Defining research projects: theory & research problem 2. 10. 2023 | CMAa11 Qualitative Research Graphical user interface, application Description automatically generated Martina Novotná Shape Description automatically generated with medium confidence CONTENT OF THE LECTURE The role of theory in research – choice of topic and theoretical problem 01 01 Research questions and aim of the research 02 03 Topic introduction: Interviews with international students studying in the Czech Republic QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: STEPS Literature review Browsing the available literature (theory and research studies) Creating a topic guide Data collection Finding a research gap and formulating a research objective à research questions Selection of participants Data analysis Writing a research report Putting results into theory (benefits/limits) 1 2 3 4 ANCHORING THE PROBLEM IN THEORY Contribution Narrow definition of the research field Where to start Clearly and concisely stated research objectives and research questions. Not everything can be covered, nor is it desirable It is better to cover a smaller number of phenomena but more thoroughly What could we contribute to the research? How is our proposal different? Building on previous research: what are the current questions? What limits and future recommendations do others highlight? Trying to get a handle on current thinking on the topic. 01 BUT WHERE AND HOW TO START? SOME STRATEGIC TIPS FOR THEORETICAL REVIEW Google Scholar, Scopus, theses.cz, discovery.muni.cz, SAGE journals, JSTOR journals, specific journals Narrow the scope of your interest as much as possible. Find your accurate KW. STOP downloading new papers! Writing notes & keep tracking what I have read and what is in front of me Connected Papers Journal of International Students The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad Journal of Studies in International Education Network with solid fill Analyze your source and write the description 🔗https://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/citation-basics/annotated-bibliographies/ WHY international students‘ mobility? •In 2014, there were 4.2 million students who crossed borders, in 2018, this number had increased to 5.6 million (UNESCO, 2020). •Topic that has been researched from many different angles (educators, geographers, economists, sociologists, and others) “students who have crossed borders expressly with the intention to study” (OECD, 2009., p.311) •Various levels of education are explored “as crossing country borders for the purpose of or in the context of tertiary education” (Richters & Teichler, 2006, p. 78) • 🔗 https://uis.unesco.org/en/uis-student-flow 02 Full degree program in a foreign country Short-term study-abroad experience as part of degree program at home institution Crossborder collaborative degree programs between two or more institutions or providers Research and fieldwork Internships and practical experiences Study tour, workshops (Knight, 2012) DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOBILITIES WHAT are the topics ISM •Broad topics: Cultural adjustment, learning experiences, psychological adjustment, and perceived benefits •KW: cultural adaptation, academic adaptation, academic performance, satisfaction, motivation, support, mental health, well-being, social network, intercultural sensitivity, and identity • •Long-term studies: sociocultural, emotional and academic well-being • Short-term studies: language learning, pedagogy, intercultural competencies Curly-haired woman wearing a mask COVID-19 and how it shaped foreign mobility other crises (Russo-Ukrainian war) ISM and (social) media •NEWS CONSUMPTION: Changing news media habits (local, international, national news), changes within the frequency of getting information (Metyková, 2010, Novotná, 2020) •NEW TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATION: Keeping in touch with family and friends from home country (Kim,2016) and the role of social media in building new relationships in foreign countries. •PLACE PERCEPTION VIA TECHNOLOGY: People who come from the same country and their role (Martin & Rawzi, 2014). • • > I went to Nike and Adidas to get my shoes. And I [took] photos and sent it through [smartphone app] WeiXin to my parents to see if these shoes are good enough. And they said, it’s pretty. And they said OK, get [a pair]. I have no problem with my English, but I still don’t want to speak too much in English. I get exhausted. So after school, I want to relax with Korean language. I feel at home while watching Korean TV shows. (Kim, 2016) I buy a few magazines, one is Creative Review, this is a British one, the other is Urban Design magazine so it’s all within my interests but I do spend all the time on the Internet especially with Polish newspaper Gazeta [Wyborcza]. (Metyková, 2007) Because there are a lot of Chinese people here, we often use Weibo to exchange information. Like, where is there good food; where is there a sale on; where is a room available. […] (Martin & Rawzi, 2014) IS ANY TOPIC THAT RESONATES WITH YOU ACCORDING TO FOREIGN MOBILITY? WHICH ROLE DOES MEDIA PLAY IN THE CASE OF YOUR STAY IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY? IDENTIFY RESEARCH GAP Identify research questions (your interest/knowledge in the field) Gaps can be in methodology, context (time, country)… Identify key literature & terms How could you contribute to the field? What is the sub-topic relevance? Bullseye with solid fill Access to your participants (try to at least think about how you will find your participants; would it be hard?) Go through the literature in a team. Try to be effective. Draw down possible topics. Make sure that the sub-topic is not too narrow or too broad. SUM UP: WHEN CHOOSING YOUR SUB-TOPIC, KEEP IN MIND (Bret & Wheeler, 2022) 03 FORMULATION OF MAIN RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND SECONDARY RESEARCH QUESTIONS •Avoid phrasing questions with YES/NO answers •RQs are phrased as what, how and why? •The formulation of one or more general questions supplemented by more focused sub-questions is recommended. Strategies vary in this respect. •For final bachelor/master theses, it is recommended/ customary to include an explicitly worded central research question. RQ1: What discussion dynamics can demobilize participation in online debates during global crises? RQ2: What role do cross-cutting discussions and their characteristics play in the unwillingness to participate in discussions on Facebook?  RQ3: How are online cross-cutting discussions related to the perception of polarization among the public? RQ4: How does incivility affect active participation in discussions on Facebook?   EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND THEIR FORMULATION (Novotná et al., 2023) FLOW OF THE RESEARCH 3 Teams (3-4 members) You will get one supervisor who will be here to provide you with support in teams. Getting to know the literature. 1st phase of literature review – gap and narrow scope of your interest Here you are Selecting research topics and creating Teams Literature review I. 2-3 questions Formulating research questions & aim Marker with solid fill Books with solid fill Users with solid fill Books with solid fill Literature review II. You go back to literature (narrow to your sub-topic) Questions with solid fill 8. 10. 15. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Any questions? A picture containing text Description automatically generated Sources •Chen, Y. A., Fan, T., Toma, C. L., & Scherr, S. (2022). International students’ psychosocial well-being and social media use at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 137, 107409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107409. •Gümüş, S., Gök, E., & Esen, M. (2019). A review of research on international Student MOBILITY: Science mapping the existing knowledge base. Journal of Studies in International Education, 24(5), 495-517. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319893651. •Kim, T. (2020) Young Migrant Vietnamese in the Czech Republic Reflect Diasporic Contexts in Their Identification of Cultural Proximity with Korean Media, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 41(4), 524-539, DOI: 10.1080/07256868.2020.1779199 •Kim, Tae-Sik. (2016). Transnational communication practices of unaccompanied young Korean students in the United States. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 25(2), 148-167. https://doi.org/10.1177/0117196816639055 •Knight, J. (2012). Student mobility and internationalization: Trends and tribulations. Research in Comparative and International Education, 7(1), 20–33. •Martin, F., & Rizvi, F. (2014). Making Melbourne: Digital connectivity and international students’ experience of locality. Media, Culture & Society, 36(7), 1016-1031. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443714541223 •UNESCO UIS. (2020, December). National Monitoring: Outbound internationally mobile students by host region. http://data.uis.unesco.org/ • • •Metyková, M. (2010). Only a mouse click away from home: transnational practices of Eastern European migrants in the United Kingdom. Social Identities, 16(3), 325-338. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2010.482418. •Novotná, M., Macková, A., Bieliková, K., & Rossini, P. (2023d). Barriers to participation in polarized online discussions about COVID-19 and the Russo-Ukrainian war. Media and Communication, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6657 •Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. (2009). Education at a glance 2009: OECD indicators. •Richters, E., & Teichler, U. (2006). Student mobility data: Current methodological issues and future prospects. In M. Kelo, U. Teichler, & B. Wächter (Eds.), EURODATA: Student mobility in European higher education (pp. 78–95). Lemmens. Pictures and presentations motives •https://www.pexels.com/ •https://storyset.com/ •https://www.flaticon.com/ • •