Research

Framing and scaffolding the research process

Dr. Jerid Francom

Feb 14, 2024

Review

Overview

Research

Table 1: Research characteristics (Cross 2006)
Characteristic Description
Purposive Based on identification of an issue or problem worthy and capable of investigation
Inquisitive Seeking to acquire new knowledge
Informed Conducted from an awareness of previous, related research
Methodical Planned and carried out in a disciplined manner
Communicable Generating and reporting results which are feasible and accessible by others

Framing Research

Connect

  • Research area
    general area of interest where a researcher wants to derive insight and make a contribution to understanding
  • Research problem
    highlights a particular topic of debate or uncertainty in existing knowledge which is worthy of study

Research area

Consider areas along:

  • Discipline
  • Language(s)
  • Methodology
  • Application

Research problem

Comb the literature

Databases

Types of sources

  • Review articles
  • Position papers
  • Empirical studies

Collect and reflect

  • Research question
  • Data source(s)
  • Analytical approach
  • Main findings

Reference management

Identify gaps

  • What are the debates?
  • What are the uncertainties?
  • What are the limitations?
  • What are the contradictions?

Define

  • Research aim
    frames the type of inquiry to be conducted:
    explore, predict, or explain?
  • Research question
    clearly defined statement which identifies an aspect of uncertainty and the particular relationships that this uncertainty concerns

Research aim

RQ Aim
What kinds of collocations are unique to specific English dialects spoken in urban versus rural areas? Explore
French L2 learners will make more vocabulary errors in oral production than in written production. ?
Can the association strength between Mandarin words and their English translations predict translation difficulty for novice translators? ?
How common are gender-specific words in German-speaking communities on distinct online forums, and how does it reflect gender roles? ?
Can the frequency of function words used by Spanish L2 learners predict their stage in language acquisition? ?

Research question

RQ Aim Analysis Observation
What kinds of collocations are unique to specific English dialects spoken in urban versus rural areas? Explore English dialects Collocations
French L2 learners will make more vocabulary errors in oral production than in written production. Explain ? ?
Can the association strength between Mandarin words and their English translations predict translation difficulty for novice translators? Predict ? ?
How common are gender-specific words in German-speaking communities on distinct online forums, and how does it reflect gender roles? Explore ? ?
Can the frequency of function words used by Spanish L2 learners predict their stage in language acquisition? Predict ? ?

Research question

RQ Aim Analysis Observation
What kinds of collocations are unique to specific English dialects spoken in urban versus rural areas? Explore English dialects Collocations
French L2 learners will make more vocabulary errors in oral production than in written production. Explain French L2 learners Vocabulary errors
Can the association strength between Mandarin words and their English translations predict translation difficulty for novice translators? Predict Mandarin words Translation difficulty
How common are gender-specific words in German-speaking communities on distinct online forums, and how does it reflect gender roles? Explore German-speaking online communities Words
Can the frequency of function words used by Spanish L2 learners predict their stage in language acquisition? Predict Spanish L2 learner stages Function words

Summary

Blueprint Research

Blueprint

  • Plan
    links the conceptual framework to tangible research activities
  • Scaffold
    provides a physical structure to support the research process

Plan

Component Value
Hypothesis French L2 learners will make more vocabulary errors in oral production than in written production
Aim Explain
Unit of analysis French L2 learners
Unit of observation Vocabulary errors
Step Name Activity
2 Data source(s) Identify viable sources
3 Key variables Determine variables and operationalize
4 Analysis method Choose aim-aligned method
5 Interpretation/ Evaluation Establish criteria

Plan

Component Value
Research question How common are gender-specific words in German-speaking communities on distinct online forums, and how does it reflect gender roles?
Aim Explore
Unit of analysis German-speaking online communities
Unit of observation Words
Step Name Activity
2 Data source(s) Identify viable sources
3 Key variables Determine variables and operationalize
4 Analysis method Choose aim-aligned method
5 Interpretation/ Evaluation Establish criteria

Scaffold

The physical structure to support the research process

Focus: Project structure
component which supports:

  • Research process
  • Research write-up
  • Research sharing

Project structure

Organization

  • Clear separation between input, process, and output
  • Single purpose files, input and output independent

Reproducibility

  • DESCRIPTION to provide metadata
  • Makefile to automate the process
  • README to guide the user

Compatibility

  • Platform agnostic files

Example 1

project/
├── input/
│   └── ...
|
├── process/
|   ├── acquire_data.R
│   └── ...
|
├── output/
│   └── ...
|
├── DESCRIPTION
├── Makefile
└── README

Project structure

Organization

  • Clear separation between input data, process code, and output reports
  • Single purpose files, input and output independent

Reproducibility

  • DESCRIPTION to provide metadata
  • Makefile _quarto.yml to automate the process
  • README to guide the user

Compatibility

  • Platform agnostic files

Example 2

project/
├── data/
│   └── ...
|
├── code/
|   ├── 1_acquire_data.qmd
│   └── ...
|
├── reports/
│   └── ...
|
├── DESCRIPTION
├── _quarto.yml
└── README


Class template: project_web

Looking ahead

Next class

Follow up

  • Workshop: Blueprinting research

References

Research | Quantitative Text Analysis | Wake Forest University

Cross, Nigel. 2006. “Design as a Discipline.” Designerly Ways of Knowing, 95–103.