determines the question, “Which sources overlap or share the same opinion/findings?”
9. A synthesis answers the question, “Have the researcher found any common traits or themes in
the research literature?”
10. Synthesizing Review of Related Literature should not just tell us what the research tells us but
should also identify what the research does not tell us.
QUARTER 3-WEEK 6
UNDERSTANDING WAYS TO COLLECT DATA
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. recognize types of data;
2. identify the methods for collecting data;
3. explain the procedure for data collection; and
4. conduct and record an interview.

5. Data are a collection of facts such as values or measurements. It can be numbers, words,
measurements, observations, or even just descriptions of things. Basically, data are two types:
constant and variable. Constant is a situation or value that does not change, while a characteristic,
number, or quantity that increases or decreases over time or takes different values in different
situations is called variable. Due to unchangeable property, constant is not used and only variable
is used for summary measures and analysis. There are five types of variable in terms of research
methodology as follows:
The variable, value of which affects the value of another variable is known as independent variable.
Such variable is not affected by the change in the value of another variable but affects the value of
another variable. The variable, value of which may change due to change in the value of another
variable is called dependent variable. In other words, such characteristic is called dependent
variable for which different values can be obtained in the context of change in independent
variable.
We know that independent variable affects the value of dependent variable and there has been
cause and effect relationship between these two. The variable that affects the cause-and-effect
relationship between these two variables is called moderator variable. It means the effect of
independent variable independent variable may be different in the presence of moderator
variable. Next, If the effect of such variables that can affect the cause-and-effect relationship of
dependent and independent variable, is eliminated, it is called controlled variable. In other words,
if the effect of moderator variable is controlled, it is known as controlled variable.
Lastly, any such variable is called intervening variable, that may affect the cause-and-effect
relationship of dependent and independent variables buteither cannot be measured clearly or is to
be ignored during research. It means, intervening variables are neither controlled nor taken care of
during research. In other words, any moderator variable, that cannot be measured or observed
clearly or ignored is called intervening variable.
Data collection is the process of gathering information on variables of interest from a sample of
research participants. There are two types of data collection:
1. Primary data collection refers to data that is collected from research participants directly by the
investigators of a study and the data is used for that study.
Below are some of the sources of primary data:
a. Experiments require an artificial or natural setting in which to perform logical study to collect
data. Experiments are more suitable for medicine, psychological studies, nutrition, and for other
scientific studies. In experiments, the experimenter must keep control over the influence of any
extraneous variable on the results.
b. Survey is the most commonly used method in social sciences, management, marketing, and
psychology to some extent. Surveys can be conducted in different methods.

6. c. Questionnaire is the most commonly used method in survey. Questionnaires are list of questions
either open-ended or close-ended for which the respondents give answers. Questionnaire can be
conducted via telephone, mail, live in a public area, or in an institute, through electronic mail or
through online platforms and other methods.
d. Interview is a face-to-face conversation with the respondent. In interview the main problem
arises when the respondent deliberately
hides information otherwise it is an in-depth source of information. The interviewer can not only
record the statements the interviewee speaks.
2. Secondary data collection refers to data that is collected by investigators from research papers
that are already published online. Secondary data is used by these investigators in a secondary
research study (e.g., review of primary research).
The following are some examples of collecting secondary data:
• Books
• Records
• Biographies
• Newspapers
• Data archives
• Internet articles
• Research articles by other
Quantitative Data
It is numerical in nature and can be mathematically computed. Quantitative data measure uses
different scales, which can be classified as nominal scale, ordinal scale, interval scale and ratio
scale. Often (not always), such data includes measurements of something. Quantitative approaches
address the ‘what’ of the study. They use a systematic standardized approach and employ methods
such as surveys and ask questions. Quantitative approaches have the advantage that they are
cheaper to implement, are standardized so comparisons can be easily made, and the size of the
effect can usually be measured.
There are two main quantitative data collection methods:
1. Surveys: Traditionally, surveys were conducted using paper-based methods and have gradually
evolved into online mediums. Closed-ended questions form a major part of these surveys as they
are more effective in collecting quantitative data. The survey makes include answer options which
they think are the most appropriate for a particular question.
a. Longitudinal Studies are types of observational research in which the market researcher
conducts surveys from a specific time period to another (i.e., over a considerable course of time,

7. is called longitudinal survey). This survey is often implemented for trend analysis or studies where
the primary objective is to collect and analyze a pattern in data.
b. Cross-sectional Studies are types of observational research in which the market research
conducts surveys at a particular time period across the target sample is known as cross-sectional
survey. This survey type implements a questionnaire to understand a specific subject from the
sample at a definite time period.
To administer a survey to collect quantitative data, the below principles are to be followed.
a. Fundamental levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales). There are four
measurement scales which are fundamental to creating a multiple-choice question in a survey in
collecting quantitative data. They are, nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio measurement scales
without the fundamentals of which, no multiple-choice questions can be created.
b. Use of different question types. To collect quantitative data, close-ended questions have to be
used in a survey. They can be a mix of multiple question types including multiple-choice questions
like semantic differential scale questions, rating scale questions etc. that can help collect data that
can be analyzed and made sense of.
c. Survey distribution and survey data collection. In the above, we have seen the process of
building a survey along with the survey design to collect quantitative data. Survey distribution to
collect data is the other important aspect of the survey process. There are different ways of survey
distribution. Some of the most commonly used methods are:
➢ e-mail
➢ sample size
➢ embedding a survey
➢ social distribution
2. One-on-one Interviews. This quantitative data collection method was also traditionally
conducted face-to-face but has shifted to telephonic and online platforms. Interviews offer a
marketer the opportunity to gather extensive data from the participants. Quantitative interviews
are immensely structured and play a key role in collecting information. There are three major
sections of these online interviews:
a. face-to-face interviews
b. online or telephonic interviews
c. computer assisted personal interview
Data Collection Procedure
It is a systematic process of gathering observations or measurements. Whether you are performing
research for business, governmental, or academic purposes, data collection allows you to gain first-

8. hand knowledge and original insights into your research problem. While methods and aims may
differ between fields, the overall process of data collection remains largely the same. Before you
begin collecting data, you need to consider:
a. the aim of the research;
b. the type of data that you will collect; and
c. the methods and procedures you will use to collect, store, and process
the data.
To collect high-quality data that is relevant to your purposes, follow these four
steps.
Step 1: Define the aim of your research. Before you start the process of data collection, you need
to identify exactly what you want to achieve. You can start by writing a problem statement: what
is the practical or scientific issue that you want to address and why does it matter?
Step 2: Develop operational definitions and procedures. What are we measuring? How will it be
measured? Who will measure it? Having clarity in these questions is of utmost importance. Often,
we will employ sampling in which case we need to define a sampling plan.
Step 3: Choose more than one data collection technique. There is no “best” tool. Do not let the tool
drive your work but rather choose the right tool to address the evaluation question.
Step 4: Begin to collect your data. From these, you have already learned the basic quantitative data
collection.
Activity 1
Read each statement carefully. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answers on your
notebook.
1. Which one is a strength of using questionnaires in the data gathering?
a. cheap and easy way to collect data b. interviewer effect
c. low response rate d. unethical
2. Which one is a weakness of questionnaires in the data gathering?
a. cheap b. demand characteristics
c. interviewer effect d. low response rate
3. Which one is a strength of observations in the data gathering?
a. cheap and easy way to collect data b. first hand data, which is rich in validity
c. quick d. representative

9. 4. What is quantitative data?
a. A study of an individual or group over a long period of time
b. A small scale study done prior to the actual study
c. Data collected the written or descriptive form
d. Data collected in the numeric form
5. Which of the following is a type of secondary data?
a. interview b. official statistics
c. observation d. questionnaire
POST TEST
A. Classify each set of data as DISCRETE or CONTINUOUS. Write your answer on the space
provided.
1. The number of suitcases lost by an airline
2. The height of tomato plants
3. The number of ears of corn produced
4. The number of green M&M's in a bag
5. The time it takes for a car battery to die
6. The number of cats in a shelter at any given time
7. The weight of new-born babies
8. The types of book in the library
9. The length of time in someone’s life
10. The number of books in the library
From numbers 11-12. Choose the letter of the CORRECT answer. Write the answer on the space
provided.
11. What are the sources of qualitative data?
a. books and journal c. primary sources and secondary sources
b. interview and observation d. questionnaires and survey
12. Which of the following is a characteristic of qualitative research?
a. deductive process c. fixed research design
b. control over the context d. inductive process