Guidelines for Writing a Good Research Manuscript

1. Guidelines for Writing a Good Research Manuscript Chuleeporn Changchit Professor of MIS Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi Editor-in-Chief Journal of Information Privacy and Security (JIPS)

2. Why Research? • Provides an opportunity to explore a topic in depth • Encourages a rigorous, logical, systematic and scholarly approach to problem-solving • Real-world contribution • Fulfills your personal needs • Career development

3. What is research? • Research is simply “gathering the information you need to answer a question and thereby help you solve a problem.” • “Without reliable published research, we would be prisoners of what we alone see and hear” (Booth et al. 1995)

4. Formulate a Research Question • From topic to question • Questions are crucial because the starting point of good research is always what you don’t knowor understand but feel you must. • Ask a standard question, who, what, when, where, how, and why

5. From question to its significance • “So what?” or “What’s new?” • You must be able to tell why your study is significant, not only to yourself but also to others

6. Answer these questions • What are you writing about?I am studying ______________ • What you don’t know about?because I want to find out who/how/why • Why you want to know about itin order to understand how/what/why __________________

7. Example • I am studyingan impact of e-commerce on small businesses • because I want to find outwho uses e-commerce, how small businesses use e-commerce, and why they use it? • in order to understandhow to use e-commerce successfully in small businesses, in what situation is appropriate for a small business to use e-commerce, and why some small businesses fail to use it

8. To Avoid feeling overwhelmed • Be aware of uncertainties that you may experience • Write as you go…. • Control complexity of your task • Count on your supervisor • Take initiation!

9. Planning is Everything! • Plan your research completion and complete your plan • Use a planning tool, e.g. gantt-chart • Talk to your supervisor • Expect an unexpected circumstance • Self motivation

10. Research Procedure • Select a domain & narrow down to a topic • Write a topic proposal • Talk to your supervisor early • Decide on the style and form • Develop a plan and a timeline • Just do it!!!!, don’t be afraid to ask for help

11. How to select a Topic? • Interesting • Current • Challenging • Applicable • Available

12. Decide on the Style and Form • Start by reviewing information or literature on your topic • Formulate a problem statement and list some questions or hypotheses • Sketch a list of methodologies • Make sure that the topic’s scope is manageable • Make sure that you can reach a defensible solution at the end

13. Prepare a Topic Proposal • A blueprint of the entire research • Review articles in the area of your interest • Fill out a topic proposal form

14. A Topic Proposal Form 1. Tentative title? 2. Statement of the problem(s)/issue(s) addressed 3. Describe relevant literature (list of cited articles) 4. Methodology to use 5. Expected result 6. Contribution 7. Time frame

15. Criteria for Evaluating a Proposal • Title • Objectives • Scope • Proposed methodology • Literature review • Documentation • CONTRIBUTION • Quality of writing • Organization

16. Do the Research • Pace yourself (stick to the plan) • Be systematic with your study • What methodology serves you best? • Writing expectations • Structuring your project/thesis

17. Typical Outline of a Research • Title page • Abstract • Introduction • Literature Review/Background • Methodology • Data Analysis • Conclusion • References • Appendices

18. 1. Abstract

19. 1. Abstract • Short and concise • Summarize your project/thesis • Not more than 2 paragraph (refers to examples), less than 200 words • Include all the keywords in your study

20. Characteristics of Abstract • Re-establish the topic of the study • Provide the research problem and/or main objective of the study • Indicate the methodology used • Present the main findings • Present the main conclusions

21. Common Problems with Abstract • Too long • Too much detail • Too short • Failure to include important information

22. Abstract Examples • http://www.misq.org/archivist/vol/no25/issue4/piccoli.html • http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/users/dixa/papers/norm2001/

23. 2. Introduction

24. 2. Introduction • Introduce the study by giving background • Present the research problem • Present “how” and “why” this problem will be solved. • Why the study is being done (significance)

25. Introduction includes • Background: What is the context of this problem? In what situation can this problem be observed? • Problem Statement: What is it we don’t know? What knowledge do we gain from this study? What needs to be improved? • Rationale: Why is this study important? Who will benefit? Why do we need to know this?

26. Introduction includes (cont.) • Objectives: What steps will you take to try to improve the situation? • Scope: Is there any aspect of the problem you will not discuss? Is the study limited to a specific area or situation?

27. Introduction includes (cont.) • Limitations: Is there any factors, conditions or circumstances that prevent you from achieving your desired objectives • Assumptions: Regarding the technique used, do you take certain conditions or requirements for granted? Are there certain fundamental conditions or states you assume to be true?

28. Common Problems with Introduction • Too much detail, and thus too long • Repetition of words, phases or ideas • Unclear problem definition • Poor organization

29. Template for An Introduction • Step 1: Establish the study area by • Explain why this area is importantand/or • Moving from general to specificand/or • Reviewing relevant items of previous research

30. Template for An Introduction (cont.) • Step 2: Define a research problem (question) by • Indicate a gap in the previous studiesor • Raise a questionor • Continue a previously developed line of inquiryor • Counter-claiming (disagree with an existing/accepted approach)

31. Template for An Introduction (cont.) • Step 3: Propose a solution by • Outline purpose/set objectivesand/or • Announce present studiesand • Announce principal findings (results)and • Indicate the structure of the study

32. 3. Literature Review

33. 3. Literature Review • Review of the literature in the area that you study • Analyze what you read and put it in your own word • Logical flow • Be consistent of how you define terms

34. 3. Literature Review What is the “literature” anyway? • The literature is “the works you consulted in order to understand and investigate your research question.”

35. Skills Needed for a Literature Review • Information Seeking: Ability to scan the literature efficiently using a library or the Internet search to identify a set of potentially useful articles or books. • Critical Appraisal: Ability to apply principles of analysis to identify those studies which are unbiased and valid. Source: http://www.utoronto.ca/hswriting/lit-review.htm

36. Bad Sign! • Every paragraph of your review begins with the names of researchers. • Every paragraph contains a summary of one article. • Literature review contains a stack of paragraph without a section header. • There is no logical link between each paragraph.

37. Good sign • Organize your view into useful, information sections (or issues) relevant to your study’s domain • Present an evolution of a concept • Compare/contrast different views from previous research

38. What literature Review looks like? • NOT a summary of articles • Conceptually organized synthesis of the results of your search • MUST • Organize information and relate it to the research question • Synthesize results into what is and isn’t known • Identify controversy when it appears in the literature • Develop questions for further research Source: http://www.utoronto.ca/hswriting/lit-review.htm

39. Value of Literature Review • NOT depends on “how many sources you use” • BUT depends on “your presentation and awareness of how different perspectives are in your study domain” • ALSO depends on “quality of the sources you use”

40. How useful are the following sources?Source: http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21LIT.HTM • Journal articles (peer review): Relatively valid and reliable (based on a scientific study), relatively up-to-date issues • Books: Contains principles and theories, good for a starting point, give a big picture • Conferencing proceedings: latest research or work-in-progress • Trade magazines: Not useful for research except as a starting point (e.g., looking for a topic) or new innovations

41. How useful are the following sources? (con’t) • Government/corporate reports: useful for data collection • Newspaper: Mainly opinion, most recent trends & discoveries • White papers on the Internet: Individual opinion, unscientific study, fad, good for searching a topic, could be a marketing scam

42. Why write a literature? Source: http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21LIT.HTM • Provide a critical look at the existing research that is related or valuable to your study • Not only SUMMARIZE relevant research • Also EVALUATE those studies • SHOW RELATIONSHIP between different studies • SHOW HOW IT RELATES to you work

43. Questions that your literature review should answerSource: http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21LIT.HTM • What do we already know in your selected topic? • What are the characteristics of the key concepts or the main factors or variables? • What are the relationships between these key concepts, factors or variables? • What are the existing theories or principles?

44. Questions that your literature review should answerSource: http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21LIT.HTM • What are the inconsistencies or other shortcomings or gaps in this area? • What views need to be further tested? • What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or too limited? • Why study the research problem? • What contribution can your study be expected to make? • What research designs or methods seem unsatisfactory?

45. How can I write good literature review? • Remember the purpose: try to answer those questions (in the previous two slides) • Read with a purpose: Think while reading • Write with a purpose: Think while writing Source: http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21LIT.HTM

46. Keep in mind • If you don’t define your research problem or not clear about it, it might take you forever to search the literature • A research problem can be changed as you read more. So reading can shape a problem, and defining a problem can identify what to read and what to ignore.

47. Traps Source: http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/EL21LIT.HTM • Trying to read everything • Reading but not writing • Not keeping bibliographic information

48. 4. Methodology

49. 4. Methodology • Description of proposed projecte.g., feasibility study, business plan, information technology plan, business environment • Description of proposed methodology

50. Methodology Focus on • How was the data collected or generated? • How was it analyzed?