Guide for MSc Projects: Designing Experiments & Extracting Empirical Data, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Information Systems

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Designing Scientific Experiment &

Extracting Empirical Data for

Publications from MSc Project

By Ghada Al-Hudhud

Deanship of Skills Development

التعرف على أهمية تصميم التجربة العلمية ألغراض البحث O

التعرف على كيفية استخالص النتائج العملية من التجربة O

التعرف على طرق تحليل النتائج من التجربة العلمية و تنظيمها O

أن تتعلم الطالبة كيفية عرض النتائج العلمية من التجربة في O

Contents of the Project Report

Your Document describes your proposed plan of work:

O What you intend to study (scope and problem).

O How you intend to study your topic (methodology).

O Why this topic needs to be studied (significance).

O When you will complete this work (timeline).

O (Occasionally) Where you will conduct this work.

Parts of a Report

O Title

O Abstract

O Introduction/Background

O Problem Statement

O Purpose/Aims/Rationale/

Research Questions

O Review of Literature

O Methodology O Significance/ Implications

O Overview of Chapters

O Plan of Work O Bibliography

Timeline/Plan of Work

Some things to keep in mind:

O Consult your advisor.

O Be aware of important dates for submitting and

defending dissertations.

O Do not be overly ambitious.

O Remember that your proposed timeline demonstrates

your awareness of the various elements of the study (IRB approval, travel; design, testing, and length of experiments; negotiation of entry into the study site; purchase of necessary equipment; drafting; redrafting).

Tips on Titles, from “Piled Higher and

Deeper”

Abstract

O Provide a brief (100-350 word) overview of

the Document

O Summarize important elements

(Introduction, Statement of the Problem, Background of the Study, Research Questions or Hypotheses, and Methods and Procedures).

Introduction/Background

O Establish the general territory (real world or

research).

O Describe the broad foundations of your study—

provide sufficient background for readers.

O Indicate the general scope of your project.

O Provide an overview of the sections that will

appear in your Document (optional).

O Engage the readers.

Purpose/Aims/Rationale/Research

Questions

O Explain the goals and research objectives of the

study.

O Show the original contributions of your study.

O Provide a more detailed account of the points

summarized in the introduction.

O Include a rationale for the study.

O Be clear about what your study will not address.

Purpose/Aims/Rationale/Research Questions

(cont’d)

In addition, this section may:

O Describe the research questions

and/or hypotheses of the study.

O Include a subsection defining

important terms.

O State limitations of the research.

O Provide a rationale for the particular

subjects of the study.

Review of Literature

O Situates the current study within a wider disciplinary

conversation.

O Illustrates the uniqueness, importance of and need for

your particular project.

O Justifies methodological choices.

O Demonstrates familiarity with the topic and appropriate

approaches to studying it.

An Effective Literature Review should

O Flesh out the background of your study. O Critically assess important research trends or areas of interest. O Identify potential gaps in knowledge. O Establish a need for current and/or future research projects.

Writing Literature Reviews: Key Point

O You are entering a scholarly conversation already in progress. The literature review shows that you’ve been listening and that you have something valuable to say.

O After assessing the literature in your field, you should be able to answer the following questions: O Why should we study (further) this research topic/problem? O What contributions will my study make to the existing literature?

Methodology

O Introduce the overall methodological approach.

O Indicate how the approach fits the overall research

design.

O Describe the specific methods of data collection.

O Explain how you intend to analyze and interpret your

results (i.e. statistical analysis, theoretical framework).

O If necessary, provide background and rationale for

unfamiliar methodologies.

O Address potential limitations.