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Tutor assessed exercise : Air Power studies

NO 90 SENIOR COMMAND & STAFF COURSE

PHASE-I
CORRESPONDENCE COMPONENT

Submitted By: Squadron Leader Talat Hayat Khan

Pak No : 14115
Student No: 90/
Directorate of Security Air Headquarters, Islamabad
07 November, 2021
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Index

S No Questions Page No
How can you explain Problem Statement in a Research paper? Give a
1 2
brief account of the characteristics of a Problem Statement
Define Cohesiveness and Cohesion in the context of written
2 4
expressions. Explain them as the important tools for effective writing
Planning, Preparation, Practice and Presentation are known as the four
3 5
P’s in public speaking. Explain them in detail
Write short notes on the following: Building, Words and their placement,
4 7
Critical Thinking
Literature review is the overview of previously published works on a
5 9
specific topic. How can we write Literature review in a research study?

6 Give meaning of the following words and use them in suitable sentences 11

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I bow down my head in absolute humility and total submission to Almighty Allah for
granting me an opportunity to serve in one of the most respected organization of Pakistan. At
this juncture of my service I am honored to undergo Senior Command & Staff Course. I
would like to extend my utmost gratitude to my sponsor DS for sparing precious time,
relentless guidance and helping me out at moments whenever I found myself lost and
Myopic. In the same context I would like to acknowledge the faculty of Air War College for
their guidance and help in exploring the new facets of this research. Last but not the least I
am grateful to my family for understanding my official commitments and generously
supporting me in my Professional endeavors.

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Answer to question No 1.

How can you explain Problem Statement in a Research paper? Give a brief
account of the characteristics of a Problem Statement

Squadron Leader Talat Hayat Khan

Pak No : 14115
Student No: 90/
Directorate of Security Air Headquarters, Islamabad
07 November, 2021
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Q1: How can you explain Problem Statement in a Research paper? Give a brief
account of the characteristics of a Problem Statement.

1. A problem statement is a component of a research paper that outlines a summary of

the problem analyzed in the said paper in a brief and concise way. In addition, it tends to
highlight the motives behind conductance of the research. It serves as the linking bridge
between the problem that lies in the research paper and the coveted goal or outcome. An
ideal problem statement should answer most of the questions posed by the Five W’s; Who,
What, Where, When and Why. To solve a problem, one needs to understand it. Hence the
problem statement aids in achieving that goal so we can commence to the actual dissolution
of problem.

2. Not every problem can be researched hence there are elements that are needed to be
present in a good problem statement, which allows it to pass as a workable field with key
issues to be dissected. Leedy and Ormrod (2010) formulated two standards which were to be
identified in a problem for it to be chosen as the problem statement of the research paper:-

(a) The problem statement should directly address any question of importance
which gives the research its volume. It should be assimilated in ways that provide a
gateway for fresh methods to process the product, indicating possible applications and
also inviting advanced research to be done on the research paper.

(b) Secondly, both the researchers elaborated upon the further requirements of a
good research question. There needs to be an “interpretation of data” as well as the
“mental struggle” to perk up audience’s interest in the subject so they can come up
with their own evaluations as the problem statement commences with its objective. To
give a prime example of it, problem statements that are based on a yes or no answer
leave no room for the audience’s self evaluation and critical views. On the other hand,
question statements that revolve around personal inquiry lose their credibility as well
since they do not interpret factual data backed up with evidences. Using posed
problems to work out data in numbers and using problems to collate and contrast
extracted data also doesn’t make an ideal problem statement. Hence for a problem
statement to be more successful in being effective, the aforementioned points are to
be obliged. A research problem forms the central query around which the whole
research revolves hence it should be directly indicating the goal of research.

3. Other than that, following are the additional characteristics that form a strong problem
statement.

(a) Only one issue is to be addressed at a single time. Addition of multiple topics
divides attention.

(b) A statement that puts blame on a specific group of people should be avoided.
(e.g. The problem should be stated as “our youth does not actively participate in
constructive activities” rather than “Our youth is lazy and causes trouble for us by
keeping up their dormant attitudes.” )

(c) Naming the concrete solutions should be avoided. (e.g. Problem Statement
shouldn’t be worded as “We can’t provide educational activities to our youth because
of lack of proper planning and no budget.” It should be written as “The younger
generation is unaware of how to manage household and financial responsibilities

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needed to hold balance in life.”) This way, many outcomes are gained as different
minds grind for a solution instead of an unanimously agreed solution by a single
person with rare chances of debate.

(d) The problem statement should talk about problems that are collectively a whole
community’s concern rather than something based off an individual’s needs.

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Q2: Define Cohesiveness and Cohesion in the context of written expressions. Explain
them as the important tools for effective writing.

1. Cohesion is the way that we use the tools of grammar and vocabulary to link words
and make connections amid all the ideas present in the entirety of text. It gives the flow and
provides sequence to the sentences which collectively appear as transparent paragraphs
with visible clearness and to the point information.

2. The devices used to link the words together and form cohesion are called the cohesive
devices. They are the expressions and words that shed light on the relationship between
different parts of occurring ideas and texts. The devices used to link the words together and
form cohesion are called the cohesive devices. They are the expressions and words that
shed light on the relationship between different parts of occurring ideas and texts, like the
causes and effects, any given time in the data, contrast and comparison and such.

3. The text needs to be bound in a passage to make sense. This is called Cohesion and
the scale of how well the passage is blended is known as Cohesiveness. It’s coined through
the word cohere which means sticking something together. So, cohesion ensures that all the
words of a passage are adhering to each other. Cohesion is achieved through five methods:

(a) Repeated words: Cohesion can be achieved using synonyms that can repeat
the idea without it sounding the same.

(b) Reference words: They are used to refer to ideas or objects mentioned
somewhere in the text, mostly before the sentence of selection. The important
pronouns like ‘it’, ‘they’ or ‘them’ are commonly used for cohesion.

(c) Transitional signals: These can also be termed as cohesive devices and they
link words and phrases to show relationship between different ideas. The examples of
transitional signals can be Linking verbs as given below.

 First is used to show anything that falls prior in list.

 In contrast draws a line of distinction between two ideas.
 As a result shows a consequence of something.

(d) Substitution means replacing one or more words that were already used once
in text with another. It comes under the label of reference words grammatically but the
difference is that substitution usually limits the clause after words being substituted but
reference words can be used to refer to something that has been said far back in the
body of text. Auxiliary verbs are often used as substitutional words.

(e) Ellipsis is the leaving out of words to make the meaning clear according to its
context. It is also called substitution by zero sometimes because one or more words
are left out but no other word replaces it or takes its place.

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Q3: Planning, Preparation, Practice and Presentation are known as the four P’s in
public speaking. Explain them in detail.

1. Public speaking is an effective way of communicating a message to other groups of

people in the most effective way as the person can directly answer their inquiries and
convince them to side on his thought process. However, it requires a lot of input in the form of
work. To speak publicly, there needs to be a transition from an anxious state of mind to one
that is relaxed and confident about the challenges it is about to face. On the other hand,
putting thoughts of importance out in front of people requires crafting and honing of the skills
and techniques required for it so it can produce the maximum impact on the audience. That is
where the four P’s come into play.

i. Planning:

A public speaking event can be prepared even if it is to occur in minutes. A

mental map can be etched to form points of discussion to briefly rake over. But if there
is ample time to prepare for the speech, it requires more than just mental mapping.
The audience’s attention can only be tamed if a person makes sufficiently backed up
claims and is confident about his speech which is possible by preplanning it. A public
speech is like you’re conversing with every person present, which is why it’s
mandatory to take enough time making the speech widely interactive.

ii. Preparation:

Now that the important points have been jotted down, it is vital to go over them
numerous times and prepare. An audience puts its trust in the presenter and he is
responsible for whatever yields he provides the audience with. Effective public speech
is presented by people who delicately prepare for it. It reduces the fear and anxiety of
speaking publicly as the chances of making mistakes is reduced tremendously by
preparation. Better preparation provides with better reception.

iii. Practice:

(a) The lack of practice is always transparent and because of it, the speaker loses
the volume of his words. The general audience deems him inexperienced or unaware
of what he’s saying and automatically tends to dismiss his words. It undermines the
person’s credibility as a professional as a doubt falls over the audience about exactly
how well the presenter knows his subject.

(b) There are multiple ways to practice. The person should go over the sequence
over and over again till he has the general key memorized in his head. He should then
try recording himself on tape and listen to it. It often points out intervals with a loss of
confidence and posture inaccuracies which can be worked on during the practicing
phase. Word pacing is necessary to be practiced so the speech doesn’t sound too
rushed or too slow, breathing should be controlled with speech so the speaker looks
as calm and confident as possible. The control over tone is also an important aspect of
speech that needs separate time to be practiced. Together, all these things take
sufficient time and collectively eradicate all signs of anxiousness or lack of confidence.
Hence practice is necessary to do well in public speeches.

iv. Presentation:

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The final stage is presentation, which is the heart of all the work. A proper and
professional appearance is necessary to give a good impression. A few moments
before the presentation, the presenter should take some time to center himself. When
on stage, it is necessary to remain focused on task but also engage with the audience
to keep the speech interesting as people generally seem to lose interest in a topic in a
little while. If someone poses a question or adds something of their own knowledge, it
is upon the presenter to treat said person with firmness, respect, and acceptance.

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Q4: Write short notes on the following:-

(a) Building

Vocabulary is the set of words that are used in any language. As a new language is
built, new words are learned and added to the “vocabulary” which can get extensive with
more practice. Vocabulary building means the learning and repetition of certain new words till
they are engraved in your mind and you can use them in your everyday life. There are four
ways to extend vocabulary. The first step is to be aware of words. Human mind often skips
over words it deems complicated and hence hinders the learning process. To increase the
vocabulary, those difficult words should be searched up and repeated often so they are
stored in the back of your mind. Developing a reading habit subconsciously keeps on rooting
out deeper with an extended vocabulary as the reader is constantly subjected to new words
and ways to utilize it in a sentence. The third way to aid in vocabulary increase is to acquire a
dictionary and going through it often. There are often words in it that are not used often but
come in handy. A dictionary also teaches the pronunciation of those words and how to use
them in sentences. A person with a vast reserve of words can piece together sentences in
multiple ways and is better at communicating his point of view. Vocabulary building can be
termed as a profitable investment that helps the person throughout life.

(b) Words and their placement

The placement of words in a sentence is very crucial and it can alter the sense and
meaning of the sentence if used in different ways. Different languages have different rules of
word placement but if the speaker refrains from following them, the meaning is entirely
altered and is unclear. Hence the motive of language i.e., communicating thoughts and
opinions remains unattended. For example, Samantha only gave Sarah the candy today and
Samantha gave Sarah the only candy today both have entirely different meanings just
because one word’s position has been changed. Similarly, every language has its grammar
and linguistic rules one has to abide by when placing words in sentences. If one deviates
from the set rules, the sentence almost loses all its sense.

(c) Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is termed as the intellectual process of skillfully adapting mind to new
concepts, analyzing and applying it in different spheres of life of generally extracting
information of use from it. Critical thinking can also be induced by experience, reflection,
observations, communication or reasoning. It is the utilization of intellectual material all
around you, its examination to gain concepts and further implications. Critical thinking can be
divided into three core skills.:-

 Curiosity: It is the desire to attain more information and to test the

credibility of that information, seeking evidence for its working principles.

 Skepticism: It is the ability to have a sense of healthy doubt about all the
information you attain and questioning the new data instead of blindingly
believing whatever anyone tells you. When information is fact checked, its
whole discovery process is uncovered and one can be more confident about
his knowledge about the data, from multiple scales rather than just having
scraped the surface level.

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 Humility: Another important core element of critical thinking is humility.

Humility means to be able to accept that you are wrong when given
convincing evidence of it. This opens new rooms to learning instead of holding
on to past mistakes.

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Q5. A) Literature review is the overview of previously published works on a specific

topic. How can we write Literature review in a research study?

1. Literature reviews provide an extensive survey of the information present on a topic till
date. After the selection of a research topic, a thorough study is done on the subject of
research paper to find material penned by other researchers which can be used as the
literature review for the research paper.

2. A literature review starts with a study about the background of the research. It is
summarized in the starting paragraph to introduce readers to the topic of the study. Recent
discoveries related to the topic can be placed in a chronological order and separate topics
should be distinguished thematically, which helps to trace the progress in the field of
research in order. It should have a comparison that links the previous researches to the
current one. Certain points can also be discussed in relevance to the previous researches to
identify the gaps that are aimed to be filled with the current research. It’s crucial to help
define the problem statement and it also highlights the importance of the research being
done. A literature review is not just the recollection of all available data but it analytically
summarizes the selected research and helps readers identify the theme of research. There
are two types of literature reviews used in research study and both have different ways of
organizing information.

 Narrative literature reviews discuss relevant information theoretically. These types of

reviews are usually qualitative and organized in the following way:-

a) Introduction: It opens with the context of the research and guides the readers
through the theme.

b) Body: This is the more detailed part of the review which describes all the
themes of the research through headings and subheadings. The previously
conducted researches are also mentioned in it and a bridge connects the
present research with the ones already done, finding out their shortcomings
which are to be addressed in the following research.

c) Conclusion: This section will form a brief overview of all the current studies and
channel possibilities of further avenues for research. The conclusion text has
critically analyzed viewpoints of the whole study and must come up with ideas
or hypothesis to help solve the posed problems.

 Systematic reviews will strictly follow a methodology and utilize either qualitative or
quantitative data in it. These reviews are established through well defined strategies.

a) Introduction: There is a specific research question that starts a systematic

review and it is given in forms of samples so the research outcome can be
studied.

b) Methods: This type of review follows a detailed methodology which begins by

simplifying the literature for review which is done by following an
exclusion/inclusion criteria. Once the details have been finalized, they are
analyzed.

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c) Results: A comprehensive data analysis is done to provide the importance of

this research study. It can be accompanied by Meta analysis that shows
statistical studies to increase the credibility of the research.

d) Discussion: In this section, data is interpreted based on its significance and the
strength of results. This study can give powerful conclusions backed up and
validated by analytical data.

b) How can you differentiate between Research methodology and Research design?

1. Research design is the overall structure of the research while research methodology is
the series of procedures followed to analyze data. In a way, research methodology is
included under the structure of Research design. Research design works on the type of study
that will be used to conduct the research and also analyzes the kind of conclusions that can
be yielded through that study. However, research methodology fits more suitably in analyzing
and collecting evidences for research. While the research design is based on the research
question, research methodology follows the research design.

2. Research methodology can be defined as the set of very specific procedures used in a
research paper that can allow readers to be able to evaluate the study’s validity very critically
and also create a sense of reliability. There are usually a set of questions a certain type of
methodology can answer like what procedures did the researcher went through to collect all
the data and what methods of analysis were used.

3. Research methodology is the series of procedures or techniques used by researchers

to conduct research. It is the pathway taken in order to formulate problems and objectives of
the research paper and to present the formulated result obtained.

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Q6: Give meaning of the following words and use them in suitable sentences.

1. A) Adapt:

Meaning: modify according to need.

Sentence: He has to adapt according to the challenge’s need in order to
succeed.

B) Adopt:

Meaning: Taking up something.

Sentence: He adopted this technique to improve.

2. A) Censor:

Meaning: To examine media and suppress unacceptable parts of it.

Sentence: A lot of information has been censored due to the political
restlessness it caused.

B) Censure:

Meaning: Show disapproval formally.

Sentence: The workers were censured by the inspection team for their
behavior.

3. A) Deference:

Meaning: To submit politely

Sentence: Old people should be treated with deference due to their age.

B) Difference:

Meaning: Dissimilarity.
Sentence: There is a huge difference in their personalities hence they
can’t be friends.

4. A) Elicit:
Meaning: Evoking a reaction or answers from someone.
Sentence: He tried to elicit a laughter from the crowd through his jokes
but to no avail.
B) Illicit:
Meaning: Forbidden by law.
Sentence: Illicit drugs were being transported in the vehicle.

5. A) Eminent:

Meaning: A good quality present in abundance.

Sentence: He is known for his eminent honesty.

B) Imminent:

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Meaning: Something that is about to happen.

Sentence: The perilous journey held imminent danger over their heads.

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