Part 1:

1. How to define a research project?

What is RESEARCH?

- Whenever we seek to answer a question through the careful collection of data, we can say we are
involved in research.
- The researcher collects data that are as unbiased as possible and then attempts to interpret the data
to answer some critical question.
- Research is a systematic inquiry that investigateshypotheses, suggests new interpretations of data
or texts, and poses new questions for future research to explore

How to choose a research topic? ( 2step)

Step 1: Choose a research problem

Step 2: Define a topic

A research problem is a troubling statement that someone would like to conduct a deeper
investigation. Research problems are usually identified from several sources including:

• The theories

• The personal experiences

• Previous studies that can be replicated

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A research problem should provide the focus that guides, the research project to address the research
objectives. It should not be too broad or general:

This figure summarizes the key aspects of the procedure to write up a research topic

5 “WS”

1. What is your research?

2. Why do you want to do the research
3. Who will be your participant
4. Where are you going to conduct
5. When are you going yo do
 2. The overall shape of these

3. How to write an Introduction

The main purpose of the INTRODUCTION is to give a description of the problem that will be addressed

Important:

1. Get your audience's attention

2. Discuss the meaningfulness of the study with presentation of problem or issue.
3. Advocate the need of study and give a clear insight into intentions
4. Presents a background and statement of context

Chapter 1: Introduction (of a graduation report/ thesis)

1.1 Rationale
1.2 Research goals
1.3 Research questions
1.4 Scope of the study
1.5 Significance

1.1 Rationale (Statement of the problem)

• This is a brief explanation of why your research topic is worthy of study and may make a significant
contribution to the body of already existing research.

• This section is crucial, because it is one place in which the researcher tries to convince an audience that
the research is worth doing and could persuade someone to support, or fund, a research project.

How to write Rationale?

1. Thesis background/ context: the practical situation are described, thereby stating the urgency to
implement the topic,

2. Who are you? (your personal motivation)

3. Introduce your question or curiosity. What is it that you want to know or understand?

4. If you have a hypothesis, what is it?

5. Tell why there's a need for the study. Cite relevant literature that calls for the need for research in this
area or demonstrates the lack of attention to the topic (A GAP in literature/ previous research).

6. The problem stems from practice, but no research focuses on solving it.

7. The topic being selected makes sense and should be done.

1.2 Research goals

The statement of why the research is being done.

How to write Research goal? present the goals of their study by answering the following questions:

"What are the objectives of my research?"

"What do I expect to discover or learn from this research?"

VOCABULARY

• This paper focuses on...

• The purpose of this study is to describe and examine…

• In order to investigate the biological significance...

• In this paper we present...

• New correlations were developed with excellent results…

• In the present study we performed...

• This paper introduces a scheme which solves these problems.

• The approach we have used in this study aims to...

• This study investigated the use of...

• In this report we test the hypothesis that...

• This paper is organised as follows:...

1.3 Research questions

The thesis is expected to clarify two issues in the questions below.

1. What are challenges encountered by IUH English-majored seniors in writing a graduation thesis?

2. What are the possible reasons causing those challenges?

Based on the above-mentioned problem statement, this study aims to address the following research
questions to help readers understand clearly and deeply:

1. What are the benefits of applying the flipped classroom approach to teaching English to the second-
year English majors at FFL of IUH?

2. What are the challenges of applying the flipped classroom approach to teaching English to the second-
year English majors at FFL of IUH?

3. What technological tools or online platforms have been used for implementing classroom at FFL of
IUH?

A research question is a clear, focused, concise, and arguable question around which you center your
research (do not use Yes/No questions).

1. focuses on a single topic and problem

2. is answerable within practical constraints

3. provides scope for debate and deliberation

4. addresses a problem relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

How to write research questions? - base on research goals

4. Literature review

 As stated by Ormrod and Leedy (2014), a literature review describes theoretical perspectives and
previous research findings related to the problem at hand. In order words, a literature review is a
comprehensive review of existing research on a specific topic.
 Literature covers everything that is written and/or published on a topic of study: books, journal
articles, etc.

There are 2 types of literature review:

• Theoretical framework which summarizes current literature on a particular topic. According to

Miles and Huberman (1994), a theoretical framework is "a conceptual model of how one theorizes or
makes logical sense of the relationships among several factors that have been identified as important
to the problem" (p. 18).

• Review of previous studies which contextualizes a research study. This is a systematic and thorough
analysis of every research that has been done on a specific topic (Ormrod & Leedy, 2014).

Why is it a need to write literature review?

1. Analyze critically the published information in a particular subject area through summary,
classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles
in chronologically or thematically organization.

2. provide a theoretical framework: A literature review can help establish a theoretical framework for
your research by identifying the theories and concepts that are relevant to your topic. This framework
can provide the foundation for your research question and guide your methodology.

3. help to identify research gaps, inconsistencies, or conflicts in existing research that your study aims
to address. By critically evaluating the existing literature, you can justify the need for your research
and frame your study as a valuable contribution to the field.

A LITERATURE REVIEW MUST DO MORE THAN DESCRIBE IT MAY:

1. Compare and contrast different authors' views on an issue

2. Group authors who draw similar conclusions

3. Criticize aspects of methodology

4. Note areas in which authors are in disagreement.

5. Highlight exemplary studies

6. Highlight gaps in research

7. Show how your study relates to previous studies

8. Show how your study relates to the literature in general

9. Conclude by summarizing what the literature says

(Caulley, as cited in Information Services, University Library, 2008)

TO WRITE A LITERATURE REVIEW:

1. Evaluate previous studies and identify gap(s) in previous research

2. Outline main arguments in the field

3. Show that you are familiar with the literature on your topic

4. Indicate who the main writers are in a particular area

5. Position your work in relation to other writers

6. Identify areas of controversy (disagreement)

7. Support your own work by citing other authors

 5. Referencing and Avoiding plagiarism
WHAT IS PLAGIARISM? - Plagiarism is representing, citing, making use of, publishing the creative
work of another as your own original work without appropriate acknowledgement.

Plagiarism involves:

Stealing and Lying someone else's work as:

1. Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks

2. Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation®

3. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit

4. Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of work, whether giving
credit or not.

Reference and why reference?

• Citing and referencing is a way of showing what sources you have used, giving credit to the original
authors, and avoid plagiarism.

WHAT SHOULD YOU REFERENCE?

• To acknowledge not only published and non-published words and ideas, but also facts and figures,
sounds and images that you have obtained from all the sources

NOTE:

- It is unnecessary to reference common knowledge (widely known)

Types of plagiarism

TYPE 1: Deliberate plagiarism (intentional plagiarism): is CHEATING. It is a serious matter with a

clear intention to cheat.

1. copying from someone you know

2. downloading or buying from an Internet site
3. allowing another person to submit your work as his/her own
 4. working together with another student on an assignment, and then submitting individual work
which is very similar in content and language (this is called collusion)

TYPE 2: Accidental plagiarism (unintentional plagiarism): is lacking of knowledge and cross-culture

writing rules, misunderstand or even carelessness.

• failing to acknowledge fully the sources of knowledge and ideas that you use in your work;

• Incorporate the words of others into your writing as if they were your own; without proper citation.

• Mixing and together ideas or facts taken from others without presenting your own viewpoint.

ADVICE TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

1. Fully reference and acknowledge the work of others

2. Use your own words and develop your own writing style

3. Express your own view

4. Do not copy a paragraph, or even a couple of sentences, word for word without using quotation marks
and without citing the source in the body of your assignment.

5. Use reliable and scientific material from the internet

6. Collusion and avoiding collusion

6. APA style
1. What is APA citing style?

APA (American Psychological Association) style is most frequently used within the social sciences, in
order to cite various sources. It consists of rules and conventions for formatting term papers, journal
articles, books, etc. in the behavioral and social sciences.
How many types of IN-TEXT CITATIONS in APA format?

- Short-quote, (< 40 words, or less than 3 lines of material): Must be enclosed within quotation marks and
cited using the author’s last name, year of publication, and page number.
- Long-quote (40+ words, or more than 3 lines of material): Include page number (or paragraph number
for a web document) and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented space from the
left margin, smaller font and closer line spacing.
- Paraphrase/summary: A paraphrase is material from a source which has been simplified and restated in
your own words. All paraphrases must be cited, using the author’s last name, and year of publication.
APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number
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Writing assigned parts in the INTRODUCTION

When writing assigned parts in the introduction of a research paper, it’s essential to ensure cohesion and
clarity while addressing the following key components:

1. Background Information: Provide context for the research topic, including relevant historical,
theoretical, or empirical background information.
2. Research Question or Hypothesis: Clearly state the main research question or hypothesis that your
study aims to address.
3. Objectives or Purpose: Outline the specific goals or objectives of your research to guide the reader in
understanding what you aim to achieve.
4. Significance of the Study: Explain the importance and relevance of your research within the broader
academic or practical context, highlighting its potential contributions or implications.
5. Scope and Limitations: Define the scope of your research by specifying the boundaries or constraints
within which your study operates. Additionally, acknowledge any limitations or constraints that may
impact the interpretation or generalizability of your findings.
6. Organizational Structure: Briefly outline the structure of the paper, indicating how the different
sections will be organized and what each section will cover.

Ensure that each assigned part contributes cohesively to the overall introduction, maintaining a logical
flow of information and transitioning smoothly between different components. Additionally, use clear and
concise language to effectively convey your ideas and engage the reader from the outset.

Writing assigned parts in the LITERATURE REVIEW APA CITATION

When writing assigned parts in the literature review section of a research paper, it’s crucial to adhere to
APA citation style guidelines. Here’s how you can format APA citations for various sources commonly
included in a literature review:

1. Books:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.
Example: Smith, J. D. (2005). The psychology of teamwork. Academic Press.
2. Journal Articles:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume
number(issue number), pages.
Example: Johnson, L. M., & Jackson, K. R. (2019). The impact of social media on adolescent mental
health. Journal of Adolescent Psychology, 27(3), 45-60.
3. Online Articles:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume
number(issue number), pages. URL
Example: Miller, S. M., & Roberts, L. G. (2020). The role of technology in education. Educational
Technology Research and Development, 68(2), 45-58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09876-5
4. Website:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of webpage. Name of Website.
URL
Example: World Health Organization. (2021, September 10). COVID-19 vaccines.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines
5. Government Report:
Government Agency. (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx). Publisher.
Example: National Institute of Mental Health. (2020). Mental health statistics (Report No. NIH
Publication No. 20-123). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Make sure to arrange your citations alphabetically by the authors’ last names, and include a hanging
indent for each subsequent line of each citation. Also, double-check the accuracy of each citation to
ensure adherence to APA style.

Writing assigned parts in the LITERATURE REVIEW

When writing assigned parts in the literature review section of a research paper, it’s essential to
synthesize and critically analyze relevant scholarly sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the
existing literature on your research topic. Here’s how you can structure and approach your assigned parts:

1. Introduction to the Literature Review:

• Begin with an introductory paragraph that sets the stage for the literature review section.
• Briefly explain the purpose of the literature review and its significance in the context of your research
topic.
• Provide a preview of the key themes or areas of focus that will be discussed in the literature review.
2. Assigned Part 1:
• Start by introducing the assigned topic or subtopic that you are responsible for reviewing.
• Summarize the main findings, theories, or debates within this particular area of the literature.
• Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of the existing research.
• Identify any gaps or unresolved questions that your research aims to address.
3. Assigned Part 2:
• Follow a similar structure as outlined above, focusing on a different aspect or subtopic within the
literature related to your research.
• Provide a synthesis of relevant studies, theories, or methodologies pertinent to your assigned part.
• Discuss any conflicting findings or differing perspectives among scholars in this area.
4. Assigned Part 3, and so on:
• Continue with the same approach for each additional assigned part, if applicable.
• Ensure coherence and smooth transitions between different sections of the literature review.
5. Integration and Conclusion:
• Conclude the literature review section by summarizing the main findings and insights gleaned from the
reviewed literature.
• Emphasize the overall significance of the literature review in informing the research questions or
hypotheses of your study.
• Discuss the implications of the literature review findings for future research directions or practical
applications.
6. APA Citations:
• Include APA citations for all sources referenced in the literature review, following the format provided
in the previous response.
• Ensure accuracy and consistency in formatting throughout the citations.

By following these guidelines, you can effectively contribute to the literature review section of your
research paper while fulfilling your assigned parts.

Writing assigned parts in the APA CITATION

When incorporating assigned parts into the APA citation style, follow these guidelines:

1. Identify the Assigned Parts:

• Clearly delineate which parts of the research or literature review were assigned to you.
2. Integrate Citations:
• Insert citations within the text where appropriate to support your assigned parts.
• Use in-text citations to acknowledge the sources of information or ideas you are discussing.
 • Include the author’s last name and the publication year within parentheses.
• Example: (Smith, 2018)
3. Provide Page Numbers:
• If directly quoting a source, include the page number(s) after the publication year within parentheses.
• Example: (Smith, 2018, p. 45)
4. Multiple Authors:
• For sources with multiple authors, list all authors’ last names in the in-text citation for the first
occurrence. For subsequent citations, use “et al.”
• Example: (Smith, Johnson, & Brown, 2016) or (Smith et al., 2016)
5. Arrange Citations Alphabetically:
• Ensure that the full citations for all sources referenced in your assigned parts are included in the
reference list at the end of the paper.
• Arrange the reference list entries alphabetically by the authors’ last names.
6. Formatting the Reference List Entry:
• Follow the APA format for each type of source (e.g., books, journal articles, websites) when creating
reference list entries.
• Include all necessary information such as authors’ names, publication dates, titles, and source details.
7. Hanging Indentation:
• Apply a hanging indent to the second and subsequent lines of each reference list entry.
8. DOI or URL:
• If available, include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for journal articles or a URL for online sources in
the reference list entries.
9. Double-Check Accuracy:
• Ensure that all citations and reference list entries are accurate and correctly formatted according to APA
style guidelines.

By following these guidelines, you can effectively integrate assigned parts into the APA citation style in
your research paper.