Facts given in article :

Research Design & Research Methodology

• A research methodology is the procedural rules for the evaluation of research claims and the validation of the research claims and the validation of the knowledge gathered.
• A research design functions as a research blueprint

Research Purpose

• Identified three main purpose
• Exploratory, descriptive and explanatory purpose
• Correlating the research questions to the research objectives

Exploratory

• Exploratory research investigates a specified problem phenomenon for the purpose of shedding new light upon it and consequently uncovering new knowledge

Descriptive

• Descriptive research entails the thorough examination of the research problem for the specified purpose of describing the phenomenon as in defining, measuring and clarifying it

Explanatory

• Explanatory research as the clarification of relationship between variables and the componential elements of the research problem
• Functions to highlight the complex interrelationships existent within and around a particular phenomenon and contained within the research problem

Session 6 : What Makes Effective Writing

Activity 1 : List down important elements that contribute towards effective writing?


Facts given in article 
- it is good to have knowledge on the subject being written - do your research beforehand
- good writing and grammar skills - easy to understand, no major grammatical errors
- avoid long winding sentences 
- when it conveys what original author wanted to convey in his attempt of conveying the information that he wants to convey
- giving good examples for example, real world situation, historical evidence, etc
- throughly explain background of subject (on introduction section,it is good to have this)
- structured writing (follow the format of report)


Reflection :
- apply it (all the above points) in the process of writing the report
- do not skip any steps and format of report writing
- write a rough draft first to be improved later

LITERATURE REVIEW

Activity 1 : What is literature review? What are the important points you have learnt?

Facts given in the article 

Literature Review

• literature review is an account of what has been published on a research area.
• evaluation report of information found in the literature related to one's particular area of study.
• it should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify the studies reviewed.

Purpose

• take a critical look at the literature that already exist in the area you are researching to provide a context

1.     to provide a context for the research

2.     to justify the research

3.     to illustrate hoe the subject has been studied previously

4.     to outline gaps in previous research

5.     to show the researchers understanding of the topic are being studied

Skills

• Information seeking : the ability to search the literature efficiently and identify a set of relevant articles and books.
• Critical assessment : the ability to read and appraise reading text critically.

Steps

Secondary Data

Summary writing

• a summary is a shortened or condensed piece of writing and it is done by restating the main points in your own words and in the order in which you find them.
• the aim of summary is to be precise
• used when you wish

1.     to highlight the general ideas of a work

2.     to avoid distracting your readers with details from the original text

3.     to focus more on what the author was trying to prove, instead of how he went about proving it

Direct quotation

Direct quotation are statement that consist of the exact words of the author, copied directly word from a printed source. They are used when you want to:

• add the power of an author's word to support your argument
• disagree with an author's argument
• highlight particularly eloquent or powerful phrases or passages
• compare and contrast specific points of view

Paraphrasing

Paraphrase means rephrasing the words of an author, putting his/her thoughts in your own words.

Paraphrasing is done when you want to:

• use information on your note cards and wish to avoid plagiarism
• avoid overuse of quotations
• use your own voice to present information

Important notes when paraphrasing:

• they should not be written using the author's original vocabulary
• they should reflect through understanding of the ideas
• they should reflect the real meaning of the text
• they should be written in correct mechanics, usage and grammar

Reflections:

- Summary of all the reading materials into one respective topic 

   eg; one topic on materials, another on product etc

Activity 2- Important Issues

Reflections:
Problems faced when writing literature review

• Lack of resources - Books/ journals not sufficient

                                      - internet resources needs signing up

• some resources are not related to our research
• hard to find resources especially journals and previous research paper

EXERCISE 5

Paraphrase text 1

In the march 2005 issue of technology magazine, police superintendent Ali Bin Rejab, Chief Officer in Bandar Inderapura, commented that while a handphone might prove useful in an emergency while you're on the road, many are using it for more than that, which leads to a traffic accident.

Paraphrase text 2

Haris, Adam (2003) stated that young people including university students are finding that having a handphone is an attractive notion for it is convenient to have one. Evidently shown by the increasing number of handphone user among student over the past few years.  

Introduction To Writing Research Report

EXERCISE 3

TOPIC : 

The Incorporation of The Literature Component in the Malaysia ESL Syllabus for Secondary School

OBJECTIVE 1 :

To investigate the extend of knowledge and anxiety (reaction) levels of secondary school students about the incorporation.

RESEARCH QUESTION 1 :

What is the extend of knowledge and anxiety levels of secondary school students about the incorporation ?

________________________________________________________________________

OBJECTIVE 2 :
To investigate the English language level among secondary students to grasp the incorporation

.

RESEARCH QUESTION 2 : 

What is the students English language level to grasp the literature component ?

________________________________________________________________________

OBJECTIVE 3 :

To find out if there will be any future problems occurred by the incorporation of the literature component.

RESEARCH QUESTION 3 :

What future problems that might occur by the incorporation of the literature component ?

_______________________________________________________________________

OBJECTIVE 4 :

To describe the functions of the incorporation of the literature component in the Malaysia ESL Syllabus towards secondary school students.

RESEARCH QUESTION 4 :

What are the functions of the incorporation of the literature component in the Malaysia ESL Syllabus towards the secondary school students?

___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

FACTS GIVEN IN THE ARTICLE:

First,consider answering these questions before carrying out a research...
What...(issue/problem/time frame)
why...(why conduct research)
where...(collection of data)
who...(respondents)
how...(collection of data)

Statement of problem

A problem statement is a single statement that defines the issue or problem investigated in the study

Purpose of study

The purpose of the study contains a broad and extended discussion on the reasons why your study was conducted and the overall intentions of the study

Objective of study

An explicit and concise objective may be able to:

• show the extent of your study
• prompt readers to the possible information or data that will be included in the findings section of the research report
• provide insights into the potential recommendations or rewards of the study

 

Research Question

A research question is a statement that distinguishes the issue or problem to be studied

 

Significance of the study

Justifies the reason for conducting the study and to emphasize the potential benefits that it would bring

Scope of the study

• to indicate the direction of the study
• to map out the boundaries or parameters of the research
• to outline the method of investigation used in the study
• to give a preview of the written report

 

Report introduction - activity 2

 The second activity on the report introduction section had us looking at two different sample of an introduction section of a report. Then we were told to point out the issues that we had with the reports and write out what we feels and thinks about them.

For the first report introduction section, there were a few important issues that need to be learnt :\


INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1
Stair climbing trolley

•  The project overview is unnecessary 
• Grammatical errors- spelling, punctuation, past and present tense ect.
• not enough elaboration on the project objective
• wrong word usage of title-"Problem Definition" should be "Significant of the Study"

INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND

E-learning

• Background of the study is irrelevant
• not clear on project scope and purpose
• Grammatical errors

Report Introduction - activity1

 This time around, we are given an article on writing a report's introduction. the given article touch upon the various criteria and sections that need to be in the introduction section of a report. It is a very educational article, it touches all the aspects that should be touch in a good introduction of a report and present it in a very easy to understand manner.

From this article, we were given a group activity, which is to discuss on the given article and write our reflections on it.

  Facts given in the article:

1. introduction provides readers with information on the overall background of the study conducted.

2. it helps readers to focus on the issue or problem addressed in the study and it relates to previous research conducted in the same field.

3. it presents the preview of the whole written report.

4. use your approved proposal & the preliminary factors discussed earlier to guide you in writing your introduction part.

5. consider including info about the area of study obtained through your reading of secondary sources.

6. refer to your primary data collection

 Reflections:

1. an introduction should be a short summary on the whole report

2. it must include all necessary information such as background, problem statement, propose and such.
3. follow the flow. from a to z, the introduction must be in proper sequence so not to confuse readers.

Criteria of An A Research Report

   A research report has a lot of rules and guidelines in its format, whereby is one does concur to it, his report is deemed a reject. But beside the format, what are the criteria to ensure that the written report will deserve an 'A'? After a session of brainstorming, our group decided on the following factors:

To get an A on research report, students must have good technical, language and content.

 In order to be an 'A' deserving report, there are three major sector in which are crucial and must be looked at intensely by the writer. The three sector are:

CONTENT

 The content of a report is unarguably the most important thing in a report. It is the reason the report is made, the knowledge that the writer wants to convey and the findings that he discovered. A solid content base is essential for a report to be deemed worthy of an 'A'. Included in this sector are:

- elaboration of points - points made must be adequately elaborated. The why, when, what, where and                                               who's must be explained in detail.Sound and believable arguments must be made                                             to make the readers believe in what one is trying to prove and convey

- sources - What kind of sources do one use

- references - Is proper references and citations are made.

- credibility - How credible is the arguments, sources and references. For example, quoting wikipedia is the                         last thing one should do in proving a point.

LANGUAGE

  As any kind of written report, language is important. If one's writing is confusing and hard to read, then how is the reader going to understand and fully comprehend the ideas and arguments made by the writer. This is the basic of basics, one which everybody should have mastered when writing at this kind of level.

- grammar & spelling

- clear & precise

TECHNICAL

The technical aspect of the report. This include the format, the presentation of data and all the other technicalities in writing a report.

- written in passive voice

- data presentation

         --> visual aids

- formatting

         --> spacing

         --> font