Week8ResearchMethodologyDr.ZhencongLiuContentsPurposeComponentsTypesStrategiesProblemsSampleMethodologysectionPurposeTheMethodologysectionmustprovidesufficientinformationsothataknowledgeablereadercanreproducetheexperiment.OneofthekeyfunctionsoftheMethodologysectionistoenableotherresearcherstoreplicatethestudy.DifferentTermsMethodologyMethodsResearchDesignTheoreticalFrameworkTheoreticalFrameworkandMethodologyMethodologyvs.Methods“Methodologyreferstothetheoreticalparadigmorframeworkinwhichthestudentisworking;tothestanceheorsheistakingasaresearcher(e.g.choosingaquantitativeorqualitativeparadigm)andtheargumentthatisbuiltinthetexttojustifytheseassumptions,theoreticalframeworksand/orapproachesaswellasthechoiceofresearchquestionsorhypotheses.”(Paltridge&Starfield,2007:118-119)Methodologyvs.MethodsInresearchpapersandjournalarticles,“methods”isusedtorefertothesectioncontainingtheresearchprocedures,dataandparticipants,statisticaltreatments,materials,etc.Dissertationsuse“Methodology”todescribethe3rdchapter.(EdwinaCarreon,EDUTL6913WritingtheMethodologyChapter)MethodologyMethodologyisamuchbroaderterm,whichincludesmethods,butalso...explainsthestudy’smainconceptual/theoreticalframeworkorparadigmspecificallyintermsofhowthisframeworkhasinfluencedtheresearcher’schoiceofmethodologicalcomponents(suchastheprocedures,participants,researchdesign,dataanalysis,andstatisticaltreatment).justifiesthechoiceofaqualitativeorquantitative,descriptiveoranalyticalframeworkintermsofthestudy’sresearchquestionsdiscussesassumptions,ethicalissues,andthelimitationsoftheframeworkandmethods.(EdwinaCarreon,EDUTL6913WritingtheMethodologyChapter)

TypesofResearchMethods

ResearchMethodQualitativeresearchmethodsQuantitativeresearchmethodsDescriptiveresearchmethodMethodsobservation,soundrecordings,questionnaires,interviews,on-siterecords,logspre-experimentalresearch,quasi-experimentalresearchexperimentalresearchcasestudies,groupstudies,surveysanddevelopmentresearch.ApplicationusedinliberalartsandsocialsciencesappliedinscienceusedinliberalartsandsocialsciencesChallengesforQualitativeStudiesThegreaterlengthofmethodssectionsinthesocialsciences.Itsuggestslessunanimityastomethodologicalpractice(Brett1994).Thesecond-languagestudentmayavoiddoingandwritingaboutqualitativeresearchbecauseoftheperceivedlinguisticchallengesinvolved.ChallengesforQualitativeStudiesThecomplextheoreticalframeworks,methodologiesandinnovativepresentationformatsofthesesinveryqualitativeareasHeavydemandsonwritersandlanguageusersinthecarryingoutoffieldwork,interviews,observation,reflectionanddataanalysisbutalsobecausethegenresforreportingqualitativeresearchareill-definedand“fuzzy”LackofapredictableformatforqualitativeresearchSolutionsWithmotivation,encouragementandsupportAsupportgroupReadingalotofqualitativeresearcharticlesinherfieldhelpedherwriteupherdataEthicalIssuesUniversity’sethicalresearchrequirementsInformedconsentAnonymityTheneedfortheinformanttoemergeunharmedfromtheexperiencePowerrelationsPOSITIONOFRESEARCHMETHODCOMPONENTSOFRESEARCHMETHODSTYPICALSECTIONSINAMETHODOLOGYCHAPTERa.ResearchDesignReviewofresearchquestions,hypotheses,assumptionsReviewofTheoretical/conceptualframework/approachLimitations,EthicalIssuesRoleasresearcherb.Descriptionofdata,populationsample,context(geographic,socio-cultural)c.Materials(equipment,surveys,questionnaires)d.DataCollectione.SamplingTechniquef.AnalysisandTreatmentofDatag.Calculations/Variablesh.Procedures(EdwinaCarreon,EDUTL6913,WritingtheMethodologyChapter)TypicalSectionsinThesisChapter3Methodology3.1Subjects/participants3.2Instruments3.3DataCollection3.4DataAnalysisRepresentationoftheResearcherHowthewriter“talks”abouthisorherroleintheresearch?Towhatextentisthewriter“present”inthethesis?Depersonalized,objective,impersonal,passivevoice“theresearcher”“we”“I”ProblemsinMethodologyStudentsarenotfullyawareofthepurposesoftheMethodologysection.Studentsdonotunderstandthedistinctionbetweenmethodologyandmethods.Inadequatedescriptionoftheapproachandframeworkadopted.Anabsenceofargumentandjustificationforthechosenapproach.WhatexaminerstypicallysayabouttheMethodology(King1996)inappropriatenessofthemethodologytothetheoreticalframeworkandperspectiveofthestudy;insufficientjustificationforthechoiceofmethodologywithrespecttoresearchquestions;placingthemethodologicalapproacheswithinlogicofoveralldesignandsodemonstratingappropriateness;failuretolinkmethodologyadequatelytomethodologicalliterature;inappropriatenessofmethodologytogeneratethedataneededtoanswertheresearchquestionsposed;failuretorecognizelimitsandparametersofmethodologyused(generalizabilityandrepeatability,etc.);appropriatenessofmethodologytosample;inadequatedescriptionofthemethodologicalapproachandframework;inadequatedescriptionoftheinstrumentsbeingused;inadequatedescriptionofthedevelopmentandtestingofnewinstrumentsortechniques;inappropriate,poorandinadequatestatisticaltreatments.SampleMethodsFlanagan,S.R.(2016).LanguageOrientationandStudentSuccessinOnlineLearningEnvironments:ACaseStudy.MAdissertation,ArizonaStateUniversity.Lawrence,G.P.J(2000).TeacherBeliefSystems-Towardscomputer-mediatedlanguagelearning:CollegeESLinstruction.MAthesis,UniversityofToronto.Hayes,K.M.(2010).AcasestudyofChineseuniversityEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)students’attitudestowardlearningtechnologies.PhDdissertation(Ed.D.),NorthernIllinoisUniversity.Assignment1.MethodologyWriting:Supposeyouhavefinishedwritingyourintroductionandliteraturereviewofyourpaperandenterthestageofmethodswriting.Pleaseexaminetheproceduresofyourresearch,subjectsandinstrumentsemployed,datacollectionandanalysistechniques,etc.ThenwritetheMethodologysectionofyourownpaperinaclearmanner.Assignment2.MethodologyEvaluation:Selectaclassroom-basedstudyfromarecentjournalsuchasLanguageLearning,TESOLQuarterly,ortheModernLanguageJournal.SummarizetheMethodsectionbyprovidingthefollowingdata:a.Subjectsb.Procedurec.Typeofdatad.Typeofanalysise.CritiqueAssignment3.MethodologyEvaluation:PleaseexchangeyourMethodssectionwithThreeofyourclassmatesandcommentontheirMethodswritingagainstthecriteriaforagoodMethodssection.YoucandrawonKing’s(1996)commentsonMethodologyforyourevaluation.Assignment4.MethodologyEvaluation:ExaminetheMethodologysectionsfromacoupleofrecentthesesinyourfieldintermsofthefollowingquestions:Wasthereajustificationofthechoiceofmethodology,theoreticalframeworkorresearchdesign?Whichelementsofthe“visualmap”wereincluded?Howweretheseelementsorderedandwasajustificationofferedfortheirchoice?How“reader-friendly”wasthesection?Didthewritersdiscusslimitationstotheresearchorproblemstheyencounteredduringtheresearc