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English for Doctoral Students. Study Guide

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The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Kazan National Research Technological University
L. Gazizulina
ENGLISH FOR DOCTORAL
STUDENTS
Study Guide
Kazan
KNRTU Press
UDK 811.111.001.816(07)
Published by the decision of the Editorial Review Board
Gazizulina L.
English for Doctoral Students : Study Guide / L. Gazizulina; The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Kazan National Re­search Technological University. – Kazan : KNRTU Press, 2022. – 108 p.
ISBN 978-5-7882-3244-7
ISBN 978-5-7882-3244-7
©
L. Gazizulina, 2022
©
Kazan National Research Technological University, 2022
UDK 811.111.001.816(07)
of the Kazan National Research Technological University
Reviewers:
PhD in Linguistics, Professor E. Semushina
PhD in Linguistics, Professor N. Khayrullina
The Study Guide contains texts, grammar materials and exercises aimed to
expand skills of oral and written communication in academic environment.
It also aims to help doctoral students get prepared for the candidate
examination in English.
The Study Guide is developed at the Foreign Languages for Professional
Communication Department.
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C O N T E N T S
Introduction ......................................................................................... 4
Unit 1. CHOOSING A TOPIC OF A RESEARCH ........................... 5
Unit 2. A RESEARCH DESIGN ...................................................... 12
Unit 3. RELEVANCE OF YOUR DISSERTATION TOPIC .......... 19
Unit 4. LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................... 26
Unit 5. METHODS OF RESEARCH ............................................... 35
Unit 6. EXPERIMENTS ................................................................... 44
Unit 7. RESULTS ............................................................................. 53
Unit 8. ACADEMIC WRITING ....................................................... 63
Unit 9. WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER ...................................... 72
Unit 10. HOW TO WRITE AN ABSTRACT .................................. 81
Tests .................................................................................................. 89
Glossary .......................................................................................... 102
Reference ........................................................................................ 107
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
The role of the English language in the global academic environment has changed due to the global changes in the social, political, economic life of society. English has become a means of achieving professional growth and personal development. However, the need to quickly obtain relevant in­formation, effectively use foreign sources of information may be a real chal­lenge for doctoral students and young researchers. Studying English allows to solve the challenge and also gives young researchers the opportunity to participate in various forms of international academic communication: share the latest achievements in the field of science and practice (confer­ences, symposia, seminars, exhibitions; publication of scientific articles and abstracts in foreign journals).
This Study Guide aims to develop the skills of using grammar and special vocabulary in professional communication. The complex of exercises consists of linguistic and communicative tasks with a special lexical and grammar focus. The content of the Study Guide is divided into ten units presenting the principal parts of scientific research. The topics of the texts are relevant for those who are getting started with a research project. The au­thentic texts provide brief but valuable information on the structure of a re­search process, relevance, research design, academic writing etc. Each unit also includes some basic information on grammar with examples and exer­cises. The lexical composition of the exercises is selected considering the fu­ture qualification of doctoral students – «Researcher. Lecturer-researcher» and is a fairly large volume of basic academic vocabulary. The Study Guide is supplemented with two appendices: the first appendix is a set of tests on the topics covered; the second appendix is a glossary which provides doctoral students with basic vocabulary necessary for academic communication.
Thus, the vocabulary and grammar content of the Study Guide helps expand knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for doctoral students to carry out research work and defend a dissertation and also develops the skills of conducting professional and scientific activities in a foreign lan­guage environment.
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U n i t 1 . C H O O S I N G A T O P I C O F A R E S E A R C H
Thesis
Диссертация
Topic
Тема
Field
Поле, область
Area
Область, сфера
To conduct
Проводить
Literature review
Литературный обзор
Relevant
Актуальный
Source
Источник
Identify (v)
Определять
Aim
Цель
Consider (v)
Рассматривать, учитывать
Check (v)
Проверять
Requirements
Требования
Availability
Доступность
Complete (v)
Выполнить, завершить
Access (v)
Получить доступ
Data
Данные
Thesis supervisor
Научный руководитель
Scientific
Научный
Determine (v)
Определять
Approve (v)
Одобрять
A c t i v e v o c a b u l a r y
When you have to write a thesis or dissertation, it can be hard to know where to begin, but there are some clear steps you can follow. The research process often begins with a very broad idea for a topic youd like to know more about.
First you have to come up with some ideas. Your thesis or disserta­tion topic can start out very broad. Think about the general area or field youre interested in.
Conduct an initial literature review to begin gathering relevant sources. As you read, take notes and try to identify problems, questions, de­bates, contradictions and gaps. Your aim is to narrow down from a broad area of interest to a specific niche.
Make sure to consider the practicalities: the requirements of your pro­gramme, the amount of time you have to complete the research, and how diffi­cult it will be to access sources and data on the topic. Before moving onto the next stage, it’s a good idea to discuss the topic with your thesis supervisor.
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Deciding on a topic for your thesis, dissertation or research project is the first step in your research. When choosing a topic, its important to consider:
Your institution and departments requirements.
Your areas of knowledge and interest.
The scientific, social, or practical relevance.
The availability of data and sources.
The length and timeframe of your dissertation.
If you have no dissertation ideas yet, it can be hard to know where to start. Follow these steps to begin narrowing down your ideas.
Step 1. Check the requirements.
Step 2. Choose a broad field of research.
Step 3. Look for books and articles.
Step 4. Find a niche.
Step 5. Consider the type of research.
Step 6. Determine the relevance.
Step 7. Make sure its plausible.
Step 8. Get your topic approved.
(https://www.scribbr.com/category/research-process/)
V o c a b u l a r y e x e r c i s e s
Ex. 1. Translate from English into Russian:
Thesis topic, the aim of the research, to conduct a research, scien­tific area, to determine the practical relevance, to access sources, to con­sider the requirements, to complete the research, the next stage, to identify problems, relevant sources, the availability of data, to discuss the topic with a thesis supervisor, get your topic approved, departments requirements.
Ex. 2. Translate from Russian into English:
Научный руководитель, тема исследования, определить цель исследования, провести литературный обзор, собрать актуальные ис­точники, делать заметки, широкая сфера интересов, учитывать практи­ческие вопросы, требования программы, выполнить исследование, по­лучить доступ к источникам и данным, данные по теме исследования, следующий этап, важно рассмотреть, область знаний, научная актуаль­ность, доступность данных, проверить требования, выбрать область ис­следования, искать книги и статьи, тема одобрена.
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Ex. 3. Match the words from the columns to make up word com­binations:
To conduct
the research
To identify
the aim
To check
the sources
To determine
the data
To discuss
the steps
To find
the topic
To complete
the problem
To consider
the requirements
To access
the practicalities
To follow
books and articles
Ex. 4. Decide if the statements are true or false:
1) You dont need to have ideas before starting a research.
2) You must think about a specific idea from the very beginning.
3) You should gather relevant sources and data while conducting
a literature review.
4) Its a good idea to take notes while reading.
5) You dont need to consider the requirements of your programme,
and the amount of time to complete the research.
6) You should discuss the topic with your thesis supervisor.
7) You should consider your areas of knowledge and interest.
8) It is easy to know where to start, even if you have no dissertation
ideas yet.
9) Getting your topic approved is another step to follow.
10) There is no need to consider the type of research.
Ex. 5. Answer the following questions:
1) What is the topic of your research?
2) What is the general area or field youre interested in?
3) Have you conducted an initial literature review?
4) Have you got the access to sources and data on the topic?
5) Have you discussed the topic with your thesis supervisor?
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G r a m m a r r e v i e w
Verb tenses
In English, verbs expressing actions and states can be used in the pre­sent, past and future tenses. Each of the tenses is divided into four subgroups: Simple (Simple), Continuous (Long), Perfect (Completed), Perfect Continu­ous (Long completed).
Present Simple: I write – A common action that is repeated regularly.
Present Continuous: I am writing – An action in progress, unfin­ished, happening at the moment.
Present Perfect: I have written – An action in the past, result in the present.
Perfect Continuous: I have been writingА process has been going on for some period of time.
Past Simple: I wrote – An action in the past that has nothing to do with the present.
Past Continuous: I was writing – A developmental action that took place at a certain point in the past.
Past Perfect: I had written – An action completed by a specific time in the past.
Past Perfect Continuous: I had been writing – An action that started in the past and continued until a certain point in the past.
Future Simple: I will write – An action that will happen in the future.
Future Continuous: I will be writing – A developmental action taking place at a certain point in the future.
Future Perfect: I will have written – An action that will be completed by some specific time in the future.
Depending on the past tense forms (Past Simple and Participle II), English verbs are divided into regular and irregular. Regular verbs are those in which both of these forms are formed by adding the suffix -ed to the stem of the verb. Irregular verbs are verbs that form Past Simple and Par­ticiple II in other ways: by changing the root vowel, changing the root vowel, with the addition of the -en suffix for Participle II, changing final consonants, and in other ways. Forms of irregular verbs are often given in dictionaries and textbooks in the form of lists and are supposed to be learnt by heart.
Interrogative sentences in English differ from narrative sentences in their construction. Most of them are characterized by inversion, that is, the reverse order of words.
There are several types of questions, the most commonly used are general questions and special questions. The structure of the general question
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is the basis for almost all other types. The answer to a general question is always the words «yes» or «no».
Does she go to the lectures every week? – Ходит ли она на лекции каждую неделю?
Has he already read this article? Прочитал ли он уже эту статью?
Special questions are used when you need to find out more specific information about an object or event. It is built as a general question, pre­ceded by a question word (what, when, where, which, why, who, how).
Where will you go tomorrow? – Куда Вы пойдете завтра?
What are you doing? – Что Вы делаете?
There is a special category of direct questions, questions to the sub­ject, in which inversion (indirect word order) and auxiliary verbs are not used. These questions always start with «who» or «what» (for inanimate), followed by the usual direct word order.
He teaches us Philosophy. – Who teaches us Philosophy? – Он пре­подает нам философию. – Кто преподает нам философию?
An alternative question is needed when it is necessary to offer the al­ternate, two subjects to choose from. It is constructed in the same way as the general one, but its obligatory component is the conjunction «or», which separates two answer options.
Do you study chemistry or physics? – Вы изучаете химию или физику?
Did you use a classical or an innovative approach? – Вы использо-
вали классический или инновационный подход?
The tag question is used to clarify, to ask for confirmation of already known information. It is built like a regular affirmative sentence, at the end of which an interrogative phrase is added.
She went to the conference yesterday, didn’t she? – Она уехала на
конференцию вчера, не так ли?
Interrogative phrases in English consist of an auxiliary verb in the form of the necessary tense and the subject of the original sentence.
We have been working here for five years, havent we? Мы рабо-
таем здесь в течение пяти лет, не так ли?
One of the parts of the tag question must contain the word «not»: if the first part of the sentence contains a negative, then the interrogative phrase must be affirmative and vice versa. «Not» can only be used once, but must be used.
Your colleagues go to London every year, don’t they? – Ваши кол­леги ездят в Лондон каждый год, не так ли?
Your colleagues don’t go to London every year, do they? – Ваши коллеги не ездят в Лондон каждый год, не так ли?
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G r a m m a r e x e r c i s e s
Ex. 1. Translate the following sentences into Russian, determine the tense of the verb:
1) We consider the requirements of our department.
2) These are standard steps.
3) The conference considered problems of theoretical and experi-
mental research.
4) Nils Bohr worked in the area of quantum mechanics.
5) My paper will consist of several sections: an introduction, mate-
rials and methods, experimental results, and discussion.
6) We are looking for more relevant books and articles.
7) I am reading interesting scientific journals.
8) I have lately been very busy writing my doctoral thesis.
9) In recent years, electron microscopy has identified a lot of im-
portant data in the structure of microorganisms.
10) Your aim is to narrow down from a broad area of interest
to a specific niche.
Ex. 2. Make the sentences from ex. 1 negative.
Example: We consider the requirements of our department. – We dont consider the requirements of our department.
Ex. 3. Make the sentences from ex. 1 sentences interrogative.
Example: We consider the requirements of our department. – What do we consider?
Ex. 4. Complete the following sentences with information related to your research.
Example: I study ... – I study oxidative phosphorylation.
1) I conduct
2) I will complete
3) I am using
4) I am checking
5) I will
6) Recently I have
7) I have already
8) Last year I did
9) I found
10) I published my first paper