SEHS4510
Integrated Study
Please refer to the Integrated Study Student Handbook for details.
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Agenda
• Selecting a Research Area
• Selecting a Topic
• Literature Review
• Method / Methodology
• Plagiarism / Turnitin
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Typical Research Process
Quantitative Methods
Introduction
(Collect & analyse
quantitative data, i.e.
Literature numbers)
Research
questions
Qualitative Methods
(Collect & analyse
Methodology
qualitative data, i.e.
words, opinions)
Results/Findings
Triangulation
Formulate plan (Combine different
research methods)
Discussion/Analysis
Conclusions
Adapted from p. 7 of Gray (2014) 3
Selecting a Research Area
• Sample Research Areas
• Advances in database technologies
• Emerging computer security problems
• Potential applications of data analytics
• Evaluation of e-commerce platforms
• Mobile application prototype development
• Ask yourself these questions:
• Why am I interested in this area?
• Why do I think that it is important?
• Is there the potential to write as much as I need to fulfil the
subject requirement?
• What experience do I have of the area?
Adapted from p. 86 of Newby (2014)
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Selecting a Topic (1)
• Area of your interest
• Good chance of completing it
• Broad vs specific
• Even better if the topic:
• have practical application (later on)
• can improve current practices
• provide alternatives to existing practices
Adapted from p. 29 of Bell & Waters (2014)
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Selecting a Topic (2)
• Think about:
• What may be involved in your topic?
• Time vs quality of study
• Initial consultation:
• Search from library’s databases:
• https://weblib.cpce-polyu.edu.hk/collection/eresources
• “Google” your topic
• Try: https://scholar.google.com
• See if similar research has already been done
• Ask your supervisor about your initial ideas
• Need refinement
• Literature review
• Consultation with teachers/supervisor
Adapted from pp. 30-31 of Bell & Waters (2014)
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Problem Definition Process
(1) Symptom Detection
Exploratory
Research
(e.g. Literature Review,
(2) Analysis of the Situation
Qualitative Study)
(3) Problem Definition
(4) Research Aim & Objectives
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Problem Definition Process
(1) Symptom Detection
• What are the symptoms?
(2) Analysis of the Situation
• Asking multiple what, where, who, when, why, and how questions
about what has changed
• Why were these happened?
• Who were involved?
• What are the possible impacts? To whom?
• How these could be changed (improved, addressed, etc.)?
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Problem Definition Process
(3) Problem Definition
• Problem means gaps
• when there is a difference between the current
conditions and a more preferable set of conditions
• Examples
• why do people addict to mobile devices?
• why do people live in poor conditions?
• what are the causes of poor living standard of
elderly?
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Problem Definition Process
(4) Research Aim & Objectives
• Aim(s)
• broad statement(s) of desired outcomes
• general intentions of the research
• emphasize what, not how
• Objectives
• a specific list of tasks to accomplish the aims
• emphasize on “how”
• focused and feasible
• there should be a corresponding method to
achieve each objective
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Developing a “Researchable” Topic
•Does Not Provide •May Miss Some Important
Guidelines for Common Components of the Problem
Subsequent Steps •e.g. Samsung VR Gear is good
•e.g. VR is good for for playing games
Errors
learning
Problem Definition is Problem Definition is too
too Broad Narrow
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Developing a “Researchable” Topic
• Features of Bad research topic
• No interest in topic
• No clear academic and career focus
• No reasonable access to sources of data, due to
confidentiality or other reasons
• Topic is too broad / general / vague
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Sample Topics
Are they too broad? Workable?
• A Mobile App Prototype for Prevention of
Cognitive Decline and Dementia
• Factors affecting Hong Kong citizens to join
Electronic Health Record programme
• Develop an online shop
• A Study on Telemedicine
• The influences of internet addiction on
daily habits
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Literature Review
• The process of searching for, reading, summarizing, and
synthesizing existing work on a topic or the resulting
written summary of a search
• Why?
• Helps researcher to identify their own research
• Examine what previous researchers have studied
/ used
• Provide context for your own work
• Provides an overview of the current state of
research and narrows your inquiry
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How to Read an Article?
• Read the abstract
• a summary of a research article
• states the purpose of the research,
methods used & major findings
• Skim the article
• noting section headings, tables & graphs
• Read the entire article
• Review the article (again!)
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Quantitative Research vs
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research Qualitative Research
Generates data that Describes phenomena in
allows numerical analysis context
Uses statistical Interprets processes of
calculations meanings
Uses statistical software Uses theoretically based
(e.g. SPSS) & pre-tested concepts
scales
Seeks explanations & Seeks ‘understandings’
correlations
Adapted from p. 5 of Silverman (2014)
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Sources of Documents
• (1) Primary Sources
• Sources that came into existence in the
period under research
• e.g. questionnaire survey data collected
• e.g. interview summaries drafted
• (2) Secondary Sources
• Interpretations of events of the research
period based on primary sources
• e.g. an article that summarised the events of
a particular social movement in Hong Kong
Adapted from p. 129 of Bell & Waters (2014)
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Secondary Analysis -
• Definition
• The use of existing data, collected for the purpose
of a prior study, in order to pursue a research
interest which is distinct from the original work
(Heaton, 1998)
• Involves the use of data that have already
been gathered or compiled
• Sources of secondary data:
• census returns, government records at national &
local level, business organisations, scientific
papers, human resource records, newspaper
articles, websites, or social media
(Gray, 2014, p. 514)
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Resources, Subject
CPCE Resources – A-Z, Types of
Do not just rely on
the subject names.
Some articles may
span many
subjects.
http://weblib.cpce-polyu.edu.hk/apps/userfiles/file/searcher.pdf 19
Topic Determination
• Supervisor suggest topics to students, OR
• Supervisor provide advice on student
suggested topics based on
• Well-defined aim and objectives
• Initial literature review
• Evidence of solid plan, knowledge and skills
to complete the research
• Supervisor allocations will be announced
before the start of Semester Two
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• Adler, E. S. & Clark, R. (2015) An Invitation to Social
Research: How It’s Done. 5th edn. Samford, CT:
Cengage Learning.
• Bell J. & Waters S. (2014) Doing Your Research Project:
A Guide for First-time Researcher. 6th edn. Berkshire,
England: Open University Press.
• Gray, David E. (2014). Doing Research in Real World.
3rd edn. Los Angeles: SAGE.
References
• Newby, Peter (2014) Research Methods for Education.
2nd edn. New York: Routledge.
• Silverman, David (2014) Interpreting Qualitative Data.
5th edn. Los Angeles: Sage.
• Strunk, W. Jr. (1999). ‘The Elements of Style’. Retrieved
9 January 2016 from http://www.bartleby.com/141/
• Walter, M. (ed.) (2013). Social Research Methods. 3rd
edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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The End
Appendices:
Plagiarism
Turnitin Report
Brainstorm for ideas
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Brainstorm for ideas
• Choose a topic that will enable you to read
and understand the literature
• Ensure that the topic is manageable and that
material is available
• Make a list of key words
• Be flexible
• Define your topic as focused research question
• Research and read more about your topic
• Formulate a thesis statement
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Brainstorm for ideas
• WHY did you choose the topic? What interests you about it? Do
you have an opinion about the issues involved?
• WHO are the information providers on this topic? Who might
publish information about it? Who is affected by the topic? Do you
know of organizations or institutions affiliated with the topic?
• WHAT are the major questions for this topic? Is there a debate
about the topic? Are there a range of issues and viewpoints to
consider?
• WHERE is your topic important: at the local, national or
international level? Are there specific places affected by the topic?
• WHEN is/was your topic important? Is it a current event or a
historical issue? Do you want to compare your topic by time
periods?
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