Effective Reporting of Research: Bridging the Gap between Authors and Readers

1
Effective Reporting of Research Bridging the Gap
between Authors and Readers

• Larry D. Yore
• University of Victoria Distinguished Professor
• Sharyl A. Yore
• Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost

2
Overview

• Quality research and effective communications
• Argumentation
• Organization, purpose and problems
• Language, style and guidelines

3
Quality Research and Effective Communications

• Important, worthwhile and valid
• Research focus must drive design
• Research and language are intertwined

4
Argumentation

• Patterns of Argument
• Examples

5
Extended Pattern of Argumentation (Toulmin, 1969)

• Evidence Qualifiers Claim
• Warrants Rebuttal
• Backings

6
Classic Argument (Toulmin, 1969)

• Examination of SARS
• SARS patients Caused by
• and healthy people a virus
• Warrant 1 Established knowledge about
  respiratory diseases
• Warrant 2 Influenza is caused by a virus, not
  bacteria.
• Backing 1 SARS patients blood and body fluids
  contain the virus.
• Backing 2 A unique virus (corona) was isolated
  by UVic and UBC scientists.

7
Extended Pattern of Argumentation (Toulmin, 1969)

• Examination
• of
• AIDS HIV in HIV
• and some causes
• healthy people AIDS
• patients
• HIV was People
• found in with weak
• all AIDS immune
• patients systems
• and some
• healthy patients

8
Organization, Purpose and Problems

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Background
• Design
• Results
• Discussion and Implications

9
Title

• Be concise and understandable.
• Do not be too clever!
• Does title connect with key ideas?

10
Abstract

• Interesting
• Concise overview
• Problem
• Study
• Results
• Implications
• Avoid references

11
Introduction

• Be brief
• Set context
• Provide research focus
• Justify importance of problem

12
Background

• Provide theoretical backings
• Justify research approach
• Integrate important dimensions
• Do not mention big names out of respect

13
Design

• Provide overview of research approach
• Describe treatments
• Describe subjects or informants
• Describe data sources and collection techniques
• Provide interpretive frameworks

14
Results

• State claims/assertions clearly
• Support with evidence
• Use theoretical backings to warrant (justify)
  your claims/assertions

15
Discussion and Implication

• Clarify justification
• Share your thinking (header notes)
• Rebut counter-claims
• Connect results to central issue
• Consider applications and future research

16
References

• Use APA (5th edition) format
• Check consistency
• Check for critical information
• Verify all in-text reference are listed
• Verify all references listed were used and
  required
• Delete unnecessary references

17
Language and Style

• Academic English does not mirror spoken English
• Do not use contractions
• i.e., cant, dont, youre
• Avoid starting sentences with prepositions
• Do not overuse a word or phrase
• Use parallel sentence structures

18
IJSME Guide

• 12 point Times New Roman (or Times Roman)
• Double space entire document
• 1 margins minimum (1.25 for RTF documents
• Ragged right margin (not justified)
• 1 space after periods and colons (not 2 spaces)
• Consecutive page numbers in the upper right-hand
  corner (0.5 from top at the right margin)