Research Synthesis - Dr Sin Wang Chong (Queen's Uni Belfast) UCL Institute of Education 24 Mar 2021

“A Typology of Research Synthesis in Applied Linguistics and TESOL”
UCL Centre for Applied Linguistics Research Seminar, University College London 24th March 2021 (Wed), 12-13:30 pm, held on Zoom
Dr Sin-Wang Chong, Queens University Belfast
Hosted by Dr Talia Isaacs, UCL Centre for Applied Linguistics
Research synthesis is a review of literature on a selected topic which yields insights of interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of research synthesis in our field and its usefulness has been increasingly recognised, with some leading journals treating research synthesis as a discrete submission category (e.g., Language Learning). Taxonomies of research synthesis are developed in different research fields to standardise naming and methodological conventions but not yet in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. This presentation draws on a paper in preparation with Dr Luke Plonsky (Northern Arizona University). Using a four-dimensional analytical framework, features of 14 types of research synthesis in Applied Linguistics and TESOL will be presented namely bibliometric review, critical review, historical review, meta-analysis, methodological synthesis, mixed review, narrative review, overview, qualitative research synthesis, research agenda, research into practice, scoping review, state-of-the-art review, and systematic literature review. Accompanying the typology, four continua of research synthesis in Applied Linguistics and TESOL are identified: the “research-/practice-focused” continuum, the “more/less systematic” continuum, the “more/less standardised structure” continuum, and the “multimodal/monomodal text” continuum. The notion of “evidence ecosystem” will be introduced to examine ways to improving research synthesis practices in our field.
Bio
Sin-Wang Chong (PhD) is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in TESOL at the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast in the UK. His research interests include assessment feedback in higher education, language and educational assessment, and research synthesis methodologies. His works have appeared in some of the leading journals in higher education and language education, including Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Assessing Writing, ELT Journal, Language Assessment Quarterly, Language Learning & Technology. He is Associate Editor of Higher Education Research & Development (T&F) and Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching (T&F). He tweets @sinwangchong and @Scholarly_Peers.