Choosing-a-topic-and-preparing-a-working-bibiliogr

1ChoosingaTopicandPreparingaWorkingBibliography2Whatarethebasicstepsinwritingaresearchpaper?Thebasicstepsinresearchpaperwriting:1)Choosingatopic2)Preparingaworkingbibliography3)Collectinginformation4)Outliningthepaper5)Draftingthepaper6)Preparingthefinalcopy(Slade1997:2.5-8)3Phasesindevelopingresearchquestions.IdentifyingageneralresearchtopicNarrowingdowntheresearchtopicFormingquestions:GeneralspecificReviewingtheliteratureanddiscussingwithotherpeopleWen2004:454PersonalinterestPersonalexperience(observation)Readothers’research(recommendationforfurtherresearch)SourcesofresearchtopicsLiteraturereview&DiscusswithotherspromoteundiscussedareasorunsolvedcontroversiesinthebooksandpapersyoureadTrynewwaysoftestingthebasicassumptions5Howtochooseatopicforyourresearchpaper?1)Begintoconsidertopicsofyourresearchpaperassoonaspossibleinordertoinvestigaterelatedareasandcollectrelevantinformationwithadequatetimeandresources.2)Payattentiontoundiscussedareasorunsolvedcontroversiesinthebooksandpapersyouread.3)Challengecommonlyheldbutunsubstantiated(站不住脚的)conclusions.4)Trynewwaysoftestingthebasicassumptions.5)Reflectoncontradictionsordisjunctionsamongthevariousbooksorpapers.6WhoWhatHowExample:researchtopic:TheacquisitionofEnglishvocabularyNarrowingtheresearchtopic7Who?Middleschoolstudents?UniversitystudentsPrimarystudentsEnglishmajorsNon-Englishmajorsfreshmensophomoresjuniorsseniors8What?Whatkindof“vocabulary”?ReceptivevocabularyProductivevocabularyspeakingwriting9How?interviewquestionnaireClassroomobservationProductivevocabularytestPersonalinterviewOraltestWrittentest10ClassroomTask1-1:Narrowingdownthetopic(s)Procedures:1)Formagroupof2or3orworkindividually.2)Focusononeofthefollowingtopicsorstartfromyourpersonalexperiencesanddevelopthetopicstepbystep.(10-15minutes)3)Modifytheresultsofyourworks.(5minutes)4)Sharetheresultsofyourworks.11Eg.1:Howtonarrowthetopicforyourintendedresearchpaper?GroupworkGroupwork:Mother-tongueuseGroupwork:Mother-tongueuse:Intask-basedactivitiesGroupwork:Mother-tongueuse:Intask-basedactivities:Inajunior2classGroupwork:Mother-tongueuse:Intask-basedactivities:Inajunior2class:Lesssuccessfulstudents12Eg.2:Howtonarrowthetopicforyouintendedresearchpaper?Students’mistakesStudents’mistakes:TypesStudents’mistakes:Types:InwrittenhomeworkStudents’mistakes:Types:Inwrittenhomework:Inajunior3classStudents’mistakes:Types:Inwrittenhomework:Inajunior3class:5goodstudentsand5poorstudents13FormulatinggeneralandspecificquestionsTopicfocusGeneralQ1GeneralQ3GeneralQ2SpecificQs:1)…2)……SpecificQs:1)…2)……SpecificQs:1)…2)……14Allresearchstartswithquestions.Wen,2004:315Itisworthspendingasmuchtimeasisnecessarytogetthequestionright.Nunan,1992:21116Criteriaforgoodquestions•Interesting•Significant/valuable•Original•Answerable/Manageable17Whatarecriteriatoevaluatethepossibilitiesforyoutosucceedinyourworkonthetopicyouchoose?(Slade1997:3.9-4.4)Thecriteriafortheevaluationofyourtopicchoice:1)Itispossibleforyoutoconvincereadersofthesignificanceofthetopicyouchoose.2)Itisexpectedforyoutohaveatopicnarrowenoughtogiveyousufficientdirectionbutatthesametimebroadenoughtoprovideyouadequatesuitablematerial.18Howtostatethetopicofyourresearchpaperasaquestion?(Slade1997:4.6-30)Wecanapplydivergentthinking(发散性思维)togeneratealargenumberoftopicquestionsfromtheoriginaltopicquestion--Whatarethepsychologicaleffectsofcomputer-assistedinstruction?(Slade1997:4)Addition:--Whatarethepsychologicaleffectsofcomputer-assistedinstructiononEnglishmajors?--Whatarethecognitive/affectiveeffectsofcomputer-assistedinstruction?Substitution:--Whatarethepsychologicaleffectsofcommunicativelanguageteaching?--WhatarethepsychologicaleffectsoftheRICHapproach?Substitution+Addition:--WhatarethepsychologicaleffectsofcommunicativelanguageteachingonEnglishmajors?--Whatarethecognitive/affectiveeffectsoftheRICHapproachonEnglishmajors?19Howtostatethetopicofyourresearchpaperasaquestion?(Slade1997:4.34-35)Wecanapplydivergentthinking(发散性思维)togeneratealargenumberofcentralhypothesesfromtheoriginalcentralhypothesis:--Studentscomposingoncomputerswritedifferentlythantheydowhencomposingbyhandoronthetypewriter.(Slade1997:34-35)Reduction:--Studentscomposingoncomputerswritedifferentlythantheydowhencomposingbyhand(…).Substitution:--Studentsrevisingpapersoncomputersdodifferentlythantheydowhenrevisingthembyhandoronthetypewriter.Substitution+Reduction:--Teacherscollectingstudents’papersoncomputersusedifferenttechniquesfromwhattheydowhencollectingthemonsheets(…).20Example(Wu:1998:3,qtd.inWen:2001:59)Researchtopic:L2argumentativewritingTopicfocus:Astudyofuniversitystudents’argumentativewritinginEnglish:RhetoricalknowledgeanddiscoursepatternGeneralandspecificquestions:1.Whatistherelationshipbetweenthestudents’rhetoricalknowledgeanddiscoursepattern?(1)Doesthesubjects’perceptionoftherhetoricalorganizationofEnglishargumentativediscoursevaryfromtheexpectedEnglishnorms?(2)DotheseEnglishargumentativeessayswrittenbythesubjectsdemonstrateanydeviationsinrhetoricalorganizationfromtheexpectedEnglishnorms?(3)Arethereanycorrel