Learning Outcome: Organizing Research Reading and Writing

This blog is a flipped learning task on "Organizing Research Reading and Writing" . The reflection and application written below will be my understanding of the video lectures on Organizing Research Reading and Writing.

Upon completion of this process, the PhD scholar will be able to systematically organize and synthesize diverse scholarly materials and related media by:

1. Formulating and refining focused research questions (typically 3 to 5) that serve to direct the trajectory of reading and define the core objective of the research work.

2. Employing categorization and coding systems to organize collected materials (including articles, books, films, and related concepts) according to relevant themes, theories (such as sociological, cultural, or gender studies), and conceptual subdivisions, ensuring the reading aligns directly with the planned chapters of the dissertation.

3. Applying critical analytical techniques during reading, specifically by identifying the main concepts, developing personal observations, inserting comments and cross-connections within digital documents (using tools like Kindle or word processors), and utilizing questions to transform preliminary findings into structured chapter content.

4. Integrating historical and contemporary perspectives on the topic to develop a comprehensive understanding, while continuously searching for new reading materials using advanced keywords, checking bibliographies, and leveraging specialized resources like Google Scholar.

5. Maintaining a structured and original approach to writing by starting the documentation process early, generating drafts, and ensuring that all findings and ideas are properly cited and reflect a unique perspective rather than merely reproducing others' ideas.

These are short and important points from the video, now let's discuss it in detail

• Detailed Learning Outcomes for a PhD Scholar
• 1. Conceptualizing the Research Contribution
• 2. Strategic Reading and Research Question Development
• 3. Systematic Organization of Literature and Notes
• 4. Integrating Writing and Critical Analysis

• Originality via Application: A PhD is not about isolating yourself or inventing a completely new idea, but about "personalizing" and "applying" existing theoretical frameworks and scholarly findings to your specific topic in an "original manner."

• Engagement with the Scholarly Conversation: Recognize that your work is a contribution to a "collective intellectual enterprise" where you must make sense of existing scholarship and clearly delineate your unique input.

• The Primacy of Research Questions: Preliminary reading should be used to drive and derive your final 3 to 5 core research questions. These questions serve as the "directional guide" for all subsequent reading and writing.

• Clarity Through Effort: Acknowledging that confusion is "normal" at the start of the literature review process, the video stresses that clarity is an outcome of hard work—intense reading, consistent application, and continual synthesis.

• Interdisciplinary Insight: Reading related fields (e.g., Sociology, Cultural Studies, History, Film Studies) is essential. These "related areas" significantly influence and deepen the understanding of your core topic, allowing you to view it from a variety of theoretical angles.

• Thematic Structuring of Chapters: The literature review should be organized by "themes" or "theories" relevant to your topic (e.g., Social Exclusion, Gender, Modernity, Class) rather than a simple chronological order. Each theme can eventually correspond to an article cluster or a full chapter.

• Coding System for Files: Implement a practical system where every article or book excerpt is labeled with a "code" that corresponds to the relevant chapter or theme (e.g., C1, C2.3, TP for Theoretical Perspective). This ensures all material is organized by argument as it is collected.

• Annotated Summarizing: For every text, write a brief, summarized note capturing the argument, special examples, and methodology used. This note-taking process prevents plagiarism and helps you internalize the material.

• Utilizing Digital Tools: Employ specialized tools like Kindle for reading, highlighting, and commenting to insert your own observations and cross-connections as you read. Use the "Find in Page" option (Ctrl+F) to quickly locate keywords (e.g., bandit, outlaw, social exclusion) within long articles.

• The "Answer" as a Section: Use your research questions as a writing prompt. The eventual "answer" to a specific research question will naturally form a paragraph, a sub-section, or an entire chapter in your dissertation.

• Developing a Theoretical/Historical Narrative: Use the literature review to develop a "History of the Topic" that traces the past developments, key research, and changes in perception related to your area, positioning your work at the cutting edge of the field.

• Citation Hygiene from Day One: Never delay recording complete citation details (page numbers, publication details). Record them immediately to avoid the common, time-consuming mistake of "searching for page numbers" near the submission deadline.

• Thesis Structure: A typical structure is suggested:

1. Introduction

2. Literature Review (Theories and History of the Topic)

3. Critical Analysis/Thematic Chapters (Where your original argument is built)

4. Conclusion (Summarizing findings and providing Directions for Future Research)

Practical Ways to Organise Research Reading and Writing: Kalyani Vallath

The Plot Structure of Robinson Crusoe

 

The Plot Structure of Robinson Crusoe

The plot of Robinson Crusoe can be understood as a journey of disobedience, punishment, redemption, and eventual prosperity, structured in several key phases. The novel is a first-person narrative that follows the protagonist through a "chronicle of ups and downs".

1. Rebellion and Early Misadventures:

• The novel begins with Robinson Crusoe, an arrogant and disobedient young man from a well-off family in York. He ignores the earnest advice of his father, who advocates for a safe, middle-station life, and runs away to sea.

• His initial voyages are marked by disaster, including a shipwreck where a man presciently warns him he "will meet with nothing but disasters and disappointments". True to this prediction, he is later captured by pirates and becomes a slave in Sallee.

2. Escape and Prosperity in Brazil:

• Crusoe escapes his slavery with a young boy named Xury, whom he later sells into slavery—an act he regrets only when he needs a slave to help him work.

• He makes his way to Brazil and establishes himself as a planter. He begins to prosper, ironically entering the very "middle station" of life his father had praised.

• However, his "foolish inclination of wandering abroad" and desire to rise faster than his circumstances allow lead him to embark on a slaving expedition to Guinea.

3. Shipwreck and Survival on the Island:

• A violent storm shipwrecks his vessel, and Crusoe is the sole survivor, cast away on a desolate island. This event, on the 30th of September 1659, marks the beginning of his 28-year ordeal.

• The first phase on the island is focused on survival. He salvages tools, food, weapons, and other supplies from the wrecked ship over numerous trips. He builds a fortified dwelling, which he calls his "castle," learns to hunt, domesticates goats, and discovers how to plant and harvest corn. He progresses from a state of despair to one of competence, learning "the rudiments of civilization" through practical application.

4. Spiritual Transformation and Mastery:

• Crusoe's time on the island is not merely about physical survival; it is also a story of "atonement" and religious awakening. Initially irreligious, his experience with sickness, a terrifying dream, and reading the Bible lead to a profound spiritual conversion. He begins to see his ordeal as both a punishment and a reward, transforming his island prison into a kingdom.

• He masters his environment and himself, moving from seeing himself as a prisoner to a king or "Generalissimo" of his domain. He reflects on the futility of money and learns that the "good things of this world are no farther good to us, than they are for our Use".

5. Encounter with Others and Colonisation:

• The plot shifts dramatically with the discovery of a single human footprint in the sand, which ends his period of total solitude. This is followed by the discovery of human bones, revealing that cannibals visit the island.

• Years later, he rescues a prisoner from the cannibals, names him Friday, and teaches him English and Christianity. With Friday's arrival, Crusoe's role evolves into that of a ruler and coloniser.

• He and Friday later rescue two more captives: a Spaniard and Friday's father. Crusoe plans a voyage with them to the American colonies.

6. Rescue and Return:

• Before they can leave, an English ship arrives, crewed by mutineers who have marooned their captain. With the help of the ship's captain, Crusoe quells the mutiny and seizes the vessel.

• After 28 years on the island, he is finally able to return to England. There, he discovers his family is gone but his wealth from the Brazil plantation has grown immensely.

• The narrative concludes with Crusoe settling his affairs, getting married, and eventually revisiting his island to see how his "colony" is faring.

A New Title for Robinson Crusoe

If I were to give the novel a new title based on the themes presented in the sources, I would call it:

The Kingdom of One: A History of Providence and Self-Reliance

Here is why:

• "The Kingdom of One": This phrase captures the central paradox of Crusoe's experience. He is utterly alone, the ultimate solitary individual, yet he transforms his prison into a personal kingdom. The sources repeatedly mention his self-perception as a king, with "an undoubted right of dominion" over his island. This title reflects his journey from a castaway to a self-styled monarch who governs his environment, his subjects (Friday, the Spaniard), and ultimately, himself.

• "A History of Providence": The novel is presented as a "just history of fact," and its plot is driven by what Crusoe and the preface's "editor" interpret as the direct intervention of Divine Providence. Crusoe's survival, his spiritual awakening, and his eventual deliverance are all framed as part of a divine plan. The title highlights the religious and moral dimension that Defoe intended, positioning the story as a justification of "the wisdom of Providence".

• "Self-Reliance": A core theme of the novel is Crusoe's ingenuity and tireless work. Starting with no skills ("I had never handled a tool in my life"), he becomes a "master of every mechanic art" through labour and application. He learns to build, farm, bake, and make pottery, creating an entire world for himself from scratch. This aspect of the story is so powerful that it has been interpreted as a "myth of modern individualism". The title underscores that Crusoe's success is achieved not just through divine aid, but also through his own remarkable efforts and rationalism.

 

Robinson Crusoe as a Reliable Narrator

Question:

Do you think Robinson Crusoe is a reliable narrator? Can we trust his version of the story completely? Explain why or why not.

Answer:

It is highly debatable whether Robinson Crusoe is a reliable narrator whose version of the story can be completely trusted. The narrative is deliberately presented as fact, but Crusoe's own biases, self-deception, and changing perspectives suggest that while his account of events may be plausible, it is not necessarily objective or entirely trustworthy.

Here is an explanation of why we should question his reliability:

Reasons to Trust the Narrator

• Plausible Detail and "Unliterary" Style: The story is filled with an immense amount of persuasive detail. Crusoe's first-person narrative is described as "defiantly unliterary," which makes it feel more believable as the genuine account of an ordinary man's ordeal. He meticulously documents his struggles, such as the 42 days it took him to make a single shelf, lending an air of authenticity to his tale.
• Intention of Factual Reporting: Daniel Defoe, the author, explicitly presented the novel as a "just history of fact" with "no appearance of fiction in it". He wore the "mask of editor" to frame the story as a true account, a popular technique at the time to make a work seem more authentic and important. This authorial intent was so successful that many original readers in 1719 believed the story was true.

Reasons to Question the Narrator's Reliability

Despite these points, several aspects of Crusoe's narration reveal him to be unreliable, shaping the story to fit his own moral and psychological needs.

• Self-Serving Rationalisations: Crusoe often justifies his morally questionable actions. A clear example is his treatment of Xury, the boy who helps him escape slavery. Crusoe sells Xury into slavery himself, yet he only expresses regret later when he is a planter in Brazil and realises he "could use a slave to help him in his work". This reframing of regret from a moral failing to a practical inconvenience suggests a narrator who reinterprets his past to lessen his own culpability.
• Conflicting Self-Perception: Crusoe frequently presents himself as an average, incompetent man, stating, "I had never handled a tool in my life". Yet, through his own account, he becomes a "master of every mechanic art". He also calls himself a "congenital bumbler" who becomes competent only through circumstance. While this can be seen as a journey of growth, it also highlights a potential contradiction: he downplays his innate abilities to emphasise the transformative power of his ordeal and Divine Providence, fitting the structure of a morality tale.
• Retrospective Moralising and Religious Framing: Much of the story is told with the benefit of hindsight, coloured by Crusoe's later religious conversion. He frequently interprets events not as they happened, but as he later understood them through a religious lens. For instance, he initially reacts to the miraculous growth of barley with awe, believing it to be a direct sign from God, but his "religious thankfulness" abates when he remembers he shook out a bag of chicken feed there. Still, he later reinterprets this as a work of Providence anyway. This shows a narrator actively shaping his story to "justify and honour the wisdom of Providence," as the preface suggests, rather than simply reporting events as they occurred.
• His Account of His Own Character: Crusoe describes himself at the beginning as "disobedient and hubristic". He consistently frames his misfortunes as divine punishment for this original sin of leaving home against his father's wishes. While he is self-critical, this criticism always serves the larger narrative of sin, punishment, repentance, and deliverance. His story is less a neutral recounting of events and more a "memento" or a "vivid warning" to others, which means the events are likely selected and framed to serve this moral purpose.
• The Unreliable Nature of First-Person Narration: As the sole narrator of his 28-year ordeal, there is no one to corroborate his story. Everything we know is filtered through his perspective. His descriptions of Friday as a "faithful, loving, sincere servant... without passions, sullenness, or designs" and his immediate submission are entirely Crusoe's interpretation. Given Crusoe's self-appointed role as "king" and "Generalissimo," his portrayal of Friday's devotion conveniently reinforces his own status as a benevolent ruler and coloniser, an image that serves the imperialist undertones of the novel.

In conclusion, while Robinson Crusoe's narrative is designed to appear factual and reliable, we cannot trust his version of the story completely. He is an inherently subjective narrator whose account is shaped by self-interest, hindsight, and a desire to present his life as a powerful moral allegory of divine punishment and redemption. His story is more "plausible" than it is objectively true.

 

Active Learning Activity: Collocation Poster or Grammar Comic Strip 

Instructions:

Hello everyone! 

For our next CCE activity, you get to be creative! Your task is to show your understanding of vocabulary or grammar by creating either a Collocation Poster or a Grammar Comic Strip. 

Please read the instructions for both options carefully and choose the one you want to complete.

Option 1: Academic Collocation Poster 

Goal: To create a visually appealing poster that shows different word combinations (collocations) for a single academic word.

What are collocations? They are words that naturally go together. For example, we say "heavy rain," not "strong rain."

How to do it:

1. Choose one academic word. Good examples are: analysis, data, research, evidence, theory, factor, issue.

2. Design a poster (on an A4 sheet or digitally using Canva, Google Slides, etc.).

3. Write your main word in the center of the poster.

4. Draw branches or lines from the main word to its collocates (verbs, adjectives, etc., that are used with it).

5. For at least three of your collocations, write a full, meaningful sentence to show how it's used.

6. Add colors, drawings, or images to make your poster clear and creative!

Example: Collocation Poster for the word "RESEARCH"

• Main Word (Center): RESEARCH

• Collocates branching out:

  • conduct research

  • extensive research

  • groundbreaking research

  • research suggests

  • carry out research

• Example Sentences:

1. The team will conduct research on marine life.

2. Her groundbreaking research changed how we understand DNA.

3. Recent research suggests that sleep is vital for memory.

This is generated with the help of AI and is only for reference.

Option 2: Grammar Comic Strip

Goal: To create a short, fun comic strip that tells a story using specific grammar structures correctly.

Target Grammar: Using Simple Past and Present Perfect tense together. (e.g., Simple Past: I went. Present Perfect: I have gone.)

How to do it:

1. Plan a short story or a conversation between two or more characters. It only needs to be 3-6 panels long.

2. Draw your comic on paper or create it digitally (using a website like Storyboard That or an app of your choice).

3. Write dialogue in the speech bubbles that uses both Simple Past and Present Perfect tenses.

4. Underline or bold the verbs where you have used the target grammar so I can easily see them.

5. Make sure your story is logical and your drawings are clear.

Example: Grammar Comic Strip

Title: The Lost Keys

• Panel 1:

  • A character (Priya) is looking worried, searching her pockets.

  • Priya: "Oh no! I have lost my keys! I can't find them anywhere."

• Panel 2:

  • Another character (Rohan) enters the room.

  • Rohan: "Did you check your backpack?"

• Panel 3:

• Priya is checking her backpack and pulls out the keys with a smile.

• Priya: "I have already looked here twice... Oh wait! You were right! I found them!"

• 
  
  
  

Submission and Grading

• How to Submit:

  • If you made it by hand, take a clear, bright photo and attach the image file.

  • If you created it digitally, upload the PDF, JPG, or PNG file.

• Grading Criteria (5 Marks):

  • Accuracy (2 Marks): Correct use of collocations or grammar.

  • Creativity & Effort (2 Marks): Visual appeal, neatness, and originality.

  • Clarity (1 Mark): The poster/comic is easy to read and understand.

If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments below.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your creative work! 

AI-Assisted Reflection blog activity | Ethical Quote Interpretation

 AI-Assisted Reflection blog activity | Ethical Quote Interpretation

This activity is part of classroom practice: Ethical Quote Interpretation, for Diploma Premium students. Currently, in sem 1, they are studying Ethics and Workplace Responsibility. 

Prompt:

1. “To be moral is to act out of respect for others, not just out of fear or habit.” *(Blackburn, Ethics: A Very Short Introduction) Explain this quote in simple terms with a workplace example. 

ChatGPT's Response:

Let’s break it down simply:

The quote means that real morality comes from genuinely caring about other people, not just following rules because we’re scared of punishment or because it’s routine.

Example in the workplace:

Imagine an employee who always arrives on time.

• If they do it only because they fear getting scolded by their boss, that’s fear-based behavior, not true morality.

• If they do it just out of habit, without thinking about anyone else, that’s not really moral either.

• But if they arrive on time because they respect their colleagues (knowing that being late would delay a team meeting or increase others’ workload), that’s an example of acting morally.

👉 So, morality in the workplace means doing the right thing because you value and respect others, not just because you’re forced to or used to it.

Would you like me to give you two more quick workplace examples (like teamwork and honesty) so you can use them in different contexts?

My Interpretation:

  1. Do I agree with this interpretation?

  2. How does this apply to my own future workplace?

  3. Can I think of a situation where this quote would be tested?

1. Yes, agree. ChatGPT provides good examples, but I do not agree with the second example, where it critiques the idea of one habit not being moral. Ultimately habits are an example of morality.

2. I am right now. I am a university teacher and teach in various disciplines like arts and engineering. As a teacher, caring about students is necessary to bring desirable outcomes.

3. I can think of many such situations, as I have already been in situations where this quote was tested.