Research 2 PDF - University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao

University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao – Senior High School Department Ms. Karen T. Gudoy, MST 1st Semester - Midterms ! Writing Introduction of Research...

University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao – Senior High School Department Ms. Karen T. Gudoy, MST 1st Semester - Midterms ! Writing Introduction of Research Characteristics of the Background of the Study It should establish the context of the research. It outlines the historical developments in the (Background of the Study) literature that leads to the identification of the main gap, which becomes the concern of the introduce your research proposal current research topic to be investigated. It should include the significance of addressing the The introduction serves the purpose of leading the identified gap. reader from a general subject area to a particular It should provide a general information about your field of research. research topic, which leads to your aim/purpose It establishes the context of the research being in doing the study. The sources of the general conducted by summarizing current understanding information should be properly cited using APA 6th and background information about the topic, edition format. stating the purpose of the work in the form of the It should build a story around the main objective hypothesis, question, or research problem, briefly of your research. The ideas should lead to the next explaining your rationale, methodological so that the readers are able to grasp the story approach, highlighting the potential outcomes themselves. See to it that the story being built does your study can reveal, and describing the not lead to a review of related literatures. remaining structure of the paper. It should focus more on the idea, rather than the The introduction of a research paper serves as the source of the idea. groundwork of a successful and effective study. It should force the reader to continue reading the Since a proposal is in need of approval, a good entire content of the research paper. background on why the study has to be done, It should not be too long nor too short. 1 page of should be logically presented/written. a short bond paper, with single space, would be Content of your introduction the most ideal length. First of all, you have to take note that the Use simple terms as much as possible, bearing in INTRODUCTION part of a research paper, mind that your readers do not know your research contains: intimately, and they want to know what you found o Background of the Study out. o Research Questions o o Hypothesis Significance of the Study. Formulation Research Steps in Writing an Effective Introduction 1. START BROADLY AND THEN NARROW DOWN In the first paragraph, briefly describe the broad Question and Objective research area and then narrow down to your particular focus. This will help position your WHAT IS RESEARCH QUESTION? A research question is a way of expressing the research topic within the broader field, making researcher’s interest in a problem or the work accessible to a broader audience, not phenomenon. just to specialists in your field. The research question gives the study its structure, 2. STATE THE AIMS AND IMPORTANCE direction, and guidepost. Good research Papers rejected for "not showing the importance questions provide an idea on the kind of data to of the topic" or "lacking clear motivation" usually be collected and analyzed, as well as the type of neglect this point. Say what you want to achieve data collection procedures that the research will and why your reader should be interested in use. finding out whether you achieve it. Each question should be clear and specific, refer 3. CITE THOROUGHLY BUT NOT EXCESSIVELY to the problem or phenomenon, reflect an You should thoroughly cover the most recent and intervention in experimental work, and note the most relevant literature pertaining to your study. If target population or participants. you find that your introduction is too long or Identifying a research question will provide overflowing with citations, one possible solution is greater focus to the research or clarify the to cite review articles, rather than all the individual direction of the investigation, whether the articles that have already been summarized in the research is descriptive or experimental. review. A well-written research question will also shed light 4. AVOID GIVING TOO MANY CITATIONS FOR ONE POINT on appropriate research methods (e.g., specify Consider the following sentence: "Many studies the intended actions of the variables and how an have found a significant association between X experimental intervention might be measured) and Y [4-15]." This sentence cites too many studies A well-crafted research question allows the at once. Although references [4-15] might provide readers to identify the variables being a good overview of the topic, this sentence investigated in the study. doesn't provide enough context or explanation Excellent research questions should be formulated for these past studies. If all of these references are in such a way that they would require data worth citing, they should be discussed in greater collection and analysis. specificity.  Remember that research is a process of Guidelines in Formulating Research systematically finding out or seeking answers to a problem. Therefore, finding answers to research Questions and Objectives questions should involve the process of seeking RESEARCH QUESTIONS empirical data. Answers to research questions It is placed after the background of the study. should not be obtained from a simple Internet Present the general purpose of your study and the search. specific questions that will be answered. State The way you formulate your research question will these clearly and concisely. also vary depending on whether you plan doing The specific questions can be written in numbered a qualitative research, a quantitative research, or form. a combination of both. Research questions are the basis to craft the o Is the research significant in relation to research simulacrum and some parts of the the current problems of the world? methods (instrument and data analysis). o Will the research build upon existing The research objective is stated in declarative knowledge about the phenomenon? form while the specific research questions are o Will the research apply, test, or develop stated in interrogative form. theories? The questions must match the thrusts of query of the research instrument. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH State first the general objective of the study followed by the specifics in the form of questions. There are two types of questions: o the descriptive (objective) o the inferential (states the hypothesis of the study). Questions must be interconnected. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Instead of research questions, qualitative researches have research objectives. It states the goal and the sole purpose of the study. A research question is a way of expressing the researcher’s interest in a problem or phenomenon. A researchable problem requires you to adopt an empirical attitude towards it which encompasses your sensory experience, conduct of experimentation/s. Formulating Research Questions According to Research Design and Research Goal Formulating Hypothesis and Significance Of The Study What is hypothesis? Creswell (2014) and Russel (2013) It is a tentative explanation or an answer to a question about variables. It is an inferential thinking that makes you guess something based on factual knowledge or based on conclusions that were logically drawn by other research studies. It must be tested through analytical investigation to prove how true or false it is. Why do we need to state a hypothesis? They guide you on which aspect of the research to focus on. They provide opportunities to prove the relationship between variables. They give the right decision of the research. They outline your thoughts on your manner of summarizing the results and of explaining the conclusions. They push for an empirical study to prove the existence of relationship of variables and the effects of independent variable on the dependent variable. guide in formulating your hypothesis The craft in hypotheses formulation requires you think of the following pointer (Mc Bride, 2013; Lapan, 2012) Express your hypotheses in a declarative sentence.  Support your hypotheses with ideas based on theories, known facts, previous studies, or your own experience and wisdom. Identifying Underpinning Theory Establish a logical relationship between the DEFINITION hypotheses and the research problem. Underpinning theories are referred to, by Gregor Have your hypotheses predict the nature of (2002) as theories for understanding social context relationship between or among variables. in Information System (IS) studies. Ascertain the possibility of having some means of The theories are intended to explain "how" and testing, analyzing, and investigating your "why" things happen in the way that they do. hypotheses. An Underpinning Theory is a related background Avoid wordiness by using clear, exact, or specific of the same field of study that supports the present language in stating the hypotheses. study. WRITING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY If you cannot find any theory that will help you Significance of the Study must be given enough prove your hypothesis, you can adopt a law, a and thorough consideration as this is the Republic Act, or a memorandum. explication of why and how the readers will If an Underpinning Theory or its alternatives are not benefit from their reading. available, a conceptual framework may be used. The significance of the study contains the reason why the result would be beneficial and its What is the difference between the Underpinning Theory applicability in the wider educational and Conceptual Framework? community. The Underpinning Theory will just be one Characteristics of the Significance of the Study theory/law/policy, while a Conceptual Mainly anchored from the Gap/s and Research Problem Framework is a product of your analysis of the the research gaps and problem must adhere to its relevant research results of different composition to have a goal in mind. researchers. When researchers wish to solve a mystery, unlock problems, and find solutions, the beneficiaries of this endeavor must be highlighted ultimately by forming concretely the void the researchers want types of research frameworks to fill and problems they want to solve. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Significance is Inclusive commonly used for studies that anchor on time tested theories that relate the findings of the the writing of the significance of the study must not investigation to the underpinning relevant theory be limited by the researcher’s point of view. of knowledge. In a multi-faceted and technologically inclined It also shapes the justification of the research 21st century research, one may not be all knowing problem objectives to provide the basis on its of the beneficiaries of the study--- where the parameters. study’s results will be used as an existing An investigation is required to formulate existing knowledge to further or to be refuted. theories which link the study because theories are No less than written as a Reason useful devices for interpreting, criticizing, and It must be reason plainly as a reason why it would unifying established scientific laws and facts that benefit the recipients of the knowledge but must guide in discovering new generalizations. not become the objective of the study. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Written as General to Specific and is Brief refers to the actual ideas, beliefs, and tentative To help easily in the statement of the why the theories that specifically support the study. society would benefit from it, address the wider It is primarily a conception or model of what is out community like organizations, schools, etc., and there that the researcher plans to study. move towards individuals like yourself, a It presents specific and well-defined concepts, researcher. which are called constructs. Still a part of Introduction Its function is similar with theoretical framework Others often forget that this is still a part of the because the constructs used are derived from Introduction. It is still an expository to the research abstract, concepts of theoretical framework. topic, problem, gap, and questions. Similarities of Theoretical and Conceptual Framework The significance of the study assumes that the Provide an overall view of the research study participants are the ones to benefit from the result of the Anchor a theory or concept that supports the study--- mainly. study Guide in developing relevant research The contribution of the result to existing knowledge must question /objectives be stressed. Help justify assumptions/ hypothesis Aid in choosing appropriate methodology The gap must state the void that it fills. Help in gathering and interpreting data The significance of the research must state the other A theory which underpins a study is characteristically relied recipients of the results of the study besides the upon for rationales such as: participants. ✓ to help exhume the dependence and relationships which exist among actors within an environment. AANHIN BA IYANG RESEARCH NA IYAN? ✓ provides guidance in the interpretation of PURO KAYO RESEARCH! MATALINO empirical data which was gathered over time and within a context. AKONG TAO PERO HIDNI KO ALAM ✓ creates awareness of social events, processes and activities which takes place in the development, IYANG RESEARCH  implementation and practice of information B. SYNTHESIZING AND CITING LITERATURES technology and systems. STEPS IN CONDUCTING A LITERATURE REVIEW ✓ reduces the gap of assumptions and prediction of Choose a Topic actions within a context. The following can also help you in working your Underpinning Guided by the research objectives, the problem Theory: or issue to be discussed ✓ Familiarize yourself with the objectives of the Identify Resources theory/concept chosen. Plan where to search literatures. 10% of your ✓ Base the contents of the concept/theory on your literatures can come from books, and the other own understanding of the elements and of the 90% should come from research articles. relationships of the research features. Search and Refine ✓ See to it that all aspects of the theory/concept are Gain expertise in information seeking. Specially related to the objectives of the research. focusing on how the information could help you in ✓ Let others proofread for comments or feedback your exploration/investigation. for improvement. Critically appraise the different studies. Read and Analyze Review Of Related What is the scope of my RRL? Have I critically analyzed the literature I used? Do I follow a set of concepts and questions, comparing items to each other? Literatures By Themes Instead of just listing and summarizing items, do I evaluate them discussing their strengths and weaknesses? A. FUNDAMENTALS OF LITERATURE REVIEW Write the RRL WHAT IS LITERATURE REVIEW? Discursive prose What has been published by other researchers Organize the literature review into units that Systematic, Explicit, and Reproducible method for present themes or identify trends or relevant identifying, evaluating and synthesizing the concepts existing body of completed and recorded work Synthesize concepts according to the direction of It serves as a logical story which guides the your thesis concept or research question researcher in proving his claims/hypothesis in his LITERATURE MATRIX exploration/investigation The literature matrix could help you classify your literatures CHARACTERISTICS OF RELATED LITERATURE according to themes. It can also help you see easily the RECENT - Written in the last 10 years-Information gaps. It can help you write the logical story that leads to a swiftly changes clear direction to your exploration. RELEVANT (that is why it is called related literature) FUNCTIONS OF RRL Identify knowledge gaps Provides justification of the proposed project Defines boundaries of their study What makes it different from other researches Gives more credibility to interpret the significance of their results Prevents duplication of previous work Determine methods and design to be used SOURCES OF RRL Articles published in scholarly journals SYNTHESIZING RELATED LITERATURE Laws and constitution After identifying the themes that are based on your research Books and other general references questions, you are now ready to classify your literatures to be Grey literatures able to write and synthesize each theme. Working papers Pick literatures which can be used in writing an Conference proceedings identified theme Reports from seminars, manuscripts, monographs Compare findings of gathered literatures, the and memoirs variables used, the methods used and their Official reports from government objectives School records Combine authors that have the same findings or WHAT TO REVIEW statements, methods, variables and objectives A. Present status of the research about a particular This will determine if there are sufficient studies that topic, question, or field? will support the present study. o What has been written? o Not sufficient o Who wrote them? o Sufficient but with contradictions o When and where were they written? o Sufficient but results are not conclusive o What were the issues explored? FIND COMMON IDEAS IN THE LITERATURES o Are there related issues that you can They can be combined, and authors from different articles explore? will be cited. B. Determine theoretical approaches used in the CLIMATE CHANGE IS PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT study o Climate change is one of the most o Can it be adapted in the study? important public health threats. Bouzid, o What data collection instrument was M., Hooper, L., & Hunter, P. R. (2013) used? o Climate change is a global issue and its o How were the data collected and adverse impact can affect the entire treated statistically? world. Kumaresan, J., & Sathiakumar, N. (2010).Climate change poses a significant risk to individual health. McMichael, A. J., & Lindgren, E. (2011) COMBINE AUTHORS inappropriate generalizations, or a discussion of Combine authors with the same ideas and thoughts conflicting results. CLIMATE CHANGE IS PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT Is the review of literature organized by the topics o Climate change is currently considered and not by the authors? Does the review cite as a major global threat to health and similar articles together? well-being of humans (Bouzid, Hooper, Does the literature review summarize minor studies & Hunter, 2013; Kumaresan, & and discuss major studies in detail? Does the Sathiakumar, 2010; McMichael, & review concentrate on major studies as well as Lindgren, 2011). milestone studies related to your topic? Does the CITATION OF SOURCES review of major studies relate to the research when researchers refer to another author’s work in his paper problem or methods of the current study? When to cite: Does the review of literature provide a logical o When the researcher paraphrases basis for the hypothesis? (This means that the statements of another researcher hypothesis is a logical afterthought that is based o When the researcher summarizes the on the literature and not simply a guess by the ideas of another researcher.) Is there a clear connection among o When the researcher is quoting what the research problem, review, and hypothesis? was written by another Does the review establish a conceptual o When the researcher makes reference framework for the research problem? Does the to ideas or theories of another review provide a theoretical context of the study? Purpose: Does the review help establish the significance of o Help readers detect and locate the the study? Does the review address the gaps in source of the work the literature? o Proves that the opinion is well o researched Acknowledges the author of an original Research Paradigm/Simulacrum concept or theory presented. DEFINITION NOTE: Remember that in writing the Literature Review In a research paradigm, the variables used in the portion of your research proposal, you are just like writing study are the ones to be included in the diagram to be used. a book with chapters. The first theme will be the first The variables are defined. Thus, this is applicable chapter of your book, your second theme will be the in a quantitative study. second chapter of the book, and so on. Therefore, it is On the other hand, if the study cannot identify the important to connect the themes with your research variables in the study but just concepts, the study questions because the research questions are in will make use of research simulacrum. Only themselves the outline of your research story. concepts can be identified and not variables. This is applicable in a qualitative type of study. It could be presented both in graphical Five major characteristics of a good rrl (traditionally called paradigm) and narrative form Neumon (2009, p70) identifies five (5) major characteristics of (especially for qualitative studies). These are a good literature review. supported by hypotheses (quantitative studies) or 1. The literature review must explain the body of assumptions (qualitative studies). knowledge in area including the major issues It serves as a map to be followed in accomplishing about the topic. your research paper. It shows the relationship 2. A good review of literature can increase the between the concepts or variables under study. reader’s confidence with regard to the Example 1: Correlational Studies competence, ability, and academic preparation of the researcher. 3. A good literature review must be able to sketch the direction of the research. It should be able to contextualize the research project properly. 4. A good literature review must be able to produce a good integration and synthesis of the different research findings. It must highlight the different areas where different studies agree and disagree and where knowledge gaps occur. It should be Example 2: Experimental Studies able to explain the future direction of the research as well. 5. A good literature review identifies unstudied areas and proposed hypotheses that other researchers can study as well. The following presents the checklist in writing the literature review. Does the review thoroughly cover previous Example 3: Descriptive Studies research related to the topic? Were important topics highlighted? Does the number of studies in the review reflect research activity in that area? Are the articles included in the review a result of empirical research? Are the articles up to date? Are the studies included in the review the most recent on the topic? Does the review reflect an analysis of the different articles or studies and not simply a summary of findings of one article after another? This analysis could be a critique of a methodology,  What benefits can be derived from the Completing The Introduction o investigation? o What worthwhile contributions will the LAYOUT, LANGUAGE AND STYLE study provide to the generation of new knowledge? Number of Pages: Maximum of 10 pages for o What is the general relevance of the research proposal and a maximum of 25 for full study to the readers? paper excluding preliminary pages and Literature Review appendices. Use 8.5 x 11 inches’ bond paper. o *This heading Text spacing: single paragraph spacing with one should not be present in the paper space allotted in between sections and ▪ In writing the theoretical paragraphs. framework, you can start by Font type and size: Arial, 11, justify stating the theory, who Indention: 1.5 left margin and 1 “on all sides developed the theory, when Pagination: bottom right. Use small roman was it developed, what are numerals for preliminary pages and Arabic the assumptions of the numerals for the body of the paper up to the theory you can also provide appendices. a brief discussion of the Use clear, simple, and objective language. assumptions. Use future tense for proposal paper, past tense for ▪ End up by contextualizing full paper, and present tense for things that live on. the theory by relating it to Be mindful of the APA style guidelines especially in your present study (comes terms of the basic guidelines and language of the from the researcher) paper. o *This heading Please note the spacing, pagination, and format should not be present in the paper of the headings in this guide as they follow the ▪ This presents what is known APA and USL format. about your topic. Present RESEARCH STRUCTURE this according to themes or Preliminaries topics. It should follow the Title page variables of your study. Abstract Research Paradigm/Simulacrum - This represents Table of contents what variables or conceptual tags investigated in List of tables the study. It must be presented in a diagram. List of figures These are supported by your hypotheses (if any). Main Parts INTRODUCTION Any type of research proposal follows the style, structure, o Background of the Study and other writing conventions set by the relevant field of o Research Questions/ Objectives o Hypothesis discipline. A research proposal’s content typically varies o Significance of the Study in length, from 3 to 35 pages, with references (and o Literature Review appendices, if necessary). o Underpinning theory o Thematic discussion o Research Paradigm/ Simulacrum METHODS o Research Design o Locale of the Study o Participants of the Study o Instrumentation o Data Gathering Procedure o Data Analysis o Ethical Considerations REFERENCES APPENDICES o Literature matrix o Variable Matrix o Communications o Consent forms o Questionnaires or other forms RECAP Introduction - The background of the study should present the conceptualization of your study. It should present how your study was developed or formulated. Present also the knowledge gap that contributed to the development of your study. Research Questions - Present the general purpose of your study and the specific questions that will be answered. Please note that the specific questions should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound). The specific questions can be written in numbered form. Significance of the Study - This presents the possible contributions of your study to specific groups of people in the community. Please write this in a paragraph form (not bulleted). The following can be taken into consideration