What is a blog? 7. Ignore sponsored sites selling products.

8. Use any shortcuts that let you view the website

 A regularly updated website or webpage, typically
run by an individual or a small group, written in an
informal or conversational style.
 an online journal located on a website
 May include text, pictures, videos, animated GIFs
etc.
Reasons for Blogging
 to have a venue for personal outlet of thoughts
 to increase search engine optimization
 to earn a living
Other Reasons for Blogging
• to deliver valuable information and news to other
people on the internet
• to promote one’s self
• to connect with like-minded people
• to gain knowledge
• to find a better job
• to improve writing skills
before hitting the link.
Key points to remember:
• Don’t assume that the top spot on a list of websites
provided by a search engine is an indication of the
site’s quality.
• If the website you choose uses emotionally charged
language switch to a different site.
• It would be better to compare two to three different
sites on the same topic.
The Research Introduction
• leads the reader from a general subject area to a
particular topic of inquiry
• establishes the scope, context and significance of
the research being conducted
• summarizes current understanding and background
information about the topic
Contents of a Research Introduction

What are online articles? • Research problem

• Purpose of the Study
• These are either scholarly or feature articles • Brief explanation on the planned research method
accessed online, through websites or mobile • Outline of the structure and organization of the
applications. paper

Characteristics of Scholarly Articles An introduction answers the following questions:

• They contain an abstract before the main article. • • What was the researcher studying?
• They contain graphs and charts (it has only a few • Why was the topic important to investigate?
glossy photos). • • What was known about the topic before the
• They always cite references. • researcher investigated?
• They are written by scholars who are experts in the • How will the study advance new knowledge or new
field. • ways of understanding?
• They use formal language and technical terms. •
• Their purpose is to make their research results public Three overarching goals of a good introduction
through publication.
1. Ensure that the prior studies about the topic are
• Most of them are published by specific professional
summarized in a manner that lays a foundation for
organizations.
understanding the research problem.
Pointers on Choosing a Website for Research and Academic 2. Explain how the study addresses gaps in the
Purposes literature, insufficient consideration of the topic, or
other deficiency in the literature.
1. Give your search term a sharp focus. 3. Note the broader theoretical, empirical, and/or
2. Be selective. policy contributions and implications of the research
3. Check for relevance.
4. Review the language.
5. Stay focused on your topic.
6. Skip sites referring to documents.
5 Components of the Research Paper Introduction • may contain less background information since the
sponsor already knows it
1. Established problem or issue of the research • may have restricted access
2. Overview of existing thinking about the research • classified and export controlled reports
problem • may contain obscure acronyms and codes as part of
3. Identified gaps, problems and unresolved issues in identifying information
the topic of the research
4. Research question, hypothesis, and knowledge claim Types of Technical Reports
5. Value and relevance of research.
• Technical-background report
Knowledge Claims used in Research Introductions • Instructions
• Feasibility, recommendation, and evaluation reports
• Inquisitive Thesis – shows that the subject in • Primary research report
question is “important, curious, or otherwise • Technical specifications
interesting.” • Report-length proposal
• Paradoxical Thesis – focuses on the way in which • Business prospectus
your research will go against what is commonly
believed in the field. This form of introduction General Characteristics of Technical Reports •
searches for unlikely perspectives on the subject.
• Corrective Thesis – shows that the subject has been • Graphics
neglected, misunderstood, or misrepresented by • Factual detail
others. This approach addresses the pre-conceptions • Information sources
of readers that the subject is trite or hackneyed • Documentation
• Realistic audience and situation
What is a Technical Report? • Headings and lists
• Special format
• A document written by a researcher detailing the • Production
results of a project and submitted to the sponsor of • Length
that project. • Technical content
• Provides information on process, progress or results
of projects, research, and activities of the Research Abstract
organization or institution or department.
• Its primary function is to give an official statement of • one-paragraph summary of a research project
research findings to sponsors or employers • it must state:
o the overall purpose of the study and the
Categories of Technical Reports research problem(s) investigated;
o the basic design of the study;
• Academic - reports are sometimes available on the
o major findings or trends found as a result of
departmental website
your analysis; and,
• Government - received government funding and are
o A brief summary of your interpretations and
publicly available
conclusions.
• Corporate - produced by corporate research and
development. Are usually available on the Contents of a Research Abstract
organization/ corporation website
• Introduction
Characteristics of Technical Reports • overall topic
• background knowledge to understand the research
• May contain data, design criteria, procedures,
• Statement of the hypothesis or purpose
literature reviews, research history, detailed tables,
• Brief description of the approach
illustrations/images, explanation of approaches that
• Concise description of results
were unsuccessful.
• Conclusion
• May be published before the corresponding journal
• Note: an abstract should be a stand-alone
literature; may have more or different details than
document
its subsequent journal article.
Types of Abstracts Common Mistakes of Research Writers

• Critical • does not clearly relate the findings of the literature

• Descriptive
• Informative
• Highlight
Never cite just the abstract. Read the research/ whole article
before citing.
Literature Review
• Conveys to the reader the existing knowledge and
ideas on the research topic, and the strengths and
weaknesses of these texts / experiments / studies.
• should be clearly organized in response to the focus
of the research
• should not just be a descriptive list or a set of
summaries, but an evaluation of the scholarship
already produced that provides a context to the
research
Purpose of Literature Review
review to the research problem;
• does not take sufficient time to define and identify
the most relevant sources to use in the literature
review related to the research problem;
• relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources
rather than including primary research studies or
data;
• uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and
interpretations as valid, rather than examining
critically all aspects of the research design and
analysis;
• does not describe the search procedures that were
used in the literature review; reports isolated
statistical results rather than synthesizing them in
chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
• Only includes research that validates assumptions
and does not consider contrary findings and
alternative interpretations found in the literature.

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to

the understanding of the research problem being
studied,
• Describe the relationship of each work to the others
under consideration,
• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any
gaps in previous research,
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory
previous studies,
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent
duplication of effort,
• Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional
research, and
• Locate your own research within the context of
existing literature.

Types of Literature Review

• Argumentative
• Integrative
• Historical
• Methodological
• Systematic
• Theoretical