Researchtopic lec3

It is important that you select a topic of interest to you:

Researching will be more fun

Audience will be interested if you are enthusiastic about your topic.

Choosing an interesting topicWhen looking for a topic consider: that it is a

This means you are adding a new angle or dimension to what already exists or discover something completely new.

Re+ Search

Knowledge gap Solving a Problem

Criteria for selecting a topic:

What should be my area of investigation? Why do I want to investigate it? How will this topic appeal to my readers’/listeners’

interests? Will I be able to offer a new perspective on this topic? Choose a subject of some significance. A subject of

lasting interest will be challenging and gratifying to pursue. You will be spending a great deal of time and effort on this so make sure it's of value.

STAGE 1THINKING

ABOUT THE TOPIC

Thinking

We start in a general way, by thinking in broad terms about what the area of my topic is. Does it consists of the various areas which might deserve investigation. Example:“I want to do a research in translation.”

TheoriesPractices Problems

Strategies

How to do it:

• Choose one area and investigate.• Discuss with colleagues the questions

relating to that area. • Identify in your discussion aspects of your

choice which might deserve closer examination and which could form a general theme for your research.

STAGE 2JUSTIFYING YOUR CHOICEWHY DO I WANT TO INVESTIGATE IT?

A well-justified topic is one which: •will contribute to local, national or even international understanding• will be useful for your own professional development• you are interested in (even if you do not know a great deal about it) and want to have an in-depth study and present interesting facts.

How to do it:• Scan the quality newspapers and other media for news

and comment about the issue. • Quick-read a couple of recently published books or

journal articles about it to see what issues are examined, or (even better) which are recommended ‘for further research’.

• Listen to teachers and other professionals or people involved in the area.

• Use what you learn to refine and adapt your idea for your research topic.

Magazine or

Newspaper Articles

STAGE 3NARROW-DOWN

WHY DO I WANT TO INVESTIGATE IT?

The final stage of choosing a topic is to sharpen the focus of your choice, so you can investigate a precise issue in depth.

• Topic of your research should be neither too general nor too specific.

• If it is too general you will be flooded with information, will lose focus and will have a lot of work thus making your research difficult. Example: Arabic- English

Translation • If it is too narrow, you may not get enough information

on the topic, will be frustrated and your research will lack enough evidences thus making it difficult.Example: Difficulties faced by undergraduate students in Arabic-

English translation with special reference to vocabulary.

STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN ARABIC - ENGLISH TRANSLATION

0RTHE PROBLEM OF VOCABULARY

IN ARABIC-ENGLISH TRANSLATION

So an ideal topic would be:

Some Strategies to Help Focus Your Topic

Aspect -- choose one lens through which to view the research problem, or look at just one facet of it [e.g., rather than studying the role of food in Culture and Tradition in Asian countries; study different types of food in Japan, or, the role of one particular type of food among in Asian countries].Components -- determine if your initial variables or unit of analyses can be broken into smaller parts, which can then be analysed more precisely [e.g., Use of technology in class-rooms can be broken down to use of Smart Boards in class-rooms].

• Place -- the smaller the area of analysis, the more narrow the focus [e.g., rather than study culture of Africa, study the culture of Egypt].

• Relationship -- how do two or more different perspectives or variables relate to one another? [e.g., cause/effect, compare/contrast, contemporary/historical, group/individual, male/female, opinion/reason, problem/solution].

Time -- the shorter the time period, the more narrow the focus.

Type -- focus your topic in terms of a specific type or class of people, places, or things [e.g., a study of traffic patterns near schools can focus only on SUVs, or just student drivers, or just the timing of stoplights in the area].Combination -- use two or more of the above strategies to focus your topic very narrowly.

A Quick - Tip

Apply one of the above first to determine if that gives you a manageable research problem to investigate; combining multiple strategies risks creating the opposite problem--your topic becomes too narrowly defined and you can't locate enough research or data to support your study.

How to do it:• Examine an aspect/age-group/area of the topic• Ask yourself

1. What does the audience most likely know about this subject?

2. What elements are most important to this topic?3. How much can I competently research and

speak in the time I am given to speak?

1. Second Language Acquisition

GENERAL TOPIC:

1. Tooth- Decay

2. Scientists/Mathematicians

3. Mobile Phones

4. Life before Islam

5. Tennis

NARROWED TOPIC:

1.Causes of Tooth Decay

2. Albert Einstein's Impact on the 20th Century

3. Effects of Mobile Phones on Teens

4. Life of women before Islam.

5. The Rise in Popularity of Women's Tennis

NEXT WHAT…?!Got the topic?

STEP 1:• Print the information OUT. Be sure to print

out the information from the website.• I encourage you NOT to copy and paste it into

Microsoft Word because you will lose valuable information, including who wrote it, when it was published, etc. You will need this information when we create our bibliography.

• REMEMBER: The first step is to just get familiar with your topic. You are simply using any search engine to research your topic to see if you are interested in writing about it.

• More serious evaluation and gathering of information from credible sources will take place in the library.

Once I start researching my topic, what do I do with the information?

STEP 2:• YOU MUST READ your

information.• After you have printed out a

valuable piece of information about your topic, highlight important information.

• Decide if this is the topic you want to write your paper on. Don’t be surprised if your opinion changes.

Once I start researching my topic, what do I do with the information?

TOPIC SUMMARYPreparing your

PARAGRAPHS •Paragraph # 1 Introduction•Paragraph # 2 BackgroundWhat information is available and what is missing about the topic (may be divided into more paragraphs)•Paragraph # 3 Justification•The reason behind the research and your aims/objectives•Supporting Evidence (supporting evidence may require the use of more than one paragraph to explain a sub-topic)

•Paragraph # 4 Sub Topic•Supporting Evidence (supporting evidence may require the use of more than one paragraph to explain a sub-topic)

•Paragraph # 5 Conclusion

How will we write the summary once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

Paragraph # 1INTRODUCTION:

How will we write this paper once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

BODY PARAGRAPHS •Paragraph # 2 BackgroundWhat information is available and what is missing about the topic (may be divided into more paragraphs)

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Find an example of published research relating to THE TOPIC.

2. Read it carefully, annotating the text.

How will we write the summary once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

3. Answer these questions:

A) What is the main topic of this research? Why was this topic worth investigating?B) What specific questions did the research try to answer?C) What published material (‘ literature’) has been used to provide the background or context to the topic being researched?D) What methods were used to collect data? Who were involved as participants?E) What does this research report say about validity, reliability and ethics?F)How were data analysed? What findings were produced? G) How might these findings may be informative?

How will we write the summary once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

The most important question to ask:

How will we write the summary once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

(h) What is my/ our opinion of this research? What are its strengths and weaknesses? What criticisms do I/ we have of the investigation? How might it have been improved?

This extra question gives you an opportunity to be analytical and constructively critical.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

How will we write the summary once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

•Paragraph # 3 Justification International: The first option is the broadest of all. Is the topic you are investigating an area of international concern?National: Closer to home, is your topic an area of concern in your own country? Is it discussed by government, educators or even the general public? Does it relate to curriculum or social developments specific to your country?Local: Is this an issue which education professionals in your locality (or even at your anticipated research venue) wish to understand better, or address in their own practice?Professional: This area of justification relates more to your own needs as a developing professional. Will your investigation help you to do your job better or advance your career, or both?

How to dot it

Personal: Lastly, your own interests can provide relevant personal justification for choosing a particular topic. Note that interest is not the same as expertise, so the topic could be an area which you do not know much about. Indeed, this may mean you are more curious and questioning when you carry out your research.

How will we write this paper once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

CONCLUSIONParagraph # 5

• Rephrased Thesis Statement

• Briefly discuss main points (sub-topics) again

• Suggest how your research will make a difference in the field of study that you have chosen.

How will we write this paper once we’ve finished gathering our sources?

Research ProposalAt a later stage you will write a

research proposal which will consist of detailed information related to the

topic. It will have these parts

ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE

Once I start researching my topic, what do I do with the information?

STEP 3:Divide the information in categories.

Once I start researching my topic, what do I do with the information?

Information related to the background 1

Information related to your introduction

Information related to your contribution

Information related to justification

Information related to your background 2

Cell – Phone Culture in Saudi ArabiaClass room - activity

Organizing information in color codes