Course I: Research Methodology
1. Discuss the significance of defining a research problem. Explain the techniques and
steps involved in defining a research problem, including the role of literature review.
2. What is a good research design? Explain its features and principles, illustrating with
an example. How can these principles be applied to design a study (e.g., on online
learning)?
3. Explain the steps involved in hypothesis testing, including one and two sample z-tests.
Discuss their importance for researchers, including Type I and Type II errors, with
examples.
4. Describe the procedure for conducting ANOVA for a one-factor model, including its
significance in research design. Explain its application in experimental designs like
CRD and RBD, with an example.
5. Explain the fundamentals of neural networks, focusing on the architecture and
algorithm of back propagation. Discuss its variations and applications in engineering.
6. Discuss the genetic algorithm, its operators (selection, crossover, mutation), and
applications. Explain how hybrid systems integrate fuzzy logic, neural networks, and
genetic algorithms, with an example.
7. Explain the steps involved in ant colony optimization and its applications in
engineering. Compare it with other optimization techniques like genetic algorithms.
8. Discuss the steps and components of report writing. Explain the precautions to be
taken while writing a technical research report, with emphasis on structure and clarity.
9. Discuss the techniques of interpretation in research. Why is it important to take
precautions during interpretation? Provide an example of an interpretation technique.
10. Explain the different types of research (e.g., descriptive, experimental, exploratory)
with their advantages and disadvantages. Illustrate with an engineering example.
11. Differentiate between parametric and non-parametric tests. Explain one non-
parametric test (e.g., Mann-Whitney U test) with a suitable example.
Course II/III: Research and Publication Ethics
1. Discuss the significance of philosophy and ethics in scientific research. Explain how
ethical principles and intellectual honesty prevent scientific misconduct, with
examples.
2. Explain falsification, fabrication, and plagiarism (FFP) in scientific research. Discuss
methods to overcome these issues, including their impact on the scientific community,
with examples.
3. Examine the issues of redundant publications, including duplicate publications and
salami slicing. Discuss their impact on research credibility and methods to avoid
them.
4. Discuss the concept, initiatives, and benefits of open access publishing. Explain tools
like SHERPA/RoMEO and journal finders (e.g., JANE, Elsevier Journal Finder) for
publication decisions.
5. Evaluate the role of plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, Urkund) in
maintaining academic integrity. Discuss the need to avoid plagiarism and list relevant
tools.
6. Explain research metrics such as Impact Factor, SNIP, SJR, h-index, g-index, i10-
index, and altmetrics. Discuss their role in evaluating journal and researcher impact.
7. What are predatory publications? Discuss their characteristics and the role of software
tools in identifying them, with examples.
8. Discuss the significance of indexing and citation databases (e.g., Web of Science,
Scopus). Explain their criteria for journal selection and their impact on research
visibility.