2. Topics to be covered
• What is Research?
• Objectives of Research
• Motivation of Research
• Significance of Research
• Types of Research
• What is Science?
• What is Scientific Method?
• What is Engineering?
• Who are Engineers?
• What is Engineering Research?
• What is Scientific Research?
• Scientific Research and Engineering Research
• Scientist and Engineers
• Invention, Innovation and Research
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4. What is Research?
• A search for knowledge
• A voyage of discovery
• Discovering new knowledge
• A movement from the known to the unknown
• A scientific and systematic search for significant
information on a specific topic
• A careful investigation through search for new
facts in any branch of knowledge
• An original contribution to the existing stock of
knowledge making for its advancement.
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5. What is Research?
• Research comprises defining and redefining problems,
formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting,
organising and evaluating data; making deductions and
reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the
conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating
hypothesis
• Research is the pursuit of truth with the help of study,
observation, comparison and experiment
• The search for knowledge through objective and
systematic method of finding solution to a problem.
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6. What is Research?
• The systematic approach concerning
generalization and the formulation of a theory.
• Research is, an intensive activity that is based
on the work of others and generates new ideas
to pursue and questions to answer.
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7. Research is an activity based on the
work of others
• This does not mean that you copy the work of
others (that’s plagiarism), but you always look
to the work that has already been done to
provide a basis for the subject of your research
and how you might conduct your own work.
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8. • Thus, research is the fountain of knowledge for
the sake of knowledge and an important source of
providing guidelines for solving different
business, governmental and social problems.
• It is a sort of formal training which enables one to
understand the new developments in one's field in
a better way
• Research inculcates scientific and inductive
thinking and it promotes the development of
logical habits of thinking and organization.
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9. 18-05-2023 9
• Discovery of new things that have been
independently verified by other professionals.
• Something new to humanity (not just new to
you or your group).
10. 18-05-2023 10
Good & Bad Research Examples
• Case 1 A high school research paper
• Case 2 A good idea
• Case 3 Tested outcomes for a new idea
11. Objectives of Research
Research objectives fall into the following broad groupings:
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new
insights into it (exploratory research studies); eg- life on
mars
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular
individual, situation or a group (studies with this object in
view are known as descriptive research studies); eg- how
learners from different cultures engage in play activities
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or
with which it is associated with something else (known as
diagnostic research studies); eg to study effect of demand on
prices of goods
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between
variables (known as hypothesis-testing research studies). Eg.
Price increases with increase in demand
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12. Motivation of Research
• Aspire to get a research degree along with
career benefits
• Aspire to take up the challenge in solving the
unsolved problems
• Desire to get intellectual joy of doing a
creative work
• Aspire to do research to serve the society
• Seek to get recognition and respect
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14. Descriptive Research
• Descriptive research (Ex post facto research) includes surveys
and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds.
• The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state
of affairs as it exists at present.
• This approach is suitable for social sciences and business and
management studies for descriptive research studies.
• The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no
control over the variables; s/he can only report what has happened
or what is happening.
• Example: frequency of shopping, brand preference of people, most
popular media programme etc.
• Enhancing usability of website- you might conduct a survey of
whether the users feel the website has usability issues and what are
those and then you would re-design a website to overcome the
usability issues
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15. Descriptive Research
Example:
• How teeangers from different cultures engage
in play activities?
• What is the effect of technological
interventions on student’s performance?
• How many teenagers suffer from dyslexia?
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16. Analytical research
• The researcher has to use facts or information
already available, and analyze these to make a
critical evaluation of the material.
• Data analytics- Analyze the data and make certain
decisions based on certain patterns
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17. Applied Research vs. Fundamental
Research
• The main target of Applied Research is to find a solution for
an immediate problem facing a society or an industrial /
business organization:
Examples: solution to cure disease, improving cyber security,
improving the levels of customer retention for Wall-Mart in
China etc
• Fundamental or Pure Research is mainly concerned with
generalizations and concentrates on the formulation of a
theory.
Examples of fundamental research are: research concerning
some natural phenomenon or related to pure mathematics;
research studies aimed at studying and making generalizations
about human behaviour; law of gravity, Newton’s Law
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18. 18-05-2023 18
While applied research concentrates on
discovering a solution for some pressing practical
problem, fundamental research is focused towards
formulation of theories that may have a broad
base of applications either at present or for future
which adds more materials to the already existing
organized body of scientific knowledge.
19. Applied Research vs. Fundamental
Research
• Basic research (sometimes called pure
research) is research that has no immediate
application at the time it is completed, whereas
applied research does.
• Almost all basic research eventually results in
some worthwhile application over the long
term.
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20. Quantitative/Qualitative research
• Quantitative research is applicable to phenomena
that can be expressed in terms of quantity,
• Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative
phenomenon.
• For instance, when we are interested in
investigating the reasons for human behaviour
(i.e., why people think or do certain things).
• Qualitative research is especially important in
the behavioural sciences where the aim is to
discover the underlying motives of human
behaviour.
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21. • Qualitative approach to research is concerned
with subjective assessment of attitudes, opinions
and behavior.
• Generally, the techniques of focus group
interviews, projective techniques and depth
interviews are used..
• Example: Quantitative- how many people have
color blindness in Delhi
• Qualitative- How does a person react when he
sees red color?
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22. Conceptual/Experimental research
• Conceptual research is that related to some abstract idea(s) or
theory. It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to
develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.
eg- Developing new concepts or theories like Aristotle – logic
of categorical syllogism , classification of living beings,
founder of zoology, ethics, etc
• Experimental (empirical) research relies on experiment or
observation alone, often without due regard for system and
theory.
• Eg – Experimenting to test theories or form the basis for new
theories like Edison –developed carbon transmitter for
improving audability of telephone, invented phonograph,
electric light
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23. Quantitative approach
• Quantitative approach can be further sub-classified into:
- inferential
- experimental
-simulation approaches research.
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24. Inferential approach
• The aim of research is to form a database from
which to infer characteristics or relationships of
population.
• This usually means survey research where a
sample of population is studied (questioned or
observed) to determine its characteristics, and it is
then inferred that the population has the same
characteristics.
• Example: Knowing average height of men in a
city
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25. Experimental Approach
• Experimental approach is characterized by much
greater control over the research environment and in
this case some variables are manipulated to observe
their effect on other variables.
• Used in sciences such as Chemistry, biology,
medicine, sociology
• Example: A researcher wants to examine the effects
of three different antihypertensive drugs on patients
with hypertension. Researcher places subjects in three
homogeneous groups like patients with primary
hypertension, diabetic patients with hypertension and
renal patients with hypertension
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26. Simulation approach
• It involves the construction of an artificial environment
within which relevant information and data can be
generated.
• This permits an observation of the dynamic behavior of
a system (or its subsystem) under controlled conditions.
• Given the values of initial conditions, parameters and
exogenous variables, a simulation is run to represent
the behavior of the process over time.
• Simulation approach can also be useful in building
models for understanding future conditions.
• Example: Simulator to train pilots, Simulator for space
exploration
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28. Non-experimental research
• Non-experimental research examines the relationship between
variables, without any attention to cause-and-effect
relationships.
For example,
If you wanted to survey the social media using behavior of
teenagers, you could do so by having them maintain a diary in
which they record what tools they use and for how long
This descriptive study provides information about the content of
their online behaviors but tells you little about why they may
do what they do
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29. • In this type of a research endeavor, you are not trying to
understand the motivation for using what online tools
are used nor are you trying to manipulate their use or
content of the communication or any other outcome.
This is nonexperimental in nature because no cause-
and-effect relationships of any type are being
hypothesized or investigated
• Descriptive research focuses on events that occur in
the present. The every 10-year U.S. Census is an
example of descriptive research as is any survey that
assesses the current status of anything from the
number of faucets in a house to the number of adults
over 60 years of age who have grandchildren
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30. Correlational research
• Correlational research examines the relationship between
variables.
• Example:
o Relationship between demand and price
o If you were interested in finding out the relationship between the
number of hours that first-year students spend studying and their
grade-point averages
o If you were interested in finding out the best set of predictors of
success in graduate school, you would be doing a type of
correlational research that includes prediction
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31. Nonexperimental methods
• Qualitative research methods do not directly test for cause and
effect and, for the most part, follow an entirely different
paradigm than the experimental model.
• The general purpose of qualitative research methods is to
examine human behavior in the social, cultural, and political
contexts in which they occur.
• This is done through a variety of tools, such as interviews,
historical methods, case studies, and ethnography, and it
usually results in qualitative (or nonnumerical) primary data.
• In other words, the qualitative researcher is more (but not
only) interested in the contents of an interviewee’s speech than
in the number of times (frequency) a particular comment is
made.
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32. Experimental research
• Experimental research examines the cause-and-effect relationship
between variables
(1) True experimental research
(2) Quasiexperimental research
• In the true experimental research method, participants are assigned
to groups based on some criterion, often called the treatment
variable or treatment condition.
– For example, let us say that you are interested in comparing the effects of two
different techniques for reducing obsessive-compulsive behavior in adults. The
first technique includes behavioral therapy, and the second one does not. Once
adults are assigned to groups and the programs are completed, you will want to
look for any differences between the two groups with regard to the effects of
the therapy on the frequency of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Because the
nature of the groups is determined by the researcher, the researcher has
complete control over the factors to which the adults are exposed.
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33. Quasi-experimental
• In a quasi-experimental study, the researcher does not have such a
high degree of control because people have already been indirectly
assigned to those groups (e.g., social class, type of abuse, gender,
and type of injury) for which you are testing the effects.
• For example, Fleming, Klein, and Corter (1992) examined the
effects of participation in a social support group on depression,
maternal attitudes, and behavior in new mothers. As part of the
experimental design, the researchers divided 142 mothers into three
groups. Group 1 received the intervention, Group 2 received the no-
intervention condition, and Group 3 received a special group-by-
mail intervention. The key point here is the manipulation (the key
word in experimental designs) of the condition for each of the three
groups. This research is true experimental because the researchers
determined the nature of the treatment and who is assigned to each
group.
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34. In quasi-experimental research,
• Let us say that you are interested in examining voting patterns as a
function of neighborhood. You cannot change the neighborhood
people live in, but you can use the quasi-experimental method to
establish a causal link between residence and voting patterns. In
other words, if you find that voting pattern and residence are related,
then you can say with some degree of confidence (but not as much
as with an experimental study) that there is a causal relationship
between where one resides and how one votes
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36. Significance of Research
• Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and it promotes
the development of logical habits of thinking and organisation.
• The role of research in several fields of applied economics, whether
related to business or to the economy as a whole, has greatly
increased in modern times.
• The increasingly complex nature of business and government has
focused attention on the use of research in solving operational
problems. Research, as an aid to economic policy, has gained added
importance, both for government
and business.
• Research provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our
economic system. For instance, government’s budgets rest in part on
an analysis of the needs and desires of the people and on the
availability of revenues to meet these needs. The cost of needs has to
be equated to probable revenues and this is a field where research is
most needed. Through research we can devise alternative policies
and can as well examine the consequences of each of these
alternatives.
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37. • Research has its special significance in solving various operational
and planning problems of business and industry. Operations research
and market research, along with motivational research, are
considered crucial and their results assist, in more than one way, in
taking business decisions.
• Market research is the investigation of the structure and
development of a market for the purpose of formulating efficient
policies for purchasing, production and sales.
• Motivational research of determining why people behave as they do
is mainly concerned with market characteristics. In other words, it is
concerned with the determination of motivations underlying the
consumer (market) behaviour. All these are of great help to people in
business and industry who are responsible for taking business
decisions.
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38. • Research is equally important for social
scientists in studying social relationships and
in seeking answers to various social problems.
It provides the intellectual satisfaction of
knowing a few things just for the sake of
knowledge and also has practical utility for the
social scientist to know for the sake of being
able to do something better or in a more
efficient manner.
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39. Importance of Research for Different
Group of People
• For Students and Research Scholars
- Research may mean careerism or a way to
attain a high position in the social structure; ™
• For philosophers and thinkers
- Research may mean the outlet for new ideas
and insights; ™
• For literary men and women
- Research may mean the development of new
styles and creative work
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40. • For analysts and intellectuals
- Research may mean the generalizations of new
theories.
• For Professionals in Research Methodology
- Research may mean a source of livelihood
• Thus, research is the fountain of knowledge for the sake
of knowledge and an important source of providing
guidelines for solving different business, governmental
and social problems. It is a sort of formal training
which enables one to understand the new developments
in one’s field in a better way.
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42. WHAT IS SCIENCE?
• Science is the systematic observation of
natural events and conditions in order to
discover facts about them and to formulate
laws and principles based on these facts.
• The organized body of knowledge that is
derived from such observations and that can be
verified or tested by further investigation.
• Any specific branch of this general body of
knowledge, such as biology, physics, geology,
or astronomy
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43. What is Science?
• Science involves more than the gaining of
knowledge. It is the systematic and organized
inquiry into the natural world and its
phenomena.
• Science is about gaining a deeper and often
useful understanding of the world.
• Examples: Physics – Newton’s laws,
Chemistry- Atomic theory
Biology – Evolution theory
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45. WHAT IS “THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD”?
• If there is anything that can characterize science then it must
be its method.
• The scientific method might be seen as the logical scheme
used by scientists searching for answers to the questions posed
within science, as well to formulate theories as to assure the
means for producing them (instruments, tools, algorithms).
• Example: What is chemical composition of water?
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46. Figure 1 describes the logical structure of scientific method. As the flow diagram
suggests, science is in a state of permanent change and development. The one of the
most important qualities of science is its provisional character: it is subject to
continuous re-examination and self-correction
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47. Scientific Method
1. Wonder - Pose a Question (Formulate a Problem)
2. Hypothesis – Suggest a plausible answer (a theory) from
which some empirically testable hypothetical propositions
can be deduced
3. Testing – Construct and perform an experiment, which
makes it possible to observe whether the consequences
specified in one or more of those hypothetical
propositions actually follow when the conditions
specified in the same propositions pertain. If test fails,
return to step 2 , otherwise go to step 4
4. Accept the hypothesis as provisionally true. Return to step
3 if there are predictable consequences of the theory
which have not been experimentally confirmed
5. Act accordingly
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48. 18-05-2023 48
The Scientific Method
An idea
Discovery
Independent verification:
literature, experiment,
numerical model,
analytical model, etc
Prior
knowledge
Submit
Report,
Thesis,
Journal
or
Conference
Paper
Assessors
Independent verification:
literature,
numerical model,
analytical model, etc
The Outcome is Recognised
as a Major contribution
to the field
50. What is Engineering?
• Every product in this modern era is influenced by Engineering,
which is a key driver of innovation and human development.
• Engineering is the application of scientific and technical
knowledge to solve human problems.
• Engineering can be defined as the application of science,
mathematics, economics, social awareness, empirical evidence
and practical knowledge to invent, innovate, design, build,
maintain, research and improve structures, machines, tools,
systems, components, materials, processes, solutions and
organizations.
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52. Who are Engineers ?
• Apply the knowledge of mathematics and sciences to find novel
solutions to problems or to improve existing solutions.
• Analyze, evaluate multiple solutions and select the best solution that
best meets the requirements.
• Identify, understand, and interpret the constraints in order to yield a
successful result.
• Predict how well their design, process, components and/or solution
will perform with consideration for health and safety as well as the
cultural, societal, and environmental concerns.
• Koen (2003) states that the definition of what makes one an
engineer should not be based on what he produces, but rather how
he goes about it.
• Hence, Engineers must know the approach to solve problems in a
systematic way.
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53. Who are Engineers?
• Engineers are people who solve problems and focus on
making things work more efficiently and effectively.
• The result is the design, production, and operation of useful
objects or processes.
• Their work is the link between perceived social needs and
commercial applications.
• Engineering knowledge is applied to improving many things,
including the quality of healthcare, the safety of food products,
and the operation of financial systems, etc
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54. Engineering Research
• Engineering research is based on the principles
of scientific research which is in turn based on
scientific method, however, the research is
directed towards the practical application of
science to products, services and
infrastructure.
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55. Engineering Research
• Engineering research must fulfil the following objectives:
1. The research must be applied to human systems
2. The research must yield outcomes which benefit
humanity
3. The research must be ethically based
4. The research should consider environmental outcomes
5. The research must be based on standard industry testing
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56. Example of Engineering Research
• A new material has been proved scientifically to
be a reliable replacement for asphalt and concrete
for road building. The material has excellent
physical and chemical properties. An engineering
research study of this material might also verify
that the material is in abundant supply from
renewable resources, the material itself can be
recycled at the end of its usefulness in road
material, and the toxicity of the material dies not
adversely impact the environment.
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57. Example for Engineering Research
• Air transport using hydrogen balloons requires
very little energy to raise the load and return
the load to the ground. It was found to be not
practical because of flammability of the gas, its
confinement/storage is difficult and the speed
of movement is highly limited
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58. Science Research/Engineering Research
• In science research, the ultimate goal is
to understand certain things. This may require
engineering, building and maintaining new tools
for discovery, such as microscopes, particle
accelerators and space stations.
In engineering research, the ultimate goal is
to build certain things. This may require using
science and understanding how these things work.
• Scientific research is the systematic investigation
of scientific theories and hypotheses
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59. Scientist/Engineer
• Engineering is concerned with the design of a solution to a
practical problem.
• A scientist may ask why a problem arises, and proceed to
research the answer to the question or actually solve the
problem in his first try, perhaps creating a mathematical
model of his observations.
• By contrast, engineers want to know how to solve a
problem, and how to implement that solution.
• In other words, scientists attempt to explain phenomena,
whereas engineers use any available knowledge, including
that produced by science, to construct solutions to problems.
• There is an overlap between science (fundamental and
applied) and engineering.
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60. Scientist/Engineer
• “A scientist builds in order to learn, but an
engineer learns in order to build”
• Engineers use their knowledge of science,
mathematics, and appropriate experience to
find suitable solutions to a problem.
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61. Qualities of a Good Research
• Good research is systematic:
It means that research is structured with
specified steps to be taken in a specified
sequence in accordance with the well
defined set of rules. Systematic
characteristic of the research does not rule
out creative thinking but it certainly does reject
the use of guessing and intuition in
arriving. at conclusions.
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62. • Good research is logical:
This implies that research is guided by the
rules of logical reasoning and the logical
process of induction and deduction are of
great value in carrying out research. Induction
is the process of reasoning from a part to
that; whole whereas deduction is the
process of reasoning from some premise to a
conclusion which follows from that very
premise. In fact, logical reasoning makes
research more meaningful in the context of
decision making.
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63. • Good research is empirical:
It implies that research is related basically
to one or more aspects of a real situation and
deals with concrete data that provides a
basis for external validity to research results.
• Good research is replicable:
This characteristic allows research results to
be verified by replicating the study and
thereby building a sound basis for decisions.
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64. Critical consideration for conducting Research
• Finding Guide
• The subject should be timely. Previous groundwork should leave the
scholar’s research problem ripe for completion, and it should be in
an active area with potential for future work and employment. On
the other hand, if a field is too crowded, and the subject too
prominent, then the scholar stand a risk being ``scooped" by a more
experienced researcher who is able to work faster than him/her.
• In this case, the scholar may be forced to start over again (rather
disastrous) or at least publish jointly (possibly a blessing, but surely
an inconvenience).
• The scholar’s work should lead to a well defined set of results to
which he/she can lay claim. In particular, employment prospects will
be lessoned if the scholar merely completes a small piece of a very
large project or piece of software which is closely identified with
his/her advisor, or is published with a long list of collaborators.
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65. Critical consideration for conducting Research
• On the other hand, it is impossible to work in a
vacuum, and the scholar’s task can be
significantly harder if he/she doesn't have a group
of people working on closely related problems
with whom he/she can interact and share code.
• It is often unclear at first how the ideas will
develop. On the other hand, a multiyear plan of
research is a very valuable asset. The scholar
should really enjoy the subject, and wants to
spend the next several years with it! On the other
hand, an ideal subject is of no use without a thesis
advisor who is willing to direct you in it.
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66. Critical consideration for conducting Research
• Whenever one reads technical material, evaluates a piece of
software, or listens to a research talk, should ask him/her
these canonical questions:
From where did the author seem to draw the ideas?
What exactly was accomplished by this piece of work?
How does it seem to relate to other work in the field?
What would be the reasonable next step to build upon this work?
What ideas from related fields might be brought to bear upon this
subject?
One technique that some find helpful is to keep a written log of
one’s technical reading and listening. Review it periodically to
see if some of the ideas begin to fit together
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67. Critical consideration for conducting Research
• Exposing Yourself to Research The scholar should set aside some
time every week for trying to generate research ideas.
• Some possible catalysts are:
– Making a weekly trip to the library to read at least the abstracts
from the premier journals in one’s field.
– One should choose an article or two to read in depth and critique.
The scholar should make a weekly investigation to find technical
reports in his/her field, using electronic resources or libraries.
– Read selectively and critique.
– The scholar should attend at a research seminar or colloquium
series.
– Listen and critique
– The scholar should maintain a log and add these to the log, and
ask the canonical questions.
• As the scholar reviews the log 6 months from now, he/she may find
something that strikes a chord then but is beyond him/her now
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68. Extensive Literature Survey: A Trap to
Avoid
• It is possible to spend almost all of one’s time in literature review and
seminars. It is easy to convince oneself that by doing this he/she is working
hard and accomplishing something. The truth of the matter is that nothing
will come of it unless the scholar is an active reader and listener and unless
the scholar assigns him/her time to develop his/her own ideas, too.
• It is impossible to ``finish a literature review and then start research."
• New literature is always appearing, and as the scholar’s depth and breadth
increases, he/she will continually see new connections and related areas
that must be studied.
• Active listening and reading must be viewed as ``continuing education'' that
will involve the scholar for the rest of his/her career.
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69. Extensive Literature Survey: A Trap to Avoid
• The scholar should not be fooled into thinking it must be finished before
he/she can begin research.
• Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should be written
down. It is compulsory for a scholar writing a thesis for a Ph.D. degree to
write a synopsis of the topic and submit it to the Doctoral Committee or the
Research Board for approval.
• At this juncture the scholar should undertake extensive literature survey
connected with the problem. For this purpose, the abstracting and indexing
journals and published or unpublished bibliographies are the first place to
go to.
• Academic journals, conference proceedings, government reports, books
etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem. In this
process, it should be remembered that one source will lead to another.
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70. Extensive Literature Survey: A Trap to Avoid
• The earlier studies, if any, which are similar to the study in hand,
should be carefully studied.
• Choosing an Idea From reading, interacting with the advisor during
independent study, or work on a research assistantship, some
possible projects will emerge. The scholar should make a list of
open problems and possible projects that are of interest to him/her,
and discuss them with potential advisors.
• Stay Active Even after the scholar has decided on his/her initial
focus, it is important to continue a routine of reading new journals
and technical reports and attending seminars. All of these sources
can contribute to the development of the scholar’s idea. At this stage
the scholar can add one question to the canonical list: How can these
ideas help the scholar solve his/her research problem? The scholar
should remember that often the initial idea is quite far from the final
thesis topic. If the scholar remains active in reading and listening, it
will be much easier to generate alternative topics if the time comes.
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71. Innovation, Invention, Research
• Invention can be defined as the creation of a product or introduction
of a process for the first time.
• Innovation, occurs if someone improves on or makes a significant
contribution to an existing product, process or service.
• Consider the microprocessor. Someone invented the microprocessor.
But by itself, the microprocessor was nothing more than another
piece on the circuit board. It’s what was done with that piece — the
hundreds of thousands of products, processes and services that
evolved from the invention of the microprocessor — that required
innovation.
• R&D turns money into knowledge, innovation is the process of
creating business out of this knowledge.
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72. Questions
• How research is incremental in nature and
what advantage is this to both future and past
researchers?
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73. • Exercises 2. As a student new to the field of research, and perhaps even to
your own discipline, answer the following questions:
(a) What areas within your discipline especially interest you?
(b) Who are some of the outstanding researchers in your field, and what is
the focus of their work?
(c) When the first study in your area of research carried?
(d) What are the special research groups or communities in your area of
research?
(e) List top 5 conferences in your area of research?
(f) List top 10 Journals in your area of research?
3. How do the terms “hypothesis” and “theory” differ in meaning?
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