Raashid Nehal

Research Writing
Research Writing Objectives Developing the following skills and abilities: critical reading skills, an understanding of the importance of research ethics, the ability to evaluate and appropriately credit sources, an appreciation of what quality means in the context of academic/research projects, the ability to appropriately frame and structure a research argument using evidence as per disciplinary conventions, a comprehension of the functions and scope of various paper components, the ability to apply learning to own writing project, peer review and critique skills, effective approach to revision Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25january,2012

Challenges in Research Writing 2

Common knowledge, common experience Essays without argument, Essays without structure, Essays without evidence and without format Widely prevalent
Term papers, First drafts of theses, Research papers Books of PhDs as well
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25jan,2012

Thirst to Write/Publish

At the same, a growing desire to write, express oneself and publish Witness growth in blogs Witness growth in e-journals and journals Witness growth in submissions to journals Witness growth in submission of book manuscripts Above partly due to academic pressure to publishbut there is also a desire to write

How can we help improve writing?

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Reasons for Writing Difficulties?

No training in +2/college, multiple-choicebased evaluation, use of guide books for exam-based system in under-graduate courses? Reading as training for research no longer emphasised (Reading outside course material, reading for critical thinking)? Post-graduate courses not designed or taught to develop critical thinking that feeds into writing? Inability of system to teach first generation learners and first generation English speakers? Can you identify some more reasons?
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Distinct Challenges? 5
Each is distinct, and yet related
Term-papers/Assignments MPhil and PhD theses Research Papers Books Focus here on writing But writing not independent of quality of research, how research is organised and environment for research How does one convert original research into publication?
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Options at Postgraduate /Research Level 6

Difficult to teach writing at this stage-then at which stage? Option: outline main issues in writing Deal with main problem areas Some guidance on the major and minor issues
Major Issues Structure of argument Presenting evidence Review of Literature Introduction, Conclusion, Abstract
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Other Serious Issues -- II

Plagiarism References, Citation Presentation of Data

Combine guidance with simple exercises Consider a formal course as well on academic writing (post-graduate and research level)
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGCEPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

What is good research writing? II

the quality of writing research depends on presentation

Structure of paper Framing of the Introduction, Review of Literature Conclusion Citation and References Things research scholars should avoid: Grand or general or repetitive claims Self-praise
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

No Magic Solution

First-time writers need to be aware that Research writing is acquired, not found Acquired by writing and rewriting/revision Acquired by demonstrating care in preparation of paper Acquired by reading with distance, as an editor Writing exercises in class (Two minute essays at end of the occasional lecture) Implications for faculty time/effort? Pedagogy on writing useful for others too. No packaged solutions, but some help possible
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGCEPW-TISS Project chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Starting Off

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EDUCATION SYSTEM ENCOURAGES ROTE LEARNING

Little or no incentive for

Creative Thinking

Longform Writing

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

 the Student DEVELOP A SENSE OF WRITING

Practice Reading Presentations

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Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Reading
ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD RESEARCH
HELPS DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING

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Formulate an argument Present evidence Improve language

A man who does not read has no advantages over a man who cannot read ~ Mark Twain
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Purpose of Writing
UTILITARIAN
Publicise among peers Career requirements

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SUBSTANTIVE
Helps further research Helps organise ideas

~ BUILD CREDIBILITY ~
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Before Writing IDENTIFY

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Audience Questions Platform Style / Structure Subset of total research to be presented Selecting Material
These points will be discussed in detail in the session on Journal Selection
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Elements of Research Writing 15

Pre-Writing preparations Actual Writing
Structure of Paper

Revision(s)

Publication
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Structure
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Abstract Introduction Literature Review Methods / Methodology Sources / Data / Results Conclusion

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RESEARCH PAPER SHOULD CONTAIN

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Revision

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RARELY ANYONE GETS THE FIRST DRAFT RIGHT

Helps clarify own thoughts Sharpens arguments / presentation Share in smaller, private circles
(class, supervisor, peers, mentors)

REVISION SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS AN ADD-ON, CHORE RATHER AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF WRITING
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project

Literature Review

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Survey of significant literature published on the theme / area / topic Cite and reference range of authors correctly and concisely Identify Gap in Research / Debate Provide Context / Perspective

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Review of literature

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Review of existing literature In many academic papers/books, the literature review constitutes a part of the body of the paper, although many scholars prefer to include it in the introduction. Basically, the researcher is expected to know the work of other scholars on the subject that she/ he is researching. She is expected to order the literature, evaluate it, draw from it, and link it with her own research. So that the research is located in the existing body of knowledge on the specific subject, and its contribution to the subject in terms of refinement of concepts, addition to data, new interpretations, insights, analysis, is clearly brought out. Reference to existing literature may also be woven with the analysis of the data in the body of the paper rather than presented as a separate section.
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

literature review : A functional approach 20

1. A literature review is defined as an explanation, a summary, a critical assessment of the relevant literature. 2. require chapter-long surveys of the literature-scape in the field of study. 3. reviews need to have a well-defined structure, with introduction, body and conclusion and can run to several thousand words in length. 4. the typical journal article or book chapter is often space constrained and must discuss the literature in the context of the original research being presented
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

What does the literature review do?

A .Define the gap in the literature
1.

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The 'gap' could refer to an unresolved question, a paradox, a missing piece of information, a theoretical inconsistency or to some other area of uncertainty within existing understandings of the phenomenon under study.[Literature review: ] In short, the gap in the literature is anything about which not much known or understood within the discipline, or (in the case of interdisciplinary research/scholarship) group of disciplines. First, it convinces the reader that the research problem being tackled has not already been solved, i.e., the work is original and not merely a duplication of already existing work Second, defining the gap is necessary to persuade the reader that the research being undertaken is indeed relevant and interesting, given what is known of the question in the given discipline However, a key function even of the stand-alone literature review is to delineate future directions for research where there are gaps in the knowledge.

Writing about the 'gap' in the literature, Thesis Writing for Business, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Southern Australia. Last accessed 6 January 2012: http://resource.unisa.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=8628#Introduction

2.
3.

4.
5.

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

gap challenge

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Defining the gap is also a challenging task because it requires knowledge and analysis both of what is known within the discipline and what is not known. While identifying the relevant literature requires skill, making a claim about what is now known is even more difficult, because there may be studies that the scholar/researcher has simply overlooked. Young scholars starting new research projects often founder on the shoals of work previously done.
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Approach to defining the gap

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Thus defining the gap requires justifying the particular approach or angle, as much as justifying the newness of the research. Yet, defining the gap in terms of what is not known or what is new may not be enough to motivate the research project. Instead, the contribution may come from the particular approach or angle adopted, from a new dataset or methodology. Once again, the existing literature can help motivate such innovation in solution to research problems and help sharpen the research problem at hand.
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

B.Clarify and provide context for concepts and key

terms 24
1. This is another key function that all types of literature review must perform dissertation, stand-alone or article. In general, the more technical or narrow the subject, the greater conceptual or terminological clarity that is needed. Typically, many forms of scholarship books, articles and even dissertations seek an audience larger than the very specific sub-field which may only have a handful of active scholars. And a diverse audience does not take kindly to jargon Which concepts and terms need explanation or discussion also requires considerable judgment and an understanding of the final audience . Ex. Task An effective literature review would place the term in context, point out its origins and use it critically. This is also a good reason why the literature review may be a good section to address conceptual and terminological issues, though often these are also clubbed into the introduction

2. 3.

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

C. Support methodological choices

1.

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2.

So far, we have discussed the ways in which the literature reviews can help answer the what questions what is known or not known, what are the relevant concepts/terms, what is the precise research question? Yet, often overlooked use of the literature review is to help justify the how of methodological choices. In a primary fieldwork-based study, the literature review can help motivate the choice of research site. The literature review is particularly crucial in studies to justify unconventional methodological choices, for instance in sampling design. In such cases it is not enough to say that a household sampling frame was not appropriate. It is especially important to convince readers who are disciplinary experts that the alternative choice can work.

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

D. Comment on the quality and reliability of existing literature 26

1. Depending on the researcher's field of interest, all the existing literature may not be of the published, peer-reviewed kind. Indeed in areas where a disciplinary body of knowledge is far from established, most of the literature may be of the gray variety, consisting of unpublished reports, articles etc by non-scholarly, sometimes activist or other sources. Since such sources have not been subjected to the rigorous quality control processes of scholarly journals, their use requires caution. An experienced and trained researcher will demonstrate that she is aware of quality variations by commenting on the reliability of cited sources. Once again, this function is relevant especially for dissertation or article literature reviews, because only the rare stand-alone survey looks at an area where a disciplinary literature does not yet exist.

2.

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

E.Explain how the existing literature is

structured 27
Last, but not least, a very significant function of the literature review is to explicate the relationships between existing scholarship or research on the topic of interest. For instance, it must explain which authors take similar or divergent approaches and why, which studies offer similar or contradictory conclusions, which contributions sparked off a debate, and what is the existing consensus or state of controversy To an extent, this function is subsumed within the tasks of defining a gap in the literature and framing a research question, but longer surveys in dissertations or stand-alone reviews need to expand far more on trends/features of the broader research field, beyond simply defining a research niche. However, even an article literature review that fails to explain how relevant studies relate to each other will fail in its central task of motivating a research question. The challenge now is to write it up, making choices on what to include and in what kind of detail
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Some How-tos

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The 4Zs The first task facing the writer is what and how much to write about a given source. Rob Weir, a teacher of history, provides a useful mnemonic for what a scholarly review of a given source must do: the 4Z method, : summarize, analyze, criticize, and synthesize
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

The 4Zs

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summarize, analyze, criticize & synthesize

Summarize: While it may seem a simple task to reproduce or paraphrase in concise form another authors words, the job has been known to trip up young scholars. Since this is the first step to the subsequent Zs, it is important to get right. Attention to language, tone and evidence is of the essence Analyze: Once the authors work has been confidently and correctly understood, the next step to pull it apart and study its elements. What is the argument? How is it supported? How does the author use his or her evidence? Criticize: Only after the source has been correctly understood and analysed, can the work of evaluation start. Assuming that you have chosen the source after careful assessment, it meets the basic criteria of good or relevant scholarship. However, it still makes sense to ask whether the studys conclusions follow from the evidence, whether the data appears of good quality, whether the sources cited are reliable and so on. At this stage, even though the work of comparison has not explicitly begun, it may be helpful to judge a source in juxtaposition of others of a similar type. Synthesize: The work of synthesis places a given source or study within the larger literature. It is the most challenging and necessary of the 4Zs. Indeed, in shorter literature reviews such as those in articles, the preceding Zs may not receive much space, and instead only a synthesis of the sources can be written up. Questions to ask include how is the work received by other scholars? How does it differ or resemble other studies in its approach or conclusions? What it is its most significant contribution in helping define the gap in the literature?
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication

Upside-down triangle of literature review 30

The literature review, according to the advice of the University of South Australias writing centre, must be structured like an upsidedown triangle starting with a discussion of the broadest research subject and ending with the very narrow research question the paper will address These are the three steps to the upside-down triangle 1.Establish a research territory: Introduce and review items of previous research in the area. 2. Establish a niche: Indicate a gap in the previous research by raising a question about it, or extending previous knowledge in some way. 3. Occupy the niche: Outline the purpose or state the nature of the present research.
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Upside-down triangle of literature review:2 &3

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The example below from a EPW submission (2) and (3) above in the space of a single paragraph, along the way also clarifying terms while setting up a gap in the literature: D The so-called democracy advantage thesis postulates that democracies do better than dictatorships in improving health and other human development outcomes (Halperin et al, 2005). Proceeding with the assumption that democracy has an impact on health outcomes independently of economic and other factors, we examine the health performance of Indias states to examine the validity of the democracy advantage thesis. We find evidence from Indias states that casts doubts on studies that support the thesis (Gerring et al, 2006; Ghobarah et al, 2004; Halperin et al, 2005; Lake and Baum, 2001; Zweifel and Navia, 2000).
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Mapping the research territory

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There are a number of broad organisational schemes that can help guide the structure chronological, thematic and methodological. Though these schemas can be mixed and matched as required, it is worthwhile choosing the broad organising principle Chronological: As evident, chronological literature reviews are organised on a time sequence. Interestingly the literature is most or many fields shows a distinctive pattern of growth overtime, and it is helpful be aware of this pattern in structuring a literature review along chronological lines. It is often at the outset, or the first stage (primary level) of the maturation of a field that the largest theoretical advances are made. In the secondary level following stage these ideas/insights/theoretical paradigms are discussed, critiqued, fine-tuned, tested and to some extent applied by other scholars. Finally, in the tertiary level, the theories become widely accepted, applications abound and become part of standard texts and references.
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

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Thematic: A thematic literature review has obvious appeal to the dissertation writer especially if it can be clustered around themes of special interest of the author. Such reviews are also of interest where the literature is dispersed and shows no clear trend overtime. For instance, the following example of a research study on women and the Delhi Metro pays attention to the sparse literature that does exist:
In the policy making the transport concerns are mainly about how transport infrastructure could be efficiently and cost effectively constructed and maintained. Fernando and Porters (2002) work on gender and transport, using a gender perspective to look at a range of transport issues in variety of locations, maintains that gender has not been fully integrated into the mainstream of either the infrastructure debate or the debate on transport services. However this work mainly focuses on rural areas and it highlights that while transport professionals have taken little account of gender, the issues of access and mobility have also been marginalized in the discourse on gender and development (Fernando and Porter, 2002). Some studies in this work (Iga, 2002) suggest that the influence of culture should not be ignored in the usage of transport. The cultural rules which are rarely unfavourable to men reinforce the unequal gender power in the transport as well. Men can usually travel as they wish, by whatever means available. However, women may be constrained by restrictions on where, how and with whom they travel (Iga, 2002).

Methodological: A methodological schema is similar to the thematic, but maybe of particular interest when the paper offers a methodological innovation or approach. It may also be useful in research questions of interdisciplinary interest where a variety of methods have been used and conclusions reached.

Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

Do and dont: A Summary

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a few dos: i. Explain relationships between cited papers ii. Include only properly evaluated materials and make sure to comment on their quality iii. Be selective in your choice of sources to include iv. Quote, as necessary from your sources to provide a flavour v. Be careful when paraphrasing vi. Include sources that help support choice of methodology as well as topic
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

And some donts:

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Quote too much from other sources ii. Include long listings of previous research iii. Simply provide potted summaries of your sources iv. Quote without appropriate citation v. Use important terms and concepts without explaining them
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012

RECAP: Review of Literature

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How well does the literature review perform the following function: Gap in the literature Explaining terms and concepts Supporting Methodological choices Explaining how existing literature is structured Commenting on the quality and reliability of existing literature How well is the literature review organised?
Round Table on Research Writing and Publication UGC-EPW-TISS Project Chandigarh 23-25 jan,2012