2/25/14

Drafting the
Introduction for a
Descriptive Quantitative
Research Report

WEEK 4

Before we proceed, let

us look at more
information on
Quantitative Research

A social scientist, Sir Francis

Dalton significantly contributed in
establishing quantitative data
collection, introduced the use of
questionnaire and created
statistical concepts such as
regression and correlation.
Others such as Charles Spearman
and Karl Pearson led to the
increased use of quantitative
methodology

At the end of this lecture, students

should be able to
show understanding on how to start a
descrip;ve quan;ta;ve method of
inves;ga;on
generate ideas for research areas
dra? the background of study for a research
using appropriate language discourse

A Brief Overview of
Quantitative Research
(Dornyei, 2007)
It was originally inspired by progress of
science in the 19th century and the
scientific method of investigations.
Experiments were commonly conducted
then. Descriptive study was
commonly done by social scientists
who had to cope with the
complexity of human beings in their
studies

How should you

approach a research
work?(Dornyei, 2007)
You should start by having the
intention of finding answers to
questions that you have in your
mind and to learn more about the
world around you.

2/25/14

You should choose something that you are really

interested in or have passion for.
You need to plan and be systematic in your
method of investigation so that you can stand by
your findings with confidence.
You need to engage with the real world, be
realistic, creative and sensible. Your work does
not need to be a complicated one.

Most importantly, you should be responsible

and a have a sense of social responsibility.
Your research should be done to generate
knowledge and further the understanding on
matters.
You must know how to communicate what
you discover from your research

Lets start drafting the

Introduction

The discourse used in the Introduction of a

Descriptive Quantitative Research should give a
sense of focus as below:
Background of Study
Lit Rev on
Variable 1

(Possible)Research area:
Classroom management

(misbehaved students)

Lit Rev on
Variable 2

(non-verbal language)

(Possible) topics/concepts
to read on
1. Students behaviour
2. Classroom communication

SotP limited research

have been carried out on
the perception of
misbehaving students on
teachers non- verbal
language

(Possible) variables derived

after reading on topics/
concepts and their
definitions

General Purpose -

to investigate the
perception of misbehaving
students on teachers non
verbal language

1. Misbehaved students
2. Non-verbal language

RQ 1: Which
characteristic of non
verbal language is
preferred most by
students?

RQ 2: What are the

(Possible)General Issue that

may have initiated interest:
Frequent reports on problems faced
by students or teachers

STEP 1Preparing the Background of Study



Generating Ideas for the Research

Area, Topics, the General Issue
and Variables

differences of opinion
between male and
female students?

Firstly, remind yourself of the

main key terms of the
Introduction
1. Background of
study:
Research Area and
Topics (concepts to
read)
1. Background of
study:
General Issue

3. Statement of
the Problem
(SOtP)

1. Background of
study:
Definition of
Variables

2. Literature
Review
on Variables

4. Statement of
General Purpose

5. Research
Questions

2/25/14

Then, to start the Introduction,

You must be prepared to do at least two
sets of reading activities.
Set 1 general reading to identify your
research topics and a related issue
Set 2 specific readings or literature
review on the topics/variables of your
research to identify the missing information
or gap that tells you what to research on
(Creswell, 1994)
and while you read it is actually important
to observe the methods used in previous
related studies

Your interest should tell you

your Research Area
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l

Counselling?
Eating Disorder?
Multicultural Communication?
Media violence?
Disabilities in aging people?
Terminal Illnesses?
Home designs?
Politics?
Secularism?

While reading, you need to also observe the

current General Issue. Brainstorm with
your team and identify the current issue
related to your research area or topics
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?
l Animal abuse?
l Air pollution?
CONCEPTS?
l Recycling?
l Cloning?
l Waste management?
l Employability?

Brainstorming

As you read you will identify a particular issue and what other
people say or have discovered about them (Dornyei, 2007, p.16)

Reading on the area of interest

should tell you 2 possible topics or
2 specific concepts to focus on
l

l
l
l
l

Readreadread
newspapers, magazines
or journals
Browse the internet
Discuss
Write freely
Ask yourself some whquestions

After identifying your interest, you should

explore many academic or non
academic materials to identify the
current topics that you can possibly
investigate on. The more your read, the
more you would be able to narrow down
the topics (Observe how the topics are
written in journal articles by other
researchers)

It may not be restricted to specific kulliyah area!

After a lot of reading: You should be able to narrow your 2

researchable topics/concepts by clustering.
Islamic Perspective
Health

Human
Resources

Gender
PEOPLE
MY INTEREST

HUMAN RIGHTS
LINGUISTICS
Sociolinguistics
Grammar

CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION

Also, after a lot of reading, you should be able to

identify your Working Research Topics/concepts
that will be the variables of your research.
Take note of their academic definitions.
Muslim Students & Early Marriage?

Educational Background &
Deforestations?

Gender & Occupational Safety?

Co-curriculum Activities and CGPA ?

MEDIA IN MALAYSIA

2/25/14

Identifying your variables

Identifying your variables

http://korbedpsych.com/R02Variables.html

http://korbedpsych.com/R02Variables.html

The variables must be appropriate for a descriptive quantitative research

design. A variable is the characteristic or attribute of an individual, group,
educational system, or the environment that is of interest in a research study.
Variables can be straightforward and easy to measure, such as gender, age,
or course of study. Other variables are more complex, such as
socioeconomic status, academic achievement, or attitude toward school.
Variables may also include an aspect of the educational system, such as a
specific teaching method or counseling program. Characteristics of the
environment may also be variables, such as the amount of school funding or
availability of computers.

Identifying your variables

http://korbedpsych.com/R02Variables.html

Identifying the variables is important for the following

reasons:
l

The variables provide focus when writing the Introduction

section.

The variables are the major terms to use when searching

for research articles for the Literature Review.

The variables provide focus to the Methods section.

The Instrument will measure the variables. These variables

must be directly measured or manipulated for the research
study to be valid.

For example,
a researcher is interested in low levels of literacy.
Literacy itself is still a broad topic. In most instances,
the broad topic and general variables need to be
specifically identified. For example, the researcher
needs to identify specific variables that define literacy:
reading fluency (the ability to read a text out loud),
reading comprehension (understanding what is read),
vocabulary, interest in reading, etc.
If a researcher is interested in motivation, what specific
motivation variables are of interest: external
motivation, goals, need for achievement, etc? Reading
other research studies about your chosen topic will help
you better identify the specific variables of interest.

Now, if you are ready to draft your

background of study, you should
remember that in this course
vYou

need a well supported current issue to relate your

research to
vYour

research topics must be humanistic in nature

vYour

research topics (not title) tend to be working RTs as they

may evolve as you read
vYou

have to be very clear and specific of your variables

(variable 1& 2) and of their relationship that you wish to study
in a descriptive quantitative research.

Suggested language for

Background of Study

STEP 2

(based on Creswell, 2009, Howe & Henriksson, 2007)

&
ea ic
r
A op
T

Issue

Va
ria
bl
es

Language and
Organization for the
Background of Study

Use a formal compositional language

Open with a statement that stimulates interest and convey a
general issue from the research area which many can relate to
or understand
Write short sentences and provide numeric information,
statistics or references for impact.
Use academic terms and words
Do not use colloquial language such as info or tautology like
absolutely essential
Do not use contracted forms like isnt or clichs such as in my
humble opinion
Do not use idiomatic, quotes or emotional expressions

2/25/14

Suggested organization of information

for Background of Study
(based on Creswell, 2009)

Start with the research area and relate a

general issue to it.
Introduce the topics which you have narrowed
from the research area
Define the variables in specific and detailed
language using authoritative reference/
appropriate citations.
Order the definitions of the variables from
variable 1 to variable 2 (descriptive research).

Examples of phrases to introduce

Research Area or Topics
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/introductions.htm

Recent developments in X have heightened the need

for ....
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest
in ....
Recent developments in the field of X have led to a
renewed interest in ....
Recently, researchers have shown an increased
interest in ......
The past decade has seen the rapid development of X
in many ....
The past thirty years have seen increasingly rapid
advances in the field of ....
Over the past century there has been a dramatic
increase in ....
One of the most important events of the 1970s
was ....

Examples of phrases to highlight

an Issue

The Tenses to be used for

Background of Study

The issue of X has been a controversial

and much disputed subject within the field
of ....

To refer to present facts, you can use the Simple

Present Tense and Present Perfect Tense to
introduce the area, topics, issue and to define the
variables. For instance:

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/introductions.htm

The issue has grown in importance in light

of recent ....
One major theoretical issue that has
dominated the field for many years
concerns ....
One major issue in early X research
concerned ....

Issue:
As the costs of higher education continue to rise, many institutions
are under pressure to.
Definition:
Judging is the process of coming to conclusions about what has been
perceived as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers,
1980)

Tasks:
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the
background of study of Sample 1 and Sample
2.
Share your research area and working topic/
concepts with the class
Dene your variable 1 and variable 2 of your
descrip;ve quan;ta;ve research work.
Dra? the background of your study
List the references for your background of
study (for future ac;vity of referencing)