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1、Research Method and Paper Writing,Professor:Xiaoling Zou,Writing a research proposal Writing a research paperGetting your research paper published,Chapter VIII Overall Structure of the Thesis,Writing a research proposal,Chapter VIII Overall Structure of the Thesis,1.Writing a research proposal,Pream
2、ble/introductionThe problemObjectives of the studyHypothesis to be testedStudy designThe settingMeasurement procedures,Ethical issuesSamplingAnalysis of dataStructure of the reportProblems and limitations appendix,1)Contents of a research proposal,2)Structure of the research proposalIntroduction:dep
3、ending on the scope of your proposal,the introduction will contain a number of sub-sections.background to the studythe significance of the study/aims and significance of the studythe statement of the problemresearch questions and hypothesesdefinitions,1.Writing a research proposal,2)Structure of the
4、 research proposalLiterature review:the literature review provides the rationale for your research topic.It should give an overview of the current research on the topic area.It should identify a gap in the research.This is important because it shows why your topic is important.The literature review
5、should also review relevant methodologies,which show how your research is to be done.,1.Writing a research proposal,2)Structure of the research proposalResearch design/methodology:this section will include a number of subsections.It should describe the type of study you propose to do as well as how
6、you propose to do it.You need to describe your participants/subjects,your data collection procedure and method of data analysis,as well as the limitations of your project.,1.Writing a research proposal,2)Structure of the research proposalProposed timeframe:provide a brief timeline for your projectEx
7、pected outcomes:what you hope to achieveReferences:a full list of all references cited in your proposal.You may also include a description of any pilot studies which have been undertaken.It may also be advisable to include a section on your theoretical orientation.If your research involves human par
8、ticipants you may need to include a section on ethical considerations.,1.Writing a research proposal,3)Sample short research proposalThe requirements for research proposals will vary for different disciplines,but the elements in this example are fairly generic.Research proposal,1.Writing a research
9、proposal,Writing a research paper,Chapter VIII Overall Structure of the Thesis,Abstracts,1)Descriptive AbstractsTopic Specification:WHAT the research is about?Purpose Statement:WHY the research was done?Methodology and Data:HOW the research was done?,Abstract,2)Informative Abstracts Topic Specificat
10、ion:WHAT the research is about?Background Information:WHAT question the research is answering or what gap in previous research the present research fills?Purpose Statement:WHY the research was done?Methodology and Data:HOW the research was done?Results/Findings:WHAT the research found?Implications/C
11、onclusions:WHY the results are significant,WHAT the implications are?Other Considerations,1)Purpose and scopeThe main purpose of an introductory chapter is to introduce your research and your thesis;However,the scope of the introduction can vary significantly according to the nature of your study an
12、d your discipline area.Traditionally the introductory chapter functions to introduce the research in detail and establish the validity of the research by showing that the previous research in the field contains a gap in knowledge that will be filled by your research.,Chapter I Introduction,2)Functio
13、nEstablish the field of your researchSummarize and review the previous research in the fieldPrepare for your research by showing a gap in the previous research or raising questions based on,or prompted by,previous researchIntroduce your research in detail and state the purpose or aim of your researc
14、hOutline the whole thesisNot all introductions will fulfill all of the functions suggested above;Some disciplines will typically include an outline of the thesis in the introduction,while others may not.,Chapter I Introduction,The introduction provides a logical progression of information from the g
15、eneral to the specific.These movements in the text introduce the reader to the general field,then summarize relevant previous research in a specific field in a way that allows the gap in the field to be identified.This gap prepares for and provides a rationale for the research presented in the thesi
16、s.These movements can be represented by the following diagram:,4)Summary:Introduction generally includes:Background:Tell what is behind the problem and why it is needed.Purpose:tell what you hope to do with the study.Theoretical Foundation/Conceptual Foundation:describe briefly the theory.Significan
17、ce:Why is your study important?What impact could it make?Who might be affected?What change in society or perceptions or actions might come from this study?Scope:How wide ranging are the results?,Hypotheses or Research Questions:It is good to give these in the first Chapter and repeat again in Chapte
18、r III and then the answer or respond to them in Chapter IV.Generally hypotheses are used in Quantitative studies and research questions in Qualitative studies.In a mixed model,you may have both.Definition of Terms:the terms,as they will be used in the study,help clarify the meaning for the reader.St
19、ructure of the thesis.,Your literature review needs to look at several important aspects.1)It should give research,which utilizes the same design or methodology you will be using.For example,if you are using a survey,try to show how similar studies utilized surveys,what to look for,how they are desi
20、gned,validated,found reliable and finally how they were interpreted.,Chapter II Literature Review,2)Demonstrate that you have examined a great deal of relevant research concerning your project.Look at them critically,both those that support your basic ideas and those that refute them.These should be
21、 rather current studies,journal articles within the last two or three years.You can include some older studies to show you have looked at a wide range of studies.,Chapter II Literature Review,The literature review is a fine place to develop your theoretical underpinnings,again giving fairly current
22、sources to substantiate your use of this theoretical and conceptual background.Use primary sources as much as possible.When using secondary sources,make certain you identify them.End the chapter with a brief summary of what was covered,its importance to the overall study and lead us into the Methodo
23、logy section(Chapter III).,Chapter II Literature Review,1)Contents The methods chapter tells your reader how you carried out the research that was needed to answer your research questions.The methods section/chapter functions to explain:WHEN the study was carried outWHERE the study was carried outWH
24、AT materials,techniques,samples,data,approaches,theoretical frameworks were used in the studyHOW you intend to analyze the data.Include how you will collect the data,what you will do with it when you get it.HOW the study was carried outWHAT procedures were used.,Chapter III Methodology,The methods s
25、ection is very important in Science and Engineering disciplines.In these disciplines,detailed description of the methods used in the research allows the research to be replicated by other researchers.You should tell how the design relates to your hypotheses and/or research question.How will it get a
26、t the information you are trying to get?,Chapter III Methodology,2)Tense and voice choices The methodology chapter is usually written using past tense,e.g.“data were examined”The reason for this is that the data examination was carried out before it was written up in the thesis.It is written in the
27、passive voice as well:this is used so that focus falls on what was examined and not on who did the examining.,Chapter III Methodology,4)Summary Methodology generally includes:1.Introduction.Tell again what the problem is,the purpose,the research questions and a little background.2.Design of the Stud
28、y,including:Description of the target population.If you are going to use a sample,show how you will obtain this sample,where it comes from and how many you anticipate will participate.Tell what you intend to do with this sample.,Tell if you will use a Pilot Study to determine clarity,validity and re
29、liability.Who will do the pilot?If a case study,how many,how obtained,where and how will you get information,who will interview,are you using an interview for your guideline?If experimental or quasi-experimental,discuss the independent and dependent variables,how and where will you be doing this.,Te
30、ll how this design relates to your hypotheses and/or research question.How will it get at the information you are trying to get?Tell how you intend to analyze the data.Include how you will collect the data,what you will do with it when you get it.Be as specific as you can.Finally,summarize the chapt
31、er.,1)ContentsStart with a brief Introduction.Restate the Problem.Give us again a description of the population and the sample.Briefly tell us again how you obtained the data when and where.Do this in answering your research questions or in supporting or rejecting your hypotheses.Be specific as to w
32、hat statistics were used and why and exactly what they show.,Chapter IV Results,Presentation of the Data,1)ContentsThe results chapter tells your reader what you found,or what the results of your research were.The results are normally written up using complete paragraphs but are often supported by t
33、ables and/or graphs.Results sections should be organized so that they reflect:the methods outlined in the methodology chapter the sequence of information presented in the methods section the aims or research question/s outlined in the Introduction.,Chapter IV Results,Presentation of the Data,1)Conte
34、ntsResults sections should present only the results/findings and should not include interpretations of the results.Interpretation belongs only in a discussion section.Results sections can,in some disciplines,be combined with discussion in a Results and Discussion chapter/section.This is often the ca
35、se in disciplines such as Engineering and Education.In these combined sections,the presentation of results and the discussion of those results usually occur in different sub-sections.,Chapter IV Results,Presentation of the Data,2)Verb tense choices in results sectionsThe results chapter or section o
36、f your thesis typically uses past tense verbs,for example:“The sap of E.viminalis accounted for 94%of the feeding observation time”Occasionally,however,present tense is used when describing a table or graph or figure e.g.:“Table 1 gives the number of days that the subjects used the drug”,or when com
37、paring results e.g.“the data obtained in study 1 show differences in size when compared with study 2”.,Chapter IV Results,Presentation of the Data,4)SummaryResults chapter usually:Start with a brief Introduction.Restate the Problem.Give us again a description of the population and the sample.Briefly
38、 tell again how you obtained the data when and where.Do this in answering your research questions or in supporting or rejecting your hypotheses.Summarize.,1)Function The function of a discussion section is to:interpret the results presented in the results sectiondiscuss them in relation to your rese
39、arch question and to the results of previous research in the field.Of course,to present any discussion about results from previous research,you must already have introduced this research in your literature review.Discussion chapters also often include sub-sections on issues arising from the study,or
40、 detail the implications of the research.,Chapter V Discussion,2)Verb tense choices in discussion sectionsDiscussion sections or chapters use a range of tenses depending on whether results are being discussed,or whether claims or generalizations based on the results are being made.Present tense is u
41、sed when making statements about how things are,while past tense is used when making statements about what was found.,1)ContentsThe conclusion might begin by reiteratingthe aims of the researchthe results of the researchthe implications of the results.,Chapter VI Conclusion,2)Function Its main funct
42、ion is to:make generalizations arising from the discussion of the resultslook at the implications of the findings for practice,accepted theoretical models/paradigmsindicate the overall importance of the research to the fieldin some theses,make recommendations for future practice,or future research.,
43、SummaryConclusion usually includes:What can you draw from your findings?Give your question a brief discussion of the finding and the conclusion drawn from it.Show how your results reflect or reject the theoretical foundation or conceptual organization.Show how this study impacted social change.Limit
44、ations:list them.Finally,give recommendations for a future study what you might have done differently.,5)Three models The results,discussion and conclusion sections of a thesis may appear as separate chapters or may be combined in different ways.Three models below show different combinations.,Gettin
45、g your research paper published,Chapter VIII Overall Structure of the Thesis,3.Getting your research paper published,1)Improving your chancesAn improved understanding of the structure and logic of articles published in English,in the humanities and social Sciences;Knowledge of specific English langu
46、age features of different sections of published articles;Knowledge of the stages involved in the process of submitting an article for publication;Assessing your own research writing for its relevance to the journals of your choice;Searching in published articles for their scholarly features and thei
47、r language.,3.Getting your research paper published,2)Some considerationsMany journals available you need to select one to submit your work to.Important factors to consider are:SSCI statusImpact factor：times the papers in a journal are cited on average.It does not give an indication about a single p
48、aper.Kind and level of your research(If you aim too high,you may be rejected;if you aim too low,your work may be wasted),3.Getting your research paper published,3)Selecting target journalsCheck if the journalnormally published the kind of work you are doingis fully refereedpublishes reasonably quick
49、lyhas no page charges or will waive themhas a clear and efficient international submission processarticles in your references will likely lead you to the right journal,3.Getting your research paper published,3)Selecting target journalsGetting to know a journalGo to the journals home-page on the inte
50、rnet,if it has one(or find a hard copy of the journal in the library)Read the Product Information,often called Aims and Scope,Readership,Objectives etc.(Does the information here match your research?)Scan the Tables of Contents of several issues over the last few years(Is your work relevant to other
