CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research method is a systemic work plan in order to make the main purpose

become easier to achieve. The method in this research is chosen by considering its

appropriateness to the research object. This research method is arranged based on the

problem analysed and the main purpose of the research. The research method in this

study covered the research design, the research instrument, and the source of data, the

technique of data collection, and the technique of data analysis.

3.1. Research Design

Descriptive study with qualitative approach will be applied by the

researcher, because he wants to give a picture of the difficulties faced by the

participants and what makes them employing strategies to translate the abstracts of a

thesis. Descriptive study attempts to picture or document current conditions or

attitudes, that is, to describe what exist at the moment, according to Tayie (2005). In

his book entitled Metode Penelitian Bidang Pendidikan: Kualitatif, Kuantitatif dan

Campuran, Susilo (2013) also stated that descriptive study was basically to give a

picture what exists in a real-life phenomenon. Creswell (2010) in Risma (2016)

affirms that in qualitative method, the data are in word and they are gathered from

small number of individuals.

 3.2 Research Subjects

One goal of scientific research is to describe the nature of a population, that

is, a group of class of subjects, variables, concepts or phenomena. The usual

procedure in these instances is to select a sample from the population. A sample is a

subset of the population that is taken to be the representative of the entire population

(Tayie, 2013). Meanwhile Ary and his colleagues (2010) in their book define sample

as a small group that is observed.

The procedures of taking research subject which the researcher tries to apply

by stating some requirements.

On sampling technique, the researcher employs purposive sampling

3.3 Research Instrument

The instrument of this study is the researcher himself. As the instrument the

researcher will analyse the translated abstracts and the reflective journals that have

been made by the samples. Using Mona Baker’s difficulties of translation and Molina

and Hurtado Abir’s translation strategies to analyse data, the researcher will analyse

the difficulties during the translation process and translation strategies utilized by the

samples.
 Beside the researcher himself acts as the instrument, he will use reflective

journal to obtain more data. Entries in reflective journals can be prompted by

questions about course content, assignments, exams, students’ own ideas, or students’

thought processes about what happened in a particular class period. Meanwhile from

University of Portsmouth says that reflective writing is evidence of reflective

thinking. In an academic context, reflective thinking usually involves:

1. Looking back at something (often an event, i.e. something that happened, but

it could also be an idea or object).

2. Analyzing the event or idea (thinking in depth and from different perspectives,

and trying to explain, often with reference to a model or theory from your

subject).

3. Thinking carefully about what the event or idea means for you and your

ongoing progress as a learner and/or practicing professional.

Reflective journal writing also defined by Heath (1998) as a teaching

strategy whereby students write their experiences and feelings ‘uninsured’ in their

own writing style for further reflection and analysis. “Journals often focus

subjectively on personal experiences, reactions, and reflections while learning logs

are more documentary records of students’ work process (what they are doing), their

accomplishments, ideas, or questions” (Equipped for the Future, 2004, in Northern

Illinois University’s assessment guide of reflective journal).

3.4. Data and Source of Data

The data of this research are the result of the translation and the reflective

journal the will make. The sample will translate two different abstract from two

different departments in University of Mulawarman as well as the samples can do for

one hour and after they finish translating them, they are also obligated to conduct a

reflective journal about the experience of translating the abstract of a thesis in English

and Indonesian.

The source of data for this research was the sixth semester students from

English department, University of Mulawarman. The researcher will obtain them for

this study.

3.5. Data Collecting Technique

To collect the data, the researcher conducts the technique as follows:

1. Explaining the translation activity to the participants.

The first step of this collecting technique, the research explains the

translation activity that the samples will take. In this case, the samples will

translate abstracts of two different theses either in English or Indonesian.

2. Distributing the abstracts to the participants.

 Secondly, the researcher distributes the abstracts to the samples. Moreover,

in this step, the samples will be asked to translate the abstract for one hour

and thirty minutes.

3. Asking the participants to make a reflective journal.

After they finish translating the abstracts, the researcher asks the samples to

make a reflective journal in a piece of paper for each sample. In this step, the

researcher will explain briefly about a reflective journal.

4. Collecting the result of the test.

The last step, the researcher will collects all the works; the translation results

and the reflective journal.

3.6. Data Analysis Technique

In analysing the data, the researcher used a common procedure in a

descriptive study. This research took Huberman and Miller’s Interactive model of

data analysis (1994) in Risma (2016). The model consist of data reduction, data

display and conclusion drawing/verification. The model was presented in the diagram

3.1.
 Diagram 3.1

DATA COLLECTION

DATA DISPLAY

DATA REDUCTION

CONCLUSION
DRAWING AND
VERIFYING

1) Data Reduction

This step is refers to the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying,

abstracting and transforming the data that appear in field notes or transcriptions. In

this case the researcher will try to select the data carefully about the difficulties of

translating the given abstract and the strategies they employ from their reflective

journals.

2) Data Display

In this step, the researcher wanted to organize the information will draw the

conclusion of the research. Due to the qualitative data are mostly by text, the

researcher wanted to display the data with easier and comprehensible explanation.
3) Conclusion Drawing

This step is basically a conclusion based on the research. Making conclusion

was not only for the result of analysing, but also for answering the research problem.

In this case, the researcher wanted to give explanation about the difficulties of

translating the abstract of a thesis and the strategies they employ to translate them.

3. 7. Triangulation

Triangulation is a method used by qualitative researchers to check and

establish validity in their studies. Validity in qualitative research relates to the finding

of your study whether are true and certain. Triangulation was conducted to support

independent of the research in order to avoid bias the information from the resources.

Guion (2002) distinguished triangulation into five, there are; (1) Data

triangulation, (2) investigator triangulation, (3) theory triangulation, (4)

methodological triangulation and (5) environmental triangulation. For this research,

the researcher will employ investigator triangulation. Investigator triangulation

involves using several different investigators/evaluators in an evaluation project.

Usually, this would be chosen as an evaluation team that consists of your colleagues

within your program area/field of study. In order to triangulate, each different

evaluator would study the program using the same qualitative method (interview,

observation, case study, or focus groups).