Significance of the Study – it describes for whom the research result intended for.

Approach- first step in creating structure to the design and it details a conceptual model or
(a) solving the problem and need framework of how the research will proceed, considering the objectives and variables of the
(b) bridging a knowledge gap, study.
(c) improving social, economic and health conditions, Design - plan, structure, and strategy of investigation so conceived as to obtain answer to
(d) enriching research instruments and methods, research questions or problems.
(e) supporting government thrusts. The research design guides the researcher in planning the following aspects or procedures of
Scope and limitations - This includes the coverage of the study are, the subjects, the research research:
instruments, the research issues or concerns, the duration of the study, and the constraints that 1. identifying the population of the study
have direct bearing on the result of the study. 2. decision on whether to take the whole population or just select a sample
Review of related literature (RRL) - detailed review of existing literature related to the topic of a 3. how the sample of the study will be selected
thesis or dissertation. 4. ethics in the selection of samples and data gathering
Related studies - are studies, inquiries, or investigations already conducted to which the present 5. choice of method in data collection
proposed study is related or has some bearing or similarity 6. considerations in the use of questionnaires
major steps in a literature review according to Gale, Gale, and Borg. 7. how interviews will be conducted
Step 1: Search preliminary sources such as books, articles, theses, etc. descriptive research - uses a set of scientific methods and procedures to collect raw data and
Step 2: Use secondary sources create data structures that describe the existing characteristics of a defined target population.
Step 3: Read primary sources Types of descriptive
Step 4: Synthesize the literature a. Survey. This is used when the objectives of the study to see the general or specific
Step 5: Identify recommendations for further research picture of the population under investigation in terms of knowledge .
Documentation Style - Throughout the research, the published research of other researchers are b. Content Analysis. This is used to describe objectively, systematically and
cited to credit those who prepared the foundation for your work. quantitatively the content of documents found in business records, minutes of the
Documenting Sources - showing where you got source information that's not your own. meeting, speeches, newspapers, journals, or magazines.
Academic integrity - involves not only acknowledging your sources, but also creating your own c. Case Study. This is used when an extensively thorough and comprehensive study of
ideas. a particular individual, group or institution or situation is involved over a period of
Paraphrasing - using or putting in one's own words to restate the author's ideas, and time.
acknowledging the source to give credit to the original author (de Belen, 2015). d. Feasibility Study. This descriptive method is used to find the viability of a proposed
Paraphrasing Techniques undertaking on the establishment of a certain institution, an infrastructure or a
• Replace a word with a synonym. business venture.
• Concentrate on the meaning, not on the words. Exploratory Research Designs - focused on collecting either secondary or primary data and using
• Verbs and adjectives have counterparts that are interchangeable with the author's original the unstructured formal or informal procedures to interpret them.
words. The methods available for collecting data have been classified into two categories:
• Not all synonyms have exact meanings (look at a thesaurus and double-check with a a) Quantitative Research Methods. This method places heavy emphasis on using
dictionary). formalized standards questions and predetermined response options in questionnaires or
• Avoid using abstract words - they come as weak words. surveys administered to large number of respondents.
Use of synonyms is a problem in scientific writing because often there is only one word to b) Qualitative Research Methods. One of the main objectives of qualitative research is
describe a certain action or object. It is better to keep the important words and change the to gain preliminary insights into decision problems and opportunities. It is focused on the
sentence structure. collection of detailed amounts of primary data from relatively small samples of subjects by
Justification of the Present Study/Synthesis - A writer of a thesis/dissertation or research paper asking questions or observing behavior.
should justify in this section the bearing of the related studies upon the present study. Historical Research Design - According to Gay, historical research is a systematic collection and
synthesis - form of analysis related to comparison and contrast, classification, and division. evaluation of data related to past occurrence which describes causes, effects, or trends that may
gap - appear when insight and opportunity are not successfully communicated or acted upon help to explain present events and anticipate the future.
during the transition from research to design. Special standards and procedures in historical research:
theoretical framework - foundational review of existing theories that serves as a roadmap for a. Formulating the problem
developing the arguments you will use in your own work (Vinz & Tegan b. Gathering the source materials
2022). c. Criticizing the source of materials
shapes the justification of the research problem/research objectives in Research Designs Based on the Number of Contacts:
order to provide the legal basis for defining its parameters. a. Cross-sectional studies are commonly used in the social sciences. These studies aim to find out
How to write a theoretical framework: the prevalence of a phenomenon, situation, problem, attitude or issue, by taking a cross-section
 Identifying your key concepts of the population.
 Evaluating and explaining relevant theories b.The before and after design (also known as the pre-test/post-test design). This design can
 Showing how your research fits into existing research measure change in a situation, phenomenon, issue, problem or attitude.
conceptual framework - illustrates the expected relationship between your variables. c.The longitudinal study designs. This is useful to determine the pattern of extent of change in a
Developing a conceptual framework in research phenomenon, situation, problem or attitude on relation to time.
Step 1: Choose your research question Research Designs Based on the Reference Period
Step 2: Select your independent and dependent variables The reference period refers to the time frame in which a study is exploring a phenomenon,
Step 3: Visualize your cause-and-effect relationship situation, event or problem and may be categorized as 1) retrospective 2) prospective and 3)
Step 4: Identify other influencing variables retrospective-prospective.
DEFINITION OF TERMS - Theses and dissertations do not include this section of the study if there a. The retrospective study design is used to investigate a phenomenon, situation,
are more than fifteen terms defined because this portion is for the glossary. problem or issue that has happened in the past.
There are two ways to define the key terms used in the study. b. Prospective study design attempts to establish the outcome of an event or what is
1. Conceptual definition. The definitions of terms are based on concepts or hypothetic likely to happen, such as the likely prevalence of a phenomenon, situation, problem,
ones which are usually taken from the dictionary. attitude or outcome in the future.
2. Operational definition. The definitions of terms are based on observable c. The retrospective-prospective study design applies to a study wherein available data
characteristics and how it is used in the study. are analyzed and used as bases of future projections.
Gall, Borg, and Gall (1996) argue that the literature review plays a role in: Research Designs Based on the Nature of the Investigation
 Delimiting the research problem Seeking new lines of inquiry, The following are classified under this category:
 Avoiding fruitless approaches, a. The experimental design has an assumption of a cause-and-effect relationship. In this design,
 Gaining methodological insights, the researcher introduces the intervention that is assumed to be the cause of change and waits
 Identifying recommendations for further research until it has produced the change.
 Seeking support for grounded theory. In non-experimental design, the researcher observes a phenomenon and attempts to establish
Taxonomy of Literature Review - effective method to begin planning a research review is to what caused it. In this instance, the research starts from the effect or outcome and attempts to
consider where the proposed review fits into Cooper's (1988) Taxonomy of Literature Reviews. determine causation.
5 characteristics: c. A semi-experimental or quasi-experimental study has the properties of both experimental and
1. Focus - The goal of many reviews is to integrate and generalize findings across units, non-experimental studies; parts of the study may be experimental and the other part non-
treatments, outcomes, and settings; to resolve a debate within a field; or to bridge experimental.
the language used across fields. RESEARCH DESIGNS IN QUALITATIVE METHOD
2. Perspective - In the qualitative primary research, review authors often decide to 1) Case Study. This is a dominant qualitative study design but also prevalent in a
reveal their own preexisting biases and discuss how those biases might have quantitative research.
affected the review. 2) Grounded Theory. This is an approach to qualitative research data collection and
3. Coverage - Deciding how wide to cast the net is a critical step in conducting a analysis in the social sciences.
review. 3) Phenomenology. This is a qualitative research design which studies all possible
4. Organization - There are many formats in which to organize a review. Three of the appearances in human experience using empirical methods (i.e, asking, observing,
most common are the historical format, the conceptual format, analyzing data, etc.) to make empirically grounded statements that can be
and the methodological format. generalized.
5. Audience 4) Ethnography. This is a research process which deals with the scientific description of
For Internal Use Only of LiComCo individual cultures involving the origins, development and characteristics of human
The final characteristic of Cooper's (1988) Taxonomy of Literature Reviews is kind, including social customs, beliefs and cultural development according to
audience. Wiersma and Jurs (2009).
THERE ARE FIVE KEY STEPS TO WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW: 5) Mixed Methods. Refers to the research design that uses both quantitative and
1. Search for relevant literature qualitative data to answer a particular question or sets of questions.
2. Evaluate sources
3. Identify themes, debates, and gaps
4. Outline the structure
5. Write your literature review
Take notes and cite your sources - As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take
notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review
research design - serves as a master plan of the methods and procedures that should be used to
collect and analyze the data needed by the researcher.
Research Method - philosophical, theoretical, conceptual, and analytical perspective of research
It can be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method.