Formulating a research Problem - Air University...3.4. Determine Doc. - General Type (Memoranda, Literature Reviews, Reports). - Research Reports, Research Articles, - Progress Reports

Formulating a research Problem

Introduction of Technical writing concepts,

- Characteristics of Effective Technical Communication.

- accuracy, clarity, conciseness, coherence & appropriateness.

Planning and producing documents,

- Document purpose, problem statement, audience.

Literature Review,

- Literature Reviews - prepare a bibliography, Steps in formulating a research

problem, Identify a broad field, broad area into subareas, Raise research

questions, Formulate objectives.

Software documentation and source code comments,

- Writing Software Documentation, Tools for software documentation.

@Copyrights: Research Tactics Organized by Dr. Ahmad Jalal (http://portals.au.edu.pk/imc/)

1. Technical Writing tactics

The principal goal

• Providing the students with techniques necessary for developing

essential writing and communication skills.

• Through a broad approach based on

- planning

- researching,

- writing

- completing, and

- presenting acquired knowledge


1. Technical Writing tactics (Why to learn TW)

Why to learn TW?

I. Information about a computer system or piece of software or any

technical field is distributed amongst a number of information

sources, including the interface, the user, other people and especially

paper and on-line documentation.

II. Communication skill for Computer Scientists

Scientists and engineers are called upon to communicate in many different situations:-Reports, Article, Proposals, Web Pages-Conferences, Lectures, Meetings, Posters


1. Technical Writing tactics (Definition?)

TW is difficult to define. However there is

A. TW as an operational Definition (Job of some people

(executive Manager, Research scientist, secretary people

who generate documents of different types (bridge) such as

Memos, letter, research and progress report for

students, Prof., …)

B. Purpose of Technical Writing (TW)

to inform to instruct to persuade


1. Technical Writing tactics (Definition and Why?)

How well you communicate affects your career?

Survey: I:- Successful engineers spent 25% of work week.

writing by Richard M. Davis of the Air Force who surveyed 245 distinguished engineers.

Survey: II:- Professional engineers found writing their most useful subject in college.

By Dean John Bollinger from the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin who contacted 9000 engineers who had graduated.

Survey: III:- Recruiters claim that engineers need more work on their writing.

By Virginia Tech.


1. Technical Writing tactics (Example)

How well you communicate affects the well-being of others.

Technical Writer Remarks:-

Explosion was caused by failure of O-rings in the solid rocket boosters.

Engineers knew of O-ring problems well before fatal launch.

Engineers failed to communicate seriousness of problem.

Communication problems


2. Technical Writing Process

The goal is to generate

a clear, effective

document for

Audience.

Activities:

• Prewriting: Planning

• Writing: drafting and

revising

• Postwriting:

finalizing


3. Planning and Producing Documents

3.1. First, establish basic criteria.

-Such as Accuracy, Clarity, Conciseness, Coherence, appropriateness.

3.2. Identify the specific purpose of the doc.

-Why are you writing, The Reasons for writing?-Determine the Objectives.

3.3. Focus on the Statement of the Problem

- Vague problem definition leads to unsuccessful proposals.

- Naming a topic is not the same as defining a problem.(s. exam.).

3.4. Determine Doc.

- General Type (Memoranda, Literature Reviews, Reports).

- Research Reports, Research Articles,

- Progress Reports ,Technical-Information Letters …

3.5. Define your audience

-Then determine your audience's level of expertise (experts, technicians, managers ,

laypersons)

-Attitude to you. It is also important to assess the of the audience toward both you . (are

you expert in his view, or he doesn’t know you


3.1 Establish basic criteria

Good technical communication is

Accurate

- accurate document needs to focus clearly on a problem.

Clear

- refers to ease of understanding

- anyway clarity is a special problem in science and technology writing)

Concise

- The concise document is a piece of writing that conveys only the needed material.

Coherent

- Coherence is the quality of hanging together and of providing the reader an easily followed path.

Appropriate

- the document has to be appropriate to the goals (targets) in writing it.

- audience's purpose in reading it.

- the specific institutional contexts in which it is written and read.

• Five characteristics- Accuracy, Clarity, Conciseness, Coherence, and appropriateness.

These qualities are sometimes difficult to achieve.

Not only do science and technology depend heavily on specialized concepts and terminologies, but

they also make extensive use of numbers and graphics.


3.2 Purpose of the Document

Explicit Purpose (Goal)

- to provide information.

- to give instructions.

- to persuade the reader.

- to enact (or prohibit something).

To provide information

e.g.

(This document will discuss the theoretical basis of Semantic Representation of Arabic).

To give instructions

(This document outlines a procedure and the steps how to construct logical formulas for Arabic

Sentences).

To persuade the reader

(This document proposes a novel method for compositional semantic of Arabic).

To enact (or prohibit) something

(NOTICE: Semantic Composition cannot be applied (i.e; drawbacks) for the whole Language).

Purpose

Explicit Purpose Implicit Purpose


3.2 Purpose of the Document

Explicit Purpose (Goal)

a - To Establish a Relationship

(well-written letter can begin a relationship)

b - To Create Trust and Establish Credibility

(accurate TW helps to create trust and competence).

c - To document Actions

(Scientists, engineers, and managers

often use writing to create permanent records of their

thoughts and actions)

Purpose

Explicit Purpose Implicit Purpose


3.3 Problem Statement [Implicit Purpose]

Weak

Morpho-Probabilistic Arabic Analyzer

[This definition is too vague; it suggests a broad topic but not an approach to the topic.]

Improved

Morphological Arabic Analyzer based statistical Analysis of root with

possible patterns: Morpho-Probabilistic Arabic Analyzer

Weak

Engine starting and warm-up behavior.

Improved

Effects of fuel enrichment on engine starting and warm-up behavior.

A) If you are focusing on a problem, be sure to define and state it specifically enough that

you can write about it.

B) Avoid trying to investigate or write about multiple problems or about broad or overly

ambitious problems.

Vague problem definition leads to unsuccessful proposals and vague, unmanageable

documents. Naming a topic is not the same as defining a problem

Examples for stating a Problem Statement


3.3 Problem Statement (Cont…)

Problem statements often have three elements:

I. the problem itself stated clearly and with enough contextual detail to

establish why it is important.

II. the method of solving the problem, often stated as a claim or a

working thesis.

III. the purpose, statement of objective and scope of the document the

writer is preparing.

(These elements should be brief so that the reader does not get lost. )

Problem Statement Elements

Problem itself Solving methodPurpose, statement

of objective scope


3.4 Determine Document

Key Points:-

1. Clearfully read the overall paper format and check each section

such as

- Abstract length, introduction paragraph, equation template,

section/sub-section style, Figure/Table captions, conclusion length,

reference style, bibliography.

2.Strictly follow the formatting of specific document such as research

reports, research Articles, progress reports , short letters.

3.Number of pages,

4.Scope of the targeted venues (i.e., conference, journal, office report).

5.Total duration of overall process.

6.Way of submission.


3.5 Audience

Audience considerations

1. Audience type and level of expert.

2. Audience's purpose in using the document.

3. Audience's attitude.

Organization

Introductions

Equations and mathematical models

Graphics

Technical terms and

Level of detail.

influence features of the doc


3.5 Audience (1. Audience type and level of expert) (Cont…)

your audience's purpose in reading the document.

their level of expertise.

Audience type and level of expert

Expert Technician Manager

Mixed Audience

Layperson

Organization of the doc (outlines and draft)

density of information

Variation to meet



Experts

- General experts (indirectly related with field) or specific experts (Directly related with

field) .

Technician

- They are also usually familiar with the common technical terms associated with the

devices they use and the processes they perform. They may not be familiar, however, with

general or Abstract.

Manager

- Assume that managers are busy people who need to use documents primarily as tools in

making decisions. Because managers read and review many documents, be brief and to

the point. Managers usually supervise a number of projects,

- they may not be familiar with every recent technological advance.

- and often managers are specialists in fields such as marketing or management and have

little detailed technical knowledge.

Laypersons

- (All of us read some documents as laypersons; no one is an expert in all fields.)



Mixed Audience

- Computer documentation, may be written for experts who are familiar with all the

hardware and software processes involved

Technicians: who will install and support the application,

A Manager: who may be deciding whether or not to purchase the software,

Laypersons: who may occasionally use it.


3.5 Audience (2. Audience’s purpose)

Audience’s purpose in using the document:

- Readers of technical and scientific writing read a document for

three general purposes:

Audience's purpose

to acquire information

to help make decisions

to learn how to do something


3.5 Audience (2. Audience’s purpose) (Cont…)

a) to acquire information

Experts: to maintain their level of expertise and read documents in related fields

to increase the breadth of their knowledge.

Technician: to acquire a basic understanding of general concepts and processes

that will help them perform their tasks and diagnose to solve problems they may

encounter.

Managers: to acquire both the general and the specific information necessary for

them to supervise their staffs effectively and to function well in their

organizations.

Laypersons: to acquire general knowledge about a subject or as novices attempting

to become experts.



b) to help make decisions

Experts: to decide whether or not to conduct a specific experiment or to use a new

design element.

Technician: use documents to decide on the selection of specific hardware and

software efficiency and to determine the best procedure for performing a task.

Managers: may need to make or approve a decision.

Laypersons: may read documents to help select a particular product or investment.



c) to learn how to do something

- All readers read instructions to help them perform various tasks. e.g.

manager may read a document to learn how to use new budgeting software.


3.5 Audience (3. Audience’s attitude) (Cont…)

a) to you and your Organization

b) Audience Interest in Subject

c) Audience attitude toward subject

a) Attitude Toward You and Your Organization

(we do not always ask an expert doctor for a detailed explanation of

a diagnosis or procedure).

your audience views you as an expert

not need to offer lengthy explanations for your

conclusions and recommendations.

Audience does not know you, or has past negative experience

with you or your organization

Extensive Details @Copyrights: Research Tactics Organized by Dr. Ahmad Jalal (http://portals.au.edu.pk/imc/)





b) Attitude Interest in Subject

Case I:-

Case II:-

your audience is already interested in your subject

your audience is not interested in your subject or

you do not know the level of their interest

explain why the material in the document is

important to the reader.

shorten your introduction.






c) Attitude attitude toward Subject

present the

1. problem first

2. then your analysis

3. then your conclusions or recommendations.

begin with conclusions and recommendations

The audience initially may be hostile to your major conclusions

The audience to be receptive to your conclusions

(especially if your audience is a manager).


3.5 Audience (Document Density an Audience) (Cont…)

Document density refers to the;

- amount ,

- type, detail,

- complexity,

- rate of information presented to the reader.

Following table presents some general guidelines for Document

Density.

Feature of Document Expert Managerial Layperson

Introductions Technical Problem/solution Relevance

Math models OK Avoid Avoid

Equations OK Keep simple or avoid Avoid

Graphics Detailed, analytical Simple, presentational General illustrative

Detail level Accurate, numerical General, accurate Simple, narrative

Technical terms Expert, technical Administrative General, illustrative

Emphasis Analysis Operations, costs Informational, interest


4. Literature Review

To search effectively for the literature,

- some idea of the broad subject area is necessary, in order to set parameters (i.e.,

select course according to your research area);

Next, compile a bibliography for this broad area. There are 3 sources that you can

use to prepare a bibliography.

(1) books; (2) journals; (3) the Internet.

(1) books:

Advantages : materials publishes in books is usually important and of good quality,

- findings are “integrated with other research to form a coherent body of knowledge”.

Disadvantages : material is not completely up to date,

- it can take a few years between the completion of a work and its publication in the form

of a book.

Hint : Use the subject area

- or keywords option to search for books.


4. Literature Review (Cont…)

(2) journals:

Advantages : Journals provide you with the most up-to-date information.

- look at citation or abstract indices to identify articles.

- search electronic databases.

Disadvantages : need to prepare a list of the journals, you want to examine for identifying the literature.

Hint : There are several sources designed to make your search for journal easier.

(i) indices of journals (i.e., Humanities index).

(ii) abstracts of articles (i.e., Education resources information center).

(iii) citation indices (i.e., Web of Science).

(3) the Internet:

Advantages : In every academic discipline and professional field, Internet has become an important tool

for finding published literature.

Disadvantages : unnecessary and raw materials, harder to select optimal topic,

- general searching; time consuming.

Hint : According to Gilbert, “Most search facilities use Boolean logic, which allows 3 types of

basic search “AND”, “OR”, and “NOT”.


4.1 Steps in formulating a research problem

A brief review of the relevant literature help enormously to formulate the

research problem.

Steps in formulating research problem as;

Step 1: Identify a broad field or subject area of interest to you:

Asked yourself, “What is it that really interest me as a professional?”

- Seeing local and international trends.

- green areas, gaps and rooming among field.

In the authors’ opinion,

- it is a good idea to think about the field in which you would like to work

after graduation.

For Example:

If you are a computer/engineering student;

- inclined to work in the area of upgrading technologies, organizational

structure after graduation, you might take to research in one of these

areas.@Copyrights: Research Tactics Organized by Dr. Ahmad Jalal (http://portals.au.edu.pk/imc/)

4.1 Steps in formulating a research problem (Cont…)

Step 2: Dissect the broad area into subareas:

Filter-out subfield from the broader area.

For Example: In case of health security (HS) issues, we have subfields as;


Health security

(HS) issues

Profile of families in which HS issues occurs

Profile of the victims of HS issues

Reasons of HS issues

Experts reviews and symptoms of HS issues

Extent and types of HS issues

Risk factors and precautions of HS issues

Services available to the victims of HS issues

Extent of HS issues and its safety in a community


Step 3: Select what is of most interest to you:

It is neither advisable nor feasible to study all subareas.

Select issues or subareas about which you are passionate.

- Go through your list and delete all those subareas in which you are not

very interested.

Step 4: Raise research questions:

At this step ask yourself, “What is it that I want to find out about in this

subarea?”

Lists all questions relating to your chosen subareas and if you think there

are too many to be manageable;

- go through the process of elimination, as you did in Step 3.



Step 5: Formulate objectives:

Now moving from research questions => objectives

- objectives means behavioral aims by using action such as ‘oriented

words’, ‘to determine’, ‘to as certain’ and ‘to examine’.

Step 6: Assess your objectives:

Now examine your objectives to ascertain the feasibility to achieving them

through your research endeavor.

- Consider them in the light of the time resources (financial and human)

and technical expertise at your disposal.

Step 7: Double-check:

Go back and give consideration to whether or not you are sufficiently

interested in the study.

- ask yourself, am I really enthusiastic about this study?
