POL 3039: Undergraduate Dissertation Workshop 2: Answering your research question Dr Natalie Langford TODAY’S WORKSHOP 1. Refined research questions: class discussion 2. Answering your research question 3. The dissertation proposal: linking the research question to your approach to research STRUCTURE OF MODULE Workshop 1: Choosing a research question Workshop 2: Answering your research question Workshop 3: Writing a research proposal Workshop 4: Approaches to research and ethics Workshop 5: Writing a literature review Assessment: Research Proposal (1000 words)- worth 15% of this module. Due: 12.00pm 3rd November 2022 Dissertation (8000 words)- worth 85% of this module. Due: 12.00pm 9th May 2023 KEY DATES THIS SEMESTER (September 2022- December 2022) 16th October 2022- submit google form stipulating your research topic and research question 3RD November 2022- Submit research proposal KEY DATES NEXT SEMESTER (January 2023- onwards) 31st March 2023- Deadline for submitting draft material to supervisors 9th May 2023- Final submission of dissertation for examination ADD ALL DATES TO YOUR DIARIES NOW!!!! The module handbook has further details on deadlines. Dissertation proposal: What were you asked to do for this week Download the template for your dissertation proposal and save the file in an easy to find folder! Open this document now! Refine your research question based on the class exercises we undertook in Workshop 1 Fill in the Google form detailing your research interests. Deadline is 16th October 2022. WHAT YOU WERE ASKED TO DO… 1. Refine your research question ü Applied the ‘good question’ test and asked a fellow student to give ‘critical’ feedback ü Googled the subject to find initial sources which help you get ‘specific’ ü Searched through Google Scholar and the Sheffield library to find academic resources (often book chapters by academics can be good to read) ü Located a debate or ‘research problem’ in relation to your topic ü Decided what is the best framing for your research question- ‘How’, ‘why’, ‘To what extent’ ü Return to the ‘good question’ test. Are you satisfied Quick Quiz Are you happy/confident with your chosen research question Click here to participate Today’s steps Please open your version of the research proposal template Ensure that your refined research question is written under Section 1: Introduction THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL On the template- you can see the following sections: 1. Introduction – [What is the focus and research question ] 2. Literature Review- [What have people written on the topic Key themes or ‘debates’] 3. Research Design [How you answered your research question] 4. Research Rationale [Why you have chosen the research design (3) that you have ] 5. Significance of Research [Why do you think this topic is interesting/important ] 6. Bibliography Today’s focus: Linking Sections 1 and 3 What are you doing this week 1. Place your research question in front of you 2. Ask yourself how you are going to answer it (Can you find the sort of information you need What sort of data will you use What are you going to do if you can’t find the information ) 3. Write a draft of Section 3 ‘research design’ based on your answers to Step 2 But first, let’s do some peer reviews of the research questions posted this week…. CLASS ACTIVITY I: HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THE RESEARCH QUESTION 1. Please log on to the this week’s padlet and look at student’s refined questions 2. In small groups (3-4) choose one of the research questions Does the question still need focusing How would you narrow the focus What sources of information might you need FEEDBACK TO THE CLASS!!! THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL On the template- you can see the following sections: 1. Introduction – [What is the focus and research question ] 2. Literature Review- [What have people written on the topic Key themes or ‘debates’] 3. Research Design [How you answered your research question] 4. Research Rationale [Why you have chosen the research design (3) that you have ] 5. Significance of Research [Why do you think this topic is interesting/important ] 6. Bibliography Today’s focus: Linking Sections 1 and 3 Research Design (Section 3)- write this down in your working document (i.e. the template) Brief outline of approach This dissertation uses a [case study/critical review of relevant literature/narrative analysis etc] to answer the question ‘…’ [insert your research question]. One line of justification on using this approach [so, for example, look for an academic reference to the case study approach if that’s what you’re using] Data collection Data will be gathered using a desk-based review of relevant secondary sources. Online searches using reputable search engines- including [insert search engines- such as Google Scholar; STARPLUS etc]. Secondary sources will include [list types of secondary data- such as NGO reports, policy documents etc- and list actual names of documents that will be used]. Data was selected based on [relevance to study; according to a particular time frame perhaps for your research; perhaps limited to a particular event etc.] Data analysis [we will get to this next week] Research Design: 3.1 Outlining the ‘approach’ Majority of you will be doing ‘desk-based analysis’- but it is worth outlining an approach. There are many options! Case study or comparative case study – this allows a focused ‘real life’ example(s) to ground your research question (eg. comparing fiscal responses to the 2008 global financial crisis between the US and UK government and their impact on society ) Content analysis – this could involve ‘narrative’ or ‘textual’ analysis of documents in order to understand how organisations/actors frame particular issues or problems (Eg. politics of representation- for example the ‘migrant crisis’ in EU) Use of theories/concepts/frameworks- using concepts through which you can assess information/data concerning your research question (Eg. To what extent can the concept of securitization help to shed light on post- Brexit immigration policies ) Take 5 minutes NOW to think about what your research implies in terms of the research approach DESK-BASED RESEARCH MEANS USING SECONDARY DATA Research Design: For those students who may be considering a different format… Students who are doing a dissertation that they consider to be political theory- please see resources on blackboard and consider meeting with Prof Alasdair Cochrane of Dr Ed Hall in their office hours Stu
dents who are undertaking quantitative analysis – please speak to Prof Charles Pattie or Dr Athanassios Roussias EXPECTATIONS OF RESEARCH ‘A dissertation provides a student with an opportunity to develop intellectual independence and to specialise in depth in a topic of interest. Especially in the humanities and social sciences, you will mostly be using secondary sources; that is, the existing scholarship published in journals, books etc. You will then develop your own critical analysis of these materials and their contribution to your research topic’ (University of Nottingham, 2018) BREAK TIME! SECONDARY VERSUS PRIMARY DATA/SOURCES Secondary data Data that has already been gathered by someone else for some purpose (academic journal articles, book chapters, reports, policy briefs). These make reference to, and analyse, primary sources. Primary data Data that is collected by you, the researcher. Data can include interviews, survey data and ethnographic methods. It is subject to ethical approval by the University of Sheffield. Failure to gain ethical approval will result in failure of the degree programme. WHY THE USE OF SECONDARY SOURCES IS RECOMMENDED Secondary data is already accessible and available There is a huge amount of secondary data out there- tailor your research question to make the most of it Interviews and surveys are often unnecessary in order to answer your question Primary data collection requires ethical approval- this is essential Learning how to do interviews, conduct surveys and analyse this data is a long and arduous process- do you have time to do it well, and finish in the short period you have SOME OF THE METHODS ‘LINGO’ AND WHAT TO AVOID Methods textbooks are great tools- but there are some confusing terms and discussions which you should be wary of involving yourself in: ‘Qualitative’ vs ‘quantitative’ approach ‘Positivist’ vs ‘interpretivist’ approach Do not get bogged down in this- but instead follow my formula for the research proposal!!!! Research design: brief outline of approach data collection data analysis Some pointers on Section 3: ‘Research approach’ Strongly advise you to focus on secondary data collection (as opposed to primary data collection) Don’t let methods chapters confuse you- we DON’T WANT an extended discussion on ‘qualitative versus quantitative’ and on ‘interpretivist versus positivist’ approaches! What we DO WANT to see under (3) research design: What information/sources will you use How will you find and select the data How do you plan to analyse the data CLASS ACTIVITY II: HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THE RESEARCH QUESTION 1. In pairs, share YOUR research questions with one another: Does your partners question still need focusing What sort of information do they need to gather in relation to what specific issues/topics What approach to research might they take (comparative or single case study, content analysis, critical review of literature, quantitative approach ) FEEDBACK TO THE CLASS!!! SOME STUDENT TOPICS I CHOSE: To what extent could British trade unions benefit from ‘economic nationalism’ associated with Brexit In what ways has neoliberal capitalism impacted socio-economic development in Timor-Leste How have left wing attitudes towards the EU changed in Britain and should the left support EU membership or not SOME STUDENT TOPICS I CHOSE: To what extent could British trade unions benefit from ‘economic nationalism’ associated with Brexit Research design: What approach(es) to research design fit this question Case study approach- focused on trade unions who were in favour of Brexit Why were they pro-Brexit OR a cross-sectoral approach Case study – contradictions of the EU as a regulator of worker rights but promoter of private sector interests – what benefits for workers due to leaving Focus on historical examples of trade unions and economic nationalism- to what extent have they benefited in historical context (perhaps import tariffs and wages) and what might this mean for the UK now Needs clarification: (a) Is the focus on economic nationalism or Brexit (aren’t necessarily the same thing!) (b) the question is set in the future tense. This implies you might need to ground your study in previous examples of economic nationalism SOME STUDENT TOPICS I CHOSE: In what ways has neoliberal capitalism impacted socio-economic development in Timor-Leste Research design: What approach(es) to research design fit this question Case study is the obvious one- Timor Leste is even mentioned in the title! So, therefore under Section 3 of the proposal: you need to tell the reader why Timor Leste has been chosen Case study will be focused on the collection and analyse of secondary sources focused on the impact of neoliberal (policies ) in relation to Timor Leste Quick question: How can you focus the question Was there a particular event (such as the economic opening up of the country Or a particular aspect of neoliberal capitalism SOME STUDENT TOPICS I CHOSE: How have left wing attitudes towards the EU changed in Britain and should the left support EU membership or not Research design: What approach(es) to research design fit this question Case study approach- focus is on the EU and whether the EU is compatible with ‘leftist’ politics as understood within the British context Could be an opportunity to discuss the ‘communitarian’ versus ‘cosmopolitan’ left in the literature review (see recent paper by Dr Owen Parker) Similar questions raised to the first example of trade unions and Brexit Some thoughts: need to define ‘the left’ in UK context; part of the research question could be put into the context section What are you doing to prepare for next week 1. Place your research question in front of you (in the research proposal document) 2. Ask yourself how you are going to answer it (Can you find the sort of information you need What sort of data will you use What are you going to do if you can’t find the information ) 3. Write a draft of Section 3 ‘research design’ based on your answers to Step 2 HOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION IS A ‘GOOD’ ONE! Good questions are: Clear. They are unambiguous and easily understood. Specific. They are sufficiently specific for it be clear what constitutes an answer. Answerable. We can see what data are needed to answer them and how those data will be collected. Interconnected. The (sub) questions are related in some meaningful way, forming a coherent whole (Robson and McCartan, 2002: 59)