Rotimi Taiwo DOING RESEARCH IN LANGUAGE: FROM TOPIC TO THESIS

Research: A Definition A detailed study of a subject in order to discover new information or reach a new understanding Cambridge International Dictionary of English A careful search: investigation: systematic investigation towards increasing the sum of knowledge Chambers 20 th Century Dictionary A studious inquiry or examination; especially: investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws Merriam-webster.com

Choosing a Research Topic A very crucial aspect of your research work – the choice of topic determines a lot of other things that will come up later. When ideas come they do not normally come very clear. You need to work on them. Identify an area of interest – possibly an area in a course you consider yourself as very competent in. Familiarize yourself with the theses already written in the Department and elsewhere on your area of interest.

Possible Areas of Research for Language Students  Syntax/Morphology  Phonology  Semantics/Semiotics  Discourse Analysis  Pragmatics  Sociolinguistics  Psycholinguistics  Stylistics  Forensic Linguistics

Possible Data Sources Literary works (novels, plays, poetry) The Media (Newspapers, TV, Radio, Internet, eg: news, adverts, editorials, sports, commentaries, discussion forum, chats, text messages, etc) Political context (campaign speeches, political adverts, addresses, interviews, parliamentary debates, etc) Educational Context (classroom discourse, students compositions

Possible Data Sources Hospital Interactions (doctor-patient interaction, ante-natal classroom, medical classroom, drug leaflets, etc) Religious context (sermons, posters, signposts, tracts, etc) Legal context (courtroom, legal documents, etc) Popular Culture (hip hop, graffiti, slang, etc)

Reading up Read around a research focus you have identified to know the state of research. When reading:  Be active and critical of what you read  Read carefully and reflectively  Do not take your text at the face value, but examining claims put forward in them  Ask questions

Tips on Choosing a Topic When reading, watch out for any of the following: (i) Gaps in the studies. Can you do something on the same topic, but with a different focus? (ii) Suggestions by the author for further research. Most authors suggest areas of further research. Do not choose topic because it appears it will be easy for you to conduct a research on it. Do not choose a topic because you feel you will be able to have an access to easy data. Choose a topic because there is enough to engage you when you do your research and there will be something you will eventually contribute to knowledge.

Literature Search Do an extensive search for Literature on your chosen topic. Possible sources of existing literature (i) Textbooks /Handbooks (Language and Literature) (ii) Journals (articles and book reviews) (iii)The Internet (authoritative sources, such as online journals, e-books, other web publications) (iv) Unpublished materials, e.g, lecture notes, theses and dissertations (most preferably M.A., M.Phil. And Ph.D. dissertations. (v) Academic Conferences and workshops

Getting Directions and Support on your work Identify other scholars within and outside your university who have worked on the area of your interest and meet them those you can meet and correspond with others you cannot meet if you have access their contacts. GOAL: to discuss your work and ask for relevant materials and advice on the best way to go about it. Meet with any of the people you consider a specialist in your Department in your area of interest and discuss the possibility of you working with him/her as your supervisor.

Thesis Title Approval “Form A” Every thesis titles must be approved by the Board of Postgraduate Studies. In OAU, a form has to be filled stating the details of your research, including: (i) The proposed thesis title (ii) The Research Problem (iii)Objectives of the Research (iv)Expected Contribution to Knowledge (v)Research Methodology (vii) Panel of Examiners NOTE: M.A. students are expected to start the processing of this form during their second semester.

First Chapter Mainly introductory and background to the study (i) Motivation for the study (ii)Objectives (iii)Research problem (iv)Scope of the study (iv)Justification for the study (v) Definition of key terms (vi) Organization of the work

Literature Review A detailed review of existing literature on the research area, these include sources like: (a) articles in journals (b) chapters in books (c) conference papers (d) conference proceedings (e) online sources, etc NOTE: the review must be properly tied to your own work. How do these existing studies relate to your study? How is your work different from them or similar to them?

Methodology The methods to be followed in carrying out the research What is the nature of the research? What constitute the Data? What is the procedure to be followed in selecting the data? Recording, questionnaire, interviews, participant- observation, etc) How will the data be analyzed? Which theory will guide the analysis of the data? NOTE: There must be a systematic and logical way of doing the research. Every choice made must be justified.

Analysis (Findings and Discussion) This is the centre of the study The analysis must be systematic and logical You may choose to make use of tables, charts, illustrations, extracts from the data, etc to support your findings You may also want to use statistical methods to show percentages of occurrences The discussion of findings should be very clear

Conclusion and Summary The concluding chapter should be able to give a good summary of the entire study Essential aspect of the concluding chapter (i) Limitations of the study (ii)suggestions for further studies

References and Appendices This section is also very important Ensure that all the in-text references are cited in the reference section References must be cited correctly, ensure that the year of publication and the pages are correct. Samples of your data can be provided at the end of the work to give the readers an idea of what your data looks like

Ethical Issues in Research Work Plagiarism: Using other people's work without acknowledging their contribution. Do not plagiarize – this is a serious offence in academic research. Acknowledgement of Sources: Acknowledge every source you consulted and quote them correctly when you have to. Informed Consent: Ensure that you get the consent of people you are involving in your research. Participants’ Confidentiality: Research must guarantee participants confidentiality.

Appreciation Thank you for listening