facoltà di scienze politiche · web viewenglish for academic purposes and academic writing...
TRANSCRIPT
Faculty of Political Science Degree course in
Political Science and International Relations
English for Academic Purposes and Academic writing2012-2013
Prof.ssa Carmen ArgondizzoTutorials: Simonetta De Rose, Teresa Gencarelli
1st semester
Syllabus a.a. 2012-13
Course descriptionThe course is an introduction to a correct approach to authentic materials in the academic field. Video lectures are analysed through tasks such as extensive and intensive listening, note-taking, vocabulary acquisition with antconc techniques, feedback on content of lecture, questions. Academic writing is also introduced with specific focus on Research Proposal techniques and styles.
Course objectives and skillsSpeaking skills: expressing opinions, evaluating situations, communicating points of view.Listening Skills: understanding and reflecting on the content of video presentations.Reading and textual skills: understanding and reflecting on the content of academic tests.Writing skills: learning how to structure a research proposal.
October 19 Placement Test
October 22nd – November 4th Self Study: CMC_E project
November 5th-9th Topics A. Approaching the module: Welcome back
Awareness of study tasksB. Seminar on “Polish culture” run by Anna and Dorota,visiting trainersC. Video “Why Americans should vote”
Tutorials Outlining a research proposalWhat is a research proposal: Features and LayoutBrainstorming on possible ideas
November 12th-13th Topics A. Seminar on “MSOI, Students’Association” run by Vincenzo
Capocasale, Political Science student B. Video “President Obama Presidential speech”extensive listening
1
Tutorials The Research Proposal: Focusing on Topic, Title and Rationale of the Research
November 19th-20th Topic A. Video “President Obama Presidential speech”
Tasks: extensive listening of speech and intensive listeningon specific parts; note-taking; academic/economicvocabulary acquisition; feedback on content of speech.
Tutorials The Research Proposal: Focusing on the “Literature Review”
November 26th-27th Topic A. Concordancing: frequency list and collocates of
Presidential speechVocabulary expansion and use in context
Tutorials Focusing on the “Questions to be answered”.
December 3rd-4th Topics A. Seminar “Why the EU matters” an analysis of
advantages and disadvantages carried out by two Polishvisiting trainees. Tasks: Note-taking and discussion around the topic pointing out personal points of view.B. Text analysis: Wellbeing, happiness and sustainability: hallmarks of a new economic paradigm (2 April 2012)Tasks: extensive reading, vocabulary expansion and use in context with analysis of concordances.
Tutorials Focusing on the “Design of the study, Timeline and Bibliography
December 10th-11th Topics A. CMC_E Units: reports from students
B. Text analysis: The Italian window on the US elections. By Giulia Guazzaloca. orBuilding the new economy: alternative strategies for the 99% (9 June 2012)C. Video: Women for ObamaExtensive listening
Tutorials Looking at examples of Research proposalsStudents’ feedback.
December 11th Seminar organized by the MSOI Association in collaboration with PS students and DES students
2
Reference materials
Articles1. A spectacle, not an election: how Italians see the race. By James Walston.
Source: OpenDemocracy (http://www.opendemocracy.net/print/69013)
2. The Italian window on the US elections. By Giulia Guazzaloca. Source: Europressresearch(http://www.europressresearch.eu/html/commenti.php?id=140&lang=ENG)
3. Your Vote Doesn't Count. Why (almost) everyone should stay home on Election Day.By Katherine Mangu-Ward. Source: Reasons.com Free Minds and Free market (http://reason.com/archives/2012/10/03/your-vote-doesnt-count)
4. Why Vote? By Peter Roff. Source: Foxnews (http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/11/02/peter-roff-vote-change-reform-candidates-elections-congress-oval-office-george/)
5. Why vote? Here Are 11 Solid Reasons Why Your Vote Matters. Source: votolatino (http://www.votolatino.org/why-vote)
6. Bruce Springsteen Explains Why He Supports Obama. Source: Hollywoodreporter.com (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bruce-springsteen-obama-why-he-379879)
Videos1. Importance of voting – Michelle Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PzoH4291sY
2. Obama victory speech videohttp://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/political/obama-victory-speech-video-watch-complete-acceptance-video-of-president-barack-obama-in-chicago
3. Women for Obamahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=9ASwQGwTDII
4. Obama launch campaignhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-VZLvVF1FQ
Home AssignmentsExtensive reading of books and articles based on selected topics (for all).
For further readings visit ‘L’Edicola’ http://cla.unical.itEnhancing learner autonomy through Self-study: We want to remind you that materials and facilities provided by the CLA are resources available to every student. Dates for the exam will be given in class and on the uniwex.We are available for any help or support during office hours. Keep in touch.
Exam assignmentStudents will be asked to prepare a Research Proposal on a topic related to their field of study (academic writing task). Discussion on their proposal will follow (academic talk task).Dates for paper submission and presentation will be provided at the end of the course.
3
Text Analysis
ELECTIONS / REFERENDUMGiulia Guazzaloca - 02/11/2012
The Italian window on the US elections
As has been the case for at least a century, the world is awaiting the outcome of the American elections with bated breath, and Italy is no exception. As the United States are still a great military power; because the economic recipes put forward by the two candidates could influence, indirectly, the economic trends of all the Western countries affected by the recession; because the “American dream,” evoked for the first time by the historian J. Truslow Adams while the Great Depression was at its worst, continues to fill the challenges for the White House and fascinate both Americans and Europeans; because in 2008 Obama’s election, the symbol of the young, multiracial and inclusive America, had represented the courage of change, the hope for a better future. Even today, although many of the expectations aroused four years ago have been let down and Obama’s victory over Romney is anything but clear-cut, the European citizens continue to have confidence in the outgoing President. Of course, Obama’s popularity has also fallen in Europe, especially in regard to his foreign policy approved by 83% of the Europeans in 2009 and
4
by 71% today, but if the Europeans could vote for the White House, 75% would choose Obama and just 8% the Republican challenger; around one citizen out three, then, said he/she did not know Romney (survey conducted by Transatlantic Trends www.transatlantictrends.org).
Italy also fits in with this trend: 74% of the Italians (91% in 2009) have confidence in Obama’s policies and among the major newspapers only Il Giornale has sided with Romney. So in Europe and Italy the “Obamaphilia” is much more rooted than in the USA, but more as a result of our weaknesses than as a result of the true strengths of the American President. The absence of a truly European leadership, the Greek crisis and the Eurozone’s fragility, the EU’s marginality in international geopolitics (not even mentioned in the third TV debate between the two candidates, the one on foreign policy) and, on the Italian front, the scandals that continue to involve the governing class and the presence of a “technical” government not elected by the citizens, are all factors that, if on the one hand fuel the Italians’ dissatisfaction with domestic politics, on the other end up reawakening an American Dream founded more on the myths of the past and on the outside narrative than on the actual conditions of today’s United States.
The Italians like Obama because he is charismatic, brilliant, pragmatic, a great speaker, a wholesome politician, immune from scandals. And the United States electoral system likes him, with his corollaries having a strongly personalised political discourse, the cancellation of the boundary between public and private, the message addressed directly to the voters, because it’s the citizens who choose there, not the Party apparatus, not the electoral laws, not the parliamentary power-shifts nor the eleventh-hour turncoats. So a great lesson seems for Italy to be coming from the United States, notwithstanding all the problems that the Obama Presidency has not yet resolved: that’s where politics have win, that’s where politics have won, that of the “real” democracy whose protagonists are participating citizens, intelligent and interested in public affairs.
But from the Italian observatory on the American presidential elections a far greater detachment as compared with the past is recorded, even if just four years have elapsed. All the media have diligently followed the electoral campaign, intellectuals and journalists have expressed their comments, especially on the occasions of the TV duels between the challengers, Italian blogs and web sites have seen a growing participation in the debate; but without an authentic involvement, as if in those elections they were not able to affect the destinies of Italy’s domestic and international politics. As if Obama or Romney’s victory could affect the dynamics of transatlantic relations, but not the relations between the USA and Italy, not the Italian political equilibrium.
This can be explained in various ways. On the one hand, Italy is a “small”
5
actor on the international scenario. The times when it was a strategic partner for Washington in the Europe of the bipolar clash, when the domestic politics of the two countries was capable of affecting their cooperation and the Republican or Democratic administration at the White House could have had major repercussions on the domestic Italian balance have passed. On the other hand, the current, difficult transition that the Italian political system is going through and the uncertainty as to who will be the Prime Minister after the vote in 2013 do not allow for a mid-long term analysis on the future of the Rome-Washington partnership.
Burt the “coldness” of the Italian media in dealing with the US elections can also depend, in part, on the changes in progress concerning the United States’ international role and in the global balance. The rise of new economic and military powers, an increasingly multipolar system, the multiple dynamics of globalisation are jeopardizing the American world leadership; the problem, for some time the chief concern for US analysts and politicians, was also mentioned by Obama and Romney in the third debate. In short, whoever comes out the winner on 6th November will struggle to keep alive the flame of the American Dream, which is slowly starting to be extinguished in Italy as well.
Giulia Guazzaloca (University of Bologna)printable version PDF Version (126 KB)
6
Bruce Springsteen Explains Why He Supports Obama10:39 PM PDT 10/17/2012 by Tina Daunt
Photo by Elvert Barnes (CC-BY-SA) 3
"There is an ever increasing division of wealth in this country,
7
with the benefits going more and more to the 1 percent," the singer wrote on his website. "For me, President Obama is our best choice to begin to reverse this harmful development."
Bruce Springsteen, who is set to perform at Obama rallies in Ohio and Iowa on Thursday, posted a letter on his website urging voters to give the president a second term in office.Read the full text of Springsteen's post below.Dear Friends:The election is coming up on all of us and we all have strong feelings about it. I’ve been getting asked a lot about where I stand, so for those who are interested, here goes.This presidential election is different than the last one because President Obama has a four year record to run on. Last time around, he carried with him a tremendous amount of hope and expectations. Unfortunately, due to the economic chaos the previous administration left him with, and the extraordinary intensity of the opposition, it turned into a really rough ride. But through grit, determination, and focus, the President has been able to do a great many things that many of us deeply support.Domestically, that record includes working to increase and expand employment for all, protecting our all important social safety net, passing guaranteed health care for most of our citizens, with important new protections for all of the insured, rescuing the auto industry and so many of the American jobs that go with it, protecting and enhancing the rights of women, and bringing us
8
closer to full acceptance of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.In foreign affairs, that record includes following through on the removal of troops from the misguided and deceptive war in Iraq, and vigorously pursuing our real foreign enemies, especially the killing of Osama Bin Laden.Right now the opposition’s resort to voter suppression in so many states is not receiving as much attention as it deserves. I believe that all of us, of whatever views, should be opposing these anti-voter, anti-citizen efforts.Right now, for the President to be effective in his next term he needs our increased support and he needs support in the Congress, where some sterling candidates, such as current Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, challenger Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, and so many others, are fighting to make their constructive voices heard.Right now, there is an ever increasing division of wealth in this country, with the benefits going more and more to the 1 percent. For me, President Obama is our best choice to begin to reverse this harmful development.Right now, there is a fight going on to help make this a fairer and more equitable nation. For me, President Obama is our best choice to get us and keep us moving in the right direction.Right now, we need a President who has a vision that includes all of our citizens, not just some, whether they are our devastated poor, our pressured middle class, and yes, the wealthy too; whether they are male or female, black, white, brown, or yellow, straight or gay, civilian or military.Right now, there is a choice going on in America, and I’m happy that we live in a country where we all participate in that process. For me, President
9
Obama is our best choice because he has a vision of the United States as a place where we are all in this together. We’re still living through very hard times but justice, equality and real freedom are not always a tide rushing in. They are more often a slow march, inch by inch, day after long day. I believe President Obama feels these days in his bones and has the strength to live them with us and to lead us to a country “…where no one crowds you and no one goes it alone.”That’s why I plan to be in Ohio and Iowa supporting the re-election of President Obama to lead our country for the next four years.
Bruce Springsteen
Retrieved from: http://theconversation.edu.au/wellbeing-happiness-and-sustainability-hallmarks-of-a-new-economic-paradigm-6301
2 April 2012, 2.06pm AESTWellbeing, happiness and sustainability: hallmarks of a new economic paradigm
10
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla and administrator of the UN Development Program, Helen Clark at last week’s UN meeting on wellbeing and happiness. Casa Presidencial República de Costa Rica
What do the following people have in common? Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, former Australian deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, HRH Prince Charles, OECD chief statistician Martine Durand, Indian ecological activist Vandanna Shiva, the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla Miranda, and former head of the British Civil Service, Lord Gus O’Donnell?Answer: They were just some of over 600 delegates including heads of state, Nobel laureates, spiritual, business and community leaders who contributed to the opening of the recent United Nations High Level Meeting on Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining A New Economic Paradigm.This landmark meeting, convened by the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigmi Y Thinley, followed on from the 2011 UN General Assembly motion calling for governments to
11
promote polices focusing on sustainability, happiness and wellbeing as opposed to narrower definitions of economic growth measured solely by the expansion of GDP.An economy that serves humanityPrime Minister Thinley opened the meeting by noting that “the GDP-led development model that compels boundless growth on a planet with limited resources no longer makes economic sense. Within its framework, there lies no solution to the economic, ecological, social and security crises that plague the world today and threaten to consume humanity”.“We desperately need an economy that serves and nurtures the wellbeing of all sentient beings on earth and human happiness that comes from living life in harmony with the natural world, with our communities and with our inner selves. We need an economy that will serve humanity, not enslave it.”There was, of course, considerable debate about the potential for cynical, simplistic responses to happiness and wellbeing as core goals of public policy. And there was also broad understanding that care must be take to respect the different meanings that people from diverse cultures give to these ideas.But there was also a widely shared understanding that whatever words we choose, the time has come to value, measure and implement an economic model which Prime Minister Thinley characterised as “sustainability-based, wellbeing-centric and inclusive”.Rocking the boat: Towards a new economic paradigmThe following sketch of key contributions to this historic event provides an overview of key ideas and priorities discussed.Prince Charles: “The grim reality is that our planet has reached a point of crisis. The time for us to act is rapidly running out. We are facing what could be described as a ‘perfect storm’: the combination of pollution and over-consumption of finite natural resources; the very real risk of catastrophic climate change; unprecedented levels of financial indebtedness, and a population of seven billion that is rising fast.Prince Charles continued “as the Prime Minister [of Bhutan] said … it is hard to rock the boat, but rock it we must. As it happens, I
12
have been doing a spot of rocking myself for a considerable number of years, precisely because I have felt the globally accepted systems of accounting for success – whether in terms of profit, or GDP – are not providing the right information for governments, businesses and other organisations to take the right decisions, given the challenges we face in the twenty-first century.”
Economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.AAP
Professor Joseph Stiglitz: “Those attempting to guide the economy and our societies are like pilots trying to steer a course without a reliable compass. We are almost blind when the metrics on which action is based are ill-designed or when they are not well understood. ” Professor Stiglitz mounted a powerful case that the time has come to move beyond GDP as the dominant measure of human progress by finalising agreement on the introduction of a more integrated set of ecological, social and economic goals and measures.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: “Gross National Product (GNP) has long been the yardstick by which economies and politicians have been measured. Yet it fails to take into account the social and environmental costs of so-called progress. We need a new economic paradigm that recognises the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development. Social, economic and environmental wellbeing are indivisible. Together they define gross global happiness.”Professor Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University: “GNP by itself does not promote happiness. The US has had a three time increase of GNP per capita since 1960, but the happiness needle hasn’t
13
budged. Other countries have pursued other policies and achieved much greater gains of happiness, even at much lower levels of per capita income.”OECD chief statistician, Martine Durand noted that the dimensions which need to be considered in a more integrated set of progress and well-being measures include: income and wealth; jobs and working conditions; health; the time we have to devote to families and friends; our ties with other people in the community; our capacity to act as informed citizens; the quality of the environment; our experiences of violence and victimisation.Professor Robert Putnam, speaking at the Columbia University workshop which preceded the UN meeting, drew on extensive new empirical evidence to emphasise the crucial role which social connectedness and the capacity to be part of trustworthy social relationships play in the creation of flourishning and sustainable communities and organisations.Alexander Likhotal, president of Green Cross International, speaking on behalf of President Mikhail Gorbachev: The current economic model based on the limitless exploitation of the earth’s limited resources is doomed. We now face a historical tipping point at least as significant as the dismantling of the Berlin Wall.Likhotal’s speech included a number of specific policy suggestions of particular relevance to Australian climate change debates. We need, he argued, to “create an alliance of the ‘early birds’, the speedy frontrunners who will be the “game winners” of tomorrow”. There is no need to wait, as everybody – including traditional energy suppliers – will heed this call. The “carbon justice” approach can propel low-carbon technologies to the South. An alliance of champions on effective climate policy from America, Europe, Asia and leading “developing countries” (90% of the world’s population) can help provide the revolutionary shift needed to recalibrate our economy, protect our environment and achieve a truly sustainable development."Dasho Karma Ura, director of the Centre for Bhutan Studies and Dasho Karma Tshiteem, director of the Gross National Happiness
14
Commission of Bhutan: The true meaning of happiness and wellbeing lies in our relationships with our families, friends and communities, rather than in the endless consumption of material possessions. At the same time, a more enlightened recognition of the true sources of human happiness and fulfilment are also a necessary foundation of overcoming our broader ecological challenges.A sustainable pathway for the 99%Hunter Lovins, founder of Natural Capitalism: We must move rapidly from words to action if the 99% are to find a path to a future that is both just and sustainable. One important step will be to convene an international forum capable of forging agreement on the key principles and institutions for a new, sustainable economic paradigm – a Bretton Woods agreement for the 21st century.Prime Minister Thinley concluded by reminding the gathering that “business as usual cannot go on and tinkering with the existing system will not do… we need a fundamental transformation”.He also emphasised that this was just the beginning of an extensive work program designed to turn words into action by building support for alternative political and economic policies. The next steps in this process are likely to include the establishment of an International Commission on Gross National Happiness as well as detailed policy proposals to be presented to Rio + 20 in July and the UN General Assembly in 2013.The meeting closed with prayers from senior Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Muslim spiritual leaders. All of them called for an awakening of the awareness that the rapid implementation of a new economic paradigm is an essential precondition for ensuring that we are to able pass on a sustainable way of life to our children and grand children.
15
Retrieved from: http://theconversation.edu.au/building-the-new-economy-alternative-strategies-for-the-99-7827 9 June 2012, 2.45pm AEST
Building the new economy: alternative strategies for the 99%
International organisation 350.org encourages the building of grass-roots movements to combat climate change. 350.org
Bob Massie, CEO of the New Economics Institute opened the recent Strategies for a New Economy conference, held at Bard College, New York with a thoughtful response to the criticism that the Occupy movement lacks specific economic policy priorities.Massie suggested that the significance of the early advocates for democratic decision-making, women’s suffrage, civil rights and the end of apartheid did not stem primarily from their detailed policy recipes. The initial power of these game-changing social movements came from their capacity to articulate a sea change in social values about the ethical and moral compass settings that
16
should inform and drive political decisions and paradigms.The Strategies for a New Economy conference was designed to build on the space for political debate which Occupy has created by addressing key questions fundamental to the design and implementation of an alternative economic paradigm. What would an economy built on principles of fairness and sustainability look like? How do we model it; where is it emerging; how do we collectively strategise to fully implement it?The conference was also significant for strengthening links between US and European advocates for alternative economic policy paradigms and policies. Stewart Wallis, CEO of the UK based New Economics Foundation, usefully summarized the double bind facing US and European policy makers seeking just and sustainable solutions to our deeply intertwined tangle of economic, social and ecological challenges. If we keep our foot on the economic brake unemployment and inequality will continue to increase. If we put our foot on the economic accelerator we will run out of planet.While most conference participants were acutely aware of the hard work required to design, communicate and implement detailed policies and programs, there were plenty of valuable initiatives to learn from – and broad support for the following principles as the framework for a rapid transition to a more just, sustainable and democratic economic future.1. Replacing corporate control of key economic and financial decisions with democratically accountable institutions and processes.As Gar Alperovitz, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland argued, the major financial problems facing the US and Europe are primarily political rather than economic. Many American factory workers, farmers and small businesses deeply resent the Wall Street bailout as an unfair and undemocratic handout to the affluent and unaccountable owners and shareholders of the largest banking and financial institutions. That reaction is hardly surprising given the recent acerbic observations by US Senator Dick Durbin, “the banks … are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they,
17
frankly, own the place.”European politics is also being swept by waves of anger about the unequal and unjust distribution of the costs of austerity measures, and the continuing lack of accountability of the financial institutions who have benefited most from the speculative operations of the deregulated casino economy. The rise of neo Nazi parties like Golden Dawn in Greece highlights the very real potential for this anger to be channelled into chauvinistic and racist populism.Alternative policy responses canvassed included regulatory measures designed to strengthen the transparency and accountability of financial institutions; revitalising anti trust legislation to break up corporate oligopolies and active encouragement for the rapid expansion of smaller, community controlled banks (see for example the Institute for Local Self Reliance).As Alperovitz forcefully argues in America Beyond Capitalism, the time may also have come to reopen public debate about bringing the most powerful of financial and infrastructure enterprises into direct public ownership and to revisit the potential of worker owned enterprises and co-operatives of the kind being reinvented in ‘the Cleveland Model’.2. Reprioritising local rather than global production and distribution systems – particularly in relation to finance, energy and food.The New Economics Institute has evolved from the E.F. Schumacher Society and shares Schumacher’s enthusiasm for decentralised, human scale economic solutions and institutions. Many conference speakers pointed to the resurgence across the United States of support for local, community based enterprises, financial institutions, food and energy systems (see for example the The Intervale Centre for Community Food Systems in Vermont or the Greenhorns project supporting the revitalization of the next generation of young American farmers.Importantly this is the first year since World War II that there are more – not less – new farms in America. Many of these new farms and food projects are small holdings, focused on supplying local markets– and many are
18
located in cities as well as in rural communities.Other examples of local economic initiatives with valuable implications for Australia included.The Oberlin Project – a collaboration between the City Council, University, community organisations and local businesses designed to “revitalise the local economy, eliminate carbon emissions, restore local agriculture, food supply and forestry, and create a new, sustainable base for economic and community development”.The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE. BALLE provides a focus for progressive small businesses commited to the following vision. “Within a generation, we envision a global system of human-scale, interconnected local living economies that function in harmony with local ecosystems, meet the basic needs of all people, support just and democratic societies, and foster joyful community life.”Fixing the Future, a feature length PBS documentary film introducing individuals, communities and organizations across America intent on reinventing the American economy through experiments in local business alliances, community banking, time banking, worker cooperatives and local currencies.3. Implementing a rapid and complete shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, along with the other energy efficiency and demand management measures needed to reduce the likelihood of runaway climate change.In his keynote address, Bill McKibben, CEO of 350.org stressed that, without rapid and effective action to reduce greenhouse gasses, all the fine local social, economic were at grave risk of being overwhelmed by the consequences of climate change.In a speech of striking relevance to current Australian political debates, he highlighted the urgent need to expose and challenge the pernicious influence of the fossil fuel industry over public debate about climate change. McKibben focussed particular attention on the current 350.org campaign priority: End subsidies to the fossil fuel industry…and transfer these resources to building the green economy.
19
After all, he noted: “No other industry is allowed to dump its garbage in the streets. Why should it not only be allowed, but subsidised, for the industry that is responsible for the most dangerous product of all, the CO2 that could totally destabilise our planet?”4. Shifting growth priorities from the consumption of energy and materials to ecological sustainability, health and wellbeing.Richard Heinberg began his presentation on the key ideas in his recent book, The End of Growth, with a compelling overview of the implications of unsustainable levels of debt, energy consumption and ecological destruction for current assumptions about the inevitability and desirability of economic growth – at least as currently defined.Heinberg concluded by asking whether it might be time to focus less on growth in the consumption of energy and resources and more on growth in other important social and ecological priorities: community connectedness; time with family and friends; satisfaction from honest work well done; co-operative and productive working relationships; the health of human and ecological systems; happiness; creativity; and the beauty of built and natural environment.Many speakers emphasised the importance of new ways of framing and measuring economic development and prosperity. The NEF’s Happy Planet Index is just one example of a host of creative international initiatives aimed at replacing narrow GDP based metrics with broader indicators of social and ecological wellbeing.Australian-based founder of The Post Growth Institute, Donnie Maclurcan also reminded the audience that practical, living examples of the ways in which alternative economic paradigms are already being enacted are an essential basis for encouraging people and communities to move from analysis and critique to active political participation.Building a movement for a new economyIn his closing remarks, Bob Massie returned to some familiar truths about strategies for building an effective movement for transformational change.“You build a movement when you touch people where they are. In the case of workers,
20
it’s how do you create sustainable, long-term meaningful, real jobs that are rooted in real place.For other people, for the environmental community, you have to demonstrate that you can create prosperity without the damaging side of growth, without the release of toxins into the air and particularly without relying, as we have, on an ever increasing amount of fossil fuels which are releasing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.’
Retrieved from: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/growing_an_alternative_economy_one_community_at_a_time_20121024/
Growing an Alternative Economy One Community at a TimePosted on Oct 24, 2012
By Thomas Hedges, Center for Study of Responsive Law
21
On Sunday mornings, farmers, producers and consumers meet in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., and exchange locally grown products. Bright fruits, vegetables and flowers are lifted from large tables and brought to the cash register, where shoppers and farmers talk at length. Others taste cheeses and sample slices of tomato, pausing to savor the taste or read a handout detailing the food’s provenance.
The apples, pears, potatoes here are collected from farms within 150 miles of where they are sold. The men and women behind each stand are often the farmers themselves. Pesticides, antibiotics and artificial growth hormones are banned. Fresh Farm Markets, a not-for-profit organization that oversees and regulates the farmers market in Dupont Circle, travels to each farm to make sure that regulations are followed.
Any producers, whether they sell jam, pastas, or soups, must prove that their ingredients are from the region.
“We work with the locals,” says Isabel Castillo, co-owner of Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato. “I have apples from here, pears from here, ricotta from here. I support here.” Castillo makes the gelato in her flagship store on Wisconsin Avenue and Q Street. She has two other stores. “My son-in-law is the chef and my daughter and husband and I manage the shops,” she says.
The vibrancy here reaches beyond the mere color of the produce. It’s found in the conversations between shoppers and vendors, which point to a level of care in how people are consuming. It’s about more than health. It’s about buying food that hasn’t traveled thousands of miles to get here, and the impact that has on the environment.
“The best thing about farmers markets is that people talk,” says environmentalist Bill McKibben. “A study found that shoppers at farmers markets had 10 times as many conversations per visit than at supermarkets.”
“That’s one way we reknit the community, lost as America sprawls outwards,” he says.
The farmers market is a microcosm of an alternative economy. It is marked by conversation, not by profit.
In recent years, chain stores like Whole Foods and Sun Organic Farm have sought to graft this local economy onto an international business model. In its mission statement, Whole Foods declares “we promote environmental stewardship.” But “we are not a fully self-sustaining ecosystem,” it says afterward. “There are hundreds of other businesses that we depend on to assist us in creating an outstanding retail shopping experience for our customers.”
The message from environmentalists like Michael Pollan, Wendell Berry and Bill McKibben is that it is doubtful that international chains will be the ones to spearhead the “buy local” movement. Instead they create a “shopping experience” for customers, one that satisfies us even if it means lying about the use of GMOs in the food they sell.
The problem is that stores such as Whole Foods, can’t make up their minds, McKibben says. “Eat seasonally—and when you go to Whole Foods, tell them you’re not buying the Chilean raspberries because they make a mockery of the store’s commitment to doing something good for the planet.”
Food transportation, or “food miles,” is a non-issue in mass media. The chemicals used to treat the food are covered. Its healthfulness is covered. But not its carbon footprint.
The New York Times has featured two articles on this issue in the past five years, both of which end by defending the global food market.
22
James McWilliams wrote in the 2007 article “Food That Travels Well,” that researchers “found that lamb raised on New Zealand’s clover-choked pastures and shipped 11,000 miles by boat to Britain produced 1,520 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per ton while British lamb produced 6,280 pounds of carbon dioxide per ton, in part because poorer British pastures force farmers to use feed.
“In other words,” he wrote, “it is four times more energy-efficient for Londoners to buy lamb imported from the other side of the world than to buy it from a producer in their backyard. Similar figures were found for dairy products and fruit.”
But McWilliams never addressed the obvious. Why not sacrifice the lamb? If it’s better to import lamb from halfway around the world than to raise it locally, why not simply eat something else?
We can’t pin the problem of food trade on any single store. Whole Foods is, in fact, one of the more progressive supermarkets in some ways. It caps the amount of money executives make, for example, and makes an effort to collect local produce for retail.
But local food amounts to only 10 to 30 percent of what’s on the shelves.
It is in that other 70 to 90 percent—the coffee from Africa, the tomatoes from Chile, the lentils from Morocco—that we see where Whole Foods truly stands on the global vs. local food issue. Unlike a small farmers market, there is no conversation between grower and consumer, no initiative to move toward self-sustainability, and no acknowledgment of the energy that goes into transporting food overseas. Without the communication and community found in places like Dupont Circle on Sunday mornings, chain corporations cannot opt out of the global food market that is destroying the planet, and stay in business.
This article was made possible by the Center for Study of Responsive Law.
23
LANGUAGE AND WRITINGNote some key points about language:
Keep it simple and clear. Do not use a long word when a short one will do.
Try to have an average sentence length of 15-20 words; long sentences are hard to follow.
Always use the 'third person'. Do not use words such as 'I', 'me', 'my'. For example, write, 'It could be considered that', and not, 'I think that'.
Check spelling and grammar; if this is a weak area then improve by asking for feedback from your tutor; reading texts on grammar, punctuation and spelling, etc.
Try to write in a way that will be interesting to read. Your tutors have a lot of dissertations to mark and one that is interesting and enjoyable to read will be memorable.
You need to show that in addition to describing something you can interpret, apply, evaluate and reach conclusions. Some useful words and phrases are given below to help you identify when you are doing what!
WORD AND EXPRESSION BANK
Words and Expressions to use when dealing with INTERPRETATION:
24
This indicates … This is similar to/different from Thus … So … Therefore… Hence …. This means / does not mean …. A consequence of … The implication of … The contrast between … Put it simply …
Words and Expressions to use when dealing with APPLICATION: Illustrated by … Support for this … As shown by … This can be seen in … For example / For instance … This can be applied to … This is associated with … This leads to … This touches on … According to … The same applies to … This is confirmed by …
POSITIVE EVALUATION words and expressions: A defence of this … A strength … The value/ benefit/ usefulness of … The argument for … The advantage / importance of … This contributes to … This provides a balance to … This is significant because …
NEGATIVE EVALUATION words and expressions: This does not take account of … However … Alternatively … A criticism … Another view … A different interpretation … On the other hand … The problem with this is … It is debatable… This is questioned … An argument against … A disadvantage of …. Although … …assumes that … … cannot be explained by …
25
This does not stand up because … … lacks support On the contrary … It is not true/valid because …
CONCLUSION words and expressions: To sum up … Having weighed up … The balance of the argument suggests … The weight of evidence suggests … The conclusion is … And finally …
USING CONCORDANCE RESOURCES
COCA Corpus Website: http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/
LEXTUTOR: www.lextutor.ca/
Video - Introduction to COCA corpus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCLgRTlxG0Y
Video - Some information on using concordance lines:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1CiXB1rvIQ&feature=related
Video - Finding collocations:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dss_hlqmMGM&feature=related
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
http://thesaurus.com/
http://dictionary.reference.com/
http://translate.reference.com/
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/trialover/
26
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesaurus
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
http://www.wordreference.com/ (molto utile perché si possono fare domande nei forum)
27
What is a Research proposal?
A Research Proposal is a proposal for a research study. It is used in the academic field and it the first step in a research project. The aim is to get your research approved by an academic committee. Thus, you need to convince the academics that your ideas are worthwhile. How do you that, you say? Well, through a well thought out and researched plan of your study. They need to know that you are very familiar with the topic at hand and that there is something new that you want to find out. You need to convince them that whatever it is you are interested in will be significant. You also need to convince them that you know how to go about finding the information and how long it will take.
The research proposal form specifies:
topic and title
rationale for the research a review of some literature associated with the title research questions or hypothesis some indication of how you are going to collect the primary data a time plan a bibliography of the literature consulted in putting the proposal together.
The key point about any research is that it has to concern something that you are interested in.
28
Remember!
You are looking for depth not breadth.
TOPIC AND TITLE
Where does the inspiration for your dissertation topic come from?
There are various sources but the most common, from which this interest may arise, are:
personal experience something someone has said something you have read something you have studied something you have not studied your career aspirations.
What is an acceptable topic?
Basically any topic is acceptable but:
it must be in the area of your major pathway it has to be suitable for the level of study there has to be a literature base which discusses the various theories
(concept and model are alternative words for theory) that underpin your topic.
Start by identifying the general topic area; then have a conversation with yourself that narrows the topic down – to something that is more focussed – and then come up with main aim or purpose of the dissertation.
Example
1. General areas of interest: Human Resources Management
29
Management of organisations. 2. More specific field:
Motivation theory and productivity. 3. Particularly:
Relationship between motivation of employees and their productivity. 4. One sentence statement
Activity 1
Decide if the following sentence is the aim (broad statement of intent) of the research, or the title.
Activity 2
Complete the following sections regarding your own ideas for your research topic:
1. What general area are you interested in? Write below:
2. Can you narrow this down to a more specific field or sub-area? Write below:
30
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Investigate the extent to which increasing motivation of employees increases the overall productivity of those individuals.
3. Is there a more specific aspect that you would like to research? Write below:
4. Can you put into words (one sentence) the main aim for undertaking your particular research? Write below:
Refining the aim – getting the title
Now that you have stated your aim in one sentence, you need to go into detail to refine your ideas and thinking. Hopefully at the end of this you will have a short, concise title.
Notice the title does not begin with:
‘An investigation into …’
31
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
or
‘An analysis of …’
The very fact you are undertaking research implies you are investigating or analysing. Also the title is short – aim for a maximum of 12 words in your title.
Activity 1
Write down your ideas and try to narrow it down to something very specific.
A dissertation would not cover all possibilities. It would probably concentrate on one or two at the most. It is important that you narrow down your topic to a very specific aspect for investigation.
The following is a breakdown of the main sections you must include in your research proposal.
Section 1– TITLE PAGE
It includes important information about you, the course you are enrolled in and the submission date. Please take a close look at the sample title page in appendix 1 and use it as a guide. Your title page needs to include all the information as in the sample given. This page act as a cover to your paper and it should not be numbered. It should look like this:
NAME OF UNIVERSITY
NAME OF FACULTY
The title of your
research proposal
32
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
YOUR NAME
Student ID No: 00112233
Name of course
Course number code
Submission date
Submitted to: Prof.ssa Carmen Argondizzo
Submitted as part of the requirements for the “your corso di laurea” 2011-2012
Section 2 – INTRODUCTION
This section consists of a few short introductory paragraphs (a couple of pages at most). The primary goal of the introductory paragraphs is to catch the attention of the readers. The introduction often contains dramatic and general statements about the need for the study. It uses dramatic illustrations or quotes to set the tone. When writing the introduction, put yourself in your reader's position - would you continue reading?
In this section you will also describe the organization of your paper.
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better
“1. INTRODUCTION
My research project has the objective to investigate in detail the effects that advertising has on the society of mass. The research proposal consists of several steps that I will explain briefly. The rationale of the research is to demonstrate that advertising is not simply a set of messages that encourage people to consume. It is ‘a “cultural form”, a set of
33
discourses that circulate constantly in society, a reference model that allows at the people to find the correct actions to take in daily life, but also to give meanings to their lives and to the world in which they live. The purpose of this study is to analyze the following phenomena: the selection of issues advertising, presentation of the advertisements, the spread of the advertisement, the effects of advertising in contemporary culture. Another important step concerns the citation of the most important experts who have analyzed the psychological effects of advertising on mass culture. The section called personal Hypotheses and research question contains the most important issues and hypotheses that guide my research work. Then there will be a section entitled Design of study that explains the methodological tools that I will use to investigate e the phenomenon of advertising. In conclusion, the section called timelines indicate the time required for conducting this research
work.”Section 3 - RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH
This section should include the answers to the following
What is your focus? Where will your study be situated? Why have you chosen this topic? What is the problem/issue/situation which has prompted your interest? Why is this topic relevant to your context?
Statement of the ProblemThe statement of the problem is the focal point of your research. It is just one sentence (with several paragraphs of elaboration).
You are looking for: ….something wrong. ....or something that needs close attention.
PurposeThe purpose is a single statement or paragraph that explains what the study intends to accomplish. A few typical statements are:
The goal of this study is to... ... overcome the difficulty with ... ... discover what ... ... understand the causes or effects of ... ... refine our current understanding of ...
34
... provide a new interpretation of ... ... understand what makes ___ successful or unsuccessful
Significance of the Study
This section creates a perspective for looking at the problem. It points out how your study relates to the larger issues and uses a persuasive rationale to justify the reason for your study. It makes the purpose worth pursuing. The significance of the study answers the questions:
Why is your study important? To whom is it important? What benefit(s) will occur if your study is done?
Key points to keep in mind:
1. Try to incorporate a sentence that begins with “The purpose of this study is . . .”
This will clarify your own mind as to the purpose and it will inform the reader directly and
explicitly.
2. Clearly identify and define the central concepts or ideas of the study.
3. Identify the context
4. Identify the specific method of inquiry to be used.
5. Identify the unit of analysis in the study.
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better
“RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH Statement of the problem The market and the family are often perceived as two distinct ambits and without reciprocal influences, people usually tend to separate their ideas on the family from those on the market and consumerism: one thinks of the house as a pleasant and safe sphere, separated by a possibly hostile and dangerous external world. The family is seen as the place for the expression of emotions opposed to the impersonal world represented by the market. We have cleary distinct images of the two ambits and one appears as the negation of the other one. On the contrary, the two ambits are not at all separate. The concept of commercialization continuously bounces from the market’s ambit to the domestic. This rebound is apparent first in the descriptions that people give of themselves, through images taken from a work context, with statements like: “I’m not your maidservant” or in expressions such as: “This house is not a hotel”. The tipycal roles of working life become the terms of comparison for domestic
35
relationships. More than in the language, the influence of the market on daily life can be noticed in the extent to which we delegate to other people what for lack of time we cannot do ourselves, for example: pay a babysitter to play with the children, a dogsitter to walk the dog, a wedding-planner to organize our wedding. What the market takes with the lengthening of work timetables it offers back in the form of paid services. Today it has become acceptable that parts of our lives are lived by others. A vision of the world typical of a market ideology leads to concentrate efforts only on the end result while omitting the processes of realization of one’s objectives.
Purpose The objective of my research is to:
Show the strong influence that market dynamics exercise ( on people’s lives, above all in the family;
Find out why that happens, why people allow market dynamics to affect the most intimate aspects of their lives;
Understand the causes and the effects produced by speech which reflects a business jargon;
Understand the causes and the effects of carrying out one’s own personal plans with external help;
And finally provide a new interpretation on the influence of the market on people’s lives: it is true that the market does not necessarily represent something negative, it is an extraordinarily efficient mechanism if considered as a means to an end, but it poses big questions when it becomes an end to itself.
Significance of the study This research is important because it points out the sense of emptiness that can result from the weakening of the family, that is filled by the market. The market sells “pieces of family life”. Besides, the research points out the supremacy of market dynamics, the fact that people are happy to buy everything, they even buy time: the baby sitter and the dog sitter for example are paid on the basis of how many hours ley spend with the children or with the dogs instead of the parents or masters. We are happy with the goods we buy because they satisfy real needs, but one should be carefiil because though everything is for sale, not everything can be bought. We should take stock of the losses caused by market logics, of what is taken away from the family, because otherwise we risk losing sight of life’s
fundamental aspects. ”
36
Section 4 - LITERATURE REVIEW
For the research proposal, you are required to write an essay that identifies the main supporting concepts/theories/models that are relevant to your research question. The literature review in your research proposal is a much smaller version of the actual literature review that would be found in your dissertation, but provides a starting point that you can use for development.
The literature review should identify the main writers or theorists on your chosen subject. It is highly unlikely that general textbooks will give adequate coverage of your topic. You should identify the experts. Ideally the assessors of your proposal would expect to see reference to some up-to-date articles (an article published within the last three years). Do not write, for example, five paragraphs where each paragraph discusses just one writer. You should be able to identify the common ground between writers and, perhaps more importantly, the differences of opinion.
Please note that it is not an annotated bibliography. Do not summarize articles and books. You are expected to engage critically with the literature.
Activity 5
Who are the main writers in the field?
37
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name three relevant textbooks that cover the basic concept/theory/model.
Name two journals that will or may provide some relevant articles.
What are the basic concept/theories/models?
38
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Where are the main issues and the points of debate and disagreement?
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better
“LITERATURE REVIEW Some psychologists like Stephen R. Covey, Daniel Goleman and Edward De Bono, try to face this problem. By reading their book on this issue, we could notice a point in common: in addition to technical capacities, that students acquired though their graduation, are very important also the cross-capacities. Intellectual resources, consisting on knowledge, skills, ability, must add up to demotivation and empowerment. All these elements determine the performance the job function of a subbject. The rules of work are changing. The enterprises are looking for workers who have good personal skills in addition to a good degree mark. These personal skills or cross-capacities are: empathy, creativity. Intuition, flexibility, solving problem, self-awareness, good listening, etc. Therefore our authors stress repeatedly that the techno-specialized knowledge and intellectual skills alone are not enough to gain a job. The know now must include: knowledge (Know); skills (do); quality (be). Other elements of primary importance to be developed are: Public Speaking and the team working. Daniel Goleman (2000), suggest us to look after all these capacities as well as the emotional intelligence, that is the ability to recognize. To evaluate and to manage our and others’ emotions
39
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Covey S.R. (2001), explains that the new era of knowledge worker is founded on whole person because human beings have four dimensions: body, mind, heart and spirit, that represent the four need of every person: live, learn, love end leave inheritance. The seven habits of Highly Effective People defined in Covey S.R. (2001), are: Habit 1: Be Proactive; habit 2: Begin with the end in mind: habit 3: Put first thing first; habit 4: Think win/win; habit 5: Seek flrsi to understand, then to be understood; habit 6: Synergize; habit 7: Sharpen the saw.De Bono E. (2000) is distinct from others because he points his attention on creativity, considering it more important than others personal skills of a person. Must look carefully in all directions, without neglecting any details, this is his “lateral thinking”, and only then we could choose the path to take. Creativity is reached step by step. With calm and attention. Through these authors we can understand why nowadays to find a job we must point on personal qualities and on soft skills. As young we must not deject but continue to struggle, getting to know each other better and to improve
personal qualities. ”Section 5 - RESEARCH AIMS
Research questions
Whereas purpose statement explains the general direction of the study and is summarised by your title, the research questions (or hypotheses) expand on this by providing detail. This is a critical stage in your research, even though it appears early in the process.
If you do not ask the appropriate questions you will not be able to collect suitable data and arrive at sensible conclusions. By research questions we do not mean the detailed questions you might use in interviews or questionnaires, but questions which identify the general nature of research or issue you wish to focus on.
At the proposal stage we want the core or key question, or, to put it another way, we want a ‘grand tour’ question. After further reading you might identify another key question, but remember, the more core questions that you have, the more work you will need to do.
The questions may begin with:
What impact did …? Is it valid that …? Why did …? Why does …? How did …cause and effect? How did …? How does …?
40
This list is only for illustrative purposes and is not exhaustive. There are many other possibilities.
In the above example, the researcher does not know if there is a difference between younger and older students and is interested in determining this. However, suppose the researcher knows there is a difference (from other research) and wants to find out why there is a difference. The aim of the dissertation and main research question will change, even though the title remains the same.
Activity 6
Write down your main research question.
41
ExampleAim: The purpose of the dissertation is to investigate
whether mature students gain a better level of degree than younger students.
Title: Degrees: by age and classificationResearch question:
Do younger and older students differ in the level of degree attained?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ExampleAim: The purpose of the dissertation is to investigate whether
mature students gain a better level of degree than younger students.
Title: Degrees: by age and classificationResearch question:
Why do younger and older students differ in the level of degree attained?
Hypotheses
An alternative way of posing a research question is to state a hypothesis (plural hypotheses). A hypothesis is a proposition about the area that you are studying and is expressed as a statement of fact or what you believe to be true. You then try to find out whether the statement is true or false.
A ‘good’ hypothesis: is based on current knowledge and understanding (facts, theory) compares two variables can be tested by the collection and analysis of data.
Activity 7
Let us try and pull all these ideas together. For the overall aim given below try to state a title, a research question and a hypothesis.
Overall aim: The purpose of the dissertation is to investigate whether older employees work more slowly than younger employees.
Title: ………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………
Research question: ………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………
And/or Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………
Activity 8
Now try it with your dissertation topic.
42
Overall aim: …………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………..
Title: ………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………
Research question: ………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………
Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better
“RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PERSONAL HYPOTHESES
1. How do you find the best price?
The most important advance of web is that the consumers can avail the information to compare different products, suppliers, their offerings, prices, discounts and incentives, so they can choose se the best and advantageous product. In fact, an user can open more sites at once and compare the price for the same product.
2. What kind of shopping can give you more information about a product?
Every shopping web site provides that there must be an accurate and truthful description of the product, for example dimension, colour, weigh, size and so on.
But we can’t touch it, we can’t see it and control if all is good. So we have to trust the seller and hope that the description is correct. However, when we go in a common store, we can see all product on sale and decide if there is what we are looking for. We can control every part of if it before getting.
3. What social class prefer online shopping and what one street shopping?
Even if online shopping has become popular; however, it still caters to the middle and upper class. Because to shop online
43
I need of an access on a computer, a bank account and a t credit card. In fact few online shops allow cash on delivery, so a buyer must make an advance payment with credit card. This means that online shopping can develop especially in technological classes. Th(hen, different studies showed that online sopping is mostly used by young people; in fact, young people love technology, every one has a pc and an Internet connection.
4. Are there any countries where online shopping is preferred to street shopping? And why?
Economic value of life is not the same in every countries of the world. For example, a specific product can be expensive in a county but it can be cheap in another one. So it’s clear that countries in which there is a high economic value of life, prefers online shopping to save same moneys. An example to explain that is the difference between Italy and China. Many Italians prefer to buy Chinese product because labour is cheap; but it’s very difficult find a Chinese that buy the same product in Italy, because the price is more expensive.
5. Is there any difference between town and village?
Although technology is developing in large part of the world, distance to a commercial centre may influence online shopping or street shopping. This means that, people who live in small village away from the city centre could prefer using online shopping. In fact it’s better to sit comfortable at home and make purchases from Internet, instead doing many miles to go in a store with the risk of not finding what
you want.”
44
Section 6 - DESIGN OF THE STUDY OR RESEARCH DESIGN
The methodology section describes your basic research plan. It usually begins with a few short introductory paragraphs that restate purpose and research questions. The phraseology should be identical to that used previously. Keep the wording of your research questions consistent throughout the document.
In this section you should include paragraphs that outline the following information needed:
a. Approach and Methodology – What kind of research, qualitative or quantitative, are you going to carry out? What kind of information are you hoping to get?b. Data collection methods – Which tools are you going to use and how will they be administered (i.e. the procedure you will use for each tool)?
c. Sampling – Who will be involved in your study? How many participants? From where?
d. Data analysis and interpretation – What kind of data will you obtain? How will this data be analyzed and included/presented in your findings section (of your virtual dissertation)?
e. Dissemination of findings – Who might be interested in the results of your study and how will you inform them of your findings?
This section responds to the following questions:
- "How will I limit my study?" - "What data do I need to collect?" - "What methods will I use to collect the data and how will I justify them?"
You need to address whether your research study will take a Quantitative (QUAN) or Qualitative (QU AL) approach. The difference is based on the type of data collected. To put it simply if you administer a questionnaire to 1000 people and provide statistical data of their responses you are dealing with a quantitative approach. Normally quantitative data is used to see patterns in the population and is often presented in tabular or graphical form. If instead you choose to interview 10 people, then you are dealing with a qualitative approach. This approach does not aim to discover patterns in the population but it wants to discover something about an issue. It is normally associated with discovery because we don’t normally hypothesise a conclusion. Data is effectively another word for information that can be found through secondary or primary data collection. It is important that you understand all the various ways of collecting data so that you can decide which to use for your own
45
research. It is worth remembering at this stage that the methods of data collection can supply quantitative data (numbers and statistics) or qualitative data (usually words or text).
Quantitative data may include Secondary data which is data that has already been collected by someone else for a different purpose to yours. For example, this could mean using:
data collected by a hotel on its customers through its guest history system data supplied by a marketing organisation
annual company reports
government statistics.
Secondary data can be used in different ways:
You can simply report the data in its original format. If so, then it is most likely that the place for this data will be in your main introduction or literature review as support or evidence for your argument.
You can do something with the data. If you use it (analyse it or re-interpret it) for a different purpose to the original then the most likely place would be in the ‘Analysis of findings’ section of your dissertation. A good example of this usage was the work on suicide carried out by Durkheim. He took the official suicide statistics of different countries (recorded by coroners or their equivalent) and analysed them to see if he could identify variables that would mean that some people are more likely to commit suicide than others. He found, for example, that Catholics were less likely to commit suicide than Protestants. In this way, he took data that had been collected for quite a different purpose and used it in his own study – but he had to do a lot of comparisons and statistical correlations himself in order to analyse the data.
Most research requires the collection of primary data (data that you collect at first hand), and this is what students concentrate on. Unfortunately, many dissertations do not include secondary data in their findings section although it is perfectly acceptable to do so, providing you have analysed it. It is always a good idea to use data collected by someone else if it exists – it may be on a much larger scale than you could hope to collect and could contribute to your findings considerably.
As secondary data has been collected for a different purpose to yours, you should treat it with care. The basic questions you should ask are:
Where has the data come from? Does it cover the correct geographical location?
Is it current (not too out of date)?
If you are going to combine with other data are the data the same (for example, units, time, etc.)?
If you are going to compare with other data are you comparing like with like?
There are many sources of data and most people tend to underestimate the number of sources and the amount of data within each of these sources.
46
Sources can be classified as:
paper-based sources – books, journals, periodicals, abstracts, indexes, directories, research reports, conference papers, market reports, annual reports, internal records of organisations, newspapers and magazines
electronic sources– CD-ROMs, on-line databases, Internet, videos and broadcasts.
Primary data collection
In primary data collection (see appendix 3 for additional information), you collect the data yourself using methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The key point here is that the data you collect is unique to you and your research and, until you publish, no one else has access to it. There are many methods of collecting primary data and the main methods include:
questionnaires interviews focus group interviews observation
case-studies diaries critical incidents portfolios
Population and sampling
The basic research paradigm is: 1) Define the population 2) Draw a representative sample from the population 3) Do the research on the sample 4) Infer your results from the sample back to the population
As you can see, it all begins with a precise definition of the population. The whole idea of inferential research (using a sample to represent the entire population) depends upon an accurate description of the population. When you've finished your research and you make statements based on the results, who will they apply to? Usually, just one sentence is necessary to define the population. Examples are: "The population for this study is defined as all adult customers who make a purchase in our stores during the sampling time frame", or "...all home owners in the city of Minneapolis", or "...all potential consumers of our product".
While the population can usually be defined by a single statement, the sampling procedure needs to
47
be described in extensive detail. There are numerous sampling methods from which to choose. Describe in minute detail, how you will select the sample. Use specific names, places, times, etc. Don't omit any details. This is extremely important because the reader of the paper must decide if your sample will sufficiently represent the population
By now you will have a clear research question and will have read a lot of literature on your topic. Only when you have completed these two essential first stages are you ready to think about planning your overall approach to collecting data.
SAMPLING METHODS
Random sampling is the purest form of probability sampling. Each member of the population has an equal and known chance of being selected. When there are very large populations, it is often difficult or impossible to identify every member of the population, so the pool of available subjects becomes biased.
Systematic sampling is often used instead of random sampling. It is also called an Nth name selection technique. After the required sample size has been calculated, every Nth record is selected from a list of population members. As long as the list does not contain any hidden order, this sampling method is as good as the random sampling method. Its only advantage over the random sampling technique is simplicity. Systematic sampling is frequently used to select a specified number of records from a computer file.
Stratified sampling is commonly used probability method that is superior to random sampling because it reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset of the population that share at least one common characteristic. Examples of stratums might be males and females, or managers and non-managers. The researcher first identifies the relevant stratums and their actual representation in the population. Random sampling is then used to select a sufficient number of subjects from each stratum. "Sufficient" refers to a sample size large enough for us to be reasonably confident that the stratum represents the population. Stratified sampling is often used when one or more of the stratums in the population have a low incidence relative to the other stratums.
Convenience sampling is used in exploratory research where the researcher is interested in getting an inexpensive approximation of the truth. As the name implies, the sample is selected because they are convenient. This nonprobability method is often used during preliminary research efforts to get a gross estimate of the results, without incurring the cost or time required to select a random sample.
Judgment sampling is a common nonprobability method. The researcher selects the sample based on judgment. This is usually an extension of convenience sampling. For example, a researcher may decide to draw the entire sample from one "representative" city, even though the population includes all cities. When using this method, the researcher must be confident that the chosen sample is truly representative of the entire population.
48
Quota sampling is the nonprobability equivalent of stratified sampling. Like stratified sampling, the researcher first identifies the stratums and their proportions as they are represented in the population. Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to select the required number of subjects from each stratum. This differs from stratified sampling, where the stratums are filled by random sampling.
Snowball sampling is a special nonprobability method used when the desired sample characteristic is rare. It may be extremely difficult or cost prohibitive to locate respondents in these situations. Snowball sampling relies on referrals from initial subjects to generate additional subjects. While this technique can dramatically lower search costs, it comes at the expense of introducing bias because the technique itself reduces the likelihood that the sample will represent a good cross section from the population
Questionnaires
Questionnaires are a popular means of collecting data, but are difficult to design and often require many rewrites before an acceptable questionnaire is produced.
Advantages Disadvantages
Can be used as a method in its own right or as a basis for interviewing or a telephone survey.
Design problems.
Can be posted, e-mailed or faxed. Questions have to be relatively simple
Can cover a large number of people or organisations
Historically low response rate (although inducements may help).
Wide geographic coverage Time delay whilst waiting for responses to be returned.
Relatively cheap Require a return deadline
No prior arrangements are needed Several reminders may be required
Avoids embarrassment on the part of the respondent
Assumes no literacy problems
Respondent can consider responses No control over who completes it
Possible anonymity of respondent Not possible to give assistance if required
No interviewer bias. Problems with incomplete questionnaires
Replies not spontaneous and independent of each other
49
Respondent can read all questions beforehand and then decide whether to complete or not.
Focus group interviews
A focus group is an interview conducted by a trained moderator in a non-structured and natural manner with a small group of respondents. The moderator leads the discussion. The main purpose of focus groups is to gain insights by listening to a group of people from the appropriate target market talk about specific issues of interest.
Interviews
Interviewing is a technique that is primarily used to gain an understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations for people’s attitudes, preferences or behaviour. Interviews can be undertaken on a personal one-to-one basis or in a group. They can be conducted at work, at home, in the street or in a shopping centre, or some other agreed location.
Advantages Disadvantages
Serious approach by respondent resulting in accurate information
Need to set up interviews.
Good response rate.Time consuming
Completed and immediate.Geographic limitations
Possible in-depth questionsCan be expensive
Interviewer in control and can give help if there is a problem.
Normally need a set of questions.
Respondent bias – tendency to please or impress,
50
Can investigate motives and feelings.create false personal image, or end interview quickly.
Can use recording equipment.Characteristics of respondent assessed – tone of voice, facial expression, hesitation, etc.
Embarrassment possible if personal questions.
Can use props Transcription and analysis can present problems – subjectivity.
If one interviewer used, uniformity of approach. If many interviewers, training required.
Used to pilot other methods
Types of interview
Structured:Based on a carefully worded interview schedule.Frequently require short answers with the answers being ticked off.Useful when there are a lot of questions which are not particularly contentious or thought provoking.Respondent may become irritated by having to give over-simplified answers.
Semi-structuredThe interview is focused by asking certain questions but with scope for the respondent to express him or herself at length.
UnstructuredThis also called an in-depth interview. The interviewer begins by asking a general question. The interviewer then encourages the respondent to talk freely. The interviewer uses an unstructured format, the subsequent direction of the interview being determined by the respondent’s initial reply. The interviewer then probes for elaboration – ‘Why do you say that?’ or, ‘That’s interesting, tell me more’ or, ‘Would you like to add anything else?’ being typical probes.
Observation
Observation involves recording the behavioural patterns of people, objects and events in a systematic manner. Observational methods may be:
structured or unstructuredIn structured observation, the researcher specifies in detail what is to be observed and how the measurements are to be recorded. It is appropriate when the problem is clearly defined and the information needed is specified. In unstructured observation, the researcher monitors all aspects of the phenomenon that seem relevant. It is appropriate when the problem has yet to be formulated precisely and flexibility is needed in observation to identify key components of the problem and to develop hypotheses. The potential for bias is high. Observation findings should be treated as hypotheses to be tested rather than as conclusive findings.
disguised or undisguised
51
In disguised observation, respondents are unaware they are being observed and thus behave naturally. Disguise is achieved, for example, by hiding, or using hidden equipment or people disguised as shoppers. In undisguised observation, respondents are aware they are being observed. There is a danger of the Hawthorne effect – people behave differently when being observed
natural or contrived: Natural observation involves observing behaviour as it takes place in the environment, for example, eating hamburgers in a fast food outlet. In contrived observation, the respondents’ behaviour is observed in an artificial environment, for example, a food tasting session.
Personal: In personal observation, a researcher observes actual behaviour as it occurs. The observer may or may not normally attempt to control or manipulate the phenomenon being observed. The observer merely records what takes place.
mechanical: Mechanical devices (video, closed circuit television) record what is being observed. These devices may or may not require the respondent’s direct participation. They are used for continuously recording on-going behaviour
non-participant: The observer does not normally question or communicate with the people being observed. He or she does not participate.
participant, with the participant taking a number of different roles. In participant observation, the researcher becomes, or is, part of the group that is being investigated. Participant observation has its roots in ethnographic studies (study of man and races) where researchers would live in tribal villages, attempting to understand the customs and practices of that culture. It has a very extensive literature, particularly in sociology (development, nature and laws of human society) and anthropology (physiological and psychological study of man). Organisations can be viewed as ‘tribes’ with their own customs and practices
Case Studies
The term case-study usually refers to a fairly intensive examination of a single unit such as a person, a small group of people, or a single company. Case-studies involve measuring what is there and how it got there. In this sense, it is historical. It can enable the researcher to explore, unravel and understand problems, issues and relationships. It cannot, however, allow the researcher to generalise, that is, to argue that from one case-study the results, findings or theory developed apply to other similar case-studies. The case looked at may be unique and, therefore not representative of other instances. It is, of course, possible to look at several case-studies to represent certain features of management that we are interested in studying. The case-study approach is often done to make practical improvements. Contributions to general knowledge are incidental.
Diaries
A diary is a way of gathering information about the way individuals spend their time on professional activities. They are not about records of engagements or personal journals of thought! Diaries can record either quantitative or qualitative data, and in management research can provide information about work patterns and activities.
52
Critical incidents
The critical incident technique is an attempt to identify the more ‘noteworthy’ aspects of job behaviour and is based on the assumption that jobs are composed of critical and non-critical tasks. For example, a critical task might be defined as one that makes the difference between success and failure in carrying out important parts of the job. The idea is to collect reports about what people do that is particularly effective in contributing to good performance. The incidents are scaled in order of difficulty, frequency and importance to the job as a whole.
The technique scores over the use of diaries as it is centred on specific happenings and on what is judged as effective behaviour. However, it is laborious and does not lend itself to objective quantification.
Portfolios
A measure of a manager’s ability may be expressed in terms of the number and duration of ‘issues’ or problems being tackled at any one time. The compilation of problem portfolios is recording information about how each problem arose, methods used to solve it, difficulties encountered, etc. This analysis also raises questions about the person’s use of time. What proportion of time is occupied in checking; in handling problems given by others; on self-generated problems; on ‘top-priority’ problems; on minor issues, etc? The main problem with this method and the use of diaries is getting people to agree to record everything in sufficient detail for you to analyse. It is very time-consuming!
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better
“Research Design To sum up, the aim of the research is to investigate the reasons why Eastern European (Poles and Romanians) leave their homeland and come to Italy to seek their fortune. A consequence of the wave of migration is the beginning of a long process of integration. The reference area of this study is Calabria, in particular the Presila Cosentinha, all villages between Cosenza and Sila: Rovito, Celico, Spezzano della Sila, Spezzano Piccolo, Casole Bruzio, Pedace and Serra Pedace.
The Hypothesis that this paper wants to testified is two. The first Hypothesis is the opportunities for Poles and Romanians to live a dignified life in the Presila Cosentina. This can be seen from the point of view of the enhanced solidarity that exists In a small villages. In this case the residence of Presila are mobilized in a positive way to welcome and make the new neighbours feel at ease. The second Hypothesis is the question: “In a perspective of integration, is Communitarian law adequate to guarantee the fundamental rights of Eastern Europeans or should the Italian C Constitution be taken Into account?”. Communitarian Law is not enough to ensure the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms, because the EU does not put at the center of its policies the individual as a person, but he is seen as an economic actor, a worker. However, Italian Constitution structure is different because in its first part the inviolable rights of people are laid down. It establishes mainly the equality of all citizens in front of law. The conclusion is that only if East Europeans actually become Italian citizens, they may acquire greater rights and have them respected
53
The population for this study is defined a Eastern European household, composed of a father mother and at least a child between 6 and 18 years, in which at least one parent has a regular job and children attend school. Primary data and sampling method For the research I intend to use a qualitative data and I will collect primary data, that is data collect at first hand. I want to use Judgment sampling; this is a common non-probability method. It consists of the researcher to choose the area of analysis or sample units according to the peculiarities of the problem under the study and its presence, considered by the research, highly concentrated in these areas or those units.
Interview Interviewing is a technique that is used to obtain an understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations for people’s attitudes, preferences or behaviour. Interviews can be undertaken on a personal one on one basis or in a group. For my research I will choose a face to face interview with the population that I took as a reference. I will use semi-structured type of interview. This is focused by asking certain questions but with scope for the interviewee to express him/herself at length.
I will interview each member of the selected families to capture their moods and their perceptions of integration in the villages where they live. Each member family can explain his opinion in specific area. For example: the father can answer the question of employment; the mother can speak about the condition of a strange woman in Italian society; the children can face issues about education. I will also interview the social workers to understand If they were contacted by the public authorities, in this case the Municipality, to help the integration of families from Poland and Romania, or if there is no
need for their involvement. ”Section 7 - TIMELINE
You have now thought and written about the: title core research question or hypothesis literature review
The next stage of the proposal is to produce a time plan of what you are going to do and when. The plan should be detailed and include all the tasks necessary to complete your dissertation. Remember these are not discrete – many of the tasks have to be thought about in advance and overlap with other activities. They also take a lot longer than you actually think. For example, it is no good thinking that the literature review will take four weeks. You have to spend time finding material, reading the material, writing a draft, submitting it to your supervisor, giving him or her time to read it, get feedback, and redraft based on the comments. Students often underestimate how long data analysis and evaluation takes. At undergraduate level it should take a minimum of four weeks. A number of approaches are possible in preparing a time plan. The basic method is to list the weeks from the commencement of the research period to the submission and slot in the detail. In this way you can identify holidays and other times when you may not be able to work on the dissertation.
Activity 9
54
Think of all the activities that you will have to carry out while doing your research and how long each will take and list them below.
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better
“7. Timeline To complete my research I will dedicate it almost 150 hours every month and I will work for a total of 10 months.
January 2012-March 2012: Proposal and methodology development and completion of the literary revision.
April 2012-Mav 2012: Intensive work in the field. Data collection through administration of questionnaires.
June 2012’July 2012: Analysis of the statistics and of data that I have obtained.
August 2012: Holydays
55
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
September: 2012- October 2012: Main work on the thesis. ”
Section 8 – BIBLIOGRAPHY
This is a section that lists ALL the books, articles, website which you have consulted and have provided relevant information to the writing of this paper. It should be written very carefully following standardized formats such as APA.
The bibliography is needed as it is a reference, meaning it includes all the information necessary to locate the literature, of the works you cited in your work. So, to avoid plagiarism you must cite other peoples words and ideas. If you don’t give other people credit for their work, meaning you are copying their work and passing it as your own, you are being dishonest and are guilty of plagiarism.
Please use the following guidelines to cite and reference the literature used in your research proposal.
56
APA Citation Format SimplifiedAPA (2010) requires a hanging indent and double-spacing for its citations. Always use italics (not underlining) when required. If a magazine or journal does not have a volume number, you must use the p. or pp. abbreviation.
Note: APA 2010 requires you to use DOI (Digital Object identifiers) when possible. APA 2010 Also recommends you use two spaces after a period.Book APA FORMAT EXAMPLE
One Author Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher.
Smith, K.C. (2004). Children’s literature of the Harlem renaissance. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Two to Seven Authors Author last name, First initial, Middle initial., & Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher.
Branson, J. J., & Larson, B. (2003). Educating Rita. New York: Norton.
Eight or More Authors Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., . . . Last Author, I. I. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher.
German, J., Franklin, B., Sweden, A., Joseph, B., Austin, T., Squires, K., . . . Marsh, R. (2008). Effects of family reunions on dysfunctional families. New York: Genealogy Press.
Editor and/or chapter in a book
Author, A.A. (Date). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of work (pp xxx-xxx). Location: Publisher.
Arthur, K. (2004). High school reform in Arizona. In A. Squires (Ed.), Dismal state of American education (pp. 56-84). New York: Knopf.
E-book[When doi (digital object identifiers) is available, you should use it at end of entry as noted in samples]
Possible Formats:Editor last name, First initial. Middle initial.
(Ed.). (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. Retrieved from URL.
Author, A. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. Retrieved from URL
Author, B. (Date ) Title of work. Doi:xxxxxAuthor, C. (Date) Title of work. Retrieved from
URL
Careful, T. (Ed.). (2003). Children and ritalin. Doi: 10.1037/10762-000
Volz, B.D. (Ed.). (2000). Junior genreflecting: A guide to good reads and series fiction for children. Englewood CO: Libraries Unlimited. Doi: 10.1036/0071393724
Zimring, C.A. (2005). Cash for your trash: Scrap recycling in America [eBook version]. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/cgcc
Periodical Article APA Format ExampleMagazine Author last name, First initial. Middle initial (Year, Month,
Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume number, Pages.
Note: If no volume number is available, use p. or pp. before page numbers.
Bender, M. (2006, December). 2-minute winter warm-ups: Wake up your hibernating muscles, starting now. Health, 20, 38-40.
Journal: Continuous page numbers
Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number, Pages.
Brown, P. (2002). New architecture today. Art Digest, 25, 303-13.
Journal: Separate pagination (each issue starts with page 1)
Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number (Issue number), Pages.
Bellon-Hare, L. M., Garrett, T.M., Roberts, C. L., & Torres-Rivera, E. (2003, March). Open hands, open hearts: Working with native youth in the schools. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38 (4), 225-235.
Article in an online database
Same as print but add doi or electronic retrieval information at end.
If doi is available, add doi to end of entry. If no doi is available, and it was retrieved online, add
the following phrase and the homepage url of the journal, newsletter, or magazine: Use this format: Retrieved from http://www.xxxxxxxx
Note that you do not use a period after the url or the doi
Vissing, Y. (2003, December). The yellow school bus project: Helping homeless students get ready for school. Phi Delta Kappan, 85 (4), 321-323. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com
Kroon, L. (2007). Drug interactions with smoking. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 64 (18), 1917-1921. doi: 10.2146/ajhp060414
CQ Researcher This is a government publication. Sample show is an issue from the electronic database without a doi.
Glazer, S. (2006, November 10). Video games. CQ Researcher, 16, 937-960. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com.
Newspaper (Print Version)
Note that you use p. or pp. before page numbers with newspapers.
If an article has discontinuous page numbers, list all page numbers, but separate them with a comma (e.g. pp. A3, A5, A6-7)
Brown, S. (1998, January 25). A new art. Washington Post, p. A4.
Lublin, J. S. (2006, December 11). Untainted firms alter how they offer options. The Wall Street Journal, pp. B1, B3.
Newspaper (Electronic Version)
Give the URL of the home page if available: This strategy allows you to avoid nonworking URLs.
Shin, A. (2006, December 6). Trans fat banned in N.Y. eateries; city health board cites heart risks. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com
Encyclopedia APA Format ExampleOne or more Authors Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date). Article
title. In A.A. Editor (Ed.), Title of publication (Vol., pp.). Location: Publisher.
Hernandez, J., & Squires, R. (1999). House plants. In T. Z. Zollinger (Ed.),The encyclopedia of botany (Vol. 7, pp. 45-75). New York: Macmillan.
No Author Article title. (Date). Article title. In B. B. Editor (Ed), Title of publication (Vol., pp.). Location: Publisher.
Note that the sample shown is an electronic example.
Achievement gap. (2006). In L.B. Johnson (Ed.),The encyclopedia of education. Retrieved from http://find. galegroup.com
Web Site Article APA Format ExampleWith Author Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Date of
web page). Title. Retrieved from URL
Note: If source may change over time on a Web page (such as a wiki), you can include a retrieval date. If source will not change, you do not need to include the retrieval date.
American Library Association YALSA (2005). Outstanding books for the college bound. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ yalsa/booklists/obcb
Jameson, E. (n.d.). NCH FACT sheets on homelessness. Retrieved August 12, 1999, from http://nch.ari.net/facts.html
With no Author Article title. (Date). Retrieved from URL The trials and tribulation of the homeless on the streets of Phoenix. (2003, October 13). Retrieved from http://www.save.the. homeless.org/trials.html
Entire Website Note: With APA, when citing an entire Website (and not a specific document on the website), you may cite it in your parenthetical in-text citation and not include it on your References page.
Example of in-text reference: The Mark Twain Page discusses the significance of Twain’s works, especially relating his stories to the political controversies of his day. It especially emphasizes racial issues (http://www.ualbertta. ca/_dawe/twain.html).
Other Source Types MLA Format ExampleLecture (or Address) (unpublished paper/poster presentation)
Presenter A. A. (year, Month). Lecture Title. Paper or poster session presented at the meeting of Organization Name, Location.
Goddard, T. (2001, October). Phoenix Today. Honors Forum Lecture presented at the MCCCD Honors Program Forum, Phoenix College.
Film (Movie) or Video Producer, A. A. (Producer), & Director, B. B (Director). (Year). Title of motion picture [Motion picture}. Country of origin: Studio.
Nevins, S. (Producer), & Anderson, J. (Director). (2006). Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater. [DVD]. United States: HBO Documentary Films.
Music Recording Writer, A. (Copyright year). Title of song [Recorded by B. B. Artist if different from writer]. On Title of album [Medium}. Location: Label. (Date of recording if it differs from copyright year).
Holiday, B. (1991). Billie’s blues. On Lady Day: The best of Billie Holiday. [CD]. New York: Sony.
NOTE: In your in-text citations, include side & band or track numbers: “Billie’s Blues” (Holiday, 1991, track 5).
Personal Communications [such as Interview (you conduct yourself), memos, email, phone
You cannot include personal interviews on the References page. You must cite them in the text as shown in this example:
NOT Permitted on the References page because this information is not “retrievable” by other researchers.
conversations, private letters, etc.]
(L. Hogan, personal communication, August 18, 1999)
A Review Reviewer’s Last Name, First initial. (Date). Title of review [Review of the book Title of book, by A. A. Author]. Title of complete work, xx, xxx-xxx.
Kauffman, R. (2001, March 6). A new look [Review of the book The color purple, by A. Walker]. New Books Review, pp. 239-240.
Online Posting (Message to a newsgroup, online forum, or discussion group).
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [Description of form]. Retrieved from http;/www.xxxx
Note: In discussion boards, the title of the post is referred to as the “thread”). Note: Due to nature of posting, include a url.
Ziegler, J. (2004, November 12). Re: Arizona homeless information source. [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.homelessness /arizona/phoenix/issues/ msg1123494085458903.html?15
Radio or Television Program
Set up is similar to a chapter in a book: list script writer and director in the author position. List producer (if name is available) in the editor position.
Shatner, J. (Writer), & Haffner, C. (Director). (1993, April 6). Frederick Douglas. [Television broadcast.] In Civil War Journal. Los Angeles: Arts and Entertainment Network.
Tessler, V. (Writer), & Sojourner, J. (Director). (2002, January 25). Death and love. [Radio broadcast]. In Weekend Edition Saturday. Phoenix, Arizona: KJZZ.
Using in-text citation with APA style
APA style uses the author/date system for in-text citation. Within the text of your paper, include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list. See the following examples for correct ways of using in-text citation. For more detailed examples of in-text citation see the Research and Documentation Online guide.
Using the Author/Date System
Author's Name Example of Usage
Author's name part of narrative Gass and Varonis (1984) found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic.
Author's name in parentheses One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass & Varonis, 1984).
Multiple works (separate each work with semi-colons)
Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass & Varonis, 1984; Krech Thomas, 2004).
Direct quote, author's name part of narrative Gass and Varonis (1984) found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (p. 85).
Direct quote, author's name in parentheses One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass & Varonis, 1984, p. 85).
Note: For direct quotations of more than 40 words, display the quote as an indented block of text without quotation marks and include the authors’ names, date, and page number in parentheses at the end of the quote. For example:
This suggests that familiarity with nonnative speech in general, although it is clearly not as important a variable as topic familiarity, may indeed have some effect. That is, prior experience with nonnative speech, such as that gained by listening to the reading, facilitates comprehension. (Gass & Varonis, 1984, p. 77)
Works by multiple authors
APA style has specific rules for citing works by multiple authors. Use the following chart to determine how to correctly cite works by multiple authors in text.
Citing Works by Multiple Authors in Text
Type of citation First citation Subsequent citations First citation, parenthetical format
Subsequent citations, parenthetical format
One author Field (2005) Field (2005) (Field, 2005) (Field, 2005)
Two authors Gass and Varonis (1984) Gass and Varonis (1984) (Gass & Varonis, 1984) (Gass & Varonis, 1984)
Three authors Munro, Derwing, and Sato (2006) Munro et al. (2006) (Munro, Derwing, & Sato,
2006) (Munro et al., 2006)
Four authors Tremblay, Richer, Lachance, and Cote (2010) Tremblay et al. (2010) (Tremblay, Richer, Lachance,
& Cote, 2010) (Tremblay et al., 2010)
Five authors Hay, Elias, Fielding-Barnsley, Homel, and Freiberg (2007) Hay et al. (2007) (Hay, Elias, Fielding-Barnsley,
Homel, & Freiberg, 2007) (Hay et al., 2007)
Six or more authors Norris-Shortle et al. (2006) Norris-Shortle et al. (2006) (Norris-Shortle et al., 2006) (Norris-Shortle et al., 2006)
Example paragraph with in-text citation
A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing, Rossiter, & Munro, 2002; Krech Thomas, 2004). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing et al. (2002) conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program.
References
Derwing, T. M., Rossiter, M. J., & Munro, M. J. (2002). Teaching native speakers to listen to foreign-accented speech. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 23(4), 245-259.
Krech Thomas, H. (2004). Training strategies for improving listeners' comprehension of foreign-accented speech (Doctoral dissertation). University of Colorado, Boulder.
Have a look at an excerpt from a research proposal written by a student like you to get an idea of what is expected.
Read them critically See what you like about them Think about what you would do better Compare this bibliography to the guidelines provided above
“Bibliography
-Danilo Zolo “La Cittadinanza: appartenenza, identita, diritti” Editori Laterza, 1994; -David Dunkerley, Lesley Hodgson “Changing Europe” Identities, nations and citizens, 2002; -Enrico Grosso, “Ze vie della Cittadmanza’’Ccdam, Padova,1997; -Gustavo Zagrebelsky “Diritti e Costituzione nell’Unione Europea “Editori Laterza, 2003;
-Norberto Bobbio “L ‘eta dei diritti” Einaudi Editore,1992; ”Section 9 – APPENDICES (optional)
In this section you can include additional information that cannot be part of the text of the proposal, i.e. samples of questionnaires, interview questions, tables. You should number appendixes and refer to them in the text with that number. Do not put in an appendix that you don’t refer to in the text. You also need to reference where the material comes from.
LET’S RECAP
By now you have almost completed the proposal. The final step is to reflect on your proposal. You probably are very tempted to put in the final full stop and not look at it again! However, you need to reflect and re-assess what you have written.
Remember that you have to convince the supervisors who assess your proposal that you know what you are talking about, that you have given sufficient thought to the proposal and that you have devoted some effort to it. To do this, you need to ask the same questions the supervisors ask when assessing your proposal:
Is the title clear and concise? Is the core research question appropriate and answerable? Does the preliminary literature review draw on authors from both textbooks and journals?
o Is it up-to-date?o Is it sufficiently detailed?o Is it descriptive or does it include discussion and debate?o Is it written in a fluent, easy-to-read style?
Is the proposed primary data collection reasonable at this stage? Is the time plan detailed and feasible? Is the bibliography correct? Has the proposal been spell-checked? Is it grammatically correct? Does it look professional?
CHECKLIST
TOPIC AND TITLE Section 1 – TITLE PAGE Section 2 – INTRODUCTION Section 3 - RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH Section 4 - LITERATURE REVIEW Section 5 - RESEARCH AIMS Section 6 - DESIGN OF THE STUDY OR RESEARCH DESIGN
Section 7 - TIMELINE
Section 8 – BIBLIOGRAPHY Section 9 – APPENDICES (optional)
NOW YOU CAN
Hand in the proposal.
Well done!
SOURCES USED IN THIS HANDOUT
The Research Proposal section has been adapted from the following:
Thames Valley University website : http://brent.tvu.ac.uk The University of Reading website : www.reading.ac.uk The University of Alabama at Birmingham website: http://www.uab.edu/home/ The Vanguard University of Southern California website:
http://www.vanguard.edu/Home/AcademicResources The University of Michigan website: http://www.drda.umich.edu
The APA simplified standardized bibliography and citation formats have been taken from:
Chandler-Gilbert Community College: www.cgc.maricopa.edu Penn State University Libraries website :
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/lls/students/intext.html
Sample Research Proposals
The excerpts from the research proposals were taken from actual student but their name was not published to protect their privacy. We’d like to thank them for their contribution.