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Professor Pedantic 教授的考究學問
【學術專欄】
TPS的編輯教授在此歡迎關於學術文章的所有詢問，當然，其實他並沒有足夠的時間給你。他擁有終身教職的教授身份，也是著名的學術巨作作者。即便如此，他仍大方地接受你們的詢問。將關於學術方面的詢問寫在下方，你將獲得教授的親自指導，陶冶對學術的探索與啟發。
The professor awaits your query on academic writing, though in all honesty, he doesn’t have a lot of time for you. He is a tenured full professor and working on yet another magnificent academic tome. Even so, he has graciously consented to entertain your question. Submit it and prepare to be edified.
QUESTION: I set out to do a case study and to write about it. The results weren’t pretty. They were ugly, in fact, but my professor’s criticism wasn’t especially constructive. What are the rules for good case study papers?
我很認真地做了個案研究，寫了報告，但結果不太理想。報告結果滿糟的，而且教授也沒有給我什麼建設性的評語。要寫出好的個案研究報告有哪些原則呢？
I apologize for your professor not being constructive in analyzing your paper. Coaching students through error is one of an instructor’s primary missions and it sounds as though your instructor forgot that. Maybe it was just a bad day. Perhaps you could add something to the literature of teaching by doing a case study of your professor! Seriously, whatever errors you made in the paper in question are correctable. Try again. A case study can be a powerful research tool and, when properly reported, is an exemplary investigative approach to new understanding.
很遺憾你的教授沒有好好分析論文，給你建設性的建議；指導教授的主要任務就是指導學生從錯誤中學習，你的教授似乎忘了這點。也許你只是運氣不好，說不定你可以拿你的指導教授來做個案研究，為教學研究添加幾筆參考文獻……！說真的，不論你在論文裡犯了什麼錯誤，都可以修正，再試試看吧。個案研究是很有用的研究工具，如果能以適切的方法來呈現，也是探索新知的好方法。
A primary rule is that a case study report must be structured correctly. Typically, this means introduction of a studied subject, followed by a detailed, chronological report of the conduct of the study, and then a systematic account of the results of the study. Each section is equally important. The other usual requirement is that study results either affirm a standing theory or enunciate a new theory. Unless this relationship of theory and practice (the case study) is established, all you have is an anecdote. Anecdotal reports are not always meaningful.
個案研究的首要規則是結構一定要正確，一般來說，首先應介紹研究主題，接著說明詳情，依時間先後闡述研究內容，然後以整體的角度討論研究結果，每個章節都一樣重要。另一個常見的要求就是研究結果必須證實現有的理論，或闡明新的理論。理論與實踐（你的個案研究）間一定要建立起關係，否則你的研究就只是軼事，而軼事研究是沒有多大意義的。
A case study should be tied to a theory in the planning stage. A researcher can determine in advance what principle is likely to be reaffirmed in a case study or what theoretical principle might be identified. The outcome of a genuine case study never should be presumed, nor should the results conformed to fit a presumption, but the concept and hypothesis surrounding a study should be identified up front. By so doing, study results—expected or unexpected—can be cleanly interpreted. After data and observations are compiled, the task becomes writing it well.
個案研究在規劃階段就應該與理論連結，研究者可以事先判斷什麼理論能獲得個案研究證實，或研究可以支持什麼理論原則。如此一來，研究結果無論是否在意料之中，都能清楚詮釋。等資料與觀察都整理好了，剩下的任務就是把論文寫好了。
The professor awaits your query on academic writing, though in all honesty, he doesn’t have a lot of time for you. He is a tenured full professor and working on yet another magnificent academic tome. Even so, he has graciously consented to entertain your question. Submit it and prepare to be edified.
QUESTION: I set out to do a case study and to write about it. The results weren’t pretty. They were ugly, in fact, but my professor’s criticism wasn’t especially constructive. What are the rules for good case study papers?
我很認真地做了個案研究，寫了報告，但結果不太理想。報告結果滿糟的，而且教授也沒有給我什麼建設性的評語。要寫出好的個案研究報告有哪些原則呢？
I apologize for your professor not being constructive in analyzing your paper. Coaching students through error is one of an instructor’s primary missions and it sounds as though your instructor forgot that. Maybe it was just a bad day. Perhaps you could add something to the literature of teaching by doing a case study of your professor! Seriously, whatever errors you made in the paper in question are correctable. Try again. A case study can be a powerful research tool and, when properly reported, is an exemplary investigative approach to new understanding.
很遺憾你的教授沒有好好分析論文，給你建設性的建議；指導教授的主要任務就是指導學生從錯誤中學習，你的教授似乎忘了這點。也許你只是運氣不好，說不定你可以拿你的指導教授來做個案研究，為教學研究添加幾筆參考文獻……！說真的，不論你在論文裡犯了什麼錯誤，都可以修正，再試試看吧。個案研究是很有用的研究工具，如果能以適切的方法來呈現，也是探索新知的好方法。
A primary rule is that a case study report must be structured correctly. Typically, this means introduction of a studied subject, followed by a detailed, chronological report of the conduct of the study, and then a systematic account of the results of the study. Each section is equally important. The other usual requirement is that study results either affirm a standing theory or enunciate a new theory. Unless this relationship of theory and practice (the case study) is established, all you have is an anecdote. Anecdotal reports are not always meaningful.
個案研究的首要規則是結構一定要正確，一般來說，首先應介紹研究主題，接著說明詳情，依時間先後闡述研究內容，然後以整體的角度討論研究結果，每個章節都一樣重要。另一個常見的要求就是研究結果必須證實現有的理論，或闡明新的理論。理論與實踐（你的個案研究）間一定要建立起關係，否則你的研究就只是軼事，而軼事研究是沒有多大意義的。
A case study should be tied to a theory in the planning stage. A researcher can determine in advance what principle is likely to be reaffirmed in a case study or what theoretical principle might be identified. The outcome of a genuine case study never should be presumed, nor should the results conformed to fit a presumption, but the concept and hypothesis surrounding a study should be identified up front. By so doing, study results—expected or unexpected—can be cleanly interpreted. After data and observations are compiled, the task becomes writing it well.
個案研究在規劃階段就應該與理論連結，研究者可以事先判斷什麼理論能獲得個案研究證實，或研究可以支持什麼理論原則。如此一來，研究結果無論是否在意料之中，都能清楚詮釋。等資料與觀察都整理好了，剩下的任務就是把論文寫好了。
