研究生学术英语写作教程Unit 4 Describing Methodology.doc

PAGE PAGE 1 Unit 4 Describing Methodology Objectives ─ Be clear about the significance of this section ─ Try to understand the importance of passive voice in academic writing ─ Learn to be skilled in using sequential markers in writing a process ─ Be familiar with proof-reading skills ─ Learn to design a questionnaire Contents ─ Brief introduction to this section ─ Reading Discussion: What information elements are usually involved in writing a methodology section? ─ Language Focus: Passive voice and sequential markers ─ Writing Practice: Understanding the sentence patterns and sentence order in writing a process ─ Writing Project: How to design a questionnaire Reading Activity In natural sciences the method section is often called Materials and Methods. In social sciences it is common to introduce a section called Theory and Methods. Sometimes it is divided in two sections: Theoretical Framework and Methods. Research methodology is mainly concerned with the answers to the following questions: 1) Why is a particular research study undertaken? 2) How has one formulated a research problem? 3) What types of data have been collected? 4) What particular methods have been used? 5) Why is a particular technique of analysis of data used? Pre-reading Task The following is the method section of a research article in the field of applied linguistics. Think about the following questions before reading the text and then have a discussion with your classmates: 1) What is the function of the method section? 2) What information elements does a method section include? 3) What verb tenses are mainly used in the text? What is the proportion of active voice verbs to passive voice verbs in this method section? 1.2 Reading Passage English for College Students in Taiwan: A Study of perceptions of English Needs in a Medical Context The experiment was initiated to investigate perceptions of English needs in a medical context among colle