Language of Research and Advocacies

Research – establishes facts and new findings through systematic investigation.

Campaign – a planned set of activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to achieve
something such as social or political change.
Advocacy – a planned, deliberate, sustained effort that raise awareness on a particular issue. It is the act
of pleading or arguing in favor of something such as a cause, idea or policy; active support.
Questionnaire – a set of questions used to gather information in a survey.
Selecting and limiting a research topic – select a topic of interest and narrowing down complex topic into
specific one.
Thesis Statement – a statement expressing the proposition, argument or view. It tells the reader the
main point or claim of the research paper.
Hedging - the use of linguistic devices to express hesitation or uncertainty as well as to demonstrate
politeness and indirectness.
Cultural Mapping– describes the use of research methods, tools, and techniques to identify, describe,
portray, promote, and plan future use of particular regions’ or cities’ combined cultural assets and
resources.
Interviewing– a conversational practice where knowledge is produced through the interaction between
an interviewer and an interviewee or group of interviewees.
APA (American Psychological Association) Style – is the most commonly used format used to cite sources
of information.
Plagiarism – occurs when ideas, information and even pictures are used without proper
acknowledgement of the original source.
Active and Passive Voice
In active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.
In passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed by the verb. The passive voice is used when
we want to emphasize the action (the verb) and the object of a sentence rather than subject. This means
that the subject is either less important than the action itself or that we don’t know who or what the
subject is.
Examples:
1. Passive: Napa Valley is known for its excellent wines.
2. Active: [Many people] know Napa Valley for its excellent wines.
1. Passive: Twenty civilians were killed in the bomb explosion.
2. Active: Someone killed twenty civilians in the bomb explosion.

Claim of Fact, Value and Policy

There are three types of claims.
The first one is the claim of fact. Claim of fact is a statement about how things were in the past, how they
are in the present, or how they will be in the future. A fact claim is not a fact; it only claims to be a fact.
What makes it arguable is that the speaker has no direct way of establishing the truth of the claim.
Examples:
Cancer is a common disease but it is not contagious.
Obesity can cause heart disease.
The Philippine Eagle is a critically endangered species.
Social distancing is important during the coronavirus pandemic.
Excessive alcohol may lead to different diseases.

The second type of claim is the claim of policy. Claim of Policy Is a statement regarding the merits of a
course of action. What makes it arguable is that, even though people may not be totally certain about
the proper course of action to take, they still must act. To argue in defense of a policy claim is to state
that, given what we know now, it’s best to act in the manner proposed.
Examples:
Children in poor families should receive medical and educational support.
Parents should motivate their children to continue learning even if they are at home.
A dress code should be introduced for all public high school students.
Texting while driving should be an offense punishable by jail time.
People must respect and accept differences to avoid having misunderstanding with others.

The third type of claim is the claim of value. A claim of value makes a judgment.
✔ It is supported by data
✔ In a claim of value, one expresses their approval or disapproval
✔ They prove that an action, belief or condition is right or wrong, good or bad, beautiful or ugly,
worthwhile or undesirable.” “For example, Mercy killing is immoral. This sentence expresses undesirable
action that’s why it is an example claim of value.”
Cheating in sports is wrong.
Illegal immigrants are ruining the American economy.
Cheating men are undesirable to women.
Dogs are the best pet.
Computers are useful nowadays.