Writing a proposal

What is research? Basic research process Formulating research questions Good research questions Characteristics of good research Proposal outline Discussion

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

What is research?
an ORGANISED and SYSTEMATIC way of FINDING ANSWERS to QUESTIONS. - Organised: there is a structure or method Organised: in going about doing research. It is a planned procedure, not a spontaneous one. It is focused and limited to a specific scope. - Systematic: definite set of procedures Systematic: and steps which you will follow. There are certain things in the research process which are always done in order to get the most accurate results.Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

What is research?
- Finding Answers: the end of all research. Answers: Whether it is the answer to a hypothesis or even a simple question, research is successful when we find answers. Sometimes the answer is no, but it is still an answer. - Questions: central to research. If there is Questions: no question, then the answer is of no use. Research is focused on relevant, useful, and important questions. Without a question, research has no focus, drive, or Victoria University of WellingonWellingonpurpose.
New Zealand

Basic research process

- Ask a question - Form a hypothesis - Look for evidence to test the hypothesis - Evaluate hypothesis

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Formulating research questions

Phase 1: General question
Everyday experience (e.g., diaries) Research in other fields (e.g., education, literacy, anthropology, psychology) Overall, most questions come from observation and curiosity

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Formulating research questions

Phase two: moving from a general question to a focused question.
This is done based on: Previous literature Importance Feasibility Approach

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Good research questions

1. Are interesting to the researcher 2. Promise to yield new information or confirm old information in new ways 3. Have defined scope 4. Have a definable terms

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Good research questions

Theoretical definitionsabstract theoretical definitions constructs that we may understand but cannot define precisely (e.g., bilingualconsider: how bilingual many ways is the term 'bilingual' used?) Operational definitionsprecise definitions of definitions how you will use the term in your research (e.g., For this research, 'bilingual' = Children who completed years 1-5 in French immersion schools 1in Toronto) Toronto)

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Characteristics of Good Research

Interest - Timelybased on current ideas or Timely theories, not outdated Personalresearcher has personal Personal interest in it Payoffwhat is the benefit of the Payoff research researchwhy is it important that we know?

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Characteristics of Good Research

Originality
A new question A new context A more complete view of data (e.g., data from new sources) A new analysis of old data (looking at it from a new perspective) Even replication = establish generalizability

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

10

Characteristics of Good Research

Specificity
Precise description (and delineation) of what youre studying

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

11

Characteristics of Good Research

Dissemination
While presenting or publishing is often seen as the last step in research, it is also part of the process. Putting research in public forums allows for critique and questioning, bringing in other perspectives

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

12

Characteristics of Good Research

Sensitivity E.g., discriminatory power of tests E.g., appropriateness of data elicitation techniques E.g., insider, participant information and perspectives

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

13

Characteristics of Good Research

Objectivity
Focus is on research/data, not on researchers ideas, personality, etc. Avoiding experimenter biase.g., bias biasing participants due to researcher or teacher preferences

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

14

Characteristics of Good Research

Validity
Internal Validity/Credibility: how closely do the data reflect reality? how closely does the interpretation reflect reality? External Validity/Generalizability: Are the results true for the population, or due to particular characteristics of the articipants/setting?

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

15

Characteristics of Good Research

Reliability/Dependability
How confident are you in your measurements How dependable are the data

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

16

Characteristics of Good Research

Falsifiability
There needs to be a way to show that the

theory is wrong. If something cannot be disproved, it cant be proved either Hypotheses (and conclusions) should not be circular Hypotheses must be stated precisely enough that evidence can be gathered for or against them
Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand 17

Characteristics of Good Research

Replicability Is it clearly reported enough that you could do the same thing? If you do the same study, will you get the same answers?

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

18

Characteristics of Good Research

Generalizability
What does the research tell us about the larger phenomenon How local is the applicability ?

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

19

Characteristics of Good Research

Utility Can the findings be used? Are they relevant to a real-world context? real Applications are rarely directits direct important to note the tentative relationship between most research and real-world contexts real-

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

20

Characteristics of Good Research

Ethics
Ethical approval from an independent body
Participants protected (e.g., confidentiality respected) Data is the property of the participants (they can back out at any time) Participants freely consent to participate and to uses of data Researchers are realistic/responsible in the interpretation/application of their findings
Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand 21

Pure and Applied Research

Pure: Research just to understand Applied: Research to do something Application of research results to SL teaching Applying research processes Body of knowledge/theory-building on knowledge/theoryapplied matters

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

22

Descriptive and Experimental

Descriptive
Concerned with documenting how things occur in the real world

Experimental
Concerned with findings relationships among variables

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

23

Quantitative Research
Description by numbers Measurement of traits, skills Counting of phenomena Multiple measurements allow for description of the population

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

24

Quantitative Research
Significance in terms of probability
Significance = likelihood that it could have been produced by chance Statistical testing allows us to determine this likelihood over a population Remember, significant is not the same as meaningful meaningfulresearch is only meaningful when the questions are of interest and the study is well-designed wellVictoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand 25

Quantitative Research
Use of experimental/quasiexperimental/quasiexperimental designs
Designs attempt to identify independent and dependent variables Designs control for confounding variables Independent variables are manipulated to determine whether they effect the dependent variables
Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand 26

Quantitative Research
Generalization from sample to population
No research studies an entire population but a sample drawn from that population Findings are generalized across the population But to what limits What factors might limit generalisability?

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

27

Quantitative Research
The search for a cause The point of quantitative research is to determine whether one variable causes change in another Usually, multiple factors combine to produce an effect Good quantitative research needs to account for that

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

28

Qualitative Research
Ethnography
Emic perspective: considers the rules, beliefs, meanings of participants themselves Holistic: seek to understand a phenomenon completelygather as much completely data as possible not abstractedconsider context abstracted Grounded: research decisions arise from the data

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

29

Qualitative Research
Participant research Researcher is a member of the community Researcher takes a role in the community

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

30

Qualitative Research
Local and non-local organisation nonWhat do actions mean to participants (local meaning) How do actions compare in other populations (non-local meaning) (non-

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

31

Qualitative Research
Plausible interpretations
Adequate amount of evidence for interpretations Variety of data types Disconfirming evidence should be sought Discrepant cases should be carefully analysed Data should be analysed without prejudice prejudicebecause qualitative analysis is interpretation, researchers should take care to form hypothesis that arise from the data, NOT seek to interpret -data in a Victoria University of Wellingon WellingonNew way that confirms their Zealand hypothesis

32

References
Books from other fields Research Journals

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

33

 Purpose: Why are you engaging in the research?

Topic: What are you going to investigate? Focus: What is the precise questions you are going to ask yourself within that area? Product: What is the likely outcome of the research as you intend it? Mode: How are you going to conduct the research? Timing: How long will it take you to complete the research? Resources: What are the resources both human and materials you can call upon to help you compete the research?
Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

Research statement/Short proposal

34

A statement of no more than three pages (500 (5001500 words) based on the following questions: Why do you want to do PhD research? What are you interested in? Why are you interested in it? In answering tell us what you already know about your area of interest, referring to any literature you think it appropriate. Find another topic of your interest and develop a similar statement . This helps find your supervisors moreUniversity of Wellingonquickly. Victoria WellingonNew Zealand

VUW Research statement

35

Sample Research Proposals (VUW standard)

Sample research proposal1 Sample research proposal 2

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

36

Questions?

Victoria University of WellingonWellingonNew Zealand

37