Understanding Research Process

• A research is
– The process of answering research questions through
• theoretical, experimental & computational study
• planned & systematic data collection, analysis, interpretation

• A research may use one or combination of following approaches

– Quantitative approach (?)
– Qualitative approach (?)
 Understanding Research Process –
Scientific vs Engineering Methods?
Difference between Research & Consulting?
• Scientists:
− explore natural
world
− discover new
knowledge
• Engineers:
− apply the
knowledge to solve
practical problems
− optimize cost,
efficiency & some
other parameters
SCIENTIFIC ENGINEERING
METHOD METHOD
 Understanding Research Process
• Problem formulation
01 • Problem statement, objectives & scope
• Literature review
02 • Concepts, methods, earlier studies, etc
• Research design
03 • Process, hypothesis, sample size, techniques
• Data collection/analysis/interpretation
04 • Generalization, conclusion, recommendations
• Submission & dissemination
05 • Report writing, presenting (oral), publishing
 Logical Thinking – Components of a
research article
ESABLISH A CLEAR LINKAGE
• Title
• Abstract Article Topic
• Keywords
• Introduction – including Research Questions or
objectives Objectives
• Materials/Methods
• Results & Discussion Methodology
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements Results & Discussions
• References (sub-sections)
• Annexes
Conclusions – Corresponding
to Objectives
 Logical Thinking – Coordination
Schema (Logical Frame?)
Problem Research Methods Data/Tool Expected
Statement Questions/ Outputs
Objectives
PS1 O1
PS2 O2
PS3 O3
PS4 O4
PS5 O5
 Logical Thinking – Coordination
Schema (Example#01)
Key Problems Research Questions Objectives
• Climate is changing • What are the Historical trends • To assess historical trends in
over time (spatial & temporal) in climatic climatic variables
variables?
• Changes in trend may • How those patterns/trends are • To project the future
causes irreversible projected to change in future? climatic scenarios
shift in climate
• CC results freshwater • What are the • To quantify impacts of
scarcity for various impacts of projected changes on projected changes on WR
uses stream flow & WR availability? availability
• CC deteriorate • What are the Impacts of projected • To assess the impacts of
quality of water - changes on in-stream water projected changes on river
affects river health quality and river health? health
 Logical Thinking – Coordination
Schema (Example#02)
Objective Methods/Activities Data Excepted Outputs

To assess various  identify various types of water demands Population, Number & types of Estimated total
water demands  estimate those demands using appropriate industries, institute, Livestock, water demand &
methods Area under agriculture, Crop spatial distribution
 map spatial distribution of water demands calendar, Soil data, Weather
data, context, No of public
Tap/Hand pump
To estimate  Set-up a hydrological model (SWAT) Observed climate data (i.e., P, Estimated of water
Water  Calibrate and validate the model Tmax, Tmin, etc.), DEM, Soil map; availability and its
Availability  Evaluate spatial distribution in water and, Land Use/Land Cover spatial distribution
availability using calibrated model (LULC) map.
To evaluate  Water Sufficiency=Water Water demand and Water Spatial distribution
water Sufficiency Availability/Water Demand Availability of water sufficiency
To analyze  Project future climate using appropriate Temperature and Precipitation Evaluated Climate
climate Change RCMs & downscaling techniques data, Land use/cover, DEM, Soil change Impact on
Impact on Water  Simulate future water balance & change types, etc. water Sufficiency
Sufficiency w.r.t. baseline
 Estimate future water demand Estimate
future water sufficiency
 Components of a Research Article
ESABLISH A CLEAR LINKAGE
• Title (< 20 words; catchy; reflect
actual contents in the paper) Article Topic • ANNEX:
• Authors & Affiliations contains data
• Abstract Research Questions or
that could
• Keywords back the
Objectives matter in the
• Introduction – including Report
objectives
• Materials/Methods Methodology
• APPENDIX: a
• Results & Discussion doc attached
• Conclusions Sub-sections of Results & to the end of
• Acknowledgements Discussions report to
strengthen
• References the data in
• Appendix/Annexes Conclusions – Corresponding the document
to Objectives
Research design is a set of advanced decisions that make up
the master plan specifying the methods and procedures for
collecting and analyzing the needed information.
Figure: The methodological framework for analyzing the impact of climate change on
water resources and hydropower generation.
DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH
PROPOSAL
 Citation & Referencing
• Citation:
– A reference to a (un)published source. Purposes are -
• uphold intellectual honesty (avoid plagiarism);
• attribute prior work & ideas to the correct source;
• help the reader to measure strength & validity of materials
used by the Author
– Citation: climate change may alter the hydrologic systems (Bolch
et al., 2012)
• References:
– List of sources cited in the Report/Thesis
• Bibliography:
– List of sources consulted; whether cited or not

Referencing: Bolch T., Kulkarni A., Kääb A., Huggel C., Paul F., Cogley J.G.,
.Bajracharya, S. (2012). The state and fate of Himalayan glaciers. Science,
336 (6079): 310–314.
 Citation & Referencing
Various Styles Various Types
• Oxford style
• Journal Articles
• Harvard style
• Conference Proceedings
• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• Books/Edited Books
Style
• APA (American Psychological • Book Chapters
Association) style • Newspaper Articles
• Chicago style • Website, Etc.
• …
• ….
Citation & Referencing – Harvard Style (as Example)
• Journal Articles: we need • Referencing Style
following information – Family Name, Initials of
– Author’s name(s) Authors. (Year of Publication)
– Year of publication ‘Title of article’, Name of
– Title of article Journal (in italics), Volume
number (Issue Number). p.
– Name of journal
followed by page numbers.
– Volume, issue & page nos.
• Example:
– DOI number (if available)
– Tefts, K. & Blaksee, S. (2000)
‘Did you hear the one about
Boolean operators?
Incorporating comedy into
library instruction’, Reference
Services Review, 28 (4): p369-
378.
 Citation & Referencing – Harvard Style
• Conference Proceedings:we • Referencing Style
need following information – Family Name, Initials of Author
– Author (or Authors) name(s) (s) (Year of Publication) ‘Title of
– Year of publication article’, Name of Editors (Eds.)
– Title of article/paper Title of Proceedings (in italics),
Location of Conference, Dates,
– Editors of the conference
pp. followed by page ranges.
proceedings
– Title of conference • Example:
proceedings (in Italics) – Dhaubanjar S., Pandey VP,
– Location of conference Bharati L. (2019) ‘Projected
future climate for western
– Date of conferences (if
Nepal’, In: Bhattarai U. and
available)
Pandey VP (Eds.) Proceedings of
– Page numbers 8Th Asian Regional Conference,
Kathmandu, Nepal, 8-11 March,
2019, pp 20-45.
 Citation & Referencing – Harvard Style
• Books: we need • Referencing Style
following information – Family Name, Initials of Author (s)
– Author’s (or Editor’s) (Year of Publication) Book Title. Edition.
name(s) City: Publisher.
– Year of publication
– Book Title • Example:
– Edition
– Baral, S., Bhattarai, U. (2021)
– Name of city where Fundamentals of Hydropower
the book was Engineering. 1st Edn. Kathmandu: Sajha
published Prakasan.
– Name of publisher
• In Text Citation
– Xyz (Baral and Bhattarai, 2021);
– As concluded in Baral and Bhattarai
(2021) …..
 Citation & Referencing – Harvard Style (Book Chapters)

• Referencing Style
– Surname, Initials of Author(s) (Year) ‘Title of chapter’. In:
Surname, Initials of Editors (Eds.) Title of Book in Italics. Edition.
City: Publisher, pp. followed by page numbers

• Example
– Marshall, W.A. (1975) ‘The child as a mirror of his brain’s
development’, In: Sants, J. & Butcher, H.J. (Eds.) Development
Psychology, Aylesbury, Bucks: Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd. pp. 35-
68.
 Citation & Referencing – Harvard Style (Website)
• Referencing Style
– Author surname(s), initial(s). (Year of publishing) Title of page/site
in Italics [Online]. Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year)

• Example
– Mitchell, J.A. (2017) How and when to reference [Online].
Available
at: [Link] (Accessed: 27
May 2017)
 Citation & Referencing – Harvard Style (In-text Citations)
• In-text citation with multiple Authors
– For 2 authors, cite as in example (Note: p for single page and pp
for range of pages)
• Pandey and Kazama (2012, p.15); Pandey and Shrestha (2018,
pp 12-14)
– For more than Two authors, cite as in following example
• Pandey et al. (2020, p. 23)
• Multiple styles of In-text citation
– Pandey et al. (2020, p 23) states that …..; OR xxxx (Pandey et al.,
2020, p. 23)
• In-text citation for multiple works from the same author
– Pandey et al. (2020a, b)  separate as a and b.
• In-text citation for reference with no date:
– Smith (2000, nd, p. 120) or Smith (2000, nd, p. 120)  nd stands
for non-dated.
 Citation & Referencing – 2 Common Styles
• Consecutive Numbering Style
– In text citation: consists of a number; a new number is used each
time a reference is cited

– References: listed in numerical order in reference list

 Citation & Referencing – 2 Common Styles
• Name-Date Style
– In text citation: authors name & date of publication
• Example: groundwater is being unsustainably used in
Kathmandu Valley (Pandey et al., 2011)

– References: listed in alphabetical order of the first author’s

family name in references list
• Example: Pandey V.P., Shrestha S., Chapagain S.L., Kazama F.
(2011). A framework for measuring groundwater sustainability.
Environmental Science and Policy, 14: 396-407
 Citation & Referencing – Variation in Name-Date Style

• Some of the variations in Referencing with Name-Date style are

– Pandey V.P., Shrestha S., Kazama F. (2012) Groundwater in the
Kathmandu Valley: development dynamics, consequences and
prospects for sustainable management. European Water, 37, 3-14.
– Pandey, VP, Shrestha, S, Kazama, F (2012). ...
– … European Water, 37: 3-14.
– … European Water (37), 3-14.
– Pandey V.P., Shrestha S., Kazama F., Groundwater … management,
European Water, 37, 3-14, 2012.
– … European Water 37: 3-14.
• Selecting appropriate one is defined by Guideline of selected journal
– Whatever is the guideline, we should use consistently and should
NOT mix up!
 Citation & Referencing – Variation in Name-Date Style

• Some of the variations in Citation with Name-Date style are

– It is concluded in Pandey et al. (2012) that …
– Xxxx (Pandey et al., 2012) ...
– Xxxx (Pandey et al. 2012) ...
– Multiple papers by same authors in the same year: xxx Pandey et
al., 2012a, 2012b) ….
– Multiple citations: put in chronological or alphabetical order

• Selecting appropriate one is defined by Guideline of selected journal

– Whatever is the guideline, we should use consistently and should
NOT mix up!
 Citation & Referencing – Consistency/Coherence
• Use a selected Referencing/Citation Style consistently in the entire
report/paper
• Make sure there are coherence in information in the entire document
– Avoid using confusing values, e.g., precipitation is reported as
1,550 mm in one page, and 1,570 mm in another page!
• In case of Name-Date style,
– always keep the references in Alphabetical order
• All references should be cited and vice-versa
• All Tables/Figures should be cited in text
• All Tables/Figures should be complete in itself 
– define all abbreviations, etc. right in the figure/table (either in
Caption or below the Table/Figure)
 Citation & Referencing – Consistency/Coherence
• Use style/formatting of Figure/Table captions consistently
– Figure/Table 1.1: xxxx | Figure/Table 1.1 xxxxx | Fig./Table 1.1 xxx |
Fig./Table 1-1
• Each figure/table listed in the Report should be cited somewhere in
the text
• Spell out when using abbreviation for the first time
• Units: basically in SI units
• Define some formatting and use them consistently. Examples –
– Define style, font type and font size of first/second/third level headings,
etc.
– Define setting related to paragraph (line spacing, gap before/after line,
indentation, etc.)
– Table/Figure caption styles, etc.
– Section/sub-section numbering
– Font type/size/style for regular texts/paragraphs
 Plagiarism
• It is a wrongful use of another author’s language, thoughts, ideas or
expressions as one’s own
• Plagiarism is considered as academic dishonesty and a breach of
journalistic ethics
• Plagiarism is not a crime per se but in academia and industry it is a
serious ethical offense and cases of plagiarism can constitute
copyright infringement
• Many institutions use plagiarism detection software to discourage
plagiarism
– iThenticate
– Turnitin