Academic Research Manual V1.1 April 2016

ACADEMIC RESEARCH MANUAL
Date of Issue: April 2016

Version: 1.1
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... I
About the Academic Research Manual ....................................................................................... I
Unit Description .......................................................................................................................... II
Icons ……………….................................................................................................................... III
UNIT 1: UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC RESEARCH .................................................................. 1
Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................................... 1
Part A Why is Research Important? ................................................................................... 2
Part B The Research Process............................................................................................ 7
Part C Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research ..................................................................... 9
Part D Narrowing the topic ...............................................................................................11
UNIT 2: BACKGROUND RESEARCH ........................................................................................ 17
Learning Outcomes ..................................................................................................................17
Part A Deciding What to Read .........................................................................................18
Part B Credible Sources ...................................................................................................21
Part C Analysing the Sources ..........................................................................................23
Part D Reliable Sources ...................................................................................................28
UNIT 3: THE INTERVIEW ........................................................................................................ 31
Part A Developing the Research Question ......................................................................32
Part B The Planning Process ...........................................................................................35
Part C Demographics .......................................................................................................36
Part D Developing the Questions .....................................................................................41
Part E Sequencing the Questions ....................................................................................47
Part F The Interview Guide ..............................................................................................49
Part G Using the Interview Data in the Report .................................................................51
UNIT 4: THE EXPERIMENT ..................................................................................................... 57
Part A Experiments .........................................................................................................58
Part B Factors to Consider ...............................................................................................61
Part C Analysing the Data ................................................................................................64
Part D Objectivity and Bias ...............................................................................................69
Part E Recommendations ................................................................................................71
UNIT 5: THE FIELD TRIP ........................................................................................................ 73
Part A Introduction to Field Trips......................................................................................74
Part B The Planning Process ...........................................................................................75
Part C Effective Observation and Note-Taking ................................................................77
Part D A Note on Safety ...................................................................................................80
Part E After the Field trip ..................................................................................................81
Part F Field trip Planning Checklists ................................................................................82
APPENDIX 1 .............................................................................................................................. 85
A Timeline of Algerian Independence 1830 – 1976 .................................................................85
Sample Interview Guide ...........................................................................................................86
Science Research Plan Worksheet ..........................................................................................87
Science Investigation Planner ..................................................................................................88
APPENDIX 2 .............................................................................................................................. 91
Teacher Notes and Solutions to Tasks.....................................................................................91
REFERENCE LIST................................................................................................................... 103
Academic Research Manual Introduction
Introduction
About the Academic Research Manual
Welcome to the Academic Research Manual. During your GAC course and throughout your
university studies, you will be expected to submit many research assignments. They may take
the form of presentations, seminars, essays and research reports. However, before you embark
on developing the paper or presentation, you need to collect information and data. In the
academic world, this is called research. It is very important that the research is conducted first
and that the final paper or presentation reflects this research. The writing is the last step, NOT
the first!
The following flowchart shows the steps and resources you should use in completing an
Assessment Event that requires research:
Think about the Topic or Question and decide

what you need to do. Consider your Ideas and
then Develop a Thesis Statement.
(See the Academic Writing Manual Units 1-2)
Plan and Conduct the Research. Analyse the

Data or Information.
(See the Academic Research Manual Units 1-5)
Write your Essay/Report.

(See the Academic Writing Manual Units 3-6)
The Academic Research Manual puts forward a systematic approach to academic research and
writing. It is designed to be a useful guide that you can refer to throughout your studies. This
manual contains five units which cover how to collect, organise and evaluate information for
specific purposes.
Research is the process that every academic must go through when confronted with a question
or problem which has an unknown answer. It is the uncertainty in the outcome that can make
this process difficult. In other words, before you start your research, you will not be completely
sure that you will get the answers that you expect. However, it is important to follow the steps
in the process carefully to achieve a result, even if it is not the one you expect.
Please note: Depending on the discipline as well as where you carry out your studies,
terminology may differ slightly. Wherever possible, alternative expressions have been
provided for the key concepts.
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April 2016 Version 1.1
Introduction Academic Research Manual
Unit Description
The units included in this course are:
Unit Unit Title Description

1 Understanding  Why is Research Important?
Academic Research  The Research Process
 Qualitative Vs Quantitative research
 Narrowing the Topic
2 Background Research  Deciding What to read
 Credible Sources
 Analysing the Sources
 Reliable Sources
3 The Interview  Developing the Research Question
 The Planning Process
 Demographics
 Developing the Questions
 Sequencing the questions
 The Interview Guide
 Using the Interview Data in the Report
4 The Experiment  Experiments
 Factors to Consider
 Analysing the Data
 Objectivity and Bias
 Recommendations
5 The Field Trip  Introduction to Field Trips
 The Planning Process
 Effective Observation and Note-Taking
 A Note on Safety
 After the Field Trip
 Field Trip Planning Checklists
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Academic Research Manual Introduction
Icons
The following icons will be used as a visual aid throughout the Manual:
Icon Meaning
Learning Outcomes
Information
Task
Hints and Cautions
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Academic Research Manual Unit 1: Understanding Academic Research
Unit 1: Understanding Academic Research
Part A Why is Research Important?

Part B The Research Process
Part C Qualitative Vs Quantitative research
Part D Narrowing the Topic
Learning By the end of Unit 1, you should be able to:

Outcomes
 Explain why research is an important set of skills for academics
 Understand why research is necessary in order to answer a
question
 Understand and justify the steps in the research process
 Explain the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative
research
 Narrow a broad topic of interest into a specific research question
Overview What is research, and why must we do research?

In this unit you will consider the answers to these questions as well as
examining the research process itself. In the GAC, you are asked to make
use of both qualitative and quantitative research skills so we will examine
what this means and how it will affect what you do and how you conduct
research.
Good research starts with a well-defined question to be answered. So,
narrowing a broad topic to a specific question to investigate is the first
step. This will help you to focus the research that you need to do.
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Unit 1: Understanding Academic Research Academic Research Manual
Part A Why is Research Important?
What is Research?
In many ways, we conduct research every day. In other words we are

always asking questions and testing theories about ourselves and others,
events, the environment and the world around us.
If someone asks you a question you don’t know the answer to, what do
you do? Try to add as many ideas as possible to the list below
Ask a friend. Do an experiment.

Look in a book. Look on the Internet.
All of these are methods of conducting research. Research is the process

of discovering answers to questions. At the most basic level, research is
simply asking a question and finding out the answer.
In other words, research includes:
 investigating something
 Example: Examining the anatomy and behaviour
of a newly-discovered species.

 comparing and contrasting things

 Example: Comparing the energy efficiency of
two different energy sources.

 finding out more information

o counting things
 Example: Counting the population of an
endangered species.

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o making enquiries
 Example: Finding examples of the application of
a particular law in local courts.

o being curious
 Example: Investigating why the sky is blue
during the day.

o finding out what people think

 Example: Surveying local opinion on an
important political issue.

o finding out what people do

 Example: Interviewing athletes to discover how
they train and prepare for events.

o finding out what works

 Example: Exploring how the shape of a wing
causes a plane to fly.

o finding out what doesn't work

 Example: Investigating the cause of a bridge
collapse.

o finding out what people want

 Example: Surveying car buyers to discover the
features most desired in a car.

Can you think of any other examples? Add at least one example for each
of the above.
What do we research?
We research people and their behaviour, opinions, attitudes, trends and

patterns, our environment, plants and animals, matter and how it moves,
health and illness, politics and much more.

Sometimes we conduct research informally for our own benefit. We do

this whenever we ask questions, watch and count or even read.
Can you think of any examples?
Research can also be conducted formally, for scientific, medical or

academic purposes, or as a marketing strategy to inform and influence
politics and policy.
Can you think of any examples?
What does research tell us?
Research gives us information about:
1. Logical facts
2. Medical information
3. Thoughts and opinions
4. Attitudes
5. Habits
6. Culture
7. Norms
Can you add to this list?
What do we do with research?
 Have it as interesting fact

 Use it to make decisions
 Use it to persuade or influence others
 Use it to affect change
 Use it to change behaviour

 Use it to make new discoveries
Can you add to this list?
In other words, we research in order to understand the world we live in,

earth and space, society and social processes. Research can also test and/or
create theories so that we can inform and potentially 'improve' the world
around us.
Research involves gaining knowledge, interpreting data and broadcasting

the findings. Information is gathered from both direct and indirect sources:
observations
other questionnaires
SOURCES
original
interviews
documents
experiments
Data from the source is collected and processed in some way – this could
be either numerically (amounts, averages, percentages etc.) and or verbally
(descriptions, examples etc.):
statistics
themes
interpretations

This means that the data can be interpreted effectively. Once the findings
have been interpreted, then they can be broadcast or communicated in
some way.
Findings and
Interpretations
Seminars Papers
Written Media
Reports
Presentations
All academic subjects require research. It allows academics to learn more

about a topic, draw conclusions and to establish new theories.
This manual will help you to understand how research works in an

academic context. It will also help you to understand how the research and
the writing part of all the assignments that you do will fit together. A good
piece of writing needs solid research to support it. At the same time a good
piece of researching needs to be put into a well-written report in order to
communicate the research to others.

Part B The Research Process

The When we do research of any kind, we have the goal of answering a specific
Research question. How do we go about this? The diagram below demonstrates the
Process nature of the research process. You can see that it is circular. This is
because research never really ends. Once we find one answer, we want to
know: What’s next?
Study the diagram below and think about what it means.
Research cycle starts here.
Recommend Research
next steps idea
Background
Draw
literature
conclusions
review
Focus the
interpret research
the results problem or
aspect
Develop
answer the
the
research
research
question
question
Analyse the Design the

data research
Collect the
data

What What does the diagram mean?

Does It
Mean? First we need to understand the topic that we are interested in. This is where
secondary research is important. We need to know what other researchers
have already done as well as any current theories – this is the background
information. Then we need to think carefully about exactly what we are
looking for. Once we understand what we are looking for we need to come
up with our research question. We have to make sure that the question asks
exactly what we want it to ask. We also have to make sure that it makes
sense and that an answer is possible.
Our next step is to find the information that will help us to answer the
question. This is our data. Data can come from many different sources,
some of which we will examine later in this manual.
Once we have collected the data, we need to synthesise and analyse it to see
how it helps us to answer the question. We may need to calculate some
statistics or draw a graph or table to see exactly what the data is telling us -
these are our findings or results. We then need to interpret the data to see
what it means in terms of our research question – this is our discussion.
From here we should be able to draw some clear conclusions that help to
answer the original question.
Finally, the answer or answers to your question will often generate new
questions. These new questions will form the basis of the next piece of
research.
Task 1.1
Work with a partner. Choose one or two steps from the Research
Process diagram on the previous page and brainstorm answers to these
questions:
1. Why is this step important?
2. What skills could this step require?
Then join another pair and take turns to explain your ideas to each other.

Part C Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research

Introduction
In the GAC you will conduct two main types of research: Quantitative
Research and Qualitative Research.
Quantitative research emphasises the collection of numerical data or data

that can be converted into numbers. For example, clinical trials of
medicines, or the National Census, which counts people and households.
Qualitative research is used to explore and understand people's beliefs,

experiences, attitudes, behaviour, relationships and interactions. It
generates non-numerical data. For example, a patient's description of their
pain rather than a measure of pain.
Example Let’s look at an example
Consider the following research question:
How did the lives of Algerians change after Independence was

declared?
Depending on our focus, we could conduct either qualitative or quantitative

research as shown in the following table.
Qualitative Methods Quantitative Methods

Interview some people who lived Examine specific data from before
in Algeria both before and after and after Independence:
Independence.  Economic data
Sample questions: o GDP
 Do you think life in o Imports/exports
Algeria is better or worse o Average salary
since Independence? o Unemployment rates
 What aspects of life in  Health and welfare
Algeria are better/worse o Life expectancy
since Independence? o Death rates
 Did you have a job before o Infant morality
Independence? Do you  Immigration and
have one now? Emigration rates.

Task 1.2
Work with a partner and compare the Qualitative Methods and
Quantitative Methods.
 What are the advantages for each?

 What are the disadvantages for each?
 What sort of data do you expect to be able to collect for each?
 How could you analyse the data for each?
Then, add some additional examples for each method to the table on the
previous page.
Appraising Comparing qualitative and quantitative research

the
Evidence Academic knowledge is derived from a combination of qualitative and
quantitative research. Qualitative Research refers to the use of non-
numerical observations to answer "Why?" questions, while Quantitative
Research uses data that can be counted or converted into numerical form
to address "How?" questions. Each approach serves a different purpose.
Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Qualitative research Quantitative research
Generates hypotheses Tests hypotheses
Starts from the particular instance being studied Starts from the general theory and uses this to
and uses this to draw a general conclusion. give a particular explanation.
Answers questions such as: Answers questions such as:
 Why?  What?
 What do you think?  How much?
 What does it mean?  How many?"
Captures detailed information from a small Provides number estimates of frequency,
number of participants. severity, and associations
Example of a research question: What is the Example of a research question: Does
experience of being treated for breast cancer? treatment for breast cancer reduce mortality
and improve quality of life?
In the GAC, used in Business and Social In the GAC, used in the Science and
Science modules. Mathematics modules.
Methods include face-to-face interviews, case Methods include experiments, field studies,
studies, observations, etc. tracking, closed surveys etc.
Types of findings include data which can be Types of findings include data which can be
observed but not measured. E.g. Colours, measured. E.g. Length, height, area, volume,
textures, smells, tastes, appearance, beauty, weight, speed, time, temperature, humidity,
feelings, descriptions, ideas, personal opinions sound levels, cost, members, ages
etc. measurements, costs, patterns etc.

Part D Narrowing the topic

When you first read the instructions for the Assessment Event, it will be
quite broad and vague. It is your job to make sure that the topic that you
will research is specific. Two methods of narrowing the topic are
discussed in Unit 1 Part B of the Academic Writing Manual
1. Funnel narrowing
Write the general topic at the top of a funnel and then generate ideas
to narrow it down to a specific topic.
2. Brainstorming, or creating a mind map

3.
4. Write all the ideas you have about a topic randomly on a piece of paper.
When you have finished, go back and select and organise the material
you wish to use.
One general topic can be developed in different ways, but essentially

you want to ask some basic questions:
Who? What? Why? How? Which? When?
Example 1 Social Science

Let’s consider GAC027 Assessment Event 1.
Choose an aspect of your community identity or national identity

that you would like to know more about. This may be an event or
a period in your country’s recent history. As primary research, it
needs to be within living memory of at least some members of your
society.
Think about your country and the main events that have happened in recent
history.
This may include:
Natural events floods, typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,

droughts, etc.
Political events Independence or Self Government, war or conflict,
important elections or government decisions,
changes in the law, etc.
Economic Events Global Financial Crisis, Oil Shock, Great
Depression/Recession, economic reforms, major
strikes etc.
Disasters Nuclear accidents, shootings, bombings etc.

Innovations Introduction of :
Television, personal computers, space travel, the
Internet, social media, medical or lifesaving
technology etc.
Cultural Events The birth, death, imprisonment, release, resignation
etc. of an important person, Cultural Revolution.
Once you have chosen your topic, you need to ask questions that will help
you to find your specific focus. For example:
 What do you know about the topic? What don’t you know?
 What time period do you want to cover?
 On what geographic area do you want to focus?
 On what person or group do you want to focus?
 On what event do you want to focus?
 What aspects of this topic interest you the most? (E.g. historical,
behavioural, political, commercial etc.)
 What kind of information do you need?
Sample topic narrowing chart

General topic National identity
Event Independence
Time period (1954 -) 1962
Place Algeria
Person or People in my community who lived in Algeria before
group and after independence
Aspect Personal/sociological
Issue I’m How their lives changed after Independence was
interested in declared
Example 2 Business
n industry in which you
Think about different industries. These may include:
Media
Advertising

Banking
Telecommunications
Can you add to the list above?
 When did the industry start?
 On what geographic area do you want to focus?
 Has the flourished or declined?
 What events or discoveries have changed the industry?
 What is the specific nature of the industry?
 What aspects of the industry interest you the most? (E.g. legal,
management, public relations, etc.)

General topic Media Industry
Event Start of social media
Time period 2003 to present
Place Australia
Companies Fairfax and News Corp
Aspect Change since 2003 in print journalism
Issue I’m How social media has had a negative impact on print
interested in journalism.
Task 1.3 Work with a partner and brainstorm the main industries in your country
today. Write one or two examples for each type of industry in the
following table.
Media
Advertising
Banking

Telecommunications
Task (cont.)
Now choose one of those disputes and ask the questions above to help
you find your specific focus.
Finally, complete the topic narrowing chart below.
General topic
Event
Time period
Place
Companies
Aspect
Issue I’m
interested in
Example 3 Science
Science is a little different in that you are usually given a specific experiment
to conduct.
Think about how to measure this and what may be the cause of any
differences.

 What are the variables?
 What are the controlled factors?
 Who are your subjects?
 What aspects of this topic interest you the most? (E.g. biological,
evolution, physics, biochemistry etc.)

General topic Psychology/Neuroscience
Specific topic Somatosensory system – Gender differences
Variable factor Gender
Controlled Object size, light levels, age etc.

factor
Test subjects 5 males and 5 females between the ages of 18 and 20
Issue I’m Is the difference the same under different conditions

interested in and what are the physiological/evolutionary causes of
any difference?
Task 1.4 Work with a partner and brainstorm the answers to the questions above as
a way to narrow your topic for the GAC013 Assessment Event 1 example
above.
 What are the variables?
 What are the controlled factors?
 Who are your subjects?
 What aspects of this topic interest you the most? (E.g. biological,
evolution, physics, biochemistry etc.)

Academic Research Manual Unit 2: Background Research
Unit 2: Background Research
Part A Deciding What to read

Part B Credible Sources
Part C Analysing the Sources
Part D Reliable Sources

Outcomes
 evaluate and select appropriate source material
 use source materials to deepen your knowledge of the topic
 understand when sources should be acknowledged with a citation
Overview In order to fully understand the topic of your research, it is essential to

investigate previous relevant research on the topic. This background
information can help focus your research question into a thesis statement
you can answer. However, with so much information now available from
libraries and the internet, it is important to know how to select good
quality sources, ignore bad sources, and make the best use of the
information you find. As this is all the result of research that you did not
do yourself, you must also use citations to acknowledge the people who
did the research.
Assessment GAC008 Assessment Event 4

Events GAC012 Assessment Event 3
GAC013 Assessment Event 2
GAC015 Assessment Events 1 and 4
GAC023 Assessment Events 1 and 2
GAC028 Assessment Events 1, 2 and 3

Unit 2: Background Research Academic Research Manual
Part A Deciding What to Read

Before you What is a Source?
begin
Academic sources include all the information you use to support your
argument and provide evidence for your decisions. Sources are also used
to provide background or context.
Starting Deciding What to Read

your
research Before you decide whether or not a source is suitable, you need to
actually have some sources. The following steps will help you to select
the sources you can use to find the information you need.
Analyse the question or topic and decide exactly what you are required to do. Underline key
words.
Think about what you already know from your studies or your own knowledge. What do YOU
think about the topic
Think about the type of source you will need to answer the question.
 Do you need starting ideas? If so an introductory text would be useful.
 Do you need statistics? If so you may need to look at government publications, census
results or organisations like the UN or WHO.
 Do you need original data? Then you will need to design the experiment, survey or
questionnaire that will give you the data.
 Do you need recent research or ideas from experts? Then you will need to look for
journal articles or recently published texts.
Do an initial search using the notes you have made on the sources you need. At this stage you
are not going to read the whole text of these sources, you are going to select the texts that you
will later read in detail. The following will help you to make your decisions:
 Tables of Contents
 Chapter headings
 Abstracts of journal articles
 Introductions and conclusions of articles or books
Hint! Make sure that you write all the information for each source that you will need for your
reference list (author(s), date of publication, full title, publisher, date of access etc.). This will
make it easier when you write the final version of your essay or report. A bibliography is a
useful research tool!
Reread the question and decide which sources you will read thoroughly.
At this stage you will also need to ask some key questions about whether or not the source is
credible. We will discuss that in the following sections.

Example Study the example below to see how this student followed the process in
order to decide what to read.
Analyse the question:
Describe the population distribution in your country. Explain why this is the case and the effect that
such a distribution has on the national economy.
Limitations Cause and Effect essay
Brainstorm. What do YOU think about the topic?
High density in urban areas

•centred in state capitals
•urban sprawl - urban areas
very spread out - high
infrastructure costs.
overall around 23 million state capitals all located

density approx. 3 perple in major harbours, at the
per sq. km Highest in Population mouth of major rivers
Sydney / Melbourne but distribution •access to water
less than 1 per sq. km in
remote areas •early transport routes
Problems with distance

•large distances between capitals
•high transport costs - higher costs of
basic products in remote areas
I think: Population is centred in capital cities. Population spread comes from history and climate/water
distribution. Has the effect of increased costs across the country but more marked in remote areas

Type of Source:
 Do you need starting ideas? No

 Do you need statistics? Yes – Australian Bureau of Statistics, UN, World Bank, Australian
Govt.
 Do you need original data? No
 Do you need recent research or ideas from experts? Yes – demographics, regional economies
Initial search:
 Sustainable Population Australia – website

 Morris, R. (2013) Economics Down Under Book 1VCE Economics , Wiley, Sydney -
textbook
 Australian Bureau of Statistics [online]. http://www.abs.gov.au
 Hugo, G., Feist, H. & Tan, G, (2013) Population Change in Rural Australia, Australian
Population and Migration Research Centre Policy Brief Vol. 1, No. 3,
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/apmrc/pubs/policy-
briefs/APMRC_Policy_Brief_Vol_1_3_2013.pdf 9/02/2015
 Committee for Economic Development of Australia (2013) A Greater Australia: Population,
Policies and Governance,
http://adminpanel.ceda.com.au/FOLDERS/Service/Files/Documents/15337~populationrepor
t2012final.pdf 9/02/2015
 The World Bank (2015) Population Density – Australia
http://data.worldbank.org/country/australia
 9/02/15
 The Treasury (2015) Australia’s Demographic Challenges, The Australian Government
http://demographics.treasury.gov.au/content/_download/australias_demographic_challenges/
html/adc-04.asp
Sources and credibility:

 Morris, R. (2013) Economics Down Under Book 1, VCE Economics , Wiley, Sydney – credible –
academic textbook
 Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012-2013 (2014), Australian Bureau of Statistics [online].
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Products/3218.0~2012-
13~Main+Features~Main+Features?OpenDocument 9/02/2015 credible – national statistics based on
national census
 Hugo, G., Feist, H. & Tan, G, (2013) Population Change in Rural Australia, Australian Population
and Migration Research Centre Policy Brief Vol. 1, No. 3,
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/apmrc/pubs/policy-briefs/APMRC_Policy_Brief_Vol_1_3_2013.pdf
9/02/2015 - credible - policy brief to the government – writers are academics at Adelaide University
 Committee for Economic Development of Australia (2013) A Greater Australia: Population, Policies
and Governance,
http://adminpanel.ceda.com.au/FOLDERS/Service/Files/Documents/15337~populationreport2012fin
al.pdf 9/02/2015 - credible - government funded
 The Treasury (2015) Australia’s Demographic Challenges, The Australian Government
http://demographics.treasury.gov.au/content/_download/australias_demographic_challenges/html/ad
c-04.asp 9/02/2015 - credible - government department

Part B Credible Sources

What are Credible Sources?
In order to be credible, a source must have the following characteristics:
reliable
written
by
current
experts in
the field
Credible
Sources
unbiased are ... trusted
balanced accurate
In other words:
 You need to know who the author is, and that they are an expert
in the field.
 You need information that is up-to-date.
 You need information that is accurate and complete.
 You need information that is objective and not biased towards
one particular viewpoint.
Task 2.1
Examine the References List put together by a GAC student on the
topic of Organ Trafficking. Work with a partner and decide which
of the sources could be a credible source for academic research.
Give reasons for your decisions.

References List
Budiani-Saberi, D.D. & Delmonico, F.F. (2008), “Organ Trafficking and Transplant
Tourism: A Commentary on the Global Realities” American Journal of
Transplantation Vol. 8 No. 5 pp 925-929. [online]. Available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-6143.2008.02200.x/full
[Accessed 11 October 2015]
Cholia, A. (2009), Organ Trafficking as a Global Problem. Organ trafficking research.

[Online].
Available at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/24/illegal-organ-
trafficking_n_244686.html
Jafar, T.H. (2009), “Organ Trafficking: Global Solutions for a Global Problem” American
Journal of Kidney Diseases Volume 54, Issue 6, Pages 1145–1157 [online].
Available at: http://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386%2809%2901177-
9/abstract?cc=y= [Accessed 11 October 2015]
Organ Trafficking (n.d.), Organ Trafficking Research. [Online]. Available at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_trade [Accessed 11 October 2015]
Organ Trafficking Statistics Around the World. (n.d.), Havascope Global Black Market
Information [Online]. Available at: http://www.havocscope.com/tag/organ-
trafficking/ [Accessed 11 October 2015]
Organ Trade Dangers (n.d.), Organ Trafficking Research. [Online]. Available at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6240307.stm [Accessed 11 October 2015]
UN (n.d.), Trafficking for Organ Trade (n.d.), Organ Trafficking Research. [Online].
Available at:
http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/about/trafficking-for-organ-trade.html

Part C Analysing the Sources

Checking Before you read your selected sources in detail, you need to ask yourself
your some questions.
Sources
Step 1: Basic Analysis
• Who is the author?
o What are their qualifications or credentials? Is the
author cited by other experts?
o If the author is anonymous, then you should rethink
your use of the source.
• What is the author’s purpose?
o Is there a specific, objective or neutral view?
o Did the author gain in some way from writing this
paper? For example, was their research funded by a
biased party?
• How recent is the source?
o What is the year of publication or edition?
o If it is a website, when was it last updated?
• What type of sources does your audience value?
This might be peer reviewed journals, specific websites, factual data that
can be checked etc.
Note: The term peer reviewed means that it has been read and checked
by other experts in the field. This term is explained in depth at the end
of this unit.
Step 2: Content Analysis

• What is the purpose of the text or website? (You will find this
in the preface, home page, introduction, abstract/ executive
summary etc.).
• What is the intended audience? (An academic audience, a
general audience, consumers etc.)
• Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
• Is it trying to sell you something or persuade you to do
something?
• Does the information appear valid? (E.g. well researched,
supported by evidence and based on credible sources or
information)

Websites If you are using websites, there are some other questions that you might
ask.
Purpose
• What is the purpose or motive of the website?
• Is the site trying to sell you something?
• How easy is it to differentiate content from advertisements?
Currency
• When was the information written?
• When was the site last updated or revised?
• How often is the site updated?
Reliability
• Do most of the links on the page work?
• Do you think the site will be there next time you visit it?
Authority
• Is the author identifiable? Is there information about the author?
What is the author’s background?
• Does the author cite his/her sources?
• Who is responsible for the website?
• Is the site linked to other websites? Are they reputable?
• Is the language accurate? Appropriate?
• What domain does the website belong to?
Example
A GAC student used the following online source in their reference list:
Tracy, N. (2012), Effects of Drug Addiction (physical and
psychological), Healthy Place [online]. Available from:
http://www.healthyplace.com/addictions/drug-addiction/effects-of-
drug-addiction-physical-and-psychological/ [Accessed 3 March 2015]
The checklist above has been used to decide whether or not the source
is credible for academic research.
Purpose What is the purpose or motive of the Consumer mental health site to provide
website? information and tools – part of a media
enterprise which includes TV and Radio
Is the site trying to sell you Doesn’t appear to

something?

How easy is it to differentiate Mostly easy

content from advertisements?
Currency When was the information written? 16 January 2012
When was the site last updated or Article was updated on 14 January 2014 but
revised? otherwise unclear
How often is the site updated? Unclear
Reliability Do most of the links on the page Yes

work?
Do you think the site will be there Yes

next time you visit it?
Authority Is the author identifiable? Is there Yes

information about the author? What
Information is provided but the author’s
is the author’s background?
qualifications are not in the area that the
article is focussed on. Her background is IT.
Does the author cite his/her Yes – but some are not academic
sources?
Who is responsible for the website? Unclear
Is the site linked to other websites? Linked to other sites which are mostly
Are they reputable? commercial
Is the language accurate? Yes
Appropriate?
What domain does the website http://www.healthyplace.com/

belong to?
Task 2.2
Based on the information in the checklist, should the student have
used this source in an academic paper? Explain your reasons.

Task 2.3 Now let’s do a complete analysis of a source.
Your teacher will provide you with a book or website. Work with a
partner and complete the table below using the example on the
previous page as a guide. When you have finished decide whether
the source is credible or not. Explain your reasons.
Title:
Step 1: Basic Analysis
Who is the author?

o What are their qualifications or
credentials? Is the author cited by other
experts?
o If the author is anonymous, then it may
be wise to rethink your use of the
source.
What is the author’s purpose?

o Is there a specific, objective or neutral
view?
o Did the author gain in some way from
writing this paper? For example, was
their research funded by a biased party?
How recent is the source?

o What is the year of publication or
edition?
o If it is a website, when was it last
updated?
What type of sources does your audience

value?
Step 2: Content Analysis
What is the purpose of the text or website?

(You will find this in the preface, home page,
introduction, abstract/ executive summary
etc.).

What is the intended audience? (An

academic audience, a general audience,
consumers etc.)
Is the information fact, opinion or

propaganda?
Is it trying to sell you something or persuade

you to do something?
Does the information appear valid? (E.g.

well researched, supported by evidence and
based on credible sources or information)
Final Decision
Credible Not credible
Reasons:
Task 2.4
Go through the same process for another academic book or journal
article. Based on your analysis, recommend whether it is a suitable
academic source.

Part D Reliable Sources

Sources You Can Rely On
The following list of sources to use and sources to avoid will help you to
make decisions and select appropriate sources for your academic essays
and reports.
Books – authored,
What sources should you use? edited and published Wikipedia
Peer reviewed journals Blogs, tweets, wikis
Peer reviewed articles Personal websites
PhD or Masters Forums
dissertations and
research Website created by
What sources should you avoid?

organisations with
Scholarly articles political or biased
Educational agendas
institutions and their Sites that provide
websites biased/one sided
Government websites information
Some non-profit Self-published works
organisations Opinion pieces
Certain newspapers
and magazines
Peer Review The terms peer review and refereed are very important in the academic
world. If a journal or article is peer reviewed, it means it has been
checked and reviewed by other experts in the field. In other words, peer
reviewed sources are considered to be reliable and academic, and to have
been written by someone who is very knowledgeable in the field. Peer
reviewed sources always have an author; an individual (or individuals)
or an organisation.
So, how do you know whether or not a journal has been peer reviewed?
Check the journal or the website of the journal. In many cases, it is
clearly stated in the About or Aims section.
Examples
TESL-EJ is fully refereed – each article undergoes an initial review
by the editor. If the editor decides that it fits within the guidelines
outlined, then it is further reviewed by at least two knowledgeable
scholars.
http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/about/

Peer Review Integrity

All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal by the
Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer
review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review
is double-blind and submission is online via ScholarOne
Manuscripts.
http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsS
cope&journalCode=RIEJ20#.VwyMj0couoU
Sometimes, there are instructions to authors regarding the peer review

process.
Examples
Editorial Policy
The total time for refereeing and handling by the Editors and the
Editorial Board will not exceed thirty (30) weeks. In order to ensure
timely publication, authors will be allowed a maximum of six (6)
months for delivery of a major revision, and a maximum of three (3)
months for minor revisions. Any revisions submitted beyond these
deadlines will be considered as resubmissions.
https://www.elsevier.com/journals/journal-of-international-money-
and-finance/0261-5606/guide-for-authors
You can also use your library catalogue or databases to make sure that
you find only refereed or peer-reviewed.
In the library catalogue you can refine or limit your search.
For example:
Limit your results

Full Text Online
Peer Reviewed
References Available
Library Collection
University Research
Date of Publication
At this stage, however, it is a good idea to check with your teacher or the
librarian if you are not sure.

Task 2.5
Work with a partner and write the title of one credible, academic source
for each type.
Appropriate Academic Sources Example
Books – authored, edited and published
Peer reviewed journals
Peer reviewed articles
PhD or Masters dissertations and research
Scholarly articles
Government websites
Educational institutions and their websites
Some non-profit organisations
Certain newspapers and magazines
Task 2.6
Decide whether or not the following are appropriate academic sources that
could be used in a GAC Reference List. Explain your reasons.
1. Change Management Institute (2013), The Effective Change Management,
Vivid Publishing
2. Edwards, E. and Roger, P.S. (2015), Seeking Out Challenges to Develop L2
Self-Confidence, in ELT-EJ Vol. 18 No. 4 [Online]. Available from
http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/ [Accessed April 20 2015]
3. Greenhouse Discussion Forum (2015), Dave’s Garden [Online]. Available
from: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/greenhouse/all/
[Accessed April 20 2015]
4. Ingraham, C. (2015), There’s never been a safer time to be a kid in America,
The Washington Post [Online]. Available from :
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/14/theres-
never-been-a-safer-time-to-be-a-kid-in-america/ [Accessed April 20 2015]
5. WHO (2015), Eliminating Malaria: Case Study 9. Climbing Towards
Elimination in Bhutan, WHO [Online]. Available from:
http://www.who.int/malaria/publications/atoz/9789241508551/en/
[Accessed April 20 2015]
6. Youth Business China (2014), Wikipedia [Online]. Available from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_Business_China [Accessed April 20
2015]

Academic Research Manual Unit 3: The Interview
Unit 3: The Interview
Part A Developing the Research Question

Part B The Planning Process
Part C Demographics
Part D Developing the Questions
Part E Sequencing the questions
Part F The Interview Guide
Part G Using the Interview Data in the Report

Outcomes
 develop an interview guide
 construct a sequence of interview questions that logically address the
research question
 conduct an interview
 record and analyse the results of an interview
 Use the data from an interview effectively in a research report
Overview An important tool in Social Science research is the use of interviews.

Interviews are also a common tool used by businesses, especially in
marketing and the development of new products. An interview gives the
researcher information about people’s opinions and observations of events.
When addressing a specific research question, it is important to choose the
right people to interview, and ask them relevant questions that give
informative answers. In this unit you will learn how to get the best results
from a research project that requires interviews.


Unit 3: The Interview Academic Research Manual
Part A Developing the Research Question
Introduction The interview is a Qualitative Research tool that gives detailed

information about how individuals experience, understand and explain
aspects of their lives and the world around them.
Interviews can range from highly structured surveys to loose
conversations. In the GAC you will focus on the structured interview
form. This is useful for Assessment Events you will do in the Business
and Social Science modules.
Most structured interviews ask all interviewees the same basic questions
so that when the interviews are analysed, the answers can be compared
in some way.
Questions need to be designed that will elicit the information that you
need in order to answer your research question.
The First Narrowing Your Topic and Developing Your Research Question
Steps
Before you start any research, you need to think very carefully about
what you want to achieve. This is a process similar to the one you go
through in order to develop your thesis statement before you write an
essay. Here, you also need to narrow your topic and develop a research
question. The research question will help you to organise your research.
Alternative ideas for the process of narrowing the topic can be found in
Unit 1 Part B of the Academic Writing Manual, or Unit 1 Part D of this
manual.

The following flowchart leads you through the process.
Read the question carefully and analyse exactly what it is you are
being asked to do.
Select the key topic (or topics) in the question.
Brainstorm as many parts (aspects/issues) of each topic as you can.

Draw these in a mind map.
Choose one part (aspect/issue) that is of interest to you.
Do some background reading related to the topic. This will help to

refine your position.
Now think about your purpose. What is it that you are trying to
achieve. Write a statement of purpose in one or two sentences.
Rewrite this statement of purpose as a question. Be as precise as

possible. This is your research question.
Make sure that you are specific when you write your research question.
Think about what phenomenon you are looking at, whom you are doing the
research for and why.

Ask yourself: How can I answer this question?

Can I answer this question within the assessment’s word
limits in the time available?
Example 1: In GAC027 Assessment Event 1, you are required to

research and write a Primary Research Report. You have five
weeks to design the interview guide, conduct and analyse the
interviews and to write a report of a minimum of 800 words. So
you should ask yourself:
Can I do all this in five weeks and 800 words?
If not then you need to narrow your question even further.
Example 2: In GAC012 Assessment Event 3, you are required to

research and write a written Report. You have twelve weeks to
conduct research and conduct a business analysis, identify
solutions, design the interview questionnaire, conduct and
analyse the interviews and to write a report of a minimum of 100
words. So you should ask yourself:
Can I do all this in twelve weeks and 1000 words?
If not then you need to narrow your question even further.


Planning the Once you have written your research question, you need to start planning
interview your interview process.
This is where you design your interview guide. This is the list of
Designing questions and suggested follow-up questions that will guide you
through the interview. You should trial every question before the
interview.
Organising the This is where you make a list of possible people to interview, then
interview contact them to arrange the interview time.
At the start of the interview, introduce yourself , explain the

purpose of the interview, and make sure the interviewee is
Interviewing comfortable. Ask permission to record the interview. Then you will
listen and observe as you ask your interview questions. Ideally you
should record the interview. This will allow you to take additional
notes of your observations during the interview.
Transcribing This is where you write out each answer as the interviewee actually
said it, along with the observations you made during the interviews.
This takes place after the interview. It is when you identify key
Analysing categories, themes or trends in the answers. You can use your topics
and demographic information to organise your information.
Reporting This is where you write your report, following the correct GAC
format. Refer to the Academic Writing Manual for help.
Hint Before you record each interview, make sure you ask permission from the
interviewee!

Part C Demographics
Demographic Information
Demographics are characteristics of a population or group of people. They tell
us about race, ethnicity, gender, age, education, profession, occupation,
income level and marital status etc.
When we gather information about a group of people, we need to know as
much as possible about that group. When we do research, we can use
demographic information to:
 Decide who to research, question or interview
 Organise the data into categories
In the GAC, you will conduct face-to-face interviews in Social Science and
Business. You will use demographic information to decide who to interview.
Imagine that you want to find out about how the economy changed after a
disaster such as an earthquake. First you will select your interviewees based
on location as they need to have been in the place where the disaster took place.
Then you will need to consider age as they need to have experienced the
disaster. Once you have conducted the interviews, this information will help
you to describe the sample of interviewees in the Methods section.
Example: The eight people interviewed were born between 1966 and 1976
and were all resident in Kobe at the time of the earthquake.
Once the interviews are complete and the data is collected, it can be divided
into various categories based on demographic information gathered from the
survey. If we go back to the example of the disaster, the data might be divided
even further by location and income group. This way you could compare
changes in more and less affluent (rich) parts of the location. You might want
to consider the differences for men and women, or for people with different
types of jobs. This allows you to compare data for different categories of
people in the Findings section and go on to answer the research question in
the Discussion section.
Example: While the earthquake had a serious impact on all interviewees,

there are significant differences according to socio- economic group. As
can be seen in Figure 1, the impact on the lower socio-economic groups
residing in the less affluent suburbs in the inner city (see Appendix 1). On
the other hand the impact on the more affluent peripheral suburbs was
considerably less severe. This difference in turn had an impact on the
economic recovery of the city.
Further, as can be seen in Table 2, interviewees employed in the

construction industry were able to gain employment quickly as part of the
rebuilding of the city thus lessening the economic impact of the earthquake.
On the other hand, small business owners were much more negatively

affected by the earthquake. Many were seriously impacted and unable to

return to previous levels of affluence in the 10-year period following the
event.
When do we ask demographic questions?
Demographic questions usually form the first or the last part of any interview
or survey. This kind of question helps to set the context for your analysis and
provides you with some ways to organise and analyse your data.
Some researchers put these questions in a table on the first page of the
interview guide so that it can be quickly completed.
What is Demographic Information?

Demographic information means information which sorts the population into
categories. Brainstorm as many categories as you can and list below:
Compare your ideas with a partner. Did you include any of the following?
 Age
 Gender
 Marital Status
 Employment Status
 Education Status
 Family (Size or Make-up)
 Ethnicity (or Country or Origin)
 First Language / Languages Spoken
 Residence (Type or Length)
 Income
 Religion

Of course, you will not use all of these in every interview or survey that you
do. You will choose the demographic topics that are relevant and will be the
most useful when you analyse your data. You will need to consider your
research purpose and research question and decide which topics will allow you
to compare and analyse different subgroups that the demographic questions
have identified. You will be able design useful graphs and tables in the findings
section and to analyse how some subgroups are similar or different in the
discussion section.
For example, demographic information about age will allow you to

compare responses from people in different age groups. Then you will
be able to explore and/or draw conclusions about that factor.
Remember that the Research Question is the key. Think about what you expect to find and
how you could organise it. Select two or three pieces of demographic information that will
be useful.
Work with a partner and discuss the examples in the following table:
Topic Research Question Useful

Demographic
Information
Age at How has the Marriage and Divorce Act of 1976 Age
marriage changed the age at people marry for the first time
Marital Status
and the length of time they stay married?
Foreign How the increase in the number of foreign workers Ethnicity

workers changed the main language(s) used in the
Languages Spoken
workplace and the relationship between workers?
Storm or What impact did the downturn in the local Employment Status
Tsunami economy and unemployment rates after the 2004
Income
Tsunami have on community confidence?
Global How did the impact of the Global Financial Crisis Age
Financial on personal finances vary by age?
Employment Status
Crisis
Residence

Task 3.1 Work with a partner and brainstorm to complete the table below.
1. Add useful demographic information.
2. Add a research question and useful demographic information.
3. Think of a topic you are interested in and add a research question and
useful demographic information.
Topic Research Question Useful Demographic

Information
1 New What impact has the construction of the new

expressway expressway has on local businesses?
2 Typhoon
Task 3.2
Sampling Activity: Working in pairs, choose three pieces of
demographic information. Then collect data for these demographics
from the rest of the class. With your partner, identify any trends you
see in your data, and what kinds of graph you could use to show
your findings. Share your results in a class discussion.
Sample When you have decided on the demographic information you think you
Questions will find useful when you analyse and interpret your data, you need to
write your question. These questions can be narrow and it is possible to
limit the way that interviewees answer the question, such as for Age in
the table below. This will help you later when you design your graphs
and/or tables for the Findings section.
Demographic Sample Questions

Topic
Age What age group do you belong to; under 20, 21 to 30, 31
to 40, 41 to 50 or over 51?
Gender What is your gender?

Note: In a face-to-face interview situation, you will
usually be able to answer this without asking a question.
However, it is important that you note it.

Marital Status What is your marital status?

Are you married, single, divorced, or widowed?
Employment What is your occupation?

Status
Education What is your highest level of education?

Status
Family How many people are there in your family?

Who/how many people do you live with?
Ethnicity Where were you born?
Language What language do you speak at home?

How many/What languages do you speak?
Residence Do you live in an apartment or a detached house?

How long have you lived in your current residence?
How many people do you live with?

Part D Developing the Questions

Task 3.3 Consider the Research Question developed in Unit 2 Part B:
How did the lives of Algerians change after Independence was

declared?
Imagine that you and a partner have arranged interviews with people who were
living in Algeria during this period. Use the timeline in Appendix I to help you.
First, work together to write the demographic questions that you should ask.
Next, write a list of at least five interview questions that address this research
question.
Then, join another pair of students and compare your questions. Does each
question make sense? Does each question help to address the research
question? If not then amend the questions.
Together you should have a list of at least 10 questions. Now descide in which
order you would ask the questions. Justify your ideas.

Types of Content Questions

Questions When you conduct your interview, there are different kinds of questions that
you could ask to collect the content or information that you are after. These
become the core of your interview guide.
Qyestion Type Purpose Sample Questions Question Focus

Information Find out basic When did you move to this area? how, who, when,
knowledge or How do you usually travel to where, which,
information by work? define, describe,
asking questions Describe what happened. relate, recall,
about facts. repeat, name…
Comprehension Help the Which is the most important for compare, contrast,
interviewer you? determine, give
understand the How could you summarise that examples of,
interviewees feeling? explain…
answers and ideas.
Application Find out possible How would you apply this in your apply, choose,
solutions to neighbourhood? solve, use,
problems or What would be your first action to operate,
issues. solve this problem? generalise,
How would you choose what to interpret…
change?
Analysis Find out why the Why did you say that? conclude, analyse,
interviewee has What is the relationship between categorise, infer,
answered in that the council and the students? predict…
way. What do you conclude from that?
Evaluation Find out how the What is your opinion of the ‘war opinion, agree,
interviewee on drugs? rate, evaluate,
explains or judges How would you evaluate the assess, defend,
ideas. decision? judge, support,
Why do you think rainwater is conclude…
better than riverwater?
Task 3.4 Look back at the questions you developed in Task 3.3. Compare these
questions to the content areas in the table above. What sort of questions have
you asked? What sort of questions could be added? In your group, rewrite
your questions as needed to ensure that there is a balance of content questions.
You might also like to add some questions to your list.

Operational Questions
These are questions that help you organise and conduct your interview. They
help you to get all possible information from the interviewee. They are non-
core but still should be a part of your interview guide. Some researchers put
these questions on a separate page in their interview guide so they can refer to
it easily.
Type of Question Samples

Can you tell me about …?
Do you remember when…?
Introducing questions
What happened …?
When you hear … what do you think?
What happened next?

What exactly happened?
Follow-up questions
You mentioned … tell me more about that?
You talked about… could you describe that in more detail?
Could you tell me more about that?

Probing questions Could you give me some more detail about that?
Do you have any other examples of that?
Have you ever received a reward for …?

Direct questions How do you think the teachers classify/ explain…?
When you say… what do you actually mean?
What did you think/say/do then?

Specifying questions What did you actually do …?
How did you react when…?
Is it OK to move onto the next topic?

Transition questions
Do you mind if we move on?
Do you mean …?
Is it correct/true that …?
In what way?
Clarifying questions
What do you mean by…?
Can you give me some examples?
Can you say a little more about…?

Task 3.5 Now look again at the questions in Task 3.4 above. At what point do you
think you could use the operational questions above? Discuss in your
group.
Hints Hints for Good Questions

It is important that your questions are clear. Everyone that you interview
should have the same understanding of every question that you ask.
 Write your questions in clear, simple language.
 Make sure that your question asks exactly what you are looking for.
 Your questions should be short; one question should measure one
thing/aspect.
 Your questions should be mostly open-ended because they will give
you more in-depth information.
 Your questions should not be biased or one sided.
 Your questions should not lead the interviewee.
Note: One way to check that you have written good questions is to trial them
on your classmates. Your aim is that everyone understands the questions in
exactly the same way – and exactly as you intended. If this does not happen,
you will need to rewrite your questions. This trial period is very important in
making sure that you answer the research question.
Caution! Some Dos and Don’ts

When you are doing an interview, your aim is to gain a lot of information that
you can analyse. To do that effectively, there are certain question-types that
you need to avoid.
Avoid double-barrelled questions
Problem Do you favour or oppose longer school days and shorter school
holidays?
Better
Do you favour or oppose longer school days?
Do you favour or oppose shorter school holidays?
Clarify and/or define vague or confusing terms
Problem Do you agree or disagree that the lack of moral values in our society
has influenced the level of corruption?
Better Do you agree or disagree that the lack of moral values in our society
has influenced the level of corruption? By moral values, I mean the
understanding of right and wrong and by corruption I mean all illegal
behaviour.

Avoid leading questions
Problem Do you believe the government has failed in the fight against
corruption?
Better
What is your opinion of the government’s actions in the fight against
corruption?
Avoid technical terms
Problem Does anyone in your family suffer from bradycardia?
Better Does anyone in your family suffer from a slow heart beat?
Avoid complex sentences
Problem Do you believe that waste collection in the neighbourhood is a

problem because of the lack of waste collection points or do you
believe that the waste collection in our neighbourhood is
satisfactory?
Better
What is your opinion of waste collection in the neighbourhood?
Avoid questions that are too broad
Problem What do you think about waste collection?
Better What is your opinion of waste collection in the neighbourhood?
Avoid yes/no questions
Problem Did you find the class helpful?
Better What was the most helpful part of the class you attended?
Task 3.6 Work with a partner and role play the following interview. The interviewer
has done some things well, but also made some mistakes. Identify the
mistakes and explain the problem. Then rewrite the questions to make sure
that the interviewer gets the information they wanted. Then role play the
revised interview.
Interviewer Hello Mrs Omar, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed today. I’m Song Le from
Colay West High School. As I mentioned in my email, I am doing a project on the
new mall for my Social Science class. As part of the project, I am interviewing
people to ask for their opinion.
Mrs Omar That’s OK.
Interviewer Do you mind if I record the interview?
Mrs Omar Oh I don’t know. Who will hear it?

Interviewer Don’t worry, it will just be me. I will transcribe the interview and use a code to
identify you.
Mrs Omar Oh, then it’s OK to record me.
Interviewer Great. Let’s start. What do you think about shopping malls?
Mrs Omar I don’t know. I guess they’re okay. They’re very big.
Interviewer Do you agree with the new mall that has just opened on Third Avenue?
Mrs Omar Yes it’s okay.
Interviewer Do you agree that there will be more traffic on Third Avenue now?
Mrs Omar Oh yes!
Interviewer Do you believe that the new underground parking facility will slow the flow of
traffic and increase the waiting time before customers can enter the mall?
Mrs Omar Yes … err … no …um… maybe. I don’t know, let me think.
Interviewer I’ll err… let’s move on. What is your opinion of the design of the new mall?
Mrs Omar I think it’s wonderful - very big and spacious - very fresh. It fits into the
neighbourhood very well. It will be very easy to go shopping all year round now and
even when it is raining.
Interviewer Will you be using the new mall?
Mrs Omar Oh yes.
Interviewer How do you think you be using the new mall?
Mrs Omar I will be able to do my shopping all in one place – the supermarket, the pharmacy,
the butchers … you know everything. I can even meet my friends at one of the new
cafes. I hear that there will also be a cinema and a bowling alley. My son will love
that.
Interviewer OK. Now let me see the next question. So do you agree that the council has made a
mistake by not considering the traffic needs?
Mrs Omar I’m not sure … maybe.
Interviewer Okay well thank you very much for your time Mrs Omar.

Part E Sequencing the Questions

Organising Once you have written your questions, you need to organise them in the best
the way to achieve your goal. In general, the sequence should be logical, with
Interview one question leading to the next.
Guide
Start the interview with one or two general questions designed to make both
interviewer and interviewee relax.
There are some general rules in organising the remainder of your interview
questions:
From To
General Particular
Easy Difficult
Factual Abstract
Impersonal Personal
Non-sensitive Sensitive
Hint Checklist To Review Your Questions

Once you have written all the questions you want to ask, it is important that
you go back to your research question and check that all of your questions
all help you to answer the research question.
The following checklist will help you to make sure that all your questions
are suitable for your interview:
Checklist 
My questions provide data that will answer the research question.
My questions are unbiased.
My questions provide data that can be analysed.
My interviewees will answer truthfully.
My interviewees have the knowledge to answer all the questions.
My interviewees are willing to answer all the questions.
My questions avoid leading the interviewee.
The language in my questions is clear and understandable.
Task 3.7 Checking Suitability of Questions

Now look back at the questions you developed in Task 3.2. Using the
information you have studied in the Dos and Don’ts section, sequence
your questions and the checklist above, then review your questions.
Amend any questions that do not fulfil the criteria and add any other
questions that you feel are missing.

Task 3.8 1. Think about a recent technological change that you believe has had,
or will soon have, an effect on you and your classmates. Plan and
write a short interview (5-6 questions) to research the opinions of
other students in the class regarding this new technology.
2. Work with a partner. Take turns interviewing each other using the
interview questions you have designed. Take notes on the responses
to your questions.
3. Discuss with your partner which questions were effective, and
which you would change for an interview with another student.

Part F The Interview Guide

Compiling Your Interview Guide
At this stage you should write all your content questions in the correct order on
a separate piece of paper. Leave plenty of space between each question so that
you can take notes.
Write ideas for operational questions on a separate piece of paper so that you
can refer to them for ideas throughout the interview.
Finally, set up a table on the front page of each interview so you can make notes
of demographic information. You should also note the date and location of the
interview.
So, your interview guide consists of three parts:
1. The front page for

demographic inormation.
Interview 2. The content (core)

Guide questions.
3. The operational (non-

core) questions.
See Appendix 1 for a sample Interview Guide.
Hint Points to consider when interviewing
 DO introduce yourself and your school and explain the purpose of your
interview.
 DO ask permission before you record.
 DO take notes while you interview.
 DO repeat and/or rephrase questions if the interviewee doesn’t respond.
 DON’T be afraid to take a different path to the prepared questions if the
interviewee brings up an interesting point or a point you hadn’t
considered.
 DON’T cut off the interviewee even if they say things that are not
relevant. Instead, let them talk and then rephrase and repeat.
 DO use the active strategies you studied in GAC006 Business, Science
& Social Science I: Communication Skills Unit 3.
 DO use the questioning and note-taking strategies you studied in
GAC001 and GAC007 Academic English: Listening and Speaking
Skills.
 DO thank the interviewee at the end of the interview.

Selecting Your Sample

The sample is the group of people that you interview; that is the group of
interviewees. There are two main aspects to think about in choosing your
sample:
You want to talk to people who You want to talk to people who
are able to give information potentially reflect a range of
because they are experts, people/ideas/opinions within
witnesses or actually involved. the population.
This will ensure that you talk to This will ensure that you get
people who have an more than one view of the issue.
understanding of the issue.
E.g. You are researching a

E.g. You are researching a particular event in the past, so
particular event in the past, so you include someone who
you include someone who participated in the event AND
participated in the event. someone who has studied
about the event.
Make a list of people who you would like to interview. Generally speaking,
a larger sample will give better results for answering your research question.
However, larger samples mean more work in conducting interviews and
analysing the data. For the GAC Assessment Events, you will have a
minimum number of people to interview. Within that group, make sure that
you have a range of people in your sample.
Always contact the potential interviewees and make a formal request for an
interview even if you know them well. Explain who you are and the name
of your school. Then, explain the purpose of the interview. Decide on the
date and time of the interview and indicate the length of time you expect the
interview to take.
Task 3.9 Work with a partner. Think about a recent international disaster: it may be
a natural disaster or a man-made disaster. Imagine you are going to conduct
research to discover the extent to which emergency services achieved their
goals in the aftermath of the disaster. You have decided to conduct four
interviews. Together, use the information from Selecting your Sample to list
five people who would be suitable. You should explain your reasons for
selecting this person in as much detail as possible.
Next, join another pair. Compare your lists. Together, consider all the
people and the reasons and develop a final list of four people.
Hint! During the interview, use the Active Listening strategies that you studied in
GAC006 Business, Science & Social Science I: Communication Skills
Unit 3.

Part G Using the Interview Data in the Report

Putting It All Writing Up Your Research
Together
When you have completed all the interviews, you should have a lot of raw
data; the recordings as well as the notes you took during the interviews, and
the demographic information you collected. (Ideally the recordings should
be transcribed.) Now it is time to put the information together and analyse
it for your findings section and then interpret the findings for your
discussion section.
Findings – Analysing Your Data

Analysing your data is the process of coming up with the findings from your
research. This means that you are selecting, organising, examining and
interpreting your data. Remember that the research question is the centre of
what you are doing. The process of this analysis is to make links between
what you have found out and your research question.
The first thing you need to do is to arrange your data into categories or basic
organising ideas. Some researchers do this using coloured highlighters to
identify and separate categories in the transcripts. The next thing that you
need to do is organise these categories into themes that reflect your research
question. You are asking the following questions:
Are there any striking or surprising findings?
 Are there any patterns or trends?
 Are there any issues or problems highlighted in the data?
 Are there any similarities and/or differences by demographic
factor?
Use these questions to help organise your information into tables, charts
and graphs.
Sample Graphs from interview data

Example 1: A Dotplot of Customer satisfaction of a business
1 2 3 4 5
Very dissatisfied Satisfied Very Satisfied

Example 2: A Bar Graph of individual interviewees
Study Hours/Week for Senior 3 Students

30
Study Hours per Week

20
Current Year
10
Previous Year
0
A B C D E
Student
Example 3: A Table of demographic data
Interviewee Gender Age Employment
A Male 19 Student
B Female 34 Teacher
C Female 61 Retired
D Male 42 Taxi driver
Note: You need to be selective about the data that you analyse. You cannot
analyse everything effectively. It is best to select only the key themes and
categories that help you to address your thesis statement.
Task 3.10 You have conducted four interviews to find out more about your research
topic: The benefits of homework. You have summarised the interviews
in the table on the next page. (Note: This type of summary should be
included in the Appendices.)
Now you need to organise and examine your findings.
 First, use a highlighter to identify key points or ideas.
 Can you identify any trends?
 Is there anything surprising?
 Are there any issues or problems?
 Are there any similarities and/or differences by demographic
factor?
What sort of tables or graphs could best show your ideas about the
information?

Male A/16 years old Male B/19 years old Female A/15 years old Female B/22 years old
Year 11 student University student (Freshman) Year 10 student University Student (Senior)
How often do you Weekdays and Sunday night Weekdays and weekends before Every day Every day
do homework? exams and major assignments
When do you When I get up in the morning As soon as I get home. As soon as I get home. I like to try Straight after class. Then I schedule
usually do your and last thing on Sundays? to get it done in the morning on time on the weekends.
homework? Saturday and Sunday.
Why do you like to Because my mom makes me. I like to get it over with So I can have time to relax and do So I can meet friends and schedule all
do it at this time? other things. my other activities.
How long do you About an hour About three hours each day and Three hours each day then about 4 About five hours each day and more on
usually spend more on the weekends each on Saturdays and Sundays. the weekends, depending on my
doing homework? schedule
How does it help I don’t know – I just have to Mostly it gives me a chance to I find that if I spend time doing At the moment I have a lot of research
with your studies? do it – I have to hand it in practice things in my own time homework at home I understand to do so I like to go to the library as
my lessons better and I find it soon as I finish class. It means I am on
easier to keep up in class – track to finish and get good marks.
otherwise it’s really hard.
What is your GPA? 2.2 3.2 3.0 3.8
How does it I don’t really see that it’s I think it helps me to get better I have to work really hard and go What happens in class is just the tip of
contribute to your important. marks. over everything again and again to the iceberg. If you want to be successful
academic success? get good marks. you need to work hard and that means
homework and extra study.
Would you No. I think that all your I wish we didn’t have to do so Yes, you have to do it to get good Well yes, it’s essential. What you learn
recommend school work should be done much, but it is important so that marks. in class just isn’t enough. But you have
homework? at school – not at home. you get into the course you want to be smart – you know plan and use
Why/why not? at university. your time effectively.

Discussion Analysing and Interpreting Your Findings

The Discussion section of your report is where you analyse and interpret
your data and your findings. In this section there are a number of questions
that you need to ask and answer:
 What is going on and why?
 What assumptions can you make?
 Why do the patterns exist and what do they tell you?
It may help to organise your discussion as follows:
Think about the the significance of the findings. What are the
implications? How does it relate to the community or
society? Make sure that you refer to your research question.
Relate your findings to the big picture. That is any theoretical

background or cultural background that you discussed in the
Introduction.
Think about the implications of your findings. What does it

mean? Has your research question been answered? How? If
not, why not?
Task 3.11 Now look back at The information in Task 3.10 and answer the following
questions:
 What is going on and why?
 What assumptions can you make?
 Why do the patterns exist and what do they tell you?
Is there anything missing? Is there anything else you would like to know?
Quoting From Your Interviews

Your interviews are your main source of data (or evidence), so it is
important that you directly refer to them in your findings and discussion
sections. You should use quotations from the interviews as examples, to
provide evidence, or to help the reader to understand your interpretations
more fully. Use quotation marks, and reference in the same way that you
would any other piece of evidence.
Example: According to Interviewee 3, “After 1978 the number of people in

my neighbourhood who were unemployed increased dramatically” (2013).
This was reflected across the country at that time and was a significant factor
in the rise in crime rate.

The Appendices
In social science qualitative research like this, it is usual to include a list of
the content questions as well as information about the interviewees.
Interviewee information should include name (or a code if you do not want
to identify the interviewee), date and place of the interview as well as any
demographic information you collected. You can refer to the Appendices in
the body of your report.
Example: All interviewees were under 15 at the time of the riot (see
Appendix 2) and this may affect their interpretation of the events that took
place.
Full transcripts of the interviews are usually included in the Appendix.
The Reference List

Your reference list should include all of your research material. This
includes secondary sources such as the books and websites that you might
have referred to in the Introduction. It should also include primary sources
such as the interviewee information with name (or code if you do not want
to identify the interviewee), the date of interview and the place of interview.
This should be organised alphabetically as in any reference list. Most
researchers have a separate, labelled section for interviewees in the
reference list.
Activity: Find a partner. Pretend that you have interviewed your

partner as part of a research project. Write down the reference that you
would put into the reference list of your research report from this
interview. When you have finished, exchange with your partner and
check their work. Can you find any errors in their referencing?

Academic Research Manual Unit 4: The Experiment
Unit 4: The Experiment
Part A Experiments
Part B Factors to Consider
Part C Analysing the Data
Part D Being Objective
Part E Recommendations

Outcomes
 design an experiment that tests a given hypothesis
 conduct the experiment
 record observations without bias
 analyse the data and write up the results
Overview We ask research questions because we don’t know the answer and want to
find it. In such cases the only way to find the answer is to physically test
them. This means that we need to use the scientific method (described in
GAC013 Science II: Scientific Principles Unit 2) in order to design an
experiment which accurately addresses the given hypothesis. This unit will
briefly describe some of the skills that will help you to design and analyse
scientific experiments.

GAC004 Assessment Event 2 (Project 2)
GAC016 Assessment Event 2 (Project 2)

Unit 4: The Experiment Academic Research Manual
Part A Experiments
Before you Why do we need experiments?

begin
Academics are very good at coming up with theories that they think predict
ways in which the world works; but how do we know that these theories are
true? It is only by testing the particular theory that we know whether or not
the theory will agree with reality. A well designed experiment can help
academics decide conclusively if a theory is correct or not.
Designing A Framework for Experimental Design

an
The following steps will help you to understand how to design an effective
Experiment
experiment.
Analyse the hypothesis and decide exactly what you need to measure, and what
conditions you need to set up for your measurements.
Are there any experimental techniques that you know of from your studies that
could work for your hypothesis? Some background research could give you
ideas on how to conduct your experiment.
Make up a list of the factors in your experiment. These are all the possible things
you could measure in the phenomena you want to investigate. Which of them do
you want to keep fixed (the same)? Which one do you wish to make variable
(different)? Consider having a Control experiment to compare with, where the
factor you are investigating is absent.
Think about the resources you have available for your experiment.
 Do you need any special equipment?
 Are the variables you want to measure best measured in the field? If so
you may need a field trip to gather your data.
 How much time do you have to gather your data? The more data you
have the stronger your conclusions will be, so time is an important
factor.
How will you analyse your results? Do you need to calculate some statistics,
like mean and standard deviation? You should also think about the kind of
graphs that would best show important trends in the data.

What is the question?

Before you design your experiment, you should carefully think about the
question you wish to answer. You must have a hypothesis that you test with
your experiment. Your hypothesis could be to test a known theory or law
that someone else has proposed, or it could be to observe the possible cause
of some physical phenomenon that is unknown. In either case, you must set
your hypothesis before you decide how you are going to test it.
For ideas on how to construct a hypothesis, see Unit 1 Part D of this manual
or GAC013 Science II: Scientific Principles Unit 2 for details of how the
scientific method works.
What resources do you have available?

Often experiments are limited by the equipment that you can use to make
measurements, or the time available for you to gather data. You should
ensure that the measurements that you take actually address your
hypothesis. At all points in the experimental process you need to be accurate
and objective. People who read about your research will only believe your
conclusions if your measurements are accurate and free of bias.
Before you run your experiment, you should set up the equipment and check
that it works as you have planned. Check your measuring equipment to
ensure it is making correct measurements. This is known as calibration.
The phenomena that you wish to observe may be best observed in the field,
not in the laboratory. Many experiments in Biology, Earth Sciences and the
Social Sciences fall into this category. In this case you may need to plan a
field trip to conduct your experiment. Consult Unit 5 of this manual for
ideas on how to plan effective field trips.

Example: Experimental Design
Hypothesis: That a new drug is effective in the treatment of cancer.
We need to see if this new drug works in curing or slowing the progress of cancer in patients. We
should find some patients with cancer, and set up a comparison between those who receive
treatment using the new drug, and those who don’t. In the analysis of our data we must account
for the many factors that can also affect the prognosis of cancer patients.
Almost all drugs are tested using a double blind technique, where neither the patient nor the
doctor know whether or not the patient is receiving the new drug, or a pill which has no active
drug. This is to account for the placebo effect, which can distort the results of medicinal drug
testing
Factors:
 Whether the patient receives the drug or a placebo. The placebo group will be a Control
group. This is our variable factor.
 The type of cancer the patient has.
 How severe the patient’s cancer is.
 The patient’s gender, age and lifestyle habits (for example diet and smoking status).
 How much of the drug is used (the drug dosage).
 Other medical treatments the patient has been given.
We would like to fix as many of these factors as possible, however it may not be possible to fix all
of them and get a large enough sample of patients to produce meaningful results from a statistical
analysis. Most similar studies fix the drug dosage and the type of cancer, and try to account for
possible bias in the results from other factors in the analysis of the results.
 We will need adequate supplies of the drug, and a placebo that looks identical.
 We will need access to doctors and patients willing to participate in the experiment.
 All doctors and patients will have to give their consent to participate in the experiment.
We will need supervision to ensure the study is conducted ethically.
 We will set a deadline for the research to end.
 We will need to ensure that the results from analysing the data are reliable.
We will divide our data into two groups, those who received the drug, and those who received the
placebo, and compare statistical measures between the two groups. Survival rate and mean life
expectancy are two possible measures that we could use. However, we may need more
complicated statistics to explain the variable factors in the experiment that we can’t control.

Part B Factors to Consider
Factors and Control Groups

(This material is described in further detail in GAC013 Science II: Scientific
Principles Unit 2)
Usually an experiment will try to show the effect of changing one particular
factor on an experiment. If changing a factor X results in a change (in effect
Y), then you can conclude that X is a cause of Y. You will want at least two,
possibly more, experiments with different values of X to show this.
The problem is that the effect Y could have many possible causes, and you
need to remove the others if you want to examine the effect of the specific
cause X. You do this by fixing the value of the other possible causes or factors,
and allow only the factor you wish to examine to change.
Cause(X) Cause(X)
Cause
Cause
Cause
Cause
Cause
Cause
Effect(Y) Effect(Y)
If all possible causes are allowed If we fix all possible causes

to vary, how do we know which except one, then we can be sure
one caused the effect? of what caused the effect.

Example: Think about an experiment where we want to test the effect that
watering has on plant growth. However you know that there are many
other factors that can influence plant growth. For example:
 Type of plant
 Sunlight exposure
 Soil quality
 Temperature
 Can you think of any others?
So in an experiment designed to specifically test the effect of watering, all

of these other factors will have to be kept constant to make a valid
comparison of the growth of several plants. We have to take the same
species of plant, exposed to the same sunlight, planted in the same soil, at
the same temperature. The only difference between the plants that is
allowed in the experiment is the amount of water that we give them. In
this way we can measure the influence of watering (cause X) on plant
growth (effect Y).
You should consider including a Control Group, which is an experiment

where X is completely absent. This provides a baseline measure to compare
other experimental results with. If the results of other experiments with
different values of X give the same results as the control group, then this is
evidence that X has no effect on Y at all!
Example: When testing the ability of a new drug to treat a disease, doctors
will often divide a group of patients into groups, and give each group a
different dosage of the drug. In this case they want to show that giving a
patient this particular drug is the cause X which results in curing the patient
of the disease, which is the effect Y. One of the groups is always a control
group. They receive a placebo, which is a pill which looks exactly the
same as the drug, but contains sugar or another inactive substance. If the
patients receiving the drug recover from the disease and those receiving
the placebo don’t, then we can conclude that the drug is able to cure the
disease. If there is no difference in prognosis (result or diagnosis) between
the group receiving the drug and the placebo group, then we can conclude
that the drug has no effect.

Experimental Design Worksheet

Effect: Proposed Cause:
Other Causes/Factors to be fixed:


Equipment:
Method/Experimental Setup
Measuring System:
How much data will you gather?
See Appendix 1 for a Science Research Plan Worksheet and detailed Investigation Planner

Part C Analysing the Data

How will you analyse the data?
The type of data that you gather will have an influence on how you analyse it.
Some of the techniques that you studied in GAC010 Mathematics II:
Probability, Statistics and Finance on data analysis will be helpful here.
Statistics: You may need to calculate statistics like mean, median, and standard
deviation in order to find differences between the results from different groups.
Remember that the more data you have for your analysis the easier it will be to
find significant statistical differences in your results.
Graphs and Tables: When you write your report you will need to create graphs
and tables of your data that show the important trends and help persuade the
reader that your conclusions are correct.
The types of graph that you use depend mostly on the kind of data you receive
from your experiment. Data that is numerical (numbers) should be treated
differently from data that is not numerical (such as answers to survey questions).
Your notes from GAC010 Units 5, 6 and 7 contain good advice on what types
of graph are best for your data. The following table will help you to remember:
Type of Data Types of Graphs
Qualitative (Non-numerical)
Bar graphs, Pie Charts
data
Discrete Quantitative (Whole

Bar graphs, Dotplots, Stem and
numbers or a countable set of
Leaf plots, Boxplots
possible answers)
Continuous Quantitative
Histograms, Stem and Leaf
(Numbers contained in a range
plots, Boxplots
of possible answers)
Time Series (A series of

measurements of a quantity Line graph
taken at regular time intervals)
Bivariate data (Each experiment

measures two quantities. your Scatterplot
data comes in pairs)

Have you gathered enough data? Sometimes if there is very little data then it is
very difficult to decide whether your hypothesis is true. It is difficult to make a
meaningful graph of your results if there are only 5 data points. You will need
many more to reach solid conclusions about your hypothesis.
What does it mean to be “different”?

Many experiments require you to compare the results between two or more
different situations. This tests a hypothesis that these situations are either the
same, or different. You will see that there are almost always differences in your
data due to errors in your measurement. This is part of the uncertainty that go
with any real world measurement. The question is: when you see a difference
between groups in your data, is it due to real differences in the situation of each
group, or are the groups really the same, with the differences due to error in the
measurements? In statistics the term used in this question is to ask if the
difference is significant.
There are two statistical measures that are important to measure when
comparing numerical data:
 The mean is a measure of the centre of a collection of numbers. The
mean of your data gives you an estimate of the true value of the quantity
you are measuring, with most of the errors in your measurements
cancelling each other. The more data you collect, the better your
estimate will be.
The formula for calculating the mean of a set of data {x1, x2, x3, …, xn}
is:
∑ 𝑥𝑖
𝑥̅ =
𝑛
 The standard deviation is a measure of the spread of a collection of
numbers. This gives you a measure of the error in your measurements.
Data that has a high standard deviation has a large spread, and there will
be more uncertainty of the true value you are trying to measure.
The formula for calculating the standard deviation of a set of data is:
∑(𝑥𝑖 −𝑥̅ )2
𝑠=√
𝑛−1
Spread
Centre

Both of these statistics can be calculated using equations that you can find in the
GAC010 Student Manual.
There are formal methods for comparing means and standard deviations to
decide if the difference between them is significant. This is known as Statistical
Inference. Unfortunately these are complicated, and beyond the level of the
GAC program. However, a good general rule for GAC students to use is that if
the difference between two means is less than or approximately the same as the
sum of the two standard deviations, then the difference between them is not
statistically significant. Using the notation of GAC010:
If |𝑥
̅̅̅1 − ̅̅̅|
𝑥2 ≲ 𝑠1 + 𝑠2 then the means are not significantly different
If |𝑥
̅̅̅1 − ̅̅̅|
𝑥2 > 𝑠1 + 𝑠2 then the means are significantly different
You can use this principle to decide on the validity of your hypothesis.
Examples:
1. Here are two groups of data from separate experiments to be compared, with
their means and standard deviations. Is the difference between the two means
statistically significant?
Group 1 Group 2
234 245
240 236
223 250
243 248
227 234
242 239
238 247
229 232
246 240
232 235
Mean = 235.4 Mean = 240.6
Standard Deviation = 7.6 Standard Deviation = 6.5

Answer: The difference between the two means (240.6 – 235.4 = 5.2) is quite
large, but so are the errors in the data as shown by the relatively large standard
deviations. As the sum of the two standard deviations is larger than the
difference between the two means, then we cannot confidently separate the true
values we are trying to measure. The difference is not statistically significant.
We would conclude that these two experiments have the same true mean, even
with the difference in means that we measured. It is still possible that the true
means are different, but our experiments are not accurate enough to tell them
apart.
2. Here are two more groups of data for comparison. Is the difference between
the two means significant?
Group 1 Group 2
14.2 13.6
14.4 13.5
14.2 13.7
14.3 13.5
14.3 13.8
14.0 13.6
14.2 13.7
14.3 13.7
14.5 13.6
14.3 13.5
Mean = 14.28 Mean = 13.62
Standard Deviation = 0.14 Standard Deviation = 0.10
Answer: The difference between the two means here is small (14.28 – 13.62 =
0.66), but the measurements have been very accurate. As the sum of the standard
deviations is much less than the difference between the two means, we would
conclude that the difference is statistically significant. These two experiments
have different true means.

Task 4.1 For the following situations, find out if the difference between the two means is
significant or not significant:
1. Two groups of measurements yield the following statistics:
Mean Standard Deviation
Group 1 2.73 0.12
Group 2 2.46 0.08
Are these two means significantly different?
2. A student wants to know if males and females estimate size differently. She
shows an object to 10 males and 10 females, and asks them to estimate its length
in cm. she receives the following data:
Males Females
15 12
13 10
14 11
17 14
14 13
15 10
13 15
12 12
15 13
14 11
If the object’s actual size is 12 cm, what conclusions could you make about the
ability of these groups to correctly estimate size?

Part D Objectivity and Bias

Bias It is important that experiments take measurements objectively. This means
that the results should be the same regardless of who performs the experiment
or their previous ideas on the result. A good experimentalist begins the process
with no opinion on what the results should be. Whether the hypothesis is
confirmed by the results or not should be decided by the experimental results,
not the opinion of the person performing the experiment.
This means that, as much as possible, any human influences on the experiment
should be removed. It is very easy for a person giving an answer to a question
to give the answer they think the experiment wants, rather than the true
answer. This is the reason for machines often being used to take
measurements. Machines have no sense of what the experimenter thinks the
result should be, so they will take measurements without human bias.
Bias can also occur when reporting the results of interviews. Do the people
you’ve selected for your interview represent the population whose opinions
you want to report? If you only choose people to interview from one side of
an argument, then will your results cover all the relevant facts? Is that fair?
The interview questions themselves can also be biased, if they make it easier
to answer with one opinion in preference to others.
Types of There are several types of bias recognised in the gathering of data from a
Bias population. The most common types to watch out for are listed below:
 Selection bias: This occurs when some members of a population

are more likely to be selected for the research than others
 Detection bias: This occurs when one part of the population is more
easily observed than others, so too many of these are included in the
research.
 Self-Reporting bias: This occurs when members of the population
can choose whether or not they wish to participate in the research.
Often only those people of care deeply or have a personal interest
in the research will choose to participate. This will bias the results.
This is also often referred to as Self-selection.
 Confirmation bias: This occurs when the researcher chooses only
the data that agrees with the hypothesis, and ignores the data that
doesn’t. In the world of academic publishing this is often caused by
a lack of interest in negative results, so research that yields negative
results doesn’t get published. In this context it is often referred to as
Publication bias.

Report your It is often impossible to completely eliminate bias when gathering data
Bias! for research. This does not necessarily make your research invalid.
However, it is important that you state any known biases in your
research report.
Task 4.2 Identifying Bias

Examine each of the following scenarios for gathering data. Describe any
bias that exists in each scenario. Share your findings in a class discussion.
1. A researcher wants to survey the residents of a city street. She

decides to knock on the doors of the even-numbered houses on a
Wednesday morning and gather survey responses from whoever
answers the door.
2. Two weeks before an election, a pollster chooses phone numbers

randomly from the local phone directory to ask people how they
will vote in the election
3. A local club is trying to decide on an important and controversial

issue regarding the club’s future. A five page questionnaire is
mailed out to all the club’s members, asking that they fill it out
and return it within a week.
4. A hospital doctor with many patients suffering from various

stages of cancer offers them an untested experimental drug for
treatment of the disease. He plans to compare the treatment results
for patients who volunteer to take the drug with those who don’t
volunteer.
5. An ecologist studying an endangered species wants to measure

the population in a large local nature reserve with many rugged
and remote areas that are difficult to access. She drives through
the reserve’s access road counting the number she can see, and
assumes that the frequency will be the same throughout the whole
reserve.

Part E Recommendations
After the How would you improve your experiment?
Experiment
After you have conducted your experiment it is a good idea to examine
your results and conclusions and try to think of ways that you could
improve your experiment.
 Could you have used a different method?
 Would it have helped to gather more data?
 Is there more accurate measuring equipment that could be used
to improve the results?
Good academics are always looking for ways to improve upon their
work. If you can think of possible improvements write them down.
These can be added to the Conclusions of your academic report.
Examples: Experimental Improvements

 Gather more data. Select a larger sample so more of the
population is included.
 Use a different method of sampling to eliminate bias you
found in the research.
 Use more accurate measuring equipment.
 Suggest other fixed factors that should have been controlled in
the experiment.
 Use a more accurate statistical method to analyse your results.
 Suggest a different experimental method to test the same
hypothesis. This should help confirm the conclusions of this
research.
Task 4.3
Select one academic source that you have used to find
information for an assessment event. List three recommendations
that you think would improve the research that you did. For each
recommendations you should state why this is a useful
improvement to the research. Share your findings in a class
discussion.

Academic Research Manual Unit 5: The Field Trip
Unit 5: The Field Trip
Part A Introduction to Field Trips

Part C Effective Observation and Note-Taking
Part D A Note of Safety
Part E After the Field Trip
Part F Field Trip Planning Checklists

Outcomes
 plan and schedule a field trip
 accurately collect data during a field trip
 organise and analyse the results from a field trip
 identify safety issues associated with a field trip
Overview Often the answer to a research question cannot be found online, or by an

experiment, or in a library. This means that we must go out and examine
the phenomenon where it is. For academic researchers in Biology and the
Earth Sciences, the ability to effectively conduct field trips is essential, as
nature cannot be brought into a laboratory. Field trips are also common in
Geography, History and the Social Sciences.
This unit will examine the process of planning, running and analysing the
results of a field trip. This is essential information for teachers and students
undertaking GAC023 Science III: General Science Assessment Event 2.

Events

Unit 5: The Field Trip Academic Research Manual
Part A Introduction to Field Trips

Before you Why do you need a Field Trip?
begin
Many research questions cannot be answered in a laboratory or by
interviews. It is often necessary to go and measure something where it
is. Many problems in Earth Science, Biology and Environmental
Science are best observed and tested in the field where they exist.
A field trip can be a very valuable experience for students. It enables
them to be hands-on; working with the ideas they have learnt in the
classroom. This can be extremely useful to students who find learning
easier when they are working with real situations. It also takes students
away from the comfort zone of the classroom, and puts them in a real
environment which may be unfamiliar to them. Observing how they
adapt to this new learning environment can be valuable to a teacher
looking for new ways to engage students in the classroom, and to
prepare students for the challenge of the unfamiliar environment of a
western university.
The Purpose This is not a holiday! Field trips are an important way of gathering data
of Field Trips for your research. The field trip requires careful planning, alert
observation and detailed note-taking in order to be successful. When
reporting on a field trip, the report should focus on the learning
objectives the field trip addressed, and analysing the data and
observations gathered.
Follow It is very important while you are on a field trip to pay attention and
Instructions! obey the instructions of your teachers and supervisors. Often a field
trip will give you only one opportunity to make the observations and
gather the data that you need for your research. If you are distracted
then you may miss something important, and your teacher may be
pointing this out to you. They may also be pointing out hazards for you
to avoid for your own safety. Stay alert!


Planning a Field trips require careful planning to ensure their success. There are
Field Trip many factors that can affect your ability to collect the data that you want.
The conditions that you find in the field can sometimes be unpredictable.
You need to anticipate as many potential problems as you can.
A Planning Checklist for your field trip:
1. Accessibility: Some sites, such as public parks, have open
access. However other sites may be on private land and you may
need to ask permission of the land’s owner to go there. You
should do this before the trip.
2. Schedule: Your teacher will make up a schedule for the
fieldtrip. This will allocate time for transport, research and
learning activities, as well as any necessary breaks for meals or
rest.
3. Equipment: As well as yourself, you will need a checklist of
equipment. This falls into two broad categories:
a. Research equipment: All of the equipment that you
need to take measurements, collect data and record
observations.
b. Personal equipment: The personal gear that you will
need to maintain your own safety and comfort while on
the trip. This will include clothing appropriate for all
possible climatic conditions, food and water, and even
camping equipment if your trip will take more than one
day and you have to stay in the field overnight.
4. Transport: How will you get there and back again? For a large
class to go on a field trip, a bus may be needed to transport
everyone.
Planning Activity: Working in pairs, brainstorm an equipment list

for your upcoming field trip. Make sure you include both research
and personal equipment. Share your list in a class discussion.
Use the Field Trip schedule on the next page to write down your
schedule for the field trip. Your teacher will probably have several tasks
planned for you to do while in the field. You should list each task and
the time allocated to it, as well as the equipment you’ll need for it.

Field Trip Schedule
Activity Time What do I need?

Meet teacher and class to travel Transportation. All my equipment and personal gear
to site. packed (see checklist).
Return to school or home Pack everything I’ve used for return transportation.

Part C Effective Observation and Note-Taking

Observation Most field trips, including the field trip you will undertake for GAC023
and Note- Assessment Event 2, take you to locations that you will only be able to
taking visit once, so you will have only one chance to make your observations!
You should write everything that you measure and observe, otherwise
you will forget it by the time you get home and start to write your report.
It is also helpful to draw pictures or diagrams, or take photographs of
sites and experiments. The more information you record on the field trip
itself, the easier you will find it to write your report later!
You can use the Site Report form on the next page to detail your
observations of each site. It is important to write down the exact location
of each site and the conditions you experienced while you were there.
Factors such as weather conditions, terrain erosion, pollution, animal
activity and anything unusual that could influence your results can be
important in the analysis that goes into your final report.
The results of all the experiments that you perform at each site should
be carefully recorded. Use a separate page for these if necessary.
For some experiments you will want to take a sample for analysis in a
laboratory after the field trip. For instance, you may wish to take soil
samples so you can analyse the soil composition at various sites in the
area, or leaf samples from plants at the site so they can be identified from
a botany guide. Ensure that each sample is carefully labelled so you can
identify it later. Labels should clearly identify who took the sample,
which site it was taken from, and the date it was taken. This is important!
If everyone in the class takes a sample from each site, and there are
several sites, then that adds up to lots of samples! You do not want to
get your samples confused with someone else’s.
For GAC023 Assessment Event 2, the teacher may require you to submit
the Site Observation form on the next page as an Appendix to your
report.

Site Observation Form

Location Time & Date
Site Conditions:
Diagram/Picture of Site:
Experiment 1: Experiment 2:
Experiment 3 Experiment 4:
Other Observations:

Example: Site Observation Form

Location Time & Date
Lilianfels Park, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia Saturday 18/7/2015
(Latitude: 33 43’ S, Longitude: 150 18’ E) 2-3 pm
Altitude: approximately 1010 m
Site Conditions:
Weather: Heavy cloud and some fog. Temperature 13C. Occasional wind gusts.
Ground damp due to recent rain. Site is densely vegetated with many low ground cover plants,
and some litter dropped by passing hikers.
Diagram/Picture of Site:
 Samples of plants taken for later Climatic conditions:
identification.  Temperature: Air temperature 13C
 Photos taken of local birdlife and  Humidity 75%
animal species for later identification.
Soil samples taken for later analysis of Other experiments:
moisture content and texture.  A filter paper exposed to the air on a
 Soil temperature 10.5C small frame for an hour showed low
 Soil pH 6.7 (slightly acidic) levels of atmospheric particulates.
 An acid test on stones found nearby
detected no limestone in the local
lithology.
Other Observations:
 Signs of rill erosion in surrounding areas which have been cleared of trees. This is
obviously of some concern, as a restraining wall has been built to avoid landslip
formation.
 Nearby rock formations indicate a sedimentary sandstone lithology in the underlying
bedrock.
 The area is frequented by tourists, and as a result there is litter present.

Part D A Note on Safety

Safety! Many field trip locations are potentially hazardous, so it is of vital
importance to assess those hazards before the trip. Awareness of
hazards is the first step towards avoiding them and minimising risks.
Risk Assessment.
In many cases schools, universities or local authorities will require the teacher to create a risk
assessment document for the field trip before it is approved. This is particularly true in western
countries, where insurance companies may not cover any liability the teacher or school may have
for field activities unless such an assessment is done. In its simplest form, this document lists the
potential hazards that teachers and students may encounter while on the field trip, and any
equipment or procedures that have been put in place to minimise risks. Factors that may need to
be considered include:
 Transport: Various modes of transport may have a risk of accidents. This includes the
risk of traffic accidents for transportation by bus, or even students crossing a busy road.
 Terrain and Environment: The site of the field trip can have several hazards that must
be identified: the terrain itself (falling from heights, water hazards, tripping hazards),
climate (excessive cold or heat causing hypothermia or dehydration) and wildlife
(dangerous species of various types, right down to insect bites and plants, which can cause
allergic reactions in some people).
 Student Health Issues: The teacher should be aware of any particular health issues
amongst students that may need to be monitored or taken into account. It is important to
know any allergies that particular students may have, as allergic reactions can require fast
treatment when they occur. Chronic medical conditions such as diabetes that require
regular maintenance or medication should also be made known to the teacher. Any student
with a blood-borne disease that is potentially infectious should notify the teacher so that
appropriate precautions can be taken when administering first aid.
 Staff Equipment and Training: The teacher should include a well-stocked first aid kit
in the inventory of equipment necessary for the field trip. Many schools and universities
require that staff supervising extended field trips undergo some formal training in first aid
before they can take students into the field. Working in the field also requires greater
levels of supervision than in an ordinary classroom, so ideally there should be more than
one qualified staff member to supervise the field trip.
 Emergency Procedures and Contacts: The teacher will often need to detail plans for
what to do in case of an emergency. This should include phone numbers of local
emergency services, and contact details of the teacher’s Head of Department (or Director
of Studies in GAC) so that the institution is informed of any unforeseen events.
Even if you don’t need to create such a document, it is still important to consider these issues
when planning the field trip.

Part E After the Field trip

After the Field When you have returned from your field trip there are several things you still
Trip must do:
1. Clean and return any equipment that you borrowed for experiments.
Someone will want to use this equipment again.
2. Organise any samples you took from the field for further analysis or
experiments.
3. Review your notes and ensure that the information is clear enough that
you can use them to write your research report.
4. Send “thank you” notes to any landowners who gave you permission to
enter their land so you could access a site.
5. Now you can write your report. Refer to your Academic Writing
Manual for ideas on how to write a good report.

Part F Field trip Planning Checklists

A Planning Checklist for Your Field Trip
Item Done
Schedule put together for field trip
Permission granted for visiting field sites
Transport to and from field sites arranged
Equipment for research observations checked
Your notebook, pens, pencils (and cameras, if applicable)
Personal gear including clothing for climatic events
Safety hazards evaluated and noted
First Aid kit
Contact numbers in case of delay or mishap

My Field Trip Equipment Checklist

Research Equipment: Clothing:
 _______________________  Raincoat/Wet weather clothing
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
Observation Equipment: Other Personal Gear:

 _Notebook___________  _Hat and Sunscreen______
 _Pens/Pencils_________  _______________________
 _Camera____________  _______________________
 _______________________
 _Reference books______
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
Food and Water: Other Equipment:

 _Bottled water__________  _First Aid kit____________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________
 _______________________  _______________________

Academic Research Manual Appendix 1
Appendix 1
A Timeline of Algerian Independence 1830 – 1976

1830 Occupied by France
1848 Recognised as a colony of France
May 8 1945 Muslim protesters in Sétif organized to demand Algerian independence. What began
as a march became a massacre: the protesters murdered more than 100 European
settlers and French armed forces retaliated by killing between 1,000 and 45,000
Muslims.
1954 The Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) launched armed revolts throughout
Algeria calling for a sovereign Algerian state. The French sent troops to monitor the
situation.
1955 The FLN began targeting civilians, inciting a mob that kills more than 120 people in
Philippeville. Between 1,200 and 12,000 Muslims are killed in retaliation by French
troops.
1956 More than 400,000 French troops sent to Algeria.
1956-57 The FLN’s military arm, successfully applied hit-and- run guerrilla tactics.
Kidnapping was commonplace, as were the ritual murder and mutilation of captured
French military and others.
1956 The Battle of Algiers began when three women planted bombs in public venues.
Algiers erupted into violence.
1957 French military divided the country into sectors, each under military control.
1958-59 Opposition to the conflict was growing among many segments of French society.
International pressure was also building on France to grant Algeria independence.
March 19 1962 A cease-fire took effect.
March–June Terrorist attacks against civilians (Muslim and French). The FLN and the OAS
1962 ultimately concluded a truce.
July 1 1962 Some 6 million of a total Algerian electorate of 6.5 million cast their votes in the
referendum on independence.
Note: The FLN estimated in 1962 that cost 300,000 dead from. Algerian sources
estimated that nearly eight years of revolution had cost approximately 1.5 million
dead from war-related causes. Uncounted thousands of Muslim civilians lost their
lives in French army raids, and reprisals. The war uprooted more than 2 million
Algerians, who were forced to relocate in French concentration camps, or to flee to
Morocco, Tunisia, and into the Algerian hinterland, where many thousands died of
starvation, disease, and exposure. Additional pro-French Muslims were killed when
the FLN settled accounts after independence.
1962 Algeria gains independence from France.
1963 Ahmed Ben Bella elected as first president.
1965 Col Houari Boumedienne overthrows Ben Bella, pledges to end corruption.
1976 Boumedienne introduces a new constitution which confirms commitment to
socialism and role of the National Liberation Front (FLN) as the sole political party.
Islam is recognised as state religion.
1976 Boumedienne is elected president and is instrumental in launching a programme of
rapid industrialisation.
Source: Timeline: Algeria Since 1945 (n.d.), Parallel Narratives [online]. Available at:
https://parallelnarratives.com/timeline-algeria-since-1945/ [Accessed April 14 2016]

Appendix 1 Academic Research Manual
Sample Interview Guide

Research Question: How did the lives of Algerians Questions Interviewee
Type of
change after independence was declared. Responses Samples
Question
Opening
Can you tell me about …?
Name: Djamal Masinissa Thank the interviewee
Introducing Do you remember when…?
Code: M25 Introduce myself, school
questions What happened …?
and project.
When you hear … what do you think?
Date: July 27 2015 Ask demographic
What happened next?
Time: 2.35 questions.
What exactly happened?
Question 1 Follow-up
Location: Tipanza You mentioned … tell me more about that?
What aspects of life do questions
You talked about…. could you describe that
you think were better
Demographic Information in more detail?
before independence
Could you tell me more about that?
than after?
Gender: Male  Female Probing Could you give me some more detail about
questions that?
Question 2
Age at the time of independence: 17 What aspects of life do
Do you have any other examples of that?
Have you ever received a reward for …?
you think were worse
Direct How do you think the teachers classify/
before independence
questions explain…?
than after?
Residence now: Tipanza When you say… what do you actually mean?
Birthplace: Algiers What did you think/say/do then?
Question 3 Specifying
What did you actually do …?
Residence during the revolution: Algiers Overall, do you think life questions
How did you react when…?
Residence after independence: Algiers in Algeria was better
Is it OK to move onto the next topic?
before or after Transition
Do you mind if we move on?
independence? questions
The first page
summarises your Do you mean …?
Question 4
demographic This is the core main Is it correct/true that …?
Permission to record:  How did you feel part of the interview On the last page
information and any Clarifying In what way?
about…?
other standardised guide. Write your questions What do you mean by…? write a list of
questions in the Can you give me some examples?operational
information
order in which you questions to assist
Can you say a little more about…?
plan to ask them as you during the
well as any interview
reminders or hints
you might need
Science Research Plan Worksheet

Name:_______________________________________________
Module:______________________
Experiment Title:____________________________________________________________
Plan More Work Satisfactory

Needed
States the aim/problem and a hypothesis.
Lists appropriate materials and equipment to be used.

Includes a diagram of the set up.
Describes a logical and detailed method for conducting the

experiment, including how variables will be controlled.
States what and how quantities will be measured.
Describes any safety issues.
Teacher recommendation for your plan

Not Approved
(Recommendation circled)
Approved
Additional Comments

Science Investigation Planner

Before you do your experiment, you should think about the following questions:
 Which variable are you going to alter?

 Which variables are you going to keep the same throughout the experiment?
What observations are you going to make?
 What measurements are you going to make and record?
 What equipment are you going to use?
 What steps are you going to take?
 Are there any safety precautions you need to take?
Now complete the following plan.

1. In this investigation, I am trying to find out (the problem or question):
2. I expect to find that (hypothesis):
3. a) In this experiment I will change ______ factor(s) and measure the effect. The factor(s)
I am going to change (the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE(S)) is/are:
b) The effect that changes, and I will measure, (the DEPENDENT VARIABLE) is:
4. I will make my measurements with (equipment):
5. The variables that are being kept the same throughout the experiment to make it a fair test
(because they would change the result if they were allowed to change) are:

6. I will do my investigation by:

Explain how you will collect your data and the steps you will take in the experiment method.
List the equipment that you will use and draw a detailed, labelled diagram showing how you
will set it up.
Equipment:
Diagrams:
Method:
7. The safety precautions that I need to take are:

Appendix 2
Teacher Notes and Solutions to Tasks
General GAC students often find assessments requiring research to be especially difficult.
Advice for They may not have been given such assessments before, and they may have little idea
Research of where to begin or how to approach the task. This manual is designed to help the
Assessments teacher guide students through the research part of this process. Tasks and activities
in this manual have been designed to help students with particular weaknesses that
are often observed in submissions from research assessments.
There are a few major points that should be emphasised when guiding students
through a research assessment:
1. Conducting research and writing the report are two separate parts of the
process.
Often students will approach a research report as just another writing assessment, and
will dive straight into the writing of a report before they have done any research. This
usually leads to a poor outcome for the assessment. Students should be urged to
research and fully analyse all of their information first, before they start writing.
If students question this idea, ask them if they would start writing an essay before
they had worked out what the essay should say. Research reports should be
approached in the same way, with all of the information known before it is written.
2. A good thesis statement/hypothesis leads to a good assessment outcome.
It is worth taking the time to work with students on developing a good focused thesis
statement or hypothesis for their research. There is a strong correlation in GAC report
assessments between the quality of the thesis statement and the overall quality of the
resulting report. High quality reports tend to have a strongly thesis statement that the
report as a whole can focus on, drawing good conclusions about the thesis from the
evidence the student has gathered. Poor reports tend to have a vague or overly broad
thesis statement, which leads to scattered and incoherent research, giving little
relevant evidence for the student to draw sensible conclusions. Many of the questions
that students have about writing research reports can be answered by looking at their
thesis statement and asking them how their writing addresses it.
Unit 1
Teacher This unit contains some basic principles of research and how to undertake research.
notes It is intended for teachers and students who are themselves new to the research
process. Teachers should use the tasks and activities in this unit selectively to address
specific misconceptions their students have about a research task given to them.
Task 1.1 Suggested answers:

 Research idea: It’s important because you need a question to answer.
Research must have a focus; otherwise it becomes a random fact-finding

exercise that usually goes nowhere. The important skill here is to recognise a
question that is interesting and reasonable to answer through a research
process.
 Background literature review: This step is important because it tells you what
everyone else has found out about the question. You may even find that
someone has already answered it completely, which can save you from
having to perform the research yourself. The essential skills here are
secondary research skills: the ability to find quality sources of relevant
information and properly interpret their relationship with the research
question.
 Focus the research problem or aspect / Develop the research question: An
initial investigation is often very broad, with many possible paths, many of
which will go nowhere. The skill here is to distil the information from a
background information review and use the results to refine the research
question into one that can be feasibly answered using the resources available.
 Design the research: It is important to decide upon the best method for
answering the research question. This could be an experiment, or a survey, or
some other data collection technique. The essential skill here is an
understanding of the different ways in which research can be conducted, and
the ability to choose the one which gives the most definitive result.
 Collect the data: It is essential to collect data otherwise there is no evidence
with which to answer the research question. Data should be collected
accurately and without bias, so the correct conclusions can be deduced from
the data.
 Analyse the data: The data must be processed into a form that yields useful
information about the question. This often requires skills in statistical
analysis.
 Answer the research question / Interpret the results: The analysed data by
itself does not answer the original research question. The results must be
applied to the question and an answer derived.
 Draw conclusions: This is important because the conclusions don’t just look
at the answer to the research question. They also assess how conclusive the
results are, and how these results relate to results from other researchers
(which should come from the background research). The important critical
thinking skill here is self-assessment of your own research process, and an
ability to compare and contrast your work with others.
 Recommend next steps: This step looks at the conclusions and suggests how
they could be applied in answering other research questions or real world
applications. It’s important to be able to connect the conclusions to possible
new avenues for research.
Task 1.2 Suggested answers:

Qualitative methods:
 Advantages:

o We can fully explore the research question by gathering a wide

variety of data without regard for the data type.
 Disadvantages:
o It can be difficult to analyse the data objectively without very careful
use of statistics.
 Data types:
o Non-numerical data. Often a collection of subjective opinions and
experience, that must be carefully examined for personal bias.
 Analysis:
o Often non-statistical. Careful compare and contrast of individual data
submissions.
Quantitative methods:
 Advantages:
o Easy to derive conclusions objectively from numerical methods
without bias.
 Disadvantages:
o Statistical methods are sometimes difficult to implement and explain
to an audience.
 Data types:
o Numerical data.
 Analysis:
o All of the standard statistical techniques (such as those the students
study in GAC010 Mathematics II: Probability, Statistics and
Finance) apply.
Task 1.3 Answers will vary, but here are some suggestions:
Media Newspapers, magazines (or print media), TV, Internet
Advertising Advertising companies, advertising on TV or the
Internet and in print media
Banking Local banks (names) e.g. Bank of China,
Commonwealth Bank, international Banks, e.g.
HSBC
Telecommunications Internet, phone, etc. providers
Education Private schools, public (primary, secondary, high,
junior high) schools, vocational schools, universities
etc.
Agriculture Individually/family-owned owned farms, national
farms, agribusiness
Retail Small/family businesses, chain stores (domestic or
international) etc.
General topic Industry
Event Retail
Time period 1995 to present
Place Australia

Person or Small family businesses – specifically cafes

businesses
Aspect Salvage Coffee and Coffee 360 vs Gloria Jean and
Starbucks
Issue I’m Changes in response to national and international chains
interested in
Ensure that you have a couple of examples prepared before class to demonstrate this
process to students.
Task 1.4 Answers will vary, depending on the student’s background knowledge. Students will
probably have rudimentary knowledge of the function of the nervous system.
Variables: Gender and age are the important ones. Other variables that could influence
the result are largely genetic and environmental factors. The Controlled factors are all
those except the factor we wish to examine: gender.
Subjects: The subjects of the study are most likely each other, though any suitably
uniform group of people who can be separated into male and female groups for
comparison can be used.
The students will requires information on all of the controlled and variable factors
from their subjects. They’ll also need information on the experimental techniques
commonly used to study sensation. This should come from their background research.
Unit 2
Teacher A lack of background research is a weakness often seen in report assessments. This
Notes is the secondary research that must be done so that the student has the knowledge
necessary to make the primary research focused and effective. It also informs the
thesis statement/hypothesis, ensuring that the research question is worth exploring at
all. Background information should be academic and not general or personal
knowledge.
There are several tasks and activities here designed to help students in selecting
sources that are of sufficient quality for academic work. The teacher is strongly urged
to apply these in the classroom if this is a skill that the students have been struggling
with.
Task 2.1 If possible, the teacher should bring some examples of books and websites to class to
share with students These examples should be good and bad, so students get to see
the practice of academic source selection. This is an ideal point to talk about
Wikipedia, and why it is not a good source for academic research.
Then ask students to work in pairs to decide whether the sources in the reference list
are credible or not.
Suggested Answers

Budiani-Saberi, D.D. & Delmonico, F.F. (2008) “Organ Suitable – peer-

Trafficking and Transplant Tourism: A Commentary on reviewed,
the Global Realities” American Journal of published in a
Transplantation Vol. 8 No. 5 pp 925-929. [online].
reputable academic
Available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600- journal
6143.2008.02200.x/full [Accessed 11 October 2015]
Cholia, A. (2009), Organ Trafficking as a Global Problem. Organ From a newspaper

trafficking research. [Online]. Available at – interesting for
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/24/illegal-organ- background
trafficking_n_244686.html information but not
[Accessed 11 October 2015] an academic source
Jafar, T.H. (2009) “Organ Trafficking: Global Solutions for a Suitable – peer-
Global Problem” American Journal of Kidney Diseases reviewed,
Volume 54, Issue 6, Pages 1145–1157 [online]. Available
published in a
at: http://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-
6386%2809%2901177-9/abstract?cc=y= [Accessed 11 reputable academic
October 2015] journal
Organ Trafficking. Organ Trafficking Research. [Online]. From Wikipedia –

Available at: not a suitable
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_trade source
Organ Trafficking Statistics Around the World. (n.d.), Havascope From a .com –
Global Black Market Information [Online]. Available at: interesting for
http://www.havocscope.com/tag/organ-trafficking/ background
[Accessed 11 October 2015] information but not
an academic source
Organ Trade Dangers. Organ Trafficking Research. [Online]. From the BBC –
Available at: interesting for
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6240307.stm [Accessed background
11 October 2015] information but not
an academic source
UN (n.d.), Trafficking for Organ Trade. Organ Trafficking From the UN – a

Research. [Online]. Available at: reputable
http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/about/trafficking- organisation that
for-organ-trade.html [Accessed 11 October 2015] publishes a lot of
credible
information – a
suitable source
Task 2.2 This is not a good source for an academic report, as the site’s author is not a qualified
expert in the field of study, and there is no peer review of the information provided.
A Google scholar search of the author yields no peer-reviewed academic publications.
This site has very limited trustworthiness for academic purposes.
Task 2.3 Teachers can use this exercise as an opportunity to give students a source relevant to
an assessment event they are currently working on. This will help motivate students
to think carefully about the suitability of this source. Try to choose a source which is

useful, but at the same time has the potential for some bias in addressing the topic.
Students will have to account for this bias when using this source.
Task 2.4 Answers will vary. Use the results from Task 2.2 as comparison for the students’
submissions to this task.
Task 2.5 Answers will vary. Encourage students to use this task to find sources for an
assessment event they are working on.
Task 2.6 1. This publication comes from a non-profit organisation, but one which is corporate-
sponsored, so it cannot be said to be completely independent. The authors are
professionals, but not academics. This source could be used for academic work, but
with careful attention to the particular biases of the authors.
2. This is a peer-reviewed article in a respected academic journal. The authors are
qualified experts in their field. Yes, this is an appropriate academic source.
3. This link is to a discussion forum, to which anyone can contribute. The contributors
are in general not academics or experts. This is definitely not a suitable source for
academic work.
4. You might think of avoiding using this source because it’s a blog. However, the
author is a respected expert, and uses good quality cited sources of information to
back up his argument. This can be used as an academic source.
5. This is an expert report produced by a respected international organisation (the
World Health Organisation). It will have been peer-reviewed. This is a good source
of information for academic work.
6. This is a Wikipedia article, which can be edited by anyone. This is not suitable as
an academic source.
Unit 3
Teacher This unit is mainly intended to assist students in GAC027 working on Assessment
Notes Event 1. However it has ideas that are applicable to any research project requiring
qualitative primary research. Encourage students to keep this manual as a reference
for their studies at university, as they will be required to do similar assessments later
in their studies.

Task 3.1 Answers will vary. Some suggestions follow:
Topic Research Question Useful

Demographic
Information
1 New What impact has the construction of the new Location

expressway expressway has on local businesses?
Income
2 Typhoon Did the change on building regulations after the Location

184 typhoon have the same impact in all parts of
Income
the city?
Task 3.2 Answers will vary. Trends that students may identify will be similarities in age, ethnic
background, and possibly gender. Bar graphs would be the most common way of
showing this data, though for gender and other qualitative variables with only a few
categories a pie chart may be more appropriate.
Task 3.3 Suggested Answers

Demographic Questions:
1. What is your age?
2. What is your gender?
3. When were you living in Algeria?
4. What is your occupation?
Interview Questions:
1. What was life like for you in Algeria before independence?
2. What was your attitude towards the movement for independence?
3. What, if any, was your involvement in the independence movement?
4. How did independence affect you personally?
5. Do you think independence had a positive or negative affect on the country? Why?
Task 3.4 Answers will vary, as there are many follow-up or specifying questions that would
depend on the interviewees demographic and their initial answers.
Task 3.5 Answers will vary. The use of operational questions will depend greatly on the
interviewee’s responses to initial questions.

Task 3.6 Suggested answers (in italics) below

Interviewer Hello Mrs Omar, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed today. I’m Song
Le from Colay West High School. As I mentioned in my email, I am doing
a project on the new mall for my Social Science class. As part of the
project, I am interviewing people to ask for their opinion. Good start –
introduction of interviewer and explanation of task.
Mrs Omar That’s OK.
Interviewer Do you mind if I record the interview. Good – asked for permission.
Mrs Omar Oh I don’t know. Who will hear it?
Interviewer Don’t worry, it will just be me. I will transcribe the interview and use a
code to identify you.
Mrs Omar Oh, then it’s OK to record me.
Interviewer Great. Let’s start. What do you think about shopping malls? Question is too
broad. Interviewer should have followed up with a rephrased question.
Mrs Omar I don’t know. I guess they’re okay. They’re very big.
Interviewer Do you agree or disagree with the new mall that has just opened on Third
Avenue? Double-barrelled question. Interviewer should have followed up
with a rephrased question.
Mrs Omar Yes it’s okay.
Interviewer Do you agree that there will be more traffic on Third Avenue now?
Leading question. Interviewer should have followed up with a rephrased
question.
Mrs Omar Oh yes!
Interviewer Do you believe that the new underground parking facility will slow the
flow of traffic and increase the waiting time before customers can enter the
mall? Complex question. Interviewer should have followed up with a
rephrased question.
Mrs Omar Yes … err … no …um… maybe. I don’t know, let me think.
Interviewer I’ll err… let’s move on. What is your opinion of the design of the new
mall?
Appropriate.
Mrs Omar I think it’s wonderful - very big and spacious - very fresh. It fits into the
neighbourhood very well. It will be very easy to go shopping all year round
now and even when it is raining.
Interviewer could have asked some follow up questions to get more detail
here.
Interviewer Will you be using the new mall? Yes/no question. Interviewer should have
followed up with a rephrased question.
Mrs Omar Oh yes.
Interviewer How do you think you be using the new mall? Appropriate.
Mrs Omar I will be able to do my shopping all in one place – the supermarket, the
pharmacy, the butchers … you know everything. I can even meet my
friends at one of the new cafes. I hear that there will also be a cinema and a
bowling alley. My son will love that. Interviewer could have asked some
follow up questions to get more detail here.
Interviewer OK. Now let me see the next question. So do you agree that the council has
made a mistake by not considering the traffic needs? Leading question.
Interviewer should have followed up with a rephrased question.
Mrs Omar I’m not sure maybe.
Interviewer Okay well thank you very much for your time Mrs Omar.

Task 3.7 Answers will vary. You can link this task to Task 3.6 for a complete exercise that
gives students an opportunity to prepare, conduct, and then self-assess a mock
interview.
Task 3.8 This task is designed to be a mock interview students can use to practice for the real
interviews they must conduct for their assessment. Ensure that there is time after the
interviews for a class discussion. The students should have an opportunity to self-
assess the interview questions they designed, and suggest possible improvements. As
an extension exercise, you could ask each student to find a new partner, and conduct
the mock interviews again, using the modified questions from part 3 of this task.
Note that for this task the students should not consult together on their chosen topics.
The interview questions should be unknown to each student’s partner, so that
responses are not premeditated.
Task 3.9 Answers will vary. Ensure that you have time for a class discussion afterwards so the
students have an opportunity to justify their choices and receive feedback.
Task 3.10 Use this exercise to get students thinking about how the data from their interviews
should be analysed. Suggested answers:
1. Key points/trends:
 Students do homework several times each week, often taking up weekends.
 Most students do their homework as soon as they receive it.
 The students’ opinions of how much homework helps them relates to their
GPA: the higher the students GPA, the more positively they regard
homework.
 The students’ GPA is also higher when they do more hours of homework each
day.
2. Anything surprising?
 (Answers will vary)
3. Issues or problems?
 To get a more complete picture it would be good to interview a student with
a lower GPA, or a student who does very little homework.
4. Demographic trends?
 Interviewees were young (between 15 and 22 years old), and are all students.
They all had a good or excellent GAC GPA (2.2 – 3.8).
Task 3.9 The obvious conclusion here is that students who see homework as making a positive
impact on their education are more likely to do more of it, and as a result achieve a
better GPA and better education outcomes in general.

Unit 4
Teacher This unit is designed mostly to assist both the teacher and the students in working on
Notes the practical tasks and assessments in GAC013 Science II: Scientific Principles and
GAC023 Science III: General Science. However it may also be useful to consult this
unit when guiding students through the project assessments in GAC004 Mathematics
I: Mathematics Fundamentals and GAC016 Mathematics III: Calculus and
Advanced Applications.
Part C and D of this unit also contain hints that may be useful to students working on
report assessments from other modules. A thorough analysis of the collected data is a
weakness that is often observed in submissions from report assessments, so teachers
who have received feedback on this problem should consult Part C for ideas on how
to improve student outcomes in these skills.
Task 4.1 1. The difference between the two means is 2.73 – 2.46 = 0.27. The sum of the two
standard deviations is 0.20. As the difference between the means is greater, then the
two groups are significantly different.
2. Calculating the mean and standard deviation of this data, we find:
Males Females
Mean 14.2 12.1
Standard Deviation 1.40 1.66
The difference between the two means is 2.1, which is less than the sum of the two
standard deviations, so the difference is not significant. However, the real length of
12 cm is more than one standard deviation away from the males mean, so we could
say that the males seem to overestimate size. The female subjects seem to be accurate.
Task 4.2: 1. There are two obvious biases here: Even-numbered houses will only be on one side
Identifying of the street, so residents of the other side will be ignored in the survey – this problem
Bias sometimes occurs with systematic sampling like this. Also, on a Wednesday morning
many residents will be at work, so the survey will underrepresent people with jobs.
2. The bias here is that many people don’t have phones, or their phone is not listed in
the directory, so they have no chance to be contacted by this pollster.
3. This is a common example of self-selection bias. Only those members who feel
particularly strongly about the issue will take the time to return the survey. Most
members won’t.
4. This is again self-selection, as the patients volunteer to take the drug. Ask students
to think about which patients will volunteer – most will be the worst cases, for whom
other treatments have failed. So the doctor will be comparing the sickest patients
taking the experimental drug with less sick patients who aren’t.

5. This is an example of detection bias. The density of population that can be seen
from the road is probably not the same as the overall population. The animal may
prefer to make nests or burrows in inaccessible places, which are likely to be away
from the road, which must necessarily be built through relatively level ground. Also,
many animals may avoid the road because of the noise from traffic, so the ecologist
will see fewer than normal. Some animals are naturally curious on the other hand, so
she may see more. In either case, this is not a reliable way to estimate population.
Unit 5
Teacher This unit is specifically aimed at assisting teachers and students with GAC023
Notes Assessment Event 2. Students may not have experienced a field trip before, nor used
one as a research exercise for an assessment. If this is the case, use the various
activities of this unit well in advance of the field trip to prepare them for it. You can
also use the scheduling planner as part of your own preparations in leading the field
trip.
Field Trips are Good Teaching Tools

Many teachers find the organisation and running of a field trip to be difficult
exercises, however they are valuable for students. There is considerable evidence that
taking students out of the classroom and their usual ‘comfort zone’ helps student
motivation and critical thinking skills, as they must learn to cope with a learning
environment that is very different to the one they are used to. It is recommended that
you take notes on student behaviour while in the field, as it can inform your teaching
style when you return to the classroom.
An ability to utilise the field trip well is an essential skill for any student intending to
major in the earth or biological sciences. If you have students who hope to continue
in these subjects, ensure that they understand that this activity is good practice for the
more strenuous field trips they will undertake at university level.
Site Diagrams: Draw, Don’t Photograph!

When students are compiling the data for their study site they are usually asked for a
picture or diagram of the site. In this case consider recommending to students that
they draw a picture of the site by hand instead of taking a photograph. The students
may complain that they are not very good at drawing, but there is a good reason for
this. When conducting a scientific study of a site, small details can be important, and
can be missed if the researcher is not carefully observant. It is known that people who
take photos of a place remember less about it, and can easily miss important details
(there are peer-reviewed studies demonstrating this!). In contrast, the process of
drawing a scene requires the observer to actively think about what they can see in
front of them and translate it to paper.
So the process of looking and drawing is much more likely to yield small details about
the site. Even if the drawing is not very artistic, the student is more likely to provide

an accurate portrayal of the scientifically important details in their findings than if

they just took photographs.
Safety is Important!
The safety of students and teachers is an important issue when planning and running
a field trip. At university level, students must attest that they can conduct themselves
safely in the field before they are permitted to go on a field trip. Read the suggestions
on safety in Part D of this Unit. Ensure that all necessary precautions have been taken,
and that students have been briefed on safety procedures, and their responsibilities for
the safety of themselves and others. Also ensure that school management is briefed
on where you are going, what you will be doing, and when you are expected to return.

Academic Research Manual Reference List
Reference List
AFMC (n.d.), Part 2 - Methods: Studying Health Chapter 5 Assessing Evidence and Information in
AFMC Primer on Population Health. Available at: http://phprimer.afmc.ca/Part2-
MethodsStudyingHealth/Chapter5AssessingEvidenceAndInformation/Appraisingscientificevi
dencequalitativeversusquantitativeresearch [Accessed 11 April 2016]
University of Surrey (n.d.), Introduction to Research, University of Surrey [online]. Available at:
http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills/Introduction%20to%20Research%20and%20Managin
g%20Information%20Leicester/index.htm [Accessed 11 April 2016]
Effective Learning Service (2007), Introduction to Research and Research Methods, Bradford
University School of Management [online]. Available at:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/management/media/management/els/Introduction-to-Research-and-
Research-Methods.pdf [Accessed 10 April 2016]
Creswell, J.W., (2007), Quality Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches
(Second Edition), Sage Publications Ltd., London
Rubin, H.J. and Rubin, I., (2005), Qualitative interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data (Second Edition)
Sage Publications Ltd., California
Maxwell, J.A., (2013), Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach (Third Edition) Sage
Publications Ltd., London
Department of Sociology, (2012), A Guide to Writing a Senior Sociology Thesis, Faculty of Arts and
Sciences, Harvard University Available at:
http://sociology.fas.harvard.edu/files/sociology/files/thesis_guide_sept_2012.pdf [Accessed
13 March 2016]


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ACADEMIC RESEARCH MANUAL

Date of Issue: April 2016

ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Think about the Topic or Question and decide

Plan and Conduct the Research. Analyse the

Write your Essay/Report.

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page I

Unit Unit Title Description

Page II ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Hints and Cautions

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page III

Unit 1: Understanding Academic Research

Part A Why is Research Important?

Learning By the end of Unit 1, you should be able to:

Overview What is research, and why must we do research?

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page 1

Part A Why is Research Important?

In many ways, we conduct research every day. In other words we are

Ask a friend. Do an experiment.

All of these are methods of conducting research. Research is the process

In other words, research includes:

 comparing and contrasting things

 finding out more information

Page 2 ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

o finding out what people think

o finding out what people do

o finding out what works

o finding out what doesn't work

o finding out what people want

We research people and their behaviour, opinions, attitudes, trends and

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page 3

Sometimes we conduct research informally for our own benefit. We do

Can you think of any examples?

Research can also be conducted formally, for scientific, medical or

Can you think of any examples?

What does research tell us?

Research gives us information about:

Can you add to this list?

What do we do with research?

 Have it as interesting fact

Page 4 ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

 Use it to make new discoveries

Can you add to this list?

In other words, we research in order to understand the world we live in,

Research involves gaining knowledge, interpreting data and broadcasting

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page 5

All academic subjects require research. It allows academics to learn more

This manual will help you to understand how research works in an

Page 6 ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Part B The Research Process

Study the diagram below and think about what it means.

Research cycle starts here.

Analyse the Design the

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page 7

What What does the diagram mean?

Page 8 ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Part C Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research

Quantitative research emphasises the collection of numerical data or data

Qualitative research is used to explore and understand people's beliefs,

Example Let’s look at an example