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    INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH IN WRITING

    Basturi Hasan

    Fakultas keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Lampung

    Abstract: Research is a systematic approach to finding answers to

    questions . It is a continuing endeavor that takes many forms in

    many different domains. At one level writing research does not differ

    from research in other fields. It is true that writing instruction has

    been long established, research to understand or explain the writing

    process began on a large scale during the past decade. The early

    focus of writing research was more meaning based and holistic in

    scope. Only recently have writing researchers begun to examine the

    sub-processes in writing. In this article, we will discuss and illustrate

    the techniques, content, and forms of research in writing, Also wewill see how some general research principles apply to studies in

    writing.

    Key words: evaluative manipulations, meta analyses, miscue analysis

    INTRODUCTION

    The surest avenue to improvement of educational practice will occur

    through the application of knowledge derived from careful research. That is to

    say, research helps us understand the key elements of successful learning and

    teaching, so educational applications can accomplish the widest possible effects

    (Kamil, et al, 1985).

    By the same token, this paper will try to help reader understand writing

    research. Research in writing examines a wide variety of problems with a broad

    range of techniques from many different perspectives. Hopefully, knowledge in

    this area will help practitioners come to terms with many of the techniques and

    perspectives of writing research, so they can recognize and evaluate the relevance

    and validity of findings and apply them accordingly in their educational situation.

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    It is said that many educators find it difficult to conduct the large-scale

    research necessary for implementation and instructional change program, but

    there is usually a large body of research literature on most educational methods

    and practices, and it is useful to consult this literature so trial-and-error can be

    minimized or eliminated from decision making. There are no guarantees, though,

    that the answers drawn from available research will match the problems in any

    specific situation or that the application of available answers will produce perfect

    results. This is because research is a continuing endeavor, answers are obtained in

    slow, methodical, and often unpredictable ways. Hence, this article will try to

    open insight of educators so that they can locate, read and understand the

    possibilities and limitations of writing research particularly.

    To benefit from this article, it will be useful to have had an introduction to

    statistics. Should anyone needs or desires to learn more about any of the statistical

    topics, a list of more detailed and advanced sources is provided in sources of

    educational research books written by representative experts. In the next parts,

    how some general research principles in terms of techniques, content and forms of

    research in writing will be illustrated.

    WHAT IS WRITING RESEARCH?

    The early focus of writing research was more meaning based and holistic

    in scope. Only recently have writing researchers begun to examine the sub-

    processes in writing skills (Hays and Flower, 1980; Shaunessy, 1977; Britton,

    1970). At one level writing research does not differ very much from research in

    other fields. At another level, however, it can be seen that the research questions

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    posed, as well as methodologies used to answer these questions, reflect the special

    characteristics of the domain themselves (Kamil at al, 1985).

    Contemporary research in writing is rich mixture of influences from

    cognitive and physiological psychology, linguistics, anthropology, computer

    science, social psychology, learning theory, and educational practice. These

    influence range from the most abstract theoretical points of view to the most

    practical and applied knowledge. Some writing researches are aimed at

    understanding the basic nature of writing process. Such efforts include the

    generation of models and theories of process (Breiter and Scardamalia, 1982).

    Another goal of writing research is to improve educational practices in

    classroom and other instructional settings. These efforts include studies that

    unobtrusively observe behaviors in natural instructional settings and those that

    conduct highly controlled manipulations of variables affecting writing instruction.

    Major efforts have been mounted at the institutes, laboratories, etc, to accomplish

    this task in a systematic manner (Kamil et al, 1985).

    RELATING GOALS TO RESEARCH QUESTIONS

    When we read research, a primary task is to determine what the research

    questions will be (Hatch and Farhady, 1982; Kamil et al, 1985). Whatever we will

    need to answer every question depends on the purpose for which we prepare the

    proposal. Research proposal will answer the questions that any critic might ask

    when we first say that we have a question or questions that we want to address

    (Hatch and Lazaraton, 1991). These questions can be at the level of attempting to

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    determine basic facts about cognitive processes, or they can be about instructional

    decisions.

    Before researchers can begin to deal with a problem, they must limit their

    effort by stating specific questions they will attempt to answer (Kamil et al, 1985;

    Hatch and Lazaraton, 1991). These questions serve to guide the research and keep

    it focused on the topic at hand. A good research question is precise, unambiguous,

    and limited in scope. Without such limits, the research might never be resolved.

    In other words, if the question is not precise and unambiguous, researchers might

    study one problem while thinking they are studying something else. Thus,

    removing ambiguity assures that different researchers will be able to agree that

    they are working on the same problem.

    Research questions may be quite broad in scope such as What are the

    student-teacher interactions during instruction? or they may be more narrow

    like What is the effect of sentence combining practice on students writing ability

    in terms of language use? .As a study progress, these questions are often refined.

    Many reports describe several studies or experiments that grew out of a single,

    original question (Christopherson, 1978).

    When one reads a research report, the first task should be to determine the

    research question. One completing problem arises in experimental studies that

    have null hypotheses, which are different from research questions. A null

    hypothesis is a device used for statistical reasons; it states, as a hypothesis, that

    there will be no observed differences in the experiment. In comparison, a research

    question generally poses the problem without taking a stance about the outcome

    of the study (Kamil et al, 1985).

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    RESEARCH IS INFLUENCED BY THEORIES AND MODELS

    Basically, three theoretical orientations characterize or dominate most of

    language skills research. The first of these is bottom-up or skillsposition. That is,

    writing process begins with the organization of words, the construction of

    sentences, and the parsing of sentences. This is because writing is assumed to be

    initiated from within and between sentence information. In writing, such models

    are implicit in widely used instructional materials. Research conducted from this

    orientation emphasizes skills, sub-skills, decoding, spelling, mechanics, and the

    like (Warriner and Griffith, 1977).

    A second position is referred to as top-down or holistic. According to this

    position, writing is assumed to be meaning generated from and focused on what

    the writer is saying, has said, and is going to say. Research conducted from this

    holistic position emphasizes the global nature of language and the centrality of

    meaning (Britton, 1970; Kamil et al, 1985).

    A final approach is called interactive or balanced. When research is

    conducted from this orientation emphasis is divided appropriately between skills

    and holistic variables. Hayes and Flower (1980) have a related view of writing as

    a recursive activity involving planning, translating, and reviewing with an editing

    sub-process that can interrupt any other sub-process.

    These are certainly not the only theoretical positions, since much research

    tends to be highly eclectic. Nonetheless, it can be noted that these positions may

    not be found in pure forms in research studies. More likely, they will represent

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    general dispositions, rather than ironclad foundations for theories, as different

    theorist focus on different aspects of writing process. Hence, one should be wary

    of labels. When used with caution, however, these descriptions provide the proper

    framework to interpret research by indicating where the theoretical emphasis has

    been placed (Kamil et al, 1985).

    RESEARCH IS SHAPED BY THE TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL

    DESIGNS USED

    The design used in our research will be determined by our research

    question. Some designs are fairly simple and others are extremely complicated.

    However, for most studies in Applied Linguistics, particularly those related to

    classroom research, the design must be complex. If we then wish to be able to

    generalize from the results of our classroom experiment to other classrooms, from

    our students to other students, we will need to choose a design that allows us to

    share our findings as being relevant to other teachers and other classrooms (Hatch

    and Farhady, 1985).

    In classroom experimentation, for instance, we must be sensitive to the

    internal and external validity. The internal validity is the extent to which the

    outcome is a function of the factor we have selected rather than other factors we

    have not controlled. In the example of writing improvement, this would be the

    extent to which your special new method of instruction can count for the progress

    the student made rather than factors other than your instruction method.

    The external validity refers to the extent that the outcome of any research

    study would apply to other similar situation in the real world. Suppose we are

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    investigating the effectiveness of a particular method of teaching /r/ vs. /l/ sounds.

    If we conduct the study in a language laboratory with highly sophisticated

    equipment and tightly controlled procedures, we will not be able to interpret the

    results our study in terms of teaching those items in an ordinary classroom (Hatch

    and Farhady, 1985).

    Therefore, we must be sure that whenever we make a claim about the

    effectiveness of any instruction, that the students not only would not have the

    same gain without the instruction but also that they are really random

    representative of language learners. A careful choice of design will help us avoid

    these problems.

    One way of avoiding problems is to use a control group in our experiment.

    Not all research should be designed to yield explanatory information. Some effort

    must be expended to collect descriptive data. Often, descriptive or observational

    data are needed to identify or clarify instructional questions (Kamil et al, 1985).

    To be clearer, suppose we want to investigate the effect of grammar correction on

    the writing skills ofEFL students. Our independent variable will be the amount of

    correction and the way correction is given on composition errors. The dependent

    variable is the degree of grammatical accuracy in our students writing samples. If,

    at the end of semester or other time period we select, we might be willing to

    conclude that the improvement was related to correction (Hatch and Farhady,

    1982).

    . Thus, our conclusion may be wrong. To deal with this problem, we need

    to have a control group for comparison purposes. A control group refers to a

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    group of students whose selection and experiences are exactly the same as the

    experimental group except that they do not receive the experimental treatment.

    If we selected two similar groups of EFL students and corrected the errors

    of one group but did not correct those of control group, we still found

    improvement in our experimental group that far outweighed the improvement in

    the control group, then our conclusion would be much more defensible. If it is

    really only a matter of time, there should be no difference between the two

    groups. Ultimately, having a control group contributes to the external validity of

    the research lets us interpret our findings with more confidence. But until it is

    certain that there are measurable and stable differences in those variables

    mentioned previously, research manipulating them is futile.

    Causal explanations, the ability to specify what variables produce specific

    outcomes under all conditions are the seldom-attained goal of much educational

    research. There are, however, many correlational or factor-analytic studies found

    language skills research, even though no causal inferences can be drawn. Cause-

    and-effect relationships require experimental designs that allow attribution of

    effects to the manipulated variables. Correlational studies can be very useful when

    variables cannot be manipulated for dealing with tests or when there are large

    numbers of measurements involved.

    In this type of study, the purpose of writing research is to determine

    relationship between variables, such as, amount of instruction, type of practice in

    writing, and outcomes or events, such as richness of written work, etc. In some

    situations, we want to know what causes something we have observed. One

    efficient method of doing this is to systematically manipulate parts of the

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    situation, under vary carefully controlled conditions, and see what the effects are.

    Such manipulations involve selecting different values for the variables, such as

    writing journal versus structured composition practice. The effects on situation

    can then be attributed to the changes in the variables. Correlations are expressed

    as numbers between 1.0 and + 1.0. A correlation of + 1.0 means that one

    variable can be predicted without from values of the other. The plus ( +) sign

    means that the variables are positively related as one goes up (or down), so does

    the other.

    On the other hand, a minus () sign means that the variables are

    negatively or reciprocally related, i.e., when one goes up, the other goes down.

    For example, the correlation between recognition of sentence structure errors and

    composition skill scores is negative: The greater the frequency of errors, the lower

    the composition score (Kamil et al, 1985)

    THE ENVIRONMENT OF RESEARCH

    Different research methods are used in different settings. Research may be

    conducted in the field (a classroom) or in the laboratory (a clinic). Experimental is

    easiest to conduct in a laboratory, where there is precise control over conditions.

    However, controlling all conditions may lead to results that are not directly usable

    in other settings. On the other hand, descriptive data are difficult but not

    impossible to collect in a laboratory ( Carnine and Carnine, 1978). Consequently,

    there are many research techniques that have been developed for use in

    educational settings, including descriptive and ethnographic methods, i.e., one of

    the major naturalistic inquiry alternative to experimental methodologies that

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    considers how experience of an individual, group, or society is influenced by and,

    in turn, influences its surroundings context. It is field based rather than laboratory

    based; that is, it requires that behavior be examined in natural settings.

    The term ethnography refers to the anthropological process of studying a

    whole culture. So it is a description of what culture is, what being a member of

    that culture means, and how that culture differs from other cultures. An

    ethnographic is a the product of systematic observations, interviews, and case

    histories. This is because emphasis is on obtaining detailed descriptions of

    processes and interaction that occur as people engage in everyday activities within

    and across variety of settings, i.e., on describing natural interrelationships among

    people, among events, and between people and events. A major aspect of

    naturalistic inquiry suggests that behavior should be studied in its regularly

    occurring time, place, and situation (Kamil et al, 1985). This permits the natural

    balance of intervening variables to be maintained (Bronfenbrenner, 1976).

    In short, educational ethnography seeks to understand the culture of

    educational learning process: (1) what occurring, (2) how it is occurring, (3) how

    participants perceive the event, (4) what is required to participate as a member of

    that educational group (writing group, class, etc), and what social and academic

    learning takes place (Kamil et al, 1985).

    RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES: AN OVERVIEW

    The introduction tells us whatthe study is about. While the method section

    tells us how the study will be carried out. Typically, it begins with a section

    describing the data source, i.e., the unit of observation, e.g., the students and their

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    characteristics, or the classes and their characteristics, or the composition

    classifications and characteristics, or the classes and characteristics of objects

    from which the data are drawn (Hatch and Lazaraton, 1991).

    In experimental research, one manipulates variables and observes changes

    in performance. However, many problems in writing cannot be studied this way.

    For example, it would be unethical to induce writing disability to study the

    effectiveness of various methods of remediation. Instead, case history methods,

    ethnographic, as well as descriptive techniques, can effectively be used to study

    these sorts of problems. This is so since in a case history study, an attempt is made

    to observe an individual or a group for an extended period of time and, if

    necessary to depend on other record for supporting or supplementary data. This

    value allows one to study in depth the specific implementations of programs or

    methods based on other research data.

    So, if, for instance, we find that a method does not work when we use it in

    a real situation, we have probably missed an important variable in the other

    studies. It is then a check on the transferability or generalizability of our research

    results. The potential flaw in this design is that the history is not under the

    investigators control. Full and accurate records may not be available; the

    necessary information may never have been recorded. Despite this potential

    problem, case histories are often useful in studying a problem or proposed

    solutions to the problems. That is, case histories often provide an accurate view of

    how an individual, or a group of individuals reacts in a realistic situation, without

    intervention by researchers.

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    Descriptive research and ethnographic research both describe, but they

    stem from different philosophies. In descriptive studies, the investigator decides

    the questions to be answered and the categories in which to distribute observations

    prior to data collection. The characteristics of interest are defined a priori. In

    contrast, pre-data collection decisions are studiously avoided in ethnographic

    studies, as it assumed that such preconceptions will lead the investigator to ignore

    important features of the phenomena being observed. Also, descriptive research

    will always have a quantitative outcome, even if the results are only reported as

    frequencies or percentages. On the other hand, ethnographic investigations may

    report quantitative outcomes, but this is not necessary. Often, ethnographies reject

    the apparent objectivity of quantitative results in favor of a more subjective

    qualitative analysis by the observer (Kamil et al, 1985).

    No important manipulation of conditions is appropriate in descriptive

    research, while experiments manipulate or change the situation in order to reveal

    causal connections. The act of data collection itself is not considered to be a

    manipulation, unless it appears that this has influenced the results in some way

    (Hatch and Lazaration, 1991). For example, if an experimenter wanted to find out

    the incidence of some behavior during writing, it would be necessary to have

    subjects do some writing practices. Having subjects do such writing would only

    be considered to be a manipulation if in the data collection conditions were so

    different from typical writing conditions that the outcomes were influenced.

    Descriptive and experimental research are similar in both theory based rather than

    data based. In other words, the data collection, instruments and categories of

    analysis in descriptive and experiment research are based upon previous research

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    and theory, rather than being an outgrowth of the data collected for that particular

    study (Kamil et al, 1985).

    Another common method is correlational study (Sullivan, 1972; Popham,

    1972).This technique is common when the variables of interest are not directly

    manipulable . For instance, the use of good and poor writers as an independent

    variable produces many correlational studies; the observed differences in

    performances are correlated with differences in writing ability

    Underscore the notion that correlational studies do not strictly allow causal

    conclusion. However, strong correlation suggest causal relationships, even though

    correlation does not imply causation. As with case histories, such suggestions

    have to be verified by other techniques. When regression analyses are used,

    prediction is possible, but explanation still does not result. This is true for

    multivariate analyses: What changes is the number of variables that can be

    accounted for in prediction and the precision of the prediction.

    The term multivariate analysis refers to a collection of statistical

    techniques used to examine the relationship between three or more variables.

    These techniques are being used in place of more traditional ANOVA techniques

    because multivariate analysis offers the researcher a greater amount of flexibility

    in the design of studies and requires fewer arbitrary decisions, that is., in the case

    of, for example: How do I differentiate good and poor writer?, and the like. In

    addition, multivariate analysis has become easier to do because of the availability

    of computer programs capable of carrying out complex multivariate calculations

    inexpensively and efficiently. Thus, this type of analysis is relatively easy to

    perform and can be used to analyze many types of data to answer a variety of

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    research questions. In other words, multivariate analysis allows the researcher to

    examine a wide spectrum of categorical, such as, sex, race, group, and so forth,

    and continuous variables, e.g., IQ, writing scores, etc. In addition, the statistical

    techniques can be employed to analyze data from descriptive or experimental

    studies in equally appropriate ways (Kamil et al, 1985).

    Factor-analytic studies are another way of dealing with descriptive data. It

    is said that factor analysis enjoyed greater popularity in the past than it does today

    (Davis, 1971). In the previous section of this article, it is suggested that we need

    to narrow the scope of our research so that it would be feasible. Often this means

    looking at the relation between two variables. When we do this, we inevitably

    think of a third variable that may play a role or may influence the relation between

    the original two variables. That is, our expertise in the field of language learning

    tells us in the real world the picture is much more complex, hence, we must add

    more pieces to thepuzzle if we want to capture the essence of language learning.

    As we add more variables, the research becomes increasingly complex even so

    complex that we need to reduce large numbers of variables in some meaningful

    way. The picture of the real world may also suggest that those variables

    discovered to be important in language learning should be arranged in a particular

    way. And so, models are proposed for some reasons, these untested models are

    called theories for the learning process Obviously, the statistical procedures are

    important because they give us a way of discovering factors that underlie

    language proficiency, and hopefully language learning, and ways of testing

    relationships among them (Hatch and Larazation, 1991; Kamil et al, 1985).

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    Apparently, many problems can still be studied by using factor analysis.

    For instance, attitudes are particularly amenable to study by this method according

    to Kamil et all, while factor analysis does not allow causal inferences, it is, at this

    rate, valuable for work in difficult problem areas. For example, these techniques

    can show which of many variables acting on situation are most important and

    which may be largely irrelevant (Hatch and Farhady, 1981; Kamil et all, 1985).

    Historically, the two-group study has been the most common experimental

    design. It operates quite simply: One group is given a treatment, and the other

    function as a control group, receiving either nothing or some irrelevant condition

    for comparison. Perhaps, this basic has been extended to produce the factorial

    design in use today, i.e., two or more variables or factors are manipulated at the

    same time, in the same study. All values of each variables are combined with all

    values of the other variables to produce treatment combinations to be

    administered. In other words, the use of factorial designs allows the effect of

    several variables to be studied simultaneously. In addition, we can study the

    interaction among factors, those conditions that occur when variables act

    differently in combination than when they are observed in isolation. The greater

    number of variables manipulated at once in a given setting, the more natural the

    situation will be. This kind of research design leads us to view what

    Bronfenbrenner (1976) used in his study called the desirability to find the so

    called ecological validity of the research design.

    Psychological researchers have recognized the difficulties inherent in

    using group data in analyses. Some researchers in learning have advocated

    intensively studying single or small number of subjects across an extended range

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    of time and behavior (Kamil et al, 1985). Perhaps the most prevalent paradigm in

    language skills research using this single/small number of subjects (N)

    methodology is due to miscue analysis (Goodman, 1965). Most of miscue studies

    do analysis of extensive data collected in individual sessions with a few readers. A

    primary argument for this methodology is that the relationships among responses

    are often as important as their content (Kamil et al, 1985). In writing, conducting

    extensive small small-Nresearch, tracing the writing development of learners, the

    collected data can be intensively analyzed because only a few subjects are

    involved (Graves, 1975).

    There are unavoidably potential risks involved in doing research with

    single-N/small-N samples. Among these, as Kamil et al assert, is the potential for

    studying non-representative individuals. Consequently, conclusions based on non-

    representative data are inappropriate for general applications. The smaller the

    sample will produce the greater the risk of error. Interpretations based on the such

    data then have to be viewed with care. Thus, the researcher is especially obligated

    to describe the subjects as carefully and thoroughly as possible.

    Furthermore, small-sample paradigms necessitate repeated measures, and

    therefore, both benefits and disadvantages of collecting repeated measures are

    involved. For example, repeated measures allow individuals to serve as their own

    controls, reducing the variance and increasing the precision of analysis. However,

    when repeated measures are used, contrast effects may arise. That is, subjects may

    react differently to the various treatments only because they realize the treatments

    are different. In addition, repeated measures are subject to practice and fatigue

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    effects, further limiting the generalizability of repeated measures data (Hatch and

    Lazaration, 1991; Kamil et al, 1985).

    A variant of single-/N designs is the time series. In this type of study,

    measurements are made many times, before and after administration of a

    treatment. In other words, changes in performance can be observed over time and

    as a function of the application of the treatment. Needless to say, that it is not

    necessary to have a small or single N to use a time series design. However, the

    extensive data collection required by this design makes it less practical to use

    large group.

    More sophisticated designs for experimental and quasi-experimental

    studies in language skills are available. It is true that the ultimate goal of any

    investigation is to conduct research that will allow us to show the relationship

    between the variables we have selected. However, in social sciences in general,

    and our field in particular, it is not realistic to limit our research to true

    experimental designs only, that is, they have basically three characteristics: (1) a

    control group or groups is present, (2) the subjects are randomly selected to the

    groups, and (3) a pretest is administered to capture the initial differences between

    the groups. The reason is that we are dealing with the most complicated of human

    behaviors, language learning behavior (Hatch and Farhady, 1981).

    The need for these more complex designs has derived from two sources.

    On the one hand, researchers have realized the inadequacies of some conventional

    methods of collecting data. For example, notions of ecological validity issued by

    Bronfenbrenner (1976) have necessitated collection of much more data than was

    traditionally required. Moreover, contemporary experiments require greater effort

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    in data reduction than in actual data analysis as any glance at writing journal will

    indicate.

    TYPES OF VARIABLES IN WRITING RESEARCH

    We can expect variability in anything we observe. An EFL students

    language skill may vary from week to week. We may be able to count for this

    variation in individual performance by considering amount of construction. Skill

    does not remain the same. The ability of a group of Indonesian students learning

    English to recognize and reproduce the tone system may vary, We may be able to

    account for this variability by determining whether the students have learned other

    tone languages, young or old, male or female, etc. By analogy, different pieces of

    text may vary in frequency of hedges. This is because, academic science text

    may include many more lexical hedges, e.g., it appears, it seems, to certainty

    of claims than other types of text materials. Variability and explanations of that

    variability are central to research ( Hatch and Lazaration, 1991).

    In general, three major classes of variables can be identified. The first is

    the class ofinstructionalvariables, including, among others, instructional format,

    amount of time on task, and type of materials. Topic, knowledge, and purpose of

    materials have become predominant in current research. This class of variable is a

    mixture of traditional types, like amount of time on task, and instructional

    presentation, as well as less traditional types, like teacher, beliefs or other aspects

    of teacher competence (Duffy and Metheny, 1979).

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    The second group is the writer/learner variables. In turn, this group is

    divided into individual variables, like language and language development,

    cognitive processes, and cognitive development, along with more global variables,

    like self-concept or socioeconomic and cultural factors.

    The final of variables may be classified as environmental, which includes

    such factors as classroom design and organization. Also involved are a number of

    naturalistic variables dealing with student/teacher interaction (Kamil et al, 1985).

    In short, a variable can be defined as an attribute of a person or of an

    object which varies from person to person or from object to object, or from time

    to time.

    RESEARCH CAN BE SHAPED BY THE MANIPULATIONS OF THE

    VARIABLES

    Research often can be characterized by the number of factors manipulated.

    Much language skill research has involved manipulating only a single variable

    However, researchers increasingly use designs that manipulate several variables

    simultaneously. This reflects the realization that clusters of variables have to be

    studied to arrive at a thorough description or explanation of the process. A

    complete description is, by definition, ecologically valid (Bronfenbrenner, 1976).

    Other researches perform the so called evaluative manipulations, and

    meta-analysis. In the cases of evaluative manipulations, a single value of a

    variable is to determine whether there is some effect on behavior. Examples might

    be in the test development or in testing a single teaching method or technique.

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    Finally, there are studies of studies, or meta-analyses. In meta-analyses,

    studies that have manipulated the same or similar variables are examined to

    determine the amount of agreement among the studies and to estimate the size of

    effects that can be expected. These meta-analyses are not primary manipulations

    of variables. Instead, they are attempts to analyze the results of other studies to see

    what it is that can be assumed to be true about, e.g., writing and writing process

    (Kamil et al, 1985).

    IN SUMMARY

    In this article, there have a brief overview of the goals and constraints

    posed in certain kinds of research in writing been provided. This paper has tried

    to explain a good deal about writing skill, much of which is; hopefully, useful for

    educational decision making. Apparently, to interpret research report, one must

    understand research methodology, its advantages and limitations. The

    methodology used to conduct a language skill study, e.g., writing research, has a

    logic of its own, an internal logic so strong that it affects the design of experiment,

    the procedures used, the data gathered, the analysis undertaken, and the way in

    which the research is reported. Finally, an understanding of research methodology

    will help readers know what information to look for and how to avoid

    misinterpretations.

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