CAPSTONE RESEARCH COLLECTION

INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC It is a group of naturally occurring speciments

RESEARCH or samples, gathered to show their scientific
hierarchy or relationship. It must
CAPSTONE RESEARCH PROJECT is demonstrate a newly discovered information
designed for Senior High School students to that would contribute to an existing scientific
conduct experiments that will draw their knowledge.
experiences together to answer a research
question or problem. PROJECT - RESEARCH - MATERIALS -
PROCEDURE – CONCLUSION
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH is an objective,
logical, and repeatable attempt to EXAMPLE: Collection and identification of
understand the principle forces operating the tadpoles in Dasmariñas Cavite
natural universe

DISCOVERY – BASED INVESTIGATION

It is also called a non-inquiry investigation
for it relies on verifiable observations and
measurements.

It involves methods to observe a structure or

a phenomenon; to record, analyze, and
interpret the data obtained; and to generate
detailed descriptions. HYPOTHESIS – BASED INVESTIGATION

EXAMPLES: When you conduct an experiment, you start

• Description of Human DNA to perform an inquiry-based investigation.
• Composition of a Plant Extract It requires one to propose and test a
• Correlation of Typhoon Intensities hypothesis; hence, it is also called a
and Amount of Rainfall hypothesis-based investigation.
• Measurement and Comparison of
Ultraviolet Rays throughout the It involves the use of the scientific method
Months anchored on a well-defined procedure
designed to answer a researchable question.
DEMONSTATION
STEPS
It explains a scientific principle of why or how 1. Problem
something works through models, 2. Hypothesis
illustrations, or visual animations. This does 3. Procedure
not require hypothesis testing. However, you 4. Results
must carry out testing or trials to demonstrate 5. Conclusion
that a given specific principle actually works.
SCIENCE INVESTIGATORY PORJECT
PROJECT -> RESEARCH -> MATERIALS -
> PROCEDURE - > CONCLUSION In an inquiry-based investigation, students
conduct science investigatory projects. It
EXAMPLE: Solar energy as an alternative aims to establish specific detailed
source of energy for watering plants information or characteristics about a given
group.
To do this, certain characteristics need to be
determined, defined, and compared to
another population by making observations APPLIED RESEARCH
or measurements on variables. Practical | For The Betterment Of Life’s
Quality
A VARIABLE is a test subject's characteristic • Alternative energy sources
that can change (or is allowed to change). • Low-cost instrumentation
• Development of diagnostic kits
• Identification of antibacterials
• Biomaterials characterization

QUALITIES OF AN EMPIRICAL
RESEARCH PROJECT
• It should contribute to an existing
knowledge ins science.
• It has to exhibit orginality.
• It should follow the process of a
research.
SCIENCE INVESTGATORY PROJECT • It must look into available scientific
WITH EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT sources of information.
• Its design must be logical and
Scientific investigatory projects may also aim rational.
to apply a treatment on a test subject in a • Its results and conclusions must be
controlled way and to collect data in verifiable and repeated by others.
response to the experimental conditions. • It should address a real-world
problem or issue.
To have a valid conclusion, it is important to
make comparisons among the test subjects, THE RESEARCH PROCESS & DESIGN
which have either received a treatment but in The conduct of an experimental study
different degrees/levels (experimental employs the Scientific Method, which
group), or did not receive the treatment at all involves systematic procedures in order to
(control group). come up with scientifically acceptable and
verifiable results and conclusions.

There are also instances when the procedure

needs to be modified as a result of an
unexpected data or problems in the conduct
of the experiment. Hence, there is a need to
return to a previous step.
Research is an iterative process because
the results generated may lead to more
questions that need further research.

RESEARCH PROCESS
BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH
BASIC RESEARCH
Theoretical | For The Expansion Of
Knowledge
• Genetic diversity Ecological patterns
• Biodiversity studies
• Host-parasite interactions
• Characterization of organisms
Selecting a Research Topic is a critical initial • Oceanography deals with the
step in conducting a project. The challenge is physical and biological properties
to come up with a topic that is novel, and phenomena of the marine
feasible, and applicable. systems.

BROAD enough to have an impact on the CATEGORIES SPECIFIC FIELDS

society and the scientific community. • Geomagnetism; Hydrology;
Geochemistry; Laboratory
But if it is too broad, you will find too many Geophysics; Paleontology;
articles that have little significance to your Seismology; Soil Sciences
topic. • Aquatic Biology; Geological
Oceanography; Marine Geophysics;
NARROW enough to make the research Physical Oceanography
project doable and answer a specific
problem. LIFE SCIENCE

But if it is too narrow, only a few articles or BROAD CATEGORIES

studies are available to serve as your • Environmental Biology focuses on
reference. the scientific study of the origins,
functions, relationships, interactions,
THE RESEARCH TOPIC and natural history of living
ENGINEERING populations, communities, species,
and ecosystem in relation to dynamic
BROAD CATEGORIES environmental processes.
• Electrical Engineering deals with • Medical Biology is concerned with
the practical application of the theory the study of the diagnosis, treatment,
of electricity in the construction of and prevention of diseases,
machinery, power supplies, etc. particularly of humans.

• Mechanical Engineering is SPECIFIC FIELDS

concerned primarily with the • Ecosystem Sciences; Evolutionary
industrial application of mechanics Biology; Global Warming; Population
and with the design, production, and and Biotic Community Ecology;
use of tools, machinery, and their Systematics.
products. • Family medicine; Neurology; Mental
Health; Optometry Pediatrics;
SPECIFIC FIELDS Preventive Medicine;
• Communication; Computer
Engineering; Electronic; Power MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER
• Engineering Mechanics; Mechanical SCIENCE
Engineering
BROAD CATEGORIES
ENVIRONMENTAL • Mathematics is an abstract science
of number, quantities, operations,
SCIENCE BROAD and space to systematically produce
• Geological Science broadly studies generalization, combinations, and
the physical structure and substance abstractions.
of Earth and other planets, moons, • Computer science deals with the
and smaller planetary bodies. theories and methods of processing
information in digital computers as
well as the design of both computer
hardware and software. Water Pollution:
• What aquatic plants, animals, and
SPECIFIC FIELDS microorganisms can be used as
• Algebra; Applied Mathematics; Logic; indicators to measure the level of
Geometry; Numerical Analysis; water pollution?
Statistics; Trend Reporting • How can water pollutants affect the
• Computer and Information Sciences; growth and reproduction of specific
Design, Development, and plants and animals?
Application of Computer Capabilities
to Data and Storage Manipulation; Alternative Energy:
Programming Languages • What local nonagricultural plants can
be sources of essential oils?
PHYSICAL SCIENCE • How can one maximize the utilization
of solar energy and wind energy as
BROAD CATEGORIES sources of electricity?
• Chemistry is the science that deals
with the composition, structure, and NATURE OF RESEARCH
properties of substances as well as The purpose of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
the changes that they undergo. is to explore, understand, and interpret
• Physics is concerned with the nature human behavior and issues.
and properties of matter, energy,
motion, and force The aims of QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
are to test hypothesis, determined cause-
SPECIFIC FIELDS and- effect relationships, and make
• Inorganic Chemistry; Organic predictions.
Chemistry; Organo-Metallic
Chemistry; Pharmaceutical
Chemistry; Physical Chemistry.
• Atomic and Molecular Physics;
Chemical Physics; Condensed
Matter; Elementary Particles;
Theoretical/Mathematics Physics
THE RESEARCH DESIGN
After reviewing the categories, limit your The RESEARCH DESIGN is the overall plan
topic using SUBCATEGORIES or conceptual structure formulated to
address the research problem. If the
Research Design is not properly formulates,
the overall research problem might be
inadequately addressed.

• The nature of research;

• The objective of the Research
Design;
• Flexibility of the Research Design to
undergo changes;
After choosing a topic, questions to be • Skills of the researchers;
answered in inquiry may then be crafted. • Effectivity and efficiency of the
Ideal questions for doing a project start with Research Design in obtaining the
why, how, what, who, when, where, or which. needed data;
• Accuracy and reliability of the data The rules and regulations of the school or
and the biases it should avoid; organization must serve as the basic
• and the time frame, cost, and foundation of ethics in research and must be
feasibility of the study, followed all the time.

ETHICAL PRACTICES AND MORALS:

DESCRIPTIVE • Proper citation for all references
It describes, explains, and validates various used;
aspects of the subject. The data are obtained • Statement of conflict of interest;
through a systematic observation of the • Inclusion of authors who contributed
samples. However, because the samples are to the research
merely observed, the variables are not
MORAL PRINCIPLES
controlled and the conclusion cannot
• Non-maleficence (Avoiding harming
describe any relationship among the
others)
variables.
• Beneficence (Doing good for others)
Autonomy (Self-determination)
CORRELATIONAL • Justice (Being fair)
It establishes the extent of the relationship • Fidelity (Keeping promises)
among variables. It recognizes the trends • Veracity (Truthfulness and Consistent
and patterns in the data, in the variables, or honesty)
in the subject itself. However, it proves only
relationship, not the cause ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
• Honesty And Integrity
CASUAL-COMPARATIVE • Objectivity
It attempts to establish cause-and-effect • Accuracy And Cautiousness
relationships among variables. This can • Protection Of Human Subjects
determine the influence of a certain variable • Animal Care
on other variables or even on the entire • Care For The Environment
subject. However, because of the nature of
• Responsible Research
this research design, the samples are usually
Dissemination
predetermined and not randomly selected.
• Respect For Intellectual Property
EXPERIMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF A RESEARCHER
It involves a setup where the researcher Research students are primarily
maintains absolute control over all the factors responsible for the design, conduct
that may affect the experiment. Hence, the finalization, and dissemination of the study.
variables are systematically manipulated to Researchers are expected to observe the
observe their effects. highest ethical standard and follow the
guidelines and procedures set by the school
THE RESEARCH ETHICS & SAFETY in conducting a CRP.

RESEARCH ETHICS is based on moral • Develop an appropriate CRP plan

principles that govern a researcher's following the format of the school.
behavior in conducting experiments. It is • Consult and discuss your concerns
based on a number of foundations including with your research adviser regularly.
rules and regulations, rules of conduct, • Attend required research orientation
ethical principles, moral principles, products sessions, accomplish research
of research, and values. forms, and comply with other
research protocols prior to the generated and new discoveries and
conduct of experimentations. inventions help societal problems, Scientific
• Accomplish preparatory activities achievements of researchers bring honor,
ahead of schedule. recognition, empowerment, and even
• Manage and sustain the progress of financial rewards. These are powerful
the research. motivation for a wear researcher to commit
• Prepare the final product and paper scientific misconduct or fraud in science. The
following the format of the school. practice in science to recognize the first
• Disseminate your CRP results researcher to report a scientific breakthrough
following the guidelines of the school. may also add pressure for someone to falsify
results.
SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
The safety of the researchers, the end-products SCIENCE MISCONDUCT
of the research, and the environment where the Scientific misconduct is committed when
research is conducted should be considered. someone reports unreliable and fraudulent
Safety must be prioritized because of the reports. The following are the common forms
inherent risks such as fire hazards, toxic of scientific fraud.
chemicals, risky protocols, and potentially
• Fabrication - making up results and
infectious diseases from creatures.
reporting them as one's own data.
• Follow the instructions to avoid • Falsification - manipulating by
accidents and endangering your life and changing, omitting, or adding data.
others. • Plagiarism - owning someone else's
• Familiarize yourself with the location and work without giving proper credits. •
o Citation Plagiarism: failure
use of safety equipments.
to cite the work of previous
• Wear personal protective equipments. 4
researchers who had
• Strictly no food nor drinks. published the same results.
• Dispose the wastes. o Plagiarism Fabrication:
• Study the protocols for accidents. copying an unrelated figure
• Leave your experiments in a safe place. from an unrelated publication
• Caring for the environment must be a and reproducing it exactly in a
priority in conducting a research. new publication.
o Self-Plagiarism: publishing
ROLES OF RESEARCH IN THE SOCIETY the same results using
Scientists and researchers have the different titles in different
responsibility to transmit knowledge for the journals.
improvement of the society. Research • Photo manipulation - Image fraud
endeavors must be aimed at solving by publishing photoshopped images.
immediate and critical problems of the
• Ghostwriting - employment of
community. Researchers must also engage
ghostwriter to write publications.
in intellectual dialogues with members of the
• Authorship Misconduct - authors
society in order to understand their
without substantial contributions in
immediate needs and aspirations.
the development of research studies
and publications.
FRAUD IN SCIENCE
Scientific research is the search for truth. • Bare assertion - making an
With the tools of science, new knowledge is unsubstantiated claim.
THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE purpose to discuss, evaluate, synthesize,
SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE AND ITS and summarize information from different
TYPES primary sources. This is the reason why
Conceptualizing a research topic is one of secondary literature usually provides
the most challenging aspects of research. It broader and more in-depth information about
requires obtaining existing or background a given topic. Nevertheless, it also
information about the topic of interest. The undergoes peer review before publication.
following are the reasons why gaining
background information about your research Examples of secondary literature are
topic is important. literature review articles, meta-analysis,
indices, and data compilations.
• It expands your knowledge as a
researcher. Reading background
information helps you understand TERTIARY LITERATURE
your research topic as well as its
context. Tertiary literature is based on both primary
• It gives a summary of critical and secondary literatures. It represents a
studies. Background information can condensed summary or an introduction to the
be synthesized so that studies current knowledge or research on the topic.
relevant to your research topic are This kind of literature holds information that,
included. while authentic, is farthest from the source. It
is also not as focused and detailed as the
• It helps refine your research topic.
previous types.
Gathering background information
reveals issues that have not been
resolved yet. Examples of tertiary literature are science
magazines, textbooks, encyclopedia, and
PRIMARY LITERATURE
dictionaries.
Primary literature refers to original research
and new studies that contain firsthand
information about a certain topic. Also known THIRD READING Questions to consider
as primary source, it is used as a basis of
other types of literature since it is the most • What inferences can you make?
recent among them. Primary literature is • How does the author support key
evaluated by scientists and researchers of ideas?
the same area of expertise as that of the • How does this relate to other texts
author to ensure its accuracy and you've read?
authenticity. This process of evaluation is • How does this excerpt help you
called peer review. understand the text as a whole?

Examples of primary literature are journal

articles, monographs, autobiographies,
TRADITIONAL WAYS OF GATHERING
photographs, and speeches.
INFORMATION
Traditionally, researchers gather information
by reading various sources or resources to
SECONDARY LITERATURE make sure that their information are correct
Secondary literature refers to publications and accurate.
that largely rely on primary literature. Its main
GENERAL REFERENCES SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
General references are the broadest reading Scientific journals are the main source of
materials; they cover every knowledge primary information related to past and
available. They can be used to gain initial current scientific investigations. They are
knowledge and general ideas about a certain usually specialized for different fields or
topic. However, general references cannot disciplines of science.
give an in- depth discussion about a research
ONLINE RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
topic.
SEARCH ENGINES
Examples of general references are
• Google
almanacs, atlases, dictionaries, and
encyclopedia. • Bing
• Yahoo
• Baidu
SCHOLARLY BOOKS • Ask
• AOL
Scholarly books are written for general or • Boolean Operator
specialized fields of science (e.g.,
chemistry, engineering. etc.). They contain BOOLEAN OPERATOR
information derived from original research. Boolean logic or searching is a method of
Scholarly books are more detailed than organizing one ' s search using a
general references. They contain key combination of key words. There are three
concepts, terminologies, and data that can main Boolean operators, namely, and, or,
be easily understood. and not. These are used to limit your search
MONOGRAPHS engines to only the results that you need.

Monographs are highly specialized books

or treaties that contain detailed and
thoroughly documented studies and papers,
which focus on a single topic in a particular
field. Monographs contain comprehensive
information that can serve as background
knowledge for your research.

RESEARCH DATABASE
REVIEW ARTICLE
A database is a large and comprehensive
Review articles, or reviews, are written collection of data conveniently organized
documents that sum up the current state of for rapid search and retrieval through a
the research on a particular topic. computer. Companies and schools use
Review articles provide a basic databases to store the information of their
understanding about a specific research workers and students, respectively. In
area and are, at the same time, relatively research, publishers use databases to store
easy to understand. They are more detailed, journal articles that they have published and,
current, and commonly published in peer- at the same time, grant researchers access
reviewed journals.
FIRST READING Question To Consider

• What' s the main idea?

• Can you summarize the text?
• What jumps out at you?
• What questions do you have?
PREPARING A REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
NOTE-TAKING
The are three main principles of note-taking
in research:

• Know what to record - Before

finding and reading your literature,
you must know what ideas or topics
you are trying to find by creating a list
of topics and subtopics.
• Write efficiently - Do not write down
too much unnecessary information.
• Label it logically - When creating a
label, always label the Topic, Title of
the Study, Author ' s, Year of
Publication, Journal, and Page
Number.

CONCEPT MATRIX
There are two approaches in structuring the
RRL:

• concept-centric - concepts are

described one after another.
• author-centric - discusses the
related studies performed by
researchers