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Research as a Conversation: Making Your Own Discoveries & Conclusions

Research Your Topic

Make Your Own Discoveries & Conclusions about Your Topic

Define the Issue or Problem

Define the Issue or Problem

Defining the issue or problem guides the research
 

The issue or problem should point to:

1. Gap in knowledge

2. Unclear situation

3. Unresolved questions

4. Lack of information

5. An unknown

6. Specific question to be investigated and

    answered

7. Problem to be researched and solved

Taken from Your Guide to Writing Quality Research Papers for Students of Religion and Theology by Nancy J. Vyhmeister and Terry D. Robertson, 2014.

 

Research Question and/or Hypothesis

Choose a Good Research Question and/or Hypothesis

Consider the information you learned from Scholars

when writing a Research Question

 

See some examples of good Research Questions and Hypotheses

 
 

Plan Your Research

How am I going to do this?

1. Choose your research method.

                    Questions to Consider

  • Who or what will you study? (ex; human, animal, chemicals)
  • How will you obtain your data?
  • Where will you collect your data?
  • When and how often will you collect your data?
  • What tools will you use to measure your data? 
  • How will you analyze your data? 
  • What are the possible causes and effects?
  • What are the relationships between the factors being tested?
Taken from "Introduction to Research" - a presentation by Dr. Aleda Chen, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the School of Pharmacy at Cedarville University.
 

    Examples:    

Case Studies Focus Groups Observation    
Experiment Historical Research Questionnaires  
Ethnographic Research Interviews Surveys  
 
2. List your steps of research.
3. Implement your plan for your own research.
4. Enter data about your samples into a spreadsheet or computer
    software.

Your Conclusion

What Is Your Conclusion?

1. Draw a conclusion based upon what Scholars say and what

    you have discovered.

2. Analyze your arguments for soundness, truth, and

    relevance.

3. Prepare for objections that might be raised.