独自研究プロジェクトIndependent Research Project
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Formulate a focused research question in Japanese, appropriate in scope for an independent project.
- Describe and justify a research method, including its limitations, in accurate written and spoken Japanese.
- Build and annotate a small source base, distinguishing primary from secondary sources and noting relevance.
- Identify an intended audience for the project and explain how that audience shapes tone, depth, and terminology.
- State caveats and limitations honestly, without overstating what a small independent project can establish.
- Read and interpret a model research proposal and identify its component parts.
- Produce a written project plan and a short spoken pitch describing the project's question, method, sources, and limitations.
- Distinguish active production expectations from receptive recognition across all systems introduced in this chapter.
Communication Scenario
Having completed Unit III, Emma now begins the independent project that will carry through the rest of Volume V: drafting in Chapter 17, presenting in Chapter 18, assembling a portfolio in Chapter 19, and delivering a final integrated project in Chapter 20. Her instructor, 田中先生, asks her to bring a one-page project plan to their next meeting: a research question, a short account of her method, an annotated list of three to five sources, a statement of who the project is for, and an honest note about what the project will not be able to show. Emma chooses to investigate how a specific online reading community discusses figurative language in contemporary short fiction — a topic that lets her draw on Unit III's critique and media work while building something new.
- The learner reviews vocabulary and discourse patterns for research questions, methods, sources, limitations, and audience.
- The learner reads a model research proposal and identifies its parts.
- The learner listens to a short spoken research pitch and identifies its question, method, and limitations.
- The learner writes a one-page project plan following the model.
- The learner completes a performance task presenting the project plan both in writing and aloud.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter controls vocabulary for research questions, annotated sources, methods, limitations, audience, and project design. All items below are productive unless labeled receptive.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 研究課題 | けんきゅうかだい | research question, research topic | core framing term |
| 問題意識 | もんだいいしき | problem awareness, the motivating problem | explains why the question matters |
| 手法 | しゅほう | method, approach | reused with 〜という手法を取る |
| 対象 | たいしょう | subject, target (of study) | research object, not "audience" |
| 一次資料 | いちじしりょう | primary source | contrast with 二次資料 |
| 二次資料 | にじしりょう | secondary source | contrast with 一次資料 |
| 出典 | しゅってん | source, citation origin | reused from Ch. 7 academic writing |
| 注釈 | ちゅうしゃく | annotation, note | for the annotated source list |
| 妥当性 | だとうせい | validity, soundness | whether a method or claim holds up |
| 限界 | げんかい | limitation, limit | core term for honest caveats |
| 対象読者 | たいしょうどくしゃ | target readership, intended audience | reused from Ch. 14 localization work |
| 貢献 | こうけん | contribution | what the project adds |
| 仮説 | かせつ | hypothesis | receptive/formulaic; not required in every project plan |
| 範囲 | はんい | scope, range | defining project boundaries |
Receptive only in this chapter: discipline-specific methodological terminology beyond general humanities/social research framing (for example, specialized statistical or laboratory-method vocabulary), which is not required for this project-planning task.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write one sentence using 研究課題 and 問題意識 together to introduce a topic you might investigate, and one sentence using 一次資料 and 二次資料 to describe two different kinds of sources you could use.
Script and Terminology Focus
This chapter authorizes a specialized terminology list, a kanji and name verification log, and a typography plan, as tools for managing an independent project rather than as new grammar or reading systems.
An independent project introduces specialized terms and proper names — authors, titles, platforms, technical words — that must be spelled and read correctly and consistently throughout the project. Start a simple two-column log now: the term or name in Japanese script with its verified reading, and a short note on where you confirmed it (a dictionary, an official source, the source text itself). Never guess a name reading from its kanji alone. This log will be reused directly in Chapter 17 during revision and in Chapter 19 when assembling the portfolio.
| Term / Name | Reading | Verification Note |
|---|---|---|
| 用例 | ようれい | confirmed in a general monolingual dictionary; means "usage example" |
| （著者名） | （要確認） | author name reading not yet verified; check publisher's official page before use |
れんしゅう — Practice: Begin your own terminology and verification log with at least three entries relevant to your chosen project topic.
Pronunciation Focus
A short spoken research pitch differs from a casual conversation: sentences tend to be longer and more information-dense, and a presenter must maintain even phrase-level pacing so that a listener can follow the question, method, and limitations in sequence. Practice reading your written project plan aloud slowly enough to preserve mora timing and vowel length in specialized terms, pausing briefly after each major component (question, method, sources, audience, limitations) rather than running them together.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter authorizes research framing, problem statement, source synthesis, caveats, and genre planning as integrated discourse functions. No new grammar paradigm is introduced beyond the fine-grained clause and predicate control already consolidated in Unit I and the academic phrase frames introduced in Chapter 7.
1. Framing a research question
Purpose: to state clearly what the project investigates and why.
- 本研究では、あるネット上の読書コミュニティが比喩表現をどう解釈しているかを考察する。This project examines how a particular online reading community interprets figurative expressions.本研究では + 〜かを考察する (research framing)
2. Stating the motivating problem
Purpose: to explain why the question is worth investigating.
- これまでの批評は作品そのものの分析が中心で、読者側の反応にはあまり注目してこなかった。Criticism up to now has centered on analysis of the work itself and has not paid much attention to readers' own reactions.問題意識 framing via これまで + 〜てこなかった
3. Describing method and its limitation
Purpose: to describe how the project will be carried out and to acknowledge what the method cannot show.
- 今回はコメント欄の投稿を分析するという手法を取るが、対象が一つのコミュニティに限られるため、結果を一般化することはできない。This time I will take the approach of analyzing comment-section posts, but since the subject is limited to one community, the results cannot be generalized.〜という手法を取る + 限界 (limitation clause)
4. Annotating and synthesizing sources
Purpose: to introduce a source and note its relevance in one connected statement.
- この論文は二次資料だが、比喩理解に関する先行研究をよくまとめており、本研究の枠組みの参考になる。This paper is a secondary source, but it summarizes prior research on figurative-language comprehension well and is useful as a reference for this project's framework.二次資料 + 先行研究 (Ch. 7 reuse) + 参考になる
5. Naming an audience and adjusting genre
Purpose: to state who the project is for and how that shapes its presentation.
- 対象読者は日本語学習者を含む一般の読書愛好者なので、専門用語をできるだけ避け、具体例を多く示すつもりだ。Since the target readership is general reading enthusiasts, including Japanese-language learners, I intend to avoid specialized terminology as much as possible and provide many concrete examples.対象読者 + 〜つもりだ (genre planning)
[research question] + [motivating problem] + [method and its limitation] + [source synthesis] + [audience and genre plan]
This is a discourse pattern rather than a new grammatical structure: it draws on academic phrase frames from Chapter 7, register-transfer and audience-adaptation reasoning from Chapter 14, and the connective systems already consolidated across this volume, organized into a five-part sequence appropriate for a one-page project plan.
本研究では、あるネット上の読書コミュニティが比喩表現をどう解釈しているかを考察する。これまでの批評は作品そのものの分析が中心で、読者側の反応にはあまり注目してこなかった。今回はコメント欄の投稿を分析するという手法を取るが、対象が一つのコミュニティに限られるため、結果を一般化することはできない。参考資料としては、比喩理解に関する先行研究をまとめた論文（二次資料）と、実際のコメント欄の投稿（一次資料）を用いる。対象読者は日本語学習者を含む一般の読書愛好者なので、専門用語をできるだけ避け、具体例を多く示すつもりだ。
This project examines how a particular online reading community interprets figurative expressions. Criticism up to now has centered on analysis of the work itself and has not paid much attention to readers' own reactions. This time I will take the approach of analyzing comment-section posts, but since the subject is limited to one community, the results cannot be generalized. As reference material, I will use a paper summarizing prior research on figurative-language comprehension (a secondary source) and actual comment-section posts (a primary source). Since the target readership is general reading enthusiasts, including Japanese-language learners, I intend to avoid specialized terminology as much as possible and provide many concrete examples.
Grammar Practice
- Write one sentence framing a research question using 本研究では〜を考察する.
- Write one sentence explaining the motivating problem behind your question.
- Write one sentence describing your method and stating one honest limitation of it.
- Write one sentence introducing a source and explaining its relevance, distinguishing primary from secondary if applicable.
- Write one sentence naming your intended audience and how it shapes your genre choices.
- Combine all five into one connected project statement, following the Building Block pattern above.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma meets with 田中先生 to discuss her draft research question before writing the full project plan.
田中先生 models how to narrow an overly broad research question, name a resulting limitation honestly, and connect the audience decision to later genre choices.
ないようりかい — Comprehension check: Why does 田中先生 say Emma's original theme is too broad? What limitation does 田中先生 say Emma should state honestly? How does 田中先生 connect the audience decision to later choices about terminology and examples?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Narrowing a question. Write an overly broad research question, then narrow it following 田中先生's model in the Model Dialogue.
タスク２ — Limitation check. For your narrowed question, write one honest sentence stating what your project's method will not be able to show.
タスク３ — Peer or self-check. Read your five-part project statement from the Grammar Practice aloud, and confirm that the question, motivating problem, method and limitation, source synthesis, and audience plan are all present and clearly connected.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud.
きくタスク — A student describes a research plan aloud
今回のプロジェクトでは、地域による方言表現の使用状況を調べようと思います。具体的には、ある地方の高校生を対象に、SNS上での投稿を分析するという手法を取ります。ただし、対象となる高校生の数が限られているため、結果はその地域全体を代表するものではありません。一次資料としては実際の投稿を、二次資料としてはこれまでの方言研究の論文を用います。対象読者は言語学を学ぶ大学生を想定しており、専門用語を使いながらも、具体例を丁寧に説明するつもりです。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Listen at least twice. (1) What is the research question, in your own words? (2) What method does the speaker describe, and who is the subject? (3) What limitation does the speaker state, and why? (4) What primary and secondary sources will be used? (5) Who is the target readership, and how does that shape the presentation?
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Naming the five parts
- Given a short written project statement, identify aloud in Japanese which sentence performs which of the five functions (question, problem, method/limitation, sources, audience).
- Given an overly broad research topic, restate it aloud as a narrower, more workable question, following 田中先生's model.
コミュニケーションタスク — The research pitch
Deliver a short spoken pitch of one to two minutes presenting your project plan: your research question, the motivating problem, your method and its limitation, a brief synthesis of your planned sources, and your intended audience.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Reading the Model Dialogue aloud
Read both roles of the Model Dialogue aloud, paying attention to even, confident pacing on the longer, information-dense sentences, as described in the Pronunciation Focus above.
Reading Practice
Read the model research proposal excerpt below, then complete the questions that follow.
どっかいタスク — 研究計画書の一部（モデル）
本研究では、地方新聞のオンライン版における方言表現の使用状況を考察する。近年、地方紙のウェブ記事は全国どこからでも読めるようになったが、方言をどの程度残して書くかについては記者や媒体によって差があるようだ。しかし、この差を体系的に扱った研究は少ない。そこで本研究では、ある地方紙のウェブ記事三十本を対象に、方言表現の出現箇所とその機能を分析するという手法を取る。ただし、対象が一つの新聞に限られているため、結果を地方紙全体の傾向として一般化することはできない。一次資料としてはウェブ記事本文を、二次資料としては方言と地域メディアに関する既存の研究を用いる。対象読者はメディア研究に関心を持つ大学生を想定しており、専門用語には簡潔な注釈を添える。
- What is the research question of this model proposal?
- What motivating problem does the writer give for why this question matters?
- What method does the writer describe, and what limitation does the writer state?
- Identify the primary and secondary sources named in the passage.
- Who is the target readership, and what does the writer plan to do for that readership specifically?
Writing Workshop
Write your own one-page project plan, applying the five-part pattern from this chapter.
- State your research question in one clear sentence, narrowed following the model in the Model Dialogue.
- Explain the motivating problem in one or two sentences: why does this question matter, and what gap does it address?
- Describe your method in one or two sentences, and state at least one honest limitation of that method.
- Introduce three to five sources in an annotated list, labeling each as a primary or secondary source and noting its relevance in one sentence per source.
- Name your target readership and explain in one or two sentences how that readership shapes your terminology, tone, and choice of examples.
- Begin your terminology and verification log from the Script and Terminology Focus section, with at least three entries relevant to your project.
チェックリスト — Revision checklist:
- The research question is narrow enough for a single independent project.
- The motivating problem clearly explains why the question is worth investigating.
- The method is described clearly, and at least one limitation is stated honestly.
- Each source is labeled as primary or secondary, with its relevance explained.
- The target readership is named, and its effect on terminology and examples is explained.
- The terminology and verification log has at least three entries with verification notes.
- Vocabulary and grammar remain within the systems authorized through this chapter.
Culture and Communication
Across academic and professional writing in many contexts, stating a project's limitations clearly is not a weakness to be hidden but a marker of credibility: it shows the writer understands exactly what their evidence can and cannot support. A brief, honest limitation statement, such as noting that a single-community analysis cannot be generalized, is generally viewed as good practice rather than as an admission of failure.
If your project topic touches on regional Japanese, community usage, or any variety discussed in Chapter 13, continue applying the same non-ranking principle used throughout this volume: describe variation as difference, not as deficiency, and avoid treating your own limited sample as representative of an entire region or community.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Writing a research question like 「現代の読者はどのように比喩を理解するか」 without narrowing it to a specific, manageable subject.
Correction: Narrow the question to a specific community, text, or dataset, as 田中先生 models in the Model Dialogue, and state the narrower scope explicitly in the project plan.
Error: Presenting findings from one community or one small dataset as though they apply generally, without any limitation statement.
Correction: Include an honest limitation sentence, such as 結果を一般化することはできない, following the models in the Grammar and Discourse section above.
Error: Providing a bare list of source titles without noting whether each is a primary or secondary source or why it is relevant.
Correction: Annotate each source with its type and its relevance in one sentence, following the source-synthesis model in the Grammar and Discourse section above.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Complete the Core Vocabulary practice above.
Section B — もじ (Script and Terminology)
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 (Reading)
1. Complete the Reading Practice questions above.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete all six steps of the Writing Workshop, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Complete the research pitch from Speaking Practice, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Chapter 16 Checkpoint — Question and Method
Can you frame a manageable research question, explain the motivating problem behind it, and describe your method along with an honest limitation?
Chapter 16 Checkpoint — Sources and Audience
Can you annotate primary and secondary sources for relevance, name your intended audience, and explain how that audience shapes your project's genre and terminology?
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
研究計画書を作る — Building Your Research Project Plan
Complete all four parts below to demonstrate control of this chapter's research-framing, source-synthesis, and audience-planning systems.
- Listening: Complete the Listening Practice task above and summarize the speaker's research question, method, limitation, sources, and audience.
- Reading: Answer the Reading Practice questions on the model research proposal excerpt.
- Written production: Submit your one-page project plan from the Writing Workshop, including the annotated source list and the beginning of your terminology and verification log, checked against the revision checklist above.
- Spoken production: Deliver your recorded one- to two-minute research pitch from Speaking Practice, covering all five parts of the project statement.
Assessment focus: a clearly framed and appropriately narrow research question, an honest and specific limitation statement, a properly annotated source list distinguishing primary and secondary sources, and a clearly named audience whose effect on the project's genre and terminology is explained, with vocabulary and grammar remaining within the systems authorized through this chapter.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary
Open-ended; representative combinations may pair 研究課題 and 問題意識 to introduce a topic, such as この研究課題を選んだのは、コメント欄における批評の在り方に問題意識を持ったからだ。, and pair 一次資料 and 二次資料, such as 投稿そのものを一次資料とし、関連する先行研究を二次資料として用いる。
Script and Terminology Focus
Open-ended; entries should include a term or name, its verified reading, and a specific verification source (a dictionary, an official page, or the original text), following the sample log format above.
Grammar Practice
(1)–(5) Open-ended; models: (1) 本研究では、方言表現がオンライン記事でどう扱われているかを考察する。 (2) これまでの研究は全国紙を中心に扱っており、地方紙にはあまり注目してこなかった。 (3) 記事本文を分析するという手法を取るが、対象が一つの新聞に限られるため、一般化はできない。 (4) この論文は二次資料で、方言研究の全体像をつかむのに役立つ。 (5) 対象読者はメディア研究に関心を持つ学生なので、専門用語には注釈を添えるつもりだ。 (6) Open-ended; check that the combined statement moves through all five functions in a connected way, following the Building Block model.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension Check
田中先生 says Emma's original theme is too broad because treating "contemporary readers" as a whole cannot be handled by a single-person project. 田中先生 says Emma should honestly state that her findings, drawn from one community, cannot be generalized and should instead be framed as a contribution from a single case study. 田中先生 connects the audience decision to later choices by noting that once the target readership is decided, decisions about how much specialized terminology to use and which examples to choose will follow naturally from that.
Listening Practice — Model answers
(1) The research question concerns how dialect expressions are used in social-media posts by high school students in a particular region. (2) The method is analyzing social-media posts by high school students in one region; the subject is a limited group of high school students from that region. (3) The limitation is that the number of high school students studied is limited, so the results cannot represent the region as a whole. (4) The primary sources are the actual posts; the secondary sources are prior research papers on dialect. (5) The target readership is university students studying linguistics, and the speaker plans to use specialized terminology while carefully explaining concrete examples.
Reading Practice
(1) The research question concerns how dialect expressions are used in the online edition of a regional newspaper. (2) The motivating problem is that regional newspaper web articles are now readable nationwide, but how much dialect is retained varies by reporter and outlet, and this variation has rarely been studied systematically. (3) The method is analyzing thirty web articles from one regional newspaper for where dialect expressions appear and what function they serve; the limitation is that, since the subject is limited to one newspaper, the results cannot be generalized as a trend for regional newspapers as a whole. (4) The primary source is the text of the web articles; the secondary sources are existing studies on dialect and regional media. (5) The target readership is university students interested in media studies, and the writer plans to add concise annotations for specialized terminology.
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, integrated production tasks. Evaluate the written project plan and the recorded research pitch against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task above.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can frame a manageable research question, state the problem that motivates it, describe a method and its honest limitations, annotate primary and secondary sources for relevance, and name an intended audience along with its effect on genre and terminology. This project plan will carry forward directly into Chapter 17, where you will begin drafting and revising the project itself.