4- Research Methods Revealed: Writing the Methodology Section of Your Essay

Introduction

Planning is key when it comes to writing effective research-based essays. In this blog post, we'll break down how to craft the pivotal methodology section by looking at what should be included and some best practices. Follow these tips to boost your grades. We recommend very little use of generative AI tools, and rather rely on your own intelligence and your teacher's expertise.

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Choosing Appropriate Methods

The first step is selecting methods that are suitable for addressing your research question. These methods are different depending on the disciplines and whether it is pure sciences and maths, social or economic or managerial, and finally humanities. Consider things like surveys, interviews, case studies, analysis of historical sources, or experiments - whatever tools you need. Most importantly, your methods must be justified. Explain why each choice is the most appropriate to investigate your topic. For example, if studying opinions, interviews may work better than numbers alone. Be sure to tie back to your question or hypothesis.

3- Crafting a Strong Introduction for Your Research Essay

Introduction

The introduction is a key part of any research-based essay, setting the stage for the analysis and arguments to come. Please remember you should not use "I" in formal academic writing, and the examiner is not interested in your personal experiences or familiarity with the subject.

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Some examiners will skim over the body of the text, start with the bibliography and conclusions/recommendations, and afterward read the introduction. In fact, they may only skim over the body of the text making sure the methodology is properly followed and is fully referenced and documented. 

Here are some tips on writing an effective introduction that hooks readers and sets up your research properly.

1- Using AI Writing Tools Ethically and Productively

Introduction: The Limitations of AI Writing Tools

ChatGPT and other AI writing assistants offer impressive capabilities but also have key limitations users should keep in mind:

• Hallucinations: ChatGPT can generate inaccurate or incoherent text since it is trained on a large dataset and may "hallucinate" text not based on real information.
• No web access: Without plugins, ChatGPT cannot access the most up-to-date information on the internet.
• Outdated information: All information from ChatGPT dates from before September 2020, so it may not be current or accurate.
• Incorrect sources: ChatGPT does not always provide correct sources, making it hard to verify accuracy.

The AI capabilities are remarkable, but the output cannot be assumed fully accurate or authoritative. Using AI thoughtfully and confirming key information is crucial. Tools like Perplexity.ai, for example, can help by reliably listing sources and generating useful follow-up prompts. It is worth experimenting with research-focused AI-powered tools, of which dozens of new ones are appearing every week.

Upholding Integrity with AI

In academia and professional fields, AI writing tools are now commonplace. Used appropriately, tools like ChatGPT help generate ideas, outline, and draft documents. However, users must uphold ethics and integrity. AI-generated content should not be passed off as original human writing. Proper attribution and citation of AI sources are still vital.

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2- Developing a Clear and Focused Research Question and Title

Introduction

A clear and focused research question is key to success on your IB Business Management External Assessment essay or any other research paper for that matter. It will guide your entire research and writing process by helping to narrow your focus onto a specific topic or issue. It also makes it much easier to formulate an appropriate essay title that clearly conveys the topic to your reader.

AI-Powered Tools for Marking Exam Papers: A Guide for High School Teachers

Introduction

As a high school teacher, you know that marking exam papers can be a time-consuming and challenging task. But what if there was a way to make this process easier and more efficient? That's where AI-powered tools come in.

TeachingHacks: How AI Can Make Marking Easier

Teacher, you want to get your life back?

As a veteran teacher who also sells educational materials on Gumtree, I'm always looking for workflow hacks. Lately, I've been experimenting with AI tools to streamline one of my least favorite, most mind-numbing and time-consuming tasks - exam marking. In this post, I'll share my experiences using artificial intelligence to speed up the process.

Teachers' Cheat Sheet: Create Better Quizzes Faster with Chain of Density Prompts

Introduction

Teachers and lecturers, we all know making quality quizzes takes a lot of time. Between coming up with questions, writing them clearly, and ensuring they test the right material - it can feel like a never-ending task.

When asking a Large Language Model to generate a quiz from a text, the results can be disappointing. That's why I want to share how I've been using chain of density prompting to generate quiz questions much faster. This technique has been applied earlier to generate better summaries (see Forbes 2023 article), but it can be applied to quizzes as well.