WRITING RESEARCH REPORTS
HOUSE KEEPING • TRIP (GOING OR NOT GOING) • CAMERA IMAGE SCHEDULE • EXTRA LUGGAGE • 21ST NOVEMBER – FIRST MOCK PRESENTATION • INITIAL RESEARCH • 24TH NOVEMBER – PINEWOOD STUDIOS • 29TH – PROJECT REGISTRATION / 2 PAGE PROPOSAL DOCUMENT
FORMULATING A RESEARCH QUESTION
?
• A research problem identifies your destination • It clearly says what you intend to research • The more specific and clearer you are the better • Consider your resources
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO RESEARCH? WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? INITIAL READING?
In order to form a legitimate and coherent research question it is essential that you carry out 1.Some initial reading (preliminary literature review) 2.Some initial practical tests
“The literature review involves a paradox. On the one hand, you cannot effectively undertake a literature search without some idea of the problem you wish to investigate. On the other hand, the literature review can play an extremely important role in influencing the nature of your research problem thus conditioning your thinking about choosing your research problem. It is therefore important for you to strike a balance between reviewing the literature and its influence on your research problem. �
The literature review is important because‌
THE LITERATURE REVIEW IS NOT A SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE “In a literature review you describe each theme that emerged during the literature search, citing its origin, comparing it with others and integrating it in a logical manner with the rest.”
You should be asking the following questions 1.What is already known? 2.What is not known or has not been clearly articulated? 3.Gaps? – what have the studies not told us? 4.What are the theories relevant to my research? 5.What research strategies have been employed by others?
KEY SOURCES • INDUSTRY WHITE PAPERS • TECHNICAL MANUALS • BOOKS • TECHNICAL JOURNALS • SCIENTIFIC WRITINGS ON THE TOPIC • INTERVIEWS
GOOD RESEARCH: “An extremely important feature of research is the use of appropriate methods. Research involves systematic, controlled, valid and rigorous exploration and description of what is not known, and establishment of associations and causation that permit the accurate prediction of outcomes under a given set of conditions. �
“It also involves identifying gaps in knowledge, verification of what is already known and identification of past errors and limitations. �
THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL “A research proposal must tell you, your research supervisor and a reviewer the following information about your study: • what you are proposing to do • how you plan to proceed • why you selected the proposed strategy.
THE PROPOSAL SHOULD CONTAIN
• • • • • • • • • • •
A statement of objectives (research question / problem) A list of hypothesis, if you are testing any The study design you are proposing to use The setting for the study Preliminary literature review / summary The research instruments you are planning to use The sample size and sample design The data processing procedures The outline of the proposed chapters for the report The study’s problems and limitations The proposed time frame
ACTIVITY: FORMULATE A 3-4 LINE RESEARCH QUESTION BASED AROUND A SCIENTIFIC AREA OF INTEREST
CORE ELEMENTS OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION: PRECISION FOCUS DRILL INTO THE ISSUE
KEYWORDS BIAS SUBJECTIVITY OBJECTIVITY
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
CONTROL: • DEFINE THE FACTORS THAT EFFECT THE QUESTIONS • CAUSE AND EFFECT • VARIABLES • “The concept of control implies that, in exploring causality, you set up a study in such a way that it either minimizes or quantifies (it is impossible to eliminate) the effects of factors, other than the cause variable, affecting the relationship.”
APPROACHES: QUANTITATIVE - POSITIVIST QUALITATIVE – INTERPRETATIVE MIXED METHODS - PRAGMATIC
TENETS OF POSITIVISM • Research should be empirical and observable • Objectivity • Research should aim to explain and predict • Should be value free and be judged by logic • Should be methodic • What is general, average, representative
TENETS OF INTERPRETIVISM • UNDERSTANDING • WHAT IS SPECIFIC, UNIQUE AND DEFIANT • NATURE OF REALITY: SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED / MULTIPLE
AXIOLOGY: The philosophical study of value ONTOLOGY: Dealing with the nature of being
A deductive argument is an argument that is intended by the arguer to be (deductively) valid, that is, to provide a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion provided that the argument's premises (assumptions) are true. Here is a valid deductive argument: It's sunny in Singapore. If it's sunny in Singapore, he won't be carrying an umbrella. So, he won't be carrying an umbrella.
An inductive argument is an argument that is intended by the arguer merely to establish or increase the probability of its conclusion. In an inductive argument, the premises are intended only to be so strong that, if they were true, then it would be unlikely that the conclusion is false. There is no standard term for a successful inductive argument. But its success or strength is a matter of degree, unlike with deductive arguments. A deductive argument is valid or else invalid.
Here is a stronger inductive argument based on better evidence; Two independent witnesses claimed John committed the murder. John's fingerprints are the only ones on the murder weapon. John confessed to the crime. So, John committed the murder. This last argument is no doubt good enough for a jury to convict John, but none of these three arguments about John committing the murder is strong enough to be called valid. At least it is not valid in the technical sense of 'deductively valid'. However, some lawyers will tell their juries that these are valid arguments, so we critical thinkers need to be on the alert as to how people around us are using the term.
KOLB’S LEARNING CYCLE
THE EIGHT-STEP MODEL FOR CARRYING OUT RESEARCH (KUMAR) PHASE A: STEP 1: FORMULATE A RESEARCH QUESTION (RESEARCH PROBLEM) PHASE B: STEP 2: CONCEPTIALISE A RESEARCH DESIGN STEP 3: CONSTRUCT AN INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION STEP 4: SELECT A SAMPLE STEP 5: WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL PHASE C: STEP 6: COLLECTING DATA STEP 7: PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING STEP 8: WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT
RESEARCH EXAMPLES