GENG005 Writing & Presentation Skills - Part 2

Course Information

• Course Title: GENG005 Writing & Presentation Skills - Part 2
• Lecture Topic: Research and Information Gathering
• Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024

Educational Objectives

• Utilize effective research methods to gather relevant information for content creation
• Ensure accuracy and credibility in technical writing

Outline

• Understanding the Research Process
• Planning for the Research Process
• Researching a topic
• Choosing Appropriate Research Methods
• Conducting Secondary Research
• Conducting Primary Research
• Conducting Experimental Primary Research

Research Goals (Academic Research)

• Aims to answer scholarly questions
• Example Questions:
  • To what extent do standardized tests contribute to the success of public elementary schools?
  • What effects do violent media have on teenagers?
• Focus: Abstract principles and theories
• Methodology: Extensive secondary research (literature review) before primary research

Research Goals (Workplace Research)

• Aims to solve practical problems
• Example Questions:
  • Should sales staff notebook computers be replaced with tablets?
  • What are the pros and cons of adopting a European-style privacy policy?
• Focus: Improving organizational processes and stakeholder needs
• Methodology: Significant primary research

Academic vs. Workplace Research

• Academic Research
  • Nature of Questions: Abstract and theoretical
  • Research Type: Primarily secondary research
  • Outcome Focus: Understanding principles
• Workplace Research
  • Nature of Questions: Practical and situational
  • Research Type: Primarily primary research
  • Outcome Focus: Improving organizational effectiveness
  • Both types are essential but serve different purposes and use different methodologies.

Planning for the Research Process

• Eight steps to help develop a research plan:
  • Analyze the audience
  • Analyze the purpose
  • Analyze the subject
  • Consider the document type
  • Work out a schedule and budget for the project
  • Determine the required information for the document
  • Determine the information to acquire
  • Create questions to answer in the document

Choosing Appropriate Research Methods

• Question-Based Research Methods:
  • Research needs are diverse and different research questions necessitate distinct research methods
  • Example Methods:
    • Long-Term Predictions: For understanding future changes (e.g., outsourcing in computer support), consider:
      • Journals and magazine articles
      • Reputable websites and blogs
    • Product Evaluation: To assess a specific product's performance (e.g., scanner reliability), consider:
      • Secondary research
      • Observations at vendor sites
      • Product demonstrations
      • Interviews with colleagues
      • Experimental comparisons of different products

Research Question Types

• What is the theory behind a process or technique?
• What is the history of a phenomenon?
• How is the current situation expected to change?
• What products are available to perform a task or provide a service?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of competing products and services?
• Which product or service do experts recommend?
• What do stakeholders think about a current or proposed product or service?
• What are the facts about how jobs are done at a company?
• What can be learned about what caused a problem in an organization?
• What do personnel in a company think should be done about a situation?
• How well would a product or service work in an organization or an institution?

Conducting Secondary Research

• Objective: To gather insights from experts and scientists about a specific topic
• Goal: To acquire the best available information that is:
  • Accurate
  • Unbiased
  • Comprehensive
  • Current
• Resources:
  • Library: Access to specialized handbooks and subscription services
  • Online Research: Utilizing the web for information gathering
  • Organizational Information Centers: Internal libraries providing critical data for operations
  • Specialists for research inquiries and data retrieval

Understanding Research Tools

• Library Catalogs: Contains electronic records of physical holdings (books, journals, reports, audio, video)
  • Search tips: Limit by media type, publication date, and language. Use punctuation and logical operators (AND, OR, NOT)
• Online Databases: Access to full-text articles and documents (e.g., ProQuest)
• AI-Based Tools: Aim to enhance research resources

Conducting Primary Research

• Objective: Answering research questions
• Goal: Obtaining new, accurate, credible, reliable, and unbiased information accepted by the scientific community as a contribution to human knowledge
• Major Primary Research Categories:
  • Data Analysis
  • Observations and Demonstrations
  • Inspections
  • Experiments
  • Field research
  • Interviews
  • Inquiries
  • Questionnaires

Conducting Experimental Primary Research

• Experimental Research Phases:
  • Establishing a Hypothesis
  • Testing the Hypothesis
  • Analyzing the Data
  • Reporting the Data