Unit 3: Primary Research
After learning what other scholars have discovered about a topic through secondary research, we are now ready to enter the conversation by designing and conducting our own primary research.
To guide our inquiry, we begin noticing patterns in other sources we read and finding a gap—a specific element of the topic that other researchers have not yet discussed or examined. We develop a single Research Question that we hope to answer, and formulate a hypothesis that we test using a carefully designed study method. While scholars and researchers use a variety of methods depending on their focus and discipline, we use a survey questionnaire.
To report the study, we follow the common IMRaD Report structure, which is used across academic disciplines to report research studies. We focus on critical interpretation of results by examining how the results of our studies relate to previous research findings from other studies.
Readings
- Jacob Clayton, “Introduction to Fieldwork” (NCSU’s interTEXTS)
Videos
- Elon University, “7 Tips for Good Survey Questions“
Activities & Guides
PowerPoints
- Survey Design
- Solicitation, Consent, & Tips for Distributing Surveys
- Guide to Writing Primary Research Reports
- Guide to Writing IMRaD Introductions
- Writing about Data (IMRaD Results & Discussions)
- Writing Thoughtful Conclusions
Tools
- Qualtrics Survey Software (copy the access code exactly as you receive it)