writing
mmemo
RMsession32.pptThe Research Topic
- Research Topic – subject or subject matter of a study
e.g., “faculty teaching,” “organizational creativity,” “psychological stress”
A major road sign or a sign of what we are studying
- Conduct literature review about the topic
Worth studying?
Scope?
Can be studied?
- Gain insight into the topic by
Drafting a working title
- “My study is about…” – try completing this sentence
Posing a brief question
- What needs to be answered?
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
- Be brief and avoid wasting words
- Eliminate unnecessary words
- Single title or double title
- Advisable to not make it more than 12 words
- Eliminate article a propositions
- Pose a topic as a brief question (write a topic)
*
- First step is to examine research on the topic
- How does this project contribute to the literature?
- New topic, new elements, replication with new participants?
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Research Topic
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
- The topic can be researched if
You have access to participants
You have resources to collect and analyze information
- The topic should be researched if
The research will add to the literature about the topic
Replicates past studies (repeat the study in new situation or with new participants
Extent the discussion by incorporating new elements
Scholars will be interested in the topic
Lifts up the voices of underrepresented groups
Helps address social justice
A study of it will advance your personal goals
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Research Topic
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
- Understand how the research contribute to the literature
- The research project should not be new but should be different and
- provide a new perspective or angle to the existing literature
- Study on unusual location or unusual group
- Taking a perspective that may not be expected
- Presenting results in unusual ways
- Studying timely topics, reaching a broader audience
Spend considerable time in the library examining the research on the topic
Consider the time needed to complete the project (collect data, analyze, review, disseminate
*
When seeking advice about the research you are planning to conduct you need to provide a one page discussion on the following:
- The problem of issues leading to a need for the study
- The central research question plan to be asked
- The type of data to be collected
- The overall significance of the study
*
The Literature Review
- Literature review deals with Locating and summarizing the studies about a topic; it helps to determine whether the topic is worth studying
- Once the researcher identifies the topic – the search for related literature will begin
- The purpose of literature review
- Shares the reader the results of other studies closely related
- Tells the reader you are aware of literature
- Relates the study to the larger dialogue in the literature – filling the gaps and extending prior studies
- Provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study
- Provides a benchmark for comparing the results to other findings
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
The literature review can take different form for a research proposal, for a PhD thesis, for an MA thesis, for conference paper – for a proposal
- Seek opinion of adviser or faculty members
- Literature reviews take several forms:
Integrate what others have done and said
Criticize previous scholarly works
Bridge between related topics
Identify the central issues in the field
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
The use of the literature:
- In quantitative studies, substantial amount of literature is provided at the beginning of the study
- researchers use literature to:
Provide direction to the research questions and hypotheses
Introduce a problem
Introduce and describe the theory that will be used
Examine the usefulness of the theory
Compare results with existing literature or predictions
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
In qualitative research, inquirers use the literature in a manner consistent with the assumptions of learning from the participant, not prescribing the questions that need to be answered from the researcher’s standpoint. One of the chief reasons for conducting a qualitative study is that the study is exploratory. This usually means that not much has been written about the topic or the population being studied, and the researcher seeks to listen to participants and build an understanding based on what is heard.
The use of literature in qualitative research varies considerably. In one example, literature on a cultural concept or a critical theory can be introduced early as an orienting framework for ethnographies.
*
The use of the literature:
- In mixed methods studies, researchers use the literature:
In either a quantitative or qualitative approach
In each phase, consistent with either the quantitative or qualitative approach
Relative to the intended audience
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Steps in conducting a literature review:
- Identify key words
- Search databases
- Identify about 50 research reports in articles or books
- Collect those that are central to your topic
- Design a literature map
- Draft summaries of relevant articles
- Write a literature review, organizing it by important concepts
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Searching computerized databases:
- Computerized databases of the literature are available the Internet
- Databases provide access to journal articles, conference papers and dissertations on a wealth of topics
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Searching computerized databases:
- Some of these online databases include:
ERIC - ProQuest - EBSCO
Sociological Abstracts - PsycINFO - PubMed
Science Direct - Google scholar - SSCI
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Searching computerized databases:
- Use both free databases and those available in your academic library
- Search several databases, even those outside your field
- Use guides to terms to locate articles
- Locate articles close to your topic and use their terms in your search
- Use databases that provide access to full text
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
A priority for selecting literature material:
- Start with broad syntheses (such as encyclopedias) if you are new to the topic
- Turn to journal articles in national journals
Best source for research reports
- Next, consider books
- Then examine conference papers
- Scan for dissertations
- Lastly, consider reports on the web
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
A literature map of the research
- A literature map is a visual summary of existing research on a topic
- The structure of the literature map may be:
Hierarchical pattern
Flowchart layout
Series of circles
- Write a narrative description
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Abstracting studies:
- Abstracts summarize major elements of the article
- For research studies:
Mention the problem
State the central purpose
State information about the population and sample
Review key results
Point out methodological flaws (if a critique or methods review)
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Abstracting studies:
- For nonempirical studies (essays, opinions, etc.)
Mention the problem
Identify the central theme
State the major conclusions
Mention flaws in reasoning or logic (if a methodological review)
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Style manuals:
- Style manuals provide guidelines for producing scholarly work and include directions on:
Citing references in-text
End-of-text references
Creating headings
Footnotes (not used in all style manuals)
Presenting tables and figures
- Reminder: Consistently use the chosen style manual
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Definition of terms
- Identify and define terms that readers need to understand a proposal
- Define terms introduced in all sections of the research plan:
Title of the study
Problem statement
Purpose statement
Research questions, hypotheses, or objectives
Literature review
Theory base of the study
Methods section
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Definition of terms
- Qualitative studies
Inductive and evolutionary in nature
The definition of terms may appear later in the written report, perhaps in the data analysis
- Quantitative studies
Deductive with a fixed set of objectives
All relevant terms are comprehensively defined earlier in the study
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Definition of terms
- Mixed methods studies
Follows the use of quantitative or qualitative approach
Clarify terms related to mixed methods
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Definition of terms
- Define terms when they first appear in the manuscript
- Use specific operational definitions
- Do not define terms using everyday language, be guided by the literature
- Define terms so that they accomplish different goals
- One may use a definition of terms section in the manuscript
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
A quantitative or mixed methods literature review:
- Introduce the review with a statement about the organization of the sections
- Review literature about the independent variables
- Review literature about the dependent variables
- Review literature that relates the independent variables to the dependent variables
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
A quantitative or mixed methods literature review:
- Provide a summary
Highlight important studies
Capture major themes
Suggest why more research is needed
Advance how the proposed study will fill this need
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
The Literature Review
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
Summary
- Identify your topic through a brief title or central research question
- Use the literature to
Present similar studies
Relate the study to the literature
Provide a framework for comparison
- Different purpose depending on approach
- Search databases using key terms
*
Creswell, Research Design 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Creswell, Research Design 5e SAGE Publishing, 2018
In qualitative research, inquirers use the literature in a manner consistent with the assumptions of learning from the participant, not prescribing the questions that need to be answered from the researcher’s standpoint. One of the chief reasons for conducting a qualitative study is that the study is exploratory. This usually means that not much has been written about the topic or the population being studied, and the researcher seeks to listen to participants and build an understanding based on what is heard.
The use of literature in qualitative research varies considerably. In one example, literature on a cultural concept or a critical theory can be introduced early as an orienting framework for ethnographies.
*
