NTUT Writing Week 11

“Advancing to Present Research”

**Three Stages of Presenting Your Research

(I). Missing Information: sums up the review & points out a gap exists because: -- an important aspect or area has been ignored; -- an unresolved (theoretical or methodological) conflict among the researchers of previous studies; -- an examination of the previous literature review suggests an extension of the topic, or raises a new research question not previously considered by others.

(II). The Statement of Purpose: the specific objective(s) of your research report directly following (I). Some alternatives:

-- Paper (thesis, dissertation) oriented:

-- Research Activity oriented:

Simple Identification Test: Paper or Activity Oriented?

(III). The Statement of Value: -- Practical benefits:

-- Theoretical importance:

Fill In The Blanks With Any Appropriate Word

Language Convention (I). Signaling Missing Information: however, although, & while.

Fill In Appropriate Signal Words

Organization & Tense in Statement of Purpose

Changing the Orientation from “Research” to “Report” or Vice Versa

Statement of Purpose: 2 Ways of Stating Your Research Question

(I). A Yes or No Question: whether/if + modal auxiliary

(II). An Information Question: an infinitive or noun phrase

Convert the Following Questions to Statements of Purposes Using Both Report & Research Orientation

1. What are the groundwater characteristics of the Animas Basin in Colorado?

2. Do bacteria counts differ under transient and steady-state conditions using the direct microscopic count method?

3. What is the optimal engineering design method for rock filter systems?

4. Can alluvial diamond deposits be analyzed as systematically as any other geological phenomenon?

5. How long does advertising affect the sales of a particular product?

Modal Auxiliaries & Tentativeness in the Statement of Value **When reporting, you should not sound too sure of the benefits,

either practical or theoretical, of your work. It is conventional to be more cautious. Adding auxiliaries will do the trick.

Selecting the Best Modal Auxiliaries

Fill in the Appropriate Modal Auxiliaries

Fill in Appropriate Verbs, Modal Auxiliaries, or Signal Words