Is the RESEARCH work Good or Bad?

There are a lot of research papers that can be called “research work”, but not all research papers can be considered “good.” Same as the statement, many can write but not all are good writers that can write good articles. So, how do we know if a piece of research work is good or bad? When we buy a book or a magazine or anything that is read, we usually read first the title and then the summary that can be found usually at the front or back of the manuscript. A good title really catches our attention especially when it is related to our interest; likewise the summary. There are also cases that the manuscript’s title is eye catchy but when you read its content or summary, in a few paragraphs or even in a few sentences you start to dislike it and then you decide not to read the entire paper. There are also cases like after reading the manuscript, you don’t like to read it again, not anymore because you didn’t like the story, it was dreadful, it was boring, it was not good.

One of the criteria of a good research work is the title and how it is stated. A title that can catch people’s attention is really good since they will have the interest to read the entire paper. This kind of title can be considered as the research paper’s great asset.

A research paper is divided into sections. It was mentioned in one of the articles that I have read that important sections should be included while the other sections can be included as necessary. What are these important sections? These important sections are the usual sections that can be seen in a research paper (e.g. title, introduction, significance of the study, objectives, review of related literature, analytical framework/methodology, expected outputs, work plan, budget, results, discussion, conclusion and so on.) The sections should be organized based on the standard format to present information clearly and concisely. It is important to understand the difference among the sections and it is very important also to put information in the appropriate location. The information should be clean and well organized so that readers can understand what they are reading and what it is all about.

A research can also be considered as good if it is in the paper the researcher’s motivation for doing the research, the design and execution, and the meaning of the results, and if it is written in a style that is exceedingly clear. Paragraphs are coherent and well ordered; there is a logical paragraph transition, and a fully functional title, introduction and conclusion. All the questions raised in the paper are answered most importantly the problem. The originality of the work is also very important. However, if it is a replication of the previous study, it should be in a different setting or with a different population.

The research paper is well presented which refers to the way it is documented, written, or printed; the author uses American English words that are understandable. Figures are correctly gathered and calculated. It is also good if the author uses illustrations in the paper for clarity and since it is easier to comprehend. Presentation of the charts and data sheets in the paper is also good but it must be accompanied with each corresponding interpretations. Say for example, the author of the research paper conducted a survey and made a comparison among the data he gathered or between the previous data and the recent data. It needs mathematical equations and calculations. The readers were not there when the survey was conducted and so in order for the readers to really understand what the illustration is for, how the author come up with the illustration and what it is all about, its interpretation must be at the top of it or below of it. It is good to have reusability of the research work in which others can explore the unexpected and contradictory findings of the research and challenge them to continue the study and improve it more.

Based on the detailed research proposal format, a good research work addresses the current need of a particular group, people, country, or the environment and intends to solve the problem. The objective is adequate enough to address the stated problem, it is clear and as to what the proposal is to achieve and is attainable within the time frame and indicated resources. The review of literature is complete enough to cover related researches and activities conducted for the last ten years. The research is guided by analytical framework and that all variables to be measured and evaluated are included in the methodology. Related technology which is protected by any of the intellectual rights scheme like patent, trademark, copyright, etc is indicated. The activities are consistent with the objectives and expected outputs and leads to the attainment of the expected outputs. The budget is reasonable and appropriate, consistent with the proposed work plan, indicates counterpart funds if available.

When writing a research paper, the researcher should also consider the following: the audience, style and tone, should avoid plagiarism, and the organization of the ideas and information. It is the purpose of the researcher to inform the audience about the research and particular issues. Therefore, the researcher is recommended to know about the audience and their positions and can be included in the considerations in writing the paper.

There should have enough resources for the researcher to gather more information. In that way, he can have enough evidences and logical reasons that can support his research, its claims and can contribute substantively. It is also recommended that sources should be recent enough to be persuasive. And it should be based on at least some recent article-length sources. The Communications of the ACM (CACM), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), latest IT news from www.idg.net, the science and/or technology sections in major newspapers from www.nytimes.com are just some of the possible sources. And in the paper, correct citations must be allowed. The documentation style should be accurately and consistently used and is appropriate to the discipline. The researcher can refer/consult to the following: MLA, APA, CBE, or U-Chicago.

Hypotheses of the problem and/or research questions should be stated clearly and completely. It is also a must to define the terms. The researcher should provide operational definition for the important terms. When acronyms are used in some sections of the paper, it is also important to define those acronyms so that readers will not get confused. Based from my experience, when I was reading a scientific paper, the author of the said paper failed to define the unfamiliar terms and the acronyms that were used in the paper. It is also one of the reasons that readers will not understand what the paper and the author is trying to imply and what the subject is all about.

The research design which is the overall plan for conducting the research should also be considered; what type of research design that was used. There are types of research design (e.g. experimental, quasi-experimental, non-experimental) but the researcher can only use the design that is appropriate for the problem. The collection of data is done by the procedures developed in design. According to the “Tomorrow’s Professor SM Mailing List” in its article “Writing a paper that will get published,” the two elements that most often leading to rejection is poorly planned study design and lack of detail in methods. Analytical methods that are controlled by theoretical assumption are no longer acceptable.

Researchers should remember to pay attention to issues of plagiarism. To avoid errors in this regard, the department of biology at George Mason University recommends reading a section from a source and then restating in writing what you remember of the main points and then citing the source of the information in the text.

Based on the previous assignment that was to look for three published scientific papers, what I noticed is that most of the papers composed only four to five pages or more than that but not over ten. The authors of the paper were really trying to make it short but not to the point that it could hardly be understood. They were trying to present the information concisely and clearly. For me, the way the authors presented the information in the paper was good. It was concise and clear enough to understand. It was written direct to the point. When this kind of style is used, readers will not get bored in reading the paper.

The title, objective of the study, significance, methodology and the conclusion I think are the highlights of a research paper. Firstly, it is because the title is read first. It can be an advantage to a research paper when the title captivates the people to read the entire paper. Secondly, the objective of the study reflects the overall content of the paper, the interest of the researcher and also the expected output. Thirdly, the significance of the study describes how important the study is, the benefits that it can provide and the people that shall be benefited. Fourthly, the methodology describes how the study is done including the research design used by the researcher and the procedures. It is important because it determines the reliability of the given information and the output. Lastly, the conclusion is also very important because it answers the problem of the study and also the objective of the study. It describes the achievement of the study whether the study succeeded and whether the expected output has been achieved.

References:

1. “The Problem: The Heart of the Research Process”, Week 2 Lecture 2, ISYS3015 Analytical Methods for IS Professionals, School of IT, The University of Sydney, Thursday, Mar. 19, 2004.
   http://www.ug.it.usyd.edu.au/~isys3015/s1_2004/lecture_notes/Problem.ppt
2. “Research Paper Evaluation Criteria”
   http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng105sanders/research_paper_evaluation_criter.htm
3. “Tomorrow's Professor Msg.#316 WRITING A PAPER THAT WILL GET PUBLISHED”. Tomorrow’s ProfessorSM Mailing List, 15[7]:30, Apr. 2, 2001
   http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings/316.html

RESEARCH and ME

A statement caught my attention while searching over the Internet. It says that sometimes finding a research problem is harder than finding a solution to the problem. To a certain extent, I was convinced but it did not stop me from get going.

As what Albert Einstein has said, “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution which maybe merely a matter of skills.” I do agree because formulating a problem is not just formulating a problem and that is it, and not just because we are obliged to. It is very important that the research study should benefit not only the researcher but the others as well. If it is a replication of the previous study, it is also important to have some improvements with the results and solutions.

The research problem has also been considered as fuel that drives the research process simply because once the problem is formulated and approved, one can start working on it. However, the problem should be of the researcher’s interest so that he can easily work on it with all his heart. Also, the researcher will never get tired easily and gives up immediately. Nothing is impossible as long as the researcher is enthusiastic, optimistic, and is determined.

Research demands patience and perseverance from the researcher to finish the study and to succeed in the implementation no matter how many times of repetition the researcher would make. Just like in real life, one should be patient enough, should persevere and strive to achieve his goals.

To come up with a well written and a good research work, the researcher should have enough resources to provide him more information. He should think also if the research problem could be answered with scientific inquiry, if there are irresolvable ethical problems, or if the problem is theoretically or practically important. Research is not about making fiction out of fact.

Research, from the word itself means to investigate or study. If one particular problem exists, it can be resolved by way of research. For example, medical researchers are still working or studying to cure cancer illnesses. The researchers are studying the existing data and information related to their study and they are expecting to come up with a treatment. Researches are done to identify the cause of the problem, resolve the problem, and improve the solution to the problem.

To come up with a good idea, what I did is I surfed the Net, read magazines, and even on my way to school and way back, I tried to look around and kept on thinking for a possible research problem. Fortunately, one of my teammates told us her idea and presented it to the class. On that very day, we were very happy because the topic has been approved. The theme is all about green computing which has been very controversial up to now. What we are going to do is to develop a mobile application that has the following features: it alarms when the battery is full charged, and can send message to other number stored on the device that notifies the user. Through this project, we can reduce the energy consumption and reduce energy waste. It also prevents the battery from being damaged and from exploding when overly charged and can prevent fire caused by short circuit.

As what I have said, green computing issues have been very controversial and many IT professionals have been talking about these. As we noticed, the climate changes very often. We feel the extreme heat especially when we are under the sun then suddenly raindrops fall. This is because the ozone layer that protects the earth from the sun’s heat is being destroyed more gradually. From its thick layer, it becomes thinner. Computers and other computing technologies contributed most of the carbon dioxide (CO2). Plants and trees use CO2 in order to grow, however, because of its diminishing number due to construction of houses and buildings, the excessive amount of CO2 can hardly be reduced. Computing technologies also emit radiation and utilize more of the energy. That is why researches and inventions are made (e.g. CO2 calculator, energy regulator, and many others) to resolve these problems.

It is true that the research topic that we have chosen and the problem we have formulated will somehow reflects our personality and determines the amount of knowledge we have about it. It will also determine how we are as a student, as an IT student, as member of the community, as a human, and how we care for the environment or it simply answers the question, “Do we really care for the environment?” In addition, it will test how we are as analyzers in a situation that needs critical analysis, our wit based on the strategies and initiatives we make, and how we deal with the problems.

Everything that surrounds us is something that can be applied or has something to do with research. From the food that we eat, the clothes we wear, to the cosmetics and detergents that we use and even business strategies and methods, from advertisements to commercials, and many others. Research has something to do with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and other Science related subjects, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Accounting and other subjects that are related to Mathematics, even English and all other subjects.

With regard to what research as a whole can do to me, even in finding a research problem, just like the things that I did, it made me see things I have not seen before, things that are new to me and things that I am not totally acquainted with. I learned a lot just looking for a problem and I know I will learn more.

Just like in real life, you have to identify what really is the problem and what are the causes of the problem. You must analyze the problem. And if the problem is very big, you can divide the problem into sub-problems However, sub-problems should be small in number and should be further delineated in order to make it easier to analyze and understand. After the problem is identified as well as the causes of the problem, it is now time to find ways on how to resolve the problem and what are the things needed to resolve the said problem.

I have been talking about problems and resolving the problems but that is Research all about. As stated, the research problem is the heart of the research process. Research can’t exist without problems just like us who can’t live without our heart. If we are all satisfied with what we are now and what we do have now, meaning there are no problems, there is nothing to improve and no inventions to create.

In a Research study, after defining the problem is the gathering and analyzing the data. There is a need for me to gather information, to learn more, to gain knowledge so that I can be able to achieve my goals in life. The information that I gained and the knowledge that I learned will be used for me to be able to resolve the problems and to resolve these problems easily and immediately.

There is also a great opportunity to well written and good research projects when acknowledged. Not only because researchers are acknowledged as well as the researches that they have made, big companies may get interested with their works and would like to buy the invention that the researcher has made or may get interested to the researcher and would like to have the researcher to work in their company.

There are really so many advantages when a research work is well written and when it is good. You are paid, you and your research are known not only locally but internationally as well. People will admire you for doing such thing and they will be encouraged also to do the same thing and to work even better. You are not only helping yourself, you are also helping the other people to make their lives easier and for saving the environment as well. That is why we are also encouraged and motivated by our professor to really work on our research projects and to work it well and even told us not to stop after submitting the papers. We are always reminded that we should not think of working the project just to be able to submit sheets of paper and just for the sake of passing the subject. This is all for us, for us to learn and gain.

This research thing will help me decide my future on what are the things that I like to happen, what I want to be and how to do it. It will also help me determine the field of my interest and as what my other classmate has said that it builds up interest in a particular field, which can then be my field of expertise. It also helps me build my personality even better.