How to Generate Research Idea (specifically in intercultural communication)

Chapter 1

How to Generate research Idea

Coming up with an idea for a piece of research is just as important as the research itself. The question is how we can generate good idea for the research? This task for some of us is also very challenging as the research itself.  Some ideas from the researches state the source which can be considered as the source of idea to find the research topic.

Technique or approach to generate Idea

We can use two approach/technique to generate idea for the research ( (Saunders, Lewis, & Tornhill, 2012) :

1.  Rational Thinking: examines your own strength and interest, looking at the past project thesis, discussion with colleagues/friends or tutor as credible source, searching literature, journal, report, books.

2.    Creative Thinking: keeping a notebook of ideas, exploring personal preferences using last project, map of issues and questions under the area of interest, brainstorming: problem solving, list issues, problems and question from the broad area.

Source of Idea

According to (Neuman, 2014) there are four commonly used alternatives to social science research that many people rely on to acquire knowledge and decide the research topic:

1.Personal experience and common sense; in many cases we see the experience as the truth, (the popular statement maybe familiar is “Seeing is believing”).  Unfortunately, it will lead us away from the path righteousness. This condition is like the optical illusion. The research then will help us to find the truth.

2. Expert and authorities; We tend to think of what is conveyed by experts or who have scientific authority as a truth. Relying on what is conveyed by experts also has many limitations. The fact is sometimes expert talks to much outside their expertise about something and people tend to believe it. We call this as hello effect.

3. Popular and media messages: in social life people tend to follow the herd or rely on mass opinion, many of us believe what most other people think even though it may be far from the truth. We also tend to belief media such us TV, magazine, social media, internet as the source of information and perceive it as the truth. Moreover, we consider that the sources as credible sources.

4. Ideological beliefs and value; many of us it also happens to person who has the leader position, manager or politician tend to make decision based on political, religious and ideological beliefs Even when they have access to the results of the study.

The conditions I mentioned above- where any information from these sources is biased and tends to lead us to misunderstandings- is the opportunities for the research to straightening out the biases that occur, stereotypes, subjective judgement and lead to construct the reality.

The tips for us to generate the research Idea

Here are also the tips for us to generate the research Idea stated by Dr Rino F Boer from (Neuman, 2014) in Title and problem recognition in communication research:

1.Research Problems are often discovered in everyday life; identifying a research problem can be as simple as observing the complications and issues in your local workplace, and These ongoing obstacles and issues in the workplace can be the catalyst for developing a research problem  (kebritchi, 2017).

2. There may be a lack of data and empirical insights about a specific problem

3. The Literature. Reveal the Gaps Exist in Knowledge of The Problem (Empirical Research May Be Designed to Close Such Gaps.) Often the section of “recommendations for the future studies” provided at the end of journal articles or doctoral dissertations suggest potential research problems (kebritchi, 2017).

4. Previous Studies; Previous Studies Producing New Questions or Leaving Some Questions Unanswered.

Attributes of Good research

To decide the research topic, we also can assess or consider some variable or attribute which help us to make good quality research and give valuable impact for the researchers and for the society,

Attributes of good research (Neuman W. L., 2011)

1.Capability. Is it feasible?   (Your research topic must be something you are capable of undertaking and one that excites your imagination)	-Does the topic fascinate you? -Do you have the research skills? -Achievable within the frame? -Financially viable/achievable? -Data is accessible?
2.Appropriateness: is it worthwhile? –	- Does the topic fit the specification and standards of the examining institution? –Topic has clear links to (relevant) theory? –Able to state clear objectives/research question(s)? –Is the research able to provide fresh insights? –Are the findings likely to be symmetrical? –Does the topic match your career goals?

Chapter 2

How to get the research idea in intercultural communication

In chapter one we talk about how generate idea for research (especially in social research). In practice we can choose which approach or way we can rely on to get ideas or ideas for our research or even we can combine several approaches or techniques to get optimal results.

Once we understand technically how an idea or research idea can be created, the researcher must choose the field of research. Understanding and deciding the field of research is also an important first step that can help us determine the research topic and then choose the research approach that we will do.

In this paper I want to explore what kind of research topic and the approach that we will use in research in the area of intercultural communication. To find the research topic in intercultural communication, off course we must to know what is the intercultural communication studies. If we know the studies and the scope of the studies then we can identify the research topic and the approach.

What is Intercultural Communication

Intercultural communication is the studies of communication across different cultures and how then the culture affects communication. The studies of communication between people with different mindsets and the ways of looking at and perceiving the world. The central trust of intercultural communication is in the analysis of meaning assignment in interactions between persons whose attitudes, beliefs, and values differ owing owing to a corresponding difference  in their cultural or co-cultural backgrounds  (Steinfatt & Millette).

Intercultural communication is communication between people with differing cultural identities (Ahrndt, 2020). One reason we should study intercultural communication is to foster greater self-awareness (Martin & Nakayama, 2010)

Intercultural communication refers to the process of interaction between people from different cultures (Littlejhon & Foss, 2009). More specifically, Karl fried Knapp defines it as the interpersonal interaction between members of groups that differ from each other in respect to the knowledge shared by their members and their linguistic forms of symbolic behavior (Littlejhon & Foss, 2009).

Below are the example of study of intercultural communication and the goals of study (Littlejhon & Foss, 2009):

No	Concern	Goals
1	Seek to build a theory of intercultural communication based on research grounded in the social sciences.	Theory construction
2	Seek to understand how people interpret behavior and how the behavior come to have meaning within a given culture.	cultural meaning
3	For Government and organization are often concerned with introducing change into a particular culture to reduce a perceived evil, such as diseases, lack of education, or the existence of human trafficking	Cultural change
4	People who must work in multicultural or cross-cultural setting, or who train other to do so, are concerned with providing practical advice for improving intercultural communication and easing the way of the trainee in the unfamiliar cultural setting	practical advice to the sojourner
5	People are concerned with the conflicts and misunderstanding that occur in cross-cultural and multicultural interactions, they seek to reduce prejudice and ethnocentrism and to promote peace and tranquility. They also concerned with the question of when and how one country or culture gains the right to attempt to change another country or culture	the reduction of prejudice and conflict between ethnic groups

 

these different goals of intercultural communication research lead to different research questions and different methods for answering them. No Single method is always most appropriate in intercultural setting. Method is always dependent upon the question being asked. Intercultural research is also complicated by the potential for violation of cultural norms, and by the “Heisenberg effect” of potentially changing the object of study through the means used to study it.

FOUR CRUCIAL DIMENSIONS IN COMPARING CROSS CULTURES

Geert Hofstede in (Griffin, 2012) concluded that there are four crucial dimensions on which to compare cultures:

1. Power distance—the extent to which the less powerful members of society accept that power is distributed unequally (Americans—low; Japanese—medium)

2. Masculinity—clearly defined gender roles, with male values of success, money, and possessions dominant in society (Americans—high; Japanese—extremely high)

3. Uncertainty avoidance—the extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguity and create beliefs and institutions to try to avoid it (Americans—low; Japanese—extremely high)

4. Individualism—people look out for themselves and their immediate families as opposed to identifying with a larger group that is responsible for taking care of them in exchange for group loyalty (Americans—extremely high; Japanese—low)

Research on intercultural communication is conducted using primarily three different methodological approaches: social scientific (describe and predict behavior), interpretive (describe and interpret), and critical (critics, transformation).

Below is the characteristic for each approach based on (Oetze, 2016)

	Social Scientific	Interpretive	Critical
Ontological what is the nature of reality	There is a real reality governed by certain rules that are universal; Although the truth may only be obtained probabilistically. -CRITICAL REALISM-	Observable reality is virtual reality that has been shaped by historical processes and social, cultural and political economic forces. -HISTORICAL REALISM-	Observable reality is virtual reality that has been shaped by historical processes and social, cultural and political economic forces. -HISTORICAL REALISM-
Epistemological what is the nature of relationship between the inquirer and knowable?	There is an objective reality, as an external reality outside of the researcher. Researchers should be as far away as possible to distance the object of the study.   Researcher must position himself as a disinterested scientist - DUALIST/OBJECTIVIST	The researcher's relationship with the object of the study is always contacted with certain values. Understanding reality is value mediated findings -TRANSACTIONALIST/ SUBJECTIVIST	The researcher's relationship with the object of the study is always contacted with certain values. Understanding reality is value mediated findings -TRANSACTIONALIST/ SUBJECTIVIST
Methodological How should the inquirer go about finding out knowledge	Testing hypotheses in the structure of the hypothetic-deductive method; through laboratory experiments or explanatory surveys, by quantitative analysis. - INTERVENTIONIST   Address questions related to both cross-cultural and intercultural communication. (a) survey questionnaire, (b) experimental design, (c) content analysis   -utilize self-report questionnaires -Experimental designs   -researchers typically use quasi-experimental designs manipulating the composition of groups or dyads to be intra- or intercultural	generally, use a variety of qualitative methods to study specific intercultural phenomena.   Ethnography of communication (EOC) (a method to study the relationship between language and culture through extensive field experience)     interview to uncover insider meanings and understandings from the perspective of the participants   -grounded theory, -constant comparative analysis, -thematic analysis	Promote comprehensive, contextual, and multi-level analysis conducted through self-placement as an activist / participant in the process of social transformation. PARTICIPATIVE-
Axiological what is the role of values	Researchers are placed as: OBSERVER   Values, ethics and moral choices must be outside the research process.   Research objectives: Explanation, prediction, and social reality control   seeks to understand and predict the effect of culture on communication variables and the subsequent effect of communication on various outcomes.	are interested in unearthing multiple simultaneous truths   examine theoretical limits by comparing results from multiple forms of research about the same phenomenon   in order to describe and interpret.	Researcher positions himself as transformative intellectual, advocate and ACTIVITIST   Values, ethics, and moral choices are integral parts of research.       Research aims as a Social critics, encouraging transformation, emancipation and social empowerment

 

CHAPTER 3

CONCLUSION

To Generate the research idea researches, have many approach (Rational or creativity), in practice researcher can combine this approach. In term of source we also have many sources internally (from our personal experience) or external source (previous literature/research, media or other credible source such as experts/authority). These approach and idea generation tools will help researcher formulate the topics. But its not enough to start. The other important or crucial step is also choosing the field of research. Researcher must understand the nature of field of research and then decide and limit the scope of studies/research so the research (Not too broad in scope). It will help us to focus on our effort and improve the attribute of the quality of research.

 

References

Ahrndt, S. (2020). Intercultural Communication. St.Louis: University of Missouri.

Craig, R. (2007). Theorizing Communication : Reading across traditions. Sage.

Griffin, M. (2012). At First Look at Communication Theory-Eight Edition. New York: McGrawHill.

griffin, M., ledbetter, A., & Spark, G. (2019). A first look at Communication Theory. New York: McGrawHill Education.

kebritchi, M. (2017, February 9). Research Phoenix. Retrieved from research.phoenix.edu: https://research.phoenix.edu/blog/how-identify-appropriate-research-problem

Littlejhon, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2009). Encyclopedia of Communication Theory. Los Angeles: Sage Publication.

Martin, J., & Nakayama, T. (2010). Intercultural Communication in contexts (5th ed). McGrawHill.

Neuman, L. w. (2014). Social Research Methods : Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Edinburgh: Pearson Education.

Neuman, W. L. (2011). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative. London: Pearson.

Nouman, M. (2020). studylib.net. Retrieved from www.studylib.net: https://studylib.net/doc/10068336/generating-and-refining-research-ideas

Oetze, J. (2016). Methods for Intercultural Communication Research. The University of Waikato,.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Tornhill, A. (2012). Research Methods for Business Students. London: Peason Education Limited.

Steinfatt, T. M., & Millette, D. M. (n.d.). Intercultural Communication. University of Miami.