metodologia cercetarii_1

Metodologia cercet Lector dr. Adriana L

RESEARCH GUIDELINES

Dissertation or thesis?

a thesis:- comes from Greek, carrying with it the meaning

of position- the formal presentation of a specific position or

argument on a given topic or issue

a dissertation:- comes from Latin, carrying with it the meaning of discourse or discussion- a formal discussion or presentation of a given topic or subject

both

A dissertation

A dissertation is an extended presentation of the thesis and the evidence or logic used to reach the position stated in the thesis

What is the major difference between the two?

A thesis

hypothesis on a topic = statement of expected results

presents an original viewpoint or approach to an issue or subject

lays the foundational work for the production of a full dissertation later

Three to seven pages in length

provides sufficient information for the topic to be judged by its merits and potential viability as a dissertation subject

an academic paper presenting a particular scholarly subject or issue

judged on the thoroughness of the topic exploration

judged upon the originality of the students thoughts and position on the topic

The process, however, begins with another document: the thesis statement

Preparing a thesis proposal

The thesis topic is significant to some facet of the students discipline

The student has an idea of how the data related to the topic will be collected or obtained

The student has appropriately defined the methodology for analyzing the collected data

3 very important steps:

The Structure of a Thesis ProposalA thesis proposal follows a specific structure similar to that of a dissertation. A typical proposal will be three to seven pages and follow this structure:

Title Page descriptive, self-explanatory title for the proposed project

the name of the author, the institution, the department

the name of the research mentor, the mentors institution

proposed date of delivery

Abstract a summary of the thesis proposal, which runs 175 to 250 words

contains a brief explanation of the issue and includes the thesis statement

contains a brief description of how the issue is to be addressedand what implications the research might have once completed

The Structure of a Thesis Proposal

Table of Contents a list of all headings

subheadings with the corresponding page numbers

indented to indicate their inclusion in the section covered by the associated main heading

Introduction establishes the context for the thesis proposal

starting from a broad overview of the environment in question, the writer should work down to the level of the thesis itself

known pre-existing information on the topic should be mentioned and citations of relevant sources noted


Thesis Statement

the range of anticipated validity

the discussion of how they fit into the thesis

a sentence or two, stating the hypothesis or position to be established by the work to follow

Approach/ Methods

the methods and materials that will be used

how the data will be gathered and analyzedcalculations

proceduresequipment and calibration factors involved

explanations of anticipated limitations

assumptions made regarding what might be found

Preliminary Results and Discussion any pre-existing results

list all sources used, reviewed, or anticipated to be used in the preparation of the final document

How will this affect the discipline and our world?

any anticipated challenges should be discussed as well


Work Plan Including Time Table describes the steps and anticipated timetable of the project

Implications of Research What is expected to be the outcome of the proposed project?

What new knowledge is anticipated and why is it worth knowing?

List of References

Dissertation Research Guide

the point-of-view or position which is going to be used in approaching the assignment

to communicate those results and thoughts in an effective manner to peers in your academic and professional discipline.

Analysis of the Assignmentthe purpose of the assignment

the length required by the instructor

the scope of the assignment

Purpose of the Assignment the ability to use appropriate research methods

effectively organize the research results and thoughts

Selecting a Topic

too broad a topic - much information which takes a lot of time to gather

too narrow a topic - hard to locate enough information to write an effective paper

ideastextbook

class discussionscurrent news stories

surfing on the Internetwriters notebook where ideas can be recorded as they occur


the depth of information and argument you wish to establish with your paper

More is better collecting more information than anticipated prevents you from having to repeat the research process if you find you do not have enough information on a given aspect of your paper.

Never dismiss a resource even an article in a popular, non-scholarly magazine may have significant value.

Establishing the Scope

when gathering the resources for the paper

background information

key terminology

the names of one or more experts in the field for follow-up research


authoritative Internet resources

Establishing the Point-of-View

Is the dissertation

an opinion-based topic approach

impartial topic approach

newspapers

magazines

grey-area Internet resources

scholarly sources


The Six Questions

Who will the readers of the dissertation be?

WHO Who have been the key researchers involved in the topic?

Whose work contributed to your topic and/or view on the topic?

Whom does the topic matter affect?

WHAT What events, results or long-term conditions have occurred or can be anticipated from the research?What procedures or circumstances have been necessary to perform the research?

WHEN When were the sources of information published?

When did you do your own research?


The Six Questions

WHERE Where did the research take place?

Where did events affecting the topic occur?

WHY

Why is your topic significant to your academic discipline?

Why is the resource significant to your topic?

HOW How have you performed the research?

How was the original research performed?


Collecting Topic-Related Resources

using an internet search engine with a suggested search function.

Ask.com

acts as a digital version of the free association game

The game starts with someone throwing out a word, phrase or topic and participants try to throw out associated words, phrases or topics. It is often said that in free association there are no wrong answers.

gives search suggestions for both narrowing and broadening the topic

Traditional Research

The first rule of research is to keep yourself and the information you gather organized. This can be done with anything from a set of index cards to a virtual mind map utilizing the latest software available. The media of collecting the information is unimportant, keeping the information organized and documenting its sources is important.

Basic Resource Typestraditional books

periodicals (including scholarly journals)

electronic databases

Internet resources

traditional research methods more recent research methods

published reportsbooks

periodical materials Internet

a wide variety of resources (particularly on recent developments and events)

necessary for developing background information or for accessing comprehensive coverage of a given topic


The type of topic dealt with affects the time relationship. Dissertations on current political issues or topics such as global warming will need information that is more recent. Interpreting the effectiveness of military strategies might call upon a mix of current and historic information.

Types of Sources

Primary sourcesmaterials written during the period or event as in research and laboratory notes and reports written by the participants

Secondary sources

reviews and event accounts written based on the contents of primary sources

Tertiary sources

magazine and other popular publication materials that put information from primary and secondary sources into nonprofessional terms for the public to understand, but whose accuracy and reliability may be clouded

Time-related element


General Topic Sources dictionaries

indexes

encyclopedias

The reference section of the local library

directories

materials which are not normally available for checkout

bibliographies (or be bibliographies) that can lead you to additional materials on the topic you are researching

lead to contain additional leads for further research to narrow or broaden the topic

Today, many of these resources are available online through the librarys website.


Sources of Comprehensive Coverage

Books

Journals

provide extensive background and research information on a particular subject, often explaining the relationship between its core topic and related issues and subjects

provide intensive coverage on specific issues and subjects

medical journals - contain a full report on the effects of a new medication in the treatment of hepatitis or a new surgical procedure for the removal of malignant tumors from cancer patients


Sources of Current Information and Opinion -Periodicals

published on a continuous basis

the best traditional sources of recent, up-to-date information on many topics

Serials

the bridge between books and general periodicals

take the form of progressive development reports that are published on an annual basis

developments in cancer research

updates on the effects of and/or international response to global warming

evaluations of the state of a nation or society

Journals articles and reports focused on specific issues and developments on scientific, academic and industrial topics

Magazinesjournalistic reference

current eventscite sources and people involved in the events and research

Newspapers published on a daily or weekly basisexcellent sources of information regarding how an event or situation played out during the time it was actually happening

excellent source of opinion materials through their editorials and letters to the editor

The Internets primary strength today lays in the AVAILABLE coverage of issues, events and knowledge that are more current.

Modern Research

An Overview of Internet Resources

wide diversity of Internet resource

personal opinion blogs and websites

comprehensive corporate, governmental, scholastic and other organizational information centers

Why is the information being distributed on the Internet?

Is the source properly cited or a report on original, first handresearch?

Modern Research

When locating quality Internet resources, the student must ask key questions regarding the potential resource:

Is the resource offered by a trustable, reliable source?

Finding Quality Internet Resources

reliable and scholarly materials

Caution regarding the Internet - its volatility materials recently viewed no longer available

the page was deleted to make room for newer materials

the page was moved during site reorganizations

the website, itself, has vanished entirely

Modern Research

Online Scholarly Journals

Today, many scholarly, academic and industry journals are deploying parallel websites as part of their distribution of knowledge

Some have incorporated historic archives

most charge an access fee for their use, which is frequently $100 or more per year

A major resource in locating scholarly journals and resources online that does not charge any fee

the Directory of Open Access Journals (www.doaj.org)

free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals.

Modern Research

performing the same techniques on the broader subject might reveal additional, related materials.

Finding Searchable Keywords

scan relevant content that you already have

words

subjects

concepts

useful information through a search engine or library search

use Ask.com as the search engine

they offer search suggestions down one side of the results page that relate to the search just performed

narrow your searchexpand your search

people

examine materials of the main subject (or subjects) of which your dissertation topic is a subset

related searchpopular Q&A

Modern Research

Using Boolean Expressions

In Internet searches, three words can dramatically affect the quantity and quality of your search results

and or not

forces search engines using Boolean searches to include only those websites that contain both the word preceding the and and the word directly following it

Often the reported search results include pages that have one or the other, but not both

forces the search engine into an exclusive mode, including websites that have one or the other, but not both words

causes the search engine to include all pages with the first word unless they also contain the second word

http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.asp

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