Lesson 4: The Research Process

The Research Process

Research process is a systematic manner in which the researcher approaches his/her area of study to produce knowledge that the community will consider to be worthwhile within the field (Rao, 2017). Understanding such process is an important step towards executing any study.

The following are the five phases of the research process along with their definition (Whittemore & Melkus, 2008). 

Five Research Phase  

1.     Conceptual Phase - Identifying the problem, reviewing the literature, formulating the hypothesis, developing the research framework, and determining the research purpose and objective 

2.     Design and Planning Phase - Selecting a research design, developing study procedures, and determining the sampling and data collection plan 

3.     Empirical Phase - Collecting data, and preparing data for analysis 

4.     Analytic Phase - Analyzing data, interpreting the results, and making conclusions 

5.     Dissemination Phase - Communicating results to appropriate audience, and utilizing the findings 

Now, here’s the simplified flow of the significant steps you need to take in conducting a study as presented by Rao (2017): 

1.     Define the research problem.  

To begin your research, you must look at a significant real-life problem. Factors like area of interest, availability of fund, socio-economic significance of the study, and the safety measures to be undertaken should be considered in finding and defining the research problem. 

Example: The researcher identifies English language proficiency as a problem of aspiring maritime students in qualifying for admission to prestigious maritime institutions.   

2.     Review the literature.  

Read various publications or surf the internet to become aware of the previous works already done about the chosen topic. You may utilize different resources like science books, magazines, journals, newspapers, or even in the internet. 

Example: The researcher reviews previous studies conducted about English language proficiency and the experienced difficulties of aspiring maritime students.  

3.     Formulate hypothesis.  

A hypothesis is a theoretical statement in solving a logical relationship between variables. It should be based on the problem being solved.

Example:  The researcher hypothesizes that the implementation of English-Only Policy (EOP) in the classroom can improve the English language proficiency of Pre-Baccalaureate Maritime students.   

4.     Prepare the research design.  

Identify what is the best means to collect and analyze data in the study to clarify and improve the research problem, purpose, and questions.

Example:  The researcher uses an experimental design on exploring the experiences of the students in implementing EOP.  

5.     Collect data.  

Use an appropriate data collection method to elicit the needed information. 

Example: The researcher collects data through interview and focus group discussion.  

6.     Analyze data.  

Utilize strategies and methods that make sense of the data to answer the research problem.  

Example: The researcher analyzes the data by drawing patterns and themes from the generated data.  

7.     Interpret and report the findings.  

Put the information in perspective and present the solution to the proposed problem based on the findings of the investigation. 

Example: The researcher interprets and reports the findings based on the collected and analyzed data to solve the research problem.