ENG505RESEARCH IN LINGUISTICS/LITERATURE

Dr. Ayaz Afsar

THE NATURE OF RESEARCH Dr Ayaz Afsar

OBJECTIVES

What is Research?

What constitutes a research question?

What research methods and strategies are available?

THE NATURE OF RESEARCH

Personal Research Definition fr. rechercher: means “finding out” something, to

investigate something thoroughly, to search for information Example, buying a car

Professional research Objective Carefully done Conducted using methods that can be repeated

BUYING A CAR• Before buying:

• Which is the “best buy” for the money you can afford– Reading the motoring journals or magazines– Going round the car dealers– Checking out incentives

However the info. won’t tell you which car to buyBut put you in a position to make an informed judgement—decide by

taking into account evidence

OTHER EXAMPLES

• What to cook as a meal when we have guests?• What movie to watch?• What bank to use?

Which means...

What info is neededHow it can be collectedWhat factors are relevantHow the info can be used

PERSONAL RESEARCH

You don’t need to tell other people

Wouldn’t matter much to other people if we make:

mistakes Collect inappropriate or unreliable info Make poor judgements on the basis of the evidence

ACTIVITY 1 Identify three decisions you have made in the last two weeks which

required getting prior information. Write out the “research questions” you asked yourself and then, in

each case, list the factors you look into account, the information you thought was necessary, how you went about collecting it and how you weighed up the evidence in reaching the decision.

PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH

• Although ProR has much in common with the Personal Research it is carried out in a broader and more public context and so is expected to conform to standards which are understood and recognized by others in the professional field.

– Characterised by being rigorous and systematic– Pursued by employing appropriate research methods– Culminates in a report of some kind– Needs to conform the accepted standards

DEFINING RESEARCH

Research is a systematic enquiry which is reported in a form which allows the research methods and the outcomes to be accessible to others.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• Research is concerned with seeking solutions to problems or answers to questions.

– Problem or question constitutes the research topic– Identifying a topic which is worthy of enquiry and then formulating

a meaningful research question(s) are the most difficult parts of the research

– “An answer is only as good as the question”– A poorly constructed or vague question can only result in a poor

or useless answer

QUESTIONS

• Usually begin with:• What is ...?• To what extent ...?• Does the ...?

• Meaningful and non-meaningful questions

– A MRQ is one which is expressed in such a way that it indicates what it is that you will accept as an answer: “How high is the Minarets of Faisal Mosque Islamabad?”

MRQS

• Height is a measurable variable—the Q implies that the answer would be a quantification or measure—in feet or metres or any unit of measurement

“To what extent is the frequency of library visits by the MA English students related to their performance in the examinations?”

• A number of factors need to be taken into account in a question like this—the expected answer would be a statistical factor

“What factors led to the separation of East and West Pakistan?”

FACTORS

Social factors :– Population growth– Increase in industrialisation– Urbanization– Rise in social unrestEconomic factors Increase in governmental responsibility Increase in urban povertyGeographical factors

Linguistic factors

ACTIVITY 2

1. Write out three meaningful questions, one which involves a measure, one which involves relationship between two factors and one which involves possible causes of an event.

2. Ask two of your fellow students to read the questions and tell you what kinds of answers they would expect.

3. Did what they say agree with what you intended?

NON-MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS

NMRQs in research terms are those which are not answerable as a result of enquiry alone. These include metaphysical qs. e.g. “Is there life after death?”

Or Judgemental Qs:“Was DNA a more important discovery than penicillin?”

LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH

Feasibility and practicability

Thoroughness of method and reliability of outcomes

Research is concerned with “what is” and sometimes “what might be” –it cannot determine “what ought to be”

Description and explanation

Not the expression of personal beliefs, opinions and views

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is acceptable to put forward recommendations for future practice on the basis of the evidence presented and conclusions reached, but such recommendations or speculations are, in themselves, not part of the reesearch.

DRAWING UP YOUR PROPOSAL

Abstract Introduction Research question Gaps in the current knowledge Boundaries Theoretical perspectives/literature survey Conceptual framework Methodologies and methods

CONT.

Research design – design of study-Decide on methods and vehicles-Decide on timeline-Decide on population/primary sources-Decide on data collection and analysis

Ethical considerations Outline plan of study Justification for the level of the award Bibliography – primary references