Research

Concepts of Research
O Research is a term used liberally for
any kind of investigation that is
intended to uncover interesting or
new facts.
O As with all activities,the rigour with
which this activity is carried out will
be reflected in the quality of the
results (Nicholas Walliman, 2011).
O Researchis the labor of finding knowledge
and information, either where it was hidden,
hard to reach, or unknown.
O It is exhaustive and is used to prove or
disprove a statement, a systematic
investigation to establish facts and to test
phenomena (any observable occurrence).
O Research is conducted without any practical
end in mind, although it may have unexpected
results pointing to practical applications.
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East Coast
O Research is a human activity
based on intellectual
investigation and is aimed at
discovering, interpreting, and
revising human knowledge on
different aspects of the world.
O Research is about acquiring
knowledge and developing
understanding, collecting facts
and interpreting them to build up
a picture of the world around us,
and even within us.
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O Research can use the scientific
method; a subset of invention;
anempirical research.
O Research was considered as an activity
that preceded applied research, which
in turn preceded development into
practical applications.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
RESEARCH
1. The research problem or topic must be
chosen by the researcher/s himself.
2. It must be within the interest of the
researcher/s.
3. It must be with the competence of the
researcher/s to tackle.
4. It must be within the ability of the
researcher/s to finance.
5. It is researchable and manageable.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
RESEARCH
6. It must specificand [Link] variable
is measurable when there is an
instrument(standardized questionnaire) that
maybe used in order to test it.
7. Quantifiable. If no available instrument, then
the next question is, are you willing to create
one?If the variable is non-quantifiable, better
not to include it in your research. Example of
unquantifiable variable: creativity (can we
measure this? Is there a test that can be
used to quantify this?)
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
RESEARCH
8. Presents a conjecture (assumed
relationship) between or among
phenomena (ex. Length of Service,
and Teaching Performance).
9. Does not present moral and ethical
issues (because this is very
subjective, will not apply to everyone).
 HOW TO SELECT A
RESEARCH PROBLEM
1. Prevention of unnecessary duplication.
The problem must not have been
investigated before. If the problem is
investigated before, it may be the subject of
another study but with different assumptions,
different methods, or different ways of
analyzing data.
2. Practical value of the problem. The result of
the research study should use to improve
practices and concepts. It can use of those
who may want to make use it.
3. Researcher’s interest in the problem. The
researcher should select a problem not
because of research popularity or someone
wants him to investigate it but because it
appeals to his interest.
4. Availability of data on the problem. A fruitful
results yield if data on the problem is available.
5. Special qualification of the researcher to
attack the problem. The researcher whose
field is medicine is eminently qualified to
investigate problems in medicine; we cannot
say that he is qualified to undertake research
in other field.
6. Time required to investigate the
problem. The research should be
conducted within a reasonable period of
time.
7. Cost of investigating the problem.
Conducting a research project needs
the expenditure of money such as
questionnaires, tools, xerox, etc. The cost
should be reasonable meaning it is
within the means of the researcher.
APPROACHES IN RESEARCH

The different approaches in research

which can be used are:
(a)Quantitative Research;
(b) Qualitative Research; and
(c) Mixed Methods Research.
A. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Quantitative research primarilyinvolve the
analysis of numbersin order to answerthe
research question or hypothesis. It is
descriptive which provides hard data on
the numbers of people exhibiting certain
behaviors and [Link] is, however,
structured and does not yield the reasons
behind behavior or why people hold
certain attitudes. 
 Techniques commonly used include:
O postal surveys (particularly appropriate in the
case of student populations where name
and address information is available),
O telephone surveys (appropriate for surveys of
employers)
O on-line or web-based surveys (very cost-
effective for reaching audiences where e-mail
penetration is high, such as students and
university/college staff) and
O mystery shopping.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
DESIGN
A research design is the framework or
guideused for the planning, implementation,
and analysisof a study. It is the plan for
answering the research question or
hypothesis.
Different types of questions or hypotheses
demand different types of research designs,
so it is important to have a broad preparation
and understanding of the different types of
research designs available.
1. HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Historical research is different from other researches as it
stands alone being the initial and basic knowledge of any
topic to be researched. However, it also includes
qualitative research/ approach.
It’s also different because it deals with the past of an
occurrence or happening of an experiment, incident,
progress or a forecast-(future prediction).
Its methodology of reporting and record keeping acquires
more time and persistence from the researcher to gain
authentic results through primary and secondary sources.
The historical method comprises the techniques and
guidelines by which historians use historical sources and
other evidence to research and then to write history.
 There are various history guidelines
commonly used by historians in their
work, under the headings of external
criticism, internal criticism, and
synthesis. This includes higher criticism
and textual criticism.
 External criticism: authenticity and
provenance
 When was the source, written or
unwritten, produced (date)?
 Where was it produced (localization)?
 By whom was it produced
(authorship)?
 From what pre-existing material was it
produced (analysis)?
 In what original form was it produced
(integrity)?
 What is the evidential value of its
contents (credibility)?
 Though items may vary depending on the
subject matter and researcher, the following
concepts are usually part of most formal
historical research:
 Identification of origin date;
 Evidence of localization;
 Recognition of authorship;
 Analysis of data;
 Identification of integrity; and
 Attribution of credibility.
2. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
Involves collecting data in order to test
hypotheses or answer questions regarding the
subjects of the study. In contrast with the
qualitative approach, the data are numerical.
The data are typically collected through a
questionnaire, an interview, or through
observation.
In descriptive research, the
researcher/investigator reports the numerical
results for one or more variables on the
subjects of the study.
What is Descriptive Research?
Descriptive research seeks to depict
what already exists in a group or
population. An example of this type of
research would be an opinion poll to
determine which Presidential candidate
people plan to vote for in the next election.
Descriptive studies do not seek to
measure the effect of a variable; they seek
only to describe.
Gay (1998) emphasizes that descriptive research is a
method of investigation involves collection of data in
order to test hypothesis or to answer questions
concerning the current status of the study.
Fanollera (1993) stated that descriptive method
involves descriptive recording analysis and
interpretation of conditions that concurrently exists.
Leedy (1993), descriptive statistics describes the
shape of the data. Frequency and distribution are
forms of descriptive statistics that can provide
opportunities for insight. 
The steps in conducting descriptive research
are the following:
a. Define the Problems. This is where we
give an accurate description of the given
problem and by doing so will set the stage
in coming up with an adequate solution.
b. State/formulate the Hypothesis .We
need to formulate a hypothesis as the
starting point where we want the research
to begin, in this study, we used an
assumption as a guide in testing the
effectiveness of the proposed solution.
c. Select the Appropriate Subjects/Source
Materials. The researcher will now determine the
needed source of information and the way of
determining the sufficient number of respondents
needed in the study.
d. Select/develop the Data Gathering Instruments.
The study needs to have the necessary
instruments to solicit information. This could be
implemented through the use of direct methods
like questionnaires, document analysis and
opinionnaires. Or it could be through indirect
methods like tests, interviews and observations.
e. Validate the Instruments. The study needs to have a
function where it will validate the contents of the
developed instrument.
f. Data Collection. This is where we collate the data in
order to prepare its conversion into useful information.
g. Analyze and interpret the data. With the available
statistical methods, we now find meaning on the
collected data and express it in meaningful terms.
h. Write the descriptive report. The final stage is a
thorough representation of the gathered data, the
methodologies employed to assess the information
and the presentation of a viable solution.
Types of Descriptive Research
The following are the different types of descriptive
research:
a. Surveys (by questionnaires, interview). Survey
studies assess the characteristics of whole
populations of people or situations.
b. Case Studies. Probes in depth into an individual
situation or personality with the intent of
diagnosing a particular condition and
recommending corrective measures
c. Job Analyses. Used to gather information to be
used in structuring a training program for a
particular job.
d. Documentary Analysis. Closely akin to
historical research; deals with documenting
present situations.
e. Developmental Studies. Developmental
studies are concerned with the existing status
and interrelationships of phenomena and
changes that take place as a function of time.
f. Correlational Studies. Determine the extent
of the relationship between two or more
variables.
 3. EXPERIMENTAL
RESEARCH
The experiment is the method that can be
used to demonstrate a cause and effect
relationship between two variables. When
researchers want to know about the cause
of a behavior or mental process, they
should do an experiment.
In an experiment, the researcher
manipulates or changes the environment
in a controlled way, then measures the
effect of that manipulation.
 For example, it is through
experiments that we know that
drinking alcohol causes slower
reaction times. The experimenter can
give a set amount of alcohol to a group
of participants, then measure their
reaction times. If their time slows down
after drinking the alcohol, we know the
alcohol caused that effect.
The Control and Experimental
Group
In a simple experiment, study participants are
randomly assigned to one of two groups.
Generally, one group is the control group and
receives no treatment, while the other group is the
experimental group and receives the treatment.
Like causal-comparative research attempts to
establish cause-effect relationship among the
groups of subjects that make up the independent
variable of the study, but in the case of
experimental research, the cause (the
independent variable) is under the control of the
experimenter.
That is, the experimenter can randomly
assign subjects to the groups that make up
the independent variable in the study.
In the typical experimental research design
the experimenter randomly assigns
subjects to the groups or conditions that
constitute the independent variable of the
study and then measures the effect this
group membership has on another variable,
the dependent variable of the study.
Parts of a Simple Experiment
1. TheExperimental Hypothesis. A statement that
predicts that the treatment will cause an effect.
The experimental hypothesis will always be
phrased as a cause-and-effect statement.
2. The Null Hypothesis. A hypothesis that the
experimental treatment will have no effect on the
participants or dependent variables. It is important
to note that failing to find an effect of the treatment
does not mean that there is no effect. The
treatment might impact another variable that the
researchers are not measuring in the current
experiment.
3. The Independent Variable (IV). Refers to the
treatment variable that is manipulated by the
experimenter.
4. The Dependent Variable (DV). The response
that the experimenter is measuring.
5. The Control [Link] up of individuals
who are randomly assigned to a group but do
not receive the treatment. The measures takes
from the control group are then compared to
those in the experimental group to determine
if the treatment had an effect.
6. The Experimental Group. Made up of individuals
who are randomly assigned to the group and then
receive the treatment. The scores of these
participants are compared to those in the control
group to determine if the treatment had an effect.
Let’s do some examples. For each hypothesis listed
below, I will label the independent variable and the
dependent variable, then briefly describe the method.
Hypothesis: Drinking alcohol slows reaction times.
IV – Alcohol
DV - Reaction times
The experimenter would randomly divide a
group of participants into two groups. He or she
would give one group a drink with alcohol and
the other group a drink with no alcohol. After
everybody drinks the beverage, the experimenter
measures their reaction time to a task. For
example, the time to press a button in response
to a sound. If the participants who drank alcohol
had a slower average time than those who did
not drink alcohol, we can say that the alcohol
caused the slower reaction times
Determining the Results of a
Simple Experiment
Once the data from the simple experiment has
been gathered, researchers then compare the
results of the experimental group to those of
the control group to determine if the treatment
had an effect. But how do researchers
determine this effect? Due to the always
present possibility of errors, we can never be
100% sure of the relationship between two
variables. However, there are ways to
determine if there most likely is a meaningful
relationship.
Experimenters use inferential statistics to determine
if the results of an experiment are meaningful.
Inferential statistics is a branch of science that deals
with drawing inferences about a population based
upon measures taken from a representative sample
of that population.
The key to determining if a treatment had an effect
is to measure the statistical significance. Statistical
significance shows that the relationship between
the variables is probably not due to mere chance
and that a real relationship most likely exists
between the two variables.
Statistical significance is often represented like this:
p< .05

A p-value of less than .05 indicates that the possibility

that the results are due merely to chance is less than
5%.
Occasionally, smaller p-values are seen such as:
p< .01. 
There are a number of different means of measuring
statistical significance. The type of statistical test used
depends largely upon the type of research design that
was used.
 Here is an Example of an
Experiment.
Pretest       Treatment    Posttest
      O1              XE             O2
      O1              XC             O2
Where:
E - stands for the experimental group
(e.g., new teaching approach)
C - stands for the control or comparison
group (e.g., the old or standard teaching
approach)
Because the best way to make the two groups
similar in the above research design is to
randomly assign the participants to the
experimental and control groups, let’s assume
that we have a convenience sample of 50
people and that we randomly assign them to
the two groups in our experiment.
  First, we made our groups approximately
the same at the start of the study by using
random assignment (i.e., the groups are
“equated”).
You pretest the participants to see how much they
know. Next, you manipulate the independent
variable by using the new teaching approach
with the experimental group and using the old
teaching approach for the control group.
Now (after the manipulation) you measure the
participants’ knowledge to see how much they
know after having participated in our experiment.
Let’s say that the people in the experimental group
show more knowledge improvement than those in
the control group. What would you conclude?
In this case, we can conclude that there is a causal
relationship between the IV, teaching method, and the
DV,knowledge, and specifically we can conclude that the new
teaching approach is better than the old teaching approach.
let’s say that in the above experiment we could not use random
assignment to equate our groups. Let’s say that, instead, we
had our best teacher (Mr. Juan Dela Cruz) use the new
teaching approach with her students in her 5period class and
we had a newer and less experienced teacher (Ms. Juana
Makabayan) use the old teaching approach with his 5 th period
class. Let’s again say that the experimental group did better
than the control group. Do you see any problems with claiming
that the reason for the difference between the two groups is
because of the teaching method?
The problem is that there are alternative
explanations. First, perhaps the difference is because
[Link] Cruz is the better teacher. Second, perhaps
Ms. Makabayan had the smarter students (remember
the students were not randomly assignment to the
two groups; instead, we used two intact classrooms).
In particular, it is very possible that the difference we
saw between the two groups was due to variables
other than the IV. In particular, the difference might
have been due to the teacher or to the IQ levels of
the groups. We have a special name for these kinds
of variables. They are called extraneous variable.
It is important to remember the definition of an
extraneous variable because they can destroy the
integrity of a research study that claims to show a cause
and effect relationship. An extraneous variable is a
variable that may compete with the independent
variable in explaining the outcome.  
If you are ever interested in identifying cause and effect
relationships you must always determine whether there
are any extraneous variables you need to worry about. If
an extraneous variable really is the reason for an
outcome (rather than the IV) then we sometimes like to
call it a confounding variable because it has confused
or confounded the relationship we are interested in.
 4. CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
Attempts to determine whether and to what degree, a
relationship exists between two or more quantifiable
(numerical) variables. However, it is important to
remember that just because there is a significant
relationship between two variables, it does not follow
that one variable causes the other.
When two variables are correlated you can use the
relationship to predict the value on one variable for a
subject if you know that subject’s value on the other
variable. Correlation implies prediction but not
causation. The investigator frequently uses the
correlation coefficient to report the results of
correlational research.
The correlation is a way to measure how associated or
related two variables are. The researcher looks at things that
already exist and determines if and in what way those
things are related to each other. The purpose of doing
correlations is to allow us to make a prediction about one
variable based on what we know about another variable.  
For example, there is a correlation between income and
education. We find that people with higher income have
more years of education. You can also phrase it that people
with more years of education have higher income. When we
know there is a correlation between two variables, we can
make a prediction. If we know a group’s income, we can
predict their years of education.
B. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Qualitative research primarily involves the
analysis of [Link] quotes are used in
reports to illustrate points and this brings the
subject to life for the reader. The researcher must
be good with words.
It allows an individual to explore perceptions,
attitudes and motivations and also to understand
how they are formed. It provides depth of
information which can be used in its own right or
to determine what attributes will subsequently be
measured in quantitative studies.
Relies heavily on the skills of the
moderator and is inevitably subjective and
samples are small.  
Techniques include group discussions as
well as workshop sessions, paired
interviews, individual in-depth interviews
and mystery shopping (ex. where the
researcher plays the role of a potential
student, in order to replicate the overall
experience).
The qualitative approach involves the
collection of extensive narrative data in
order to gain insights into phenomena of
interest wherein the data analysis includes
the coding of the data(transcribe) and
production of a verbal synthesis.  
Qualitative research, also referred to as
ethnographic research, is involved in the
study of current events rather than past
events.
It involves the collection of extensive
narrative data (non-numerical data) on
many variables over an extended period
of time in a naturalistic setting.
Participant observation, where the
researcher lives with the subjects being
observed is frequently used in qualitative
research. Case studies are also used in
qualitative research.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
DESIGN
There are several research designs
in conducting qualitative research, and
these are as follows:
(1) Phenomenology study;
(2) Narrative Study;
(3) Grounded Theory; and
(4) Case Study.
1. PHENOMENOLOGY STUDY
Is a research method; a specific ‘phenomena’(from
the Greek word phenomenon meaning
appearance)considered any lived experience/s.
Phenomenology does offer ways of understanding
not offered by other research methodologies. In
contrast to the scientific method it is both poetic
and interpretive but those working from an
emancipatory view of the role of research express
dissatisfaction that it does not go beyond
interpretation. Research needs to do more than offer
understanding about human experience/s.
Phenomenology is a 20th-century philosophical
movement dedicated to describing the structures of
experience as they present themselves to
consciousness, without recourse to theory, deduction,
or assumptions from other disciplines such as the
natural sciences.
Phenomenology is both a philosophy and a research
method. The purpose of phenomenological research
is to describe experiences as they are lived in
phenomenological terms (to capture the "lived
experience" of study participants). The philosophers
from which phenomenology emerged include Husserl,
Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Jean Paul Sartre.
The philosophical orientation is
that,phenomenologists view the person as
integral with the environment. The focus of
phenomenological research is people’s
experience in regard to a phenomenon and
how they interpret their experiences.
“Truth is an interpretation of some
phenomenon; the more shared that
interpretation is the more factual it seems to
be, yet it remains temporal and cultural"
(Munhall: 1989).
 There are four aspects of the human experience,
which are of interest to the phenomenological
researcher:
a. Lived spaceor Spatiality is felt space. Lived space is
a category for inquiring into the ways we experience
spatial dimensions of our day-to-day existence.
In a general sense, lived space is the existential theme
that refers us to the world or landscape in which
human beings move and find themselves at home.
When we want to understand a person we ask about
his or her world, profession, interests, background,
place of birth and childhood.
 Similarly, to understand "the nature of reading,"
"having a friendly talk," "giving birth to a child," it is
helpful to inquire into the nature of the lived space
that renders that particular experience its quality
of meaning (Manen: 2002).
b. Lived Body or [Link] body refers to
the phenomenological fact that we are always
bodily in the world. The lived-body is your own
body as experienced by yourself, as yourself.
Your own body manifests itself to you mainly as
your possibilities of acting in the world.
It is what lets you reach out and grab
something, for instance, but it also, and more
importantly, allows for the possibility of
changing your point of view. This helps you
differentiate one thing from another by the
experience of moving around it, seeing new
aspects of it (often referred to as making the
absent present and the present absent), and
still retaining the notion that this is the same
thing that you saw other aspects of just a
moment ago (it is identical).
c. Lived Human Relationships
(Communality or Relationality).
This is the lived relation we maintain with
others in the interpersonal space that we
share with them.
As we meet others, we approach them in
a corporeal way: through a handshake or
by gaining an impression of the other
person in the way that he or she is
physically present to us.
Even if we learn about another person only indirectly (by
letter, telephone, or book) we often already have formed
a physical impression of the person which later may get
confirmed or negated when we find out, to our surprise,
that the person looks very alike or different from the way
we expected.
As we meet the other we are able to develop a
conversational relation which allows us to transcend
ourselves. In a larger existential sense human beings
have searched in this experience of the other, the
communal, the social for a sense of purpose in life,
meaningfulness, grounds for living, as in the religious
experience of the absolute Other, God.
d. Lived [Link] time (Temporality) is
subjective time as opposed to clock time or
objective time.
Lived time is the time that appears to speed
up when we enjoy ourselves, or slow down
when we feel bored during an uninteresting
lecture or when we are sit anxiously in the
dentist's chair. Lived time is also our temporal
way of being in the world--as a young person
oriented to an open and beckoning future, or
as an elderly person recollecting the past.
 Here again, when we want to get to
know a person we ask about his or her
personal life history and where they
feel they are going -what their project
is in life.
The temporal dimensions of past,
present, and future constitute the
horizons of a person's temporal
landscape.
2. NARRATIVE STUDY
Is aspoken or written text giving an
account of an event/action or series of
actions chronologicallyconnected.
Narrative analysis collects description of
events of happenings and then configures
them into a story using a plotline.
Analysis of narrative creates descriptions
of themes that hold across stories of
taxonomies of story types.
a. Biography. A form of narrative study wherein
the researcher writes and records the
experience of another.
b. Autobiography. Is a form of narrative study
written and recorded by the individual who are
the subject of the study.
c. Life History. Is a form of narrative study
wherein it portrays an individual life history.
d. Personal Experience Story. Is a form of
narrative study of someone’s personal
experience in single or multiple episodes.
3. GROUNDED THEORY
Is a qualitative approach to generating and developing a
theory from data that the researcher collects. It involves
looking atthe common process to all cases with a view to
developing a THEORY grounded or derived from participant
data (relying on Multiple Respondents).For an example, you
might collect data from parents who have pulled their children
out of public schools and develop a theory to explain how and
why this phenomenon occurs, ultimately developing a theory
of school pull-out.
Grounded theory is an inductive technique developed for
health-related topics by Glaser and Strauss (1967). It emerged
from the discipline of sociology. The term grounded means
that the theory developed from the research is "grounded" or
has its roots in the data from which it was derived.
Philosophical [Link] theory is based on
symbolic interaction theory. This theory holds many views in
common with phenomenology. George Herbert Mead (1934),
a social psychologist was a leader in the development of this
theory.
Briefly, though symbolic interactionism explores how people
define reality and how their beliefs are related to their actions.
Reality is created by people through attaching meaning to
situations. Meaning is expressed by symbols such as words,
religious objects, and clothing. These symbolic meanings
are the basis for actions and interactions.
Unfortunately, symbolic meanings are different for each
individual.
 4. CASE STUDY
Involves a detailed description of the case, the setting of the
case within a contextual condition and a presentation that
may not be chronological and relying on multiple data
sources.
Case studies are constructed to richly describe, explain, or
assess and evaluate a phenomenon (e.g., event, person,
program (Gall, Borg, & Gall, 1996).
The “case” is studied onsite within its natural context. The
data gathering process is often interactive as the researcher
or researchers associate with persons involved in the “case”
under study. Data is collected primarily by fieldwork, but
secondary data collection is usually employed as well. It is
important that the researcher(s) understand the
phenomenon from the perspective of the participants.
 For the Data Analysis, Gall et al. (1996) outlined three approaches
to case data analysis:
a. Interpretational Analysis: When employing this strategy, the
researcher is looking for patterns (threads, constructs,
commonalities, etc.) within the data to explain the phenomenon.
b. Structural Analysis: Investigating patterns which may be found
in conversations, text, activities, with little or no explication as to
pattern meaning.
c. Reflective Analysis: According to Leedy, researchers using the
reflective analysis strategy try to draw their readers into the
participants’ experiences by using emotive writings, poems, etc.
Sources may come from: (1) Single-Instrumental - one case,
one issue or one setting; (2) Multiple or Collective Case; and (3)
Intrinsic Case (inherent, natural).
 C. MIXED RESEARCH
METHODS
Mixed research is a general type of
research in which quantitative and
qualitative methods, techniques, or
other paradigm characteristics are
mixed in one overall study.
 Two Major Types of Mixed
Research
1. Mixed Method
Mixed methodis a research in which the researcher
uses the qualitative research paradigm for one
phase of a research study and the quantitative
research paradigm for another phase of the study.
For example, a researcher might conduct an
experiment (quantitative) and after the experiment
conduct an interview study with the participants
(qualitative) to see how they viewed the experiment
and to see if they agreed with the results. Mixed
method research is like conducting two mini-studies
within one overall research study.
2. Mixed Model Research
Mixed model is a research in which the researcher
mixes both qualitative and quantitative research
approaches within a stage of the study or across
two of the stages of the research process.
For example, a researcher might conduct a survey
and use a questionnaire that is composed of
multiple closed-ended or quantitative type items
as well as several open-ended or qualitative type
items.
Another example, a researcher might collect
qualitative data but then try to quantify the data.
Advantages of Mixed Research
Mixed research is new in educational research and believe
it will help qualitative and quantitative researchers to get
along better and, more importantly, it will promote the
conduct of excellent educational research.  
Perhaps the major goal for researcher who design and
conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental
principle of mixed research. According to this principle, the
researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research
methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a
way that the resulting mixture or combination has
complementary strengths and nonoverlapping
weaknesses. The examples just listed for mixed method and
mixed model research can be viewed as following this
principle.
Here is a metaphor for thinking about mixed research: Construct
one fish net out of several fish nets that have holes in them by
laying them on top of one another. The "new" net will not have
any holes in it. The use of multiple methods or approaches to
research works the same way.
When different approaches are used to focus on the same
phenomenon and they provide the same result, you have
"corroboration" which means you have superior evidence for the
result. Other important reasons for doing mixed research are to
complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of
results, or to discover something that would have been missed if
only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used.
  Some researchers like to conduct mixed research in a single
study, and this is what is truly called mixed research.
TYPES OF RESEARCH
The following are the other types of research:
1. BASIC RESEARCH
Basic research is sometimes called
fundamental research. Its aim is about discovering
the basic truths or principles, to add to scientific
knowledge.
Orientation: Developing generalization,
transfer application of research results into fields
practice.
2. ACTION RESEARCH
Action research is a methodology that
combines action and research to examine specific
questions, issues or phenomena through
observation and reflection, and deliberate
intervention to improve practice.
3. ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION RESEARCH
A fact-finding investigation, explains phenomena and answer
why things happen.
For example, evaluation research is research conducted to
measure the effectiveness or performance of a program, concept
or campaign in achieving its objectives.
4. APPLIED RESEARCH
The aim of applied research is improving a product or a
process, producing results of immediate practical application.
Applied research is also designed to solve a particular problem
in a particular circumstance, such as determining the cause of
low morale in a given department of an organization.
Orientation: Developing generalization, transfer application of
research results into field practice.