Writing social sciences #research paper #phd

Again reaching for content that helps me keep an overview when wanting to write a paper. The best online resource for me is still the one provided by the University of Southern California. It provides so many useful tips for each section, just have a look and see for each section of a classic research article. So thanks to USC libraries ( @USCLibraries )Even just reading through their brief description of each section gets my mind oriented:

Abstract

An abstract summarizes, usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less, the major aspects of the entire paper in a prescribed sequence that includes: 1) the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated; 2) the basic design of the study; 3) major findings or trends found as a result of your analysis; and, 4) a brief summary of your interpretations and conclusions.

The Introduction

The introduction serves the purpose of leading the reader from a general subject area to a particular field of research. It establishes the context of the research being conducted by summarizing current understanding and background information about the topic, stating the purpose of the work in the form of the hypothesis, question, or research problem, briefly explaining your rationale, methodological approach, highlighting the potential outcomes your study can reveal, and describing the remaining structure of the paper.

The literature review

A literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits into the larger field of study.

The methodology

The methods section of a research paper provides the information by which a study’s validity is judged. The method section answers two main questions: 1) How was the data collected or generated? 2) How was it analyzed? The writing should be direct and precise and written in the past tense.

The results

The results section of the research paper is where you report the findings of your study based upon the information gathered as a result of the methodology [or methodologies] you applied. The results section should simply state the findings, without bias or interpretation, and arranged in a logical sequence. The results section should always be written in the past tense. A section describing results [a.k.a., "findings"] is particularly necessary if your paper includes data generated from your own research.

The discussion

The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe the significance of your findings in light of what was already known about the research problem being investigated, and to explain any new understanding or fresh insights about the problem after you've taken the findings into consideration. The discussion will always connect to the introduction by way of the research questions or hypotheses you posed and the literature you reviewed, but it does not simply repeat or rearrange the introduction; the discussion should always explain how your study has moved the reader's understanding of the research problem forward from where you left them at the end of the introduction.

The conclusion

The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper. A conclusion is not merely a summary of your points or a re-statement of your research problem but a synthesis of key points. For most essays, one well-developed paragraph is sufficient for a conclusion, although in some cases, a two-or-three paragraph conclusion may be required.

Great book for #academic vocabulary learning the jargon #phd

My PhD journey is well on its way and nearing the end of year one (started in February 2013). One of my reoccurring challenges is using distinct academic vocabulary that gives stamina and rigor to my reports and papers. In all honesty as a Dutch speaking person I learned English by looking at Children BBC, documentaries and ... American action movies. Not surprisingly my PhD notes sometimes reflect these linguistic prior experiences. I write phrases like "I reshuffled my data until it triggered my curiosity and opened my eyes with a blast! In order to get the right answers, more action is necessary.", where my supervisors relentlessly tell me I could (read should) be using more scientifically accepted jargon. So giving it  try here and transforming the above sentence into: "While closely examining the data, new evidence emerged. However, additional research is necessary in order to examine these findings before a conclusion can be reached." ... well not sure if this is getting at the ultimate academic phrasing, but it simply sounds more like what one would expect in an academic paper (or so I am told, it would be nice to write a paper using action hero lingo though).
It takes me hours to find the right words and phrases to carefully describe what I want to say in such a way that the verbs and nouns used add to the 'seriousness' of the paper. So I work at it. The only problem is, that I need to find a way to internalize this vocabulary in order to save time while writing my papers. Reading is one option, but just today I found an online book called "Academic vocabulary in Use" from Cambridge press, providing 50 units of vocabulary reference and practice. Nice, an exercise book was just what I was looking for. It is freely available if you press the link, but I have the distinct feeling that the book is normally for sale. So be quick if you want to have a look at the free copy as provided by the link. 

Why and how to use #Mendeley to create a #research library

Four days ago I came across this wonderful post from Patrick Dunleavy on why he choose Mendeley to become his personal research library organizer. He gives a good account on how he uses it, but what I was missing in the post was a comprehensible quick userguide, introducing the Mendeley features.

Luckily my esteemed and warm-hearted colleague Prashanth Srinavas just finalized a presentation right on the subject. So I gladly share his presentation that takes a look at

• what Mendeley is
• How to add papers 
• the web importer
• document details
• managing your documents and references
• full text search
• citing and sharing references
• creating your professional research profile...

It is a great way to get up to speed with Mendeley in a minimum of time.The thing I like about Mendeley is that they finally got onto Android as well last year. This made all the difference for me.

Here is his Prashanth's presentation.

Mendeley overview-presentation june1 from NS Prashanth

Maximizing your #impact as a #researcher: free handbook and blog

First of all, let me start of this blog with a link to the handbook on 'Maximizing the Impact of Your Research'. A 298 page (HUH!) handbook on how to track your research impact, both via more classical numbers (times cited...) and contemporary media (social media). It is a serious handbook, and the author is open to any comments, so feel free to add any ideas (j.tinkler at lse.ac.uk). The handbook is published by the London School of Economics and Politics.

For those having less time, a much shorter, yet useful blogpost written by Deborah Lupton was published in the wonderful Impact of Social Sciences blog from the London School of Economics and Politics. It covers all the strategies social scientists (or any other researchers or engaged people at that) can use to enhance their digital profile. She explains each of the next parts in detail in the post, so I will only briefly touch the list of actions we can undertake as Deborah suggests:

Building networks (oh yes, Google+, Facebook, ...): to get connected with people interested in similar areas.
Public engagement (via blogs and such): to get ideas out in the open and be able to discuss them with peers.
Receiving feedback (any comment enabled social media will do): our ideas or research or actions are nothing if not scrutinized by others with experience.
Establishing an e-profile (what I would call a digital identity): I feel this should be at the top of the list, as trust and respect is at the core of being able to discuss ideas and share them or get them disseminated through networks.
Curation and sharing of content: this can be done fully manual (you select and retweet, blog, list, newsletter... any content that you encounter and find of interest) or it can be done semi-automated (Pinterest.com, paper.li, storify, scoop.it...)
Teaching (I would add learning to this, as I am a believer in building upon each others strengths): engaging learners in courses or learning activities.

Looking at the handbook and the post, I would add 'analytics' as a very important part of your research/person digital impact. For with analyzing who is following you, which items get picked up... you can get an idea of your followers. On the other hand, a blog is my blog, so serendipity should also get its place.

Thanks Bruno Meessen to bring this blogpost to my attention!