Not just finding things out! Goal is to address one or a few very specific questions. To be research it must 1. Involve a systematic inquiry/investigation 2. Be informed by theory 3. Answer specific questions 4. Contribute to knowledge Many diverse approaches reflecting varied philosophical frameworks Approach may be induction (creating theory) or deduction (testing relationships implied by existing theory)

1. What is
Research?
Dr Ryan Thomas
Williams

2. What is research?
• Not just finding things out! Goal is to address one or a few very specific questions.
• To be research it must
1. Involve a systematic inquiry/investigation
2. Be informed by theory
3. Answer specific questions
4. Contribute to knowledge
• Many diverse approaches reflecting varied philosophical frameworks
• Approach may be induction (creating theory) or deduction (testing relationships
implied by existing theory)

3. What do we mean by ‘Research’?
• Research is a ‘systematic and organized effort to investigate a specific problem that needs a solution’ (Sekaran
and Bougie, 2013: 4)
• It is often about how to solve real problems.
• Your research may have a very practical focus (applied research). You may find solution to a particular problem
within an organisation or society. The findings may be significant to the specific context but it may be difficult
to generalise elsewhere
• On the other hand, you may engage in research that is concerned with clarifying, validating or building a theory
(basic research). Such a research undertaking is and is often aimed at advancing knowledge for its own sake
(Bentley et al., 2015).

4. 4
But how?
• First priority is to formulate your question
• Then figure out how you are going to answer it
• How have others answered it?
• How does your proposal fit in with what others have done?
• How will you know when you have answered it?
• Then you can present your answer

5. Classical scientific method
• Observation of some phenomenon
• Maybe systematic, occasional or accidental
• Some idea of an explanation (hypothesis)
• Induction, conjecture, intuition, guesswork
• Usually informed by related work
• Testing of the hypothesis
• Test and revision cycle
5

6. Hypothesis
• A hypothesis makes a prediction of the expected outcome in a given situation
• Usually: how the manipulation of the independent variable will influence the
behaviour of a dependent variable
• The hypothesis is tested in an experiment
• Experimental design ensures that what you are doing is genuinely (and solely)
responsible for the results
6

7. Experiment
• If the experiment works, the hypothesis is shown to be probably correct
• Can’t prove 100% truth
• If it fails, it could be because
• The hypothesis is wrong
• The experimental design is faulty
7

8. Null hypothesis
• Experiments are generally set up to demonstrate or support (rarely “prove” , note) a
hypothesis
• The null hypothesis H0 is that any observed changes in behaviour are due to chance
• The alternate hypothesis H1 is the hypothesis you are trying to demonstrate
• Usually, the best you can do is refute H0 thus showing that H1 is probably correct (with
a measurable degree of likelihood: statistical significance)
8

9. Research process- key
Ingredients
• Research Model- for example, an
interpretive model of research gathering
the views of others (Bryman 2012).
• Research Process- inductive approach
using loosely structured interviews
(Bryman 2012).
• Data Analysis- thematic analysis
gathering key themes associated with
your research area (Tummons 2014).

10. Key Ingredients
Epistemology- for example, the use of literacy as ‘social practice’ to
interpret the research context (Barton 2007; Barton, Hamilton, Ivanic
2000; Gee 1996).
Ethics- research ethical clearance with participants being made
aware of the voluntary nature of the research process (Merriam
2009).
Stir, mix, bake on a high heat for the correct amount of time- ideally
the research process achieves ‘crystallization’ or ‘thoroughness’
(Ellingson 2009).

11. The Gap
What do we mean by the gap in the literature?
What is the literature?

12. Research Gap
• Research gap is a research question or problem which has not been answered
appropriately or at all in a given field of study.
• Research gap is actually what makes your research unique /publishable, why?
• Identifying gaps and generating research questions can be regarded as the first and
most important step in writing a research paper / dissertation

13. Where do we find such a Gap?
• Do we make it up?
Possible – in these cases we might have an idea that has not been tested yet (check the
literature).
An organisation may be facing a particular challenge they want you to build a study
around.
Ultimately – the literature. The garden of knowledge tells us what has not yet been
studied/proved.

14. Where is it?
Published knowledge/articles tell us what the gaps are – we just have to look for them.
They are current, up to date holes in the knowledge that we know about the society
that we live in.

15. Where is it?
• The easiest way would be to read specific parts of the articles in your field of study. Of
course there may be hundreds of articles in your field, but you have to find the most
suitable ones by measuring their value and finding out how influential they are. After
finding the most suitable articles you should examine the parts which include
• “introduction” section, which always has a sentence or two about the reasons
why that research is done;
• “conclusion” section and of course
• “suggestions for future research” section in which the author of the article,
having examined the literature and conducted a research himself, would point his
readers to areas which lack investigation or need closer examination.