Receiving my award as research presenter

in Mahidol University, Thailand

4 Major Research Designs

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.

GI Forest!

On the issue of herbal

medicine

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

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.

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

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

Researchers
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.

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 usedfor 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 antimalarial measures to the communities in the hinterlands? Identifying
the outcomes more likely favour a survey type of strategy or an
archival strategy.

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.

Levels of understanding the

research work to be pursued

Specific
steps

Delineate the steps based on

the cited design and strategies

Now that you decided on the

methodology that you will follow,
Design &
what specific designs and strategies
you will apply in doing the research
strategical levels
project?
Methodological level
With the posted question, what
is the best research
Descriptive, Explanatory, etc.
methodology you will follow?

Process or approach level

Qualitative, Quantitative, Mixed

Purpose and categorical level

What is the right approach

in pursuing the posted
question in relation to your
guiding principle and goal?

What is your research

goal, your research
Basic, Applied, Evaluation, Orientational, Action
problem? What is the
present understanding
level about your
Philosophical level
What
is your
research
idea?
guiding
Positivism, Post-Positivism, Post-Modernism, Interpretivism, etc.
philosophy? How
do you
understand

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.

Invasion of the 4th kindThe Homo computeros!

Home is where life is!

Striving to learn despite of humiliation!

No play, no school!

Caught in the web of

war: In search for
parents

Grief and tears!

Faith or
Prestige?

The rise of the

bullies!

No home, no parents: The nobodys child

Ouch! These brain checks

give me headache!

Thank you for

your