Selecting appropriate research methods Course subject: Research Methods Instructor: Selecting appropriate research methods Consider • Research topic • Research aims • Research questions • Previous research Then • identify the type of data needed primary/original data or secondary data? qualitative/quantitative data? • select appropriate research tool(s) to use • Selected research methods need to align with research aims, research questions For example, you want to understand students’ attitudes towards/opinions about a given issue in English teaching, which method could be most appropriate? Questionnaire or interview (or both)? If you want to know what errors students make while speaking in English, which research tool(s) you think most appropriate? Record students’ oral performance and analyze their errors? If you want to know what errors students make while writing their English essays, which research tool(s) you think most appropriate? Collect students’ writing performance (their written essays)? Selecting appropriate research methods(tools) You also need to consider: • data samples • time you have to conduct the research • access to participants • possibility to obtain the intended data • advantages/disadvantages of the selected research tools ... • select appropriate research tool(s) to use • Selected research methods need to align with research aims, research questions For example, you want to understand students’ attitudes towards/opinions.. .Selecting appropriate research methods Consider • Research topic • Research aims • Research questions • Previous research Then • identify the type of data... essays)? Selecting appropriate research methods( tools) You also need to consider: • data samples • time you have to conduct the research • access to participants • possibility to obtain the intended