lecturer: charusluk viphavakit, phd... 2141491 research methodology 7 the introduction leads the...

Science Writing

(1)

Lecturer: Charusluk Viphavakit, PhD

ISE, Chulalongkorn University, 2nd/2018

Email: [email protected]: https://charuslukv.wordpress.com

2141491Research Methodology

Science writing

2141491 Research Methodology 2https://charuslukv.wordpress.com

Broad perspective

Broad perspective

Background/Literature Review

Research Methods

Research Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Title and keywords


Title

Title for the research should be unique and sufficiently descriptive to inform the readership of the research direction and field.

Commonly this will require ten or more words and some specific information relating to the field of research.

Keywords

The keywords included in the paper will be used by web-based search engines so that this new paper will be readily found by the appropriate readership.

The keywords are often used to select reviewers. Inappropriate keywords will result in the paper being sent to reviewers who might not be experts in the field.

Abstract


‘Abstract’ refers to a brief, but total, summary of the research reported.

It is common for scientific papers to include an abstract so that the potential reader gains a brief outline of the research project, methods and outcomes.

Commonly the title, authors and abstracts are freely available using the academic search engines and the internet.

The abstract is a very important part of the paper and needs to be carefully worded so that reading the title and abstract alone is sufficient to convey understanding of the research and its outcomes.

Abstract


Special restrictions on Abstract

The number of words or characters might be limited. No background information. No references are allowed. No symbols are allowed. No images or tables are allowed.

Introduction


The introduction leads the reader from a general subject area to a particular topic of inquiry.

Introduction

It establishes the scope, context, and significance of the research being conducted by summarizing current understanding and background information.

It states the purpose of the work, explains briefly the methodological approach used to examine the research problem, highlights the potential outcomes and outlines the remaining structure and organization of the paper.

Introduction


A good introduction;

1. Ensure that you summarize prior studies about the topic in a manner that lays a foundation for understanding the research problem.

2. Explain how your study specifically addresses gaps in the literature, insufficient consideration of the topic, or other deficiency in the literature.

3. Note the broader theoretical, empirical, and/or policy contributions and implications of your research.

All introductions should conclude with a brief paragraph that describes the organization of the rest of the paper.

Literature Review


The purpose of a literature review is to:

Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.

Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration. Identify new ways to interpret prior research. Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature. Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies. Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort. Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research. Locate your own research within the context of existing literature.

Literature Review


Development of the Literature Review requires four stages;

1. Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues?

2. Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored.3. Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant

contribution to the understanding of the topic.4. Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of

pertinent literature.

Methodology


The methods section describes actions to be taken to investigate a research problem and the rationale for the application of specific procedures or techniques allowing the reader to critically evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability.

The methodology section of a research paper answers two main questions: How was the data collected or generated? And, how was it analyzed?

The writing should be direct and precise and always written in the past tense.

Methodology


You must explain how you obtained and analyzed your results for the following reasons:

Readers need to know how the data was obtained because the method you chose affects the results.

Methodology is crucial for any branch of scholarship because an unreliable method produces unreliable results and, as a consequence, undermines the value of your interpretations of the findings.

In most cases, there are a variety of different methods you can choose to investigate a research problem. The methodology section of your paper should clearly articulate the reasons why you chose a particular procedure or technique.

Methodology


The reader wants to know that the data was collected or generated in a way that is consistent with accepted practice in the field of study.

The method must be appropriate to fulfilling the overall aims of the study. For example, you need to ensure that you have a large enough sample size to be able to generalize and make recommendations based upon the findings.

The methodology should discuss the problems that were anticipated and the steps you took to prevent them from occurring. For any problems that do arise, you must describe the ways in which they were minimized or why these problems do not impact in any meaningful way your interpretation of the findings.

Methodology


In the social and behavioral sciences, it is important to always provide sufficient information to allow other researchers to adopt or replicate your methodology. This information is particularly important when a new method has been developed or an innovative use of an existing method is utilized.

Methodology


The introduction to your methodology section should begin by restating the research problem and underlying assumptions underpinning your study.

The remainder of your methodology section should describe the following:

Decisions made in selecting the data you have analyzed or, in the case of qualitative research, the subjects and research setting you have examined,

Tools and methods used to identify and collect information, and how you identified relevant variables,

The ways in which you processed the data and the procedures you used to analyze that data, and

The specific research tools or strategies that you utilized to study the underlying hypothesis and research questions.

Results


The results section is where you report the findings of your study based upon the methodology you applied to gather information.

It's important to remember that the results of a study do not prove anything. Findings can only confirm or reject the hypothesis underpinning your study.

Avoid providing data that is not critical to answering the research question.

Results


In general, the content of your results section should include the following:

An introductory context for understanding the results by restating the research problem underpinning your study.

Inclusion of non-textual elements, such as, figures, charts, photos, maps, tables, etc. to further illustrate key findings, if appropriate.

A systematic description of your results, highlighting for the reader observations that are most relevant to the topic under investigation.

A short paragraph that concludes the results section by synthesizing the key findings of the study.

Results


When writing the results section, avoid doing the following:

Reporting background information or attempting to explain your findings. (Introduction)

Ignoring negative results. (Discussion)

Including raw data or intermediate calculations. (Appendix)

Presenting the same data or repeating the same information more than once.

Confusing figures with tables.

Discussion


The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe the significance of your findings in light of what was already known about the research problem being investigated and to explain any new understanding or insights that emerged as a result of your study of the problem.

The discussion clearly explain how your study advanced the reader's understanding of the research problem from where you left them at the end of your review of prior research.

Discussion


The discussion section is where you;

Most effectively demonstrates your ability as a researcher to think critically about an issue, to develop creative solutions to problems based upon a logical synthesis of the findings, and to formulate a deeper, more profound understanding of the research problem under investigation.

Present the underlying meaning of your research, note possible implications in other areas of study, and explore possible improvements that can be made in order to further develop the concerns of your research.

Highlight the importance of your study and how it may be able to contribute to and/or help fill existing gaps in the field.

Discussion


General rules;

Do not be verbose or repetitive. Be concise and make your points clearly. Avoid the use of jargon or undefined technical language. Follow a logical stream of thought; in general, interpret and discuss the significance of

your findings in the same sequence you described them in your results section. Use the present verb tense, especially for established facts; however, refer to specific

works or prior studies in the past tense. If needed, use subheadings to help organize your discussion or to categorize your

interpretations into themes.

Conclusion


The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper.

If applicable, where you recommend new areas for future research.

A well-written conclusion provides you with important opportunities to demonstrate to the reader your understanding of the research problem.

Presenting the last word. Summarizing your thoughts and conveying the larger significance of your study. Identifying how a gap in the literature has been addressed. Demonstrating the importance of your ideas. Introducing possible new or expanded ways of thinking about the research problem.

Next week


Bring the Laptop

Download and install the following softwares:

Windows1. Basic MikTeX 2.9 [http://miktex.org/2.9/setup]2. TeXnic Center [http://www.texniccenter.org/download/]

MAC OS1. Basic MacTeX [https://tug.org/mactex/morepackages.html]2. TeXmaker [http://www.xm1math.net/texmaker/download.html]

lecturer: charusluk viphavakit, phd... 2141491 research methodology 7 the introduction leads the...

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