Research Methods

ENGL 1010

What is Research?
Research is a systematic way of asking questions, a systematic
method of inquiry (Drew, Hardman, and Hart, 1996).
Research is a systematic attempt to provide answers to questions
(Tuckman, 1999).
The main goal of research is the gathering and interpreting of
information to provide answers to questions (Tuckman, 1999).

The Scientific Method

Systematic; cyclic; series of logical steps.

Identifying the problem.

Formulating a hypothesis.
Developing a research plan.
Collecting and analyzing data.
Interpreting results and forming conclusions.

What steps have you completed for your semester project?

Identifying the Problem

This is a crucial step in the research process and Scientific Method.
There are three categories when selecting a research problem
Those who know PRECISELY what they want to do and have a well conceived
problem.
Those who have many INTEREST AREAS and are having difficulty deciding
exactly what they want to study.
Those who DO NOT have any idea about a worthwhile research problem.

Where are you on this list? Are you happy with your chosen topic?

Developing a Hypothesis
Hypothesis
A belief or prediction of the eventual outcome of the research.
A concrete, specific statement about the relationships between
phenomena.
Based on deductive reasoning (logic).

Have you created a hypothesis about the results of your research

and your essay? Have you come up with a solution to the problem?

Developing a Research Plan

A strategy must be developed for gathering and analyzing
information that is required to test the hypotheses or answer the
research question.
Four parts

Selection of a relevant research method.

Identification of participants (if applicable).
Description of the data-gathering procedures.
Specification of the data analysis techniques

Characteristics of Research
Objective not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice;
based on facts; unbiased.
Precise definitely or strictly stated, defined, or fixed.
Verifiable to prove the truth of, as by evidence or testimony; confirm;
substantiate.
Parsimonious extreme or excessive economy or frugality; stinginess.
Empirical derived from or guided by experience or experiment.
Logical reasonable; to be expectedthe science that investigates the principles
governing correct or reliable inference.
Probability the quality or fact of being probable.

Levels of Research
Primary
factual, firsthand accounts of the study written by a person who was part of the study.
Novels, plays, poems, diaries, autobiographies, memoirs, speeches, data sets, technical reports, patents,
government documents, etc.

Secondary
an analysis and interpretation of primary research. The method of writing secondary research is to
collect primary research that is relevant to a writing topic and interpret what the primary research
found.
Biographies, review articles, literature reviews, historical studies, scholarly articles with NO new
experimental research results.

Tertiary
provide overviews of topics by synthesizing information gathered from other resources.
Encyclopedias, chronologies, almanacs, textbooks, etc.

Research Tools
Online Library

Database Search Engines

Online Scholarly Articles
Newspaper/Magazine Articles
Books
Videos, Documentaries, etc.

Dory Cochran, USU Librarian for our course

Interviews, Online Surveys, etc.
Computer, software
Statistics, etc.

Proposals
Research Proposals
is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile project and that you
have the competence and thw work-plan to complete itshould include all key
elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for
the readers to evaluate the proposed study.
Title, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion

Paper Proposals
are the first step to get clearance from the instructor that the topic you have
chosen will meet the requirements for the course.
Subject, major, why this topic, thesis, audience, graphs/charts, documentation style,
sources, tentative list of references

Next time
Specifics on the Paper Proposal.
Be sure to have your topic, thesis, and some research with you.