Steps to Create a. The IRP consists of 3 parts: The Project Plan: Provides an initial summary and outline of the complete research process. The Project.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

PROJECT

Steps to Create a

The IRP consists of 3 parts:

The Project Plan:Provides an initial summary and outline of

the complete research process. The Project Diary:

Is a record of an ongoing process; records values, attitudes and feelings; reflects honesty on problems encountered and their solutions; records conversations, contacts, readings and sources of secondary data; and reflects the proposed timeline.

The IRP consists of 3 parts:

The Product:Is to be research based and independent,

derived from a student’s own work. It may be presented in a diversity of formats, such as a written report, electronic presentation, video presentation, oral report or multimedia presentation.

Step 1 -Picking a Topic

The topic chosen for the focus of the IRP should be related to the course content in one or more of the following areas:

Resource Management

Individuals

Groups

Families

Communities

Choose a topic you are interested in.

If you don’t like your topic and are doing it because it seems easy (or some other reason) you will be less likely to want to work on it.

Make sure the topic is focused & specific. If the topic is too broad you can end up overwhelmed with information.

Try to relate your topic to wellbeing, if possible. Remember SPEEPS- social, physical, emotional, economic, political and spiritual wellbeing. Wellbeing is such a huge part of what CAFS is about. By picking a topic related to wellbeing you will practice writing about it, which will help for the trial and HSC exams.

Resources need to be accessible locally and available to you (primary and secondary resources)

Your topic can be written as a hypothesis, or as a research question.

What is a hypothesis? A research topic is often written as a hypothesis. It is a

positive statement of what the researcher expects to find out, or an idea that he or she wants to test.

Some examples of hypotheses in CAFS:-Bullying in schools is out of control-Australian sporting stars provide good role models for

teenagers-Working parents are the majority users of child care-Gender-stereotyping is highly evident in the media

Some Examples”

The media portrays unreal images of women

The literacy level of migrants impacts on employment opportunities

What are the influences of birth order on an individual’s behaviour?

What are the effects of verbal bullying?

The media encourages the sexualisation of children.

The children of migrants are encouraged to follow their parent’s culture in preference to following Australian culture.

What are the impacts of domestic violence on children?

What are the impacts of divorce on children?

Are individuals who have been abused as children more likely to use drugs in adulthood?

Step 2 – Be Organised

Establish a system that works for you and have the following items:A display folderIRP diaryUSB driveDocument storage foldersA folder on your [email protected]

Step 3 –Develop a research proposal

This is due on 25th October The proposal:

Defines the research question Identifies the method to be used Outline the time period for conducting the research You need to:

• Recognise the proposed research topic and related question and hypothesis. • Explain why the topic was chosen. • Identify possible secondary sources of data specific to your topic and explain what they are about. • Describe your choice of primary research methodologies that will be used to collect data • Briefly outline issues such as sampling, validity, reliability, and bias which you may need to overcome. • Develop a clear and realistic timeline of your research.

Things you will need to do from now till you start the Product

Need to develop questionnaires Need to interview people and hand out and get

back questionnaires Make telephone calls and arrange interviews Research the internet Visit the library and ask the librarian if she could

help you find 2 research papers in journals based on your question

Keep your questionnaires and info in a folder Always write in your diary!!!!!

Other questions that need to be considered in your proposal Introduction outlining:

Why you have chosen your research topicYour research questionThe research methods you will use

Data needed outlining:The information you need to answer your question

including: statistics, descriptions and definitions, literature to be reviewed

Other questions that need to be considered in your proposal Research methods explaining:

The data collection methods you will use e.g. questionnaires, interviews, observations, case studies.

How you will conduct you’re your research including: number of individuals to be involved, time and location

Timeline

Develop a timeframe

Week of the Project Details of what to be done

1 – 10th October Start Diary and formulate a question

2 – 17th October Develop a research proposal

3 – 24th October Hand in a research proposal (26th) and investigate secondary resources, take notes DIARY CHECK

4 – 31st October Develop a questionnaire, check with teacher

5 - 7th November Interview people and get back questionnaires

6 – 14th November Write literature review section of the report, collate interview results

7 – 21st November Analyse date and produce tables, etc, (need to hand up diary to Mr Bettiol) DIARY CHECK

8 – 28th November Write first draft and Have IRP proofread

9 – 5th December Write second draft of IRP (check acknowledgments, bibliography and appendices)

10 – 12th December Hand in IRP and Diary.

Research Proposal

Introduction – statement of the problem Literature review – background Rationale Methodology Timeline Significance – expected outcomes References

Your proposal needs to be written/typed just like a essay or research paper.

Step 4 – Write in your diary

Your diary is a record of the steps you take during the development of your IRP.

Need to record: Details of methods used Important dates and people or places that can help in the research. Document research from beginning to the end. Records values, feelings and attitudes Reflects on honesty on problems encountered and their solutions Records conversations, contacts, readings and sources of

secondary data. Reflects timeline. An example in text on page 166. http://mashable.com/2011/09/02/diary-journal-iphone/#245715-Mo

mento

Step 5 – Use a variety of sources of data – Primary and Secondary

Your first step should be to search for secondary sources for what has already been written about your chosen topic. For example:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/edmodo/MrBettiol/edwards_etal.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=0CRWCTVCWB17SQPJGB82&Expires=1318932943&Signature=cbJ2BP1ncpHzgp5hcyn%2FV8%2FiKi0%3D

edwards_etal.pdf

Libraries are a good place to start, such as your school, local library, TAFE or Uni

Look at the Internet (Google), computer programs, television, podcasts, books, journals, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, etc

Search within these websites:ABC, SBS, Channel 9, Australian Bureau of

Statistics. This preliminary reading should help you

formulate the questions you want to ask in your own research and is the beginning of your literature review.

As you find information, you should record the name, source and publication details so that it is available later when compiling your bibliography.

Later on in the research process you may also use some of this secondary data for comparison, discussion and analysis in your results.

Collecting and recording data

Primary research – important but also time consuming. It is carried out first hand by researchers and may involve in undertaking interviews, carrying out observations, distributing and collecting questionnaires or developing a case study.

Secondary research – sources that are gathered by someone else. The information has been processed in some way. Secondary sources are often used to support or add to the findingsof primary research.

PRIMARY SOURCES

SURVEYS

INTERVIEWSTelephonePersonal

UnstructuredStructured

QUESTIONNAIREOral

Written

OBSERVATIONSParticipant

Non Participant

CASE STUDIES

RESEARCH METHODS

SECONDARY SOURCES

STATISTICS

ANNUAL REPORTS

INTERNET

CD ROMS

BIOGRAPHIES

NEWSPAPERS

JOURNALS

VIDEOS / DVDS

GENERAL TEXTS

Quantitative and qualitative research

Research methodologies can be classified as either quantitative or qualitative. Often a combination of methodologies is used in a research project.

Quantitative research collects numerical data and is sometimes referred to as research with numbers. Focuses on measuring, collecting and drawing relationships between facts through statistics. The methodologies include questionnaires, interviews and experiments.

Qualitative research is concerned with collecting information in a social context and looks at interactions and relationships between individuals and groups.

Qualitative research is used to gain insight into people's attitudes, behaviours, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles.

Includes observations, case studies, interviews and questionnaires.

Step 6 – Consider ethics and issues in research

Privacy Respect for subjects of research Integrity of researcher Integrity of data HSC regulations

Scholarship principles and practicesAcknowledging sourcesPlagiarismCopyrightWorking with others

Step 7 – Research Methodology

Depending on the purpose of the research, particular research methodologies are used to conduct it. Some methodologies are more appropriate than others for studying particular topics.

The literature review helps to direct research to be done.SurveyInterviewsQuestionnairesCase StudyObservation

Step 7a – Conduct a suitable primary Research methodology Use either quantitative data or qualitative

data. Survey

A survey is the process of conducting a study involving a number of individuals or subjects.

A survey uses either interviews or questionnaires, conducted among a few or many people.

Interview The researcher talks to various respondents in person or over the

telephone, asking them questions about a particular topic. Interviews are usually conducted on a one-to-one basis, but sometimes

the researcher might have a focus group where approximately three to eight people come together and are interviewed simultaneously.

The respondents’ answers are recorded in some way; either on a checklist, in brief notes taken by the researcher, or by an audio or video-recording.

The researcher and the respondent should be clear on the purpose of conducting the interview, and the researcher needs to be well prepared and plan clear, unambiguous questions.

The researcher must be careful not to dominate the discussion or bias the answers by over-interpreting them.

A structured interview is quite formal, with predetermined questions being asked in the same sequence to all respondents.

An unstructured interview is informal and tends to be more flexible. Respondents are able to express themselves more freely through discussion of topic areas, rather than answering specific questions.

When planning and carrying out an interview researchers need to:

1. Decide on what information is needed and from whom.

2. Plan and write the questions using broad-based questions on a checklist.

3. Decide on the sample size and the method of collection.

4. Prepare the recording method for the interview.

5. Pilot the interview (practise it on someone similar).

6. Conduct the interviews among the respondents.

7. Analyse the results.

Do 1,2 and 3 from above

What are the advantages and disadvantages of carrying out an interview?

Questionnaire

Gathering information from people using a planned set of questions. The questionnaire may be oral, whereby a researcher asks the respondents questions and records the responses on a tally sheet, or written, whereby the respondents record their own answers on the questionnaire sheet.

The questions may be closed - which limits possible responses, or open -with the respondents able to express opinions and make comments.

Questionnaires can be used in many research situations. They can be distributed to large populations and thus provide a useful amount of data. They are reasonably easy to interpret, especially those with closed questions. They do require a lot of planning and preparation, however, and respondents need to be made aware of the purpose of the questionnaire.

http://patienteducation.stanford.edu/research/cdquest.pdf

When developing and conducting questionnaires researchers need to:

1. Decide on what information is needed and from whom.

2. Design the questionnaire, with a limited number of questions and a combination of closed and open questions where possible.

3. Decide on the sample size and the method of collection.

4. Pilot the questionnaire.

5. Conduct the survey in the required population.

6. Analyse the results. Do 1,2,3 from above

What are the advantages and disadvantages of conducting a questionnaire?

Case Study

The detailed investigation of one issue, such as a person, an event, a community group or an institution. A range of research techniques including interview, observation and questionnaire may be used to assemble the range of information needed about the single issue.

They are especially useful in finding out how and why.They usually require supporting research, and

generalisations are not often possible based on the limited information gathered.

They are often subjective and researchers can find it difficult not to become involved and thus influence the findings.

When developing a case study-based project researchers need to:

1. Choose an appropriate topic to investigate and a time period to cover it.

2. Decide on the appropriate research techniques to use.

3. Plan and prepare the necessary materials for collecting and recording data.

4. Carry out selected research techniques.

5. Collate the results collected.

6. Analyse the results.

Observation

Involves watching and recording what is seen. Can reveal a lot about group dynamics not always possible with

other methods. Participant observation involves the researcher taking part in

the group and observing from within. The researcher has full access to the group and therefore gains more knowledge and greater disclosure from members.

Researchers tend to be subjective and are often biased, and the researchers presence and actions may influence the group’s dynamics if group members detect what the researcher is there for and do not act naturally.

Observations are time consuming. Non –participant observation involves the researcher observing

the group without participating. Researcher more objective and finds it easier to record what is seen.

When developing an observation-based project researchers need to:

1. Choose an appropriate site or group to observe and a time period to cover it.

2. Decide what specifically to observe.

3. Design a data-recording sheet.

4. Conduct the observation.

5. Analyse the results.

Literature Review

Involve researching books, articles, seminar papers, websites or other secondary sources that contain material about an issue. The ‘literature’ refers to any form of information that has already been published in a particular topic area.

The aim of the literature review is to provide some background information about the topic so that research discussion makes more sense.

All research should begin by reviewing existing sources so that the researcher can learn from the work of others and focus on what needs to be researched.

All the materials accessed as part of the literature review must be referenced and included in the project’s bibliography.

Homework

Bring at least 3 sources to class tomorrow which would help you write up a Literature review. You will be starting that in class tomorrow.BooksArticlesSeminar papersWebsitesJournals

The introduction should include:

the nature of the topic under discussion (the topic of your thesis)

the parameters of the topic (what does it include and exclude)?

the basis for your selection of the literature

The Introduction

The Body

The body paragraphs could include relevant paragraphs on:

historical background, including classic texts; possible approaches to the subject (empirical, philosophical,

historical, postmodernist, etc); definitions in use; current research studies; current discoveries about the topic; principal questions that are being asked; general conclusions that are being drawn; methodologies and methods in use; … and so on.

The Conclusion

The conclusion should include: A summary of major agreements and

disagreements in the literature A summary of general conclusions that are

being drawn. A summary of where your review sits in the

literature

How to write the review1. Divide a sheet of A4 paper into 3 sections. Label the sections

Introduction, Main body and Conclusion.

2. Under the heading Introduction, write a sentence to summarise your research topic. Add a brief summary of the literature that provides the background to your research and sets the scene.

3. Under Main body, decide how you'll organise your literature review: perhaps by theme, methodology or chronologically.

4. Hint: think about how the previous research on your topic has developed. How has the subject developed over time? What are the important landmarks or key studies?

5. Think about how you will use the literature to support your hypothesis, but where possible, also include literature that offers a different view point.

6. Remember: don't just report what's been written. You need to be critical and make judgements about the validity and worth of previous research.

7. Under Conclusion, re-state your research proposal, and write a couple of sentences about why your research is important and relevant in the context of the existing research. Think about how your research is unique and what it will add to the existing literature in the area.

Enabling programs are a common and successful strategy for improving educational opportunities and subsequent success for disadvantaged students in the USA (Tripodi 1994), UK (Davies & Parry 1993), New Zealand (James 1994) and Australia (Postle, Clarke & Bull 1997). 

In the USA these tend to be intensive summer programs offered prior to enrolment for ‘at risk' ‘minority' students; while for the UK, New Zealand and Australia they tend to be pre-enrolment programs that facilitate access to higher education by mainly mature students who lack conventional entry qualifications, generally because of a background of disadvantage.  (A distinction will be drawn here to smaller scale ‘bridging programs' that address only very specific aspects of preparedness, for example, bridging Mathematics programs for enhancing the Maths skills of students entering technical fields.  Although these often represent important equity initiatives, their tight focus and relatively short duration serve to distinguish them from the broader and more intensive enabling programs that are the focus of this paper.)

In an extensive study of the Scottish Wider Access (SWAP) Programs, Munn, Johnstone & Robinson (1994) noted that such access programs have been: 'remarkably successful in attracting traditionally under-represented groups in higher education' (p.73). 

Analysing and Interpreting data

Analysis and interpretation of the data collected is a very significant part of the research.

It makes sense of the data and gives meaning to the research findings. You need to refer back to the research question to help organise your data and focus your analysis.

Analysing involves clarifying the data and highlighting important points, trends, common elements, unexpected outcomes and relationships between factors.

When analysing quantitative data this will usually mean tabulating the data and establishing the mean, median, mode and range of research results.

Setting Out Your IRP

Cover page

Table of Contents

The remainder

Abstract Acknowledgements Introduction (Approximately 250 words) Literature Review (Approximately 400 words) Methodology (Approximately 500 words) Results and Findings (How ever much it takes!) Analysis and Discussion (Approx. 600 words) Summary and Conclusion (Approx. 300 words) Recommendations (approximately 100 words) Bibliography Appendix