James Bryan Alagon

BS ME
CHAPTER 1
END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS
1. Detail the steps in research process
a. Begin with an idea for a research project
b. State the research idea in one sentence
c. Creating the objectives for the research
d. Write a review for all the published literature about the research
e. Select a type of methodology to use for the research
f. Decide on what method of data collections will be used
g. Gather data which can prove or disprove the research hypothesis
h. When the data are gathered, start to analyze it
i. Write conclusions based on the gathered data
2. Outline and explain the use of the four frameworks approach in the research project
process.
a. Conceptual framework – a framework where the researcher’s idea on how the
problem of the research will have to be solved or explored.
b. Theoretical framework – a framework that can hold or explain the theories
involved on the research study.
c. Methodological framework – a framework that contains the gathered data and
information which are related to the research methodology and methods used in
research study.
d. Analytical framework – a framework that explains on how the gathered data are
connected to the problem of the study and also explains the methods used to
derive the related results.
3. When can a research project be deemed researchable?
- You can say a research project is researchable, you must have much time when
conducting your research so you can design the project, gather information, analyze
it, write up the results, and lastly draw conclusions and make recommendations. You
should also have a lot of related topics about the topic you have chosen. If there are
more related topics about your topic, you can easily conduct a research because you
can gather more data about it and different information that can be analyze.
4. What is a key concept in research?
- A key concept in a research are all the keyword and phrase in a one sentence research
question or statement that the researcher develop from his/her reflection based on
what published or unpublished literature he/she have read.
5. What is a research diary?
- A research diary is basically the storage of all the ideas and information you have
collected about your research study. You can record all the results, thoughts, and
decisions that might help you when you start to write your research. Having a research
diary can also save you time in the writing process and can also improve your formal
write up.
6. List three different research methodologies
a. Case Study - a documented study of a real-life situation or a scenario with an up-
close and detailed examination of a subject as well as its related contextual
conditions.
b. Survey – is a method of gathering information from individuals on various topics
of interests. It may be conducted to gather information by a printed questionnaire,
in person, by mail, or on the web.
c. Action Research – is a type of methodology where a cycle of reflection, gathering
data, and deciding on a course of action. When conducting this type of research
methodology, you must first start a plan, then you take some action about a
specific problem and start searching about the ways on how to resolve it.
7. List five different data collection methods.
a. Observation – is a type of data collection where the researchers use all of their
senses to examine people or animals in their natural behavior. It can be a
prolonged engagement in a setting or a social situation.
b. Questionnaire – it is the main method for collecting information in a research
study. A questionnaire is basically a set of questions (items) that are answered by
individuals to collect data about a specific topic or problem. After that, the
researcher will tally all the results to obtain an overall measure of the opinions
and attitudes of the respondent.
c. Interview – research interview is a qualitative research technique which involves
and interviewer and an interviewee. The interviewer is the one who starts the
conversation, asks all the questions about a specific topic. While the interviewee
is the one who will respond to those questions.
d. Census – is one of the most relevant method that is used for data gathering. It is
like a combination of an interview and observational data collection. Where every
unit, everyone or everything will be put on a record for example like population
censuses, housing censuses, or other common censuses.
e. Focus Group – another type of data collection method where a group of
individuals are going to participate in a discussion regarding a concept, product,
marketing campaign, or a service before it is launch. They are the ones who will
gather information about a particular topic or area of interest and give a feedback
about it. Focus groups are mostly a group of 6-10 people.
8. Outline and briefly explain the key differences between the social science paradigms
positivism, interpretivism, and social constructionism.
- Positivism – Is a view that social scenarios has its own explanation through the
methods of natural sciences. That social phenomena can be justifiable by scientifically
verified of logical or mathematical proof.
- Interpretivism – is one form of qualitative methodology that relies upon the
researcher and human subjects as the tools to measure some scenario or phenomena
through an interview or observation. It is also based on social contexts and human
behavior or experiences. Interpretive researchers “interpret” the reality as a sense-
making process rather than hypothesis testing process.

- Social constructionism – is an interpretative framework where the individuals

understand the world by their own experiences and thoughts. Social constructionists
holds the reality to be socially constructed. They also study the ways of an individuals
or groups on how they understand the world.
9. Discuss the relevance and value of research, using a range of examples of research
projects to support your answer.
- Every research of an individual is important to our daily life because it give us a lot of
vision about life. It also provide us efficient learning and knowledge of new things. It
also the most reliable way to open our minds and understand the various issues, and
also to maintain the important truths and decline all the lies. One of the best example
of research that is ever conducted is about the global warming. It open the eyes of
the people around the Earth, which our world is suffering. After the research about
the global warming, many countries take an action to prevent it. But if there’s no
research about it, we might not notice now.
10. Write a short reflective piece on research ethics.
- Research ethics is very necessary when having a research because the research
provides knowledge, truth, information, and should avoid errors. People nowadays
fund the research project if they can trust the quality and integrity of research. A
research can be also a confidential one, so you should be careful about the privacy
and also respect the dignity and autonomy of the respondents you have taken an
interview. They should be still unknown to public for their safety. When conducting
research on animals, show proper respect and care for them. They have also a life and
we should be careful with them.
CHAPTER 2
END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS
1. Difference between a research idea and a research question.
- A research idea is any idea that the researcher have interest with. After the researcher
identified an overall research idea, they can begin to narrow the topic down to a
specific idea that is feasible and realistic to research. Basically the research idea
provides the readers the information about what topic will they encounter. While the
research question provides a focus and direction to the study and guides the readers
through critical review.
2. Create a conceptual framework for a research project.
- Topic: An app for guiding for commuters what to ride if you’re going to specific place
or where the fastest and nearest public electric transportation around you.
Nowadays, there are a lot of people who commute instead of bringing their
own car because of the heavy traffic that are waiting for them. Also one of the
reason why some people choose to commute is because the price of gas. The value
of gas is not constant, it may go very high and drop at very low and vice versa. So
far, we have more natural gas and convert it to petrol available that we can use
for mechanical cars but it is not renewable. Someday we might run out of gas
instantly so we must take an action immediately. We can use the electricity for
running our cars, because electricity can be produced by many ways. One example
of it is the hydroelectric power plants and the wind mills that can convert wind
energy to electricity.
This app basically promotes the usage of electric cars for public
transportation for a specific area. Electric cars are a bit slower than the cars who
are using gas but it can be a substitute when it comes to transportation.
3. Detail a strategy, using the four frameworks approach to research, to source appropriate
literature.
- The four frameworks approach to research are all helpful when writing a research but
for the others, it might not quite helpful. Focus on what you are good at or have an
interest with when starting a research. Conceptual and theoretical frameworks are
more like the same to each other because they both need data and information that
can hold the research theory and also to provide the readers with an enough idea on
how the problem of the research will have to be solved or explored. The said two
frameworks are the best to use if the researcher have enough data and information.
4. Detail, describe and explain some of the different approaches to research.
- There are more different types of approach to research and here are some:
o Deductive Research Approach – where a theory must be formed first then
formulate a hypothesis. After formulating the hypothesis, the researcher will
conduct an observation or test just to prove that the hypothesis or the
resolution to the problem or theory is correct.
o Inductive Research Approach – this kind of research approach does not involve
formulation of hypothesis. It generalize the specific topics to the general ones.
This approach starts with a research question and followed by the resolutions
about the problem and next is the aims and objectives of the research that are
need to be achieved within the research process.
o Abductive Research Approach – it is used to generate testable conclusions.
This type of research approach is used to explore a phenomenon, identify the
direction and pattern of the ideas in a conceptual framework. This approach is
also made to explain the incomplete observations, puzzles or surprising facts,
and untested hypothesis by using qualitative and/or quantitative methods of
data collection and analysis.
5. Visit the library and find copies of theses which report research projects which students
in your university have carried out using case study and survey methodologies. Be critical
in your examination of these projects. Critique the theses in terms of their overall quality.
Critically examine the standard of writing in the theses. Critically examine the
bibliographies in the theses.
- The thesis I have found entitled “Motorized Sand Siever” is well written that the
readers can easily understand it. It is well discussed on how will they run the research
and how will they promote the usage of the motorized sand siever to construction
industries. Even though there are some loopholes or problems that might not be
explained deeply. The bibliography of this study is well organized that the reader can
easily find and research the information by himself/herself. Although some of the
citations used by the researchers are way too old that there are no scientific progress
has been made about it for a couple of years. But overall, the thesis is recommended
for publication subject but need some minor revisions and improvement.
6. Read the statements or questions or hypotheses. As conceptual frameworks for their
research projects, how well do you think they work? Read the research methodology
chapters.
- Based on the research they have conducted, they clearly provided the idea to the
mind of the readers of how the research study goes. It clearly shows that the concept
of the researchers are well-defined because they have discussed well on how they will
conduct the research step by step. The researchers also provide the idea on how will
the Motorized Sand Siever machine will resolve the most common problem of
construction sites in the Philippines.
7. Read the research methodology chapters. What initial thoughts do you have about them?
- Based on the research they have conducted, the hypothesis of the researchers is testable.
It is able to test logically whether the theory is supported by data. And also the methods of
collecting the data is based on some logical methods that can be doable and has a scientific
explanation. But there are some mistakes like they did not show any evidences on how they
have gathered the results.
8. What research methodology was used?
- Based on what I have read, the researchers used an applied research methodology.
Because the researchers used the methodology to promote the using of motorized
sand sieving machine for the construction sites and change the traditional way of the
Filipino workers when it comes to filtration of the sand (wet and dry). The researchers
try to develop innovative machinery to make the workforce focus on more critical
activities than spend most of the time in sand sieving for cement mixing for
construction sites and to save more time and money and use it to other critical works.
9. What was the population of the research?
- In this study, the researchers do not have any respondents because they gathered
data through experimentation and observation. The researchers have done it by
themselves, they observed every tests they’ve conducted and record the results.
10. Was a sample used, and if so what sampling method was used?
- The researchers did not use a sample, but they are the ones who gathered it. The
sample or simply the researchers do the conventional sand sieving while they are
observed by their other groupmates. The researchers used the Proportional and non-
proportional quota sampling, they used this type of sampling because the researchers
wants to obtain certain types of data specifically the consumed time when some of
them are conducting the test which is the conventional way of filtering the sand. After
they are finished gathering the data, the researchers will compare what is the fastest
way of sieving the sand, the motorized one or the conventional one.
11. How is the sampling method described? Is enough detail given to allow the reader to
critically evaluate the method used?
- The researchers did not mention clearly how they have done the gathering of results.
But I have asked one of them that they are the ones who gathered the data they
needed. The researchers sieved the sand by themselves, then record the data. And
after they collected the certain data (consummation of time), they now compare
which is the fastest among the motorized sand siever or the conventional way of doing
it.
12. What data collections methods was used?
- The researchers used method of experimentation and observation to gather data
which can help to conduct their study to develop the machine. They used the
experimental and observational method because their research is a prototype and
there must be a lot of tests so they can collect more results to say that the machine is
working and the hypothesis of the research is true.