ENG103 232 Mid-semester Exam Study Guide.pptx

ENG103 Research Writing Techniques 232 Mid-semester Exam study guide 1 Outline ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Important note LTD Exam Warning Exam Design The Definition of Research & Research in the social sciences Subject, Participant and Stakeholder Experimental and Control Groups Independent, Dependent...

ENG103 Research Writing Techniques 232 Mid-semester Exam study guide 1 Outline ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Important note LTD Exam Warning Exam Design The Definition of Research & Research in the social sciences Subject, Participant and Stakeholder Experimental and Control Groups Independent, Dependent and Extraneous Variables The meaning of Hypothesis Transferability Generalizability Inductive research and Deductive research APA Referencing 2 Important note: In addition to this study guide you must also review and consult the other lesson slides in preparation for the mid-semester exam. 3 LTD Exam Warning The Linguistics and Translation Department is taking the issue of student misconduct in the exams very seriously, and this message is to inform you about the measures that are operative to prevent and detect cheating in the Mid-Semester exams. The instructor will be visually monitoring students’ behaviors in class. An additional invigilator will visit the class unannounced and can randomly inspect students’ behaviors. The Netsupport system will be monitoring live, in real time, the students’ computers during the entire exam. The Netsupport system will save a log of each student’s activity, which can be analyzed for misconduct even after they have completed the exam and left the classroom. If a student is caught cheating, they will be exposed to serious cheating charges that will be processed through the University’s policies. 4 Exam Design The total potential score of the exam is 20, and it comprises two types of questions, which are: 10 Multiple choice questions (MCQ), which are worth 1 point each. 5 Short answer questions (SAQ), which are worth 2 points each. 5 The Definition of Research & Research in the social sciences Research can be defined as an unbiased endeavor that adheres to a structure to acquire new knowledge about the world or to test existing assumptions. Moreover, this endeavor involves forming a question, a methodology to address it and ultimately leads to an answer that can be scrutinized. Research in the social sciences can be defined as investigations that focus on the behavior of humans and their subjective interactions with the world, rather than the study of objective and consistent variables such as the elements that make up human anatomy and affect it. A study into coffee culture’s impact on social cohesion in Riyadh is a good example of research in the social sciences. While a study into the effects of coffee on human cognition is more related to the sciences. 6 Subject, Participant and Stakeholder Subject: refers to the things or individuals under investigation. For example, when discussing a case study, Matthews and Ross 2010 suggest that “the subject of the case may be a person, an organisation, a situation or a country […]” (p. 128). Participant: Refers to individuals who willingly participate in the research to provide data. For example, Saldanha & O’Brien (2014) explain that: Our use of the term ‘participant’ is in line with new developments in research involving human beings which attempt to recontextualize the research by presenting it as a collaborative process between the researcher and the people who are invited to participate in it. The aim is to recognize the contribution made by those whose views we request and to highlight the fact that, for the research to be valid, they need to be fully informed stakeholders whose consent is free and revocable (p. 150). Stakeholders: Refers to the “individuals, organizations or communities that have a direct interest in the process and outcomes of a project, research or policy endeavor” (Deverka et al, 2012). 7 Experimental and Control Groups Research that uses an experimental design comprises of an experimental group and a control group. The Experimental group is the group that receives the experimental procedure, which usually involves manipulation with the independent variable. For example, in an experiment to see how coffee affects exam performance, the group that is given coffee to drink before the exam is the experimental group. The Control Group is the group that does not receive the experimental procedure or test sample. For example, in an experiment to see how coffee affects exam performance, the group that is NOT given coffee to drink before the exam is the control group. 8 Independent, Dependent and Extraneous Variables The independent variable is the factor that is changed or controlled by the researcher in a study. It is the cause or reason for a specific outcome. For example, car tires in an experiment to determine how tires affect performance, are an independent variable. The dependent variable is the factor that the researcher measures to determine the effect of the independent variable. For example, track lap times, in an experiment to determine how tires affect performance, are a dependent variable because they are affected by tires. The extraneous variable is the factor that is NOT changed or controlled by the researcher in a study but affects the dependent variable. For example, air temperature in an experiment to determine how tires affect performance, is an extraneous variable because it will affect a dependent variable such as track lap times. 9 The meaning of Hypothesis A hypothesis, in the general sense, can be defined as a claim involving the relationship between things, which can be tested to verify or dismiss, through experimentation. For example, Matthews and Ross (2012) argue that a hypothesis is “a testable assertion about a relationship or relationships between two or more concepts (this is not necessarily a statement about reality; it is something to be proved or disproved)”. They also explain that: Hypotheses are a specific type of research question which actually are not questions but rather statements or assertions about relationships between two or more concepts. The question is implied rather than stated and could be in the form ‘Can I prove (or disprove) that there is a relationship between these two concepts?’ The purpose of the research (p. 58). For example, the claim that sitting at the front of the class improves grades is a hypothesis until it is proven or disproven. 1 Generalizability In essence, generalizability refers to the ability to apply research conclusions, which were based on a sample group, to the population (relevant people outside of the actual research), i.e., to make a generalization from a limited study. For example, researchers concluded that their sample group of 30 student participants in their study increased their coffee intake leading up to an exam. Generalizability, would be the ability to apply the findings of this research to the population (all students), and say students increase their coffee intake leading up to an exam. 1 Transferability In essence, transferability refers to the applicability of your findings to other contexts, which are different from your research context. Consequently, transferability is important because it refers to the ability to apply research findings from one context to another. For example, a study found that students studying in Columbia University, New York, were not adversely affected by drinking Brazilian coffee 10 minutes before an exam, and thus, in this situation transferability would relate to the applicability of this finding to another context, e.g., students studying at PSU and who drink Saudi coffee just before their exam. However, to enable the reader to make an informed judgment if the results are transferable to another context, it is incumbent on the researcher to provide information about the research context. 1 Inductive Research and Deductive Research Inductive research does not begin with a theory rather it collects and analyses data to produce a theory. Deductive research begins with a theory and collects data and analyses it to test the theory, which can result in the theory being supported, modified or rejected. In essence, the main difference between inductive research and deductive research is that inductive research aims at developing a theory by gaining data, while deductive research aims at testing an existing theory against data gained through the research. 1 APA Referencing Paraphrasing According to the APA referencing style there are two forms of references for ‘paraphrasing’. The first is ‘Signal phrase’, and the second is the ‘Parenthetical note’. Howard (2019) states that Signal phrases “include the author’s name (often just the surname) and an appropriate verb in your sentence, and place the date of publication, in parentheses, immediately following the author’s name” (p. 220). These verbs include the following: argues, asserts, states, contends, suggests and explains. An example of a Signal phrase is as follows: Alotaibi (2022) argues that students are adversely affected if they drink coffee before going to sleep. Regarding Parenthetical notes, Howard (2019) asserts that they “in parentheses, provide the author’s surname, followed by a comma and the year in which the source was published. Place the note immediately after the borrowed material” (p. 220). An example of a Parenthetical note is as follows: Research into the effects of coffee on human cognition indicates that students are adversely affected if they drink coffee before going to sleep (Alotaibi, 2022). The main differences between a signal phrase and a parenthetical note is that a signal phrase begins with the author’s name and year of publication in parentheses and uses an appropriate verb to introduce the idea, and then presents a paraphrased version of the idea, while a parenthetical note includes the author’s name and year of publication in parentheses immediately after the paraphrased version of the idea is presented. 1 APA Referencing Direct Quoting When using direct quotes, the components are the same as paraphrasing, but with the addition of “double quotation marks” and the page number, which is signified with the letter p.. An example of a direct when it is comes after the author’s name is as follows: Algamdi (2020) contends that “students who study longer typically achieve higher grades” (p. 38). An example of a direct quote when the author’s name is not mentioned first is as follows: It is better for students to increase their study time because research findings suggests that “students who study longer typically achieve higher grades” (Algamdi, 2020, p. 38). 1 APA Referencing Multiple Authors According to the APA style there are unique rules when dealing with texts that have two or more authors: “For a work with one or two authors, include the author name(s) in every citation” (American Psychological Association, 220, p.266). For example: Davis and Barry (2010) argue that women have more employment opportunities in industries that involve creativity. “For a work with three or more authors, include the name of only the first author plus "et al." in every citation, including the first citation…” (American Psychological Association, 220, p.266). For example: Trotter et al. (1988) argue that Peckham has more of an influence on international trade than New York and Paris combined. 1 APA Referencing Multiple Authors Also, the APA style specifics when to use “and” or “&” when dealing with multiple authors: “In parenthetical citations, use an ampersand (&) between names for a work with two authors…in narrative citations, spell out the word "and”” (American Psychological Association, 2020, p.266). An example of a parenthetical citation: University graduates have more employment opportunities in industries that heavily rely on digital technologies (Davis & Barry, 2010). An example of a narrative citation (a signal phrase): Davis and Barry (2010) argue that University graduates have more employment opportunities in industries that heavily rely on digital technologies. 1 APA Referencing Preparing a Reference List The reference list is written on a separate page and uses the heading: Reference List or References The references are listed in alphabetical order. For online articles with one author the following format is used: In italics Author’s surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Article title. Journal Title, vol (no), pages. DOI Alharbi, B. (2020). Coffee and human cognition. Psychology and Nutrition, 12(3), 89-103. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2011.07.011 For printed books with one author the following format is used: In italics Author’s surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. Algamdi, S. (2020). Modern pedological trends: time matters. PSU Publications 1