Research Methods (SLAT7806)

Every week from Week 3 to Week 12, there will be an Online Study Task consisting of 10 questions that you need to answer and submit in preparation for that week.

These tasks are available 7 days before the due date and must be submitted by Monday at 1 pm (or Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday).

The questions will cover the lecture content and required readings for that week. For example, the Week 3 Online Study Task will be about the Week 3 lecture and readings, and you need to submit it by 1 pm on Monday of Week 3.

Each Online Study Task is worth 2% of your final grade. You have 60 minutes and one attempt to complete each task.

After all ten Online Study Tasks are completed, your total study task score will be calculated. Please note that tasks not completed and awarded 0 points are included in the average calculation. The percentage of the maximum achievable points will determine your final grade for this assessment.

The link to each week's Online Study Task will be available on Blackboard.

 Marking Information

The weekly Online Study Tasks must be accessed, completed, and submitted via Blackboard.

Answers will be assessed automatically, and results will be made available to students within the week of submission. Answers to questions will be rated as correct or incorrect. For each correct answer, students will receive 1 point. Each Online Study Task consists of 10 questions, and there are 10 tasks in total, meaning students can earn up to 100 points if they answer all questions correctly. The marks for the Online Study Tasks follow the marking scheme of the School of Language and Cultures.

Statement on Gen AI & MT

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

After the lecture and tutorial on research ethics and academic integrity, students will be required to complete an online assessment on these topics via Blackboard. The assessment consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and can be taken an unlimited number of times until the passing standard is attained.

The module will be made available from the end of WEEK 8, and it must be completed by 4pm, Friday of WEEK 13.

To pass this assessment, students need to answer at least 80% of the questions correctly (8 out of 10).

This research ethics and academic integrity online module is different from the general Academic Integrity Online Module!

The link to the research ethics and academic integrity online module is available on Blackboard and must be accessed through that platform.

Statement on Gen AI & MT

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

SLAT7806 Research Methods: Annotated Bibliography Presentation

Overview

The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience in finding, reading, reviewing, and critically evaluating research articles as well as identifying how research questions are motivated and examined, and to practice your presentation skills.

You should select 2 research articles that deal with an Applied Linguistics topic in your area of interest. Please choose the articles carefully from reputable peer-reviewed journals, as the credibility of your selected sources will be assessed. For each article, answer the following questions in your presentation:

1. What is the phenomenon under investigation and what research question(s) did the article attempt to answer?

Identify the phenomenon or topic the article investigated and state the research question(s) and, where relevant, any hypotheses that were tested.

2. What was the motivation for the study?

Describe the motivation for the research undertaken. If possible, specify how it relates to, refines and extends existing research. Describe the gap the articles aimed to fill. Be specific. Name and cite the previous studies where appropriate.

3. What methodology was used?

Identify the research methodology used to address the research question(s): Who were the participants? How was the data collected and analysed? How many participants were analysed? What corpus was used? What tools/techniques/methods/statistical procedures were used?

4. What were the findings?

Briefly state the results of the study. Were the research question(s) addressed? Were the hypotheses substantiated or falsified? What did the study find?

5. What were the limitations and implications of the study?

What were limitations or shortcomings of the study? Evaluate the study's value (contribution to the field) and shortcomings and were there any improvements suggested to mitigate those limitations?

Important Guidelines

Prepare slides for your presentation and record yourself and the slides (we suggest you use Zoom and share your screen as the recording cannot exceed 100MB).

The presentation of each article should be no longer than 3 minutes. Your answers should be presented as a coherent summary of the articles.

Bibliographic details for each article should be presented in APA 7 citation style when you start summarising and discussing the paper. Any citations mentioned in your presentation need to be added in a reference list at the end of your presentation (which should also be formatted according to APA7).

After completing the summary and description of the two articles or studies, compare and critically evaluate the articles. This should also take about 3 minutes.

Comment on differences and similarities across the articles. These common features might include the kind of research questions asked and the motivations used, the object of study, methodological approach, data, etc. Evaluate the methodologies and the presentation of results in the articles. Have the articles answered the research questions? Were the data and methods appropriate to answer the research questions? How were the results presented? Was one study better than the other and, if so, why and how?

Your slides and your presentation should be engaging and informative. Your slides should not be too text heavy, and the slides should contain the main aspects of what you say/present. Use appropriate language without errors both on the slides and in your presentation. You are welcome to use visualisations and tables created by yourself and/or from the articles. Your face needs to be visible during the presentation.

Statement on Gen AI & MT

This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.

SLAT7806 Research Methods: Research Proposal

Overview

The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience in formulating a research proposal by identifying a research gap, developing a research question, and designing an appropriate methodology. This task will help you refine your ability to critically engage with existing research, justify the significance of your study, and articulate a clear and feasible research plan.

You should select a topic within Applied Linguistics that aligns with your research interests. Your proposal should be well-grounded in relevant literature, drawing on reputable peer-reviewed sources to support your rationale. In your research proposal, you should address the key components detailed below.

The Research Proposal assessment is worth 50% of your final grade.

This project should be unique and can (but does not have to) extend the topic of your annotated Bibliography Presentation (note: this research proposal cannot be a proposal submitted elsewhere).

Word Limit and Language

Compose a concise research proposal, not exceeding 2000 words (excluding references), explaining the significance and design of your proposed research project that must focus on a topic within Applied Linguistics. The proposal should be written in academic English as used in high-quality journal papers.

Components

Introduction

• Clearly state your research topic, establishing its relevance.
• Describe the phenomenon and provide examples (if applicable).
• Outline the organization of your paper for clarity and coherence.

Literature Review

• Provide a structured review of the chosen topic.
• Demonstrate mastery of relevant theories, concepts, and prior findings.
• Make sure to include all relevant references that are relevant for your research question(s)
• Ensure smooth transitions between themes and sections.
• Conclude the literature review with a clear and specific statement of your research question(s), grounded in and motivated by existing research.

Data and Methodology

• Clearly describe your chosen data and methodology.
• Ensure appropriateness of both data and methodology to answer the research question(s).
• Offer detailed information on research context, participants, data collection methods, instruments used, nature and specifics of the corpus (if used), data processing ,and data analysis.

Conclusion and Evaluation

• Present a critical evaluation of your proposed study.
• Discuss its potential contributions to the relevant field.
• Discuss and acknowledge any limitations.

References

• Compile your references following the APA7 format.

Refer to the provided rubric (available via UQ.learn/Blackboard) for marking details and guidance. Your dedication to detail and adherence to the given criteria will be crucial in achieving a successful outcome.

Statement on Gen AI & MT

This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.