You should identify:
Day 1. What is the problem you want to say?
- Remember 1: a 'social' problem is not necessarily an academic problem
- Remember 2: that should be a problem you have materials at hand
- Remember 3: that should be a problem you have theories to explain
Day 2. What is the theory?
- Remember 4: it can be a hypothesis. For example: An increase in A and B would lead to an increase in C.
- Remember 5: it can be a 'theoretical' context. For example: You can describe a situation in which certain factors tend to be determining factors. This type of writing should apply in a qualitative paper.
Day 3. What are my materials?
- Look at all online academic journals to find the subject you are interested in. Use keyword, AND, OR, to locate the articles you need. Remember how you find them, and explain it in the "methods" section of your paper.
- Look at all other sources to find the articles. But don't waste time too much on this. Materials found in this option are normally judged 'less' in term of validity and reliability.
Day 4. Analyze your materials
- Have another look at your theory/setting: What are the main categories in your paper?
- To analyze is to compare different categories with each other: compare one group with another, compare men with women, girls with boys, in a time series if you think it makes sense
- Look at things that 'emerge' from your analysis: Do these things (actually findings) support the theory you are using?
- Now, imagine how you write it: make a good outline of your paper which normally conclude: Problem statement/Theoretical standpoints/Methods - materials/Findings/Discussion & Conclusion
Day 5 and 6:
- Write it up. When you touch the 'Findings' part, state clearly what you have found after analyzing the materials
- When you touch the "Discussion" part, state clearly to what extent do the findings support/reject your theoretical thinking at the beginning. What may be the factors that contribute to this confirmation or rejections? If the factors change, then would confirmation become rejection or vice versa?
- Sum up the whole paper and...relax!
