Transcript research proposal - Boston College Personal Web Server

Research Paper
AD140
College of Advancing Studies
Boston College
6 April, 2005
Brendan Rapple
Defining a Research Topic
Unlimited Topic (MUCH TOO BROAD)
• "The Teaching of English as Revealed in the Courses of
Study of the English-Speaking Nations of the World."
• "Life and Times of Sigmund Freud"
Slightly Limited Topic
(STILL TOO BROAD)
• "Psychological Theories of Sigmund Freud"
• "An Examination of Different Emphases in the
Psychological Views of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung"
Appropriate/Manageable Topics
• "Freud's Theory of Personality Applied to Mental Health"
• "Freud's Theory of Infantile Sexuality"
• "An Analysis of the Relationship of Freud and Jung in the
International Psychoanalytic Association, 1910-1914"
Too Narrow a Topic
• "Freud's Pets
Unlimited Topic
(Much Too Broad)
"Who Gossips and Why?"
Slightly Limited Topic (Still Too Broad)
"When Do People Gossip?"
Adequately Limited Topic
• Content Analysis of Selected Gossip Columns in Five
Women's Magazines During the Decade 1980-1989
Topic
• Suppose you wish to evaluate a certain number of
social studies textbooks used in XYZ School District for
evidence of sex role stereotyping.
Clearly One Must Examine the Books
Themselves
Possible Problems that One may Face
• They may not be in the local college/public library
• They may not be accessible through Inter Library Loan
Think of Broader Context
• Perhaps you might want to examine areas other than
social studies.
• Essential to examine very carefully the concept of "sex
role stereotyping"
-- not easy to define and measure
• Look at general "philosophical" studies of this concept.
• Look at sex role stereotyping in history.
• Look at changing sex roles in home, workplace, wider
community.
In short, it's good to broaden one's reading, to place
your own study in context.
Another Error to Avoid
• Choosing a topic that is not manageable
• Important factors to bear in mind
• time
• resources
• energy
• travel
• researcher's knowledge and experience (e.g. do
you speak Chinese?)
Another Possible Error
• Choosing a topic that will not keep your interest, enthusiasm.
Questions to Bear in Mind
• Is the research politically acceptable? (to the funding agency or the
individual/committee who decides)
• Is the research socially acceptable? (to the funding agency or the
individual/committee who decides)
• (What about an advocacy of euthansia to raise the per capita income)
N.B. Remember The Audience
Definition of Terms
• STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: How is intellectual potential and
performance in high school related to success in college?
Intellectual potential: student's scores on the verbal and
quantitative components of the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Performance in high school: G.P.A. combined with assessment of
activities outside the classroom (e.g. editing the school paper, playing
the cello in the school orchestra).
Success in College: G.P.A., length of stay in college,
extracurricular activities.
Another Example
• STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: "An Examination of How
Feminist Organizations in West Berlin Helped in the Reunification
and Democratization of Germany during the latter part of the
1980s."
Possible problem words:
Feminist
Democratization
We must know how the RESEARCHER defines the term.
All research, whatever type, must include at
least the following:
1. Statement of a problem to be solved.
2. Consideration of prior information related to the problem.
3. Collection of data relevant to a solution for the problem.
4. Analysis of the data and relation of findings to the original
problem with a view toward stating a solution.
Audience
• Keep the type of audience in mind
• Your writing should be pitched at level of expected readers
• Use the terminology appropriate to them
• Physics terms for physicists; sociology terms for sociologists
• No jargon, e.g., for ordinary reader
• Generally, "plain English" is the best strategy
Are Your Readers
• Professionals in the field?
• General readers who have
different levels of knowledge?
similar levels of knowledge?
• What special interest do they have in this topic?
Statement of the Problem
– State the research problem right away
– What exactly do you want to study?
– Why is it worth studying?
Statement of the Problem
• Who will benefit?
• Will it improve the electric car?
• Will it help cut heating costs?
• How original is the study?
• Does it emanate from inconsistencies in previous research work?
• You may mention here if the problem has arisen from your own
experience.
Literature Review
– Often lengthiest section of the proposal
– Provides context for proposed study
– May demonstrate why it is important and timely
– Clarifies relationship between your study and previous
work on topic
– Helps you to define your topic
– Suggests new ideas to you
Literature Review
– Acquaints you with new sources of data
– Do past studies agree or disagree?
– Are there flaws in the body of existing research that you feel
you can remedy?
– Helps avoid needless replication of previous research
– Helps you to avoid errors in planning your study
– Helps to better interpret significance of your own results
Procedures/Methodology
• When you are planning to use people as subjects in your paper,
consider the following:
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Who or what will you study in order to collect data?
Identify who is available for study.
Indicate how you will reach them.
Will it be appropriate to select a sample?
If so, how will you do that?
If relevant, how will you ensure that subjects are not harmed by
the research?
Data-collection Methods
• How will you actually collect the data for your study?
• Will you conduct an experiment or a survey?
• Will it be purely documentary research?
• What libraries, archives are you using?
• Will you undertake field research?
• Or are you going to focus on the re-analysis of statistics already
created by others?
Tests, Questionnaires, Observations,
Other Devices
• Are you yourself designing the instruments to be used?
• Have you tested these instruments?
• Will permission to use them be required?
• Are you attaching a copy in an appendix?
• Will a pilot study be required?
Documents
• Plan precisely documents/material you will need, e.g.
such primary source materials as
letters, manuscripts, diaries, autobiographies
• Where are they located?
• What condition are they in?
• Will permission to use them be needed?
• Is the sample appropriate?
• Is it large enough?
Limitations of Study
• Important to state precisely what you intend to do.
• Important to state precisely what you do NOT intend to do.
Limitations may be, e.g., of
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time
personnel
gender
age
geographic location
nationality
(and an infinite number of others)
Advantages of Precisely Limiting
• Makes the topic more focused.
• Researcher covers herself from possible criticism for
ignoring areas.
Ethical Considerations
• Scrupulous honesty
e.g. relinquish a pet theory that evidence calls into question
• Refrain from any manipulation of the data
• Plagiarism
Human Subjects
• Will you be able to gain permission to use them?
• Will you be able to keep subjects' identities confidential?
• What extra precautions will you take for children?
• Will subjects be able to sign consent forms (e.g. children,
handicapped)?
Will they be exposed to risks?
--no physical danger
--no situation of stress
--no situation of discomfort
--no situation of embarrassment
--no invasion of privacy
--no potential threat to reputation
Schedule/Timetable
• Set out a timetable -- should be a realistic estimate of
time required to complete the project.
Beginning to Write Your Paper
• Common Parts of Many Research Papers:
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Title and Cover Page
Executive Summary/ Abstract
Statement of the Research Problem/Area
Literature Review
Procedures/Methodology
Limitations of Study
Main Text of Paper – Hypotheses, Findings, Conclusion, etc.
Bibliography
Appendices
• But all of the above are not essential in all papers
Title/Cover Page
• Title
• Author's name, address, phone no.,
e-mail, fax no.
• Name of the institution
• Date
Executive Summary/Abstract
Usually written last
PURPOSE:
Summarizes for the reader the basic structure/content of the
proposal
Bibliography
• Normal scholarly process.
• Should include all resources used in the proposal.
• Should adopt a particular style, e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago etc. -style must be consistent.
• Helps the reader to form an opinion of quality of the sources
available (and your ability to find them).
Appendices
• Charts, graphs and other information which may interfere with
the flow of the proposal or lengthen it may be placed in the
appendices.
Writing
• Always worthwhile to lavish care on a research paper.
• Writing is perhaps the most important skill in today’s workplace.
Paragraphs
• Keep paragraphs short
Subheadings
• Use subheadings to clarify the structure
• they break up the material into more readable units.
• they give the reader a place to "dive in" if she doesn't want
to read all of the material.
Writing Drafts
• Write the first draft straight through
• Do it quickly -- this preserves continuity -- gives
coherence
• So easy to revise using word-processors
Common Errors
• Unattainable goals
• Failure to focus -- going on tangents
• Failure to cite essential pertinent studies
• Failure to maintain a coherent, logical thesis
• Poor organization of paper
• Poor language, grammar etc.