At the core of the Tytana Research Agenda is the principle of bridging the widened gap between theory and practice toward the eventual generation of new knowledge aimed at advancing the research culture and the quality of human life. MTC shall endeavor to be a model institution of higher learning in the areas of health, arts and sciences, information technology, accountancy, management and other disciplines founded on the culture of nurturance and excellence.

Moreover, the Research Agenda is based on the National Higher Education Research Agenda-2 (NHERA 2009-2018) that restates the general policies on higher education research namely: capability; productivity and utilization.

At the nucleus of this agenda are the following goals:

1. To develop the research culture of the institution through a continual capability building of faculty and student-researchers;

2. To expose faculty and students to local and international research opportunities;

3. To improve the quality of instruction and human life through the upgrading and advancement of health, arts and sciences, technology and business management;

4. To intensify instructional performance of faculty and the learning competencies of students through research as well as the work performance of the non-teaching staff;

5. To promote critical thinking, excellence and superiority in of health, arts and sciences, technology and business management through faculty and students’ engagement in quality and trend setting researches;

6. To present papers in research in local and international forums and conferences for research utilization and dissemination; and

7. To publish research outputs in reputable journals locally and internationally.

Rationale
The Research Agenda is centered on the institutional vision and mission to be congruent with the efforts of the academic, administrative, and extension departments in fulfilling its aspiration to be a model institution of higher learning in health and other disciplines; moreover, it seeks to realize its goal to be a center of total human development founded on the culture of excellence and nurturance.

The Research Agenda is the foundation of the research culture which eventually would evolve from the conduct of research among faculty and students. The huge volume of research that would swell from year to year, whose researchable areas orbit around the same research agenda, would eventually bring to birth a Tytana research culture of improving the quality of human life through the upgrading and advancement of health and allied health-related curriculum; the intensification of instructional performance among the faculty and work performance among staff; and the promotion of critical thinking, excellence and superiority in health and allied-health related disciplines, arts and sciences, information technology, accountancy and management, business and global entrepreneurship, food systems, culinary arts and hospitality management and other relevant skills for academic advancement of Tytana stakeholders.

The Research Agenda becomes tangible when the research outputs are disseminated by publishing thru the research journals and had been presented in research fora. Moreover, it completes its purpose when the results are utilized as confirmatory to existing theories and practices in the classroom or the community or when the results pronounce the generation of new knowledge and are, in due course, incorporated in the local instructional materials of the institution in the pursuit of quality and excellence in education.

The Research Agenda in consideration of the aforementioned goals is revolving around five dimensions: (1) context; (2) input; (3) process; (4) effects; and (5) impact so that, holistically, the research culture of the institution would envelop diverse facets of a growing academic institution. These are: circumstances and perspectives; contribution to its growth (students, faculty and institution); practice and procedures; consequence of the latter; and its impact.

Meanwhile for the Manila Doctors College of Nursing, the development and production of quality health and allied-health related workers and leaders who can help improve quality of life shall be the foundation of the research activities of the center, thus the specifics of the research agenda are conceptualized in five dimensions: Context (circumstances and perspectives); Input (contribution); Process (practice and procedure); Effects (consequence); and Impact.

2.1 The Five Dimensions of the Research Agenda

2.1.1 Context is understood as circumstances and perspectives. Studies about implications of nursing and psychology education; support systems; opportunities; new directions and priorities; linkages; challenges; assessment on quality of education; and problems are some researchable areas for the society or community as stakeholders.

For the students, faculty, and the curriculum planners/implementers as stakeholders, researchable areas are views, perceptions, perspectives, opinions of health workers/psychologists on certain phenomena; expectations, satisfaction, and evaluation of students about the institution and its services; research capabilities of faculty, students, and staff; etc.

2.1.2 Input refers to contribution. Researchable areas on community or society’s inputs to the institution through the Related Learning Experiences of nursing students, the immersion activities and/ or practicum of psychology students; database on health and health- related issues; policies and practices; etc.

The students, faculty, and the curriculum as stakeholders, the researchable areas are profiling of students in terms of their intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, psychological dispositions, socio-economic status, and other pertinent data; profiling of faculty based on pertinent data; profiling of the institution; governance and management of health and health related institutions; evaluation / preferences of students and faculty on instruction and instructional materials; etc.

2.1.3 Process means procedures and practice. All researches about the process of instruction, instructional materials development, and community involvement compose this dimension. Specifically, it can focus on the institution’s best practices in instruction, factors accounting for success, review of programs, analysis of community experiences, interventions for effective teaching and learning, etc. The students, faculty, and the curriculum are the stakeholders.

For the society and community as stakeholders, the researchable areas are centered on linkages with other health related institutions; collaboration with other research centers; etc.

2.1.4 Effects are the results and consequences. The society and community as stakeholders, researches can focus on the shifts of health culture profile of the community; the social figure of health workers; and the utilization and dissemination of research findings for the community.

For the students, faculty, and the curriculum, studies on development of values and the totality of the person; assessment of graduates; productivity of students and faculty; developing competencies and proficiencies of students and faculty; cost benefits and effectiveness; the results of board exams; etc.

2.1.5 Impact studies revolve around implication studies; vision of health and health-related institutions; visibility of graduates; tracer studies; etc. All these would have the students, faculty, and the curriculum as stakeholders.

The community and society as stakeholders would have studies on perception about the health workers by them; contribution of the RLE and immersion programs on health development; assessment of social responsibility programs; etc.

However, with the advent of Evidence Based Practice (EBP), suggests the use of qualitative research design. The mix method of quantitative and qualitative approaches deemed essential in other disciplines e.g. fields of arts and sciences, information technology, business and management may be further explored through exposition and exploration utilizing said method.

2.2 The Manila Doctors College of Nursing Research Areas

The Research Areas in the Manila Doctors College of Nursing (MDCON) are in four domains: (1) Nursing Education; (2) Nursing Administration; (3) Nursing Practice (Clinical Nursing); and (4) Community Health Nursing.

These research areas are viewed in five dimensions: (1) context; (2) input; (3) process; (4) effects; and (5) impact.

The stakeholders of the MDCON researches are the: (1) students; (2) faculty; (3) administration; (4) affiliations; (5) curriculum planners; and (4) community / society.

2.3 The College of Arts and Sciences Research Areas

The Research Areas in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) deals on the disciplines appertaining to: (1) Psychology; (2) Science and Mathematics; (3) Languages; Literature; Humanities; Information Technology; and Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts.

Likewise, these areas are viewed in the five dimensions whenever feasible are also intended for the same stakeholders. However, in terms of innovative and trend setting researches require the use of other research methodologies.

2.4 The College of Accountancy and Management

The Research Areas in the College of Accountancy and Management (CAM) deals on the disciplines appertaining to: (1) relative topics on hotel and restaurant management; (2) business administration; management; marketing; entrepreneurship; operations; and human resource management among others.

The different areas of research in CAM may also adapt the five dimensions whenever possible. However, in terms of the business management and operations and human resource management parlance, business plans and strategic management format are suggested.

2.5 The Areas for Institutional Research

The Research Areas for the Institutional Research are within the parameters of institutional development and planning. The sole stakeholder, of which, is the institution.