UVW 312: English for Technical

Communication
WEEK 3

Instructor:
FATEN KHALIDA BINTI KHALID

Centre for International Languages (CIL).

Semester 2, 2019/2020.
GATHERING INFORMATION

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

 What is research?

RESEARCH = the process of collecting

information/data from varied sources for
use in the report.

When we do a research, it will involve

PRIMARY and SECONDARY research.
A good researchers usually combines both
primary and secondary method.
 Primary Research
• A new research. (My own research)
• The information is generated by you yourself.
• The information are obtain directly from the source
through interviews, surveys, observations and
experiments.
 Secondary Research
• A “desk research”. (People’s research)

• Information obtained SECOND HAND by READING.

• Data (information and ideas) produced based on the findings

from other people’s research.

• A secondary research interprets and analyzes primary

sources of information.

• The information can be obtained from books, websites,

articles from newspaper/magazines, etc.
When conducting a research…
• Start with SECONDARY sources.
• Why?
• To give general overviews and useful
background information.
• Help researchers to understand what is
already known about the topic.
• A problem solver may even learn that
someone has already discovered a solution.
• Secondary sources are usually easier and less
expensive to consult than primary sources.
 SECONDARY SOURCES
WEB-BASED SECONDARY TRADITIONAL SECONDARY
SOURCES SOURCES
General commercial, Books and periodicals
organizational and academic Reference works
websites. Bibliographies
Online news and magazines Encyclopedias
Blogs Dictionaries
Internet forums and discussion Handbooks
groups Abstracts
E-libraries
Periodical databases (Science
Direct, ProQuest, Sage
Publication, etc.)
 Google
• The most used search engine on the World
Wide Web (www.)
• Google search:
• Help to brainstorm ideas.
• Develop approaches to get started. (WHAT has been
said / available about this topic?)

•How do you find reliable sources using

Google?
 Wikipedia

•What I Know Is
• Popular online encyclopedia.
• The content – can be provided and edited by
everyone.
• Provide good starting point, but the content may
not be entirely accurate.
• Helps to locate other sources.
Guidelines for Researching on
the Internet.
1. Expect limited results from any one search
engine or subject directory.
– Google vs. Yahoo
2. Type key words or search phrases that are
varied and technical (be specific)
3. Look beyond the styles of the sites.
4. Materials should be updated. ( 5 years before
ONLY)
5. Asses the author’s credentials.
6. Save and print the materials before it changes
or disappears. (IMPORTANT FOR CITATION!)
 Primary Sources
• Primary research methods:
– Unsolicited inquiries
– Informational interviews
– Surveys
– Observations or experiments.
 Unsolicited Inquiries

• Letters, phone calls, or email inquiries to experts

listed in webpage who can CLARIFY or
SUPPLEMENT information which you already
have.
 Informational Interviews
• Advantages:
– Access to experts’ facts, opinions and attitudes to any
topic/ issue that you may not find any other way.
– Lead to original and unpublished material.
– Interviewee may refer you to other experts or
sources.
• Disadvantage:
– Experts’ opinion are not always reliable. (biased)
Guidelines for interviews.
1. Know what information do you want from each
interviewee.
2. Make an appointment to request an interview. Ask
the respondent in advance for a convenient time to
conduct the interview.
3. Do your homework. Make sure the information this
person might provide is unavailable in print.
4. Plan and write your questions.
5. Conduct the interview in a competent and
courteous manner.
 Surveys
• Survey is a method for gathering facts, beliefs,
attitudes and opinions from a group of
people.
• Tool for survey: Questionnaire
Survey can be conducted:
i. In person
ii. By telephone
iii.Via the Internet
 Observation
• WHAT do you observe?
• You need to be careful when gathering data
through observation.
• Observers may be biased, or the subject may
act differently if they know they are being
studied.
 Experiment
• A controlled form of observation.
• What do you test about when doing an
experiment?
– To verify or proof assumption.
– To test something untried.
• Observation and experiment are NOT
FOOLPROOF.