VL41 - Commonly Asked Questions during Defense - Part 1 of 2 (Tips from a Panel Member)

Summary

In this video, the speaker offers valuable insights on common questions asked during research defenses and provides tips on how to avoid pitfalls. Key topics include the importance of a clear research title, aligning research questions with objectives, effectively presenting the theoretical and conceptual frameworks, and avoiding plagiarism in the literature review. The speaker emphasizes the need for a well-structured, relevant introduction, proper citation formatting, and synthesis in literature reviews. By following these guidelines, researchers can improve their chances of successfully defending their research and presenting a clear, organized paper.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ensure your research title clearly reflects your study's design and methodology, avoiding any confusion between qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• 😀 The introduction should provide a compelling scenario, explain the research gap, and avoid including methodology or personal opinions.
• 😀 Avoid overloading the introduction with a literature review; that should be placed in the proper section of your research paper.
• 😀 Research questions and objectives must align with the title and methodology, ensuring clarity between qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research.
• 😀 Theoretical frameworks should clearly explain how theories relate to your study and support your research variables and hypotheses.
• 😀 Don't treat the theoretical framework as just a design element; it should serve a functional purpose in your study.
• 😀 A conceptual framework should logically flow from your theoretical framework and reflect the key concepts and variables of your research.
• 😀 Synthesize literature in the review section, rather than simply copying and pasting text. Synthesis shows deeper understanding of the material.
• 😀 Always ensure proper citation formatting (e.g., APA 7th edition) and avoid plagiarism by quoting sources correctly when needed.
• 😀 Pay attention to the alignment between in-text citations and the reference list; all sources cited in your paper must appear in the list of references.

Q & A

Why is the alignment between the title and research design crucial during a research defense?

The alignment between the title and research design is essential because it ensures that the research questions, objectives, and methodology all match. A mismatched title and design can cause confusion about the research approach, such as combining quantitative and qualitative methods in a way that doesn't make sense for the study's objectives.

What should the introduction of a research paper focus on?

The introduction should provide an engaging and relevant overview of the research topic. It should set the context, present the scenario, and highlight the importance of the study. The introduction should not include methodology or opinion-based statements, which should be reserved for later sections of the paper.

How should research questions and the statement of the problem be formulated?

Research questions and the statement of the problem should be specific and aligned with the study's objectives. They should reflect the study's methodology (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods). For qualitative studies, the questions should explore concepts rather than measure them, avoiding the use of variables typically seen in quantitative research.

What role does the theoretical framework play in research, and how should it be explained?

Theoretical frameworks guide the research by providing a conceptual foundation for understanding the study's variables and hypotheses. It should be explained in terms of its relevance to the study, the concepts it introduces, and how these concepts support the research design. A clear relationship between the framework and the study's objectives should be established.

What is the difference between a theoretical framework and a conceptual framework?

A theoretical framework is the foundation that provides the concepts and theories relevant to the study, while a conceptual framework maps out the flow of the study, including variables, concepts, and processes. The conceptual framework is developed after the theoretical framework and visualizes how the study will be conducted.

Why is it important to synthesize literature in a research paper?

Synthesis is important because it shows that the researcher has carefully reviewed, understood, and integrated the relevant literature into their work. Copy-pasting literature without synthesizing it can lead to plagiarism, and it fails to demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic. A well-synthesized literature review provides a clear connection between existing research and the current study.

What is the correct way to handle citations in a literature review?

Citations in a literature review should be properly formatted and integrated into the text. Researchers should avoid simply copy-pasting text; instead, they should paraphrase, summarize, and synthesize the material. All sources should be properly cited with the correct format (e.g., APA 7th edition) to maintain academic integrity.

What should be included in the reference list of a research paper?

The reference list should include all the sources cited within the paper, ensuring that each in-text citation is matched by a full reference entry. The entries should follow the correct citation style, and all information, such as author names, titles, and publication years, must be accurate and consistent.

What common mistakes do students make in their theoretical frameworks?

Common mistakes include presenting a theoretical framework without clearly explaining its relevance to the study or failing to link it to the research questions and objectives. Researchers should also avoid using a theoretical framework as just a design element and should instead show how it supports and guides the research process.

What is the danger of using unreliable sources in the literature review?

Using unreliable sources can undermine the credibility of the research. If panel members notice that sources cited in the paper are not listed in the reference section or come from questionable sources, they may question the validity of the research. It's essential to ensure all sources are credible and appropriately cited to maintain the integrity of the study.