10

English
Quarter 4-Module 1
Distinguishing Technical Terms
Used in Research
(Weeks 1 and 2)

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What I Need to Know
Research is an important part of our lives. It enables us to go on adventure, to discover,
and to invent. Think about it: Without research, there would be no knowledge to make our life
more meaningful, no technology to make our existence dynamic. In fact, we do research,
consciously or unconsciously, every day.

In this module, you will learn about technical terms used in research.

In the process, you are to do different activities to quickly distinguish technical terms used when
you actually engage yourself in the step-by-step process of doing research.

The most essential learning competency covered in this module is distinguish technical terms
used in research, EN10V-IVai-30.

Objectives:

As a learner of this module, you are expected to:

1. distinguish technical terms used in research;

2. compose a research report about a local treasure or heritage in the
community.

What I Know
To test what you already know about technical terms used in research,
answer the pretest below. Take note of the items that you did not correctly answer and discover
the right answer as you go through this module.

Directions: Match the descriptions in the Premises (A) with corresponding section names listed
in column B. Use a separate sheet of paper.
A B
1. presents background information, scope and focus of the research paper A. Methodology
2. provides a review of what others have written or researched on B. Literature Review
concerning the topic
3. explains how the research was conducted C. Introduction
4. presents the information gathered through the research D. Reference
5. evaluates the results of the study or research E. Discussion
6. provides the summary of the research F. Conclusion
7. lists all the sources used in the research G. Results
8. contains other related information, such as graphs, tables, charts, lists, H. Research
etc.
9. summarizes all sections and helps readers decide whether or not to read I. Abstract
the entire project
10. a systematic investigation to contribute to an existing body of knowledge J. Appendix
K. Definition of Terms

What is it

What is research?

Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of

knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase
understanding of a topic or issue. (Wikipedia)

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What is a research paper?

A research paper is an essay in which you explain what you have learned after exploring your
topic in depth. In a research paper, you include information from sources such as books, articles,
interviews, and internet sites. You also use your own ideas, knowledge, and opinions in writing a
research paper.
The following are the basic steps in preparing a research paper:

1. Choose and limit a topic

2. Review related literature
3. Formulate your thesis statement
4. Make a preliminary outline
5. Take down notes
6. Write your draft
7. Cite your sources
8. Revise your draft
9. Prepare the final form

How to Select and Limit a Research Topic

In order to successfully complete a research report, you have to develop and limit a good
research topic. It must be focused enough to be significant and interesting, yet comprehensive
enough for you to find adequate information. The wise choice of a topic will help greatly in
sustaining your enthusiasm and in feeling fulfilled in your working. Consider the following
important guidelines:
Brainstorm for ideas - Suppose you were asked to write a research report on local treasure
or heritage in the community. What local treasure or heritage in the community would you like
to research about? Why does it interest you that you would like to know more about it?
Identify the Sources of General Background Information- What sources of information
can you use to gather information? Who can you ask to help you in providing information about
the topic?
Focus on your topic- What specific area or factor of the local treasure or heritage in the
community would you focus your research on? Why did you decide to focus on that specific
area or aspect? Who is most affected by the topic?
Be flexible - What are the considerations or adjustments that you would do if ever there is a
need to modify your research topic?

ACTIVITY 1A
Directions: In the table below are five topics about local treasure or heritage in your community.
After some serious thoughts, rank them according to your preference. Use a separate sheet of
paper.
Rank Topics
Ancestral Houses
Carpentry Tools
China Wares
Farm Implements
Historical Churches
ACTIVITY 1B
Your research topic should not be too broad or too technical. It should be limited to a reasonable
scope so that it can be treated comprehensively in about 2000-3000 words and done within the
time given to you by your teacher.

Example:
Very broad Broad Specific
Movies Filipino movies Metro Manila Film Festival Best Movies

Directions: Narrow down the first topic you have selected in the previous activity to more reasonable,
specific topic. Use a separate sheet of paper.
Very broad Broad Specific

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ACTIVITY 1C
What sources of information can you use to gather information? Who can you ask to help
you in providing information about the topic?
For a high school research paper of about 10 pages, you should be able to gather at least
five (5) printed reference materials, and two (2) resource persons to further enlighten you on
your topic. Fewer than these may make it difficult for you to come up with a research paper that
has substance and can project a clear grasp of the subject matter. Remember that a research
paper cannot be built solely upon your personal knowledge or opinion on the topic.

Directions: Complete the table below by filling it in with the topic you have selected
and your possible sources. Use a separate sheet of paper.
Topic:
Possible sources: (Printed Materials: Books, newspapers, etc. Online sources)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Possible Interviewees ( Resource Persons)
1.
2.

Literature Review

A well-written research report is partly founded on the presentation and discussion of

existing bodies of literature related to the study at hand. It is always helpful to be able to clearly
see how the topic builds upon previous works.
A literature review or review of related literature is the part of the research paper that
discusses published information in a particular subject area. Some might think that it is simply a
summary of sources, but is actually more than that. It provides the recap and a re-organization
of information.
The task of writing a literature review becomes complicated when there are plenty of
authors who have researched about the subject matter. When faced with this situation, you need
to create a graphic organizer that allows you to see the different author’s ideas conveniently. One
kind of graphic organizer for this is the Literature Review Matrix.

Qualities of a Good Literature Review Matrix

Limitation. In a 15-page article, maybe only a few paragraphs pertain to your research question.
On your matrix, take note only of the ideas that address your research question.
Comparison. Besides limiting the number of ideas, the placement of notes on your matrix will give
a bird’s eye view of how the authors’ ideas relate to other authors’ ideas.

Sample Literature Review Matrix

Topic: Social Comparison and the Effects of Advertising Images of Ideal Female Beauty
Title Source/Type Author/s or Year Notes and Finding
Proponent/s
Colonial Faces: Women strive for ideal beauty
Beauty and Skin Thesis Rondilla, 2012 with proximity to popular
Color Hierarchy in the Joanne media imagery.
Phils. and the US Laxamana

Even with the advent of

GMA Online technology, most
The “White Skin” News JR Lopez Filipinas still believe that
Standard in Filipina Internet Gonzales 2013 pigment-less beauty is the
Beauty Article standard and must be imitated
for one to be seen beautiful.

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Spurred on by modern
marketing and a cultural
SKIN DEEP: Dying CNN.com history that cherishes fairness,
to be white Internet Marianne Bray 2002 hordes of women across Asia
Article are slapping on whitening
lotions, serums, correctors,
and essences to bleach their
skins.

ACTIVITY 2

Directions: Make your Literature Review Matrix of the topic you have selected in activity 1. Use
a separate sheet of paper. Be sure to follow the guidelines and the sample given.

Topic: ________________________________________________________________
Title Source/Type Author/s or Year Notes and
Proponent/s Finding

Formulating the Thesis Statement

After having chosen the topic and singling out the aspect that you wish to discuss in your
research paper, formulate the thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence at the end of
the first paragraph of your research paper that explains the entire paper in one statement.
In formulating the thesis statement, ask yourself this question: What is the most important
message this entire paper should convey to the readers?
In formulating the thesis statement, you must be very specific, summarizing points that
are about to be made in your paper, and supported by specific evidence. It is necessary to
formulate a thesis statement to provide a focus, to give direction to your research, and later to
make your writing easier and clearer.
Example:
Topic: Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering
Thesis Statement: Genetic engineering is a useful tool to improve the quality of our lives, but it
has also the potential to destroy our values.

ACTIVITY 3
Directions: In the box below, write a thesis statement of your chosen topic (about a local
treasure or heritage) for a research paper. Use another sheet of paper.
Topic:

Thesis Statement:

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Making the Outline
A preliminary or tentative outline of your research paper should be prepared before you
proceed to gathering notes. The outline shall just indicate the main divisions and secondary
divisions of your research paper. Note the title, the thesis statement, the main divisions
indicated by Roman numerals, and the secondary subdivisions indicated by capital letters.

A good outline for a high school research paper should have at least three levels.

Introduce your outline by stating first your topic and then your thesis statement.
Then, begin writing your outline following the format.

Sample Outline:

Topic: The War against Urban Poverty

Thesis Statement: The war against urban poverty should be a major concern of the public and
private sectors.

I. Indications of Urban Poverty

A. Inadequate housing
B. Crime rates
C. Problem of street children

II. Causes of Urban Poverty

A. Lack of employment opportunities
B. Continuing rural-urban migration
C. Inadequate social welfare assistance

III. Solutions to Eliminate Urban Poverty

A. Rural-based economic development strategy
B. Involvement of non-government organizations
C. Comprehensive urban renewal program

ACTIVITY 4

Directions: Prepare a preliminary outline for your own research paper about a local treasure or
heritage in your community. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Topic: ________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

I. ______________________________________________________________
A.___________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________
C. ___________________________________________________

II. ______________________________________________________________
A.___________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________
C. ___________________________________________________

III. ______________________________________________________________
A. ___________________________________________________
B. ___________________________________________________
C. ___________________________________________________
(End of Week 1)

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Taking Notes from Source Materials/Interviewing Resource Persons

You have just hurdled one of the most difficult tasks in research paper writing: preparing the
outline. Having built the framework, you have laid the foundation for your first major written
work. Feel free, however, to modify your outline as you deem fit. In gathering notes, always keep
your outline within sight so that you do not waste precious time going through irrelevant material.
Follow the guidelines for note-taking:

1. Use a new index card for each new source which you gather data.
2. At the top of the index card, write down your source in the correct bibliography form.
3. Take down notes. Do not copy whole paragraphs word for word. Jot down only the main
points and condense lengthy explanations. Most of your borrowed ideas and data should
be summarized or restated in your own words. Resist the urge to merely copy. Reflect
upon what you have read.
4. Indicate the page containing the data from which you have lifted.
5. Take down notes following the topics and subtopics in your outline. Number your
notecards to maintain order.

Printed materials are not the only source of information; people are too. You will find it very
helpful to interview at least two persons very knowledgeable about your chosen topic.
Take a small recorder for the interview. It frees you from having to write down everything
your resource person says. Immediately after the interview, come up with an accurate write up
of what transpired during the interview.

ACTIVITY 5

Directions: Prepare three notecards for your own research paper about a local treasure or
heritage. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Writing the Draft of your Research Paper

Using what you have learned about writing a research report and the notes that you have
gathered, you can now write the draft of your research paper. Remember that writing is a
recursive process. Do not be discouraged if you have to gather more information to support the
claims you have stated in your thesis statement. Refer to the notes and outline you made earlier.
These tools will help you organize your thoughts.

Writing the Introduction

The essential parts of the introduction are:

A. Brief Background: Provide an overview of the scope of the research.

B. Objectives of the Study: Articulate what you intend to find out or achieve in the study.
Some researchers use research questions that they intend to address in the report.
C. Significance of the Study: Discuss the relevance of the study to your intended
audience. Cite the specific benefits that they can get from the findings of the research.
D. Literature Review: Discuss previous studies done on the chosen topic. Relate how your
research relates to these previous researches.

Writing the Body

The body of the research report contains the substantial amount of information that needs
to be clearly and accurately presented and analyzed. The data that will be presented in this
section are meant to address the research questions or objectives. In presenting the gathered
information you can use pie charts, graphs and tables.
Moreover, you need to use related studies to support or refute the findings. You can do
these by incorporating the notes(summary, quote, paraphrase) that you have gathered in the
pre-writing phase. Remember to cite your sources using the recommended system of
documentation.

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Writing the Conclusion
Tips on how to write a conclusion for your research paper:
1. Restate your research topic.
2. Restate the thesis.
3. Summarize the main points.
4. State the significance or results.
5. Provide recommendations.

ACTIVITY 6
Directions: Answer the following questions. Use another sheet of paper.
1. What are the main parts of a research paper?
2. Which parts of a research paper contain/s borrowed ideas and information?

Citing Sources

Your different sources provide you with factual information as well as ideas and opinions
from experts with which to support your statement. Your borrowed materials make your report
interesting and authoritative. In turn, it is your obligation to acknowledge these sources.
Fortunately for students of today, the method of citing sources has been much simplified.
All you have to do to cite a source is to enclose in parentheses the surname of your source and
the year the information was published immediately after the borrowed material. You may also
use direct or indirect quotes (reported speech).
At the end of your paper, write a bibliography page following the formats you learned in
the previous quarter.

ACTIVITY 7
Directions: Answer the following questions: Use a separate sheet of paper.
1. How do you acknowledge sources of ideas and information in your research paper?
2. Why should you acknowledge these sources of ideas and information?
3. Read the following notecard and acknowledge the source.

We should implement a total log ban for at least 25 years to preserve our forests.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel
Manila Bulletin, January 13, 2000)

What I Have Learned

What are your realizations as you journey through this lesson? Before moving
forward, reflect on the important points that you found helpful and challenging by
completing the sentences. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Jot Your Insights

After doing all the activities in this module, I learned the following technical terms used in
research _______________________________________________________.
I realized that I need to improve my ___________________________________.
For me, the most difficult part of the lesson is____________________________.
I believe that writing a research report is important because ________________.

What I Can Do

In this part of the module, you will transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns. This will serve as evidence of your understanding of the
target concept and skills.

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ACTIVITY 7

Directions: Using what you have learned about writing a research paper, and utilizing your
answers in the previous activities in this module, write a research paper about a local treasure
or heritage in your town or municipality. You can research more information to make your work
more comprehensive. Refer to the scoring rubric for your guide. Use another sheet of paper.

RESEARCH PAPER
Adapted from Rubistar.com
Criteria 4 3 2 1
Catchy All four parts of the Three out of the Two out of the Only one out of
Introduction introduction four parts of the four parts of the the four parts of
are present. introduction are introduction are the introduction is
present. present. present.
Credibility Seven references Six references are Five references Four or less
are used in used in preparing are used in
references are
preparing the the research preparing the used in preparing
research report. report. research report. the research
report.
Well All sentences and All sentences and Sentences are Sentences and
organized paragraphs are well paragraphs are organized but paragraphs are
organized. well most of the loosely
Maximum use of organized but paragraphs are organized and too
transition words is transition words loosely organized. difficult to follow.
evident in the are not used.
whole work.
Compelling All five Four out of five Three out of five Two out of five
conclusion information information information information
required of a required of a required of a required of a
conclusion are conclusion are conclusion are conclusion are
present. present. present. present.
Well-written Whole research Contains 5-10 Contains about Contains about
paper is almost spelling, 25% spelling, 50% spelling,
entirely free of punctuation and punctuation and punctuation and
spelling, grammar errors. grammar errors grammar errors
punctuation and which detract that the paper
grammar errors. from the paper’s cannot be
readability. understood.

Assessment

I. Identify the following technical terms used in research. Use a separate sheet of paper.
________1. It is a subject or issue that a researcher is interested in when conducting research.
________2. It is a detailed review of existing literature related to the topic of a research.
________3. It offers a concise summary of the main point or claim of the research paper.
________4. It helps to map out the information for the research paper and to keep the
information organized and focused.
________5. It is the act of recording information from different sources and platforms.
________6. It a version of a research paper that is complete but not yet polished.
________7. It is a reference to the sources of information used in the research paper.

II. Using a flow chart, present the steps in writing a research paper. Use a separate sheet of
paper.

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