语言学方法论.ppt

Research Methodology  Hu Jian Chapter One Introduction I. Definition of Research What is research? Research is a systematic approach to finding answers to questions. P (questions) P (systematic approach) P (answers) Purpose ? Process ? Product 1. Having good questions Significant Original Answerable 2. Enjoying a Systematic Approach Research should follow a set of procedures which are clearly described and can be fully justified. Remember: no approach is perfect. 3. Obtaining Valid Answers The claimed answer is the only answer that we can obtain. e.g. a relation between L2 learners’ vocabulary size and their reading amount Vocabulary II. Research Process Developing research questions ? reading the literature ? selecting research design ? collecting data ? analyzing data ? writing thesis/dissertation III. Classifications of Research Theoretical vs. practical research (aims of research) Theoretical: aiming at developing or testing theories rather than at resolving practical issues. Practical: aiming at solving concrete problems. Chapter Two Researching Developing research questions 1. Procedures Identifying a research topic; Narrowing down the topic; Reviewing the literature and discussing with other researches; Forming questions: general/specific 2. Problems in question formation Problem one: no research idea Solutions: Personal experience Attending conferences and talking with other researchers 2. Problems in question formation Problem 2: topic being too broad Problem 3: questions not worth investigation Problem 4: questions like a shopping list II. Reading the literature1. Sources of Literature Indices Unpublished papers (conference papers, manuscripts etc.) Journals Books Textbooks Dictionaries and encyclopedias Monographs Collections 2. Procedures for reviewing the literature Constructing a working bibliography via manual search and computer search Arranged alphabetically Containing the name of the author, the title, facts about pu