Research design

3.1 Research site/ context

Our research was conducted at the industrial university of Ho Chi Minh City. The
study was carried out in many faculties except the Facility of Foreign Language to
find out the popularity, difficulties, and solutions of applying skimming and
scanning skills among non-English-majored students. It is done online during class
time because we can easily conduct research on a large number of students at the
same time to participate in the survey instead of having to search for each person
and it would also make it easier to collect and analyze statistics through the
online survey.
3.2 Participants/ objects
Our research subjects were 200 non-English-majored students aged 18 - 22 at the
Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City. Generally, they have studied English for
more than 6 years. We surveyed non-English-majored students because skimming
and scanning are important techniques in reading, so they need to be applied to
all English learners, not just English majors. With the participation of 200
students, we were able to know more about the popularity and the difficulties
students faced while applying Skimming and Scanning techniques in Reading and
thereby better serve this research.
3.3. Research methodology and research methods
3.3.1. Research methodology
We use the quantitative research methodology for our study. Theoretically, the
quantitative methodology “aims to obtain statistics using large-scale survey
research” (Dr Catherine Dawson, 2002). Quantitative research is concerned with
facts & verifiable information. Unlike qualitative research questions - which often
ask participants to divulge personal and sometimes sensitive information -
quantitative research does not require participants to be named or identified. This
methodology process doesn't need to be directly observed. Furthermore,
quantitative research can capture vast amounts of data far more quickly than
other research activities and be verifiable and can be used to compare results
(Adam.R, 2013). With all of the above benefits, this methodology helps us to
identify better the prevalence and main root of difficulties that non-English-
majored students face in applying skimming and scanning skills.
3.3.2. Research method
Because of selecting the quantitative research methodology, we choose the
questionnaire method. The questionnaire method is a research instrument
consisting of a series of questions to gather information from respondents. The
questionnaire can be thought of as a kind of written interview. They can be
carried out face to face, by telephone, computer, or post. We use the
questionnaire method because it provides a relatively cheap, quick, and efficient
way of obtaining large amounts of information from a large sample of people.
Data can be collected relatively quickly because the researcher would not need to
be present when completing the questionnaires. In addition, questionnaires can
be an effective means of measuring the behavior, attitudes, preferences,
opinions, and intentions of relatively large numbers of subjects more cheaply and
quickly than other methods (Philip Cleave, 2023). Our questionnaire has a total of
15 questions as a combination of both closed-ended questions and opened-ended
questions to collect the data. The questions revolved around the popularity,
difficulties, impacts, and solutions of applying the skimming and scanning
techniques in reading.
3.4. Procedures
The study was carried out within 3 months (12 weeks) including 6 steps. In the
first week, we defined the research topic and key terms. Step 2 was carried out
from the second to the third week, we determined the research objectives and
research objects are non-English majors at the Industrial University of Ho Chi
Minh City. Research methodology and research method were defined in the third
step from approximately the fourth to the fifth week. The researchers used
quantitative methodology and used questionnaire method. In the following step,
we designed the questionnaire in the form of a Google form from the sixth to the
seventh week. Step 5 was carried out during the eighth week, we started
surveying 200 non-English majors at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City.
And the last step was performed from the ninth to the twelfth week based on the
results collected from the survey, we conducted data analysis and presented the
results for the research paper.
3.5. Data Analysis
The statistical data collected through the survey was organized and quantitatively
analyzed (percentages and numbers). This method of data processing and analysis
contributes to the research's reliability and accuracy. The numbers accumulated
and data from the questionnaire survey, in particular, were shown in the form of
several types of charts and graphs. When the questionnaire was created using the
Google Form platform, the responses would be automatically collected and
illustrated in bar charts and pie charts. Bar charts are used to statistic the number
of people selected on each answer to each question and the pie charts are used
to statistic the percentage selected on each answer to each question.