The document discusses different types of research designs, including descriptive research, exploratory research, explanatory/analytical research, and predictive research. It provides details on the characteristics and goals of each design. The document also discusses various research strategies and how they relate to the type of research question posed, the researcher's level of control, and whether the focus is contemporary or not. Namely, it addresses experiments, surveys, document/archival analysis, history, and case studies as common research strategies.
2. Descriptive research
• about the description and
characteristics of an existing
phenomenon, a problem,
issue or certain situation,
designed to provide
systematic information
regarding them
• in a descriptive research,
the hypotheses is not
indicated, but is likely
develop after collecting data
(Friedmann, 2005; Southwold,
2005)
• the collected data are often
quantitative and some
statistical techniques are
usually used to summarise
the information.
4 Major Research Designs
GI Forest!
3. Exploratory research
• the researcher explores a setting,
a social phenomenon, an issue or a
certain social situation. It is
conducted when there are few or no
earlier studies to which references
can be made for information
• aims to look for patterns, ideas or
hypotheses rather than testing or
confirming a hypothesis. Therefore,
the researcher does not begin with
a hypothesis in his design
(Friedmann, 2005; Southwold, 2005)
• focus on gaining insights and
familiarity with the subject area for
more rigorous investigation later
On the issue of herbal medicine
4. Explanatory or analytical research
• begins with ideas about the
possible causes of a certain
phenomenon, e. g., the researcher
develops hypotheses before
collecting any data. The researcher
then plans a study that can provide
systematic evidence supporting (or
not supporting) these initial ideas
about cause.
• a continuation of descriptive
research where the researcher goes
beyond merely describing the
characteristics, to analyse and
explain why or how something is
happening. Thus, analytical
research aims to understand
phenomena by discovering and
measuring causal relations among
them.
Find out the effectivity of the drug.
5. Predictive research
• goes further by forecasting the
likelihood of a similar situation
occurring elsewhere. It aims to
generalise from the analysis by
predicting certain phenomenon on
the basis of hypothesised general
relationships
• provides ‘how’, ‘why’, and ‘where’
answers to current events as well
as to similar events in the future. It
is also helpful in situations where
‘What if?’ questions are being
asked.
Market trend after the bombing incidence
6. Strategies can be further defined and differentiated based on these
three conditions:
• type of the research question posed
• extent of control of the researcher over the behavioural
situation of the study, and
• degree of focus whether contemporary or not
Strategy Form of
research
question
Researcher’s
control over
behavioural
event
Focus
whether
contemporary
or not
Experiment How, why yes yes
Survey Who, what,
where, how
much, how many
no yes
Document /
archival analysis
Who, what,
where, how
much, how many
no yes or no
History How, why no no
Case study How, why no yes
Note: The ‘what’ question when asked as part of the exploratory, pertains to all five strategies.
7. If the research question focuses more on ‘what’ question, either of the
two possibilities arise, that ‘what’ questions are exploratory, such as,
‘What are the best ways in which an effective school is operated?’ The
goal here is to come up with pertinent hypothesis and propositions for
further inquiry. But, in an exploratory design, any of the five strategies
can be used—for example, an exploratory survey, an exploratory
experiment, or an exploratory case study.
The second type of ‘what’ question is usually a form of a ‘how many’
or ‘how much’ line of inquiry. For example: ‘What have been the
outcomes of a particular supervisory strategy that was implemented
by DepEd?’ or ‘What have been the results of the application of anti-
malarial measures to the communities in the hinterlands?’ Identifying
the outcomes more likely favour a survey type of strategy or an
archival strategy.
8. In contrast, ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions can be more explanatory and
likely lead to the use of case studies, histories and experimental
strategies, when such questions deals with operational links that need
to be traced over time. Say for example:
How the people in the marginalised sectors cope with the increasing
prices of basic commodities? Here, you can look on their strategies or
their coping mechanisms to meet both ends.
Another example is: Why do the people in the hinterlands of
Marinduque have lower incidence of heart diseases?
The two given questions above can also lead to exploratory case
studies or historical analysis.
Similarly, if you wanted to know ‘what’ would be the outcomes of a new
agricultural policy, you may engage in a predictive survey with the
farmers.
9. Levels of understanding the
research work to be pursued
Philosophical level
Purpose and categorical level
Process or approach level
Methodological level
Design &
strategical levels
What is your guiding
philosophy? How do
you understand
‘reality’?
What is your research goal, your
research problem? What is the
present understanding level
about your research idea?
What is the right approach in
pursuing the posted question in
relation to your guiding principle
and goal?
With the posted question, what is the best
research methodology you will follow?
Now that you decided on the methodology that
you will follow, what specific designs and
strategies you will apply in doing the research
project?
Specific
steps
Delineate the steps based on the cited
design and strategies
Positivism, Post-Positivism, Post-Modernism, Interpretivism, etc.
Basic, Applied, Evaluation, Orientational, Action
Qualitative, Quantitative, Mixed
Descriptive, Explanatory, etc.
10. Let us go through the discussed topics before going to the
next one! Here are some of the realities where you can
link the concepts that we discussed. This is my style of
doing a ‘brain-check’ to my students. Come up with a
research question on the given pictures and discuss the
philosophical, categorical, process or approach and
design and strategical levels needed to do the research
work.
