Research Methods

Instructor: Huang Yu-hsiu

Course scheduleWeek Topics1. Introduction to the course A. Why learning research methods? B. What is research C. What will we learn from the course?2. Approaches to research:

– Action research– Case study – The ethnographic style– Surveys– The experimental style– Narrative inquiry

3. Planning the project4. Negotiating access, ethics and the problems of ‘inside’ research5. Keeping records, making notes and locating libraries6. Finding and searching information sources7. The literature review8. The literature review 9. Mid-term (group presentation)10. Selecting methods of data collection (The analysis of documentary evidence)11. Designing and administering questionnaires12. Planning and conducting interviews13. Diaries14. Observation studies15. Interpreting and presentation of the evidence16. Writing the report17. Group presentation18. Group presentation

• Why taking a course of research method?

• What is research?

• What will we learn from the course?

What is research?

• Research, like experience and reasoning, is one of the means human beings use to explore the truth of the world around them (Cohen et al, 2000).

• Most people associate the word ‘research’ with activities which are substantially removed from day-to-day life and which are pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment.

• There is of course a good deal of truth in this viewpoint, but we would argue that the pursuit is not restricted to this type of person and in deed can prove to be a stimulating and satisfying experience for many people with a trained and enquiring mind.

• Research is conducted to solve problems and to expand knowledge.

• Research is a systematic way of asking questions, a systematic method of enquiry (Drew, 1980)

• Research is seeking through methodical processes to add to one’s own body of knowledge and, hopefully, to that of others, by the discovery of non-trivial facts and insights. (Howard and Sharp, 1983)

• Research refers to the process of obtaining and analyzing information data.

• As Kerlinger defined it: research is the ‘the systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena’ (in Cohen et al, 2000).

• Mouly defined it thus: ‘Research is best conceived as the process of arriving at dependable solutions to problems through the planned and systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.

• It is a most important tool for advancing knowledge, for promoting progress, and for enabling man [sic] to relate more effectively to his environment, to accomplish his purposes, and to resolve his conflicts’ (Mouly, 1978, quoted by Cohen et al., 2000).

Why do we learn about doing research?

The new age and the status of researchers

• Aside from the intrinsic satisfaction associated with the process of discovering, learning how to conduct research has its instrumental values in the new age.

• Informationalism, coined by Castells (1996), is the new term used to describe the trends of the rapid changing socioeconomic, technological developments, and the new stage of global capitalism which emerged with the development of computer technology and telecommunications in the 1970s.

• The rise of the network society from the past industrial societies to a post-industrialised economic order is based on a globally interdependent manufacturing and locally distributing economic and power system, with the application of science, information, and technology to manage productivity and economic growth (Castells, 1996, Warschauer, 2000).

• The rising network society is characterised by the globalization of strategically decisive economic activities. By the networking form of organisation. By the flexibility and instability of work, and the individualisation of labour. By a culture of real virtuality constructed by a pervasive, interconnected and diversified media system. And by the transformation of materials foundation of life, and space and time… (Castells, 1997, p.1)

• The impact of informationalism on people’s world and lives is being shaped by the contradiction between globalisation and identity. People’s lives are affected by powerful global networks via ‘financial markets, transnational corporations, and the Internet’ (Warschauer, 2000, p.512). Yet at the same time they face struggles for local identity (‘the traditional seats of authority and meaning’—family, patriarchy, and nation) (Castells, 1997; Warschauer, 2000, p.512).

• The impact of the powerful global networks is that they have made the ‘lingua franca’ or the ‘international language’ necessary for economic, cultural, scientific exchanges.

• Informationalism, which leads to new economic and employment trends, also made new requirements for people at work.

• Economic and employment trends• Castells (1996) reports that the impact of technology development

on work and employment is that as the advanced industrialized societies shifted their economic activity from goods production to service and information industries, there has been a growth in jobs requiring information-processing and analytic skills. In countries where manufacturing industry is growing, their production, marketing and distribution services are also increasingly mediated through the application of technology and information management (Castell, 1996; Warschauer, 2000)

• Reich (1991) categorised employees in the developed countries into three categories:

– Routine-production service workers (factory workers, routine information workers, data processors, payroll clerks)

– In-person service workers (hospital attendants, taxi drivers)– Symbolic analysts (software engineers, management consultants, strategic

planners, lawyers, real estate developers, and research scientists) (quoted in Warschauer, 2000, p.517-518)

• It is pointed out that symbolic analysts have an important role in helping their societies compete in the international economy in the age of informationalism.

• Therefore, the education of symbolic analysts and development of higher levels of skills have become essential in many countries (Castells, 1996; Warschauer, 2000, p. 518).

• The new skills required of them include ‘critical analysis, evaluation, experimentation, collaboration, communication, abstraction, system thinking, and persuasion’ (Warschauer, 2000, p.518). They are also required to use English to communicate and collaborate at a highly sophisticated level with people around the world. New tasks for symbolic analysts will be ‘to write persuasively, critically interpret and analyze information, and carry out complex negotiations and collaboration in English’ (p.518).

• However, these skills in English may not normally be developed in most English classes and it is suggested that teachers will have to find new project-based approaches to give students the opportunity to learn and practise these skills in English (Warschauer, 2000).

What will we learn from the course?

• How to conduct research?• How to find out relevant information?• How to formulate a research question?• Different types of research: qualitative and

quantitative• Social and educational research strategies and

methods: focus group, interview, diary studies, observation, questionnaire, document

• How to write up a research paper (in English)?

Process of conducting research

1. Select a topic

2. Identify the objectives of your study

3. Plan and design a suitable methodology

4. Devise research instruments

5. Negotiate access to institutions, materials and people

6. Collect, analyze and present information

7. Produce a well written report or dissertation