The Secret Cornor

今年九月中旬才決定論文的方向，直到11/14學長姐決定研究方法後，我們也才進入了進一步的討論，並開始改程式，跑實證分析。程式不是衛生紙，拿起來就能用了。在program方面，依照我的習慣，我會先複習理論或重新學習，對照coding，讓它變成我要的樣子，最後才願意將他貼到計量軟體的介面，ＲＵＮ！


實證當然也不會一帆風順，總是會遇到無法收斂或結果不如預期的情況，此時就開始就進入一種循環，嘗試各種方法或更換model，想盡各種方法讓論文可以順利走下去。這段期間總覺得整個財金所就剩我沒動筆了吧！誰不希望一跑出來結果就很漂亮，馬上畫幾個table, graph，數字填進去後就可以開始天馬行空的搞砸人生的第一篇：畢業論文（master disertation）。


我本身對於寫學術文章有相當嚴重的潔癖，因此在動筆之前我都希望看過權威性的文章，感染那種大師級的文章是如何組織段落、如何寫句子，如何作表格，與如何破題。在基本功沒有穩固之前，我不喜歡直接拿中文碩士論文來讀，因為中文碩論的錯誤其實不少，有些人寫文章是不去讀原作者是如何闡述理論，而是直接看某某某的碩論，看他怎麼寫，直接模仿來模仿去，甚至有人直接copy。也沒什麼不好，只是那不是我的style。Engle說了什麼要看Engle當年在paper裡怎麼寫才真正算數囉。


本身對於寫學術文章也沒有多少經驗，因此，在此只是分享一些我的＂習慣＂，並非通則。

寫一篇學術文章前，我傾向找找國際學者或有名的人是如何建議＂撰寫學術文章的方法＂，我習慣讀英文，因此我都直接search英文keyword，以下是最近從網站上得知的兩個不錯的寫作建議，第一個pdf檔寫的不錯，作者寫了11頁關於如何進行並組織Literature Review，值得一讀。第二個link則是一篇很常見主題：＂how to write academic papers＂，適合初接觸學述英文寫作的學生閱讀。


Analyzing the past to prepare for the future: writing a literature review
http://cisnet.baruch.cuny.edu/phd/jmuro/cisu840/HowToWriteLitReview-Webster.pdf

How to write a research paper
http://www.experiment-resources.com/write-a-research-paper.html


after all, 我是一個論文八字都還沒有一撇的人，因此今天就先分享到這裡：
first step : Figure out how to write an academic article.



 燃燒吧！我的小宇宙

＊＊＊

最後，附上一個最近在網路上找到，對於research paper寫作步驟的建言：
文章來源：http://www.csulb.edu/~msaintg/ppa696/696steps.htm

STEPS IN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

The ideal research proposal should be comprehensive enough to enable the reader to know everything that could be expected to happen if the project were actually carried out--including anticipated obstacles as well as anticipated benefits. In order to design a research project, you may wish to ask yourself the following series of questions:

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT, PURPOSES, BENEFITS What exactly do I want to find out? What is a researchable problem? What are the obstacles in terms of knowledge, data availability, time, or resources? Do the benefits outweigh the costs? 

2. THEORY, ASSUMPTIONS, BACKGROUND LITERATURE What does the relevant literature in the field indicate about this problem? To which theory or conceptual framework can I link it? What are the criticisms of this approach, or how does it constrain the research process? What do I know for certain about this area? What is the history of this problem that others need to know? 

3. VARIABLES AND HYPOTHESES What will I take as given in the environment? Which are the independent and which are the dependent variables? Are there control variables? Is the hypothesis specific enough to be researchable yet still meaningful? How certain am I of the relationship(s) between variables? 

4. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS AND MEASUREMENT What is the level of aggregation? What is the unit of measurement? How will the research variables be measured? What degree of error in the findings is tolerable? Will other people agree with my choice of measurement operations? 

5. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY What is my overall strategy for doing this research? Will this design permit me to answer the research question? What other possible causes of the relationship between the variables will be controlled for by this design? What are the threats to internal and external validity? 

6. SAMPLING How will I choose my sample of persons or events? Am I interested in representativeness? If so, of whom or what, and with what degree of accuracy or level of confidence? 

7. INSTRUMENTATION How will I get the data I need to test my hypothesis? What tools or devices will I use to make or record observations? Are valid and reliable instruments available, or must I construct my own? 

8. DATA COLLECTION AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Are there multiple groups, time periods, instruments, or situations that will need to be coordinated as steps in the data collection process? Will interviewers, observers, or analysts need to be trained? What level of inter-rater reliability will I accept? Do multiple translations pose a potential problem? Can the data be collected and subjects' rights still preserved? 

9. DATA ANALYSIS What combinations of analytical and statistical process will be applied to the data? Which will allow me to accept or reject my hypotheses? Do the finding show numerical differences, and are those differences important? 

10. CONCLUSIONS, INTERPRETATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS Was my initial hypothesis supported? What if my findings are negative? What are the implications of my findings for the theory base, for the background assumptions, or relevant literature? What recommendations can I make for public policies or programs in this area? What suggestions can I make for further research on this topic?