RESEARCH METHODS
1. Ethical, Social, and Scientific Responsibilities of a Researcher
Ethical responsibilities: obtain free, prior, and informed consent; protect confidentiality and anonymity;
minimize participant harm; disclose conflicts of interest; and ensure transparency about research purpose and
methods. Social responsibilities: design studies that benefit society, avoid perpetuating harmful biases,
disseminate findings accessibly, and respect cultural sensitivities. Scientific responsibilities: maintain
methodological rigor; avoid fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism; acknowledge limitations honestly; use
appropriate methods; ensure proper attribution; and submit work to peer review.
2. Four Sampling Techniques
Simple Random Sampling — every population member has an equal chance of selection, minimizing bias
(e.g., lottery from a complete roster). Stratified Random Sampling — population is divided into subgroups and
random samples are drawn from each, ensuring proportional representation (e.g., sampling by year level).
Cluster Sampling — naturally occurring clusters are randomly selected and all members within are studied,
useful for geographically dispersed populations (e.g., selecting barangays). Purposive Sampling — participants
are deliberately chosen based on specific relevance criteria, common in qualitative and expert-opinion research.
3. Value of Inclusion/Exclusion Decisions Before Literature Search
Establishing inclusion/exclusion criteria before searching: (1) prevents information overload by defining
specific boundaries (date range, language, study type, population); (2) protects against confirmation bias by
ensuring criteria are set independently of what literature contains; (3) forces conceptual clarity on scope and key
definitions before being influenced by available sources; and (4) ensures transparency and reproducibility,
allowing other scholars to audit and replicate the literature review process.
4. Proposed Research Project
Proposed Title: 'The Effectiveness of Technology-Integrated Instruction on the Academic Performance and
Digital Literacy of Grade 10 Students in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Quezon City.' Design: quasi-
experimental pretest-posttest with comparison group. Significant contributions: evidence-based guidance for
school administrators on technology procurement and deployment; recommendations for teacher training
programs on effective pedagogical integration; input to DepEd digital education policy; and contribution to the
underrepresented literature on educational technology in the Philippine public school context, with implications
for educational equity and quality nationwide.