RESEARCH SEMINAR

Course Description
Week 1. -Introduction to the course
- Research: definition, objectives, motivation, types of research
and significance
Week 2. Topic choice and title formulation
Week 3. Outlining and Research Proposal
Week 4. The research process 1
Week 5. The research process 2
Week 6. The research problem, objectives, research questions,
hypotheses, research variables and sampling 1
 Course Description
Week 7. The research problem, objectives, research questions,
hypotheses, research variables and sampling 2
Week 8. Research ethics and Documentation Styles (MLA & APA)
Week 9. Review of the literature and critical thinking
Week 10. Data collection instruments: quantitative and qualitative
Week 11. Data analysis: quantitative and qualitative data
Week 12. Discussion and mock exam
 REFRENCES
 Creswell , John W. 2014. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting
and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Pearson
Education Limited.

 Kothari, C.R. 2004. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques.

New Delhi : New Age International (P) Limited, Publishers
Link to Library Genesis

http://gen.lib.rus.ec/
 Research
 The word research is composed of two syllables: re and search.
 re is a prefix meaning again, anew or over again

 search is a verb meaning to examine closely and carefully, to test

and try, or to probe.

 Together they mean a systematic study and investigation in a field

of knowledge.
 Method

 Method stands for:

 Organization
 Way of doing things
 Procedure
 Logic
 Systematic work
 No space for disorder and chaos
What is research?
 Research

Research refers to search for knowledge. It is a scientific and

systematic search for information/data on a particular topic or
issue. It is also known as the art of scientific investigation and
analysis of data.
 Research

“Research is the process of making claims and then refining or

abandoning some of them for other strong claims […] Research
seeks to develop relevant true statements, ones that can serve to
explain the situation that is of concern or that describes the
causal relationships of interest” (Creswell, 2008, p. 8).
 Research

“According to Vogt (2007), “Research is the systematic

collection and/or study of evidence in order to answer a
question, solve problem, or create knowledge” (p. 5).
 Research
 It is a skill to move from the known to the unknown phenomena

 It is a way of thinking and examining critically the various aspects of

your professional work.

 It is a habit of questioning what you do, and a systematic examination

of the information/text to find answers for the research questions

 Research Paper
 A piece of academic writing that requires a thoughful and

critical level of inquiry.

 It should study and analyze a problem from a perspective.

 It is based on "already published materials"

 It is a unique interpretation of evidences located outside

yourself
 Research Methods Versus Methodology
 Research methods include all those techniques and tools that are
adopted for conducting research. Thus, research techniques or methods
are the methods that the researchers adopt for conducting the research
studies.

 Research methodology is the way in which research problems are

solved systematically. It is a science of studying how research is
conducted scientifically.
 Types of Research
Quantitative:

 Quantitative research relates to aspects that can be quantified or can be

expressed in terms of quantity.

 It involves the measurement of quantity or amount.

 Various statistical methods are adopted for analysis in such

research. (Known as structured approach)
 Types of Research
Qualitative:

 Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena, or more

specifically, the aspects related to or involving quality or kind. (Known
as unstructured approach)
 Objectives of Research
 The main objective of research is to find out the truth, which is hidden
and has not yet been discovered.

 To gain familiarity with new insights into a phenomenon

 To accurately portray the characteristics of a particular individual,

group, or a situation
 To analyse the frequency with which something occurs

 To examine the hypothesis

 Motivation to do Research
 Desire to get a degree

 Intellectual joy of doing research

 Respectability

 Serving society (awareness=action)

 Contributing to change, ….
 Significance of the Research Methodology

 The development of logical habits

 Critical thinking and organization

 Decision making

 Students who are to write a research project

 Job Market

 Profession in research
 Research is scientific

 Objective

 Ethical

 Made known for critical scrutiny

 Exhaustive

 Logic
Topic Formulation
 From Topic to Title
 Field of study

 Topic of research project

 Issue/ question

 Title of the monograph/ research paper

 Subtitle : Limits and explains the title

 Rationale = Reason behind your choice of the topic

 From Topic to Title

 Literature: Novel, short story, drama, …

 Linguistics: Applied linguistics, theoretical linguistics

 Media: Cinema, social networks, magazines, ….

 Others: Sociology, education, sport, ….

 From Topic to Title

 Field of Research: Media

 Topic: Cinema

 Issue: How Hollywood Represents Morocco

 Title: Representation of Morocco in Hollywood:

Subtitle: Gender and Space (2000-2023)

 Topic Formulation
The title to be provided for your paper should:
 Mirror your research objectives

 Answer the what, the who and the where questions

 It is important to use some expressions that can show

exactly what the purpose of the study is, who is
involved in the study and where the study is conducted:
 Topic Formulation

 A study of…

An investigation of …

A comparison between …

An analysis of…

 Topic Formulation

The use of …

The impact of …

The relationship between …

The representation of …
 Topic Formulation
 Attitudes towards …..

 Perceptions of ….

 A …………………… approach to

 ………………As a Case Study

 The Case of ………………………..

 With Special Reference to……

 Title Formulation: Samples
 An Investigation of the Exploitation of Under-Age
Maids: The Case of the City of Meknes

An Investigation of Sexual Harassment in Public

Transportation: The case of Females in the City of
Meknes
 Representation of Morocco in Hollywood
Cinema: Gender and Space (2000-2023)
 Title Formulation: Samples
A Study on Students’ Violence against Teachers
With Special Reference to High Schools in the
City of Meknes

Attitudes towards the Implementation of Sex

Education in Moroccan Schools: The Case of
Students, Parents and Teachers in the City of ….
 Title Formulation: Practice
 ICT in Moroccan Education System

 Students’ participation in class

 Classroom management

 Fear and pleasure in Horror Movies

 Online Eductation
 Title Formulation: Practice

 Formulate a title for the research you want to

work on this year
Research Proposal
 Research Proposal

•A research proposal is a concise and coherent

summary of your proposed research.
 Merits of the proposal
1. A good research requires a good proposal

2. A high quality proposal :

a. promises success for the project

b. impresses your supervisors

c. proves your potential as a promising researcher

 Merits of the proposal
3. Convinces your reader with the strengths of your
project by addressing:

a. What you plan to accomplish,

b. Why you want to do it and

c. How you are going to do it

 The Rationale
1. Present the reason behind your choice of the topic.
a. Personal/ national drives, …
b. Academic drives
2. Signify why it is worth doing
3. Place your argument in a very focused and current research
area.
4. Try to work on issues that relate to the spirit of the age,
bringing out its significance.
5. Include what your research can add to the field of study in
your home town, university…
 Elements of the Proposal
1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Introduction (research background)
4. Purpose of the Study/ Statement of the problem
5. Significance/contribution to the field
6. Research Questions
7. Review of the Literature
8. Theoretical Framework & Conceptual Framework
9. Research Methods
 Elements of the Proposal
9.1. Sampling
9.2. Instrumentation
9.3. Data Collection
9.4. Data Analysis
10. Research Plan and Timeline
11. Tentative Outline
12. Conclusion
13. Works Cited/ References
 Elements of the Proposal
• Title
• Title should be concise, informative and a catchy one

• Abstract
• An abstract is a 150- to 250-word paragraph that provides
readers with a quick overview of your research.
• It should express your thesis and your methodology;

• It should also suggest applications of your research

 Elements of the Proposal
• Introduction (research background)
• This section sets the scene for readers who know nothing about
your research.

• Purpose of the Study

• This section states, in about a paragraph, what you expect to
achieve by doing this research
 Elements of the Proposal
• Significance/contribution to the field
• This section states why it is important to do this
research.

• Research Questions
• Questions that the research is designed to answer.
 Elements of the Proposal
• Review of the Literature

• The first phase of the literature review should be brief,

but give the reader enough information to understand the
context of the proposed research.

• It may include references to previous findings and

specific studies similar to the current study, and to
relevant methodology.
 Elements of the Proposal
• Agood Review of the Literature

1. includes all literature that is relevant to justifying the

proposed research;

2. does not include literature that is irrelevant to justifying the

proposed research;

3. supports the proposed research;

4. avoids speculation and unsubstantiated statements;
 Elements of the Proposal
• A good Review of the Literature
5. is critical (a critical review does not merely accept previous
authors’ conclusions, but weighs them carefully, examining
them on the basis of the weaknesses and strengths in the
methodologies of the studies being reviewed);
6. is organised under subheadings;
7. forms a connected argument; and
8. has a summary at the end.
 Elements of the Proposal
• Theoretical Framework
• The theoretical framework identifies theoretical and
philosophical assumptions

• The theoretical framework is often summarised as a flow-chart

diagram, which shows relationships between theories, concepts
and variables of the study.
 Elements of the Proposal
• Research Method
• Will you use qualitative and/or quantitative methods?

• If you will use quantitative methods, which technique/s will

you use - survey or questionnaire, etc?

• If you are intending to use a qualitative method, which

technique/s will you use - structured interview, interview,
open-ended interview, participant observation, etc?)
 Elements of the Proposal
• Sampling
• This should provide a rationale for your sampling

• Instrumentation
• this should include any instruments that you will need for the
research, questionnaires or interview schedules.

• Information regarding the reliability and validity of

instruments to be used in the research should also be included
in this section.
 Elements of the Proposal
• Data Collection
• This section describes, step by step, how you will collect the
data.
• Data Analysis
• This section describes how you will use the data you collect.

• It is often useful to organise this section according to the

research questions, explaining how you will analyse the data to
answer each research question.
 Elements of the Proposal
• Research Plan and Timeline (Optional)
• This should include a weekly timeline for the practical work
you intend to do to finish your research in due time

• Tentative Outline
• Here you should provide a working draft of the outline of your
research
• Conclusion
• Works Cited/References
Outlining
 Decimal Outline
1. ……………………………
1.1. …………………………
1.2. ……………………………
1.2.1 …………………………
1.2.2. ………………………
2. …………………………
2.1. ……………………………
2.1.1. ………………………
2.1.2 ………………………
2.3.1. …………………….
2.3.2. …………………….
2.2. ……………………………
 Alphanumeric Outline
I. …………………………………………………………………
A.…………………………………………………
1. ………………………………
a. ……………………………
b. ……………………………
2. …………………………………
a. ……………………………
b. ……………………………
B.………………………………………
1. …………………………………
2. …………………………………
a. ………………………………
b…………………………………
 Sentence Outline
I. The environment attracts birds.
A. Planting the right vegetation attracts birds.
1. Windbreaks provide birds protection.
2. Living fences provide birds nesting and roosting sites.
3. Shrub buffers provide birds protection.
a. ……………………..
b. …………………….
B. Developing water sources attracts birds.
1. Farm ponds provide birds with water and food.
2. Grass waterways attract birds of different varieties.
 Topic Outline
I. Environment
A. Vegetation
1. Windbreaks
2. Living fences
3. Shrub buffers
B. Water
1. Farm ponds
2. Grass waterways
 Outline Sample
I. Colonialism in The Tempest
A. Caliban’s enslavement
1. Ruler of the island
2. Prospero’s arrival
a. Kind treatment at first
b. Imprisonment
B. Historical connections
II. Resistance in the Tempest
 Your outline should include the following:
 Introduction

 I. Literature review

 II. Methodology

 III. Analysis

 IV. Discussion

 Conclusion and Implications

 Introduction
 Research general background

 Motivation (Why this work is important)

 Research hypothesis or Thesis Statement

 Objectives (Goals of this paper)

 Research questions

 Organizational overview of paper = Research blueprint

 Literature Review
A. Heading for topic area 1
B. Heading for topic area 2
C. Heading for topic area 3
D. Heading for topic area 4
 You should review major findings of previous research on
your topic
 Methodology
 A. Research hypothesis
 B. Resrach objectives
 C. Research questions
 D. Research variables
 E. Sample population
 F. Research approaches
 G. Data collection procedures
 H. Limitations
 Analysis: (What was found)

 A. Results/Discussion topic area 1

 B. Results/Discussion topic area 2

 C. Results/Discussion topic area 3

 Conclusion & Implications

 Summary of objectives and approach of this paper

 Major findings of this paper

 Important implications of this paper's findings

 Needed future work in the field

 References (APA)/ Works Cited (MLA)

 Appendices
 Sample Outline on
Attitudes towards Sex Education in
Morocco
 Introduction
Background
Motivation
Research problem
Research hypothesis or Thesis Statement
Objectives
Research questions
Research blueprint
 I. Review of the Literature

1. Definition of sex education

2. Importance of sex education
3. Attitudes towards sex education
4. Sex education worldwide
5. Sex education in Morocco
 II. Methodology
1. Research hypothesis and research objectives
2. Research questions
3. Research variables
4. Population Sample
5. Research approaches
6. Data collection procedures
7. Limitations
 III. Analysis
1. Educators, students and parents’ attitudes towards
implementing sexual education

2. The motives behind the positive attitudes towards sexual

education

3. The motives behind the negative attitudes towards sexual

education

4. The extent to which sexual education can be implemented

5. How sexual education can be implemented

 Topic: Attitudes towards Sex Education
Conclusion & Implications

References / Works Cited

Appendices
 Paper Outline: Practice

 Choose one of the previous topics and

develop a tentative outline for your
research
How To Write An Introduction
 How To Write An Introduction
1. Craft an enticing and engaging opening section

2. Provide a background and context to the study

3. Clearly define the research problem

4. State your research aims, objectives and questions

5. Overview of your Methodology

5. Explain the significance of your study

6. Identify the limitations of your research

7. Outline the structure of your research paper

 Craft an enticing opening section
 It is an opening paragraph of the whole introduction

 This section needs to provide a high-level overview of your

research paper.

 Typically, you’ll include the following:

 A sentence or two introducing the field of your research

 A sentence introducing your specific research problem

 Craft an enticing opening section

 A sentence stating your research aims and objectives

 A sentence outlining the layout of the introduction

 This section needs to be concise (it’s just an opener), so keep

it short and sweet.
 Background and Context to the study
 You should provide a broad overview of the topic area that you’ll be
researching, as well as the current contextual factors.

 In this section, you should provide the relevant background

information to give the reader a foundational understanding of
your research area.

 This section could, for example, present a brief history of the topic,
recent developments in the area, key pieces of research in the area,
etc.

 Use some key studies to review the literature on the topic

 Background and Context to the study

 Importantly, you cannot assume that your reader is an expert

in your topic area, so it’s important to write this background
section in a very accessible and digestible way

 If there are any specific concepts, complex terminology, or

other words specific to your research, this is the section where
you should explain them so that the reader can understand the
rest of your document.
 Statement of The Research Problem
 After introducing the research topic in the background section, it’s

time to narrow the focus and highlight the specific research problem
you’ll focus on in your paper.

 To present your research problem, you’ll need to make it clear what

exactly is missing in the current literature and why this is a

problem.

 You can split this section up into two sections:

 Statement of The Research Problem
 Section 1 - State the problem

 Start with what’s already well-established in the literature

 Then, state what’s missing in the literature (the research gap).

 So, pay close attention to what’s missing in the literature,

especially the areas marked as “needing further research” in

current journal articles.
 Statement of The Research Problem
 Section 2 - Justify the problem

 You’ll need to explain why this is a problem.

 You’ll need to answer the question: “why does this research

gap need to be filled?”.

 Once you’ve clearly justified the research problem, you can

proceed to present a convincing argument for your specific

research project.
 4. Research Aims, Objectives and Questions

 This is where you will present the “golden thread” of your

research study, which is made up of your research aim(s),

research objective(s), and research question(s).

 These three dimensions will determine the focus and your

study.
 4. Research Aims
 The research aim is the main goal or the purpose of your study.

 It’s a high-level statement of what you’re seeking to achieve.

 Research aims will typically look something like this:

 This research aims to…/The aim of this study…/This study planned to

 Example: This research aims to assess the effects of Virgin Atlantic

organizational culture on business profitability

 4. Research Objectives
 As opposed to the research aims, the research objectives (RO) are a
bit more practically oriented, looking at specific things you’ll be
doing to achieve your research aim(s).

 They break down the research aims into more specific, actionable
tasks.

 ROs describe the actions you’ll take and the specific things you’ll
investigate to achieve your research aims.

 Your research objectives need to be SMART (i.e. Specific,

Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound).
 4. Research Objectives
 Example of a set of research objectives:
 Analyzing the nature of organizational culture at Virgin Atlantic by
September 1, 2022
 Identifying factors impacting Virgin Atlantic organizational culture
by September 16, 2022
 Analyzing impacts of Virgin Atlantic organizational culture on
employee performances by September 30, 2022

 Providing recommendations to Virgin Atlantic strategic level

management in terms of increasing the level of effectiveness of
organizational culture by October 5, 2022
 4. Research Questions

 These questions will act as the driving force throughout your

research– from the literature review to the methodology and

onward.

 The research questions directly relate to the research objectives.

 They translate the research objectives into answerable questions.

 4. Research Questions

 What is the nature of the organizational culture at Virgin Atlantic?

 Which factors may contribute to the organizational culture?

 What is the relationship between the organizational culture and

employee performance?
 Research Methodology
 Provide an overview of your research methodology:

 Briefly describe the process of your research methodology that

you plan to use to carry out your study.

 The Significance of the Study
 You should make a strong argument on your study’s importance and

significance.
 Now that you’ve covered the what, it’s time to cover the why

 Now is your chance to clearly state how your study will benefit either

industry, academia, or – ideally – both.

 In other words, you need to explain how your research will make a

difference and what implications it will have.

 The Significance of the Study
 This section doesn’t need to be lengthy, but it does need to be

convincing. You need to “sell” the value of your research here

 Sample: “This study will contribute to the body of knowledge on skills

development by incorporating skills development strategies and

approaches for industries in which knowledge and skills are rapidly
and constantly changing. This will help address the current shortage of
research in this area and provide real-world value to organisations
operating in such dynamic environments.”
 The Limitations of Your Research
 No piece of research is perfect.
 Generally, you’ll want to consider at least the following four common
limitations. These are:

 Your scope – for example, perhaps your focus is very narrow and
doesn’t consider how certain variables interact with each other.

 Your research methodology – for example, a qualitative methodology

could be criticised for being overly subjective, or a quantitative
methodology could be criticised for oversimplifying the situation (learn
more about methodologies here).
 The Limitations of Your Research
 Your resources – for example, a lack of time, money, equipment and
your own research experience.

 The generalisability of your findings – for example, the findings from

the study of a specific industry or country can’t necessarily be
generalised to other industries or countries.

 Don’t be shy here. There’s no use trying to hide the limitations or

weaknesses of your research.
 The Limitations of Your Research
 Your resources – for example, a lack of time, money, equipment and
your own research experience.

 The generalisability of your findings – for example, the findings from

the study of a specific industry or country can’t necessarily be
generalised to other industries or countries.

 Don’t be shy here. There’s no use trying to hide the limitations or

weaknesses of your research.
 Structure of the Paper
 The purpose of this section is simply to provide your reader
with a roadmap of the structure of your research paper.
 You provide a summary of each chapter’s purpose and
contents

 It’s purely an outline, not a description of your research, so a

sentence or two explaining what you’ll do in each chapter is
generally enough to help the reader become situated.

 Remember, you only need to describe what you’ll do, not

what you found.
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
 THE RESEARCH PROCESS
 The research process is similar to undertaking a journey.

 What you want to find out about ( what answers for which questions)

 How to go about finding the answers

 To find answers to your R. questions, there are practical steps:

 1.Formulating the Research Problem
 The formulation of a general topic into a specific research
problem constitutes the first step in a scientific enquiry.

 To get some knowledge about the the problem, the researcher

should examine the available literature written on the selected
problem.

 Conceptual literature concerning the concepts and theories

 Empirical literature consisting of studies made earlier which

are similar to the one proposed.
 2. Extensive Literature Survey
 Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary should be
written down.
 The researcher should undertake extensive literature survey
connected with the problem.
 One can rely on Academic journals, published or unpublished
bibliographies, conference proceedings, reports, books etc.,

 The earlier studies, if any, which are similar to the study in hand
should be carefully studied.
 3. Development of working hypotheses
 Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to
draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences.
 Hypothesis should be very specific and limited to the piece of
research in hand because it has to be tested.

 The role of the hypothesis is to guide the researcher and to

keep him on the right track.

 It also indicates the type of data required and the type of

methods of data analysis to be used.
 3. Development of Research Questions
 A research question is a specific inquiry which the research
seeks to answer.
 It helps you to clearly define a path for the research process.

 It focuses on the research, determines the methodology and

hypothesis,
 It guides all stages of inquiry, analysis, and reporting.

 With the right research questions, you will be able to gather

useful information for your investigation.
 4. Research Design
 A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection
and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance
to the research purpose with economy in effort, time and money.

 It constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and

analysis of data.

 The design includes an outline of what the researcher will do

from writing the hypothesis/research questions to the final
analysis of data.
 Research Design
 What is the study about? Why is the study being made?

 Where will the study be carried out?

 What type of data is required? Where can the data be found?

 What periods of time will the study include?

 What techniques of data collection will be used?

 How will the data be analysed?

 In what style will the report be prepared?

 5. Sample Design
 A sample design is a plan for obtaining a sample from a given
population.

 A sample design helps to decide the number of items to be

included in the sample, i.e., the size of the sample.

 The sample design should be determined prior to data

collection.
 6. Data Collection
 Data can be collected by many procedures:

 Observation

 Interview

 Questionnaires

 Archives, Books, Films, ….

 7. Execution of the Project

 After planning the major steps, the researcher should see

that the project is executed in a systematic manner and in

time.
 8. Data Analysis
 After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the
task of classifying and analyzing them.

 Coding process is done at this stage

 Editing improves the quality of the data for coding.

 After coding, the stage is ready for tabulation and themes.

 Tabulation is a part of the technical procedure wherein the

classified data are put in the form of tables.
 9. Hypothesis-testing
 After analyzing the data as stated above, the researcher is in a

position to test the hypotheses

 Do the facts support the hypotheses or they happen to be

contrary?

 Answering the research questions

 10. Generalizations and interpretation
 If a hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, it may be
possible for the researcher to arrive at generalisation, i.e., to
build a theory.

 If the researcher had no hypothesis to start with, he might seek

to explain his findings on the basis of some theory. It is known
as interpretation.

 The process of interpretation may quite often trigger off new

questions which in turn may lead to further researches.
 11. Preparing the report or the thesis
 Finally, the researcher has to prepare the report/research paper

of what has been done to submit for review/evaluation.

 Determining the Research Problem
 Avoid over-consumed research problems

 A novice researcher has to avoid any vague or controversial

research,
 Familiarity of the research is important,

 If the field of inquiry is quite new, the preliminary study is

preferable.
 3. Types of Research Questions
 Qualitative Research Questions
 The aim of qualitative research questions is to gather non-
statistical information pertaining to the experiences,
observations, and perceptions of the research subjects

 Open-ended Questions

 What …..?
 Why……?
 How……?
 Quantitative Research Questions
 Quantitative research questions are used to gather quantifiable
data. Questions are more specific and direct because they aim at
collecting information that can be measured; that is, statistical
information.
 Close-ended Questions
 Did you enjoy this event?
 Yes
 No

 How likely are you to cheat in exams?

 Very Likely,
 Unlikely, …
 Research Problem
 A research problem, in general, refers to some difficulty
which a researcher experiences in the context of either a
theoretical or practical situation and wants to find a
solution for it.

 “A research problem refers to an unanswered question

that a researcher might encounter in the context of either a
theoretical or practical situation, which he/she would like
to answer or find a solution to.”
 Research Problem
 Understanding the problem thoroughly,

 Rephrasing the problem into meaningful terms.

 The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with

one’s own colleagues or with those having some expertise in the
matter.
 Ways to Identify a Research Problem
 Observation

 Preliminary readings

 Pilot studies

 Discussions with experts and guides, …

 Characteristics of the Research Problem
 There must be an individual (or a group or an organization)

 There must be an environment

 At least two reasons, courses of action, factors…etc

 At least two possible outcomes of the course of action

 There must be at least two objectives

 Defining The Research Problem
 The broad area of research:

 Child Labor

 The subarea of interest:

 Why are little girls exploited as maids?

 Defining The Research Problem
 An individual/ group or organization (Sample of the problem)
 Girls under 15 years old

 The environment to which the difficulty pertains

 Morocco, Meknes, …

 Courses of action, reasons, explanations, factors, …..

 Poverty, parents’ ignorance, lack of awareness about rights,
parents’ exploitation, lack of implementation of laws, lack of
effective legislative laws, …
 Defining The Research Problem
 At least two possible outcomes of the course of action
 Physical, psychological and sexual abuse, violation of the
child’s rights: childhood and education, poor social skills,
increased ignorance and illiteracy rates

 The objectives of the study

 The study aims to investigate the factors behind the
exploitation of little maids in the city of Meknes. It also
attempts to determine the social, physical and psychological
impacts of this exploitation on the little girls employed.
 1. The broad area of research: Cheating in exams
 The subarea of interest: ……………………..………………..

 An individual/ group or organization

 …………………………………………………………………………………..……

 The environment to which the difficulty pertains

 …………………………………………………………………………………………

 Courses of action, reasons, explanations, factors, …..

 ………………………………………………………………………….…………………

 At least two possible outcomes of the course of action

 ……………………………………………………………………..………………………

 The objectives of the study

 ………………………………………………..………………………………………
 1. The broad area of research: Women in Cinema
 The subarea of interest: ……………………..…………………..………..

 An individual/ group or organization

 …………………………………………………………………………………..……

 The environment to which the difficulty pertains

 …………………………………………………………………………………………

 Courses of action, reasons, explanations, factors, …..

 ………………………………………………………………………….…………………

 At least two possible outcomes of the course of action

 ……………………………………………………………………..………………………

 The objectives of the study

 ………………………………………………..………………………………………………………
1. The broad area of research: Sexual harassment
 The subarea of interest: ………………………..
 An individual/ group or organization
 …………………………………………………………………………………..……

 The environment to which the difficulty pertains

 …………………………………………………………………………………………

 Courses of action, reasons, explanations, factors, …..

 ………………………………………………………………………….…………………

 At least two possible outcomes of the course of action

 ……………………………………………………………………..………………………

 The objectives of the study

 ………………………………………………..………………………………………
Thesis Statement
&
Hypothesis
 Thesis Statement
 The thesis statement is the most important sentence in

your paper.
 If someone should ask you, “What does your paper

say?”, your answer would be your thesis statement.

 Everything you write will support this statement.
 A good thesis statement usually includes
 Answer to the problem/ research question.

 Ask yourself the question and then answer it with your thesis

 Is it truly an answer? (if not, change the question or the

answer!)

 Main idea of the paper.

The entire paper is based on thesis statement.
 Thesis Statement
 A good thesis statement:

 is a well focused and specific sentence – it covers exactly

the topic you want to talk about, no more and no less

 It answers the what? and why? questions.

 To be specific, you can address How, Where, When …

 Thesis Statement
 A good thesis statement:

 appears in the paper’s introduction (in bold type)

 lets the reader know what to expect

 helps to organize and develop the content of the paper

 is written in the form of a statement

 Thesis Statement
 A good thesis statement:
 has no antecedents outside the sentence (the word to which a
pronoun refers.)
 Example:
 Instead of: It is the greatest of the British invasion albums.

 Write: The Beatles Abbey Road is the greatest of the British

invasion albums.
 Thesis Statement
 Instead of: It is the greatest of the British invasion albums…..

 Write: The Beatles Abbey Road is the greatest of the British

invasion albums because …..

 In this study, it is argued that The Beatles Abbey Road is the

greatest of the British invasion albums because ……

 This study argues that The Beatles Abbey Road is the greatest of
the British invasion albums because …..
 Thesis Statement
 Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test?

 If a reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you need

to clarify, to establish a relationship, or to connect to a
larger issue.

 Shakespear is a famous English writer.

 Thesis Statement
 Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?

 If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your

thesis may be too open-ended and may lack guidance for
the reader.

 See what you can add to give the reader a better view on
your position right from the beginning.
 Thesis Statement Samples
 Crime must be stopped.
 Weak because it is a general statement. What crime? Where?...

 The court needs to implement stronger sentences.

 Weak because it lacks specifics; What type of sentences?

 Charles Dickens is a good author.

 Weak because it is obvious; This is a widely accepted opinion.
What about his style that makes him a good author?
 Thesis Statement Samples
 History is an important subject.
 Weak because it is too general; Why is history an important
subject? What kind of history?

 Charles Dickens uses the setting of his novels to emphasize the

theme of class division.
 Strong because it provides a specific aspect of Dickens’ work to
discuss
 Thesis Statement Samples
 Socialism is the best form of government for Kenya because it
will promote equal opportunity for workers.
 Strong because it states specifically why socialism is best for
Kenya

 This study argues that Sigmund Freud is one of the greatest

psychologists in medical history.
 Weak; Why is he one of the greatest psychologists in medical
history? This is too general and could discuss almost anything.
 The Research Hypothesis
 The research hypothesis:

 Is built around a more general research problem.

 There should be a well founded rational for all the proposed

hypotheses
 Why did you make these predictions?

 Why are they important?

 Why did you choose the ones you did over others
 The Research Hypothesis
 The research hypothesis:

 Is a translation of the research problem into specific, concrete,

and achievable goals.

 Is an empirically-testable statement about a relationship

involving two or more variables.

 Is a brief statement with prospective outcomes.

 The Research Hypothesis
 Specifies accurately researcher’s assumptions about expected
results as achieved through proposed research design.

 is a tentative answer to a research problem expressed in form of

a clearly stated relation between independent (cause) and
dependent (effect) variables.

 Helps deriving the research questions

 Types of Research Hypothesis
 The null hypothesis: no relationship/difference
between two variables

 Example:
 It is assumed that there will be no difference in Toelf
scores between men and women.
 Types of Research Hypothesis
 Non/Directional Hypothesis: it tests for differences or
relationships.
 Examples:
 It is assumed that girls are more helpful than boys
(states the direction of the difference or relationship)

 It is assumed that girls and boys are different in terms of

helpfulness
(does not predict the direction of the difference or relationship)
 RESEARCH VARIABLES
 VARIABLE: is any entity that can take different values

 A variable in research simply refers to a person, place, thing, or

phenomenon that you are trying to measure in some way.

 Attribute: is a specific value on a variable. For example:

 The variable gender has two attributes: males and females.

 The variable “agreement” might be defined as having four

attributes: Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly disagree
 TYPES OF RESEARCH VARIABLES
 DEPENDENT: A dependent variable relies on and can be
changed by other components.

 A grade on an exam is an example of a dependent variable

because it depends on factors such as how much sleep you got

and how long you studied…
 TYPES OF RESEARCH VARIABLES
 INDEPENDENT: An independent variable is a singular
characteristic that the other variables in your experiment cannot
change.

 Age is an example of an independent variable. Where someone

lives, what they eat or how much they exercise are not going to
change their age…
TYPES OF RESEARCH VARIABLES
 TYPES OF RESEARCH VARIABLES
 Independent variables can influence dependent variables,
but dependent variables cannot influence independent
variables.

 For example, the time you spent studying (dependent) can

affect the grade on your test (independent), but the grade on
your test does not affect the time you spent studying.

 EXTRANEOUS: are factors that affect the dependent variable

but the researcher may not originally consider when designing
the experiment.
 THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP

 CAUSAL RESEARCH: Is used to determine the cause and

effect relationship between two variables.

 CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH: studies the relationship

between two variables with the help of statistical analysis.
 THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP

 Causation means one thing causes another—in other words,

action A causes outcome B.

 Correlation is simply a relationship where action A relates to

action B—but one event doesn't necessarily cause the other
event to happen
THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP
 THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP
PATTERNS OF RELATIONSHIPS

 POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP: high values on one variable

are associated with high values on the other and low values on
one are associated with low values on the other

 NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP: high values on one variable

are associated with low values on the other
 Research hypothesis- Issues
 Language issues; Inconsistency in tenses

 Research objective: no hypothesis/Long and too wordy

 No hypothesis at all; it is a research finding

 Hypothesis that is not logical

 Research hypothesis- Issues
 Language issues; Inconsistency in tenses

 Girls tend to code switch more than boys to show their

educational level, that they, too, were competent

 Research hypothesis- Issues
 Research objective: no hypothesis/Long and too wordy
This research paper investigates the factors behind cheating among
High scholars in Fez. It also describes the outcomes and the impact of
this issue on both students and the educational system. Students’ resort
to cheating is basically attributive to their low morals; they prefer to
obtain good grades rather than knowledge. Second, they find it
_sometimes along with teacher_ rightful to resort to cheating given to
the large amount of course material crammed in the curriculum.
Consequently, Students normalize this habit as it pays off every scholar
year and thus they become lacking in the basic knowledge and skills.
 Research Hypothesis- Issues
 No hypothesis at all; it is a research finding

 According to the higher education experts, females are more

academically successful in language mastery than males.

 Research Hypothesis- Issues
 Hypothesis that is not logical

 It is hypothesized that History department students are less

likely to use internet effectively than English department
students because they don’t have enough knowledge in
technology
 Research Hypothesis- Samples
 The issue of little maids’ exploitation Research hypothesis

 Causal: In this study, it is claimed that ignorance, lack of

effective legislative laws and poverty are more likely to be
the reasons behind the increasing rates of under-age girls
employment in Meknes.
 Research variables: the dependent variable is the
increasing rates of under-age girls employment; the
independent variables are lack of effective laws and poverty.
 Research Hypothesis- Samples
 The issue of little maids’ exploitation Research hypothesis

 Correlational: It is hypothesized that the more the

legislative laws are not implemented the more little girls
would be exploited as maids.

 Research variables: the dependent variable is the

exploitation of little maids; the independent variable is
the non-implementation of legislative laws.
 Practice: Issues in the Research Hypothesis

 According to a study on higher education, it is found

that females are more academically successful in

language mastery than males.
 ……………………………..
 Practice
 Develop a hypothesis/thesis statement for the following topics:

 Gender and academic success

 Students’ failure and Internet use

Review of the Literature
 Purpose
 Analyze critically through summary, classification, and
comparison of prior research studies, reviews of
literature, and theoretical articles.

 CRITICAL READING:
 Don’t read looking only or primarily for information
 Do read looking for ways of thinking about the subject
matter
 Other Purposes
 Summary and synthesis of the state of knowledge – existing
studies and findings
• Evaluation - strengths and limitations in methods, results and
conclusions

• Identification of gaps in knowledge

• Provision of background and justification of one’s own

research objective and methodology
 Introduction
 The introduction explains the focus and establishes the
importance of the subject.

 It discusses what kind of work has been done on the topic and
identifies any controversies within the field or any recent
research which has raised questions about earlier assumptions.

 It may provide background or history.

 It concludes with a purpose and/ or hypothesis/thesis statement

 Body
 Often divided by headings/subheadings,

 The body summarizes and evaluates a group of studies and

other types of literature according to common denominators:

qualitative vs. quantitative, conclusions of authors…
 Body
 It notes major themes or topics, the most important trends, and
any findings about which researchers agree or disagree.

 The purpose is to make an argument that will justify your

proposed research

 It should discuss only that research which leads directly to

your own project.
 Conclusion
 The conclusion summarizes all the evidence presented and
shows its significance.

 The review should highlight gaps and indicate how previous

research leads to your own research project and chosen

methodology.
 Final note
 A literature review is a piece of discursive prose, not a list
describing or summarizing one piece of literature after
another.

 It’s usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with

the name of a scholar.

 You are not trying to list all the material published, but to
synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of
your research question.
 Final note
 Read the article's abstract or summary to see if it is a useful

 Skim the entire article making a mental note of the main topics

 Classify and code the article according to some system of your own
devising.

 Indicate any statements that are direct quotations

 Write the complete reference in APA/MLA style

 THINGS NOT TO DO

 Trying to read everything!

 Reading but not writing!

 Not keeping bibliographic information!

Documentation Styles
MLA & APA
 MLA & APA
• MLA and APA refer to systems of citing research
sources.

• They both circulates guidelines for preparing student to

organize their research papers, projects and scholarly
manuscripts …
 Focus of MLA Style
• Modern Language Association (MLA)

• Humanities and related areas (i.e. literature, Cultural Studies)

• Focuses on authorship: “…(Smith and Johnson)”

• Format is designed for ease of presentation

• Often viewed as “easier” to follow by students

• Commonly taught first to students

 Focus of APA Style
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Social sciences (i.e. psychology, sociology, and
linguistics)
• Focuses on date of publication: “…(Smith & Johnson,
2009)”
• Often thought of as more difficult by students
 Comparing References
•MLA: Bibliography (Works Cited title)

•APA: Reference Page (Reference title)

• Both MLA and APA require that you organize your

citations alphabetically by the first letter of an author’s
last name.
Book Citation – MLA General Format

Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Pub: Publisher, Year. Medium.
1 , 2 . 3 . 4 : 5 , 6 . 7 .

• Meyer, Stephanie. Eclipse. London: Routledge, 2007. Print

Book Citation – APA General Format

Last name, First Initial.(Year). Title of Book. City of Pub, State: Publisher.

1 , 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 , 6 : 7 .

• Meyer, S. (2007). Eclipse. London: Routledge.

 MLA Style
• Name(s) of author(s)
• Work title (Capitalize 1st letter of all words in title)
• Publication city
• Publisher and then year of pub.
• Publication medium (i.e. print, web)
• In-text citations: “…no significant results” (Johnson 34).
• Johnson, Thomas. Studies in College. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2003. Print.
 APA Style
• Name(s) of author(s)
• Publication year
• Work title (Capitalize only 1st letter of first word in title)
• Publication city
• Publisher
• In-text citations:“…no significant results” (Johnson, 2003, p.
34).
• Johnson, T. (2003). Studies in college. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
 Citation – MLA General Format

We use et al, when we have more than 2 authors

Schneider, Zevia, et al. Nursing and Midwifery Research: Methods and

Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice. 3rd ed., Elsevier Australia,
2007.
 Citation – APA General Format

We use et al, when we have more than 2 authors in in-text

citation, but we mention the list of all authors in the list of

references
 Publisher
Publication Date
 Italicized Titles (MLA & APA)

Italicize the names of:

• Books, plays, periodicals (newspapers, magazines,

journals),

• Web sites, online databases, films, television and radio

broadcasts, works of visual art, etc.
Titles in Quotation Marks (MLA & APA)

Use quotation marks for the titles of:

articles, essays, short stories, short poems …

 Parenthetical Documentation (MLA 54-58)
Short Quotation

• Use the author’s last name and the page number of the
reference to identify the source and location of the
citation

• It is stated that “with ice in my heart, I watched him

prepare to defend me” (Meyer 1).
 Long Quotations (MLA 55)
 If a quotation is more than 4 lines MLA/ 40 words APA

 set it off from your text by beginning a new line,

 indenting from the left margin,

without adding quotation marks.

A colon generally introduces a quotation displayed this

way.
 MLA

It is not until near the end of The Hound of the

Baskervilles that the hound itself is actually seen:
A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such
a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its
open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its
muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering
flame. Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain
could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish
be conceived than that dark form and savage face which
broke upon us out of the wall of fog. (Doyle 82)
 APA

It is not until near the end of The Hound of the

Baskervilles that the hound itself is actually seen:

A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such

a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its
open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its
muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering
flame. Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain
could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish
be conceived than that dark form and savage face which
broke upon us out of the wall of fog. (Doyle, 2000, p. 82)
 Comparing In-Text Citations
• MLA: As Johnson and Maiden explained, their “study…
classes” (34).
• APA: As Johnson & Maiden (2003) explained, their
“study…classes” (p. 34).

• MLA: “…in language classes” (Johnson and Maiden 34)

• APA: “…in language classes” (Johnson & Maiden, 2003,

p. 34)
 How to Cite Books- Check
•MLA: Last name, First name. Title of Work. City of Pub:
Publisher, Year. Medium.

•APA: Last name, First Initial. (Year). Title of work. City of

Pub, State: Publisher.

• MLA: Johnson, Thomas. Studies in College. New York:

2003. McGraw-Hill. Print.

•APA: Johnson, T. (2003). Studies in College. New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill.
 Books
•Try to cite this book in both MLA and APA
• Author: Stephen Jones
• Title: A Review of Industry Standards
• Year of Pub: 2010
• City of Pub: London
• Publisher: Stanton Publishing Group
 Books
•MLA:
•Jones, Stephen. A Review of Industry Standards.
London: Stanton Publishing Group, 2010. Print.

•APA:
•Jones, S. (2010). A review of industry standards.
London: Stanton Publishing Group.
 Articles in Journals
•MLA:
•Last name, First name. “Title of Work.” Journal Title
Volume.Issue (Year): page numbers. Medium.

•APA:
•Last name, First Initial. (Year). Title of work. Journal
Title, Volume(Issue), page numbers.
 Articles in Journals
• MLA: Smith, Linda. “Students in Danger.” New England
Journal of Student Progress 7.2 (2007): 142-154. Print.
• APA: Smith, L. (2007). Students in danger. New England
Journal of Student Progress, 7(2), 142-154.

•MLA puts the article title in quotation marks; APA does

not.

•MLA uses the V.I format for volume and issue numbers;
APA uses V(I)
 Articles in Journals
• Try to cite the following journal article in MLA and
APA
• Author: Samuel Brown
• Volume: 4
• Pages: 164-184
• Title: Working for the Union
• Issue: 1
• Journal: Workplace Review
• Year: 1995
 Articles in Journals
• Answers…
• MLA:
• Brown, Samuel. “Working for the Union.” Workplace
Review 4.1 (1995): 164-184. Print.

• APA:
• Brown, S. (1995). Working for the union. Workplace
Review, 4(1), 164-184.
 MLA Practice
• When documenting one author in reference in a text,
which is correct?
• A. This point has been argued before (Frye 197).
• B. This point has been argued before. (Glenn Frye, 197)
• C. This point has been argued before. (Frye 197)
• D. This point has been argued before (Frye, 197).
• Answer: A
 APA Practice
• When documenting one author by name in a text,
which is correct?
• A. Frye has argued this point before (Frye 197).
• B. Frye has argued this point before. (197).
• C. Frye has argued this point before. (Frye, 197).
• D. Frye has argued this point before (P. 197).
• Answer: D
 MLA/ APA Practice
• T/F /You should not use the authors’ last names in the
citation if the authors’ names appear in the text.

• Answer: True

• T/F/ You only use “et al” when you are citing a text with
more than two authors.

• Answer: True
 MLA/ APA Practice
• T/F/ When you use long quotations in the text, you place
the citation before the last quotation mark.

• Answer: False

• T/F/ You only use block quotes when quoting more than
4 lines or 40 words of text.

• Answer: True
 MLA/ APA Practice
• Which of the following is true about block quotes:
• A. The entire block quote is indented

• B. Used when author is mentioned in the text

• C. Page number at end is outside the period

• D. Quotation marks are not used

• E. All of the above

• Answer: E
 MLA/ APA Practice
• Which is the correct way to cite a website?

• A. The Modern Language Association was founded in

1883 (mla.org).

• B. According to the Modern Language Association’s

(MLA) website, the MLA was founded in 1883 (mla.org).
• C. Both

• Answer: C
 MLA/ APA Practice
• Some expressions used when citing others:

• X states that ‘‘……...’’

• X and Y argue, ‘‘……...’’

• According to X, it is claimed that ‘‘……...’’

• He notes that ‘‘……..’’

• She suggests that ‘‘……...’’

 MLA/ APA Practice
• Name: Ann Gill
• Date: 2001
• Quote: "Education reform is the best solution for fixing
our public schools"
• Page: 22
• Ann Gill argues, "education reform is the best solution
for fixing our public schools" (22). MLA
• Ann Gill (2001) has argued that "education reform is the
best solution for fixing our public schools" (p. 22). APA
 APA Practice
• Name: Jones and Miller
• Date: 1998
• Quote: "Students often had difficulty using APA style,
especially when it was their first time"
• Page: 199

• According to Jones and Miller (1998), "students often

had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was
their first time" (p. 199).
 MLA/ Practice
• Name: Hart
• Date: 1996
• Quote: some primatologists became convinced that their
"apes had learned Language, with a capital L"
• Page: 109

• Hart (1996) notes that some primatologists became

convinced that their "apes had learned Language, with a
capital L" (109).
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER
 Outline of Methodology Chapter
• Introduction
• Research approach/method
• Sampling
• Data Collection
• Instruments
• Data Analysis
 Introduction
• Establish the connection between your methods and your
research problem
• You should remind your readers what the focus of your
study is, especially:
• The research aims, Objectives, research questions and
Hypotheses
• Briefly mention how you’ll structure the chapter. You don’t
need a lot of detail here – just a brief outline
 Research Approaches/Methods
•Quantitative: generation of data in a quantitative
way: numbers and frequencies
•Qualitative: investigating attitudes, opinions and
behaviours and analysing them qualitatively.

• Mixed methods: the use of two or more

• PS: Justification for the choice of the approaches

 Sampling
• Describe your choice of the sample

• Explain why you opt for this not that ….

• Explain your sampling techniques:

• Non- probability/non-random sampling: purposive and

deliberate

• Probability/random sampling: blind chance

 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES

• Describe how you will collect data step by step

• Explain how validity and reliability will be maintained

through your data collection procedures
 INSTRUMENTS
• Quantitative data collection instruments:
• Questionnaires
• Used to quantify and measure frequencies,
characteristics, attitudes, opinions, motives…etc
• A number of questions arranged in a definite order=
logic + research problem and objective (es)

• Used to elicit quantitative information

 Types of Questionnaires
•Structured
•Respondents select a response from those given

•Unstructured
•Respondents create a response

•Combination
•Contains structured and unstructured items
 Sample Structured Questionnaire
Why did you choose teaching as a career? Tick each
reason that applies to you.
___ I like working with children.
___ The pay is better than most jobs.
___ I can help my country and society.
___ It is a safe profession for women.
 Sample Unstructured Questionnaire

Why did you choose teaching as a career? In the space

below give the reasons why you chose to become a
teacher.
 Types of Questions
• Closed questions
Choices are provided to the respondents

• Open questions
Respondents must create responses

• Demographic questions
Questions about the characteristics of the respondents
 Types of Closed Questions

•Dichotomous Questions (2 choices)

•Yes/No

Do you think a paper recycling program should

be started in your school?
Yes No
 Types of Closed Questions
•Multiple-choice Questions
•Give respondents options
•May ask for single or multiple answers
Example: How did you hear about our Website?
___ Newspaper
___ Magazine
___ Radio
___ Internet
___ Other: Please specify __________
 Types of Closed Questions
• Rank Order Questions
• Respondents place things in order
• Example:
• Which activities do you like to do in your spare time?
Place a “1” next to the activity that you like to do most, a
“2” by the next favorite, and so on to the least favorite.
• ___ Watch TV
• ___ Read
• ___ Visit friends
• ___ Surf the Internet
• ___ Shop
 Types of Closed Questions
• Rating Scale
• Also called a “Likert Scale”
• Give a statement; choose your response along a scale

Example:
My students are motivated to learn.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
 Open Questions

• Used to explore topics in-depth

• Gives people a chance to respond in detail

• They are time-consuming to summarize and analyze

 Types of Open Questions
•Open-ended Questions

Example:
What changes would you like to see in our science
class?

if yes/no, please explain?

Other reasons……….
 Demographic Questions
•Demographic questions may ask about personal
characteristics such as --
• age
• grade
• ethnicity
• gender
• home characteristics
 Problems to Avoid in Writing Questions
1. Leading Questions (Loaded Questions or Biased
Questions)

Examples:
Don’t you agree that discipline is a major problem in this
school?

Do you believe it is all right to spank young children

despite the SEC recommendations not to do so?
 Problems to Avoid in Writing Questions
2. Double-Barreled Questions (asking two things in
one question)

Examples:
Did this class increase your interest in science and
motivate you to study hard?

Do you agree that pay is low for teachers and that the
government should be working hard to increase it?
 Problems to Avoid in Writing Questions

3. Unclear or ambiguous questions

Examples:

What do you think about school?

 Problems to Avoid in Writing Questions
4. Halo Effect (questions that link a position to a
particular person or group)

Examples:
Do you agree with the King that research should be one
of the top priorities of Qatar?
Microsoft wants the Independent Schools to do a better
job of teaching science so that students are prepared for
the workplace. Would you agree?
 Problems to Avoid in Writing Questions

5. Offensive questions about personal information

Examples:
Do you ever argue with your parents?

What are the major problems in your home?

 Tips for Creating Good Questionnaires

1. Know your audience

• Make sure that the length, content, and wording matches

the intended audience

• Keep questions clear and concise

• Avoid technical wording

 Ways to Deliver Questionnaires

• Paper-pencil/face-to-face
• Mail or take home
• Telephone
• Online delivery and analysis
 Qualitative data collection procedures: Interviews

• A series of oral questions: requiring oral verbal

responses

• Designed to elicit in depth information and details about

people’s attitudes, perceptions, conceptions, behaviours,
and expeiences;

• Used to learn more about the respondents’ answers to

questionnaires
 Types of Interviewing
Face to Face Interviews:
• You can adapt your questions based on participants
responses
• You will need recording equipment
• Highly recommended you bring two recording
devices (in case one fails)
 Types of Interviewing
• Phone Interviews:

• Allows you to interview someone geographically far

away or who is too busy to meet with you
 Types of Interviewing
•Email Interviews:
• Less personal but convenient
• May not get as much information because you are
not able to ask appropriate follow-up questions
 Types of Interviewing
•Chat/Messaging Interview
• Allows you to interview someone geographically far
away
• You can adapt your questions based on participants
responses
• If participants are not fluent in typing, you may not
get as lengthy responses
 Types of Interviews
Structured
• Formal
• Carefully worded interview schedule
• Frequently require short answers
• Useful when there are a lot of questions which are not
thought provoking
 Types of Interviews

Semi-structured

• Interview is structured with certain questions

• Allows participant to express answers at length

 Types of Interviews
Unstructured (in-depth)

• Begin by asking a general question

• Encourages the participant to talk freely
• Interview being determined by participants responses
• Interviewer probes for elaboration (“Why”, “Tell me
more”, etc.)
 Questions
• speak slowly and in a soft tone
• control your body language
• know your questions and topic
• ask one question at a time
• remain as neutral as possible, and encourage responses
• provide transition between major topics
 Observation
• Used to gather accurate information as it happens
 Types of Observation
• Participant Observation
• Researcher becomes part of situation being observed
• May gain more understanding by participating
• May alter events by participating

• Non-participant Observation
• Observer does not interact with participants
• Does not question or communicate
 DATA ANALYSIS
• This section describes how you will use the data you collect.

• You specify the choice of analysis techniques, and what software you
planned to use (if any)

• For qualitative studies: content analysis, thematic analysis,

discourse analysis….
• For quantitative studies, descriptive statistics, inferential statistical
techniques (e.g., correlation and regression analysis).
DATA ANALYSIS
DATA ANALYSIS
Chapter
 DATA ANALYSIS
• USING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ARGUMENTS
• Analysis chapter: Organize/select/classify the data/evidence
according to the sections/subsections of the analysis chapter

• Which data/evidence to use?

• Qualitative,

• Quantitative , …
 STRUCTURE OF DATA ANALYSIS
• According Research questions
• RQ1:
• RQ2:

•Coding for Key Themes or Topics

•Theme1 ….
•Theme 2….
 From codes to themes

• Code Terrorist

Theme Stereotyping
• Code Ignorant
 DATA ANALYSIS
• How to use data/evidence:

• Quantitative and qualitative data/evidence

• Statistics from questionnaires

• Testimonies from interviews

• Evidence from readings/previous studies

 DATA ANALYSIS
•Evidence does not speak for itself

•Readers can't read your mind

•Do not assume that readers know/understand what

you are talking about because you think the point is
obvious.
 DATA ANALYSIS
• O.k., I've just stated this point, so what?

• Why is it interesting? Why should anyone care?

• Why is this information important?

• What connections exist between them?

• Does it support my thesis? If so, how does it do that?

 DATA ANALYSIS
• USING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ARGUMENTS
• Statistics, charts, graphs, photographs, illustrations

• The best evidence for your argument is a hard fact or

visual representation of a fact

• Visual representation can guide the reader through the

interpretation process.
 DATA ANALYSIS
• USING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ARGUMENTS
• Quotes =What to quote?
• Testinomies : open questions (questionnaires) + data
from interviews
• How to use them? QUOTE= use verbs of transitions:
• Respondent 12 stated ‘’ ‘’
• Respondent 3 insisted on his argument saying ‘’ ‘’
 DATA ANALYSIS
• USING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ARGUMENTS
• A quotation can't speak for itself.

• Avoid quotations that are just dropped into your paper

without any introduction, discussion, or follow-up
• Introduce the quotation with your own words and integrate
it grammatically into the sentence.

• Reproduce the exact wording, punctuation, capitalization

and spelling of the original, including errors.
 SOME HELPFUL EXPRESSIONS
• The present investigation/ study revealed that….
• The results proved that the majority of the respondents do
not favor /favor…as the Figure below illustrates….
• A close analysis of the above charts reveals that…..
• Table1 illustrates/shows/indicates…..
• The main arguments against/for…..
 SOME HELPFUL EXPRESSIONS
• As far as the respondents who expressed their support
towards ….
• The respondents, who share/do not share this view,
believe ….
• The literature about the issue provides ample evidence
…. supporting…., for example, asserts/argues

• You can even add adverbs/adjectives illustrating their

position: One of the respondents angrily declared
When asked about video games as a form of art, the respondents tended
to believe that video games themselves are not an art form, but agreed
that creativity is involved in their production. The criteria used to identify
artistic video games included design, story, music, and creative teams.
One respondent (male, 24) noted a difference in creativity between
popular video game genres:
“I think that in role-playing games, there’s more attention to character
design, to world design, because the whole story is important and
more attention is paid to certain game elements […] so that perhaps
you do need bigger teams of creative experts than in an average
shooter or something.”
Responses suggest that video game consumers consider some types of
games to have more artistic potential than others.
DISCUSSION/ INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER
 SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERPRETATION
• To establish continuity in research through linking the results of
a given study with those of another

• Going beyond the data of the study to include the results of

other research, theory and hypotheses.

• Once the analysis is completed, the researcher is in a position to

reflect (and remark) on the results of the study
 QUANTITATIVE INTERPRETATION
• Summarize the Major Results

• In the process of interpreting results, researchers first summarize the

major findings and present the broader implications of the research for
the audience.

• A summary is a statement that reviews the major conclusions to each

of the research questions or hypotheses.

• This summary is different from the results: It represents general, rather

than specific, conclusions.
 QUANTITATIVE INTERPRETATION
• Specific conclusions in the results would include detail about statistical
tests, significance levels, and effect sizes.

• General conclusions state overall whether the hypothesis was rejected

or whether the research question was supported or not supported.

• The research ends with statements by researchers about implications of

the study.

• Implications are those suggestions for the importance of the study for
different audiences
 QUANTITATIVE INTERPRETATION
• Explain Why/How the Results Occurred
• After the summary, researchers explain their results based on returning
to research questions or hypotheses.

• These explanations may include discussing the existing literature and

indicating how the results either confirmed or disconfirmed prior
studies.

• You will frequently find past research studies being presented by

authors in this passage.

• A concluding passage may contrast and compare results with theories or

bodies of literature.
 QUALITATIVE INTERPRETATION
• Convey Personal Reflections

• Because qualitative researchers believe that personal views can never

be kept separate from interpretations, personal reflections about the
meaning of the data are included in the research study.

• You base these personal interpretations on insights from the field you
visited personally

• Qualitative researchers are in a good position to reflect and remark on

the larger meaning of the data.
 INTERPRETATION
• Advance Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research
• Researchers also advance limitations or weaknesses of their study that
may have affected the results.

• Limitations are potential weaknesses or problems with the study

identified by the researcher.

• These weaknesses often relate to measures of variables, lack of

participants, small sample sizes, errors in measurement, and other
factors typically related to data collection and analysis….

• Advancing these limitations provides a useful bridge for recommending

future studies.
The research questions addressed in the current study aimed at exploring

the potential contribution of FLE and grit among Saudi and Moroccan

students. The data analysis revealed interesting findings. First, the Moroccan

and Saudi students’ levels of perseverance of effort, a subcomponent of grit,

had a direct, positive, and significant effect on their L2. This shows that

gritty students, regardless of their linguistic and educational backgrounds,

who preserve to enhance their English skills despite difficulties and setbacks,

are more willing to communicate in English.

The importance of grit in shaping L2 is supported by previous research
conducted in the Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese contexts (Derakhshan,
Fathi, and Nourzadeh 2022; Lee 2020; Lee and Taylor 2022; Lan, Nikitina,
and Woo 2021), in which grit was associated with L2 WTC. Learners who
demonstrated greater grit had higher levels of L2 WTC (Lee and Hsieh 2019;
Lee and Drajati 2019; Teimouri, Plonsky, and Tabandeh 2020). An interesting
outcome of this research was that only one component of grit, perseverance
of effort, fulfilled the criteria for reliability. What is intriguing is that Lee
(2020) found that only perseverance of effort was a predictor of students’ L2
WTC but not the consistency of interests.
Second, the study found that FLE (teacher appreciation and social
enjoyment) had a direct, positive, and significant impact on the L2 of
both Moroccan and Saudi students. This suggests that students’
enjoyment of English classes plays a key role in their willingness to
engage in English communication. This results is consistent with the
broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson 2003), which proposes that
positive emotions such as enjoyment motivate learners to seek out new
experiences and approach learning in a more effective manner. In other
words, if learners enjoy the class …………..
There are several limitations to the current study. To begin with, the
study only included EFL students from both countries. Collecting data
from students from other majors could have yielded different results.
Second, our measure of FLE was limited to teacher appreciation and
social enjoyment in order to reduce respondent fatigue. Future research
might investigate employing Botes et al’s (2021) nine-item FLE scale to
gain a more precise contribution …..
TASK A. CHOOSE ONE RESEARCH TOPIC AND ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. The benefits of work from home for employees
2. The impact of social media on students during Covid 19

a- State two aims and two objectives of the study

b- State the research questions you will address
c- Write the thesis statement or the hypothesis
d- Formulate a suitable title for your research paper

TASK B. WRITE A TOPIC OUTLINE FOR THE RESEARCH TOPIC YOU

DEVELOPED IN TASK A, USING A DECIMAL FORMAT
 Task C: MLA and APA
• Name of the Authors: Miller, Thomas P. and Brian Jackson.
• Title of the article: What Are English Majors For?
• Name of the Journal: College Composition and Communication
• Volume Number: 58
• Issue Number: 4
• Date of publication: 2007
• Page numbers: 825-31

• Write the reference using the MLA style:

• -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Name of the Author: Howard, Arthur
• Title of the article: Labor, history, and sweatshops in the new global economy.
• Date of publication: 2010
• Title of the book: No Sweat: Fashion, free trade, and the rights of garment
workers
• Page Numbers: 151-172
• Place of Publication: New York, NY
• Publisher: Verso.

• Write the reference using the APA style:

• -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------