An Overview of Research and Methodologies.ppt

Introduction to Research & Research methodology
2. Selection and formulation of research problem
3. Research design and plan
4. Experimental designs
5. Sampling and sampling strategy or plan
6. Measurement and scaling techniques
7. Data collection methods and techniques
8. Testing of hypotheses
9. Statistical techniques for processing & analysis of data
10. Analysis, interpretation and drawing inferences
11. Report writing

1. An Overview of Research
Methods and Methodologies
"It is the theory that decides what can be observed."
-Albert Einstein
19/05/2021
Research Methodology 1
Dr.M. Bala Theja,M.Tech,Ph.D
Associate Professor
Department of mechanical engineering

2. Why Do I Need to Know About Different
Methods?
•As a graduate student...
–To be able to read and understand the empirical literature in your
field; to become a critical consumer of information.
•As a graduate student preparing for a thesis or
dissertation…
–To be able to both design and implement your thesis or
dissertation as well as future studies that interest you.
•As a future practitioner…
–To be able to intelligently participate in research projects,
evaluations, and studies undertaken by your institution.
•As an educated citizen ...
–To understand the difference between scientifically acquired
knowledge and other kinds of information.
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 2

3. What’s the Difference Between “Method”
and “Methodology”?
Method:
•Techniques for gathering
evidence
•The various ways of
proceeding in gathering
information Methodology:
•The underlying theory
and analysis of how
research does or should
proceed, often influenced
by discipline
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 3

4. 1. Introduction to Research & Research methodology
2. Selection and formulation of research problem
3. Research design and plan
4. Experimental designs
5. Sampling and sampling strategy or plan
6. Measurement and scaling techniques
7. Data collection methods and techniques
8. Testing of hypotheses
9. Statistical techniques for processing & analysis of data
10. Analysis, interpretation and drawing inferences
11. Report writing
Synopsis
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5. Man coming to grips with his environment and to understand the nature
through experience, reasoning and research
1.EXPERIENCE
Personalexperience,i.e.,bodyofknowledgeandskillsderived
fromencountersandacquaintancewithfactsandeventsinhis
environment.
Experienceofothers.
Sourcesbeyondimmediatecircle,i.e.,authoritativesources.
2.REASONING
Deductive (Aristotle) –from general to particular (preserves the
truth)
Inductive (Francis Bacon) –from particular to general (does not
necessary preserve the truth)
Combined. Contd….
Background
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 5

6. Applications
(examples)
Principles
(theory)
Induction
Deduction
Concrete: "example sentences" Abstract: "grammar"
Professors teach
Students learn
CONFLICT! 11/13/2023 Research Methodology 6

7. Contd….
3.RESEARCH
Systematic,controlled,empirical&criticalinvestigationofhypothetical
propositionsaboutthepresumedrelationsamongnaturalphenomena,
I.e.,
Systematic & controlled
Empirical
Self-correcting
Researchisacombinationofbothexperience&reasoningandmustbe
regardedasthemostsuccessfulapproachtothediscoveryoftruth
(particularlyinnaturalsciences)
Background
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8. Introduction to Research & Research Methodology
• What is research and Why research ?
• Terms used
Research Methodology
Research Method
Research Technique
• Research methodology
• Scientific method
• Benefits of research methodology
• Qualities of good research & researcher
• Research process
• Types of research11/13/2023 Research Methodology 8

9. 1.Avoyageofdiscovery;Ajourney;Anattitude;Anexperience;A
methodofcriticalthinking;Acarefulcriticalenquiryinseekingfactsfor
principles
2.Anartofscientificinvestigation
•Scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific
topic
•Process of arriving at dependable solutions to problems through the
planned and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data
3. An activity caused by instinct of inquisitiveness to gain fresh insight /
find answers to question / acquire knowledge.
Contd…
What is Research?
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10. Contd…
•Asystematizedefforttogainnewknowledge;Amovementfromthe
knowntotheunknown
•Searchfor(new)knowledge/factsthroughobjective,systematicand
scientificmethodoffindingsolutiontoaproblem
•Implicitquestion+Explicitanswer+datatoanswerthequestion
•Notsynonymouswithcommonsense,butsystematic,objective
(purposeful),reproducible,relevantactivityhavingcontroloversome
factors
Inabroadsense,everyonedoesresearch,butdon’twriteitup;
Withouttrustworthyandtestedpublishedresearchavailableweare
dangerouslylostintheexperience,opinionsandhearsay
What is Research?
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11. 1. To get a degree
2. To get respectability
3. To face a challenge
4. To solve a problem
5. To get intellectual joy
6. To serve society
•By increasing standard of living in case of Science&Technology, and
•ByshowingrightpathtosocietyincaseofSocialandBehavioral
Sciences.
Why Research?
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 11

12. 1.RESEARCHTECHNIQUE-Behaviorandinstrumentsusedinresearch
operations
Examples:Scales,recordingtechniques,contentanalysis,moving
average,longitudinal/crosssectionalcollectionofdata,etc.
2.RESEARCH METHOD-Behaviorandinstrumentsusedinselecting
andconstructingtechnique(arangeofapproachesusedtogatherdata)
Examples:Observation,questionnaire,interview,analysisofrecords,
casestudy,etc.Methodsaremoregeneralthantechniques.Methods&
Techniquesareusedinperformingresearchoperations,i.e..,
Collection of data
Statistical processing & analysis (tests)
To evaluate the accuracy of the results obtained
NOTE: Research techniques and research methods are almost interchangeably
used
Terms Used
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13. •Ascienceofstudyinghowresearchisdonescientifically.
•Awaytosystematicallysolvetheresearchproblemby
logicallyadoptingvarioussteps.
•Methodologyhelpstounderstandnotonlytheproductsof
scientificinquirybuttheprocessitself.
•Aimstodescribeandanalyzemethods,throwlighton
theirlimitationsandresources,clarifytheirpresuppositions
andconsequences,relatingtheirpotentialitiestothe
twilightzoneatthe‘frontiersofknowledge’.
Research Methodology
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 13

14. 1.Advancementofwealthofhumanknowledge
2.‘Toolsofthetrade’tocarryoutresearch;Providestoolstolookatthings
inlifeobjectively
3.Developsacriticalandscientificattitude,disciplinedthinkingora‘bent
ofmind’toobserveobjectively(scientificdeduction&inductivethinking);
Skillsofresearchwillpay-offinlongtermparticularlyinthe‘ageof
information’(ortoooftenofmisinformation)
4.Enrichespractitionerandhispractices;Provideschancetostudya
subjectindepth;Enableustomakeintelligentdecisions;Understandthe
materialwhichnootherkindofworkcanmatch
5.Asconsumersofresearchoutputhelpstoinculcatetheabilityto
evaluateanduseresultsofearlierresearchwithreasonableconfidence
andtakerationaldecisions
6.Doingresearchisthebestwaytolearntoreadandthinkcritically.
Benefits of Research Methodology
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15. 1.Goodassignmentsestablishoutcomesbeyondaproductto
beevaluated.
2.Goodassignmentshelpstudentstolearnabouttheir
audience.
3.Goodassignmentscreatescenariosthatarerichin
contextualinformation.
4.Goodassignmentsprovideinterimreaders.
5.Aswithanyrealproject,goodassignmentsgivestudents
timeandascheduleofinterimdeadlines.
Benefits of Research Assignments to
Students
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16. •Themethodofalllogicallytrainedminds.
•Thepursuitoftruthasdeterminedbylogicalconsiderations.
•Classifiesfacts,seestheirmutualrelationthroughexperimentation,
observation,logicalargumentsfromacceptedpostulates.
•Tenetsofscientificfaith:
1.DETERMINISM:Eventshavecausesthateventsaredeterminedby
othercircumstances(i.e..Causallinkscaneventuallybeuncoveredand
understood)
2.EMPIRICISM:Verifiablebyobservationand‘evidence’(data)
3.PRINCIPLESOFPARSIMONY:Phenomenonshouldbeexplainedinthe
mosteconomicalwaypossible
4.GENERALITY:Moreproblematicinsocial&behavioralsciencethan
naturalscience.
Scientific Method
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17. 1.Reliesonempiricalevidence(empiricism).
2.Utilizesrelevantconcepts.
3.Committedtoonlyobjectiveconsiderations.
4.Presupposesethicalneutrality.
5.Resultsintoprobabilisticpredictions.
6.Methodologyismadeknowntoallforcriticalscrutinyandtesting
throughreplication.
7.Aimsatformulatingmostgeneralaxiomsorscientifictheories.
8.Encouragesrigorous,impersonalmodeofproceduredictatedbythe
demandsoflogicandobjectiveprocedure.
Basic Postulates of Scientific Method
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18. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD EMPLOYED ENSURES:
1.Purpose/objectivesclearlydefinedincommonconcepts
2.Procedureenumeratedtokeepcontinuity
3.Carefullyplanneddesignleadingtoobjectiveresults
4.Completefrankness;flawsreportedandtheireffectestimated
5.Adequateanalysisofdatawithappropriatemethodsofanalysis
6.Carefullycheckeddataforvalidity&reliability
7.Conclusionsconfinedtothosejustifiedbythedata
8.Confidence,competence/reputation,experience,honesty&integrityof
researcher
Note:38%ofpapersinNatureand25%ofpapersinBMJcontainoneor
morestatisticalerrors;4%oferrorscausednon-significantfindingstobe
misrepresentedassignificant(TheEconomist,5June’04,p70-71)
Qualities of Good Research
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19. contd..
1.SYSTEMATIC-Rejecttheuseofguessing&intuition,butdoesnotrule
outcreativethinking
2.CONTROLLED –Variablesareidentified&controlled,wherever
possible
3.LOGICAL-Guidedbyrulesoflogicalreasoning&logicalprocessof
induction&deduction
4.EMPIRICAL-Providesabasisforexternalvaliditytoresults(validation)
5.REPLICABLE-Verifiedbyreplicatingthestudy
6.SELFCORRECTING -Builtinmechanism&opentopublicscrutinyby
fellowprofessionalscontd..
Qualities of Good Research
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20. ANALYTICAL
•Usesfactsorinformationalready
availableandanalyzetomakea
criticalevaluation
FUNDAMENTAL (BasicorPure)
•Concernedwithgeneralizations&
formulationoftheory
•Knowledgeforknowledge’ssake
(I.e.,pureorbasicresearch)
Contd….
Types of Research
1.DESCRIPTIVE/SURVEY
(EX-POSTFACTO)
•Surveys&fact-findingenquiries
•Stateofaffairsasitexists
•Nocontrolovervariables
•Trytodiscovercauses(I.e.,ex-
postfacto)
2.APPLIED
•Findingasolutionforan
immediateproblem&notrigorous/
flexibleinapplicationofthe
conditions
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21. 3.QUANTITATIVE
•Measured&expressedintermsof
quantity
•Expressionofapropertyor
quantityinnumericalterms
•Quantitativeresearchhelps:
i.Precisemeasurement
ii.Knowingtrendsorchanges
overtime
iii.Comparingtrendsorindividual
libraries/units
4.CONCEPTUAL
•Relatedtosomeabstractideaor
theory(forthinkers&philosophers)
•Reliesonliterature.
Types of Research
QUALITATIVE
•Involvesqualityorkind
•Helpsinhavinginsightinto
problemsorcases
EMPIRICAL
•Reliesonexperienceor
observationalone,i.e.,databased
research
•Capableofbeingverifiedby
observationorexperiment
•Experimenterhascontrolover
variables
Contd…
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22. 5.OTHER TYPES
i. One time/ Cross sectional vs Longitudinal/ Developmental & Trend or
prediction studies (the time domain)
ii. Field setting vs Lab / Simulation research
iii. Clinical vs diagnostic studies
iv. Exploratory vs Formulated (the degree of formulation of the problem) studies
v. Historical studies (Greater part of it is quantitative)
vi. Content Analysis is one such quantitative method –a multipurpose method
developed specifically for investigating a broad spectrum of problems in which the
contents of communication serve as a basis of inference. Example: word usage
rates, word counts, etc.
vii. Correlational research
viii. Conclusion oriented or decision oriented research
Types of Research
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23. Ethics in Research
•Case studies
•Misconduct
Resource: “On being a Scientist:
responsible conduct in research”
www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/o
bas
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24. Avoid conflicts of interest
•Science relies on professional judgement which can be
compromised by:
–Financialconflicts(e.g.,undisclosedsharesinacompanywith
interestintheoutcomeofresearch)
–Socialandpersonalbeliefs(e.g.,Einstein’s“Goddoesnotplay
dice”)
–Pressuresofcompetition(e.g.,reviewingapaperwithsimilar
work)
•Solutions:
–Disclosure
–Self knowledge
–Peer review
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25. Give credit where its due
•Authorship (and order of authors):
–Conventions can vary considerably
–Best to decide upfront
–Avoid “honorary” authors –must make a direct and substantial
contribution
–Establishes accountability as well as credit
•Acknowledgements:
–The place to give credit for less substantial assistance
•Citations:
–Part of the reward system –connected to funding and reputation
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26. Case Study: Pulsars
•Credit is a sensitive issue when researchers are of
different seniority:
–In 1967 Jocelyn Bell, a 24-year-old graduate student, discovered
pulsars
–Supervised by Anthony Hewish she was in charge of operating
and analyzing data from a 4.5 acre radiotelescope
–One day Bell noticed "a bit of scruff" on the data chart
–Together Bell and Hewish analyzed the signal and found several
similar examples elsewhere in the sky
–With 3 others they published a paper announcing the discovery
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27. Judgement on Pulsars?
•HewishgotaNobelPrize,Bell
didnot
•Against:
–Bell’srecognitionofthesignalwas
thecrucialactofdiscovery
•For:
–Belldidn’tdeserveaNobelPrizefor
doingwhatisexpectedofa
graduatestudentinaproject
conceivedandsetupbyothers
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 27

28. Shut Down the Paper Mill
•The publish or perish paper mill:
–Research careers seem to depend on quantity of publications
not quality
•Consequences:
1.Haste and negligence
–But progress relies on a trust in previous results
2.MPUs (minimum publishable units)
–But this dilutes contribution and forces wading through masses
of literature
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29. Case Study: nanotechnology
•Jan Schön:
–Worked in condensed matter physics and nanotechnology
–Claimed he could replace silicone-based transistors with organic
dye molecules
–In 2001, averaged 1 paper every 8 days
–On track for a Nobel Prize
•Found Out:
–Results seemed suspiciously precise
–A researcher spotted identical graphs in two separate papers
–Whole constructed data sets reused in different experiments
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30. Judgment on Nanotechnology
•Outcome:
–Schön was fired from his position at Bell Labs after an internal
investigation
–Many of his papers were rescinded
–He was banned from applying for funding in Germany
•Other Consequences:
–For his co-authors?
–For reviewers of his papers?
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31. Misconduct
•Fabrication (making up results)
•Falsification (modifying results)
•Plagiarism (copying without credit)
•Suppression (not reporting negative results)
•Other deviations from accepted research practice:
–Covering up misconduct, misuse of research funds, etc.
•Consequences:
–Harm to individuals, squandering of public funds, attracts criticism
of Science
•But how can scientists expect to get away with it?
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32. Case Study: Dealing with misconduct
•Francine is finishing her Ph.D. and Sylvia is a fellow grad
student. Both have the same supervisor.
•Francine realizes there are problems with Sylvia’s work,
she:
–Is rarely in the lab
–Never shows anyone her code
–Has performance results that seem too “clean” to be real
•Also:
–Francine needs a reference from her supervisor and Sylvia is
one of her favourites
–Both Francine and her supervisor are using Sylvia’s results for
their own research
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33. Judgement on Misconduct
•Should Francine first try to talk with Sylvia, with
her supervisor, or with someone else entirely?
•Does she know enough to be able to raise
concerns?
•Where else can Francine go for information that
could help her decide what to do?
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34. Final Do’s and Don’t’s
•Do:
–Get ethics clearance if your research is potentially
hazardous to human subjects
–respect:
•IP rights and confidentiality
•Patents
•The ACM code of ethics
•Don’t:
–Publish the same thing in more than one place
–Inform the media of results before peer-reviewed
publication
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35. Pitfalls
•Source: “The Researcher’s Bible”
•Homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/bundy/how-tos/resbible.html
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36. Solving the World
•Easy to pick research goals that are too ambitious
–Especially in Artificial Intelligence
•Instead:
–Allow the main burden of scoping to fall on your supervisor
–Find out where the state of the art lies
–Look to the future work section of papers
–Can also redo bad work, properly
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 36

37. Manna from Heaven
•Don’t expect inspiration to strike, staring at a blank piece
of paper
“Science is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”
•Instead:
–Read the literature with a question in mind
–Talk to people -your project partner and supervisor -and explain
your ideas
–Tackle a simplified version of your problem
–Write down your ideas in a working form
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 37

38. Boondoggling
•The appearance of work without actual productivity
–Surprisingly seductive
–Coding for its own sake
–Writing Yet Another Programming Language (YAPL)
–Gathering unnecessary experimental data
•Instead:
–Make sure your programming and experimentation contributes
directly to the research
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 38

39. Ivory Tower
•Focus on your topic is good but don’t shut out the rest of
the world completely
–Because it prevents cross-pollenisation of ideas
•Instead:
–Keep in touch with the state of the art in related fields
–attend colloquia and talk to other students about their research
–Set aside a part of the week for reading abstracts and skimming
papers
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 39

40. Misunderstood Genius
•Easy to believe that no one understands your
ideas because you are a genius
•More likely:
–Loveofjargon.TrytorephraseyourideasusingordinaryEnglish
–IfIcandoit,it'strivial.Onceyouhaveseenthesolutiontoa
problemitappearssimple
–Loveofcomplexity.It’snotavirtuetomakeanunnecessarily
complicatedprogram-it’sjustanuisancetootherpeople.
OccamandEinsteinwereright!
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41. 1.Selection & formulation of Research Problem
2.Literature survey
3.Development of working hypotheses
4.Research design
5.Pilot (quick & dirty) study
6.Data collection, Processing & analysis of data
7.Testing hypotheses
8.Interpretation & generalization
9.Preparation of the report
NOTE:1.Abovestepsarenotexhaustive,normutuallyexclusive,butaseriesof
closelyrelated,continuouslyoverlappingandinterdependentnonlinearsteps/
actions
2.Whatliesaheadishardworkaswellaspleasureofthehunt;somefrustration,
butmoreofsatisfaction;periodsofconfusion,butconfidencethat,attheend,it
willallcometogether
Research Process
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42. Starting Research
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43. • Selecting research problems-sources-criteria
• Grilling the problem
• Dos & don’ts
• Still can’t clearly formulate?
• Steps in formulating research problem
• Main steps in conducting research
Selecting & formulating research problem
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44. Criteria
I.INTERNAL
1.Researcher’sinterest
2. Researcher’s competence
3. Researcher’s own resources, i.e.,
finance, time, etc.
II.EXTERNAL
1.Researchability, i.e., amenability
(problems having solutions)
2. Importance and Urgency, i.e., relative
importance & significance of problem
(utility of findings)
3. Novelty or originality
4. Feasibility-Availability of data-Suitable
methodology-Co-operation of
organizations & individuals-Available time
5.Facilities/ infrastructure
6.Usefulness and social relevance
7.Research personnel
Selecting Research Problem
Sources
1. Reading
2. Academic
experience
3. Daily experience
4. Exposure to field
situations
5. Consultations
6. Brainstorming
7. Research
8. Intuition
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45. Questions to be asked
when an idea is born
1.Is the idea viable ?
2.Is it practicable ?
3.The time factor ?
4.Has it been done before ?
5.What result is expected ?
6.What do colleagues think ?
7.Will a statistician be needed ?
8.What will you personally do ?
(individual’s role in the study)
Grilling the problem
More questions while
formulating problem
The originating question -What
one wants to know
The rationale -Why
The specifying the question -
Possible answers to the originating
question
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46. 1.Researchproblemscannotbeborrowed;researcherhastofindhisown
problem
2.Guidecanonlyhelptochooseasubject/topic
3.Rightquestionmustbeaddressed;Havingatopictoreadaboutisdifferent
fromhavingaproblemtosolve.Thisleadstoaimlessandendlessgatheringof
dataandnowayofknowingwhenwehaveenough.Further,thisleadstoa
struggletodecidewhattoincludeinreport
4.Haveunbiased&unattachedapproach;Nomothercomplex;Beobjective
5.Beuncommitted(i.e.,hangingloose)beforeselection
6.Havemorethanoneproblemtoponder,i.e.,keepalternatives
7.Neversettleinitiallyitselfonaparticularapproach
8.Interactwithexperts&practitioners
9.Avoidsuperficial&obviousproblems
Selection of Research Problem
Do’s & Don’ts
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47. 10.Avoidoverdonesubjects&controversialsubjects
11.Avoidtoonarrowortoovagueproblems(Avoidtheriskofsettlingonabroad
topicwith4or5words)
12.Haveapreliminarystudy(quick&dirtystudy)and/orabrieffeasibilitystudy
(examinemethodology,etc.)
13.Problemsshouldsuityourinterest,competence&ability
14.Identifygapsthroughliteraturesurvey
15.Checkavailabilityofrequireddataandco-operationofpeopleconcerned
16.Problemshouldbenovel,significantandusefultopractitioners;utilityofthe
expectedfindingsshouldbejudged
17.Spendlotoftimeinwritingandnotetakingtounderstand
18.Makepreliminaryoutlines,disagreewithwhatisread,drawdiagramsto
connectdisparatefacts,summarisesources,recordrandomthoughts,discardlater
ifnecessary,startwritingattheverybeginningasyougotoencouragecritical
thinking,tounderstandsourcesbetteranddraftmoreeffectively
Do’s & Don’ts
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 47

48. Beginearlythinkingtosavetimeandlaterpanic.
Askforhelp:Discusswithothers,butthennotrestrictorlimityourresearch;
Examinewhetherasmallerpartofbiggerpartbeselected
Lookforproblemsasyouread:Gap,error,misunderstanding,contradictions,
inconsistencies,incompleteexplanations;Domorethanjustpointingout
Lookfortheproblemthatyourclaimsolves;workbackwardtoformulatea
better,moreinterestingproblemthantheonethatisstarted
Tip:Mostcommonwayresearchproblemisdiscoveredisbydisagreeingwith
sources;Therearestandardcontradictions(Booth,2003)
Still can’t clearly formulate?
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 48

49. Research Proposal: Preparation
•Ask yourself:
–Am I familiar with related research in this area
–Do I have a good understanding of the steps that will be involved
in achieving these goals
–Do I have the ability to successfully conduct each of these steps
–Am I sufficiently motivated and enthusiastic about all the steps in
this project
–Am I convinced that the results of this research will be useful to
others
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50. Research Proposal: Structure
•Honours proposal structure:
–Project Description
–Related Work
–Outcomes (system, questions tackled, expected impact, key
success factors)
–Work Detail (timeline, resources required, deliverables,
milestones, work allocation)
–References
•More general proposals might include:
–Budget, CV, Dissemination plan
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51. Research Proposal: Evaluation
•Have you answered these questions:
–What you are planning to do ?
–Why ?
–What the difficulties are?
–Is it feasible for you ?
–Do you have a plan of how to do it ?
–Have you done your homework ?
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52. 1.Statingprobleminageneralway(&developingatitle)
2.Understandingthenatureofproblem(&buildinga
conceptualmodel)
3.Surveyingavailableliterature&paststudies
4.Developingideasthroughdiscussion-experiencesurvey
(settinginvestigativequestions)
5.Rephrasingtheproblem
Objectives and/ or hypotheses
Title
Terms & concepts
Assumptions & postulates
Contd…
Steps in Formulating Research Problem
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 52

53. Contd…
Significance & value
Suitability in terms of ability, time, money, data, etc.
Scope & limitations-Time & space co-ordinates -Unit of analysis-
Environmental conditions
6.Methodology
Note:Formulationhasallthebenefitsofagoodresearchplanordesign
andhencecanbeconsideredaspartofit
Steps in Formulating Research Problem
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 53

54. Literature Reviews
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55. What is a Literature Review?
•As a process:
–Reading, taking notes, organising, documenting
–Start with general, broad, textbook works
–Move toward specialised, recent papers
•As a document:
–Not just a string of article summaries
–Rather a coherent discussion of previous related work
–Includes intro, conclusion, references
•Don’t confuse the document and process
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56. The Literature Review Process
Broad
Narrow
Understand
the Field
Find a Survey
Find Focused
Research
Back Chain
to References
Forward Chain
to Citations
•Lecture Notes
•Text Books
•Text Books
•Survey Papers
•Theses
•Research Papers
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57. Literature (knowledge)
Researchers
Peer review
Editor KNOWLEDGE AND LITERATURE
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58. Literature reviews
Own papers
Monographs
Textbooks
reviews
Review papers
Tutorial papers
Original journal papers
Other original papers
- conferences
- symposia
- workshops
Reports
High reliability, low newness
Low reliability, high newness
Encyclopedias Publications
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59. Resources
•Experts: lecturers, supervisors, librarians
•ACM Digital Library
–http://portal.acm.org/dl.cfm
–Includes most ACM pubs (but not IEEE)
–UCT has a subscription
•Google Scholar
–http://scholar.google.com/
–Good all-round resource
•Science Direct
www. Science direct.com
•CiteSeer
–http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/
–Digital library and search engine
–Heavily linked meta-data allows chaining through citations
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 59

60. 1. Bibliographies
•Best way to find knowledge if available, no separate data bases
•See Science Citation Index, General Search, Document type: Review or
Bibliography
2. Digital libraries(whole papers included as .pdffiles)
•IEEE/IEE Digital Library (IEL)(IEEE Xplore, ieeexplore.ieee.org),
from 1950 (complete from 1988)
•ACM Digital Library, portal.acm.org/dl.cfm
•SPIE Digital Library, spiedl.org
3. Abstracts data bases
•INSPEC(www.engineeringvillage2.org)
•From 1969, 7 million abstracts, 400000 new abstracts/year
4. Citation data bases
•Science Citation Index (SCI)(isi01.isiknowledge.com/portal.cgi,
included in Web of Science or ISI Web of Science), from1986
•See also IEEE Xplore, AbstractPlus, Citing Documents
Data bases (1)
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 60

61. •data bases are located at Helsinki University of Technology, lib.hut.fi
•other useful data bases include
–CrossRef, ieeexplore.ieee.org/search/crefsearch.jsp
–Google Scholar, scholar.google.com
–Scientific Literature Digital Library (CiteSeer),
citeseer.ist.psu.edu/cs
–Google Print, print.google.com (books)
–Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org (books)
•new but in general unreliable information can be found by using
ordinary search robots, for example
–Google, www.google.com
Data bases (2)
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 61

62. 1. Non-profit scientific societies
•publish best journal and conference papers and some good books,
examples
•Association for Computing Machinery, ACM (www.acm.org)
•American Physical Society, APS (www.aps.org)
•Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE
(www.ieee.org)
•International Society for Optical Engineering, SPIE
(www.spie.org)
2. Commercial publishers
•publish good books, examples
•McGraw-Hill (www.mhhe.com)
•Prentice-Hall (vig.prenhall.com)
•John Wiley & Sons (www.wiley.com)
Publishers
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 62

63. •bibliographies areveryusefulforfindinglandmark
references,theyareforexamplein(1)textbooks,(2)review
andtutorialpapers,(3)someIEEEPressBooks,(4)the
introductionsoforiginaljournalpapers,(5)ScienceCitation
Index,GeneralSearch,Documenttype:Bibliography
•books canbefoundfrom(1)librarydatabases
(www.kirjasto.oulu.fi),(2)Internetbookstores(forexample
www.suomalainen.fi/skorwww.amazon.com)and(3)book
publishers(forexample vig.prenhall.org,www.mmhe,
www.wiley.org)
•reviewandtutorialpapersareforexampleinProceedings
oftheIEEE(usuallythebestreviews)andinIEEEMagazines,
forexampleIEEECommunicationsMagazine,seeIEEEXplore,
andScienceCitationIndex,GeneralSearch,Documenttype:
Review
Search according to the publication category (1)
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 63

64. •original journal and conference papers can be found from
databases (1) IEEE Xplore (IEEE/IEE papers as PDF files,
note also the tool ”Citing Documents” in AbstractPlus), (2)
INSPEC(abstracts of most papers), (3) ISI Web of Science
(citation index), www.kirjasto.oulu.fi,
intranet.vtt.fi/siniset/tietpalv/kirjasto/
•standards are agood source for state-of-the art system
knowledge, sold by standardization organizations, for example
IEC, IEEE, ISO, ITU, and ETSI, you must be an active member
in standardization groups to have the newest knowledge
(usually through the industry)
Search according to the publication category (2)
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 64

65. Critical Reading Required
•Being able to read rapidly and critically is a vital skill
•First Skim:
–Abstract, section headings and figures
•Then Dive into Detail:
–May require reading references for a full understanding
•Take Notes:
–Complete citation
–Main research question & conclusions
–Research methodology
–Key ideas or results relevant to your research
–Future work
–Gaps/problems
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 65

66. Orders: The Classics
•LIT WORK WRITE
–Don’t know when to stop the literature search
–Can inhibit innovation
•WORK LIT WRITE
–Might get a nasty shock (someone else beat you to
it)
•CONCLUSION: safe options
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 66

67. Orders: quick and dirty
•WORK WRITE [LIT]
–Gamble that the referees (examiners) know less than you
•WRITE WORK [LIT]
–Suits speculative work
–Sometimes used to drag the referees in as unwitting
collaborators
•CONCLUSION: living on the edge
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 67

68. Orders: paper chasers
•WRITE LIT WORK
–Writing serves as a plan of work focused to produce a
single publication
•LIT WRITE WORK
–Good for an idea out of your normal line of research
•CONCLUSION: unconventional
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 68

69. Presentations
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 69

70. Communication of Ideas
•Feedback is important:
–To learn of new developments
–To share responsibility
–To get support and advice
–To develop communication skills
•Teamwork is important:
–As a forum for feedback
–To tackle larger problems
–To learn interpersonal skills
•Modern Science is advanced by sharing ideas and
working in teams
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 70

71. Presentations
•Present your main idea & its significance
•Omit complicated & old ideas
•Structure:
–Intro, context, body, some detail, conclude
•Know your audiences’ background
•Make sure that both non-& experts benefit
•Don’t gloss over problems with your ideas
•Anticipate questions
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 71

72. Slide Layout
•Allow about 2-3 minutes per slide
•Avoid too much text
–Just cues
–About 7-15 bullet points at most
•Include graphs/charts/pictures
•Avoid code/maths
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 72

73. Nervous ?
•Prepare well, run through with your
supervisor
•Time yourself
•Contract stomach muscles & breathe out hard
•Speaking Skills:
–A pause is better than an interjection
–Speak more slowly than you think necessary
–Repeat questions if they are inaudible
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 73

74. Postgraduate Research
•Masters (MSc):
–Must demonstrate that you are familiar with the state of the art in
the field and are capable of working at that level
•Doctorate (PhD):
–A PhD additionally requires that you are able to contribute new
knowledge
–Need not be a major contribution
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 74

75. Examiner’s Instructions
•A Candidate must demonstrate that he/she:
–Principles:Understandsthenature,objectivesandscientific
principlesunderlyingtheinvestigation
–Literature:Isadequatelyacquaintedwiththerelevantliterature
–Methodology:Hasmasteredappropriatetechniquesand
analyticalmethods
–Findings:Assessesthesignificanceoffindingsinathorough
andlogicallycoherentmanner
–Independence:Showsevidenceofcriticalandindependent
thought
–Writing:Reportsonthestudyinanacceptablescientificformat
thatissatisfactoryinbothpresentationandliterarystyle
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 75

76. •Researchersnevermoveinastraightlinefromfindingatopictostating
athesistofillinginnotecardstodraftingandrevision
•Realresearchloopsbackandforth,movingforwardasteportwo,going
backandmovingaheadagain,anticipatingstagesnotyetbegun
•Howevercarefullyyouplan,researchfollowsacrookedpath,taking
unexpectedturns,evenloopingbackonitself;Workthroughstep-by-step;
Whenyoucanmanagetheparts,youcanmanagethewhole
•Researchisnotlikegoingawellmarkedpathtoafamiliardestination;it
ismorelikestrugglingthroughovergrownwoods,searchingforsomething
youwon’tknowuntilyoufindit
•Noonecansolvetheworld’sgreatproblemsinatinyproject,but
choosingsmallerquestions,knowinganswerscanleadtogreatsolutions.
Agoodresearcherstakesusonestepfurtherinunderstandinggreat
problembymakingusbetterunderstandingtheproblem
Research is not a simple linear activity
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 76

77. It also involves many implicit mysterious creative processes
Turning a vague interest into a problem worth posing and solving
Building an argument that motivates readers to accept your claim
Anticipating the reservations of thoughtful but critical readers and then
responding appropriately
Creating an introduction and conclusion that answer the toughest of
questions, So what?
Reading your own writing as others may, and thereby learn when and
how to revise it
Research is a complex process
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 77

78. 1. Anderson, Janathan, et. al. Thesis and assignment writing. New Delhi: Wiley,
1970. 2.
Best, Joel. Damned lies and statistics.California: University of California Press,
2001.
3. Best, Joel. More damned lies and statistics; how numbers confuse public
issues.Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004
4. Body, Harper W Jr. et.al. Marketing research: text and cases.Delhi: All India
Traveler Bookseller, 1985.
5. Booth, Wayne C, et. al. The craft of research.2 ed. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press, 2003. 6.
Chicago guide to preparing electronic manuscripts: For authors and
publishers.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1987.
7. Cohen, Louis and Manion, Lawrence. Research methods in education. London:
Routledge, 1980.
8. Goode, William J and Hatt, Paul K. Methods on social research.London; Mc
GrawHill, 1981.
9. Gopal, M.H. An introduction to research procedures in social sciences.Bombay:
Asia Publishing House, 1970.
10. Koosis, Donald J. Business statistics.New York: John Wiley,1972.
11. Kothari, C.R. Research methodology: methods and techniques.
References
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 78

79. 12. Miller, Jane E. The Chicago guide to writing about numbers.Chicago: the
University of Chicago Press, 2004. 13.
Rodger, Leslie W. Statistics for marketing.London: Mc-GrawHill, 1984.
14. Salvatoe, Dominick. Theory and problems of statistics and econometrics
(Schaum’soutline series).New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982. 15.
Spiegel, Murray R. Schauim’soutline of theory and problems of statistics in SI
units.Singapore: Mc GrawHill , 1981. 16.
Simpson, I. S. How to interpret statistical data: a guide for librarians and
information scientists.London: Library Association, 1990.
17. Slater, Margaret ed. Research method in library and information
studies.London: Library Association, 1990.
18. Turabian, Kate L. A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and
dissertations.6 ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 1996.
19. Young, Pauline V. Scientific social surveys and research.New Delhi: Prentice-
Hall of India Ltd., 1984.
20. Walizer, Michael H and Wienir, Paul L. Research methods and analysis:
searching for relationships. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.
21. Williams, Joseph M. Style: towards clarity and grace.Chicago: The University
of Chicago Press, 1995.
22 James Gain, Research Methods:Introduction
References, contd.,
11/13/2023 Research Methodology 79

80. Pervaporation
Membrane thickness : 5 microns
Down Stream pressure: 0.01 mmHg

81. Hollow fiber module with tube side feed flow
Hollow fiber module with shell side feed flow

82. 11/13/2023 Research Methodology 82