Research Skills and Academic Writing

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

Research Skills and Academic Writing — Key Facts for Sri Lanka A/L Examination

Research Process Overview:

1. Topic selection: Choose something manageable and interesting
2. Background reading: Get general understanding
3. Formulate questions: Narrow your focus
4. Gather sources: Books, articles, reliable websites
5. Evaluate sources: Assess credibility and relevance
6. Organise information: Sort and categorise material
7. Write and revise: Draft, review, improve
8. Cite properly: Give credit to sources

Academic Writing Essentials:

• Formal register (no slang, no colloquialisms)
• Evidence-based arguments
• Proper citation and referencing
• Logical organisation
• Objective, impersonal tone

⚡ A/L Exam Tip: Always distinguish between your own ideas and ideas from sources — use signal phrases like “According to…” or “Smith argues that…”

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Research Skills and Academic Writing — Detailed Study Guide

Research Topic Selection

Criteria for Good Research Topics:

Criterion	Description
Manageable scope	Can be completed in available time
Sufficient sources	Enough material available
Personal interest	Motivates sustained effort
Relevance	Connects to your course or interests
Originality	Offers a fresh perspective or focus

Topic Narrowing Strategy:

• ❌ Too broad: “Climate change”
• ✅ Better: “Coastal erosion in Sri Lanka’s eastern province: causes and community impacts”
• ✅ Even better: “The impact of coastal erosion on fishing communities in Trincomalee district (2015-2023)”

Generating Research Questions:

• Descriptive: “What are the main causes of traffic congestion in Colombo?”
• Comparative: “How does Sri Lanka’s education system compare with Finland’s?”
• Causal: “What factors contributed to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks?”
• Evaluative: “To what extent has the Samurdhi program reduced poverty in Sri Lanka?”
• Policy: “What measures could reduce youth unemployment in Sri Lanka?”

Finding and Evaluating Sources

Types of Sources:

Source Type	Examples	Use
Primary sources	Original research, historical documents, data	Direct evidence
Secondary sources	Textbooks, analysis, commentary	Background, interpretation
Tertiary sources	Encyclopedias, dictionaries	Overview, fact-checking

Academic Sources:

• Books: University press books, academic publishers
• Journals: Peer-reviewed articles (Journal of South Asian Studies)
• Government publications: Census data, policy documents
• Credible websites: .edu, .gov, established news (.lk domains good for Sri Lanka)

Evaluating Web Sources: CRAAP Test:

• Currency: When was it published? Is it current enough?
• Relevance: Does it relate to your topic? Is it at the right level?
• Authority: Who wrote it? What are their credentials?
• Accuracy: Is it supported by evidence? Can you verify?
• Purpose: Inform? Persuade? Entertain? Is there bias?

Sri Lanka-Specific Sources:

• National Library of Sri Lanka
• Department of Census and Statistics
• Central Bank of Sri Lanka publications
• University of Colombo, University of Peradeniya research
• Sunday Times, Daily Mirror, The Hindu (Sri Lanka editions)
• Groundviews, Lanka News Web (alternative media)

Note-Taking Strategies

Effective Note-Taking Methods:

Cornell Method:

┌────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
│ Question/ cue col  │ Notes column                │
│                    │ Main points recorded here   │
│                    │                             │
├────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
│ Summary (bottom)   │ Summary of notes below       │
└────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘

Mind Mapping:

• Central topic in centre
• Branch out with main themes
• Add supporting details on sub-branches
• Good for visual learners
• Shows connections between ideas

Sentence Method:

• Write notes as complete sentences
• More formal, easier to review later
• Good for argument-based research

Abbreviations for Speed:

Abbreviation	Meaning
w/	with
w/o	without
b/c	because
esp.	especially
e.g.	for example
i.e.	that is
N/A	not applicable
Q	question
→	leads to / results in
=	equals / is
≠	not equal to

⚡ A/L Tip: Always record full citations when taking notes — it’s easy to forget where information came from!

Academic Writing Structure

Standard Essay Structure:

Introduction (10-15% of word count):
- Hook (interesting opening)
- Background (context for topic)
- Thesis statement (main argument)
- Signpost (brief overview of main points)

Literature Review/Background (15-20%):
- What do we already know about this topic?
- What are the main debates or perspectives?
- Where does your research fit?

Body (60-70%):
- Each paragraph presents one main point
- Evidence + analysis for each point
- Transitions between paragraphs

Conclusion (10-15%):
- Restate thesis in fresh words
- Summarise main arguments
- State broader implications
- End with a strong final thought

Paragraph Structure for Academic Writing:

Element	Content	Example
Topic sentence	Main idea of paragraph	”Sri Lanka’s education system faces significant challenges”
Context	Background or elaboration	”Despite high literacy rates, recent studies show…”
Evidence	Facts, examples, data	”According to the 2023 Department of Examinations report…”
Analysis	Explanation of evidence	”This indicates that literacy alone does not guarantee…”
Link	Connect to thesis or next paragraph	”These findings have important implications for…”

Avoiding Plagiarism:

• Paraphrase in your own words AND cite source
• Use quotation marks for direct quotes AND cite source
• Summarise ideas AND cite source
• Keep track of all sources consulted
• Use your own analysis, not just others’ words

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Research Skills and Academic Writing — Complete Notes for A/L Sri Lanka

Citation and Referencing

Why Cite?:

• Gives credit to original authors
• Allows readers to find your sources
• Demonstrates research breadth
• Avoids plagiarism
• Supports your credibility

Common Citation Styles:

Harvard Referencing:

• In-text: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)
• Reference list: Alphabetical by author surname

APA (American Psychological Association):

• In-text: (Smith, 2023)
• Reference list: Alphabetical, hanging indent

Footnotes (Turabian/Chicago):

• Numbered footnotes at bottom of page
• Full citation in footnote and reference list

How to Cite Different Sources:

Source Type	Harvard In-Text	Reference List Entry
Book	(Kumar, 2020, p. 23)	Kumar, S. (2020). Education in Sri Lanka. Colombo: Sarasavi Press.
Journal article	(Silva, 2019)	Silva, P. (2019). Economic development in Sri Lanka. Journal of Asian Studies, 12(3), 45-67.
Website	(UNESCO, 2024)	UNESCO (2024). Sri Lanka Education Report. UNESCO.int. Available at: www.unesco.org (Accessed: 15 March 2024).
Newspaper article	(Perera, 2023)	Perera, A. (2023). New policy announced. Daily Mirror, 20 April, p. 5.
Edited book chapter	(Jones, 2018, pp. 30-45)	Jones, R. (2018). Climate patterns. In: S. Silva (ed.) Environmental Science. Colombo: UCD Press, pp. 30-45.

Referencing Sri Lankan Sources:

• Government publications: Name of ministry/department, year, title
• Sri Lankan legislation: Name of Act, year, section number
• Sri Lankan newspapers: Article title, newspaper name, date, page
• Unpublished works: Name, year, title, type of work, institution

Academic Language and Style

Formal vs. Informal Language:

Informal	Formal Academic
Lots of	A significant number of
A lot of	Considerable, numerous
Things	Factors, issues, matters
People	Individuals, persons
Get/got	Obtain/obtained, acquire/acquired
Think/believe	Maintain, argue, contend
Shows	Demonstrates, indicates
Uses	Employs, utilises
About	Approximately, regarding
In a lot of cases	In many cases
So/very	Thus, consequently, significantly

Impersonal Academic Style:

• ❌ “I think this proves…”
• ✅ “This evidence suggests…”
• ❌ “You can see that…”
• ✅ “It is evident that…”
• ❌ “This shows that anyone can…”
• ✅ “This demonstrates that…”

Using Hedging Language Appropriately: Hedging = cautious, qualified statements

• Use when: Conclusions are not certain, evidence is limited
• Don’t use when: Presenting well-established facts

Hedging Phrases:

• “The evidence suggests that…”
• “It appears that…”
• “This may be due to…”
• “Approximately…”
• “In many cases…”
• “It could be argued that…”
• “Some scholars contend that…”

Strong Assertion Phrases:

• “Research clearly demonstrates…”
• “It is evident that…”
• “Studies consistently show…”
• “This is undoubtedly…” (Use when evidence strongly supports claim)

Writing Different Types of Academic Papers

Research Paper:

1. Abstract (150-300 words)
   - Brief summary of entire paper
   - Background, methods, findings, conclusions

2. Introduction
   - Context and background
   - Research question/purpose
   - Literature review
   - Thesis/hypothesis

3. Methodology
   - How you conducted the research
   - Data sources
   - Analytical methods

4. Results/Findings
   - Present findings without interpretation

5. Discussion
   - Interpret findings
   - Relate to existing research
   - Address limitations

6. Conclusion
   - Summary
   - Implications
   - Future research directions

Literature Review:

• Organise by theme, not by individual sources
• Identify patterns and debates in literature
• Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of existing research
• Show where your research fits
• Synthesise rather than summarise

Analytical Essay:

• Focus on interpretation and argument
• Not just describing, but explaining and evaluating
• Present and evaluate multiple perspectives
• Build to a reasoned conclusion

Source Integration Techniques

Signal Phrase Formats:

• Attribution + information: “According to the Department of Statistics (2024),…”
• Author focus: “De Silva (2020, p. 34) argues that…”
• Neutral introduction: “Recent research indicates that…”
• Critical introduction: “However, Seneviratne (2018) questions this view, noting that…”

Integrating Quotations:

Length	Format	Example
Short (under 30 words)	Quotation marks in text	”Education is the key to development” (Wickremesinghe, 2023, p. 12).
Medium (30-100 words)	Separate paragraph, indented	(Indentation without quotation marks)
Long (100+ words)	Separate block, indented	Usually avoided in undergraduate work

Quotation Integration Tips:

• Choose quotes that do your argument work
• Always introduce quotes with context
• Always explain why the quote matters
• Use ellipsis […] for omitted words
• Use brackets [ ] for inserted explanations
• Keep quotes to minimum necessary

Sri Lanka Academic Research Resources

Key Sri Lankan Institutions for Research:

Institution	Website/Database	Research Areas
University of Colombo	cmb.ac.lk	All disciplines
University of Peradeniya	pdn.ac.lk	Sciences, humanities
University of Sri Jayewardenepura	sjp.ac.lk	Management, humanities
National Library of Sri Lanka	library.gov.lk	General archives
National Science Foundation	nsf.ac.lk	Scientific research
Institute of National Policy	nipo.lk	Public policy
Centre for Policy Alternatives	cps.lk	Political research

Sri Lanka Census and Statistics:

• Census of Population and Housing (every 10 years)
• Household Income and Expenditure Survey
• Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey
• Vital Statistics
• Published by Department of Census and Statistics

Central Bank Publications:

• Annual Report (comprehensive economic data)
• Sri Lanka’s New Development Plan
• Economic and Social Statistics
• Quarterly Bulletins

Key Sri Lankan Think Tanks:

• Institute of National Policy
• Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)
• Pathfinder Foundation
• Institute of Defence Analyses
• Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies

Plagiarism: Understanding and Avoiding

Types of Plagiarism:

1. Verbatim plagiarism: Copying without quotes or citation
2. Mosaic plagiarism: Patchwriting (mixing quotes with paraphrasing without citation)
3. Paraphrase plagiarism: Paraphrasing without citation
4. Self-plagiarism: Submitting your own previous work
5. Citation plagiarism: Including citations that don’t exist
6. Idea plagiarism: Using others’ ideas without attribution

How to Paraphrase Properly: ❌ Unacceptable (too close to original): “Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka with a population of over 2 million in the metro area.”

✅ Acceptable paraphrase: “According to census data, Sri Lanka’s capital and largest urban centre is Colombo, where more than two million people reside in the metropolitan region (DCS, 2022).”

✅ Even better (with analysis): “Colombo’s population of over two million makes it Sri Lanka’s dominant urban centre, though this figure represents a relatively small percentage of the total population, suggesting that urbanisation remains less advanced than in neighbouring countries.”

⚡ A/L Plagiarism Warning: If you’re caught plagiarising in an examination or coursework, you may receive zero for the paper or face disciplinary action. Always submit original work and cite sources!

Academic Integrity and Ethics

Research Ethics Principles:

• Honesty: Report findings accurately
• Objectivity: Avoid bias in research design and reporting
• Reliability: Ensure work can be verified
• Fairness: Credit others’ contributions
• Independence: Maintain intellectual autonomy

Data Ethics:

• Obtain data ethically (no fabrication or falsification)
• Store data responsibly
• Protect sensitive information
• Share data appropriately

Human Subjects Research:

• Obtain informed consent
• Protect privacy and confidentiality
• Minimise harm
• Follow institutional guidelines

Writing Ethics:

• Acknowledge all contributions
• Disclose conflicts of interest
• Seek permission for copyrighted material
• Be transparent about methods and limitations

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