14 steps to conduct scientific research

 

14 steps to conduct scientific research

        After planning the right time, doing observation, revising literature and deciding on your research topic, you are ready to begin your research. 

    Here are 14 steps, which I personally followed while conducting research in the field of ELT as a teacher candidate and I can suggest you follow, to help you conduct scientific research: 

1. Prepare hypotheses / research questions: Hypotheses and research questions are essential to seek for answers when you carry out a scientific study. 

2. Write the introduction part: Explain why it’s necessary to do research on the topic you aim to search. 

3. Get access to more sources: Search for more scientific studies, articles, books on the Internet. You can use sites like Google Academics, ResearchGate, Academia for this. 

4. Write the literature review part: Paraphrase and summarise the studies other researchers have done beforehand by classifying them based on the dates of these studies and the relations between them. 

5. Prepare data collection tool: Prepare data collection tools like questionnaires, surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data after revising example data collection tools. You can prepare them on Microsoft Word, Pages or you can prepare them on online platforms like Google Docs, Google Form, etc. 

6. Test reliability & accountability of data collection tool: Collect data from a few pilot participants to test the reliability and accountability of your data collection tool and analyse the results. If the results are coherent, your data collection tool is reliable and accountable and you can go for collecting data from other participants. If not, you should go back to revise your tool to make it reliable and accountable. 

7. Collect data from the participants: Handout the participants print-out questionnaires or send an online survey you can prepare on platforms like Google Form. 

8. Analyse data: Classify and analyse the data you collect meticulously on programs such as Microsoft Excel, Numbers by creating tables, schemas if you don’t use any platforms that can classify data automatically. 

9. Write the methodology part: Explain your study by giving detailed information about the participants (the number of participants, mean age, gender, nationality, educational level, etc.) , how you have prepared your data collection tool (the samples of surveys you have been inspired by, questionnaires you have adapted), and the procedure (how, when, where you have carried out your study).  

10. Write the discussion & conclusion part: As a consequence of detailed analysis of your research, reveal the results of your study, make relations between them and the results of other studies you have summarised in the literature review part by explaining similarities and differences between them. 

11. *Optional: Write suggestion part by explaining what can be done to improve your study or to help researchers conduct other studies on the same topic. 

12. *Optional: Write acknowledgement part to thank your advisor if you have and participants. 

13. Write the abstract part: Write a brief summary of your research and add key words, which present the gist of the research right under the summary. This part should be at the beginning of the study after you complete your research. 

14. Add references & appendix parts: Write your sources in references, appropriately by taking account of whether they are articles, books, dissertations, theses, online sources. Then, add the sample of your data collection tool in appendix part at the end of your research.  

        May your future research enlighten your subject area and your colleagues! 

    To learn more about the field of ELT, you can follow and share Ece & ELT on social media.