The Research Process

1
The Research Process
2
Basic Literature Search Strategies

• Computer search
• Recent literature
• Work cited
• Secondary Sources source of data in research in
  which an author has evaluated and summarized
  previous research.
• If you are not well grounded in the topic, it may
  be helpful to locate secondary sources with which
  to become familiar with the topic at hand. This
  will help you understand primary sources.
• Primary Sources firsthand source of data in
  research the original study. empirical

3
Reviewing Primary Sources

• Why Focus on Empirical Research Reports?
• Primary sources
• Empirical research
• Research is systematic - when researches plan in
  advance whom to observe, for what characteristics
  to observe, how to observe, and so on.
• Another Kind of Primary Source Theoretical
  Articles
• a theory is a general explanation of why
  variables work together, how they are related to
  each other, and especially how they influence
  each other.
• Literature Review Articles

4
How to read research

• Become familiar with a few publications that
  contain pertinent research in your field.
• Read only studies that are of interest to you.
• Read it as a practitioner would.
• Read the abstract first.
• Do not be overly concerned about statistical
  significance.
• Be critical but objective.
• Most published studies are peer reviewed.
• Two or three qualified individuals read and judge
  the relevance of the problem, the validity and
  reliability of the procedures, the efficacy of
  the experimental design, and the appropriateness
  of the statistical analysis.

5
The research Process

• Write the problem statement
• Consult secondary sources
• Research Reviews
• The author has not only found relevant literature
  but also critically reviewed and synthesized it
  into an integrated summary of what is known about
  the area.
• Determine descriptors
• Key Words

6
The research Process

• Search preliminary sources
• Abstracts
• Indexes
• The library Information System
• Computer Searches
• Read and record the literature
• Statement of the problem (and maybe hypothesis)
• Characteristics of the participants
• Instruments and tests used (including reliability
  and validity information if provided)
• Testing procedures
• Independent and dependent variables
• Treatments applied to participants
• Design and statistical analyses
• Findings
• Questions raised for further study
• Citations to other relevant studies not located

7
The Writing Process

• Planning to write
• defining the topic
• Organizing Your Notes and Your Thoughts
• Drafting
• Write your first draft.
• Based on your audience written for instructor.
• Formal voice
• Make sure that your argument is clear, logical,
  and well-supported, and that your draft is free
  of errors.

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Guidelines on Style, Mechanics, Language Usage

• Compare your draft with your topic outline.
• Avoid overusing direct quotations, especially
  long ones.
• Check your style manual for correct use of
  citations.
• If you use the authors name in the narrative,
  simply give the year of publication in
  parentheses immediately following the name, as in
  Doe (2005) noted that
• When you cite multiple authors names in
  parentheses, use the ampersand () instead of the
  word and.
• Use semicolons to separate multiple citations in
  parentheses, as in this example (Black, 2004
  Brown, 2005 Green, 2005).
• Spell out all acronyms when you first use them,
  and avoid using too many.
• Avoid the use of contractions they are
  inappropriate in formal academic writing.
• Avoid slang expressions, colloquialisms, and
  idioms.
• Check your draft for common writing conventions.
• Make sure you have used complete sentences.
• Spell-check, proofread, and edit
• Number all pages

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avoid plagiarism

• Using anther writers words without proper
  citation
• Citing a source but reproducing the exact words
  of a printed source without quotation marks
• Borrowing the structure of another authors
  phrases or sentences without crediting the author
  from whom it came
• Borrowing all or part of another students paper
  or using someone elses outline to write your own
  paper
• Using a paper-writing service or having a friend
  write the paper for you.