It is not merely:
1. Information gathering
2. Transfer of data
- needs interpretation
3. Fact discovery
- must critique
4. System development
It …
1. Starts with a problem / question
2. Has a clear goal
- specific problem to solve
- clear statement of problem
3. Specific plan to proceed – clear research processes / methodology
4. Requires breaking down of principal problem into smaller manageable sub problems
5. Is guided by specific research problem / question / hypothesis
6. Accepts certain critical assumptions
- differentiate between critical assumptions and hypothesis
7. May require the collection and interpretation of data to try to resolve the problem that initiate the research
- Data not interpreted does not provide any insight. Also different mind interprets differently, as different eyes see different things. E.g. statistics about number of criminals caught is seen differently by the police and the educationist / moralist.
- Underlying and unifying any research is its methodology, which directs the whole endeavor. It dictates how the data are acquired and process to produce meanings.
- No specific rule to interpret data, although statistical methods are often used.
8. Is cyclical
Reference:
1. Creswell J. W., Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 4th Edition, Pearson 2012
2. Paul D. Leedy & Jeanne Ellis Ormrod, Practical Research: Planning and Design, 8th Edition, Pearson 2005
(Prof. Mohd. Sapiyan bin Baba)
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