Integrated Process Skills

1. Integrated scientific process skills contains skills including formulating

hypotheses, defining operationally, identifying, and controlling variables,
experimenting, interpreting data, and making inferences.

2. Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on

variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to
answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.
The data collection component of research is common to all fields of study
including physical and social sciences, humanities, business, etc. While
methods vary by discipline, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest
collection remains the same.

Data Collection Methods

Data collection is a process of collecting information from all the relevant sources to
find answers to the research problem, test the hypothesis and evaluate the outcomes.
Data collection methods can be divided into two categories: secondary methods of data
collection and primary methods of data collection.
Primary Data Collection Methods
Primary data collection methods can be divided into two groups: quantitative and
qualitative.
Quantitative data collection methods are based in mathematical calculations in
various formats. Methods of quantitative data collection and analysis include
questionnaires with closed-ended questions, methods of correlation and
regression, mean, mode and median and others.
Quantitative methods are cheaper to apply and they can be applied within shorter
duration of time compared to qualitative methods. Moreover, due to a high level of
standardisation of quantitative methods, it is easy to make comparisons of
findings.
Qualitative research methods, on the contrary, do not involve numbers or
mathematical calculations. Qualitative research is closely associated with words,
sounds, feeling, emotions, colours and other elements that are non-quantifiable.
Qualitative studies aim to ensure greater level of depth of understanding and
qualitative data collection methods include interviews, questionnaires with open-
ended questions, focus groups, observation, game or role-playing, case studies etc.
Your choice between quantitative or qualitative methods of data collection
depends on the area of your research and the nature of research aims and
objectives.

3. Organizing Data-
Grouping objects or events is a way of imposing order based on
similarities, differences, and interrelationships. This is an important step
towards a better understanding of the different objects and events in the
world.
Methods of Data Presentation
I. Textual Presentation- The data are presented in the form of texts,
phrases or paragraphs.
Example:

II. The Tabular Display- A more reliable and effective way of

showing relationships or comparisons of data through the use of
tables.
 - The tables must be accompanied by a short narrative
explanation to make the facts clearer and more
understandable.
Example:

III. The Graphical Display- the most effective way of presenting data
through the use of statistical graph.
- Can easily attract the attention as well as the interest of the
reader.
a. Bar Graph
b. Pie Chart
c. Line Chart

4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data-

Interpreting data- this skill involves one to organize and state in his/her
own words information derived from an investigation.
-This also involves a person to revise interpretations of data
based on new information or revised data

Scientific investigations produce data that must be analyzed in order to

derive meaning. Because data patterns and trends are not always
obvious, scientists use a range of tools - including tabulation, graphical
interpretation, visualization, and statistical analysis – to identify the
significant features and patterns in the data. Scientists identify sources
of error in the investigations and calculate the degree of certainty in the
results. Modern technology makes the collection of large data sets
much easier, providing secondary sources for analysis.
5. Experimenting-