Republic of the Philippines

City Government of Zamboanga

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Main Campus, Zamboanga City

CHAPTER ONE Nature of Inquiry and Research

By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
1. Describe characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative research.
2. Illustrate the importance of quantitative research across fields.
3. Differentiate kinds of variables and their uses.

Definition of Terms
An inquiry is a question, a request for information (or further information), or even a
process set in motion to obtain a specific piece of information.
A research is a process through which information is obtained, validated, compared to
existing data, etc., with the purpose of either ascertaining that a hypothesis is
valid/invalid.
What is Research?
• The word research was coined from the French word “cerhier” which means seek. The
prefix “re” means to repeat • Widely regarded as an important tool for solving man’s
various problems and in making life more colorful and more convenient • Research helps
in understanding the society and social processes, as well as to test and or create theories
in order that we better able to inform about social action and potentially “improve”
social conditions
Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding
of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or
helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative
Research is also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into
the problem. Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or semi
structured techniques. Some common methods include focus groups (group discussions),
individual interviews, and participation/observations. The sample size is typically small,
and respondents are selected to fulfill a given quota.
Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical
data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes,
opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a larger
sample population. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and
uncover patterns in research. Quantitative data collection methods are much more
structured than Qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative data collection
methods include various forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys
and kiosk surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal studies,
website interceptors, online polls, and systematic observations.
More on Qualitative Research…
• Quantitative Research is an objective, systematic empirical investigation of observable
phenomena through the use of computational techniques • Quantitative Research is
influenced by the empiricist paradigm, which means that it is concerned with cause and
effect of social
phenomena and uses data - which is based on empirical observations and their critical
interpretation • Quantitative Research is the systematic empirical investigation of
observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques
Key Takeaway Quantitative research is a research methodology which uses questions and
questionnaires to gather quantifiable data and perform statistical analysis to derive
meaningful research conclusions.
 Republic of the Philippines
City Government of Zamboanga
COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Main Campus, Zamboanga City

Characteristics of Qualitative Research

1. Objective - Quantitative Researchers seeks accurate measurement and analysis of target
concepts. Data are gathered before proposing a conclusion or solution to a problem.
Quantitative research seeks accurate measurement and analysis of target concepts. It is
not based on mere intuitions and guesses. Data are gathered before proposing a
conclusion or solution to a problem. 2. Clearly defined Research Questions - the
researchers know in advance what they are looking for. The research questions are well-
defined for which objective answers are sought. All aspect of the study is carefully
designed before data are gathered. 3. Structured Research Instruments - Data are
normally gathered using structured research tools such as questionnaires to collect
measurable results. 4. Numerical Data - Data are in the form of numbers and statistics,
often organized and presented using tables, charts, graphs and the like. 5. Large Sample
Size - Reports and conclusions are reliable because this study requires a large sample size
depending on how the characteristics of the population vary. 6. Replication - Reliable
quantitative studies can be repeated to verify or confirm the correctness of the result in
another setting.
Strengths of Qualitative Research
1. It is objective. 2. The use of statistical techniques facilitates sophisticated analyses and
allows an individual to comprehend a huge number of vital characteristics of data. 3. The
numerical data can be analyzed in a quick and easy way. 4. Quantitative studies are
replicable.
Weaknesses of Qualitative Research
1. Quantitative research requires a large number of respondents. 2. It is costly. 3. The
information contextual factors to help interpret the results or to explain variations are
usually ignored. 4. Many information are difficult to gather using structured research
instruments, specifically on sensitive issues like premarital sex, domestic violence, among
others. 5. If not down seriously and correctly, data from questionnaires may be
incomplete and inaccurate.
Kinds of Quantitative Research
1. Descriptive Research a. Descriptive research is used to describe characteristics of a
population or phenomenon being studied. It does not answer questions about
how/when/why the characteristics occurred.
2. Correlation Research a. It is the systematic investigation of the nature of relationships
or associations between and among variables without necessarily investigating into casual
reasons underlying them. 3. Evaluation Research a. Evaluation Research aims to assess the
effects, impacts or outcomes of practices, policies or programs. Thus, analyzes the impact
of a particular study on a certain problem that it is trying to solve.

4. Casual-Comparative Research a. Also known as ex-post facto (after the fact) research.
This kind of research derives a conclusion from observations and manifestations that
already occurred in the past and now compared to some dependent variables.

5. Experimental Research a. 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. b. Experimental research is commonly used in sciences such as sociology
and psychology, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine etc.
Variables
 Republic of the Philippines
City Government of Zamboanga
COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Main Campus, Zamboanga City
As a researcher, you're going to perform an experiment. I'm kind of hungry right now, so
let's say your experiment will examine four people's ability to throw a ball when they
haven't eaten for a specific period of time - 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours.
We can say that in your experiment, you are going to do something and then see what
happens to other things. But, that sentence isn't very scientific. So, we're going to learn
some new words to replace the unscientific ones, so we can provide a scientific
explanation for what you're going to do in your experiment.
The starting point here is to identify what a variable is. A variable is defined as anything
that has a quantity or quality that varies. Your experiment's variables are not eating and
throwing a ball.
Now, let's science up that earlier statement. 'You are going to manipulate a variable to
see what happens to another variable.' It still isn't quite right because we're using the
blandest term for variable, and we didn't differentiate between the variables. Let's take a
look at some other terms that will help us make this statement more scientific and
specific.
Remember:
1. A variable is a central concept in research. It is a measurable characteristic that changes
in value. 2. A variable is anything that may assume varied numerical or categorical
values. 3. A variable is anything that has a quantity or quality that varies.
Key Takeaway In research, you typically define variables according to what you are
measuring.

Dependent and Independent Variables

A moment ago, we discussed the two variables in our experiment - hunger and throwing
a ball. But, they are both better defined by the terms 'dependent' or 'independent'
variable.
The dependent variable is the variable a researcher is interested in. The changes to the
dependent variable are what the researcher is trying to measure with all their fancy
techniques. In our example, your dependent variable is the person's ability to throw a
ball. We're trying to measure the change in ball throwing as influenced by hunger.
An independent variable is a variable believed to affect the dependent variable. This is
the variable that you, the researcher, will manipulate to see if it makes the dependent
variable change. In our example of hungry people throwing a ball, our independent
variable is how long it's been since they've eaten.
To reiterate, the independent variable is the thing over which the researcher has control
and is manipulating. In this experiment, the researcher is controlling the food intake of
the participant. The dependent variable is believed to be dependent on the independent
variable.
Your experiment's dependent variable is the ball throwing, which will hopefully change
due to the independent variable. So now, our scientific sentence is, 'You are going to
manipulate an independent variable to see what happens to the dependent variable.'
Now let’s dissect these two variables further.
Types of Variables
1. Continuous Variables a. A variable that can take an infinite number on the value that
can occur within a population. i. An interval variable is a measurement where the
difference between two values is meaningful. The difference between a temperature of
100 degrees and 90 degrees is the same difference as between 90 degrees and 80
degrees. ii. A ratio variable has all the properties of an interval variable, and also has a
 Republic of the Philippines
City Government of Zamboanga
COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Main Campus, Zamboanga City
clear definition of zero. When the variable equals zero, there is none of that variable.
Variables like height, weight, enzyme activity are ratio variables.

2. Discrete Variables a. A discrete variable is a variable that can only take on a certain
number of values. i. A categorical variable, also called a nominal variable, is for mutually
exclusive, but not ordered, categories. A variable with values which have no numerical
value, such as gender or occupation. ii. An ordinal variable is a categorical variable for
which the possible values are ordered or ranked. Ordinal variables can be considered “in
between” categorical and quantitative variables.