Introduction, Approach and Methodology

M. Nur Kholis Setiawan, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta

E-mail: m.kholis@gmx.de Mobile: 081328725909

Workshop on International Scientific Paper WritingDP2M, DIKTI

"The preparation of a scientific paper has almost nothing to do with literary skill.

It is a question of organization."(Robert A. Day)

Getting Started

• The first task to accomplish as someone begins the process of writing is to order and organize the information he/she wishes to present.

Getting Started

• Some people work well from an outline, others do not. Some people write first to discover the points, then rearrange them using an after-the-fact outline.

IMRAD

Introduction

Methods

Results

and Discussion

+

Abstract & Title

Introduction

• Background + references• Why someone did the study• Why the answers are important

Those not in the field should be able to comprehend the reasoning

Introduction

description of background purpose and significance

Short description of problem investigated,

summary of relevant research to provide context, key terms and concepts so that its reader can understand the experiment,

review of relevant research

Introduction

Use short and effective sentences Avoid using long sentences,

redundancy Know the audience Keep it short and simple

Common Errors in the Introduction

The study question, (sometimes –hypothesis), study objectives are not specified. The study question, study purpose, objectives, hypothesis and goals areconfused.The importance, novelty, originality of the study is not shown. The presentation is not intriguing (ie, the introduction is boring)

Introduction: examples

See: Annex

APPROACHES

Quantitative Approach1. Objective, positivistic, and “free value”. Subjectivity

should be avoided.

2. Deductive/ Inductive

3. Relation between phenomen, condition, object or variable is mostly causality or correlational. Therefore, causality relation should be explored objectively, reliable and testable by using numerical tool, such as statistics and mathematics.

Quantitative Approach

4. Result, discussion and analysis are explored mostly by using numerical tools such as putting into diagrams, table and other illustrations.

5. Data and information gathered are based on structured instruments, so that result of the research can be known accurately.

Quantitative Approaches

• Result, discussion and analysis should produce new finding. Therefore, position of the research as being mentioned in the introduction can be supported.

Approaches

Qualitative Approach

1. Subjective, relativism and “not free value”.

2. Deductive, Inductive

3. Relation between fact and phenomena should be clearly indicated

Qualitative Approach

4. Every social and cultural phenomena should be discussed and analyzed comprehensively.

5. Clear exploration on relation between one fact with another so that the socio-cultural phenomena can be appropriately understood within its context is needed.

Qualitative Approach

6. Data and information gathered through depth-interview and participant observation. Field notes, then, are very important to be used in discussion and analysis sections.

7. Discussion and analysis is not only a thick description, but also interpretative so that the symbolic meaning in the phenomena can be catched contextually.

8. Data that is based on statistics is still usefull to support the discussion.

METHODS & METHODOLOGY

Connection between approach, analysis in the discussion with method is very close. Methodology is a terminus technicus for research. In relation to scientific paper writing the usage of the word method is more appropriate than methodology.

Methods

statement about how problem can be studied,

what approach can be applicable for that problem,

how the research can be executed,

what steps can be done

Methods

What/who was testedHow was it carried out (± references)Materials & Special equipmentHow precise were the measurementsHow the data were analyzed

Enough detail for readers to repeat & reproduce, without being too wordy

Methods

There are at least two kinds of method that are mostly used in the scientific writing:

1. Method in natural sciences2. Method in humanities and social sciences

Methods

NATURAL SCIENCES

descriptive-verificative, objective-positivistics, correlational/causality, generality and predictive.

Methods

Humanities and Social Sciences

thick description subjective-interpretative, ethnographic, hermeneutic, fenomenology, socio-critical theory

Common errors in the methods

Methods that are reported were not used.Details of the methods are missing.Methods are omitted ( i.e. some results do not relate to the described methods)

Thanks for the attention.

Keep writing!