Research Methodology

HCMC University of Technology & Education

Faculty of Foreign Languages
Unit 2

RESEARCH TOPICS
METHODOLOGY RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
QUESTIONS
Lecturer: Tin T. Dang, PhD
Email: tin.dang@hcmute.edu.vn

Unit 2
Topics - Objectives - Questions
From an
2.1 • From an interest to a topic Objective to a
2.2 • From a topic to a problem Question
2.3 • From a problem to an objective

2.4 • From an objective to a question

4. From an objective to a question 4. From an objective to a question

 Concrete and carefully composed to
address the research objectives  Framing the research

 Constituting a fair operationalization and
Research
embodiment of a valid set of indicators
Questions for addressing the research objectives
 Providing answers which address the
research purposes with warranted data
 Getting to the heart of the research issue
Research
 Giving direction to the research
Questions
 Indicating what the research is about
 Checking if the research is feasible.

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Research Methodology

4. From an objective to a question 4. From an objective to a question

students can
expected improve their
outcomes self-study
Students do skills
problem not self-
study

 Understanding reasons for not self-study

What needs to be  Giving students more homework

done?  Asking parents to keep sts at home after class

 Introducing collaborative projects to students

4. From an objective to a question 4. From an objective to a question

 Understanding reasons for not self-study

 Giving students more homework What are the reasons that
Understanding reasons for
prevent EFL students from
not self-study
 Asking parents to keep sts at home after class self-study?
 Introducing collaborative projects to students

4. From an objective to a question 4. From an objective to a question

What is the relationship

Does staying at home increase
between homework and EFL
EFL students’ self-study?
students’ self-study?
Giving students more Asking parents to keep To what extent is EFL
homework To what extent is the sts at home after class students’ home time
assignment workload related
correlated with their level of
to EFL students’ level of self-
self-study engagement?
study engagement?

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Research Methodology
4. From an objective to a question
What are the impacts of
collaborative projects on EFL
Introducing students’ self-study?
collaborative projects to To what extent do
students collaborative projects
facilitate EFL students’ self-
study time?
4. From an objective to a question
What are the technical reasons that
prevent students from using the LMS?
Understanding the To what extent is students’ time of
technical reasons that LMS engagement relevant to their
prevent sts from using opportunities for Internet access ?
the LMS To what extent is students’ time of
LMS participation relevant to their
possession of connected devices?
4. From an objective to a question
What is the impact of assessment
weighting on students’ level of the
Increasing the weighting LMS engagement?
of the LMS activities To what extent is the assessment
weighting correlated with students’
time of the LMS engagement?
Developed by Tin Dang, PhD
4. From an objective to a question
Students take
part in the
LMS activities
Students do effectively
not use the
LMS
 Understanding the technical reasons that prevent
sts from using the LMS
 Understanding the motivational reasons that
increase sts’ use of LMS
 Increasing the weighting of the LMS activities
4. From an objective to a question
What are students’ motives for the
Understanding the LMS engagement?
motivational reasons To what extent is daily consultation
that increase sts’ use of from parents correlated with their
LMS children’s engagement in the LMS
activities?
4. From an objective to a question
Look at a journal article that you have.
 What is the research problem?
 What are the research objectives?
 What are the research questions?
 What are the answers for the questions?
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Research Methodology
4. From an objective to a question
Sources for research questions
 A practical concern
 A literature review
 Identifying a gap in the literature or field of study
 Identifying where the research can build on existing
literature
4. From an objective to a question
Sources for research questions
 Personal experience, interest or observation
 Colleagues and contacts
 Experts and practitioners in the field
 Conferences and conventions
4. From an objective to a question
Sources for research questions
 Existing studies and influential theories
 A challenge to or an assumption of an agenda or existing
theory
 A novel idea which challenges existing ideas or practices
 Funding bodies and/or project directors
Developed by Tin Dang, PhD
4. From an objective to a question
Sources for research questions
 A theoretical concern, testing a theory
 A policy
 Concerns in the media and blogs
 Society, empirical data
4. From an objective to a question
Sources for research questions
 Seminars, research groups, and discussion groups
 Students
 Societies, associations, and special interest groups
 Spotting where areas are neglected
4. From an objective to a question
Sources for research questions
 Spotting where applications may lie
 Spotting where confusions need to be clarified
 Spotting where new methodologies and research
methods might be applied
 Others.
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4. From an objective to a question 4. From an objective to a question

Generating interesting research questions
General advice for research questions
1 • Identify a domain of literature
 Avoid yes/no questions
2 • Identify and articulate the assumptions that underlie that domain  Avoid negative questions
3 • Evaluate the assumptions that underlie that domain  Avoid the words significant or significance
4 • Develop an alternative assumption ground  Avoid adverbs of frequency
 Avoid using the word prove
5 • Consider this alternative assumption ground in relation to its audience
 Be as specific and succinct as possible
6 • Evaluate the alternative assumption ground
 Stick to what will be studied, not implications or judgments .

Thank you!
👉 More discussions are presented on the LMS.

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