Introduc)on

 to  research  methods  

Session  1    

Instructor:  Dr.  Nguyen  Thi  Hong  Tham  

Email:  hongthamnguyen@hcmussh.edu.vn  
 
 
•   How  to  define  your  project  
•   How  to  be  an  ethical  researcher  
Reading  texts:  
•  Dawson,  C.  (2009)  Chapters  1  &  13,  pp.  1-­‐13;  
149-­‐158.  
•  Kumar,  R.  (2011),  Chapters  4  &  14.  
 
 What  is  research?  
Ø Research  is  defined  by  Nunan  (1992,  p.  232)  
as    
a  systema/c  process  of  inquiry  consis-ng  of  
three  elements  or  components:    
1.  a  ques-on,  problem  or  hypothesis,    
2. data,  and    
3. analysis  and  interpreta-on  of  data.  
 What  are  the  purposes  of  research?  

1.  To  expand  knowledge  

2.  To  challenge  exisSng  knowledge  
3.  To  confirm  exisSng  knowledge  
4.  To  solve  problems  
5.  To  generate  new  quesSons  
 The  research  process  
•  Phase  1:  Deciding  what  to  research  
–  Step  1:  Formula-ng  a  research  problem  
•  Phase  2:  Planning  a  research  study  
–  Step  2:  Conceptualizing  a  research  design  
–  Step  3:  Construc-ng  an  instrument  for  data  collec-on  
–  Step  4:  Selec-ng  a  sample  
–  Step  5:  Wri-ng  a  research  proposal  
•  Phase  3:  Conduc)ng  a  research  study  
–  Step  6:  Collec-ng  data  
–  Step  7:  Processing  and  displaying  data  
–  Step  8:  Wri-ng  a  research  report  
 1.  How  to  define  your  project  
Dawson,  C.  (2009)  Chapter  1  

1.1.  Asking  ques)ons  

1.2.Thinking  about  your  research    
1.3.Understanding  the  five  “Ws”  
1.4.  Summarizing  your  research  in  one  
sentence  
 1.1.Asking  ques)ons  

1.  Why  have  I  decided  to  do  some  research?    

2.  How  can  I  remain  interested  in  my  research?  
3.  How  do  I  choose  a  research  method?    
4.  What  personal  characteris)cs  do  I  have  which  
might  help  me  to  complete  my  research?  
5.  What  skills  and  experience  do  I  have  
which  might  help  in  my  research?  
 
 
 
 1.2.  Thinking  about  your  project  
•  It  is  extremely  important  to  spend  )me  
thinking  about  your  project  before  you  move  
on  to  the  planning  stage.  
•   Through  careful  thought  you  should  stop  
yourself  was)ng  )me  and  energy  on  
inappropriate  methods  as  your  research  
progresses.    
 1.3.  Understanding  the  five  “Ws”  

1.  What  is  my  research?  

2.  Why  do  I  want  to  do  the  research?  
3.  Who  are  my  research  parScipants?  
4.  Where  am  I  going  to  do  the  research?    
5.  When  am  I  going  to  do  the  research?    
 1.4.  Summarizing  your  research  

•  Once  you  have  thought  about  these  five  ‘Ws’,  

try  to  sum  up  your  proposed  project  in  one  
sentence.    
•  Discuss  your  sentence  with  your  tutor  and  
revise  if  there  is  any  confusion.    
 2.  Formula)ng  a  research  problem  
Kumar,  R.  (2011)  Chapter  4    
2.1.  What  is  a  research  problem?    

•  The  focus  of  a  research  inves)ga)on.  

•  Any  ques)on  that  you  want  answered  or  
asser)on  that  you  want  to  challenge  or  
inves)gate.  
•  Remember:  Not  all  ques)ons  can  be  
transformed  into  a  research  problem.  
 2.2.  The  importance  of  formula)ng  a  
research  problem  
•  Formula)ng  a  research  problem  is  the  first  
and  most  important  step  of  the  research  
process.  

•  The  research  problem  serves  as  the  

founda)on  of  a  research  study:  If  it  is  well  
formulated,  you  can  have  a  good  study.  
 2.3.  Sources  of  research  problems  
 
•  People  
•  Problems  
•  Programmes  
•  Phenomena  
Table  4.1.  Aspects  of  a  research  problem    
2.4.  Considera)ons  in  selec)ng  a  research  
problem  
•  Interest:    
 
–  Interest  should  be  the  most  important  
considera)on  in  selecSng  a  research  problem.    
–  If  you  select  a  topic  which  does  not  greatly  
interest  you,  it  could  be  extremely  difficult  to  
sustain  the  required  mo)va)on  and  put  in  
enough  )me  and  energy  to  complete  it.  
•  Magnitude:    
 
–  You  should  have  sufficient  knowledge  about  
the  research  process  to  be  able  to  visualize  
the  work  involved  in  compleSng  the  proposed  
study.  
–  Narrow  down  the  topic  to  something  
manageable,  specific  and  clear.  
•  Measurement  of  concepts:  If  you  are  using  
a  concept  in  your  study  (in  quanStaSve  
studies),  make  sure  that  you  are  clear  about  
its  indicators  and  their  measurement.  

•  Level  of  exper)se:  Make  sure  that  you  have  

an  adequate  level  of  exper)se  for  the  task  
you  are  proposing.  
•  Relevance:    
–  Select  a  topic  that  is  of  relevance  to  you  as  a  
professional.  
–  Ensure  that  your  study  adds  to  the  exis)ng  
body  of  knowledge,  bridges  current  gaps  or  is  
useful  in  policy  formula)on.  
•  Ethical  issues:  
How  ethical  issues  can  affect  the  study  
popula)on  and  how  ethical  problems  can  
be  overcome  should  be  thoroughly  
examined  at  the  problem-­‐formulaSon  stage.  
•   Availability  of  data:    
If  your  topic  entails  collecSon  of  informaSon  
from  secondary  sources  (office  records,  client  
records,  census  or  other  already-­‐published  
reports,  etc.)  make  sure  that  this  data  is  
available  and  in  the  format  you  want  before  
finalizing  your  topic.  
 2.5.  Steps  in  formula)ng  a  research  problem  

•  Step  1:  Iden)fy  a  broad  field  or  subject  area  

of  interest  to  you.  
•  Step  2:  Dissect  the  broad  area  into  subareas  
•  Step  3:  Select  what  is  of  most  interest  to  you  
•  Step  4:  Raise  research  ques)ons  
•  Step  5:  Formulate  objec)ves  
•  Step  6:  Assess  your  objec)ves  
•  Step  7:  Double-­‐check  
 The  formula)on  of  research  objec)ves    

•  ObjecSves  should  be  listed  under  two  headings:  

–  Main  objec)ves:  The  main  objecSve  is  an  overall  
statement  of  the  thrust  of  your  study.    It  is  also  a  
statement  of  the  main  associa)ons  and  rela)onships  
that  you  seek  to  discover  or  establish.  
–  Subobjec)ves:  are  the  specific  aspects  of  the  topic  
that  you  want  to  invesSgate  within  the  main  
framework  of  your  study.  
•  (Please  read  the  examples  in  the  textbook  by  
Kumar,  Chapter  4)  
Figure  4.5  Characteris)cs  of  objec)ves  
 The  study  popula)on  

•  The  study  popula)on  means  the  people  from  

whom  you  get  the  required  informa)on  to  
answer  your  research  ques)ons.  
 Establishing  opera)onal  defini)ons  

•  The  term  “Working  defini)ons”  or  

“opera)onal  defini)ons”:      
means  when  you  define  concepts  that  you  plan  
to  use  either  in  your  research  problem  and/or  
in  iden)fying  the  study  popula)on  in  a  
measurable  form.    
 Table  4.2  Opera)onalisa)on  of  
concepts  and  the  study  popula)ons  
 The  differences  in  formula)ng  a  research  problem  in  
qualita)ve  and  quan)ta)ve  research  

Quan)ta)ve  research   Qualita)ve  research  

   
-­‐Researchers  try  to    be  as  specific  as   -­‐Researchers  try  to  maintain  flexibility,  
possible  in  terms  of  scope,  methods  and   openness  and  freedom  to  include  any  
framework.   new  ideas  or  exclude  any  aspect  that  
  they  iniSally  included  but  later  consider  
  not  to  be  relevant.  At  the  iniSal  stage,  
  researchers  may  only  idenSfy  the  main  
  aims  of  the  study  and  some  specific  
  aspects  that  they  want  to  find  out  about.  
   
-­‐The  research  problem  is  stated  before   The  research  problem  and  data  
data  collec)on   collec)on  strategies  are  reformulated  as  
  necessary    ader  the  researchers  have  
  begun  the  data  collecSon.  
3.  How  to  be  an  ethical  researcher
3.1.Treating participants with respect
Ø  Anonymity  and  confiden-ality:  You  must  do  your  best  to  ensure  
anonymity  and  confidenSality.  
 
3.2.  Recognising  overt  and  covert  research    

Ø  Overt  research  means  that  it  is  open,  out  in  the  public  and  that  
everyone  knows  who  you  are  and  what  you  are  doing.  Researchers  
should  be  open  and  honest  about  who  they  are  and  what  they’re  
doing.    
 
Ø  Covert  research  means  that  you  are  doing  it  under  cover,  that  no  
one  knows  you  are  a  researcher  or  what  you  are  doing.  Covert  
research  should  be  kept  to  a  minimum.
3.3. Introducing yourself: produce a leaflet/cover
letter which contains the following information:
Ø Details  of  who  you  are  (student  and  course  or  
employee  and  position).
Ø Details  of  the  organisaSon  for  which  you  work  or  at  
which  you  study.
Ø InformaSon  about  who  has  commissioned/funded  the  
research, if relevant.
Ø   InformaSon  about  your  project  –  subject  and  purpose.  
Ø   Details  about  what  will  happen  to  the  results.  
Ø   InformaSon  about  the  personal  benefits  to  be  gained  
by  taking  part in the project.
3.4.  Producing  a  code  of  ethics.  The  Code  of  Ethics:  
Ø   supplies  them  with  details  about  what  you  intend  
to  do  with  the  informaSon  they  give,  
Ø shows  that  you  intend  to  treat  both  them  and  the  
informaSon  with  respect  and  honesty.  
Ø includes  the  following  issues:  
§  Anonymity  
§  Confidentiality  
§  Right to comment  
§  The final report  
§  Data Protection
(See figure 6, p. 156).