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ScientificMethod Part II HCMUT-HCMUNS v2
ScientificMethod Part II HCMUT-HCMUNS v2
ScientificMethod Part II HCMUT-HCMUNS v2
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Contents
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First Step
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Formulating a Problem
Bibliographic ∃ literature
Search
or public ?
Finalized Problem
Research Planning BK
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Problem Formulation
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Developing Creativity
Lateral Thinking:
Search in the falsified domains,
Negation of a norm or standard that has been accepted as an evidence,
Find a replacing solution to the negation.
Example: « restaurant - menu »
Menu-less Restaurant
What are the replacing solutions?
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Exercise
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Formulating a Problem
Bibliographic ∃ literature
Search
or public ?
Finalized Problem
Research Planning BK
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Constraints
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Hypothesis
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Declarative
Expresses the relations between variables that investigators expect to
converge.
e.g., «There’s significant increase in the consumption of a car using
multi-viscosity oil comparing with those using mono-viscosity oil. »
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Interrogative:
Under the form of questions, the hypothesis interrogates about the the
possible possible between experimental variables.
More natural for beginners,
Example : «Is there any significant increase in the consumption …. ? »
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Validity of a hypothesis
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Results of a Hypothesis
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Testability of a Hypothesis
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Several ways in which researchers often gain some insight into their
topic when beginning:
Draft a brief title for the study: initial hypothesis or “working title;” Tracking
evolution of hypothesis or working title.
Another strategy for topic development is to pose the topic as a brief question
(interrogative form of hypothesis).
Newtonian approach - Practical recommendation:
Write down “My study is about …” ; Avoid complex and erudite language.
Consider a title no longer than 12 words, eliminate most articles and prepositions,
and make sure that it includes the focus of the key topic of the study.
Wordings in “hypothesis” or “working title” must be defined
Process of defining the terms leads to literature review.
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Literature Review
Bibliographic Search
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Bibliographic Research
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Step 5: For each selected document, write maximum 10 lines to describe what
you have understood from your reading, e.g. your understanding about its
contribution to the related research topic.
Step 6: Designing a “literature map,” a visual picture of the research literature
on the topic. This map provides a useful organizing device for positioning
your research within the larger body of the literature on the topic.
Step 7: At the same time with (6), beginning to draft summaries of the most
relevant articles using the results in (5). These summaries are combined
into the final literature review for the research proposal. Make sure to
include precise references.
Step 8: Discussing with peers and supervisors about your research; either
reiterate the process or finally, assemble the literature review in which the
literature is organized or structured by its addressed concepts. Ending with
a summary of major themes found before suggesting further needed
research along the lines of your research topic.
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AUTHORSHIP
Is the author a well-known authority?
If not, is the author’s work cited approvingly by a known authority?
If not, can you find bibliographical information that would validate the author’s
credentials?
PUBLISHING BODY
Who sponsors the web site?
Is the site linked to a respected organization? Information that exists only on a
personal website should be considered highly suspect.
POINT OF VIEW
Does the organization sponsoring the website have a point of view?
Note: Information provided by corporations should be considered advertisements.
Be especially wary of information provided by advocacy groups.
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Critical Evaluation
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Decision Criteria
Primary Criterion:
Personal Interests: research topic must stimulate imagination,
creativity. The researcher must “be in.”
Size of the study: research topic must be manageable.
Competence / qualification of the «research team»
Potentiality for original contribution.
Mastering of the domains related to the research topic.
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Decision Criteria
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Research Proposal
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Premier Step
« The difference between a trivial project and the significant project is not
the amount of work required to carry it out, but the amount of thought
that you apply in the selection and definition of your problem. »
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Hypothesis
Hypothesis:
Is the central component of a research.
Expresses the objective of a research.
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Planning
Research Planning:
To evaluate several aspects before and during the research
process:
Obligating researcher to cite or refine the ideas or thoughts
supporting the research hypothesis and the relationships between
different components of the research topic.
Allowing observers to criticize and to provide suggestions that may
enhance the design of experiments.
Governing the researcher’s activities and guaranteeing the
inclusion of appropriate procedures to different stages of the
research.
Providing a «baseline» with which the researcher evaluates the
completion and the validity of the project.
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Truth
The scientist is concerned with the expansion of human knowledge,the
deepening of human understanding of its aspects, and the
enhancement of human ability to exploit this knowledge for the
achievement of goals vital to humanity, or having social merit.
The scientist served these goals, in every branch of science, by acting
in accordance with methods of scientific research in each branch, and
the rules of conduct in the scientific community in general.
Freedom
The scientist undertakes the obligation to comply with practical
restrictions imposed upon freedom of scientific research for the
adequate safeguarding of human life, welfare, dignity.
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Responsibility
Responsibility
The scientist bears full responsibility for every scientific research or
experiment he/she conducts, particularly with regards to its direct effect on
human lives and on human physical and mental health, welfare, dignity and
liberty.
The scientist bears special responsibility for such direct effects upon those
participating as patients or subjects, in scientific research or
experimentation.
The scientist pays real heed to considerations regarding the very need to
use animals in planned or conducted research and experimentation, and to
considerations regarding the lives and welfare of the animals being used.
The scientist acts out of a sense of responsibility, on grounds of which they
constantly take into account in the knowledge that the results of his/her
research may be used to attain goals within a wide range, from the beneficial
to humanity to the the criminal and abhorrent.
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Integrity
Integrity
The scientist performs every scientific act in accordance will all of the
requirements of the scientific method within the framework of which
he/she works, and at the highest standards.
The scientist analyzes data and, generalizations, experiments and
theories, whether his/her own or another’s, equitably, and within the
requisite scope, depth and precision.
The scientist presents his/her data in full, precisely, frankly, and fairly.
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Collaboration
Collaboration
Acts within a universal framework of scientific collaboration, based on
the shared scientific goals.
Fosters scientific collaboration by maintaining an atmosphere of
openness, mutual assistance and trust among scientists, their
assistants and students.
Merits individual, collective and institutional credit and may possess
pursuant rights to intellectual property, for scientific achievements to
which he/she has made a unique or significant contribution.
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Professionalism
Professionalism
Engages in his/her scientific pursuits in a wholly professional manner,
making judicious and continual use of the special knowledge, particular
to his/her area of expertise.
Strives to keep abreast of developments in his/her area of expertise and
in every area of knowledge pertinent to his/her work.
Draws practical contributions in the field of ethics of scientific research
from the values and principles of scientific research.
Imparts values and principles of Scientific research to all those
conducting research or experiment under his/her supervision,
particularly to students in every course of study serving to prepare them
for professional activity within the scientific community.
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Information to convey:
Background information to propose a framework of the research so
that readers can understand how it is related to other research.
Settings the issue or concern leading to the research.
Suggested Model
From Creswell, 2002, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches. 2nd Edition, Sage Publications, CA, USA.
1. The research problem,
2. The studies that have addressed the problem,
3. The deficiencies in the studies,
4. The importance of the study for an audience, and
5. The purpose statement. (important stuff!!)
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Assignment
Classroom discussion !!
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Purpose Statements
Advices:
Use words such as “purpose,” “intent,” “objective,” “aims,” to signal attention to
this statement as the central controlling idea in a study.
Focus on a single phenomenon, concept or idea. Don’t be too ambitious!! In
sciences, we’d better do well on one focused topic than flying over several
ones.
Use action verbs to convey how learning will take place. Action verbs and
phrases, such as “describe,” “understand,” “develop,” “examining the meaning
of,” or “discover,” “uncover,” etc. keep the inquiry open and convey an
emerging design.
Some professors suggest the use of “scripts.” I do not!
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