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ResearchMethodologiesFindingInformationintheModernEraResearching•Attheuniversitylevel,oneofthemostimportantskillsthatyouwilldevelopishowtoproperlyresearch.–Thiswillhelpyouthroughoutyourlifeatschoolaswellasatwork.–Findinginformation,findingknowledge,allowsyoutocontrolyourthoughtsandideasaswellasprovidesyouwiththeabilitytodothingsonyourownratherthanhavingtorelyonotherpeopletohelpyouallthetime.Researching•Thequestionofcourseiswheredostudentsfindinformation?–WhatarethemostcommonsourcesforresearchamongstudentsinChina?•Ask.com•Baidu•Bing•Google•Wikipedia•Howmanyofyourelyontheprecedingsourcesforresearch?PoorResearchingHabits•Itisnotsurprisingthatstudents(bothWesternandChinese)choosetheeasywayoutwhenitcomestodoingproperresearch.–Why?•Convenience•Laziness•Easeofuse•Waitingtoolongtostartanassignmenttoallowforproperresearch(poortimemanagement)•Unsurehowtoresearch•UnsurewheretolookforproperacademicresourcesDevelopingResearchSkills•Thepurposeofthislecturethenistoensurethatstudentsgetafundamentalunderstandingof:–WhatIsResearch?–WhyDoWeResearch?–WhenDoWeResearch?–HowDoWeResearch?–WhereDoWeFindResearch?WhatIsResearch?•AccordingtotheOxfordEnglishDictionary(OED):–Systematicinvestigationorinquiryaimedatcontributingtoknowledgeofatheory,topic,etc.,bycarefulconsideration,observation,orstudyofasubject.Inlaterusealso:originalcriticalorscientificinvestigationcarriedoutundertheauspicesofanacademicorotherinstitution.–Investigationundertakeninordertoobtainmaterialforabook,article,thesis,etc.;aninstanceofthis.–Theproductofsystematicinvestigation,presentedinwritten(esp.published)form.WhatisResearch?•Researchistheactoflookingfororgatheringinformationthrough:–Experimentation•Developingandtestingthesesandhypothesesthroughclinicalorscientificmeans.–Observation•Notingtrendsandtransitionswithinyoursubjectmaterialorother’sresearch/conclusionsanddevelopingtheoriesregardingthem.–Investigation•Lookingforinformationonyourgivensubjectbyotherscholarsorresearchers.•Analyzingtheconclusionsofothersforflawsorshortcomings.WhatIsResearch?•Forourpurposes,researchissimply:–Theactoffindinginformationrelatingtoaspecifictopictheresearcherisinvestigatingorstudying.–Theinformationcancomefromvarioussources:•Textbooks•Subject-specificresearchtexts•Documentaries(filmorbook)•Interviews•Researchersorscientists•Encyclopedias•TheInternetWhyDoWeResearch?•Themostobviousansweristhatweresearchtogainknowledgeindependently.–Inclass,teachersprovideuswithinformationtheyfeelweshouldlearn;researchingallowsustofindinformationonthingsweWANTtolearnabout.–Italsoallowsustoconfirmwhatourteacherstellus–weoftenmakeassumptionsaboutthein-classinformationwearegiven:•Weassumethepersonspeakingisgivingusaccurateinformation.•Weassumethesourceoftheirknowledgeisvalid/accurate.•Weassumethespeakerhasup-to-dateknowledge.•Weassumethattheactofresearchingandcondensinginformationissimple.WhyDoWeResearch?•Anotherreasontoresearchisbasedonthelimitedtimewehaveaccesstoourteachers.–Aswell,Chinesestudentsmaynotfullyunderstandwhattheirteachersaresaying(particularlywithNativeEnglishspeakers).•Takingthetimetoresearchproperlyensuresthat:–Weasscholarsareinformed.–Ourdataisaccurate.–Ourideas/thoughts/beliefsareassupportedastheycanbe.–WeareNOTplagiarizingsomeoneelse’sideas.•Anotherthingtokeepinmindisthatinformationchangesrapidly,sobyresearching,wekeepabreastofnewtrendsorinterpretationsofdata.WhyDoWeResearch?•Thereareotherbenefitstoresearchingtoo:–Wemaydiscovernewanddifferentwaystoperceiveourmaterialsorsubject.–Wemaydiscovernewtheoriesorapproachestowardsoutstudies.–Wemayfindinspirationforourthoughts/ideas.–Wemayfindnewfieldswewishtoexplore.–Wemaylearnofgreateropportunitiesorwaystoapplyourfieldofstudy.–WeWILLgainskillsthatenableustobemoreindependentorhelpusdealwitheverydaylifeissuesthatmayoccur.WhenDoWeResearch?•IfyouaresittingaroundwithyourfriendsdiscussinghowmuchyouhatetheGaokao,doyouneedtodoresearch?•IfyouaredoingaclasspresentationonNathanielHawthorne’sshorttextTheMinister’sBlackVeil,doyouneedtodoresearch?•Ifyouarearguingwithyourparentsonwhetheryoushoulddoadoublemajor,doyouneedtodoresearch?•Ifyouareenteredintheschool-widedebatingcontest,doyouneedtodoresearch?•IfyouaredebatingwhethertobuyalaptoporMacbook,doyouneedtodoresearch?•Ifyouarewritinganargumentativepaper,doyouneedtodoresearch?•Ifyouarewritingalettertotheeditororanewspaper,doyouneedtodoresearch?•IfyouarewritingaDissertation,doyouneedtodoresearch?WhenDoWeResearch•Therearesituationswhenyoudon’tneedtodoresearch,whereitispreferabletodoresearch,andwhereitisnecessarytodoresearch.–Whileargumentswithfriendsandfamilydonotrequireresearch,themoreyouknowwillincreaseyourlikelihoodofpersuadingthepeopleagainstyou.•Inacademicpursuits,researchisfundamental.–Whileexpressingyouropinionisacceptable,itisbettertobackupyourconclusionswithsupportfromvariousscholarlysources.•Nostudenthereisanexpertintheirfield.Thereforeyouneedthesupportandknowledgeofpeoplewhoareconsideredexperts.–Ifyouareuncertainwhetheryouneedtodoresearchforanassignment,iftheassignmentisunclearonthispoint,ASKYOURTEA