The relationship between project and research. How to prepare projects proposal and conduct research projects.

1. http://www.free-powerpoint-templates-design.com
How to Propose Project and Conduct Research
Dai Ji
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

2. The relationship between project and research works.
Project and Research01
Classification of projects, idea general, and proposal preparation.
Project Proposal02
How to conduct research in a proper way without making detours.
Research03
Mainly talk about the research paper and presentation preparation.
How to analysis data, write manuscript, and conduct discussion.
Documentation05
Q&A
anytime
How to search and read literature with different requirements.
Literature Review04

3. Project and Research

4. Projects and Research
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
A complicated and long-term study involves many
investigators (mainly professors) to solve one
major issue within one theme.
M.Phil. or Ph.D. Thesis Study
A serious studies logically link to one research
topic. At least contains three comprehensive
studies.
One Comprehensive Study
Generation of a comprehensive study
considering reasonable impact factors. The
output of the study can be one journal paper.
One Simple Evaluation
Study on one simple research point (impact
parameter, method development with simply
modification from others, preliminary tests to
prove a new idea).
Entrepreneurship Projects
Hold a good patent and already be verified the
feasibility of the real application through multiple
methods.
Industrialization Projects
Scale-up successful research projects outcomes
for real application purpose in the future.
Research Projects
Include M.Phil. or Ph.D. research topics,
research projects submitted by professors to
government or university for funding application.
Course Projects
Only last for one semester. Proposal and
presentation are included. Sometime, submission of
prototype also required. It can be a very simple one
without innovated results provided, but it should
include the knowledge learned on class.
Project Research

5. Project Proposal

6. Projects Generation
Read broadly
Update yourself
with information
on website Idea generation Documentation
Pay attention
to details
Increase
communication
Justification
Prepare yourself
Habit for daily life
Market
Social
Culture
Existing solutions
Sustainability development
Scientific impacts
and feasibility
Adjustment

7. Resources for Preparing Yourself
Research article, Conference paper, Review, Book, Erratum, Editorial
From Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest
Publications
Seminar, Conference, Workshop, TED talk, TED Edu, Group meeting
Communication
Nature, Science, Universities website, Databases (Passport)
Useful Websites
Questioning and Debating

8. Justification Your Idea
Do you really feel your idea is
interesting?
Do you feel exciting to work on it?
Are you good at it
Do you want to work on it even
when you meet a lot of problems?
Investigation of existing solutions
and verify the feasibility and the
innovation of your idea.
Talk with your friends and parents
for their suggestions.
Try to persuade them and also
modify your idea with reasonable
suggestions.
Economic, Social, cultural, human
health (healthcare) impacts,
scientific contributions.
01
02
03
04

9. Proposal Preparation
Set tasks to realize all the objective step by step.
Present the clear logic link among all the tasks.
Design the detailed plans in each tasks with applicable
methodologies.
Research / Business Plan
Manpower, equipment, software, general
expenses, consumables, overhead, and
so on.
Provide detailed justification for each item.
Please provide revenue calculation for
entrepreneurship projects.
Cost & Budget / Revenue
Briefly introduce the story in 300 words in
popular language to make all non-specialist
understandable.
Abstract
What is the important issue(s) to be solved?
Why does this proposed project relate to these issues?
What did others do? The problems of those solutions.
Based on these information, How will you solve the
problem based on what principle?
Please provide preliminary results if you have.
Background
Show the major works will be conducted
in this project with bullet-points.
This should have strong logic link with
the background information provided.
Objectives
Economic, Social, cultural, human health
(healthcare) impacts, scientific contributions.
Potential Impacts
A Good
Story

10. Proposal Preparation
Your ability and achievements record
Logically presented research plan
Reasonable methodology
Preliminary results
Available facilitate and software
Proper budget plan
Proper project schedule
Ability of team members (do not rely
on it)
Ability
of the Investigator
Background
Potential impacts
Scientific impacts (research)
Revenue (business)
Importance
of the Project
Brief with highlighted importance
Road map of the project
Gantt chart
Beautiful
Delectable Documentation

11. Research

12. Thesis Study
Paper Documents Presentation
M.Phil.
(2 years)
Ph.D.
(4 years)
One or no
1 – 3 or more
Depending on the
requirement of supervisor
Proposal
Research Plan
Progress Reports
Thesis
Proposal
Research Plan
Progress Reports
PQE proposal
Thesis
Group meeting
Defense
Three main research parts logically presented;
Committee members: supervisor(s) and two professors from same area;
35-45 minutes of presentation, open section, and close section.
PQE
At least two main research parts logically presented;
Committee members: supervisor(s) and two professors from same area.
35-45 minutes of presentation, open section, and close section.
Defense
At least three main research parts logically presented with mechanisms
studies;
Committee members: supervisor(s) and two professors from same area,
one professor from other department in HKUST, one professor from
other university, and one chairperson assigned by HKUST;
35-45 minutes of presentation, open section, and close section.

13. Research Process
Preliminary Research Plan
What will you focus on in this study?
List up the objectives and find the order with logic link.
Confirm the critical steps with orders.
Results Interpretation &
Mechanisms Proposing
Highlight your findings and compare with existing literature.
Take one step back and carefully exam the story you have
and then summarize with scientific language.
Conduct Experiments / Models
Conduct the designed works carefully with
minor modification.
Always doubt the rationality and reason for
each step.
Literature
Review
Preliminary Design
Design the first / next step experiments or
research works in a very detailed format.
02
03
04
05
Data Analysis
Do NOT always only plot the exact data you get.
Learn to find the logic relationship among various
data set.
Learn the methods for data normalization.
Manuscript
Preparation
06
07
01 - 07
Critical and
necessary work from
beginning to the end
of any research.

14. Tricky Methods
New methodImpact factors
Side effects
Conditions / Objectives
Methods
These are only examples.
Old method /
material uses for
new purpose
Change the
problem to benefit
Multidisciplinary
collaboration

15. Literature Review

16. Resources

17. Resources
Resources
Journal / Conference Proceeding
HKUST: Scopus, Web of Science
HK All
Attending conferences and seminars
(E) Book
Other Database
Website
HKUST: ProQuest
HK All
Market: Passport, Statista - HKUST
Patents: Espacenet, CNIPR
Others: Aquastat
Science, Natural (news, career)
Thesis from different universities
Ted talks
Scientific writing
BBS: Research gate

18. Research Articles
Read review papers and books first to quickly get the basic knowledge
and current research status.
Check short communications published in recent one year for new ideas.
Idea Checking Period
Focus on research articles for different research methods, similar studies
comparison, various impact factors exploration and their relationship,
repeating works from others, and so on.
Quickly go thorough review papers and short communications to check
the missing research articles and concept for further development of the
research area.
Conduction Period
Read research articles and make comparison among different similar
studies to make the data analysis and discussion more extensively.
Data Analysis to Paper Preparation
Review papers – Summarize recent findings of one research topic and give the
suggestions for the future development directions.
Research articles – One comprehensive study with exact research objectives. It
provides the detailed research background, methodology, results and discussion, and
conclusion.
Short communication – One simple testify for a new idea with only around 5 pages.
Classification of the Research Articles

19. Research Articles
Impact factor
Trust yourself
How to judge the quality of the publication?
Screen when you search research articles
Title – Abstract – Method – Figures and Tables – Discussion
How to quickly extract useful information?
Practice
How to improve reading efficiency?

20. Documentation

21. Research Documents
Design before experiments or model works.
Fill in the information during works.
Raw Data Sheets
Data analysis with different methods
Excel, SPSS, MATLAB
Results
Excel, SimaPlot, Origin, SPSS, MATLAB
Figures and Tables
Follow the requirement of university.
Proposal and Thesis
Follow the “guide to author” of the
targeted journal.
Manuscript (figures and tables), cover
letter, highlights, graphic abstract,
supplementary information.
Paper
Seminars, group meetings,
conferences, defense.
PPT for Presentations
Your
Documents

22. Manuscript Preparation
Results and Discussion
Description the results based on the figures one
by one.
Discussion over the information in one figure,
then one group of figures, and then among
different groups of figures
All Figures and Tables
Make a logic arrangement to talk about the
research story.
Introduction
Based on the story from results and discussion.
Abstract and Keywords
Summarize the major findings for non-specialist
Methodology
Should be detail and make everyone can repeat
your work after reading.
Title
Simply highlight the major contribution (try to be
short)
A Good
Story

23. Paper Publication
Practice, always prepare yourself, always think logically, try to debate with
yourself, motivation, keep learning.
How to promote the writing and presentation
skills?
Manuscript submission – Editor – Reviewers – Point by point reply and
paper revision – Reviewers – (Point by point reply) – Final decision
Publication cycle?
Ask, communication, think.
How to avoid rookie mistakes?

24. Thank You