GOALS OF RESEARCH

To measure certain specific characteristics of certain population To observe some phenomena (and causes of these phenomena) in the environment To assess the outcomes of some programs or activities being undertaken To generate and apply new knowledge and innovations

What is Thesis Writing?

- formal, systematic and intensive process of carrying a scientific method of analysis

- generally looks into original or raw data.

- requires independent thinking both in perceiving and analyzing problems and in finding solutions to them

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

A question strikes the mind of the researcher. The researcher converts the question into a clearly stated research problem. The researcher makes a sound guess or a temporary answer to the problem. This is called hypothesis.

Recommendations.

A conclusion is drawn. The hypothesis is tested whether it is true or not. The facts are subjected to analysis to comprehend their meaning. The researcher gathers the facts. Literature are searched to look into some relevant facts and possible answers. The researcher designs a methodology to be used in terms of the goal of the research and the needed facts.

Selecting Research Problems

1. Your topic should be something new.

2. It must be original.
3. It should be significant to your field of study. 4. It must necessarily arouse intellectual curiosity. 5. It should not be entirely foreign to you. 6. It should depend on the level at which the work is done. 7. The topic should be clear, not ambiguous.

Consider the following:

1. Your interest and the interest of others. 2. Your training and personal qualifications.

3. Availability of data, methods and techniques for gathering data.

4. Financial capacity to support the project.

5. Time factor.

Consider also.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (MSIT) RESEARCH AGENDA Policy research on IT

Technological research for the advancement of Philippine IT

Globalization issues and technological development, e.g. technology transfer, impact of IT, technology application, etc. Programming and software development

Parts of a Thesis
PRELIMINARIES Cover Page Copyright Page Title Page Certification and Approval Certification of Originality Acknowledgment Abstract Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures

Parts of a Thesis
Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Background of the Study Theoretical Framework Conceptual Framework Statement of the Problem Hypothesis (if any) Scope and Limitation of the Study Significance of the Study Definition of Terms

Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Foreign Literature Local Literature Foreign Studies Local Studies Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Method of Research Population, Sample Size, and Sampling Technique Description of Respondents Research Instrument Data-Gathering Procedure Statistical Treatment of Data
Note: Format of Chapter 3 may vary depending on the research design subject to the approval of the Thesis/Dissertation Committee.

Chapter 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA (Headings of topics/findings per problem)

Ex.
1. Features of the FIDES in Terms of Security Design Requirements, High Level Design, Low Level Design, Implementation Notes, and Evaluation and Case Studies

Chapter 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary (Gist of statement of the problems, hypothesis (if any), research method and sampling designs, instrument/s and statistical tools used) Findings Conclusions Recommendations

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Journals and Monographs (research publications) Unpublished Theses/Dissertations Periodicals Electronic Sources Other Print Sources Non-Print Sources APPENDICES Questionnaire (with cover letter) Request letter to conduct survey Documents, memoranda, data/figures (if any) Sample statistical computations or print-outs Curriculum Vitae

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

It is in this section where you discuss the overview of your research problem; Define major concepts; Discuss the factors that lead you to the conceptualization of the problem.
Background of the Study Describe prevailing conditions; Justify the chosen topic as a problem for research; Cite some facts/ figures or findings/conclusions of other research which prompted you to conduct a study or extension study on the problem.

Theoretical Framework Theories - sets of interrelated concepts, constructs, definitions and propositions that present systematic view of the phenomenon by specifying relationships among variables with the purpose of explaining and predicting the phenomena. Conceptual Framework Concepts - abstractions; ideas

Statement of the Problem This is where you state the general and specific problems for the research you choose to work on and hopes to achieve. Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a temporary answer to the specific problems stated.

When it becomes necessary to test this hypothesis using some statistical tools, you need to state it in the null form.

Scope and Limitation Discuss inclusively the coverage of the study in terms of the population, time frame, variables; some specific items which should be excluded in the study; limitations in the methodology, sampling, instrumentation, etc. Significance of the Study This part discusses the groups of persons, institutions or offices which will be benefited by the results of the study. How these groups are benefited by the results must likewise be discussed.

Definition of Terms
The main variables of the study including terms, words or phrases which have special or unique meanings in the study are defined. Definition may be taken from encyclopedia, dictionaries, books, other scholarly publications but the researcher must acknowledge his source. Definitions should be brief, clear and unequivocal.

Include the operational definitions which are specifically the meaning of the terms as they are used in the study.

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This contains the literature and studies reviewed and the synthesis of the review.
This Chapter should only have five subheadings, namely, Foreign Literature, Local Literature, Foreign Studies, Local Studies, and Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies.

Purposes of Review of Literature

1. Provides the refinements the research needs in terms of formulating the research questions and the framework for the investigation to be done. 2. To establish the facts which are already known from previous researches. 3. To have a relatively wide range of information about the topic. 4. To get a clearer vision of the additional research that needs to be done. 5. To enable the researcher to develop a theoretical/ conceptual framework for his/her research.

Things to consider:
1. Except for classical theories and other relevant literature, all the literature and studies included in the review must have been published or written (if unpublished, such as theses and dissertations) at least ten years prior to the conduct of the current study.

2.

Except for exploratory studies, the minimum number of literature and studies to be reviewed is pegged at ten each for foreign literature, local literature, foreign studies, and local studies, and at least 10 journal articles for a thesis and 15 for a dissertation.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Method

Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique

Research Instrument

Three Options:
1. Look for previously validated questionnaire which has been used in the previous study. 2. Evolve an adaptation of a previously used or validated questionnaire. An adaptation results when a researcher modifies, replaces or deletes some items to make the set of items relevant to the study.

3. Construct a questionnaire based on the information needed for the study.

Characteristics of a Good Instrument

1. It deals with a significant topic, a topic the respondent will recognize as important enough to warrant spending his time in completing. The significance should be and carefully stated on the questionnaire, or in the letter that accompanies it. 2. It seeks only information which cannot be obtained from other sources such as school reports or census data.

3. It is as short as possible, only long enough to get the essential data. Long questionnaires frequently find their way into the wastebasket.

Characteristics of a Good Instrument

4. It is attractive in appearance, neatly arranged, and clearly duplicated and printed.

5. Directions are clear and complete. Important terms are defined, each question deals with a single idea, all questions are worded as simply and as clearly as possible and the categories provide and opportunity for easy, accurate, and unambiguous responses.
6. The questions are objective, with no leading suggestions as to the responses desired.

7. Questions are presented in logical order, proceeding from general to more specific responses.
8. It is easy to tabulate and interpret.

Preparing and Administering the Questionnaire

1. Get all of the help that you can in planning and constructing your questionnaire . Study other questionnaires, and submit your items for criticism to other members of your class or your faculty, especially to those who have had experience in questionnaire construction. 2. Try out your questionnaire on a few friends and acquaintances. 3. Choose respondents carefully. It is important that questionnaires be sent only to those who possess the desired informationthose who are likely to be sufficiently interested to respond conscientiously and objectively.

Preparing and Administering the Questionnaire

4. If schedules or questionnaires are planned for use in a government agency or institutions, asking for the responses of employees or workers, it is essential that approval of the project be secured from the administrator. 5. If the desired information is delicate or intimate in nature, consider the possibility of providing for anonymous response. The anonymous instrument is most likely to produce objective responses.

Preparing and Administering the Questionnaire

6. Try to get the aid of sponsorship. Recipients are more likely to

answer if a person or organization, or institution of prestige has endorsed the project. 7. Be sure to include a courteous, carefully constructed cover letter to explain the purpose of the study. 8. Recipients are often slow to return completed questionnaires. To increase the number of return, a vigorous follow-up procedure may be necessary.

Sample Items: (Excerpt from Hewage & Ruwanpura (2006)

DIRECTION: Using the following scales, please rate your degree agreement on the following factors that influence construction productivity: Strongly disagree Disagree Somewhat disagree Neutral Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Sample Items: (Excerpt from Hewage & Ruwanpura (2006)

Factors
Bonus or rewards Amount of salary
Tools and equipment Friendliness and helpfulness of coworkers

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Somewhat disagree

Neutral

Somewhat Agree

Agree

Strongly Agree

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

determining the appropriate statistical techniques to be used in analyzing the collected information/data

STATISTICAL PROCEDURES: GENERAL CLASSIFICATIONS

Descriptive Statistics procedures for summarizing, organizing, graphing, and in general, describing quantitative information. Inferential Statistics Statistics that allow us to draw conclusions or inferences from data. Usually this means coming to conclusions (such as estimates, generalizations, decisions, or predictions) about a population on the basis of data describing a sample.

DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
Frequency and percentage distributions Measures of central tendency Measures of variability
Examples: 1. What is the profile of the civil engineer respondents in terms of the following variables: 1.1 sex, 1.2 age, 1.3 civil status, 1.4 training and other relevant qualifications 1.5 position 1.6 length of service?

2. How do the respondents agree on the following

factors that influence construction productivity? 2.1 incentives 2.2 working team (work participation) 2.3 working conditions (work facilitation) 2.4 management and supervision 2.5 intrinsic motives

Statistical Treatments:
The respondents were described in terms of some selected variables such as age, sex, civil status, training and relevant qualifications, position, department to which each belongs, and length of service. 1.1 Percentage. Percentage is used as descriptive statistics, that is relating a part of the whole. This is used in describing some personal characteristics of the respondents of the study such as sex, civil status, position, department and educational qualifications.

1.2 Arithmetic Mean. An arithmetic mean is used

to find the average age and length of service of the respondents.

1.3 Weighted Mean. To determine the degree of agreement of the respondents on the factors that influence construction productivity, a weighted mean is used.

Sample Thesis Titles

Bautista, R. V. (2008). An Intranet-Based Transcript of Record Builder for the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Graduate School Bonzon, M. Z. (2008). Paperless Document Routing and Approval System Using DIJKSTRAs Algorithm Revano Jr, T. F. (2008). Development of Automated Document Analyzer Using Text Mining and AHO CORASICK Algorithm Sicat, MGC. E. (2008). Online Back-up utility: An Application in Support to Remote Storage Services Taguibolos, G. B. (2008). Geographic Information Systems (GIS): An Information Technology Tool to Improve Census Operations of the National Statistics Office

Sample Thesis Titles

Halnin, C. G. (2007). Enhanced Intranet System of a Philippine Government Science Research and Development Institute Santiago, DJ. A. (2007). Development of Data Model and Website for the University of Rizal System Cyberpark - Morong Campus Wang, G. (2007). Electronic Mail Communication in A Power Corporation: An Assessment Zhang, H. (2007). FIDES as a Software Solution for Fair Exchange in E-Commerce Concepcion, S. (2006). Network Design for the Systems Interconnectivity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines

References
Best, J. W. (1981) Research in Education. 4th Ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Birion, J. C. & De Jose, E. G. (1998) Glossary of Statistical Terms for Statisticians, Researchers, and Beginners. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore, Inc.

Birion, J. C., De Jose, E. G., Dayrit, B., & Mapa, C. M. (2005) Thesis and Dissertation Writing Without Anguish. Valenzuela: Mutya Publishing House, Co.
Diekhoff, G. (1992) Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences: Univariate, Bivariate, Multivariate. Wm. C. Brown Publishers Elinwa, A. U. (2006). Experimental characterization of Portland cement-calcined soldier-ant mound clay cement mortar and concrete. Construction and Building Materials. Nov 2006, 20:9, 754-760. Fortune, C. & Cox, O. (2005). Current practices in building project contract price forecasting in the UK. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. 12:5, 446-458. Hewage, K. N & Ruwanpura, J. Y. (2006). Carpentry workers issues and efficiencies related to construction productivity in commercial construction projects in Alberta. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. August 2006, 33, 1075-1089. Leonard II, W. M. (1976) Basic Social Statistics. New York: West Publishing Co.

THANK YOU!