https://www.gre.ac.uk/articles/ils/research
Workshop 1, Week 1
Introduction to the Research methods and tools course
and syllabus overview
Professor Gaukhar
Yeshenkulova
Assistant Professor
Ainur Slamgazhy
Agenda
• Activity 1
• Activity 2
• Activity 3
Useful links
https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/mst/how-to-do-yourresearch-project/book248861#contents
https://study.sagepub.com/thomasrp3e
Warm up
Time for a
chat!
• What’s your
name?
• Background
– academic,
work, family
• Your
research focus
and interests
• Why this
module?
• What are you
thinking of
doing next?
• A Random
Fact about
yourself.
Activity 1: Where do I begin?
• The Introduction: sets the scene and outlines the case for the whole project
• Answers the questions:
• Was this project worth doing? In other words, how well is the case made for
research into this issue?
• Have you thought seriously about the questions at the centre of the project –
whether they are answerable?
Video tutorial
https://study.sagepub.com/thomasrp3e2/studentresources/videos/your-new-supervisor-gary-thomas
https://study.sagepub.com/thomasrp3e2/student-resources/videos/theroadmap-how-it-can-help-you-do-your-research-project
Activity 2: What is the point of this research?
• Why this is a good topic to research
• What is the problem you are trying to solve?
• Most common mistake = not making clear what the issue, problem or dilemma is
• State the BIS
• Background
• Issue
• Solution
• Brainstorm Topics
Activity3: Thinking of a research idea
• Starts with curiosity
• Is something a case?
• Why is that the case?
• What are the consequences of doing something?
• What’s the angle?
• Can get ideas from personal experience: discussions, lectures, current events,
observations
Key Issues when Choosing
a Question
• Consider some key
issues to when
choosing a question
for your project
Purpose of research
• Find something out for its own sake
• Evaluate something
• Find out if something works
• Improve your own or others’ practice
Reading list
•
Nassaji, H. (2019). Good research questions. Language
Teaching Research, 23(3), 283–286.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819845322
•
Looks at research questions mainly in second language
learning, but the points made can be generalized.
•
Russo, N. F. (1999). Feminist research: Questions and
methods. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23(1), i–iv.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1999.tb00336.x
•
Brownhill, S., Ungarova, T., & Bipazhanova, A. (2017).
‘Jumping the first hurdle’: Framing action research
questions using the Ice Cream Cone Model.
Methodological Innovations, 10(3).
https://doi.org/10.1177/2059799117741407
•
Interesting reflections on RQs from the point of view of
action research.