RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Course Code: Eng-336

Credit Hrs: 3

Semester: Spring 2020

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES           

In terms of research methods, Linguistics as a discipline is much closer to the 'hard' sciences than to arts and humanities. It follows stringent scientific research procedures that involve data collection, analysis, interpretation, verification, generalization, justification and theorization. It can be inductive or deductive, quantitative or qualitative, cross-sectional or longitudinal, etc. It tends to be verifiable on objective grounds and evidence. Through this course students will be guided to develop their own research proposal and modes of argumentation. Also, the course surveys the major methodological approaches in the social sciences—ethnography, qualitative research approaches, and quantitative analysis—with particular emphasis on differences in the presentation and analysis of evidence.

The course equips students with the skills to review and conduct methodologically sound research as a part of their professional work. Students develop the skills to recognise and reflect on the strengths and limitations of different research methodologies, understand the links between theory and practice, critically assess research, and address ethical and practical issues. The course takes a step-by-step approach to the design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative techniques including case study and precedent studies, surveys, interviews, focus groups, participant observation, textual and media analysis.

SLOs

At the end of the course, 

• Students should understand a general definition of research design.
• Students should know why educational research is undertaken, and the audiences that profit from research studies.
• Students should be able to identify the overall process of designing a research study from its inception to its report.
• Students should be familiar with ethical issues in educational research, including those issues that arise in using quantitative and qualitative research.
• Students should know the primary characteristics of quantitative research and qualitative research.
• Students should be able to identify a research problem stated in a study.
• Students should be familiar with how to write a good introduction to an educational research study and the components that comprise such an introduction.
• Students should be able to distinguish between the writing structure used for a quantitative study and one used for a qualitative study.
• Students should be able to identify, explain, compare, and prepare the key elements of a research proposal/report;

COURSE CONTENTS

1. Introduction

• What is Research?
• Significance of Research
• Types of Research
• Research Variables
• Research Problem and Hypothesis
• Reliability Vs.Validity

2. Qualitative Approaches

• Ethnography
• Conversation Analysis
• Text Analysis
• Case study etc.

3. Quantitative approaches

• Experimental Research
• Non-experimental Research
• Corpus Analysis

4. Tools of Data collection

• Primary VS Secondary sources
• Interviews
• Questionnaires etc.

5. Sampling and Scaling

•  Restricted and Unrestricted sampling
• Systematic and Stratified sampling
• Nominal and Ordinal scales
• Rating and Likert-type scales

6. Writing up Research

• Research Proposal
• Literature Review with APA
• Research Abstract
• Research Papers and Theses

7. Machine Assisted Research

8. Ethical issues in Research

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

• Balnaves, M (2001). Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods. Sage Publications
• Burgess, R.G. (2005). The Ethics of Educational Research. The Falmer Press.
• Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morison, K. (2007). Research Methods in Education. Routledge
• Griffee, D.T. (2012). An Introduction to Second Language Research Methods: Design and data. TESL-EJ Publications.
• Have, P. (2004). Understanding Qualitative Research and Ethnomethodology. Sage Publications.
• Lodico, M. (2006). Methods in Education Research: From theory to practice. Jossey Bass
• Nunan, D. (1992). Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge
• Paltridge, B. (2007). Theses and Dissertation Writing in Second Language. Routledge.
• Scott, D. (2005). Key Ideas in Educational Research. Continuum Intn’l Publishing Group
• Tavakoli, H. (2012). A Dictionary of Research Methodology and Statistics in Applied Linguistics. Rahnama Press

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

• Mid Term Exam:                                  30
• Sessional:                                            20
• Final exam:                                          50

CLASS SCHEDULE

BS-VI (A) ExPPP

• Wednesday - Thursday
• 5:00-6:30

ACADEMIC CALENDAR (Initially implemented)

• Commencement of Classes: January 13, 2020
• Mid-Term Examination: March 9-13, 2020
• Final Term Examination: My 4-8, 2020
• (PS: The Academic Calendar has been revised due to Covid-19 Pandemic)