A step by step guide for the benefits of the research aspirants. The best practices to follow while planning to do your PhD or a market research for a product

1. Research Methodology
G S Javed, PhD, SM IEEE
Founder, King Consultants – Education
Secretary, IEEE TEMS Bangalore Chapter 2020
Chair, Educational Activities and DLT, IEEE Bangalore Section (2017 – 19)
Member, Executive Committee, IEEE Bangalore Section (2015-19)
10 – May - 2020
IEEE IAS Lahore Chapter
@ConsultantsKing10 - May - 2020 1

2. ABOUT ME AND MY RESEARCH
10 - May - 2020 Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2

3. About me
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 310 - May - 2020
Educationist
Speaker
Leader
Photographer
Entrepreneur
Admirer Volunteer
About me

4. PROJECT 1
Integrated Instrumentation Circuits
for Biomedical Diagnosis
A Lab-on-Chip
Integrated Sensor Array
(needs bio-functionalization of the sensor)
Integrated
Sensor Pixel
• Gas Sensing
• Bio-sensing
• Pressure sensing
• Flow sensing
• Humidity
sensing
1,2,3 4
Javed GS, et. al., ISCAS 2016
Javed GS, et. al., MWSCAS 2016
Javed GS, et. al., VLSID 2017
Javed GS, et. al., SOCC 2017
Javed GS, et. al., MEASUREMENT 201910 - May - 2020 4Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed

5. PROJECT 2
Electro-Thermal Electrical Characterization
of Analog/RF Integrated Circuits (RF Testing)
Javed GS, et. al., CONECCT 2015 Javed GS, et. al., VLSID 2017
On chip Temperature Sensor-based RF
Measurements in PA, LNA, etc.,
• Centre Frequency,
• 3 dB BW,
• Power Added Efficiency
On chip Temperature Sensor-based
frequency stability of a DLL
6
5
Javed GS, et. al., CONECCT 2014
10 - May - 2020 5Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed

6. PROJECT 3
High Speed SerDes (1.25 – 40 Gbps)
Javed GS, et. al., CONECCT 2014
7
Javed GS, et. al., CONECCT 2019
Javed GS, et. al., AEU J. EC 2019
40 Gb/s
Javed GS, et. al., Elec Letters 2019
Javed GS, et. al., Microelectronics 2020 #
# Among the most downloaded pre-print papers in 2019
10 - May - 2020 6Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed

7. PROJECT 4
High Frequency Phase Locked Loops
Debdut, Javed GS, et. al., Elec Letters 2019
Javed GS, et. al., IMaRC 2018
Javed GS, et. al., VDAT 2019
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
M8
M9
M10
DN
UP
VDD
ICP
C1
C2
C3
R1
R2
Vctrl
D
Q
RST
D
Q
RST
o
fDIV
fREF
o o o
o o UP
DN
o o o
PFD CP
LPF
÷N
PLL
x2
10 GHz
VCO
20
GHz
20
GHzREF
POWER MANAGEMENT
Cp Cn
L
M31 M32
M33 M34
VDD
OUT+ OUT-
Output
10.2GHz
Divider
PFD
Charge Pump
+ LPF
VCO
LC-PLL
10 GHz
10 - May - 2020 7Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed

8. PROJECT 5
Low power, Energy Harvested Integrated
Sensor System for RFID-based Backscatter
Communication (IoT) Applications
Javed GS, et. al., IECON 2015
Javed GS, et. al., PrimeAsia 2015
7
Javed GS, et. al., IBSS 2015
Javed GS, et. al., IMaRC 2016
10 - May - 2020 8Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed

9. Outline
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 9
• Research
– What, Why, How
– Research for UG/
PG/PhD
– Process, Methods
• Self preparation - C3LPR
• Problem Definition
– Good Problem
– Identification
– Definition
• Method of Solution
10 - May - 2020

10. WHAT IS RESEARCH ?
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 10
PART 1
10 - May - 2020

11. Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 1110 - May - 2020

12. What is research ?
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 1210 - May - 2020

13. What is research ?
• Research is to
– Discover newknowledge
– Seek answers to questions
• Basic research
– Often driven by curiosity for fundamental/general
knowledge/understanding
– High impact examples: relativity theory, DNA, …
• Applied research
– Driven by practical needs
– High impact examples: computers, transistors, vaccinations, …
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 1310 - May - 2020

14. What is necessary for (EE) research
• Background
– Curiosity
– System fundamentals and basics
– Mathematics
– Engineering tools: Software and Hardware
• Software (MATLAB, C++, etc) and hardware (FPGA, Evaluation boards,
etc)
• Methods (skills)
– How to think logically
– How to start to do research
– How to find qualitative references
– How to make research plan
– How to manage the research progress
– How to present the result: Oral presentation and Writing
– How to deal with research result (e.g., legal aspect: patent)
14Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed10 - May - 2020

15. WHY RESEARCH ?
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 15
PART 2
10 - May - 2020

16. WHY ?: Reasons to Publish
 Lends credibility to your thesis or dissertation defense.
 Helps to land a better job.
 Stake out IP claims prior to patenting.
 An opportunity to influence the research of others.
 Required for promotions in some professions, e. g. academia
 Bring ATTENTION to MYSELF.
 To facilitate my FUNDING.
 Bragging rights ! 
16Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed10 - May - 2020

17. Research ProCess
17
Problem
Formulation
Initiation
and
Definition
Method of
solution
Solution
Presentation
Technical Article
- Conference
- Journal
Intellectual
Property
(optional)
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed10 - May - 2020

18. RESEARCH FOR
UG
PG
PHD
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 1810 - May - 2020

19. Research
19
Problem
Formulation
Initiation
and
Definition
Method of
solution
Solution
Presentation
Technical Article
- Conference
- Journal
Intellectual
Property
(optional)
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed
Undergraduate
10 - May - 2020

20. Research
20
Problem
Formulation
Initiation
and
Definition
Method of
solution
Solution
Presentation
Technical Article
- Conference
- Journal
Intellectual
Property
(optional)
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed
Postgraduate
10 - May - 2020

21. Research
21
Problem
Formulation
Initiation
and
Definition
Method of
solution
Solution
Presentation
Technical Article
- Conference
- Journal
Intellectual
Property
(optional)
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed
Area
Identification
Problem
Identification
Doctoral
10 - May - 2020

22. Types of Research Questions and
Results
• Exploratory (Framework): What’s out there?
• Descriptive (Principles): What does it look like? How does it
work?
• Evaluative (Empirical results): How well does a method solve
a problem?
• Explanatory (Causes): Why does something happen the way it
happens?
• Predictive (Models): What would happen if xxx ?
• Applied : Where can it be used ?
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2210 - May - 2020

23. HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR
RESEARCH ?
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 23
PART 4
10 - May - 2020

24. What It Takes to Do Research
• Curiosity: allow you to ask questions
• Critical thinking: allow you to challenge assumptions
• Learning: take you to the frontier of knowledge
• Persistence: so that you don’t give up
• Respect data and truth: ensure your research is solid
• Communication: allow you to publish your work
• …
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 24
C3 LPR
10 - May - 2020

25. Critical Thinking
• Develop a habit of asking questions, especially
why questions
• Always try to make sense of what you have
read/heard; don’t let any question pass by
• Get used to challenging everything
• Practical advice
– Question every claim made in a paper or a talk (can
you argue the other way?)
– Try to write two opposite reviews of a paper (one
mainly to argue for accepting the paper and the
other for rejecting it)
– Force yourself to challenge one point in every talk
that you attend and raise a question
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2510 - May - 2020

26. Respect Data and Truth
• Be honest with the experiment results
– Don’t throw away negative results!
– Try to learn from negative results
• Be objective in data analysis and interpretation; don’t mislead
readers
• Aim at understanding/explanation instead of just good results
• Be careful not to over-generalize (for both good and bad
results); you may be far from the truth
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2610 - May - 2020

27. Communication
• General communication skills:
– Oral and written
– Formal and informal
– Talk to people with different level of backgrounds
• Be clear, concise, accurate, and adaptive (elaborate
with examples, summarize by abstraction)
• English proficiency
• Get used to talking to people from different fields
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2710 - May - 2020

28. Persistence
• Work only on topics that you are passionate about
• Work only on hypotheses that you believe in
• Don’t draw negative conclusions prematurely and give up easily
– positive results may be hidden in negative results
– In many cases, negative results don’t completely reject a hypothesis
• Be comfortable with criticisms
• Think of possibilities of repositioning a work
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2810 - May - 2020

29. Optimize Your Training
• Know your strengths and weaknesses
(SWOT)
– strong in math vs. strong in system
development
– creative vs. thorough
• Train yourself to fix weaknesses
• Find strategic partners
• Position yourself to take advantage of your
strengths
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 2910 - May - 2020

30. PROBLEM FORMULATION
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 3010 - May - 2020

31. Method to solve
10 - May - 2020 Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 31
End Result: Seal a box to transport
I have a hammer, need to find a nail
(TOOL DRIVEN)
I have a nail, need to find a hammer
(APPLICATION DRIVEN)
I have to find a nail, then need to make a (relevant) hammer
(OPEN ENDED)

32. APPLICATION DRIVEN
• Application-driven
– Identify a need by people/users
that cannot be satisfied well
currently (“complaints” about
current data/information
management systems?)
– Identify one technical challenge
as your topic
– Formulate/frame the problem
appropriately so that you can
solve it
• Aim at a completely new
application/function (find a high-
stake nail)
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 3210 - May - 2020
How difficult is it to use your tools to
solve the problem?
No big technical challenges: do a
startup
Lots of big challenges: write a research
proposal

33. TOOL DRIVEN
• Tool-driven
– Choose your favorite state-of-the-art tools
• Ideally, you have a “secret weapon”
• Otherwise, bring tools from area X to area Y
– Look around for possible applications
– Find a novel application that seems to
match your tools
– Identify one technical challenge as your
topic
– Formulate/frame the problem appropriately
so that you can solve it
• Aim at important extension of the tool
(find an unexpected application and use
the best hammer)
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 3310 - May - 2020
How difficult is it to use your tools to
solve the problem?
No big technical challenges: do a
startup
Lots of big challenges: write a research
proposal

34. Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 3410 - May - 2020

35. “Short-Cut” for starting research
• Scan most recently published papers to find papers that you like or can
understand (Literature Survey)
• Read such papers in detail
• Track down background papers to increase your understanding
• Brainstorm ideas of extending the work
– Start with ideas mentioned in the future work part
– Systematically question the solidness of the paper (have the authors answered
all the questions? Can you think of questions that aren’t answered?)
– Is there a better formulation of the problem
– Is there a better method for solving the problem
– Is the evaluation solid?
• Pick one new idea and work on it
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 3510 - May - 2020

36. Take Away
Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed 3610 - May - 2020
Pick a research topic and answer the
questions circled in RED.
Try, try till you succeed

37. Contact:
gsjaved@ieee.org
https://tiny.cc/DrGSJaved
https://tiny.cc/KingConsultants
Professional:
Founder, King Consultants Education,
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Co-curricular:
Secretary, IEEE TEMS Bangalore Chapter
Chair, Educational Activities and DLTs
Member, 2017 IEEE Ad Hoc Committee India Strategy
Member - ExeCom, IEEE Bangalore Section 2019
37Research Methodology | Dr G S Javed10 - May - 2020
fb.com/DrGSJKingConsultants
https://tiny.cc/KingConsultants
@ConsultantsKing