Summary of Aula 8: Tatiana Vargas Maia, Projetos de Pesquisa

Summary of "Aula 8: Tatiana Vargas Maia, Projetos de Pesquisa"

This lecture by Tatiana Vargas Maia, a professor and researcher at La Salle University in Rio Grande do Sul, focuses on the nature, purpose, and construction of academic research projects. It is aimed at students beginning their journey as researchers, particularly in Social Sciences and Humanities, but the principles are broadly applicable.

Main Ideas and Concepts

  1. What is a Research Project?
    • A Research Project is often seen as a daunting "mountain" for students.
    • It is not merely a bureaucratic ritual but serves two fundamental functions:
      • Pragmatic/Ethical function: A formal document required for academic selections (master’s, doctorate, postdoctoral scholarships, job applications).
      • Intellectual function: A compass that guides the researcher through the complex, often unpredictable research process.
    • Writing a Research Project helps mature and clarify one’s arguments and research intentions.
  2. Three Essential Questions a Research Project Must Answer:
    • What will we learn that we don’t know yet?
    • Why is it worth investigating this question?
    • How will we know that our conclusions are valid and applicable elsewhere?
  3. Stages of Formulating a Research Project:
    • Delimiting the problem: Narrowing down a broad theme into a specific, researchable question.
      • Example: Instead of studying "World War II," focus on "The motivations behind the USA’s involvement in World War II."
    • Defining the research scope: Considering access to sources and materials, and the feasibility of the research.
    • Theoretical framework: Identifying relevant theories and concepts to analyze the problem.
    • Methodology: Planning how to collect and analyze data, avoiding biases, and ensuring research viability.
    • Planning: Outlining the steps and timeline of the research.
  4. Basic Structure of a Research Project:
    • Title and Introduction: Clear, concise, and engaging presentation of the research problem and objectives.
    • Objectives:
      • General objective (the main goal).
      • Specific objectives (steps to achieve the general objective).
    • Research Object/Subject: Defining the focus of the study (social group, institution, event, etc.).
    • Justification: Explaining why the research is important and relevant (social, theoretical, professional significance).
    • Hypothesis: A provisional answer or expected outcome, open to revision.
    • Theoretical/Thematic Discussion: Situating the research within existing literature, engaging in academic dialogue.
    • Methodology: Detailed description of research design, data collection methods, analysis techniques, and tools/software used.
    • Schedule: Realistic timeline of research activities aligned with the methodology.
    • Budget: Detailed and justified financial plan for resources needed.
    • References: Up-to-date and carefully checked list of all sources cited.
  5. Writing and Revising the Project:
    • Writing a good project takes time and discipline.
    • Avoid last-minute writing to reduce anxiety and improve quality.
    • Review and reread multiple times.
    • Seek feedback from peers, advisors, and mentors.
    • Adapt the basic structure to specific calls for proposals or academic requirements.
    • Pay attention to coherence, cohesion, clarity, and engagement to keep evaluators interested.
  6. Final Advice and Encouragement:
    • Writing a Research Project is a creative and intellectually enriching process.
    • It requires confronting possibilities and limitations realistically.
    • The project is a mental construction that precedes and shapes the research outcome.
    • Use the project as a tool to organize thoughts, present original ideas professionally, and guide the research journey.
  7. Task for Students:
    • A script with 14 basic questions is provided to help start structuring a Research Project.
    • Four key questions focus on:
      • The research question.
      • How the question was developed.
      • The hypotheses or expected answers.
      • The methodology to be used.
    • Answering these questions helps draft the first version of the project.

Detailed Bullet Points: Methodology for Writing a Research Project

Notable Quotes

— 45:18 — « A spider performs operations similar to those of the weaver and bees: he was more of an architect when building his hive, but what distinguishes the worst architect from the best bee is that he holds his construction in his mind before transforming it into reality. »
— 45:29 — « I like to think of the research project as this, we are setting aside precious time that I can imagine the result of our research, to imagine this final product that we want to do, be it a thesis, a dissertation, a report, a book, an article. »
— 45:37 — « To take this planning seriously helps us immensely. I have never seen someone who wrote a good research project who later regretted the time they spent dedicated to this project. »
— 45:47 — « The worst thing we can do is to give in to anxiety because it will rob us of more and more time, and writing the project in the last hours in the throes of the deadline is the worst thing we can do. »
— 45:58 — « You must review, reread, and ask your friends to read and comment on the project. We need to break with this fear that we have of showing our text to others. »

Category

Educational

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