Survivor39
Premium Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2003
- Messages
- 4,467
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- HSC
- 2003
I have been the S&C Moderator for three year and every year students concern about issues like “What is an interesting topic that I can do?”, “is my topic novel enough?”; and even “Where do I start?!!” So I have decided to write a piece on how to address these concerns as I *finally* got some free time from my hectic uni work.
What is a PIP topic, a focus question, and a hypothesis and aim?
Whenever you start going through ideas in your head regarding what you want to research for 12 months, you arrive at a topic of interest, which is general at first, like “masculinity in Australia”. That is your initial PIP topic. You cannot do much research with that because it is not specific enough for you to gather detailed information to score you a good mark.
A focus question is important because you, as a researcher, should ask yourself questions. What exactly do *I* want to know? Please be specific! I know it’s hard but go over your S&C notes and textbook and come to something. Don’t forget to read excerpts from past HD PIPs and see how they formulate their own focus questions and aims with high specificity. For example, in the PIP titled “Moisturising Masculinity, the author wanted to know how print advertising media, societal change in Australian over the past 50 years has allowed a ‘feminisation’ of masculinity in contemporary culture. This is what a good focus question should be. Once you got this in your mind, it is then easy to re-write your focus question into a hypothesis and aim.
Hypothesis (What I do think is happening): In the context of the print advertising media, societal change in Australian over the past 50 years has allowed a ‘feminisation’ of masculinity in contemporary culture”. A good hypothesis in the Introduction is critical because it shows your way of thinking. Are you thinking like a researcher? Or are you thinking like a year 11 student who just knows many S&C concepts?
Aim (what is it that I want to find): To determine the role of print advertising media, societal change in Australian over the past 50 years in the ‘feminisation’ of masculinity in contemporary culture.
You MUST clearly state your hypothesis and aim in your Introduction. I know I have a scientific background and this might sound a bit science-ish. But ALL research projects are the same and require you to explicitly express what EXACTLY are you doing and what you are trying to find. I cannot emphasise this more strongly. The markers need to know WHAT you are doing!
What are PIP topics that I haven’t seen before?
This is another common question that people always ask me. Generally many topics are strongly associated with the S&C syllabus, which is always safe to do. I have came up with a few ideas which you may want to explore. Remember, the PIP topic is not just about the media influence, gender stereotype, power, and socialisation. I urge you to find something that are not only relevant to Society and culture, but relevant to you.
Think about your school and family life. What are important to you? Assessments? Exams? Learning? What is more important - Assessments or learning? Why do we care about assessments? I haven’t seen a PIP examining assessments, yet all of you are obsessed with getting good marks and ranks. But make sure you make your topic relevant!
In your family life, do you ever wonder the differences in a single-parent family and a family with both parents? We all know parental figures are important But what are father figures important for what aspects of your life, your behaviour, your ideology, and your social and cultural literacy? Equally, why is a mother figure important? For what purpose in the context of the S&C course. Who nurture what aspects of your life?
You can also find out more about a particular field that are interesting to you, like medicine, but in a social context. E.g. do you notice that alternative medicine is on the rise? What are the driving forces behind its increase use? Is western medicine going to last forever? What is mental health? Why does it have a certain stigma attached? Why people don’t think of the issue in the same light as someone who has arthritis or heart diseases?
The list can go on and on. But please it your topic relevant, not how novel it is!
What now after that I have identifed my aim and hypothesis?
You need to understand what primary and secondary methodologies are. What they are used for. You should pick 3-4 methodologies that are most useful to find what you need to find. I know this sounds obvious but you have no idea how many people got this wrong!
After you have your aim and hypothesis, it is suggested that you do some reading to get a basic understanding of what you are dealing with.
Aim -> Basic Secondary research -> Primary research to gather information in support of your hypothesis -> Further secondary support to reinforce your findings from primary research -> Conclusion
I can't think of anything to add at the moment. Please give me suggestions as to what you want to find out in general. But if you have specific questions relating to your PIP topic, post in a new thread and not here please.
Survivor39
Moderator
What is a PIP topic, a focus question, and a hypothesis and aim?
Whenever you start going through ideas in your head regarding what you want to research for 12 months, you arrive at a topic of interest, which is general at first, like “masculinity in Australia”. That is your initial PIP topic. You cannot do much research with that because it is not specific enough for you to gather detailed information to score you a good mark.
A focus question is important because you, as a researcher, should ask yourself questions. What exactly do *I* want to know? Please be specific! I know it’s hard but go over your S&C notes and textbook and come to something. Don’t forget to read excerpts from past HD PIPs and see how they formulate their own focus questions and aims with high specificity. For example, in the PIP titled “Moisturising Masculinity, the author wanted to know how print advertising media, societal change in Australian over the past 50 years has allowed a ‘feminisation’ of masculinity in contemporary culture. This is what a good focus question should be. Once you got this in your mind, it is then easy to re-write your focus question into a hypothesis and aim.
Hypothesis (What I do think is happening): In the context of the print advertising media, societal change in Australian over the past 50 years has allowed a ‘feminisation’ of masculinity in contemporary culture”. A good hypothesis in the Introduction is critical because it shows your way of thinking. Are you thinking like a researcher? Or are you thinking like a year 11 student who just knows many S&C concepts?
Aim (what is it that I want to find): To determine the role of print advertising media, societal change in Australian over the past 50 years in the ‘feminisation’ of masculinity in contemporary culture.
You MUST clearly state your hypothesis and aim in your Introduction. I know I have a scientific background and this might sound a bit science-ish. But ALL research projects are the same and require you to explicitly express what EXACTLY are you doing and what you are trying to find. I cannot emphasise this more strongly. The markers need to know WHAT you are doing!
What are PIP topics that I haven’t seen before?
This is another common question that people always ask me. Generally many topics are strongly associated with the S&C syllabus, which is always safe to do. I have came up with a few ideas which you may want to explore. Remember, the PIP topic is not just about the media influence, gender stereotype, power, and socialisation. I urge you to find something that are not only relevant to Society and culture, but relevant to you.
Think about your school and family life. What are important to you? Assessments? Exams? Learning? What is more important - Assessments or learning? Why do we care about assessments? I haven’t seen a PIP examining assessments, yet all of you are obsessed with getting good marks and ranks. But make sure you make your topic relevant!
In your family life, do you ever wonder the differences in a single-parent family and a family with both parents? We all know parental figures are important But what are father figures important for what aspects of your life, your behaviour, your ideology, and your social and cultural literacy? Equally, why is a mother figure important? For what purpose in the context of the S&C course. Who nurture what aspects of your life?
You can also find out more about a particular field that are interesting to you, like medicine, but in a social context. E.g. do you notice that alternative medicine is on the rise? What are the driving forces behind its increase use? Is western medicine going to last forever? What is mental health? Why does it have a certain stigma attached? Why people don’t think of the issue in the same light as someone who has arthritis or heart diseases?
The list can go on and on. But please it your topic relevant, not how novel it is!
What now after that I have identifed my aim and hypothesis?
You need to understand what primary and secondary methodologies are. What they are used for. You should pick 3-4 methodologies that are most useful to find what you need to find. I know this sounds obvious but you have no idea how many people got this wrong!
After you have your aim and hypothesis, it is suggested that you do some reading to get a basic understanding of what you are dealing with.
Aim -> Basic Secondary research -> Primary research to gather information in support of your hypothesis -> Further secondary support to reinforce your findings from primary research -> Conclusion
I can't think of anything to add at the moment. Please give me suggestions as to what you want to find out in general. But if you have specific questions relating to your PIP topic, post in a new thread and not here please.
Survivor39
Moderator
