What is Research?

Lecture 1

Associate Professor Dr Ting Su Hie

Faculty of Language and Communication,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
(shting@unimas.my)
(60-82-581781)
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After this lecture, you should be able:

1.to explain what research is,

2.to identify what is not research and
make it into a research, and
3.to read a paper to find the importance of
the study.
 A. LAYMAN UNDERSTANDING OF
RESEARCH

Let’s start with 5 activities that are NOT

research
Layman Understanding of Research

“I’m doing research to find the best place to eat

Penang Laksa in Kuching”.
Penang laksa Sarawak laksa

Sorry, you’re just collecting info. You’ll probably ask a

few friends and do some Internet search.
Layman Understanding of
Research 2

“I’m researching how to

make my bread soft like
those made by bakeries”.

Sorry, you’re just

trying to improve
your skill.
Layman Understanding of Research 3

“I’ve done my research, and come up with this

info which I present tomorrow”.
Hey, you’re just assembling info, like
how people assemble Lego toys
nowadays. There’s no interpretation of
the info. You learn something new, but
you did not produce any new ideas on
the topic.
Layman Understanding of Research 4

“I’m doing labwork to study

something out of this world”.
Students can do labwork without
understanding what they are doing.
But informed research has helped us
to understand this world better.
Layman Understanding of Research 5

“Years of painstaking research

have produced this revolutionary, labour-saving
product!”

Just using the word “research” to impress the

customers and buy the product! Don’t know if
it’s really done.
 So now,
what IS research?
What IS research?

This definition of research captures the essential

characteristics:

Research is a procedure by which we attempt to

find systematically, and with the support of
demonstrable fact, the answer to a question or
the resolution of a problem. (Leedy, 1989, p. 5)
What IS research?

This definition of research captures the essential

characteristics:

Research is a procedure by which we attempt to

find systematically, and with the support of
demonstrable fact, the answer to a question or
the resolution of a problem. (Leedy, 1989, p. 5)
Let me side-track to research writing
briefly. One thing that students and
some lecturers always do wrong:

Direct quotations
If the quote is > 40 words,
This definition of research captures the essential characteristics:

Research is a procedure by which we attempt to find

systematically, and with the support of demonstrable fact, the
answer to a question or the resolution of a problem. Put simply,
it is a means to understand our world better, and research is
different from the two other basic and more ancient means of
achieving that understanding, those of experience and
reasoning. (Leedy, 1989, p. 5)

(1) Use an indented paragraph, half an inch in from left.

(2) Put the full-stop at the end of what Leedy said. The
purple text is done by me. One sentence, one full-
stop.
If the quote is less than 40 words,
There are many definitions of research. However, this
definition of research captures the essential
characteristics: “Research is a procedure by which we
attempt to find systematically, and with the support of
demonstrable fact, the answer to a question or the
resolution of a problem” (Leedy, 1989, p. 5).

(1) Do NOT indent the paragraph. Put the quotation

inside your sentence.
(2) Now Leedy’s words are inside MY sentence. So
put the full-stop at the end of my sentence. One
sentence, one full-stop.
B. PROCESSES THAT
ARE PART OF
RESEARCH
These processes are
part of research, but
not fully research.
(1) Personal Experience
 (1) Personal Experience

“I wake up at 3.30 a.m. to write papers, and

I can think well. I tried all kinds of ways and
this finally works. You should try it.”
Well, it may work for me but not for you!
 (1) Personal Experience

“I read in the Internet that the greatest

people say they think well early in the
morning. Elon Musk said so too.”

Quiz 1: Why is this not OK in research?

 (1) Personal Experience

It is true that experience enables people

(individuals, groups or society) to gain
knowledge and understanding.

But experience is limited as a way to

methodically and reliably extend knowledge
and understanding of the world. Why?
 (1) Personal Experience

Learning from experience is haphazard. People

make conclusions quickly. Are those conclusions
true all the time?
•People use “common sense” as facts.
•People often wrongly use expert opinion to
support their point.

Nevertheless, experience can be a valuable

starting point for systematic research.
 (1) Personal Experience
Real example
Researchers sometimes forget and use their own
experience in their journal papers.

“We are currently living in the 21st century. With

more people having the access to the internet
connection and owning smart phones or tablets, we
notice a change in the way people work, live and
study.”

Quiz 2: Which word tells you it’s opinions?

 (1) Personal Experience
Real example, modified
Magazine and newspaper articles reporting opinions of leaders
and so-called experts are not really OK.

In addition to the four types of hooks, Evans (2012) added

creating expectations or intrigue, showing empathy, and using
quotations and statistics.

Evans, D. (2012). How to start an article with a killer opening line.

Retrieved from http://goodcontentcompany.com

Looks OK because Evans (2012) is cited/mentioned in the journal

paper. BUT the reviewers were sharp and pointed out that Evans
(2012) is not a journal paper.
 (2) Deductive Reasoning
• All live
mammals
breathe.
• This cow is a
live mammal.
• Therefore,
this cow
breathes.
 (2) Deductive Reasoning
This is called DEDUCTIVE reasoning, that is, using logical
argument to come to a conclusion.

An argument based on deduction begins

with general statements and comes to a specific
conclusion.
All live mammals breathe.
This cow is a live mammal.
Therefore, this cows breathes.
 (2) Deductive Reasoning
All live mammals breathe. General
premise
More
This cow is a live mammal. specific
premise

Therefore, this cows breathes. Conclusion

 (2) Deductive Reasoning
Real example
Researchers use deductive reasoning to move from general topic
to specific topic (their study).

“Effective communication skill is an important part of life that

enables people to understand each other better and keep in
touch with the people around them. Communication between
police officers around the world is extremely important because
this communication can make the difference between
apprehending and losing a suspect.”

This is OK because the specific police example is reasonable and

is about the importance of shared understanding.
(3) Inductive Reasoning

All swans which have

been observed are white in
colour.

Therefore one can conclude that

all swans are white.
Did you say you
have a swan at
home? It must
be white!
 (3) Inductive Reasoning

This is called INDUCTIVE reasoning, that is, it

uses specific observations to reach a general
conclusion.
Specific All swans which have
observations been observed are white in
colour.

Conclusion Therefore one can conclude that

all swans are white.
 (3) Inductive Reasoning
Great scientists have done careful and systematic
observation of the events in the world around us:
•Christopher Columbus – the earth is not square, but
round.
•Darwin – creatures evolve.
•Mendel – we inherit our parents’ physical
characteristics.

BUT so many conclusions from observations. Not getting

anywhere in the end. [Need to form theories!]
 (3) Inductive Reasoning
Real example
Researchers sometimes make generalisations (sweeping
statements) in their journal papers.

“From this study, it is recommended to provide more

complex yet constructible course contents to final year
students in online platform, as they scored more in this
readiness model.”

Quiz 3: Why is this not OK?

 (3) Inductive Reasoning
Real example
Researchers sometimes make generalisations (sweeping
statements) in their journal papers.
“From this study, it is recommended to provide more complex yet constructible
course contents to final year students in online platform, as they scored more in
this readiness model.”

Quiz 3: Why is this not OK?

This is a sweeping statement because the study was on
whether students they liked video, powerpoint slides
etc. But the researcher made some conclusions on
course content, that is, made the wrong inductive
reasoning.
But personal experience, deductive
reasoning and inductive reasoning
have their place in research.

Find out in the next lecture.

 Tutorial Task
(Submit in Eleap by 9.30 a.m.)
Read the given paper and write down the importance
of the study in 2-3 sentences.
Group 2, Students 1-43 read icls2021 Papers 1-43.
Group 1, Students 1-18 read icls2017 Papers 1-18
Group 1, Students 19-45 read icls2021 Papers 1-27 (in
table below).
S19-icls2014-1 S27-icls2021-9 S35-icls2021-17 S43-icls2021-25
S20-icls2021-2 S28-icls2021-10 S36-icls2021-18 S44-icls2021-26
S21-icls2021-3 S29-icls2021-11 S37-icls2021-19 S45-icls2021-27
S22-icls2021-4 S30-icls2021-12 S38-icls2021-20
S23-icls2021-5 S31-icls2021-13 S39-icls2021-21
S24-icls2021-6 S32-icls2021-14 S40-icls2021-22
S25-icls2021-7 S33-icls2021-15 S41-icls2021-23
S26-icls2021-8 S34-icls2021-16 S42-icls2021-24