Why is English used in coding?

Research Title and Topic

My research topic is 'Why is English used in coding'.

Objectives:

• Explain the research process.

• Argue in favour of a particular research topic

Identify a research topic that interests you. Please note that it is imperative that you identify a topic that relates to an aspect or aspects of your discipline area (related to the content of the core modules of your degree). Search journals related to your discipline to see the types of researchothers have done. You can use Google Scholar and the IIE library resources, including Ebscohost, for this purpose. Then formulate the title of your research. Conduct a search of local university research output in terms of theses and dissertations on topics in your discipline. Note how specific many of the titles of these reports are. Refer to the section of the prescribed textbook Identifying a Research Topic on pages 61–64 to assist you in identifying an appropriate research topic, and to Theme 1 of Learning Unit 2 on Learn.

Objective:

• Explain the research process.

A background allows you to contextualise your study. The purpose of contextualising your study is to explain broadly what you want to do in the study and what your main argument is. By giving the necessary background and context, you allow for the reader to understand the nature of your research topic. You should assume the reader has no prior knowledge about the topic. Ensure that you research and reference this background information.

Objective:

• Formulate a research problem based on the research topic.

Formulate a research problem based on the research topic you have identified. This section will require considerable review and rework. Refer to pages 64 to 68 in your textbook and to Learn for practical examples. The following should be included:

• Indicate what the research problem is;

• Why it is a problem; and

• Why it needs to be solved.

• The purpose of the research.

Note the criteria for forming a research problem in your textbook and on Learn.

The following is an example of a research problem. Notice how the researcher explains why it is a problem in need of a solution:

Face-saving practices influence the interpersonal interactions of employees in an organisation. However, managers often have a limited understanding of how different cultures use face-saving practices. With the different cultural and ethnic groups represented in South African organisations, a misunderstanding of face-saving practices is a threat to effective interpersonal understanding. Little, if any, research has been conducted on face-saving practices in South African organisations and on how individuals from different cultural backgrounds view socially acceptable behaviour in conflict situations. Saving-face, that is often referred to as ‘face-work’, is particularly important in high-context cultures, such as most African cultures, and it is the responsibility of employers to ensure that employees for whom face-work is important remains unharmed (Kim & Nam 1999, Littlejohn & Foss 2008, & Phuong-Mai 2008). The purpose of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of cultural differences in face-saving practices in an organisational context, with specific reference to how it benefits or impedes effective interpersonal communication.

Objective:

• Formulate research questions based on a research problem;

• Formulate null and alternative hypotheses.

State in a single sentence the main question you seek to answer in your research. This should flow directly from the research problem. It should provide focus and clarity. A common error is to make the research question too broad and impractical. The way you word your research question should indicate whether your research is quantitative or qualitative. Refer to your textbook on pages 68 to70 as well as pages 88 to 89 and as well Learn for practical help.

Next, do one of the following, depending on the nature of your research (see page 288):

1. If your research is quantitative and explanatory in nature, then specify the hypotheses for your study that you will test in order to answer your research question(s).

2. If your research is quantitative but not explanatory, then specify sub-questions that are directly related to your main research question.

3. If your research is qualitative, then specify the objectives of your research that are directly related to your research question.

4. If your research is mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative), then you can have a combination of the above.

If you continue on with the Research Practice (REPR7312) module in second semester, you will be required to develop a questionnaire, something you may want to keep in mind when identifying the research topic you wish to explore.