Developing Study Skills and Research Methods

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Developing Study Skills and Research Methods
Unit Code HL20107
Unit Leader Dr James Betts
J.Betts_at_bath.ac.uk
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Objectives

• Learn to review and critique scientific
  literature
• Develop your presentation skills
• Expand your understanding of research design
• Gain a more advanced appreciation of data
  analysis
• Introduce you to different perspectives in
  Exercise Science.

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Lecture Schedule

• Mondays 1515
• All in room 3E 3.8
• Weeks 1-11.

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Week Topic
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Job Applications/CV Writing
Unit Overview/How to Write a literature Review
Presenting Scientific Research
Plagiarism
Scientific Writing
Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
Data Collection and Analysis in Qualitative
Research
Can We Trust Sports Science?
Assessed Presentations I
Assessed Presentations II
Assessed Presentations III.
Prior reading required
5
Semester 1 Computer Laboratory Classes

• Friday 12.15
• Weeks 4 5
• Room 2E 1.14
• Friday 13.15
• Week 4 5
• Room CB 5.13

Surnames A-J
Surnames K-Z
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Week Topic
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
29
30
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Introduction and Revision Session
One-Way Analysis of Variance
Managing Violated Statistical Assumptions
Locating Variance Post-Hoc Tests
Statistical Power Sample and Effect Size
Linear Regression and Coursework Details
Data Collection Practical
Practice for Timed Practical Computing Exercise
Timed Practical Computing Exercise
Coursework Revision Lecture
Coursework Hand-In.
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Assessment

• Coursework Project (40)
• 2000 word project similar to the one you did last
  year but using more advanced statistical analyses
• The relevant research scenarios and data will be
  added to the web page in week 24
• Hand-in date TBC in week 19.

• Timed Practical Computing Exercise (20)
• In week 30 you will be required to use SPSS to
  analyse a number of data sets

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Assessment

• Group Literature Review (20)
• Organise yourselves into groups of 5
• Select an area of research that is of interest to
  you
• Find and read relevant articles
• Fill in the form on the web page to let us know
  your group/topic by week 4 (21st October)
• Write a 2000 word literature review
• To be handed in Thursday 21st November 2012
• Groups distribute your grades amongst others.

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Assessment

• Group Presentations (20)
• Choose one original research article that is
  central to your group literature review
• Prepare a PowerPoint presentation as if the study
  was to be presented at a scientific conference
• You will be presenting as groups in weeks 9, 10
  11
• I will let you know which week via Email after
  your lecture on the 21st October

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Previous Topics

• The Effects of Training at Altitude
• Nutritional Strategies to Promote Recovery
• Psychological Components of Injury and
  Rehabilitation
• The Effects of Smoking on VO2 max
• The Effect of Pre-Exercise Stretching on Muscle
  Power Output.

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Different types of papers

• Primary literature
• Secondary literature
• Tertiary literature

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Primary Literature

• Research Papers
• Case Studies
• Conference Proceedings
• Dissertations

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Primary Literature

• Research papers
• Original data
• First published record of the findings of an
  experiment of series of experiments
• Peer reviewed
• Normally a group of authors

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Primary Literature

• Case studies
• Medical/veterinary/psychology literature
• Normally peer reviewed
• Report the circumstances of a particular case
• i.e. an unusual repair technique for a ruptured
  achilles tendon

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Primary Literature

• Conference proceedings
• Vary in length and quality!
• Sometimes reviewed, sometimes not
• Often preliminary data
• Will often appear later in research paper form

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Primary Literature

• Dissertations
• Undergraduate research (BSc, MSc, BEng or MEng)
• Graduate research (MSc, MPhil, PhD)
• University published
• BSc all dissertation that achieve mark of 50 or
  above in library
• MPhil PhD theses are examined and corrected

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Secondary Literature

• Review articles
• Information about primary sources
• Compilation or synthesis of ideas and data
• Should be reasonably objective (although often
  arent)
• Usually peer reviewed

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Tertiary Literature

• Textbooks present science theory rather than
  contributing to it

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Research Paper Structure

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• References

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Abstract

• Advertisement for the paper
• Summary of paper
• Reason for performing the study
• Hypothesis
• Important results
• Implications of the findings

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Introduction

• Background to the study
• Brief overview of the current state of the field
• Citing other peoples work
• The function of tendons can be classified into
  two categories tensile force transmission, and
  storage of elastic strain energy during
  locomotion (Ker et al., 1988, 2000 Shadwick,
  1990 Pollock and Shadwick, 1994).
• (Maganaris and Paul, 2002)

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Introduction

• Background to the study
• Brief overview of the current state of the field
• Citing other peoples work
• How the authors arrived at their research
  question
• Why this is the most important question in the
  world!
• HYPOTHESIS
• Simple
• Easily answered

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Materials and Methods

• Clear concise description of what they did
• Often includes figure of experimental setup if
  appropriate
• Subjects
• Data collection what they were measuring and
  how
• Analysis
• Statistics
• Methods should be clear enough to repeat the
  experiment and give the same results

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Results

• What they found
• Visual representation of the data
• Graphs
• Tables
• Good figure legends
• Description of their results - no discussion of
  the implications

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Discussion

• Interpretation of the results
• How they relate to previous research
• Implication and/or applications of the findings
• How supplement A might improve endurance
• How knowledge of the forces at the knee during a
  cutting manoeuvre might be used to reduce injury
  risk
• Future directions for research

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References

• Expansion of the citations in the text
• Record of the authors, title and journal where
  the papers were published
• Critically important to avoid plagiarism must
  include the sources of all information that is
  other peoples intellectual property
• Two citation methods
• Harvard System
• Numeric System
• Individual journals will request specific methods

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References

• Harvard System
• Cite references in the text by giving authors
  surname(s) and year of publication.
• The function of tendons can be classified into
  two categories tensile force transmission, and
  storage of elastic strain energy during
  locomotion (Ker et al., 1988, 2000 Shadwick,
  1990 Pollock and Shadwick, 1994).

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References

• Harvard System
• Cite references in the text by giving authors
  surname(s) and year of publication.
• The function of tendons can be classified into
  two categories tensile force transmission, and
  storage of elastic strain energy during
  locomotion (Ker et al., 1988, 2000 Shadwick,
  1990 Pollock and Shadwick, 1994).
• (Maganaris and Paul, 2002)
• Reference list alphabetical order
• Ker, R.F., Alexander, R.McN. and Bennet, M.B.
  1988. Why are mammalian tendons so thick?
  Journal of Zoology, London 216, 309-324
• Dont use capitals for authors names as in
  library guide to referencing

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References

• Numeric System
• Each citation is given a number in parentheses.
  These are numbered according to where they appear
  in the text. First reference is (1), second
  reference is (2) etc
• However, excess tendon elongation leads to a
  partial or complete tendon rupture (4), and the
  Achilles tendon is one of the most frequently
  injured tendons in the human body (5)
• (Muraoka et al., 2005)
• Reference list listed in numerical order based
  on number you have given each citation in the
  text.
• 4. Butler, D.L., Grood, E.S., Noyes, F.R.and
  Zernicke, R.F. 1978. Biomechanics of ligaments
  and tendons. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 6, 125-181

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References

• Library Guide to Referencing
• http//www.bath.ac.uk/library/guides/references.ht
  ml

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What is a literature review?

• Critical look at existing research relevant to
  your question in order to
• Identify the problem
• Develop a hypothesis
• Develop a method
• It is NOT just a summary of a series of research
  papers
• You must evaluate the research papers and show
  the relationships between different work

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What is a literature review?

• Approach it with the following questions
• What do we already know in the area concerned?
• What are the key concepts?
• What are the existing theories?
• What are the inconsistencies?
• What evidence is lacking, inconclusive,
  contradictory or too limited?
• What views need to be tested further?

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Selecting a topic

• Real World vs Theoretical
• Research at Bath or another institution
• Controversial issues
• Relevant to your sport
• Review papers
• Interesting!!!

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Six Step Procedure (Thomas and Nelson, 1996)

• Problem statement
• Consult secondary sources
• Reviews Exercise and Sport Science reviews
• Be wary of www sources

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Evaluating Internet Sources

• Is it someones personal page?
• What type of domain does it come from?
• academic, charity, industry, government
• Who published the page?
• What are the authors credentials?
• Are sources documented?
• When was it last updated?

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Six Step Procedure (Thomas and Nelson, 1996)

• Problem statement
• Consult secondary sources
• Reviews Exercise and Sport Science reviews
• Be wary of www sources
• Determine descriptors
• Search terms
• Search for primary sources
• Read and record literature
• Write literature review

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Read and Record Literature

• Hypothesis / Question
• Methods
• Subjects
• Instruments/tests used
• Testing procedures
• Independent/dependent variables
• Analysis
• Findings and Conclusions
• Critique of paper strengths/weaknesses

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How to Write a Literature Review

• Background
• Introduce to topic to the reader
• Make it interesting and easily understandable by
  explaining it in plain language and relating to
  actual or potential applications
• Explain scientific principles underlying the
  topic
• Define and justify the scope of the review i.e.
  your question

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How to Write a Literature Review

• Critique of the Literature
• Do not give a summary paper by paper
• Deal with themes and try to draw together the
  results from several papers into each theme.
• Use sub-headings to identify your themes
• Try and create a logical progression through the
  subject/argument
• Use what you have learnt about research design to
  critically evaluate the results of the papers you
  are discussing

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How to Write a Literature Review

• Tables and Figures
• Tables can be a useful, concise way of
  summarising the findings of a number of similar
  studies
• You must cite the sources of the information
• Use tables alongside your evaluation of the data
  in the text, not instead of it
• Figures and diagrams can be very useful to
  explain important principles
• Cite source of information

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How to Write a Literature Review

• Conclusions
• Should be short and concise
• What is your opinion
• Further Research
• Finish your review with some ideas for further
  research that needs to be done in the area and
  why.

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How to Write a Literature Review

• References
• As used in Journal of Sports Sciences
• Names of author (s) and date of publication in
  the text
• Full references listed in alphabetical order in
  the reference list
• Instructions on formatting references can be
  found in all issues of JSS or on the JSS website
• http//www.tandf.co.uk/journals/authors/rjspauth.p
  df Section 5(h)

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Writing Style

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation matter!
• Use spell check
• Ask someone to read your paper for you before
  handing it in
• Fonts and Symbols
• Do not use stylised fonts
• Many of the symbols needed for scientific
  information can be found in insert-symbol
• Normal text ( ? ½)
• Mathematical operators (? v ?)

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Writing Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Keep to a minimum
• Only use if full expression is excessively long
  or abbreviation is in common use
• Define the first time it is used
• Use SI (Systeme Internationale) Units

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Système Internationale (SI) Units

• Seven constant base units using the metric
  system

Variable Unit Symbol Accepted Derivations
Distance metre m ha for area º for angle l or L for volume
Mass kilogram kg t
Time second s min, h, d (not year)
Temperature kelvin K
Mole mole mol l or L for volume
Current ampere A
Luminance candela cd
Units always lower-case, neither italicised nor
pleuralised (i.e. kg not KGS) and with space
between value and unit (inc. but exc. º).
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Writing Style

• Tables
• Insert-Table in word
• Units in column and row headings
• Use a realistic number of significant figures
• Include a legend which describes the table
• Figures
• Create figure in powerpoint of graphics software
• Insert-picture from file
• Create graphs in Excel or other graph drawing
  package
• Paste into word
• For this review paste figures into appropriate
  place in the text. For publication figures
  should be separate

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Writing Style

• Use of Words
• Be economical dont waffle
• Be precise dont generalise, be specific if you
  can
• Dont use however more than once in a paragraph
• changing the direction of an argument twice in
  one paragraph can confuse the reader
• Dont use however too often
• Thesaurus for synonyms
• Keep technical terms to a minimum
• Avoid colloquialisms such as steer clear of

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Writing Style

• Use of Words
• Dont use long complicated sentences
• Beware of tenses
• When describing experiments and reporting results
  use past tense
• When discussing implications use present tense
• Beware of singular and plural terms
• Datum data
• Medium media
• Phenomenon phenomena

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Writing Style

• Flow of Ideas
• Focus your thoughts by writing a plan/outline
  first
• The first sentence of a paragraph usually sets
  the topic for the paragraph
• Check that you dont contradict yourself
• Aim for simplicity!

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READ YOUR WORK BEFORE YOU HAND IT
IN!!!Preferably ask someone else to read it too!