Research Methodology

1
Research Methodology

• EPH 7112
• LECTURE 1 INTRODUCTION

2
Motivation

• Professor asks students to study relationship
  between
• flame flickering and
• music beat
• 15 students said yes
• 5 students said no
• How did it happen?

3
Motivation

• Condition of experiment different
• Sensor biased
• Planning and conducting rigorous research and
  development projects in science and engineering
  is often very challenging
• This is our motivation

4
Contents

• Aim of Subject
• Learning Outcome of Subject
• Assessment Scheme
• Definition of research
• Introduction to academic research
• Contemporary research in Engineering and
  Technology

5
Aim of Subject

• The main objectives of this course are to help
  students
• To use information systems effectively
• To write a critical review of the relevant
  literature
• To identify a research problem
• To develop and write a research proposal for
  their discipline area

6
Aim of Subject

• To propose and justify an appropriate research
  plan for the chosen research problem
• To choose and apply an appropriate experimental
  design to a particular research problem, if
  required
• To understand and apply a range of standard
  techniques for instrumentation and data
  acquisition
• To prepare a well written and concise research
  thesis or report

7
Assessment Scheme

• Group assignment
• Preparation of research proposal
• Graded as Pass or Fail

8
Assignment

• Critical Review
• Research Proposal
• Study Model
• Research Ethics Case Studies
• Technical Writing
• Short assignments

9
Reference Books

• Ranjit Kumar. "Research Methodology" Longman,
  1996
• Lindsay D. A Guide to Scientific Writing
  Longman, 1995
• Ralph Berry. How to write a Research Paper,
  Pergamon, 1986
• Gerson S J and Gerson S M. Technical Writing
  Process and Product, Prentice Hall, 1992
• Coley S M and Scheinberg C A, "Proposal Writing",
  Newbury Sage Publications, 1990

10
How do you view research?

• A quest for knowledge and understanding
• An interesting and useful experience
• A course for qualification
• A career
• A style of life
• A way to improve quality of life
• An ego boost

11
Have you done research?

• Not a new process
• Looking for a dream job
• Looking for good apartment
• Buying a cheap car
• Finding the love of your life

12
Background

• Beginning of 2nd Millennium
• Dark Ages Renaissance
• 3G Exploration into Africa and Asia
• Crusaders fight for Jerusalem
• Can Earth possibly be flat?
• Research begins .

13
Background

• Chinese civilization
• Islamic civilization
• Indian civilization
• All have contributions to research too

14
Definition of Research

• Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
  (http//www.merriam-webster.com)
• careful or diligent search
• studious inquiry or examination especially
  investigation or experimentation aimed at the
  discovery and interpretation of facts, revision
  of accepted theories or laws in the light of new
  facts, or practical application of such new or
  revised theories or laws
• the collecting of information about a particular
  subject

15
Definition of research

• Greenfield (1996) Research is an art aided by
  skills of
• inquiry,
• experimental design,
• data collection
• measurement and analysis
• by interpretation, and
• by presentation

16
Development

• fundamentally more significant as a contributor
  to the success of a commercial organization
• apply scientific, engineering or technological
  knowledge in a systematic manner to improve
  performance
• organization growth and increase shareholder value

17
Development

• Exploits technology created elsewhere
• Has a final product or process tied to it
• Has finite timescales in which to deliver
• Has finite costs for the end product
• Is targeted at tangible benefits for the customer

18
RD

• Research is a process that acquires new knowledge
• Development is a process that applies knowledge
  to create new devices or effects

19
RD Problems

• Research seeks truth
• Development seeks utility
• Industry cant afford luxury of research
• Academics uninterested with development
• Myopic views
• RD is interdependent

20
RD Problems

• Research results cannot be reproduced
• Data collection is haphazard
• Experiment methods are chaotic
• Trial and error
• Lack records
• Reports are disorganized

21
Academic Research Problems

• Very similar to RD problems
• Research methodology is important
• In Science Engineering, lack of emphasis on
  research methodology
• Research methodology informal training

22
Conclusions

• Importance of Research Methodology
• Definition
• Research
• Development