Getting The Research Project Getting The Research Project Off The GroundOff The Ground
Cedar Generation Gospel OutreachSept. 13, 2014
DOLAPO AMOLE (PhD)Department of Architecture
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
Outline Outline
Choosing a good research topicResearch tools and databaseThe literature and its review
How do I choose a good How do I choose a good research topic?research topic?What is a good
research topic?◦ Researchable◦ Originality◦ Current◦ Feasible
Funds/Resources Supervisors Location
Where are researchable problems found?◦ Phenomena around
us! From practical
problems From everyday life Designs/Products/
Social Actions/Policies
◦ In the literature! From inconsistencies
in the scientific world Gaps in the literature
Good research topic: Good research topic: ResearchableResearchable
How does housing affect human health?
What are the consequences of IT on the teaching of medicine?
How do foreign cultures affect our aspirations in life?
In search of the truth/scientific knowledge!Not a search for lay knowledge
Not just an accumulation of facts
Good research topic: Good research topic: Original/Current Original/Current Contributes to knowledge
New knowledge Confirms or refutes previous knowledge Additional knowledge
Ultimate improvement of current social problems
Adding to current scientific world In methodology In content
Good research topic: Good research topic: Feasible Feasible Resources
Funds/Resources Supervisors Location Personal strengths and interests Familiarity with the
subjects/places/objects
Where are researchable Where are researchable problems found?problems found?
◦Phenomena around us!
Where? Everyday lifeWhere? Everyday life
What are the constituents of orogbo?
Why is there so much poverty?
Why is?What is?Where is ?
Where? Practical problemsWhere? Practical problems
Design an
Action/ProductEvaluate product/action
How can we improve our
eating habits?
How can we stop Ebola?
Research phaseDesign phasePractical problem
Thinking about a practical problem motivates a research question Thinking about a practical problem motivates a research question which defines a research problem which finds a research answer which defines a research problem which finds a research answer
which helps to solve the practical problem.which helps to solve the practical problem.
Where? In the literature!Where? In the literature!
Philosophies
Ideas/concepts
Models
Theories
Research Tools and Research Tools and DatabasesDatabases
Research toolsResearch tools The library The internet
and search engines
Tools of measurement and analysis?
Database: a collection of organized
information in bibliographic, full-text, numeric, and image
formats
Free Access DatabasesFree Access Databases
PubMed – biomedical, life sciencesPubMed Central - biomedical and life sciences.ERIC - education-relatedGoogle Scholar - peer-reviewed papers, theses,
books, preprints, abstracts, and technical reports from broad areas of research.
Scirus - journal content, scientists' homepages, patents.
Other databasesOther databasesName Discipline(s) Description Access Cost Provider(s)
Academic Search Multidisciplinary
Several versions: Complete, Elite, Premier, and Alumni Edition
Subscription EBSCO Publishing
Aerospace & High Technology Database
Aerospace, Aeronautics, Astronautics
Subscription ProQuest[3]
African Journals OnLine (AJOL)
MultidisciplinaryScholarly journals published in Africa
Free abstracts; Subscription full-text
African Journals OnLine
AgeLineSociology, Gerontology
Includes information on aging-related topics, including economics, public health and policy.
Subscription EBSCO Publishing
AGRICOLA: Agricultural Online Access
Agriculture Free & Subscription
Produced by the United States National Agricultural Library. Free access provided by NAL.[7] Subscription access provided by ProQuest,[8] OVID.[9]
The literatureThe literature
The literature in the research The literature in the research processprocess
Checking data, Collating dataAnalyzing data
Interpreting data
Defining a research problem
Defining the frameworks
Selecting the research method, data types, instruments and methods of analysis
Develop, refining instruments and collecting data
The The research research proposalproposal
The The research research reportreport
Literature
The literature: what do I do The literature: what do I do with it?with it?
Searching Reading Writing
sorting
The search for the The search for the literatureliteratureThe search: what?
Related work to the research problem Ideas/facts ; primary and secondary
Systematic, imaginative and guided by a plan
The search: how? Use key concepts of the research and synonyms
The search: where? Library catalogues Internet search engines Bibliographic sources e.g Geo abstracts and Psychological
abstracts Databases / Journal publishers such as Sage, Jstor, Emerald,
Sciencedirect organizations, media, archives Theses, conferences/ conference proceedings References of authors
Accessing the most relevant Accessing the most relevant literatureliteratureEvery practical method
Physically visit Downloading abstracts and full texts Purchase books and journal access Register for free access to journal
databases Write authors for free copy Consult other works of authors Colleagues
Reading the literatureReading the literatureHow to read: from general to the particular
Title and aim /abstract Important parts
to your researchIntroduction and conclusion
Reading the literatureReading the literatureWhy?To:
Identify research problems/ gaps or refine a general broad research problem
Connect research problems to basic disciplines/theories
Define concepts and how to operationalize them Identify issues and variables related to the
research. To suggest methods of dealing with research
problems To reveal other sources of data, personalities and
literature. To situate study in a historical perspective
Writing your review of the Writing your review of the literatureliterature
AnalysisSelect, differentiate,
dissect and break up
SynthesisIntegrate, combine, recast,
formulate and reorganize to narrate a point(s)
Writing your review of the Writing your review of the literatureliteratureHave a plan/outlineIt is a discussionDifferent from an annotated
bibliographyEmphasize relatedness to your
research problemReview not reproduce.
Write what you have to say to what the author is saying and not merely restating what the author has said.
Summarize each section of the review
Structure and organization of Structure and organization of the reviewthe review
Introduction What are the key sources of literature? How is the review discussed and organized ?
Main discussion What are the epistemological and ontological
grounds of the related discipline? What are the key theories/approaches? What are the key concepts and how are they
operationalized? What are the major issues and debates about this
topic? What are the methodologies by which the issues
have been addressed?Summary
What are the main questions and problems that have been addresses up to date and what remains?
The Sections - ProposalThe Sections - ProposalIntroductionReview of LiteratureMethodology Expected contribution to knowledgeEndnotesReferencesAppendices
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