1 Unit 4 Describing Methodology Objectives─ Be clear about the significance of this section ─ Try to understand the importance of passive voice in academic writing ─ Learn to be skilled in using sequential markers in writing a process ─ Be familiar with proof-reading skills ─ Learn to design a questionnaire Contents ─ Brief introduction to this section ─ Reading & Discussion: What information elements are usually involved in writing a methodology section? ─ Language Focus: Passive voice and sequential markers ─ Writing Practice: Understanding the sentence patterns and sentence order in writing a process ─ Writing Project: How to design a questionnaire 2 1. Reading Activity In natural sciences the method section is often called Materials and Methods. In social sciences it is common to introduce a section called Theory and Methods. Sometimes it is divided in two sections: Theoretical Framework and Methods.Research methodology is mainly concerned with the answers to the following questions: 1) Why is a particular research study undertaken? 2) How has one formulated a research problem? 3) What types of data have been collected? 4) What particular methods have been used? 5) Why is a particular technique of analysis of data used? 1.1 Pre-reading Task The following is the method section of a research article in the field of applied linguistics. Think about the following questions before reading the text and then have a discussion with your classmates: 1) What is the function of the method section? 2) What information elements does a method section include? 3) What verb tenses are mainly used in the text? What is the proportion of active voice verbs to passive voice verbs in this method sec...
