MAE612_RESEARCH METHODOLOGY(Draft 1)

Statistical rules Indicate the statistical tests used with all relevant parameters: e.g., mean and standard deviation (SD): 44% (±3); median and inter-percentile range: 7 years (4.5 to 9.5 years). Use mean and standard deviation to report normally distributed data. Use median and inter-percentile range to report skewed data. For numbers, use two significant digits unless more precision is necessary (2.08, not 2.07856444). Never use percentages for very small samples e.g., \"one out of two\" should not be replaced by 50%. Step 4: Write the Discussion Here you must respond to what the results mean. Probably it is the easiest section to write, but the hardest section to get right. This is because it is the most important section of your article. Here you get the chance to sell your data. Take into account that a huge numbers of manuscripts are rejected because the Discussion is weak. You need to make the Discussion corresponding to the Results, but do not reiterate the results. Here you need to compare the published results by your colleagues with yours (using some of the references included in the Introduction). Never ignore work in disagreement with yours, in turn, you must confront it and convince the reader that you are correct or better. Take into account the following tips: 1. Avoid statements that go beyond what the results can support. 2. Avoid unspecific expressions such as \"higher temperature\", \"at a lower rate\", \"highly significant\". Quantitative descriptions are always preferred (35ºC, 0.5%, p<0.001, respectively). 3. Avoid sudden introduction of new terms or ideas; you must present everything in the introduction, to be confronted with your results here. 4. Speculations on possible interpretations are allowed, but these should be rooted in fact, rather than imagination. To achieve good interpretations think about:

How do these results relate to the original question or objectives outlined in the Introduction section? Do the data support your hypothesis? Are your results consistent with what other investigators have reported? Discuss weaknesses and discrepancies. If your results were unexpected, try to explain why Is there another way to interpret your results? What further research would be necessary to answer the questions raised by your results? Explain what is new without exaggerating 5. Revision of Results and Discussion is not just paper work. You may do further experiments, derivations, or simulations. Sometimes you cannot clarify your idea in words because some critical items have not been studied substantially. Step 5: Write a clear Conclusion This section shows how the work advances the field from the present state of knowledge. In some journals, it's a separate section; in others, it's the last paragraph of the Discussion section. Whatever the case, without a clear conclusion section, reviewers and readers will find it difficult to judge your work and whether it merits publication in the journal. A common error in this section is repeating the abstract, or just listing experimental results. Trivial statements of your results are unacceptable in this section. You should provide a clear scientific justification for your work in this section, and indicate uses and extensions if appropriate. Moreover, you can suggest future experiments and point out those that are underway. You can propose present global and specific conclusions, in relation to the objectives included in the introduction Step 6: Write a compelling Introduction This is your opportunity to convince readers that you clearly know why your work is useful. A good introduction should answer the following questions: What is the problem to be solved?

Are there any existing solutions? Which is the best? What is its main limitation? What do you hope to achieve? Editors like to see that you have provided a perspective consistent with the nature of the journal. You need to introduce the main scientific publications on which your work is based, citing a couple of original and important works, including recent review articles. However, editors hate improper citations of too many references irrelevant to the work, or inappropriate judgments on your own achievements. They will think you have no sense of purpose. Here are some additional tips for the introduction: Never use more words than necessary (be concise and to-the-point). Don't make this section into a history lesson. Long introductions put readers off. We all know that you are keen to present your new data. But do not forget that you need to give the whole picture at first. The introduction must be organized from the global to the particular point of view, guiding the readers to your objectives when writing this paper. State the purpose of the paper and research strategy adopted to answer the question, but do not mix introduction with results, discussion and conclusion. Always keep them separate to ensure that the manuscript flows logically from one section to the next. Hypothesis and objectives must be clearly remarked at the end of the introduction. Expressions such as \"novel,\" \"first time,\" \"first ever,\" and \"paradigm-changing\" are not preferred. Use them sparingly. Step 7: Write the Abstract The abstract tells prospective readers what you did and what the important findings in your research were. Together with the title, it's the advertisement of your article. Make it interesting and easily understood without reading the whole article. Avoid using jargon, uncommon abbreviations and references.

You must be accurate, using the words that convey the precise meaning of your research. The abstract provides a short description of the perspective and purpose of your paper. It gives key results but minimizes experimental details. It is very important to remind that the abstract offers a short description of the interpretation/conclusion in the last sentence. A clear abstract will strongly influence whether or not your work is further considered. However, the abstracts must be keep as brief as possible. Just check the 'Guide for authors' of the journal, but normally they have less than 250 words. Here's a good example on a short abstract. In an abstract, the two what’s are essential. Here's an example from an article I co-authored in Ecological Indicators: What has been done? \"In recent years, several benthic biotic indices have been proposed to be used as ecological indicators in estuarine and coastal waters. One such indicator, the AMBI (AZTI Marine Biotic Index), was designed to establish the ecological quality of European coasts. The AMBI has been used also for the determination of the ecological quality status within the context of the European Water Framework Directive. In this contribution, 38 different applications including six new case studies (hypoxia processes, sand extraction, oil platform impacts, engineering works, dredging and fish aquaculture) are presented.\" What are the main findings? \"The results show the response of the benthic communities to different disturbance sources in a simple way. Those communities act as ecological indicators of the 'health' of the system, indicating clearly the gradient associated with the disturbance.\" Step 8: Compose a concise and descriptive title The title must explain what the paper is broadly about. It is your first (and probably only) opportunity to attract the reader's attention. In this way, remember that the first readers are the Editor and the referees. Also, readers are the potential authors who will cite your article, so the first impression is powerful! We are all flooded by publications, and readers don't have time to read all scientific production. They must be selective, and this selection often comes from the title. Reviewers will check whether the title is specific and whether it reflects the content of the manuscript. Editors hate titles that make no sense or fail to represent the subject matter

adequately. Hence, keep the title informative and concise (clear, descriptive, and not too long). You must avoid technical jargon and abbreviations, if possible. This is because you need to attract a readership as large as possible. Dedicate some time to think about the title and discuss it with your co-authors. Here you can see some examples of original titles, and how they were changed after reviews and comments to them: Example 1 Original title: Preliminary observations on the effect of salinity on benthic community distribution within an estuarine system, in the North Sea Revised title: Effect of salinity on benthic distribution within the Scheldt estuary (North Sea) Comments: Long title distracts readers. Remove all redundancies such as \"studies on,\" \"the nature of,\" etc. Never use expressions such as \"preliminary.\" Be precise. Example 2 Original title: Action of antibiotics on bacteria Revised title: Inhibition of growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by streptomycin Comments: Titles should be specific. Think about \"how will I search for this piece of information\" when you design the title. Example 3 Original title: Fabrication of carbon/CdS coaxial nanofibers displaying optical and electrical properties via electrospinning carbon Revised title: Electrospinning of carbon/CdS coaxial nanofibers with optical and electrical properties Comments: \"English needs help. The title is nonsense. All materials have properties of all varieties. You could examine my hair for its electrical and optical properties! You MUST be specific. I haven't read the paper but I suspect there is something special about these properties, otherwise why would you be reporting them?\" – the Editor-in-Chief. Try to avoid this kind of response! Step 9: Select keywords for indexing

Keywords are used for indexing your paper. They are the label of your manuscript. It is true that now they are less used by journals because you can search the whole text. However, when looking for keywords, avoid words with a broad meaning and words already included in the title. Some journals require that the keywords are not those from the journal name, because it is implicit that the topic is that. For example, the journal Soil Biology & Biochemistry requires that the word \"soil\" not be selected as a keyword. Only abbreviations firmly established in the field are eligible (e.g., TOC, CTD), avoiding those which are not broadly used (e.g., EBA, MMI). Again, check the Guide for Authors and look at the number of keywords admitted, label, definitions, thesaurus, range, and other special requests. Step 10: Write the Acknowledgements Here, you can thank people who have contributed to the manuscript but not to the extent where that would justify authorship. For example, here you can include technical help and assistance with writing and proofreading. Probably, the most important thing is to thank your funding agency or the agency giving you a grant or fellowship. In the case of European projects, do not forget to include the grant number or reference. Also, some institutes include the number of publications of the organization, e.g., \"This is publication number 657 from AZTI-Tecnalia.\" Step 11: Write up the References Typically, there are more mistakes in the references than in any other part of the manuscript. It is one of the most annoying problems, and causes great headaches among editors. Now, it is easier since to avoid these problem, because there are many available tools. In the text, you must cite all the scientific publications on which your work is based. But do not over-inflate the manuscript with too many references – it doesn't make a better manuscript! Avoid excessive self-citations and excessive citations of publications from the same region. SUMMARY

A research paper is an expanded essay that presents your own interpretation or evaluation or argument. In fact, this guide is designed to help you navigate the research voyage, through developing a research question and thesis, doing the research, writing the paper, and correctly documenting your sources. The theoretical framework often gets a bad reputation in the peer- review process, because reviewer comments often make suggestions regarding the theoretical framing of a manuscript. One way to understand the purpose of the theoretical framework is to see it as leading your reader through gaps in the literature that your paper addresses. KEYWORDS  Illegal- contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.  Exaggerate- represent (something) as being larger, better or worse than it really is.  Agreements- harmony or accordance in opinion or feeling.  Interpretation- the action of explaining the meaning of something.  Phenomena- a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen.  Unambiguous- not open to more than one interpretation.  Refutation- the action of proving a statement or theory to be wrong or false.  Exemplified- illustrate or clarify by being an example. LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Write the different ways in which you can write an effective research paper. ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2. What are the essentials to write a proper manuscript? ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ UNIT END QUESTIONS (MCQ’S AND DESCRIPTIVE) A. Descriptive Questions 1. What is the best format for a research paper? 2. What is Impact factor? 3. What is the system to publish a journal? 4. Why is it necessary to have Preliminary Pages?

5. What should be avoided while writing a research paper? B.Multiple Choice Questions (Mcq’s) 1. Before writing a research paper one should do --------------------------------------------. a. Reading journals b. searching best written journals c. Both a and b 2. ---------------------------------- before starting to write a research paper. a. Reading journals b. preparing the context c. search a title 3. A research paper is an expanded essay that presents your own ----------------------------. a. thoughts b. interpretation c. understanding 4. Research papers should have ------------------------------------ to make understanding easy. a. Graphs and maps b. images c. both are correct 5. A --------------------------------------- is a collection of articles written by researchers. a. journal b. manuscript c. newspaper Answer 1. c 2. b 3. b

4. c 5. a REFERENCES  Kothari, C.R. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. 10th Ed. 2012, New Age International.  Sinha, S.C. and Dhiman, A.K., 2002. Research Methodology, EssEss Publications. 2 volumes.  Anthony, M., Graziano, A.M. and Raulin, M.L., Research Methods: A Process of Inquiry, Allyn and Bacon. 2009.  Leedy, P.D. and Ormrod, J.E., 2004 Practical Research: Planning and Design, Prentice Hall.  Fink, A., Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2009, Sage Publications  Coley, S.M. and Scheinberg, C. A., \"Proposal Writing\", 1990, Sage Publications.  The Craft of Research, Third Edition Book by Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, and Wayne C. Booth  Berg, Bruce L., 2009, Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Seventh Edition. Boston MA: Pearson Education Inc.  Creswell, J. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.  Creswell, J. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

UNIT 8: JOURNALS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE STRUCTURE 1. Objectives 2. Introduction 3. Ways to write a journal 4. Ways to publish a research paper 5. Journals related to English literature 6. Impact factor in Journals 7. UGC Approval for journals 8. Tips for writing a research paper 9. Types for journal articles 10. Summary 11. Keywords 12. Learning Activity 13. Unit End Questions 14. References OBJECTIVES While studying this chapter we will learn about the following points:  The purpose of research and its different techniques to write a research.  The various important aspects that are a must for research.  Writing of research as an important factor and its guidelines.  The different ways in which data can be collected and presented.  Understand the ways to represent research. INTRODUCTION A journal is a collection of articles (like a magazine) that is published regularly throughout the year. Journals present the most recent research, and journal articles are written by experts, for experts. They may be published in print or online formats, or both. Predatory journals are scam publishers that charge authors fees upfront, but do not provide the service they promise. The majority of these predatory journals will take payments without ever publishing the work, while others publish articles without any form of an editorial or peer review process.

WAYS TO WRITE A JOURNAL Publishing ethics & Malpractice Statement: The publication of a research paper / case study / short communication in a peer-reviewed journal is an important building entity in the development of a knowledge repository. In an age of information abundance, it is very important and vital to help readers and research scholars to segregate quality information. It is mirror reflection of the quality work of the authors and the publishers who support them. Transstellar Journals (TJPRC Journals) understand the importance of publication ethics and we had established standards of ethical behavior for all parties involved such as the authors, the peer review experts, the editors, and the publisher Trans stellar Journals is committed to ensuring robust peer review and ethical standards in publication and quality of articles. Strict adherence to standards of ethical practices as defined by Code of Conduct of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) is expected from all the parties involved: Editors, Authors, Expert Reviewers and the Publisher. We work to educate researchers, authors, contributors, reviewers, and editors on understanding and delivering those standards, in partnership with others. Trans stellar Journals (TJPRC Journals) is committed to supporting stringent peer review process, scientific , ethical and quality standards in publishing and as such we work hard to educate researchers, authors, board members, editors and reviewers on understanding and meeting those standards, as a team. Role & responsibility of Editors: • Publication Decisions & Accountability • Confidentiality of contents & source • Disclosure, conflicts of interest, and other issues • Fair play Role & responsibility of Reviewers: • Assistance to Editors • Confidentiality

• Firm on Objectivity / Eradication of subjectivity • Promptness • Acknowledgement of sources • Disclosure and conflict of interest Role & responsibility of Authors: • Reporting standards • Originality of contents and plagiarism • Avoidance of concurrent publication • Acknowledgement of sources, persons • Disclosure and conflicts of interest • Notification of Fundamental errors in published works Role & responsibility of Publishers: • Editorial autonomy • Intellectual property and copyright • Scientific misconduct Transstellar Journals (TJPRC) follows strict Code of Conduct and aims to adhere to its Best Practice Guidelines All submitted paper to journals published by AIJR undergoes rigorous peer review and upon acceptance made available free for everyone to read and download as per end user license. Authors are requested to read author guidelines of the corresponding journal and follow it precisely to prepare the research paper. WAYS TO PUBLISH A RESEARCH PAPER /JOURNAL Publishing a research paper in a peer-reviewed journal is an important activity within the academic community. It allows you to network with other scholars, get your name and work into circulation, and further refine your ideas and research. Getting published isn’t easy, but you can improve your odds by submitting a technically sound and creative yet straightforward piece of research. It’s also vital to find a suitable academic journal for your topic and writing style, so you can tailor your research paper to it and increase your chances of publication and wider recognition.

1. Ask a colleague or professor to review your research paper. They should edit your paper for grammar, spelling errors, typos, clarity, and conciseness. They should also verify your content. Research papers need to present an issue that is significant and relevant. They should be clearly written, easy to follow, and appropriate for the intended audience.  Have two or three people review your paper. At least one should be a non-expert in the major topic — their “outsider’s perspective” can be particularly valuable, as not all reviewers will be experts on your specific topic. 2.Revise your paper based on your reviewers’ recommendations. It is likely you will go through several drafts before final submission of your research paper. Give a special effort to make your paper clear, engaging, and easy to follow. This will greatly increase your chances of being published. 3.Prepare your manuscript according to your chosen journal’s requirements. Format your research paper so it fits the guidelines for that publication. Most journals provide a document called \"Instruction to Authors\" or \"Author's Guide\" that offers specific instructions about layout, type font, and length. This guide will also tell you how to submit your paper and will provide details of the review process.  Journal articles in the sciences often follow a specific organizational format, such as: Abstract; Introduction; Methods; Results; Discussion; Conclusion; Acknowledgements/References. Those in the arts and humanities are usually less regimented. 4.Submit your article when you feel it’s ready to go. Go to the Author's Guide (or similar) on the journal’s website to review its submission requirements. Once you are satisfied that your paper meets all of the guidelines, submit the paper through the appropriate channels. Some journals allow online submission, while others prefer a hard copy.[4]  Submit your article to only one journal at a time. Work your way down your list, one at a time, as needed.  When submitting online, use your university email account. This connects you with a scholarly institution, which adds credibility to your work. 5.Don’t panic when you get the journal’s initial response. Very few article submissions get an immediate “Accept” reply from a peer-reviewed journal. If you do get one of these, go

celebrate! Otherwise, calmly deal with the reply you get. It will likely be one of the following:  Accept with Revision — only minor adjustments are needed, based on the provided feedback by the reviewers.  Revise and Resubmit — more substantial changes (as described) are needed before publication can be considered, but the journal is still very interested in your work.  Reject and Resubmit — the article is not currently viable for consideration, but substantial alterations and refocusing may be able to change this outcome.  Reject — the paper isn’t and won’t be suitable for this publication, but that doesn’t mean it might not work for another journal.  When you're trying to publish a research paper, be patient, and be prepared to hear \"no\" a lot. There's a lot of vetting before a peer-reviewed article can see the light of day, because they have to be carefully scrutinized. 6. Embrace reviewer comments as constructive criticism. Quite often, you’ll be asked to revise your paper and resubmit it, based on the comments provided by several (often three) anonymous reviewers and the editor. Study their critiques carefully and make the necessary changes.  Do not get over-attached to your original submission. Instead, remain flexible and rework the paper in light of the feedback you receive. Use your skills as a researcher and a writer to create a superior paper.  However, you don’t have to “roll over” and meekly follow reviewer comments that you feel are off the mark. Open a dialogue with the editor and explain your position, respectfully but confidently. Remember, you’re an expert on this specific topic![7] 7.Keep trying to get your paper published. Even if you are ultimately rejected by your preferred journal, continue to re-write your research paper and submit it to other publications.  Remember, a rejected paper doesn’t necessarily equal a bad paper. Numerous factors, many of them completely out of your control, go into determining which articles are accepted.  Move on to your second-choice journal for submission. You might even ask for guidance on finding a better fit from the editor of the first journal. Method2:Choosing the Right Journal for Submission

1. Familiarize yourself with potential publications. Be aware of the research already published and the current questions and studies in your field. Pay special attention to how other research papers in your field are written: the format, the type of articles (quantitative studies versus qualitative ones, primary research, review of existing papers), the writing style, the subject matter, and the vocabulary.  Read academic journals related to your field of study.  Search online for published research papers, conference papers, and journal articles.  Ask a colleague or professor for a suggested reading list. 2. Choose the publication that best suits your research paper. Each publication has its own audience and tone of writing. Decide, for instance, if your research paper would fit better in a journal that is highly technical and meant only for other scholars, or a journal that is more general in nature for a broader audience.  “Fit” is critical here — the most renowned journal in your field might not be the one best suited to your specific work. At the same time, though, don’t sell yourself short by assuming your paper could never be good enough for that top-shelf publication. 3. Keep the circulation or exposure of the journal in mind. Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential submission sites, do a little digging to find out how widely-read and widely-cited articles in those journals seem to be. Greater exposure for your work will be a definite benefit, especially when you’re trying to make a name for yourself early in your career.  However, always prioritize peer-reviewed journals — in which field scholars anonymously review submitted works. This is the basic standard for scholarly publishing.  You can increase your readership dramatically by publishing in an open access journal. As such, it will be freely available as part of an online repository of peer- reviewed scholar. METHOD 3: Strengthening Your Submission 1. Give your paper a clear vision. Good journal articles usually get straight to the point and remain there the whole way through. Establish what exactly your paper

explores/investigates/accomplishes right from the start, and make sure that every subsequent paragraph builds on this vision.  Make a strong, clear statement of this vision in your thesis statement. Compare the following weak vs. strong statements:  “This paper explores how George Washington’s experiences as a young officer may have shaped his views during difficult circumstances as a commanding officer.”  “This paper contends that George Washington’s experiences as a young officer on the 1750s Pennsylvania frontier directly impacted his relationship with his Continental Army troops during the harsh winter at Valley Forge.” 2.Narrow your focus. Clear visions can also be grand visions, but journal articles don’t lend themselves to thorough examinations of large-scale topics. Scholars who are revising content from a thesis or dissertation often struggle with this element; you need to be able to strip away (or at least significantly dial back) things like background information, literature reviews, and methodological discussions for a journal article.[14]  This is especially true for younger scholars who are breaking into the field. Leave the grand (yet still only 20-30 page) explorations to more established scholars. 3.Write a top-notch abstract. The abstract is the first impression the reviewers will get of your work, so you need to make it count. Make sure there are absolutely no typos or unnecessary elements; you’ll only have around 300 words to work with. Be bold in your claims and original in your approach, but don’t over-sell what your article actually provides.  Your abstract should make people eager to start reading the article, but never disappointed when they finish the article.  Get as many people as you can to read over your abstract and provide feedback before you submit your paper to a journal. JOURNALS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE Language and Literature International Journal of Stylistics Published in Association with Poetics and Linguistics Association

Language and Literature is an invaluable international peer-reviewed journal that covers the latest research in stylistics, defined as the study of style in literary and non-literary language. We publish theoretical, empirical and experimental research that aims to make a contribution to our understanding of style and its effects on readers. Topics covered by the journal include (but are not limited to) the following: the stylistic analysis of literary and non-literary texts, cognitive approaches to text comprehension, corpus and computational stylistics, the stylistic investigation of multimodal texts, pedagogical stylistics, the reading process, software development for stylistics, and real-world applications for stylistic analysis. We welcome articles that investigate the relationship between stylistics and other areas of linguistics, such as text linguistics, sociolinguistics and translation studies. We also encourage interdisciplinary submissions that explore the connections between stylistics and such cognate subjects and disciplines as psychology, literary studies, narratology, computer science and neuroscience. Language and Literature is essential reading for academics, teachers and students working in stylistics and related areas of language and literary studies. Authoritative articles Refereed articles from international scholars ensure that readers are kept fully up to date with the best research worldwide. Book Reviews New publications in the field are surveyed and expert reviews of the most important works are included. We also publish an annual review of ‘The Year’s Work in Stylistics’. \"Language and Literature is a pointer to the future.\" - Times Higher Education Supplement \"The articles in Language and Literature are varied and insightful; they are also full of ideas about potential areas of future research. The journal provides firm evidence that the marriage of literary criticism and linguistics is both legitimate and creative\" - British Council International Journal of Language & Literature ISSN: 2334-234X (Print Version) ISSN: 2334-2358 (Electronic Version) Frequency: Semi-annually (2 issues per year) Nature: Print and Online

Submission E-mail: [email protected] Language of Publication: English International Journal of Language and Literature is an international double blind peer reviewed journal covering the latest developments in stylistic analysis, the linguistic analysis of literature and related areas. With its uniquely broad coverage, the journal offers readers easy access to all the important new research relevant to stylistics. Refereed articles from international scholars ensure that readers are kept fully up to date with the best research worldwide. The journal also publishes notes and discussion that provides a stimulating forum for debate on new and controversial contributions to the study of language and literature. New publications in the field are surveyed and expert reviews of the most important works are included. E-Publication FirstTM E-Publication FirstTM is a feature offered through our journal platform. It allows PDF version of manuscripts that have been peer reviewed and accepted, to be hosted online prior to their inclusion in a final printed journal. Readers can freely access or cite the article. The accepted papers are published online within one week after the completion of all necessary publishing steps. DOI®number Each paper published in International Journal of Language & Literature is assigned a DOI®number, which appears beneath the author's affiliation in the published paper. Abstracted/Indexed in: CrossRef, CrossCheck, Cabell's, Ulrich's, Linguistics Abstracts Online (LAbO), Griffith Research Online, Google Scholar, Education.edu, Informatics, The LINGUISTIC List, Universe Digital Library, Standard Periodical Directory, Gale, Open J-Gate, EBSCO, Journal Seek, DRJI, ProQuest, BASE, InfoBase Index, OCLC, IBSS, Academic Journal Databases, Scientific Index. Editorial Board Dr. Carolyn Carlson PhD, Associate Professor, Washburn University, USA. Dr. Agya Boakye-Boaten, Dept. of Africana Studies, University of North Carolina, USA. Prof. Ana Penjak, Department of Foreign Languages, University of Split, Croatia.

Dr. Sonia Petisco Martínez, Department of Modern Languages, University of Granada , Spain. Dr Mehmet Recep TAŞ, Department of Literature and ELT, Yuzuncu Yıl University (YYU), Turkey. Dr. Aida R. Nurutdinova, Associate Professor, Kazan National Research Technological University, Russian Federation. Dr. Fahd Salameh, Dept. of English Language and Literature, The Hashemite University, Jordan. Prof. Abdulhafeth Ali Khrisat, Dept. of English and Translation, King Abdulaziz Univeristy , Saudi Arabia. Prof. Faria Saeed Khan, Dept. of English Literature, University of Balochistan, Pakistan. Dr. Vijaylakshmi, Department of English and School of Vocational Courses, JECRC University, India. Dr. Abdel Karim Daragmeh, The Department of English, An-Najah National University, Palestine. IMPACT FACTOR IN JOURNALS The impact factor (IF) is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited.The first thing to think about is that 'literary' relates to literature. Research usually means finding something new: a substance, a formula, or an invention. So, literary research means finding something new within a literary work. It really is that simple. The first thing to think about is that 'literary' relates to literature. Research usually means finding something new: a substance, a formula, or an invention. So, literary research means finding something new within a literary work. It really is that simple.The first thing to think about is that 'literary' relates to literature. Research usually means finding something new: a substance, a formula, or an invention. So, literary research means finding something new within a literary work. It really is that simple.Top of Form An Impact Factor is one measure of the relative importance of a journal, individual publication, or researcher to literature and research. Journal impact factors, citations to

publications, h-index of researchers are used to measure the importance and impact of research. A 'high impact' journal is one where its articles are regularly cited across the academic spectrum - and especially if they are cited in other high impact journals. Citation indexes were first developed in the 1950s as a means to measure 'Impact Factor' of journals. An Impact Factor is one measure of the relative importance of a journal, individual publication, or researcher to literature and research. Journal impact factors, citations to publications, h-index of researchers are used to measure the importance and impact of research. Having no impact factor can be for many reasons. If it was just initiated it may not have enough published issues to have rated being noticed by the rating process. I would avoid such a journal unless a colleague or group of colleagues you respect were agreed that that particular journal was a good idea to institute. Impact Factors are used to measure the importance of a journal by calculating the number of times selected articles are cited within the last few years. The higher the impact factor, the more highly ranked the journal. It is one tool you can use to compare journals in a subject category. During 2017, the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) database tracked all impact factors for 12,298 journals. The table below shows the number and percentage of journals that were assigned impact factors ranging from 0 to 10+. Of 12,298 journals, only 239 titles, or 1.9% of the journals tracked by JCR, have a 2017 impact factor of 10 or higher. The top 5% of journals have impact factors approximately equal to or greater than 6 (610 journals or 4.9% of the journals tracked by JCR). Approximately two-thirds of the journals tracked by JCR have a 2017 impact factor equal to or greater than 1. Impact Number of Ranking (Top Factor Journals % of Journals)

10+ 239 1.9% 9+ 290 2.4% 8+ 356 2.9% 7+ 447 3.6% 6+ 610 4.9% 5+ 871 7.1% 4+ 1,399 11.4% 3+ 2,575 21% 2+ 4,840 39.4% 1+ 8,757 71.2% 0+ 12,298 100% Impact Factors are useful, but they should not be the only consideration when judging quality. Not all journals are tracked in the JCR database and, as a result, do not have impact factors. New journals must wait until they have a record of citations before even being considered for inclusion. The scientific worth of an individual article has nothing to do with the impact factor of a journal. UCG APPROVAL FOR JOURNALS Authors have to consider following criteria before publish the paper.  The manuscript submitted is author’s own original work;  All authors participated in the work in a substantive way and are prepared to take public responsibility for the work;  Corresponding (1st Author) Author was authorized by all authors to transfer all royalties related with the manuscript and to enter into a binding contract with IJCRT as detailed in this Copyright Release Form, and He/she will be responsible in the event of all disputes that have occurred and that may occur,  All authors have seen and approved the manuscript as submitted;

 E-mail and street addresses of all authors have been entered into the IJCRT Journals Manuscript Submission and Evaluation System correctly,  The manuscript has not been published and is not being submitted or considered for publication elsewhere;  The text, illustrations, and any other materials included in the manuscript do not infringe upon any existing copyright or other rights of anyone.  Authors transfer all financial rights, especially processing, reproduction, representation, printing, distribution, and online transmittal, to IJCRT with no limitation whatsoever, If IJCRT found any copyright content or any issue related to copyright in future, then IJCRT have rights to withdraw the paper without prior notice to authors  All submitted papers will be sent to reviewers for a blind review. The reviewers use the following in evaluating research papers:Novel Contribution, Originality in Thought, Inferences, Key Strengths, Key Weaknesses, Areas of Improvement, Presentation/Organization of Research Importance of UGC approved journals. It is marked that the UGC’s list can only be a starting point. It is to prepare a more complete and broad list that, on the one hand, does not exclude few prestigious journals and, on the other hand, does not include international/national journals simply because they only claim to have a peer-review process. There was a notice issued on January 11, 2017 by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which released its approved/recommended list of journals for the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) and the direct employment of teachers and other academic staffs (as required under its Minimum Qualifications for Position of Teachers and other Academic Staff in, institutes, Universities and Colleges). Now the list has 38,653 National/International journals across all disciplines. Other journals may be added over a period of time. This was the first step from the very beginning. Though, Mr J. S.Sandhu, UGC secretary has informed to the universities again, perhaps to moderate apprehensions about authentic journals that may be missing from the present approved list. What are UGC Approved Journals?

Journals are the medium available by UGC through which you can publish your articles after qualifying the UGC NET Exam. University Grant Commission will consider your article as valid only when you submit it in the UGC Approved Journals (any other private journals which are not included in the UGC CARE List will not be considered as valid). In the last update, UGC Approved Journals list was replaced with UGC- CARE list. So, if you want to submit your article in the journal from UGC CARE List then you must know about it. University Grant Commission has set up a Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to ensure the prevention of academic misconduct that includes plagiarism in writing among students, faculty, researchers, and staff. The CARE was established or developed to identify, continuously monitor, and maintain “UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals”. The following are the reasons for the establishment of UGC-CARE. To promote quality research, academic integrity, and publication ethics in all Indian Universities. For promoting high-quality publications in reputed journals to achieve higher global ranks. To prevent publications in dubious/predatory/sub-standard journals that reflect adversely and tarnish the Indian academia image. To maintain the UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals for all academic purposes. To develop a methodology and approach for good quality journal identification. Procedure to Submit New Journal Title/s You can submit your journal title/s in the UGC CARE List as an individual or publisher through the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC cell) by following the prescribed submission process with the recommendation of teaching faculty. But the recommendation of your journal title/s shall be routed through affiliated colleges and universities as follows: Universities: University IQAC cell may directly recommend your journal title/s to respective regional UGC-CARE University if it is found suitable.

Affiliated Colleges - Your journal title/s may get recommendation by college IQAC cell only when it is found suitable to parent university’s IQAC cell. After that, if your journal title/s found suitable, then the parent university IQAC cell will recommend it to respective regional UGC-CARE University. THE PROTOCOL OF NEW SUBMISSION CONSISTS OF THREE PARTS: UGC-CARE Protocol Part I: Basic information Part I will include the following details about your journal from universities/ colleges/ individuals or publishers. Journal title Journal broad discipline and focus subject Name of publisher Country of origin and registered address Journal language/s Publishing frequency Editor name, editorial office address, phone, email, and website Current status (date of last publication) (print/ online/ both) ISSN/ eISSN Other registrations/ memberships such as RNI/ COPE/ UGC-CARE UGC-CARE Protocol Part II: Primary Criteria It will be based on internal analysis and assessment purposes, which includes the verification process, critical appraisal, and due diligence using a sequential algorithmic elimination process and weightage-based metrics on a scale of 10.

UGC-CARE Protocol Part III: Secondary Criteria Part III is completely similar to Part II. This article submission will be based on two main groups which are as follows. UGC-CARE List – Group Wise Info! Previously there were four groups (A, B, C & D) in UGC Journals but now University Grant Commission comprises the care list in two main groups; Group-I and Group-II. The journals submitted by UGC-CARE Council Members and Universities would be analyzed by the UGC Cell. UGC-CARE List Group I: Journals found qualified through UGC-CARE protocols. UGC-CARE List Group II: Journals indexed in globally recognized databases. UGC-CARE Group I Journals In this UGC-CARE List, the journals are classified into 5 major subjects in which a total of 1141 journals are included. You can check the subject wise approved journals from the table given below: - Subject Total Journal Sciences 329 Social Sciences 265 Arts & Humanities 311 Multidisciplinary 36 Indian Languages 200

UGC-CARE Group II Journals Some research journals are indexed in Web of Science and Scopus lists for all the disciplines. University Grant Commission includes these types of care list in group II. Name Total Approved Journal Web of Science Arts & Humanities Citation Index 21371 Science Citation Index Expanded 22548 Social Sciences Citation Index 22550 Scopus Scopus Source List 41317 UGC Approved Journal List 2020 UGC Approved List for Science S. Publisher Journal Title No. 1 Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra 2 Acta Geographica Debrecina, Department of Landscape Protection and Landscape and Environment Environmental Geography, University of

Series Debrecen 3 Acta Graphica Faculty of Graphic Arts, University of Zagreb Department of Mathematics and Informatics, University of Alba Iulia 4 Acta Universitatis Apulensis 5 Acta Universitatis Matthiae Belii Department of Mathematics Faculty of Series Mathematics Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University ADBU Journal of Engineering 6 Assam Don Bosco University Technology 7 Advanced Engineering Forum Trans Tech Publications Inc. 8 Advanced Materials Research Scientific.Net 9 Advanced Science Letters American Scientific Publishers Advances and Applications in 10 Mili Publications Mathematical Sciences TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE WRITING YOUR NEXT RESEARCH PAPER A top-quality research paper is a combination of original innovative research and good writing. Whether you are a student or a renowned scientist, writing and submitting a research paper is not easy. It is time consuming and exhausting. Online editing services can ease the process to quite an extent. Online editing services have evolved to provide not just English editing services but also publication support services such as journal selection, journal submission, and plagiarism check. Getting your rough draft edited by a professional online

editing service can substantially improve your chances of getting published while saving you precious time. Here are 5 tips that can help you prepare your next research paper and avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process. 1. Select the right journal It is not rare that a high-quality research paper has been rejected by a journal because the research topic is not covered by the journal’s scope and objective. Selecting the right journal is key in reaching out to your intended audience. Invest some time in researching suitable journals for your research work and look for aspects such as scope and objective, impact factor, approximate review time, and audience. Also, check whether the journal of your choice publishes the type of research paper you intend to write. For example, some journals only publish case reports and letters. Submitting a review article to such a journal would end up in rejection and thus a waste of your precious time. In fact, as I mentioned before, if you think you need help with this, you can look for online editing services that provide journal selection as a service. Publication experts will assess your manuscript and your requirements (impact factor, desired publication date, etc.) and provide you with a list of journals that are more likely to find your research appealing. 2. Structure your paper correctly: There are different types of manuscripts such as case reports, reviews, letters, and original research articles. Each of these article types has a different format, and the format differs slightly from journal to journal. An original research paper would typically follow the IMRAD structure, i.e., introduction, methods, results and discussion. The methods section is typically not required for case reports. Some journals have a prescribed limit even for the number of references. Being aware of these details will help you draft a manuscript that is structured according to the format preferred by the journal. 3. Make a personal checklist

Take some time out and try to remember how your previous manuscript preparation process went. Did you forget to include some readings in the results section? Did you do justice to the discussion section and mention all relevant studies? Did you forget to include the limitations of your study? Did you present numerical readings in text format? (Numerical data are easy to read when presented in tabular form). Have you included inputs from all co-authors? Prepare a checklist that you can go through while preparing your manuscript and avoid the slip-ups you made previously. 4. Edit, revise, and re-edit Editing is the magical process that will transform your rough draft into a submission-ready manuscript. Once you have collated all the relevant data in the rough draft of your research article, take a break. Yes, take some time off so that you can look at your paper with a fresh perspective and detect gaps in logic or flow. However, it is not easy for the writer to be the editor of his/her own paper. Hence, you could benefit from getting your paper edited by a professional online editing service. Not only will your paper be edited by experts in your area of research but it will also be edited with the aim of adhering to the journal’s requirements (word count, formatting, etc.). Expert editing will improve the readability, clarity, and tone of the text. 5. Proofread and proofread again Issues such as grammatical mistakes, inconsistencies, and missed words can reduce the quality of your research. A thorough proofread is necessary to eliminate misspellings, grammatical and punctuation errors, inconsistencies, formatting errors, etc. In addition, for an error-free paper, you need to proofread again and again and again. It would help to maintain a checklist of mistakes you often make and look specifically for those. You can also outsource proofreading to one of the many online proofreading services. Many of the online editing services also offer a proofreading service. Professional proofreaders are trained to examine your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb. TYPES OF JOURNAL ARTICLES It is helpful to familiarise yourself with the different types of articles published by journals. Although it may appear there are a large number of types of articles published due to the

wide variety of names they are published under, most articles published are one of the following types; Original Research, Review Articles, Short reports or Letters, Case Studies, Methodologies. Original Research: This is the most common type of journal manuscript used to publish full reports of data from research. It may be called an Original Article, Research Article, Research, or just Article, depending on the journal. The Original Research format is suitable for many different fields and different types of studies. It includes full Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Short reports or Letters: These papers communicate brief reports of data from original research that editors believe will be interesting to many researchers, and that will likely stimulate further research in the field. As they are relatively short the format is useful for scientists with results that are time sensitive (for example, those in highly competitive or quickly-changing disciplines). This format often has strict length limits, so some experimental details may not be published until the authors write a full Original Research manuscript. These papers are also sometimes called Brief communications. Review Articles: Review Articles provide a comprehensive summary of research on a certain topic, and a perspective on the state of the field and where it is heading. They are often written by leaders in a particular discipline after invitation from the editors of a journal. Reviews are often widely read (for example, by researchers looking for a full introduction to a field) and highly cited. Reviews commonly cite approximately 100 primary research articles. TIP: If you would like to write a Review but have not been invited by a journal, be sure to check the journal website as some journals to not consider unsolicited Reviews. If the website does not mention whether Reviews are commissioned it is wise to send a pre-submission enquiry letter to the journal editor to propose your Review manuscript before you spend time writing it. Case Studies:

These articles report specific instances of interesting phenomena. A goal of Case Studies is to make other researchers aware of the possibility that a specific phenomenon might occur. This type of study is often used in medicine to report the occurrence of previously unknown or emerging pathologies. Methodologies or Methods These articles present a new experimental method, test or procedure. The method described may either be completely new, or may offer a better version of an existing method. The article should describe a demonstrable advance on what is currently available. SUMMARY A good manuscript, first of all, should present new – thus not previously published – results, and should be well written, i.e., it should have a fluent narrative, be concise and at the same time complete, have good graphics, and also be correct in the citing of work of other scientists.The importance of journals in academic life goes beyond providing a means of communication and a permanent record. Journal articles are the final output of most research, and a researcher's performance and productivity are judged largely on the number of publications as well as where they appear. Journal writing allows you to write down your experiences and thoughts and use them to identify your future goals and aims. Writing down even everyday experiences helps in identifying various mistakes that have been made or decisions that have proven to be unfruitful. KEYWORDS  Content Analysis -- the systematic, objective, and quantitative description of the manifest or latent content of print or nonprint communications.  Data -- factual information [as measurements or statistics] used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.  Hypothesis -- a tentative explanation based on theory to predict a causal relationship between variables.  Methodology -- a theory or analysis of how research does and should proceed.  Phonology -- the study of the ways in which speech sounds form systems and patterns in language.  Theory -- a general explanation about a specific behaviour or set of events that is based on known principles and serves to organize related events in a meaningful way.

 Sample -- the population researched in a particular study.  Framework -- the structure and support that may be used as both the launching point and the on-going guidelines for investigating a research problem. LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Why is it necessary to get UGC approval for journals? ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2. What is the process to upload an online paper? ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ UNIT END QUESTIONS (MCQ’S AND DESCRIPTIVE) A. Descriptive Questions  What is a good impact factor of a journal?  How do you find high impact journals?  What are the important factors for writing an English journals?  How do you start writing a journal?  What are the types of journal? B. Multiple Choice Questions (Mcq’s) 1. A……………is a collection of articles (like a magazine) that is published regularly throughout the year. a.journal b. UGC Approval c. summary d. The impact factor (IF) 2.……………….is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal. a. editing b. UGC Approval c. summary

d. The impact factor (IF) 3.……………..services can ease the process to quite an extent. a. editing b. impact factor c. summary d. Online editing 2. ……………………..is the magical process that will transform your rough draft into a submission-ready manuscript. a.editing b.impact factor c.summary d. Review articles 3. ……………………… provide a comprehensive summary of research on a certain topic. d. Journals e. impact factor f. summary g. review articles Answer: 1. a 2. d 3. a 4. a 5. d REFERENCES  Quantitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences Paul S. Maxim  The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research

 Kothari, C.R. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. 10th Ed. 2012, New Age International.  Sinha, S.C. and Dhiman, A.K., 2002. Research Methodology, EssEss Publications. 2 volumes.  Anthony, M., Graziano, A.M. and Raulin, M.L., Research Methods: A Process of Inquiry, Allyn and Bacon. 2009.  Leedy, P.D. and Ormrod, J.E., 2004 Practical Research: Planning and Design, Prentice Hall.  Fink, A., Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2009, Sage Publications  Coley, S.M. and Scheinberg, C. A., \"Proposal Writing\", 1990, Sage Publications.  The Craft of Research, Third Edition Book by Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, and Wayne C. Booth  Berg, Bruce L., 2009, Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Seventh Edition. Boston MA: Pearson Education Inc.  Creswell, J. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.  Creswell, J. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.  Franklin, M.I. (2012). Understanding Research: Coping with the Quantitative- Qualitative Divide. London and New York: Routledge.  Guba, E. and Lincoln, Y. (1989). Fourth Generation Evaluation

UNIT 9:REPORT WRITING STRUCTURE 1. Learning Objectives 2. Introduction 3. How to write a research paper 4. Tips to write a thesis statement 5. Summary 6. Keywords 7. Learning Activity 8. Unit End Questions 9. References LEARNING OBJECTIVES While studying this chapter we will learn about the following points:  The purpose of research and its different techniques to write a research.  The various important aspects that are a must for research.  Writing of research as an important factor and its guidelines.  Hypothesis –an important factor.  The different ways in which data can be collected and presented. INTRODUCTION A thesis statement is a statement of your central argument — it establishes the purpose and position of your paper. If you started with a research question, the thesis statement should answer it. It should also show what evidence and reasoning you’ll use to support that answer. The thesis statement should be concise, contentious, and coherent. That means it should briefly summarize your argument in a sentence or two; make a claim that requires further evidence or analysis; and make a coherent point that relates to every part of the paper. You will probably revise and refine the thesis statement as you do more research, but it can serve as a guide throughout the writing process. Every paragraph should aim to support and develop this central claim. HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH PAPER

A research paper is a piece of academic writing that provides analysis, interpretation, and argument based on in-depth independent research. Research papers are similar to academic essays, but they are usually longer and more detailed assignments, designed to assess not only your writing skills but also your skills in scholarly research. Writing a research paper requires you to demonstrate a strong knowledge of your topic, engage with a variety of sources, and make an original contribution to the debate. This step-by-step guide takes you through the entire writing process, from understanding your assignment to proofreading your final draft. 1. Understand the assignment Completing a research paper successfully means accomplishing the specific tasks set out for you. Before you start, make sure you thoroughly understanding the assignment task sheet: Read it carefully, looking for anything confusing you might need to clarify with your professor. Identify the assignment goal, deadline, length specifications, formatting, and submission method. Make a bulleted list of the key points, then go back and cross completed items off as you’re writing. Carefully consider your timeframe and word limit: be realistic, and plan enough time to research, write and edit. 2. Choose a research paper topic There are many ways to generate an idea for a research paper, from brainstorming with pen and paper to talking it through with a fellow student or professor. You can try free writing, which involves taking a broad topic and writing continuously for two or three minutes to identify absolutely anything relevant that could be interesting. You can also gain inspiration from other research. The discussion or recommendations sections of research papers often include ideas for other specific topics that require further examination.

Once you have a broad subject area, narrow it down to choose a topic that interests you, meets the criteria of your assignment, and is possible to research. Aim for ideas that are both original and specific: A paper following the chronology of World War II would not be original or specific enough. A paper on the experience of Danish citizens living close to the German border during World War II would be specific and could be original enough. 3. Conduct preliminary research Note any discussions that seem important to the topic, and try to find an issue that you can focus your paper around. Use a variety of sources, including journals, books and reliable websites, to ensure you do not miss anything glaring. Do not only verify the ideas you have in mind, but look for sources that contradict your point of view. Is there anything people seem to overlook in the sources you research? Are there any heated debates you can address? Do you have a unique take on your topic? Have there been some recent developments that build on the extant research? In this stage, you might find it helpful to formulate some research questions to help guide you. To write research questions, try to finish the following sentence: “I want to know how/what/why…” 4. Develop a thesis statement A thesis statement is a statement of your central argument — it establishes the purpose and position of your paper. If you started with a research question, the thesis statement should answer it. It should also show what evidence and reasoning you’ll use to support that answer. The thesis statement should be concise, contentious, and coherent. That means it should briefly summarize your argument in a sentence or two; make a claim that requires further evidence or analysis; and make a coherent point that relates to every part of the paper.

You will probably revise and refine the thesis statement as you do more research, but it can serve as a guide throughout the writing process. Every paragraph should aim to support and develop this central claim. 5. Create a research paper outline A research paper outline is essentially a list of the key topics, arguments and evidence you want to include, divided into sections with headings so that you know roughly what the paper will look like before you start writing. A structure outline can help make the writing process much more efficient, so it’s worth dedicating some time to create one. 6. Paragraph structure Paragraphs are the basic building blocks of research papers. Each one should focus on a single claim or idea that helps to establish the overall argument or purpose of the paper. Here is an example of a well-structured paragraph. Hover over the sentences to learn more. Example paragraph George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language” has had an enduring impact on thought about the relationship between politics and language.This impact is particularly obvious in light of the various critical review articles that have recently referenced the essay.For example, consider Mark Falcoff’s 2009 article in The National Review Online, “The Perversion of Language; or, Orwell Revisited,” in which he analyzes several common words (“activist,” “civil-rights leader,” “diversity,” and more).Falcoff’s close analysis of the ambiguity built into political language intentionally mirrors Orwell’s own point-by-point analysis of the political language of his day.Even 63 years after its publication, Orwell’s essay is emulated by contemporary thinkers. 7. Write a first draft of the research paper Your first draft won’t be perfect — you can polish later on. The main goal at this stage is to: Turn your rough ideas into workable arguments Add detail to those arguments Get a sense of what the final product will look like

You do not need to start by writing the introduction. Begin where it feels most natural for you — some prefer to finish the most difficult sections first, while others choose to start with the easiest part. If you created an outline, use it as a map while you work. Do not delete large sections of text. If you begin to dislike something you have written or find it doesn’t quite fit, move it to a different document, but don’t lose it completely — you never know if it might come in useful later. Your priorities when writing the first draft should be: Maintaining forward momentum — write now, perfect later. Paying attention to clear organization and logical ordering of paragraphs and sentences, which will help when you come to the second draft. Expressing your ideas as clearly as possible, so you know what you were trying to say when you come back to the text. It’s also important to keep track of citations at this stage to avoid accidental plagiarism. Each time you use a source, make sure to take note of where the information came from. 8. Write the research paper introduction The introduction should address three questions: What, why, and how? After finishing the introduction, the reader should know what the paper is about, why it is worth reading, and how you’ll build your arguments. What? Be specific about the topic of the paper, introduce the background, and define key terms or concepts. Why? This is the most important, but also the most difficult, part of the introduction. Try to provide brief answers to the following questions: What new material or insight are you offering? What important issues does your essay help define or answer? How? To let the reader know what to expect from the rest of the paper, the introduction should include a “map” of what will be discussed, briefly presenting the key elements of the paper in chronological order. 9. Write a compelling body of text The major struggle faced by most writers is how to organize the information presented in the paper, which is one reason an outline is so useful. However, remember that the outline is only

a guide and, when writing, you can be flexible with the order in which the information and arguments are presented. One way to stay on track is to use your thesis statement and topic sentences. Check: topic sentences against the thesis statement; topic sentences against each other, for similarities and logical ordering; and each sentence against the topic sentence of that paragraph. Be aware of paragraphs that seem to cover the same things. If two paragraphs discuss something similar, they must approach that topic in different ways. Aim to create smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections. 10. Write the research paper conclusion The conclusion is designed to help your reader out of the paper’s argument, giving them a sense of finality. Trace the course of the paper, emphasizing how it all comes together to prove your thesis statement. Give the paper a sense of finality by making sure the reader understands how you’ve settled the issues raised in the introduction. You might also discuss the more general consequences of the argument, outline what the paper offers to future students of the topic, and suggest any questions the paper’s argument raises but cannot or does not try to answer. You should not: Offer new arguments or essential information Take up any more space than necessary Begin with stock phrases that signal you are ending the paper (e.g. “In conclusion”) 11. The second draft There are four main considerations when it comes to the second draft. Check how your vision of the paper lines up with the first draft and, more importantly, that your paper still answers the assignment.

Identify any assumptions that might require (more substantial) justification, keeping your reader’s perspective foremost in mind. Remove these points if you cannot substantiate them further. Be open to rearranging your ideas. Check whether any sections feel out of place and whether your ideas could be better organized. If you find that old ideas do not fit as well as you anticipated, you should cut them out or condense them. You might also find that new and well-suited ideas occurred to you during the writing of the first draft — now is the time to make them part of the paper. 12. The revision process The goal during the revision and proofreading process is to ensure you have completed all the necessary tasks and that the paper is as well-articulated as possible. Global concerns Confirm that your paper completes every task specified in your assignment sheet. Check for logical organization and flow of paragraphs. Check paragraphs against the introduction and thesis statement. Fine-grained details Check the content of each paragraph, making sure that: each sentence helps support the topic sentence. no unnecessary or irrelevant information is present. all technical terms your audience might not know are identified. Next, think about sentence structure, grammatical errors and formatting. Check that you have correctly used transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas. Look for typos, cut unnecessary words and check for consistency in aspects such as heading formatting and spellings. Finally, you need to make sure your paper is correctly formatted according to the rules of the citation style you are using. For example, you might need to include an MLA heading or create an APA title page.

TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT 1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing: An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience. An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience. An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided. If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader. 2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence. 3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper. 4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper. Thesis Statement Examples Example of an analytical thesis statement: An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counsellors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds. The paper that follows should: Explain the analysis of the college admission process Explain the challenge facing admissions counsellors Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement: The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers. The paper that follows should:

Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers Example of an argumentative thesis statement: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness. The paper that follows should: Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college Ten tips for writing your research proposal 1. Follow the instructions! Read and conform to all instructions found on the council website. Make sure that your proposal fits the criteria of the competition. 2. Break down your proposal into point form before writing your first draft. Based on the total length of the proposal, decide whether you will have headings/subheadings and what they will be (e.g., Introduction, Background Material, Methodology, and so on). These headings can be selected based on the advice given in the specific award instructions. For each section, lay out in point form what you will discuss. 3. Know your audience. Describe your research proposal in non-technical terms. Use clear, plain language and avoid jargon. Make sure your proposal is free of typographic and grammatical errors. Remember that, at every level, adjudication committees are multi-disciplinary and will include researchers in fields other than your own. Therefore, follow the KIS principle – Keep It Simple! Reviewers like it that way. 4. Make an impact in the first few sentences. Reviewers are very busy people. You must grab their attention and excite them about your project from the very beginning. Make it easy for them to understand (and thus fund) your

proposal. Show how your research is innovative and valuable. Remember, too, to show your enthusiasm for your project—enthusiasm is contagious! Organize your proposal so that it is tight, well-integrated, and makes a point, focused on a central question (e.g., “I am looking at this to show...”). Depending on the discipline, a tight proposal is often best achieved by having a clear hypothesis or research objective and by structuring the research proposal in terms of an important problem to be solved or fascinating question to be answered. Make sure to include the ways in which you intend to approach the solution. 5. Have a clear title. It is important that the title of your project is understandable to the general public, reflects the goal of the study, and attracts interest. 6. Emphasize multidisciplinary aspects of the proposal, if applicable. 7. Show that your research is feasible. Demonstrate that you are competent to conduct the research and have chosen the best research or scholarly environment in which to achieve your goals. 8. Clearly indicate how your research or scholarship will make a “contribution to knowledge” or address an important question in your field. 9. Get the proposal reviewed and commented on by others. Get feedback and edit. Then edit some more. And get more feedback. The more diverse opinion and criticism you receive on your proposal the better suited it will be for a multi- disciplinary audience. 10. Remember that nothing is set in stone. Your research proposal is not a binding document; it is a proposal. It is well understood by all concerned that the research you end up pursuing may be different from that in your

proposal. Instead of treating your proposal as a final, binding document, think of it as a flexible way to plan an exciting (but feasible) project that you would like to pursue. Developing A Thesis Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, \"This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be.\" An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple \"yes\" or \"no.\" A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. \"Reasons for the fall of communism\" is a topic. \"Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe\" is a fact known by educated people. \"The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe\" is an opinion. (Superlatives like \"the best\" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every \"thing\" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be \"the best thing\"?) A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should \"telegraph\" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay. Steps in Constructing a Thesis First, analyze your primary sources. Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation— that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down. There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have. Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction. A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb. Anticipate the counterarguments. Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.) Michael Dukakis lost the 1988 presidential election because he failed to campaign vigorously after the Democratic National Convention. This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a \"soft-on-crime\" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below. While Dukakis' \"soft-on-crime\" image hurt his chances in the 1988 election, his failure to campaign vigorously after the Democratic National Convention bore a greater responsibility for his defeat. Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question. Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question (\"Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?\") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water. A thesis is never a list. \"For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe\" does a good job of \"telegraphing\" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important. A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational. An ineffective thesis would be, \"Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil.\" This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading. An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim. \"While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline\" is an effective thesis sentence that \"telegraphs,\" so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, \"Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim.\" A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible. Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, \"Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people\" is more powerful than \"Communism collapsed due to societal discontent.\"

SUMMARY The purpose of a thesis is to demonstrate your proficiency in academic research and appropriate academic communication, both written and oral. A thesis demonstrates your mastery of a particular subject area and your ability to independently create new scientific knowledge. When writing your thesis, your information retrieval skills are developed and your facility for critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and argumentation is strengthened  all of which are skills required for success in your future working life. A bachelor’s thesis1 is your first academic thesis. Its purpose is to develop the basic skills of academic research. After completion of your bachelor’s thesis, you will be familiar with the methods and tools of academic information retrieval and you will be able to critically evaluate the reliability and significance of published information. You will have acquired the necessary skills to choose, define and justify a research topic. Your ability to interpret information will be developed and you know how to draw conclusions from it. The end product is a thesis that adheres to the general principles of academic writing and which you will present orally in a seminar. The purpose of academic texts is to present new information or, at least, a fresh perspective on the research topic. At the start of writing your master’s thesis, you will already be conversant with the established conventions of academic writing, and so it will be easier for you to devote more attention to the academic content of your work. The process of writing a master’s thesis develops your skills to gather, analyse and make conclusions from data and your ability to independently create new scientific knowledge. Master’s thesis is a way to show your expertise in the topic of your choice on the levels of both theory and practice. KEYWORDS  Data -- factual information [as measurements or statistics] used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.  Distribution -- the range of values of a particular variable.  Effect Size -- the amount of change in a dependent variable  Empirical Research -- the process of developing systematized knowledge gained from observations  Inductive -- a form of reasoning in which a generalized conclusion  Meta-Analysis -- an analysis combining the results of several studies that address a set of related hypotheses.

 Methodology -- a theory or analysis of how research does and should proceed. LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. How do you write a thesis research question? ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2. Write down questions that are good research questions? ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ UNIT END QUESTIONS (MCQ’S AND DESCRIPTIVE) A. Descriptive Questions 1. While choosing the topic what should the researcher keep in mind? 2. How will the researcher chose a topic for thesis? 3. Should the topic be original enough? 4. Is it necessary for the researcher to keep in mind the thoughts of the audience? 5. What methodology will your topic require? B. Multiple Choice Questions (Mcq’s) 1. The introductory section of a research report should aim to: a. Identify the specific focus of the study b. Provide a rationale for the dissertation, or article c. Grab the reader's attention d. All of the above 2. What is the purpose of the conclusion in a research report? a. It explains how concepts were operationally defined and measured b. It contains a useful review of the relevant literature c. It outlines the methodological procedures that were employed d. It summarizes the key findings in relation to the research questions

3. Before submitting your dissertation, you should ensure that: a. Your writing is free of sexist, racist and disablist language b. Other people have read your final draft c. You have proofread it thoroughly d. All of the above 4.Where should a thesis statement appear? a. first paragraph b. anywhere in the essay c. last paragraph d. the first sentence of every paragraph 5.A research paper is a piece of ----------------------------------. a. academic writing b. Content writing c. Literature review d. Research methodology Answer: 1. d 2. d 3. d 4. a 5. a REFERENCES  Quantitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences Paul S. Maxim  The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research  Kothari, C.R. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. 10th Ed. 2012, New Age International.