Reference no: EM133196408

 

Setting Up Your Research

Respond to the following exercises from Chapter One of The Literature Review in 150 to 200 words each. For the Additional Question, record the research and null hypotheses for your project.

Exercise 1.1: Discovering the Subject of Your Interest or Issue of Inquiry

1. What is your personal interest or issue?
2. What are the component parts of this interest?
3. Why did you become curious about this question?

Exercise 1.2: Understanding the Personal Viewpoint

1. What previous knowledge do you have about your interest?
2. What personal experience do you have that influences you about this issue or interest?
3. What are your beliefs, biases, and opinions about this interest or issue?
4. What predisposes you to certain conclusions about the issue or concern of study?
5. How will you identify and isolate your personal bias, opinion, feelings, and intuition to preserve a neutral position as a researcher?

Exercise 1.3: Selecting the Focus of Your Study

1. Clearly identify the subject of the study interest.
2. Are you looking at individuals, groups, or organizations?
3. Specifically name the individuals, groups, or organizations that you plan to study.

Exercise 1.5: Developing Your Interest Statement

Using the information you have acquired through your introspective work in Exercises 1.1 through 1.4, answer the following three questions:

1. What is your specific personal interest?
   1. The interest, issue, or concern of my research is ________________. (Answer in seven sentences.)
   2. Cross out the two least important sentences without changing the key idea.
   3. Cross out any words or phrases that can be removed without changing the meaning.
   4. Reduce your remaining draft to three sentences
   5. Be sure your final three sentences identify the subject (what you are studying), perspective (how you are looking at it), and vantage point (which academic field you are using).
2. What contributions to the field make this research important?
3. What are your beliefs, values, biases, and opinions about this interest?
   1. How will these beliefs, values, biases, and opinions help you in conducting your research?
   2. How will you prevent the beliefs and biases contained in your personal viewpoint from affecting the necessary neutral stance of a researcher?

Now, using your answers for Questions 1 through 3, write a statement that clearly defines the interest for your research work, a statement that defines the significance of your research, and a statement that defines your personal tendencies and how you will control them. When completed, you will have a researchable interest.

Additional Question: What are your research and null hypotheses?