DAY 1: March 23, 2019 (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM)

Chapter 1: Frequently Asked Questions

I. What are the specific functions of the introduction?

1. Context: Discussing relevant literature (with citations) and summarizing your current understanding of the problem
you are investigating.
2. Purpose: Explaining purpose the form of the hypothesis, question, or problem you have investigated.
3. Rationale/ Approach/ Outcome

II. Is there a good structure to follow in writing the introduction?

C.A.R.S. Model (Swales, 1900)

1. Begin the writing process [getting started is often the most challenging task];
2. Find out why introduction sets the stage for the rest of your paper; and,
3. Assess how the introduction fits within the larger scope of your study.

Two types of challenges [“competitions”]:

a. to create a rhetorical space
b. to attract readers into that space.

III. What are the three moves in the introduction?

MOVE 1: Establishing a Territory (The Situation)

• The researcher sets the context for his or her research, providing necessary background of the topic.
1. Claiming Centrality- Asks the discourse community to accept that the thesis topic is part of a lively, a
significant, or a well-established research area.
Example:
a. "In 2000s, there has been an overwhelming interest in educational research and colonial studies...”
b. "The knowledge about the origin of ___ has significance for ..."

2. Making Topic Generalization- Discusses the context of “Today, including the ‘what’s happening in the field?”
Thus, the researcher makes statements about the current knowledge, practices, or phenomena in the field.
Example:
a. "The Filipinos have valued more the formal education in the 2000s than in the 1990s.” - Phenomena
b. "_____ is a common finding in international studies (Brown, 2004; Carlson, 2008; Wright, 2017)...” - current
knowledge

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 3. Reviewing Previous Items of Research- Relates what has been found on the topic and who found it.
Example:
a. "Both Raquitico and Villaflor (2018) claimed that the biographical facts have been misrepresented."
b. "Several studies have suggested that. .. (Obaob, 2003; Dino-Aparicio, 2009)."
c. "Reading to children early have a positive long-term correlation with grades in English courses (Obaob,
2002; Wright, 2008; Villaflor, 2009)."

MOVE 2: Establishing the Niche (The problem)

• The researcher argues that there is an open "niche" in the existing research, a space that needs to be filled through
additional research
1. Counter-claiming- Refutes or challenges earlier research by making a counter-claim.
Example:
"While Fuertes and Ortega (2002) argued that traditional teaching method could still work for millennials, a
close examination proved this finding questionable."

a. Indicating a Gap- Demonstrates that earlier research does not sufficiently address all existing questions or
problems.
Example:
"While existing studies have clearly established the relevance of traditional teaching, they still failed to
address pedagogical questions for the 21st Century Learners."

b. Question Rising- Asks questions about previous research, suggesting that additional research needs to
be done.
Example:
"While Ortega and Morgan (2002) have established ____, these findings raise a number of
questions, including…”

c. Continuing a Tradition- Presents the research as a useful extension of existing research.

Example:
"Earlier studies seemed to suggest ____ (Dino-Aparicio, 2018; Ortega & Morgan, 2002; Villaflor &
Raquitico, 2016). To verify this finding, more work must be urgently done. Consequently, the
present study attempts to…"

Writing tip: Swales (1990) posited that establishing a research niche [MOVE 2] is often signaled by specific terminology that
expresses a contrasting viewpoint, a critical evaluation of gaps in the literature, or a perceived weakness in prior research.
The listed figure below shows reporting verbs and transitions that the writer may use in the introduction.

Examples of how this can be achieved include the following statements, with:
A representing the findings of prior research
B representing your research problem
X representing one or more variables that have been investigated.

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Sample statements:
1. The research has focused on A, rather than on B...
2. The research about A can be useful but to counterbalance X, it is important to consider B...
3. These studies have emphasized A, as opposed to B...
4. While prior studies have examined A, it may be preferable to contemplate the impact of B...
5. After consideration of A, it is important to also recognize B...
6. The study of A has been exhaustive, but changing circumstances related to X support the need for examining [or
revisiting] B...
7. Although considerable research has been devoted to A, less attention has been paid to B...
8. This research offers insight into the need for A, though consideration of B is also helpful...

MOVE 3: Occupying the Niche (The Solution/ The Present Study)

• Researcher demonstrates how to substantiate the counter-claim made, fill the gap, and answer the question(s)
asked.
1.A. Outlining the purposes- Indicates the main purpose(s) of the current study
Example:
a. "In this article, the researcher argues that ...”
b. "The present research seeks to clarify ..."

1.B. Announcing the Present Research- Describes the research in the current article.
Example:
"This paper describes three separate studies conducted between March 2018 and January 2019."

2. Announcing Principal Finding - Presents the main conclusions of his or her research.
Example:
a. "The results of the study suggest...”
b. "When we examined ____, the researcher discovered ..."

3. Indicating the Structure of the Research Article- Previews the organization of the article.
Example:
"This paper is structured as follows ..."

IV. Are there less-effective introductions? What are those that we need to avoid?
1. Placeholder
“Colonialism was one of the greatest tragedies in Philippine history. There were many various aspects of
colonialism. Each created different kinds of problems for the Filipinos.”

2. Repeated question/ meaning

“The Life of Paul Monroe discusses the relationship between education and colonialism1 in the 19th century
Philippines, showing how white control of education reinforced colonial society2 and how enslaved Filipinos viewed
education3 while they endured. Moreover, the book discusses the role that education played in getting away from
colonialism4. Education was a major force against colonialism5.”

3. Dictionary-Based
“In the nutshell, the Webster dictionary defines colonialism as the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial
political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.”

4. “Dawn of Man,” “Today,” and “Nowadays”

• “Since the dawn of man, colonialism has been a problem in human history.”
• “Today, the discussion of colonialism appears relevant for the millennials.”
• “Nowadays, many history teachers teach colonialism.”

5. Book Report

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 “Paul Monroe wrote his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Paul Monroe, An American who had a had a
significant impact on the development of education in the Philippines. It was published in 1986 by Penguin Books.
In it, he tells the story of his life, the colonial Philippines, and the Philippine education system.”

V. How can we produce a well-written introduction?

• Follow the CARS Model (Swales, 1990)
• Research Questions – Present specific, unambiguous, and open-ended questions
1. Clear: it provides enough specifics that a reader can easily understand its purpose even without additional
explanation.
2. Focused: it is narrow enough, and it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
3. Non-Googleable: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of
ideas and sources prior to composition of an answer.
4. Arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.

Tips for Qualitative and Humanities Research Questions:

1. Start with “what” or “how” (avoid beginning qualitative questions with ‘why’ as this implies cause and effect).
2. Identify the central phenomenon you plan to explore (tell in your question what you are going to describe, explore,
generate, discover, understand).
3. Avoid the use of quantitative words such as relate, influence, effect, cause.
Example:
a. What is it like growing up in a single-parent family in a rural environment?
b. What are the experiences of people working night shifts in health care?
c. How did the Filipino gays exhibit queerness in the following short stories: (3.1.) “The Doll” by Emigdio Alvarez-
Enriquez; (3.2.) “The Chamber of the Sea” by Edith Tiempo; and, (3.3.) “High Fashion” by Gilda Cordero-
Fernando?

REALITY CHECK
✓ Research becomes difficult because the RQs are too many, not to mention that they are overlapping and double-
barrel.
✓ The RQs are not mapped to the purpose of the study, or at the very least to the research objectives.
✓ The RQs are mistakenly considered Interview Questions for data gathering.

• Significance of the study- Specify the beneficiaries of the study: Who will benefit after the completion of the study?
How?
• Scope and delimitation- Explain scope (subjects, objectives, facilities, area, time, and the issues), and delimitation
(characteristics determined by exclusionary and inclusionary decisions)

References

Regoniel, P. A. (2014). How to write a good thesis introduction from general to specific. Retrieved from
https://simplyeducate.me/2014/03/07/writing-a-thesis-introduction/

Swales, J. M. (1900). Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

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