1.

Elements of a Research Paper / Structure of a Research Paper / Steps to Conduct Research

Research Paper Structure:

• Title: A concise statement of the topic.

• Abstract: A 150-250 word summary of the paper. It includes the research question, methods, results, and
conclusions.

• Introduction: Explains the background, significance, and the specific problem or question the paper addresses.
The introduction should include the rationale and hypothesis.

• Literature Review: Reviews existing research on the topic to show how your study fits into or extends existing
knowledge.

• Methodology: A detailed description of how the research was conducted. It includes the design, sample, data
collection tools, and data analysis methods.

• Results: Presents the findings of the research without interpretation.

• Discussion: Interprets the results, discusses the implications, and suggests further research. It links back to the
hypothesis and literature review.

• Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings and their relevance.

• References: A list of all sources cited in the research.

Steps to Conduct Research:

• Identifying a problem or question: Start with a clear and focused question.

• Literature Review: Research what’s already known about the topic.

• Hypothesis/Research Objective: Develop a specific hypothesis or aim for the research.

• Research Design/Methodology: Choose appropriate methods to gather and analyze data.

• Data Collection: Use tools like surveys, experiments, or case studies.

• Data Analysis: Analyze the data using appropriate statistical or qualitative methods.

• Writing and Reporting: Write up the findings and present them logically.

2. Validity and Reliability

• Validity:

• Internal Validity: Whether the study accurately measures what it intended to measure (e.g., does the study
design eliminate other explanations for the results?).

• External Validity: Whether the results of the study can be generalized beyond the specific study setting.

• Construct Validity: Whether the study truly measures the theoretical concept it aims to test.
• Reliability:

• Test-Retest Reliability: If the test is repeated, will it yield consistent results?

• Inter-Rater Reliability: Different researchers should score or interpret the data in the same way.

• Internal Consistency: The items within a test measure the same thing (e.g., a questionnaire about “happiness”
should have all items related to happiness, not other emotions).

3. Hypothesis? Feasible?

• Hypothesis: A testable statement or prediction. For example: “Students who study with structured schedules
perform better than those who don’t.”

• A good hypothesis is specific and measurable. It links independent and dependent variables.

• Feasibility:

• Can the hypothesis be tested with the resources available (time, equipment, access to participants)?/-strong/-
heart:>:o:-((:-h• Ethical constraints? Consider whether you can obtain consent or avoid harm to participants.

• Sample Size: Can you gather enough data to generalize the results?

4. What Makes a Good Research Question?

• Clarity: The question should be simple and understandable.

• Example: “How does sleep affect cognitive performance?” instead of “What is the effect of various types of rest
on human output?”

• Focused: Not too broad or vague. A question like “How do social media platforms affect political opinions?” is
broad, whereas narrowing it to “How does Twitter influence political opinions among university students?” is more
focused.

• Researchable: You must be able to collect and analyze data for this question.

• Significance: It should address an important issue in the field.

5. Rationale? Abstract?

• Rationale: The justification or reasoning behind why you are conducting the research. Why is this question worth
exploring? What gap in the literature does it fill? For example, if little research exists on how technology affects
mental health in teenagers, your rationale might explain the importance of this growing issue.

• Abstract: A concise summary of the research. It typically includes:

• The problem or research question.

• A brief overview of the methodology.

• The main results.

• A summary of the conclusions or implications.

6. Literature Review

• Framework: The theoretical base or conceptual framework that guides the research. It could be based on existing
models, theories, or concepts.

• Example: If you’re studying the impact of social media on self-esteem, your framework might rely on the Social
Comparison Theory.

• Primary Sources: First-hand accounts of research or events, like peer-reviewed journal articles, original studies,
or data collected from interviews or experiments.

• Secondary Sources: Analyses, reviews, or interpretations of primary sources, such as textbooks or review articles.

• Ethics: Consideration of the moral implications of your research. This involves gaining informed consent, ensuring
anonymity, and protecting participants from harm.

• Citation: Properly referencing other researchers’ work to avoid plagiarism and give credit. Follow citation styles
like APA, MLA, or Chicago.

• Plagiarism: Using someone else’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgment. It is a serious ethical breach.

7. Methodology

• Paradigm: The philosophical approach guiding the research (e.g., positivism for quantitative, objective research;
interpretivism for qualitative, subjective research).

• Approach:

• Quantitative: Involves numerical data and statistical analysis.

• Qualitative: Involves non-numerical data like interviews and observations.

• Mixed Methods: A combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

• Types of Research:

• Descriptive: Describes characteristics of a population or phenomenon./-strong/-heart:>:o:-((:-h• Experimental:

Tests cause-effect relationships.

• Case Study: An in-depth study of a particular individual, group, or event.

• Ethnography: A qualitative study of people in their natural settings, often used in sociology or anthropology.

• Triangulation: The use of multiple methods or data sources to cross-check results for accuracy and reliability.

• Sampling Methods:

• Random Sampling: Every individual has an equal chance of being chosen.

• Convenience Sampling: Choosing participants that are easiest to reach.

• Stratified Sampling: Dividing the population into subgroups and sampling from each.

• Variables:

• Independent Variable: What the researcher manipulates.

• Dependent Variable: What the researcher measures.

8. Data Findings

• Data Collection Instruments:

• Surveys/Questionnaires: Structured sets of questions.

• Interviews: Either structured or semi-structured, collecting detailed qualitative data.

• Experiments: Manipulating variables to observe effects.

• Observations: Watching behaviors in a natural setting.

• Statistical Data/Descriptive Statistics:

• Descriptive Statistics: Summarizes the main features of data using numbers like the mean (average), median
(middle value), and standard deviation (how spread out the data is).

• Inferential Statistics: Making predictions or inferences about a population based on a sample./-strong/-

heart:>:o:-((:-hMethodology

• Paradigm Example:

• A positivist paradigm might be used in an experimental study about whether a new drug reduces anxiety. A
constructivist paradigm would be used in a qualitative study exploring how people experience anxiety in daily life.

• Approach Example:

• A quantitative approach could involve a large-scale survey measuring people’s anxiety levels before and after
treatment. A qualitative approach could include in-depth interviews with a smaller group of people to understand
their personal experiences of anxiety.

• Type of Research Example:

• A case study might look at the behavior of a single classroom over the course of a semester, whereas an
experiment could involve comparing the academic performance of students taught with two different methods.

• Research Design Example:

• Ethnography: A researcher might spend six months observing and interacting with a community to study its
social practices.

• Triangulation Example:
 • You might use interviews, surveys, and observations to ensure that your findings on workplace stress are
consistent across different methods.

• Sampling Methods Example:

• Random sampling: You randomly select participants from a larger population, such as drawing names from a hat
to create a truly random sample.

• Variables Example:

• In a study on the effect of exercise on stress levels, the independent variable would be the amount of exercise,
and the dependent variable would be the measured stress level.

8. Data Findings

• Data Collection Instrument Example:

• Survey: You design a questionnaire asking students how many hours they spend on homework each week and
how stressed they feel.

• Interview: You conduct one-on-one interviews with teachers to understand their perspective on the use of
technology in the classroom.

• Experiment: You conduct a controlled lab experiment where one group of students studies using a mobile app,
and another group studies with traditional materials, and you compare their test scores.

• Observation: You spend time in a classroom, observing student behavior and taking notes on how often they
engage with learning materials.

• Descriptive Statistics Example:

• You collect data from a survey of 100 students about their study habits. Using descriptive statistics, you might
report that the average study time per day is 2.5 hours, and 60% of students feel they don’t have enough time to
study.

• Inferential Statistics Example:

• If you’re studying how a new teaching method affects grades, you might use inferential statistics to determine
whether the observed difference between the control group and the experimental group is statistically significant,
meaning the effect is unlikely to have occurred by chance.18:37/-strong/-heart:>:o:-((:-hĐã gửiXem trước khi
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