研究と調査Research and Inquiry
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe the scope of a research project using を対象に.
- State what a piece of research reveals or demonstrates using 明らかにする.
- Report and discuss research results using 結果, distinguishing findings from interpretation.
- Identify and describe unresolved problems or open questions using 課題.
- Acknowledge the boundaries of a study honestly using 限界.
- Read short research summaries and identify their question, method, findings, and limitations.
- Write a structured short research summary appropriate for a general-audience magazine column.
- Discuss a research project in conversation, asking about method, findings, and limitations.
Communication Scenario
The editorial team has chosen the university student researcher's dialect survey as the first topic for "くらしと専門知識." Before Emma can write the explanatory paragraph, she needs to understand the research itself well enough to describe it responsibly: what question the researcher is asking, who and what the study actually covers, what the survey has found so far, and what the study cannot yet claim. The researcher, 田中さん, agrees to a short interview so Emma can ask about her research design before drafting the piece.
- The learner listens to a short research briefing and identifies the research question, method, and one finding.
- The learner interviews a researcher, asking about scope, method, findings, and limitations.
- The learner reads two short research summaries from different fields and identifies their question, method, findings, and limitations.
- The learner writes a structured short summary of one research project for a general-audience readership.
- The learner discusses with a partner or instructor whether a research summary fairly represents a study's actual findings and limitations.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports describing research questions, methods, findings, and limitations across several fields. As in Chapter 16, these terms are chosen for explaining research to a general reader, not for full command of any one discipline's technical vocabulary. New terms here do not require any unscheduled grammar, kanji reading, or counter beyond what this chapter authorizes.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 研究 | けんきゅう | research | General/academic |
| 対象 | たいしょう | subject, target (of a study) | General/academic |
| 方法 | ほうほう | method | General/academic |
| 明らかにする | あきらかにする | to reveal, make clear | General/academic |
| 結果 | けっか | result, findings | General/academic |
| 課題 | かだい | open problem, unresolved question | General/academic |
| 限界 | げんかい | limitation, limit | General/academic |
| 回答者 | かいとうしゃ | respondent | Research method |
| 聞き取り調査 | ききとりちょうさ | interview-based survey | Research method |
| 倫理 | りんり | ethics | Research ethics |
| 同意を得る | どういをえる | to obtain consent | Research ethics |
| サンプル数 | サンプルすう | sample size | Research method |
All twelve items above are productive for this chapter. Additional field-specific vocabulary in the reading passages is glossed in context and treated as receptive unless it repeats across multiple exercises.
れんしゅう — Practice: Sort the twelve vocabulary items above into three groups: words describing the research process in general, words describing method specifically, and words describing ethics.
Script and Terminology Focus
This chapter's script focus is kanji for research, survey, target, method, result, limitation, and ethics. As in Chapter 16, furigana is reserved for genuinely rare readings and first-mention technical terms rather than applied broadly across the whole text.
Several of this chapter's key terms are two-kanji compounds built from a new character and a character you already know, such as 対象 (対, known from Chapter 12's contrast pattern 〜わけではない materials, plus 象), 結果 (結, familiar from connective vocabulary, plus 果), and 限界 (限 plus 界, "world/bounds"). Rather than memorizing each compound as an unrelated shape, connect the new character to the compound's overall meaning: 象 in 対象 contributes the idea of something being pointed at or set opposite, 果 in 結果 contributes the idea of an outcome, and 限 in 限界 contributes the idea of a boundary.
倫理 is treated as a first-mention term with furigana on its first appearance in this chapter, then without furigana afterward. Kanji you have already consolidated, such as 研究 or 方法, should not carry furigana in this chapter's texts.
れんしゅう — Practice: For each of the four new kanji cards above, write the compound word from the Core Vocabulary list that uses it, and explain in one sentence how the new character contributes to that word's meaning.
Pronunciation Focus
結果 and 課題 appear frequently together in research discussion and are sometimes rushed together in fast speech, which can blur their vowel length and geminate consonant. Practice pronouncing each word clearly on its own before practicing them together in a sentence, keeping the geminate っ-like closure in 結果 distinct and the long vowel in 課題 steady. As in previous chapters, treat pitch-accent notation as a reference tool; where audio or a read-aloud script models these terms, listen for their natural phrase-level pitch rather than marking accent yourself.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter authorizes the scope-marking pattern を対象に, the finding-statement pattern 明らかにする, and the vocabulary-driven discussion of 結果, 課題, and 限界 within sentence patterns already active from earlier chapters. No new verb morphology or clause type is introduced; these patterns extend the source-attribution and cautious-claim systems from Chapters 4, 12, and 16.
1. Defining scope: 〜を対象に（して）
Purpose: to state who or what a study covers.
- この調査は、地域の高齢者を対象に行われた。This survey was conducted targeting elderly residents of the area.を対象に行われた — defines the study's population
- 小学生を対象にしたアンケートの結果を見てみましょう。Let's look at the results of a questionnaire targeting elementary school students.を対象にした — modifies アンケート
2. Stating a finding: 〜ことを明らかにする / 〜ことが明らかになった
Purpose: to report what a study has demonstrated, either as an ongoing goal (明らかにする) or a completed finding (明らかになった).
- この研究は、方言使用が世代によって異なることを明らかにすることを目的としている。This research aims to clarify how dialect use differs by generation.ことを明らかにする — stated research goal
- 調査の結果、若い世代ほど方言をあまり使わないことが明らかになった。As a result of the survey, it became clear that younger generations use dialect less.ことが明らかになった — completed finding
3. Reporting results and remaining problems: 結果 / 課題
Purpose: to separate what a study found from what remains unresolved.
- 結果として、回答者の約六割が方言を「あまり使わない」と答えた。As a result, about sixty percent of respondents answered that they "don't use dialect much."結果として — introducing findings
- 今後の課題は、サンプル数を増やして地域差をより正確に調べることだ。A remaining task for the future is to increase the sample size and examine regional differences more accurately.今後の課題は〜ことだ — naming an open problem
4. Acknowledging boundaries: 〜という限界がある
Purpose: to state honestly what a study cannot claim, without undermining its value.
- この調査には、対象者の数が少ないという限界がある。This survey has the limitation that the number of subjects is small.〜という限界がある — naming a specific limitation
結果 reports what the data actually showed. 課題 names a question the current study leaves open, often something a future study should address. 限界 names a specific weakness in the current study's design or scope, stated honestly rather than defensively. Keeping these three separate, the same way Chapter 16 kept a claim separate from its cautious hedge, lets a writer summarize research accurately without either overselling it or dismissing it.
Grammar Practice
- Write a sentence describing the target population of a study, using 〜を対象に.
- Write a sentence stating a research goal, using 〜ことを明らかにする.
- Write a sentence reporting a finding, using 〜ことが明らかになった.
- Write one sentence naming an open problem with 課題 and one sentence naming a limitation with 限界, based on the same imagined study.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma interviews 田中さん about her dialect-use research before drafting the magazine paragraph. Polite style throughout, appropriate to an interview between people who know each other slightly from the planning meeting.
Emma writes down the study's target population, method, one finding, one open problem, and one limitation for her draft.
ないようりかい — Comprehension check: What population does 田中さん's study target? What did the results reveal? What limitation does she name?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Information extraction. Reread the Model Dialogue and fill in a five-part outline: target population, method, finding, open problem, limitation.
タスク２ — Sentence building. Using your outline from Task 1, write one original sentence for each of the five parts, using the grammar patterns from this chapter.
タスク３ — Pattern substitution. Rewrite Emma's second question and 田中さん's second and third lines, replacing the specific research topic with a research topic of your own choosing while keeping the same grammar patterns.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud at a natural, unhurried pace appropriate to a short research briefing.
きくタスク — A research briefing
この研究は、市内の三つの中学校に通う生徒を対象に行われた。目的は、生徒のスマートフォン使用時間と睡眠時間の関係を明らかにすることである。結果として、使用時間が長い生徒ほど睡眠時間が短い傾向が見られた。ただし、この調査には、対象校が三校に限られているという限界がある。今後の課題は、対象校を増やし、他の地域でも同様の傾向が見られるかを調べることだ。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Listen at least twice. (1) Who is this study's target population? (2) What did the results show? (3) What limitation does the passage name, and what is named as a task for future research?
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Pattern drill
- この調査は、＿＿＿＿＿を対象に行われた。 (describe a target population)
- 結果として、＿＿＿＿＿ことが明らかになった。 (report a finding)
- 今後の課題は、＿＿＿＿＿ことだ。 (name an open problem)
- この調査には、＿＿＿＿＿という限界がある。 (name a limitation)
コミュニケーションタスク — Interviewing a researcher
With a partner or instructor, role-play Emma's interview with 田中さん, but about a research topic you invent together. One person plays the interviewer and asks about target population, method, findings, open problems, and limitations; the other plays the researcher and answers using this chapter's patterns.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Summarizing a study you know
Record a one-to-two-minute spoken summary, in Japanese, of a real or invented study from your own field or interests. Include the target population, method, one finding, one open problem, and one limitation.
Reading Practice
Read the two short research summaries below, each drawn from a different field, and complete the questions that follow.
調査報告：小規模店のキャッシュレス化
この調査は、市内の小規模な飲食店三十軒を対象に行われた。目的は、キャッシュレス決済の導入が客の行動にどのような影響を与えるかを明らかにすることである。結果として、導入後も客の滞在時間や購入額に大きな変化は見られなかった。ただし、この調査には、対象店の数が少なく、業種も飲食店に限られているという限界がある。今後の課題は、他の業種でも同様の調査を行い、結果を比較することだ。
調査報告：花粉症対策の効果
この調査は、花粉症の症状がある成人二百人を対象に、聞き取り調査によって行われた。回答者から同意を得た上で、外出時のマスク使用と症状の変化について尋ねた。結果として、マスクを毎日使用したと答えた人の約七割が、症状が軽くなったと感じていた。ただし、この調査は自己申告に基づいており、実際の症状の変化を客観的に測定していないという限界がある。
- In the first passage, who is the study's target population, and what method-related word tells you how it was conducted?
- In the first passage, what did the results show, and what limitation does the passage name?
- In the second passage, what ethical step is mentioned before the interview questions were asked?
- In the second passage, summarize in English the finding reported with 結果として, and the limitation reported at the end.
Writing Workshop
Write a short structured research summary (roughly six to ten sentences, in standard Japanese) about 田中さん's dialect-use survey from the Model Dialogue, for the "くらしと専門知識" magazine column.
- State the target population using 〜を対象に.
- Briefly name the method, such as 聞き取り調査.
- Report one finding using 〜ことが明らかになった.
- Name one open problem using 課題.
- Acknowledge one limitation honestly using 〜という限界がある.
- Close with one sentence explaining why a general reader might find the finding useful or interesting.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I have stated the study's target population and method clearly.
- I have reported a finding without overstating its certainty.
- I have named an open problem and a limitation as two separate things.
- I have not overused furigana on kanji I have already consolidated.
- I have checked kanji, particles, and register for accuracy and consistency.
Culture and Communication
Community-level and student research projects in Japan, like research anywhere, are generally expected to explain their purpose to participants and obtain willing consent before collecting information, even when the project is small in scale and not conducted through a large institution. A magazine writer summarizing this kind of research for a general audience plays a role in that same ethical chain: describing a study's methods and limitations accurately, rather than only its most striking finding, helps readers understand what the research can and cannot actually claim.
田中さん's dialect-use research connects directly to the regional and social variation studied in Chapter 14. When summarizing findings about who uses dialect and how often, it remains important to describe the data neutrally, without implying that using more or less dialect makes a speaker more or less educated, authentic, or correct.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Using 課題 to describe what a study actually found, or using 限界 to describe a topic for future research, blurring three distinct ideas together.
Correction: Keep them separate: 結果 is what the data showed, 課題 is an open question for future work, and 限界 is a specific weakness in the current study's design.
Error: Writing 若い人は方言をあまり使わないことが明らかになった。 as if it applied to all young people everywhere, without mentioning the study's actual target population.
Correction: State the scope first: この地域の住民を対象にした調査で、若い世代ほど方言をあまり使わないことが明らかになった。
Error: Presenting only the finding and leaving out a known limitation, such as a small sample size, because it makes the research sound less impressive.
Correction: State the limitation honestly alongside the finding: 結果として〜ことが明らかになったが、この調査には〜という限界がある。
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Complete the Core Vocabulary sorting practice above.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Complete the Script and Terminology Focus practice above.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the Grammar Practice exercises above.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Complete the Reading Practice questions above.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your research summary following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Complete the researcher-interview task from Speaking Practice, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
くらしと専門知識：研究を紹介する — Introducing the Research
Complete all four parts below to demonstrate control of this chapter's research-reporting systems.
- Listening: Complete the Listening Practice task above and outline the target population, finding, and limitation of the briefing.
- Reading: Answer the Reading Practice questions for both research summaries above.
- Spoken interaction: With a partner or instructor, complete the researcher-interview role-play from Speaking Practice, using at least one instance each of を対象に, 明らかにする, 課題, and 限界.
- Written production: Submit your Writing Workshop research summary, checked against its editing checklist.
Assessment focus: accurate description of a study's target population and method; correct and natural use of を対象に, 明らかにする, 結果, 課題, and 限界; honest separation of findings, open problems, and limitations; disciplined furigana use limited to rare or first-mention terms; and accurate kanji, particles, and register throughout spoken and written work.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary
General research process: 研究, 対象, 明らかにする, 結果, 課題, 限界. Method specifically: 方法, 回答者, 聞き取り調査, サンプル数. Ethics: 倫理, 同意を得る.
Script and Terminology Focus
Open-ended; check that learners connect 象 to 対象, 果 to 結果, 限 to 限界, and 倫 to 倫理, and explain each connection accurately in their own words.
Grammar Practice
Open-ended; model answers: (1) この調査は、大学生を対象に行われた。 (2) この研究は、通勤時間と睡眠時間の関係を明らかにすることを目的としている。 (3) 調査の結果、在宅勤務をしている人の方が睡眠時間が長いことが明らかになった。 (4) 課題: 今後の課題は、対象者を増やすことだ。 限界: この調査には、対象地域が一つに限られているという限界がある。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension Check
田中さん's study targets residents in their twenties through seventies who have lived in the area for ten years or more. The results revealed that younger generations use dialect less. She names the limitation that the sample size is still small.
Guided Practice
(1)–(3) Open-ended; evaluate against the Grammar section patterns and the Model Dialogue. Expected outline: target population (area residents 20s–70s), method (interview-based survey), finding (younger generations use less dialect), open problem (increase sample size), limitation (small sample size).
Listening Practice — Model answers
(1) The study targets students attending three junior high schools in the city. (2) Results showed that students with longer smartphone use tended to have shorter sleep time. (3) The limitation named is that the study is limited to three schools; the task for future research is to increase the number of target schools and check whether the same tendency appears in other regions.
Reading Practice
(1) The target population is thirty small restaurants in the city; 聞き取り調査 is not stated here, but the passage's framing as a survey of stores signals a method-focused report. (2) Results showed no major change in customer stay time or purchase amount after adoption; the limitation is a small number of target stores, limited to the restaurant industry. (3) Consent was obtained from respondents before asking about mask use and symptom changes. (4) The finding: about seventy percent of respondents who wore masks daily felt their symptoms had lessened. The limitation: the study relies on self-reporting and does not objectively measure actual changes in symptoms.
Chapter Review — Sections A through D
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary, Script and Terminology Focus, Grammar Practice, and Reading Practice sections above.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written summary against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken interaction and listening summary against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe a study's target population and method; report findings honestly using 明らかにする and 結果; distinguish open problems from limitations using 課題 and 限界; read short research summaries from several fields; and write and discuss a structured research summary for a general audience. This continues Unit IV of Volume IV. The next chapter turns from reporting research accurately to revising and editing your own advanced Japanese writing.