College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering
Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering
Research Methods
Chapter One
Basic Concepts of Research
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The main goal of research is the gathering and interpreting of
information to answer questions (Hyllegard, Mood, and Morrow,
1996).
Research is a systematic attempt to provide answers to questions
(Tuckman, 1999).
The systematic process of collecting and analyzing information
(data) in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon
about which we are concerned or interested
Research may be defined as the systematic and objective analysis
and recording of controlled observations that may lead to the
development of generalizations, principles, or theories, resulting
in prediction and possible control of events (Best and Kahn,
1998).
A process , Planned and managed – to make the information
generated credible.
Searching for explanation of events, phenomena, relationships and
causes
– What, how and why things occur
– Are there interactions?
Accidental discovery :
◦ Accidental discovery may occur in structured research process
◦ Usually takes the form of a phenomenon not previously noticed
◦ May lead to a structured research process to verify or understand the
observation
Data Collection
◦ an intermediate step to gain reliable knowledge
◦ collecting reliable data is part of the research process
Searching out published research results in libraries (or the internet)
◦ This is an important early step of research
◦ The research process always includes synthesis and analysis
◦ But, just reviewing of literature is not research
Information gathering:
◦ Gathering information from resources such books or magazines isn’t
research.
◦ No contribution to new knowledge.
The transportation of facts:
◦ Merely transporting facts from one resource to another doesn’t constitute
research.
◦ No contribution to new knowledge although this might make existing
knowledge more accessible.
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Originates with a question or problem.
Requires clear articulation of a goal.
Follows a specific plan or procedure.
Often divides main problem into subproblems.
Guided by specific problem, question, or
hypothesis.
Accepts certain critical assumptions.
Requires collection and interpretation of data.
Suggests possible solutions to the problem
Science…
◦ a body of established knowledge
◦ the observation, identification, investigation, and theoretical
explanation of natural phenomenon
Scientific Method…
◦ involves the principles and processes regarded as characteristic
of or necessary for scientific investigation
◦ process or approach to generating valid and trustworthy
knowledge
Research…
◦ the application of the scientific method
◦ a systematic process of collecting and logically analyzing
information (data)
Research Methods (Methodology)…
◦ the ways one collects and analyzes data
◦ methods developed for acquiring trustworthy knowledge via
reliable and valid procedures
Initial Idea
Background Investigation
Refinement of Idea
Core Work
◦ Investigation and Development
◦ Documentation
◦ Prototype (if appropriate)
Evaluation
Identification of Future Work
Presentation
Dissemination of research outcome
Stems from critical thinking
Be on the lookout for and open to seeing problems
◦ Gaps in framework
◦ Repetitive behavior that’s slightly different (and can be
generalized)
◦ Manual solutions (that can be automated)
◦ Inelegant solutions
Ask questions
◦ “Is something missing here?”
◦ “Can this be done in a better way?”
◦ “Is there a need for a new approach?”
Should be an area you’re interested in, as:
◦ You’ll be spending a lot of time with it
◦ It won’t always be easy
Given an idea, need to determine:
◦ Has this work been done previously?
◦ What similar work has been done leading up to
this point?
◦ How is any previous work distinguished from
what I’m planning to do?
◦ What group of people will be positively impacted
by the research?
Tools
◦ Literature Review using library resources (e.g.
online databases such as ACM and IEEE, popular
magazines)
◦ WWW search
Based on background investigation, need to
refine idea
Issues:
◦ Precision – focus on precisely identifying:
Problem
Possible solutions
◦ Scope – need to “build fences”
What’s an essential part of this work?
(fence in)
What’s tangential, additional, or for any
other reason best left for later/someone
else? (fence out)
Provide yourself with infrastructure
◦ equipment / software
◦ additional knowledge (“get up to speed”)
Do the work
◦ Experimentation (scientific process)
◦ Develop opinions
◦ Look for better ways of solving problem
Can you generalize?
Can you develop a framework?
◦ Discuss, brainstorm
◦ Reevaluate as you proceed
Look for improvements, changes to your original ideas
Process
◦ Work regularly
Easier to keep going if have a commitment to a regular work
time
Helps you keep your past work in mind
◦ Allocate large block of time for research
Takes time to get going/back to speed
Make sure can do something significant each work session
Need to document as you go
◦ Don’t want to lose any information
Maintain a journal for day-to-day thoughts
◦ Can be paper, electronic, ...
◦ Keep it with you at all times
Never know when good ideas will hit
Keep an updated task list
◦ Focus on accomplishing something each work session
Write up your work
◦ Periodically, write a few pages on a subset of your work
Summarize work, accomplishments, problems
◦ At end, write up a summary document
Can be based on steps discussed here
Need to demonstrate the merit of your ideas
If work is non-theoretical, do this through a
developed system
◦ No need to build the entire system
◦ Just need to demonstrate the value of the core
ideas
Perhaps the most difficult part….
◦ Best if can show others are already using your work
Quantitative
◦ Test your prototype
◦ What improvements exist over currently available alternative?
◦ How much of an improvement do you see?
Qualitative
◦ What can you do now that couldn’t be done before?
◦ What are the benefits of your solution?
Helps you organize any future efforts
Helps others build on your work
Sources:
◦ What you excluded in your idea refinement
◦ New problems that have surfaced during your work
It’s not a contribution to the field if no one
knows about it or can use it
Presentation/Dissemination
◦ Conferences, Journals, Web
e.g. National and International Research conference
◦ Papers, Talks, Poster Sessions
Steps to do a scientific research
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Systematic; cyclic; series of logical steps.
◦ Identifying the problem
◦ Formulating a hypothesis
◦ Developing the research plan
◦ Collecting and analyzing the data
◦ Interpreting results and forming conclusions
◦ Disseminating results
First, and arguably the most important, step
◦ Several sources
Theoretical basis
Professional practice
Personal experience
◦ Starts as a broad question that must be
narrowed
◦ Problem statement; experimental
approach to the problem; etc.
Hypothesis:
◦ A belief or prediction of the eventual outcome of the research
◦ A concrete, specific statement about the relationships
between phenomena
◦ Based on deductive reasoning
◦ 2 types of hypotheses:
Null hypothesis (HO)
All is equal; no differences exist
States that there is no effect, no difference, or no relationship
between variables. It represents the default or baseline assumption
that researchers try to test against
Alternative (research) hypothesis (HA)
Usually specific and opposite to the null
States that there is an effect, a difference, or a
relationship between variables. It is what the
researcher expects or aims to support through
evidence.
Examples Null hypothesis
◦ There is no difference in plant growth when using
either bottled water or tap water.
◦ Professional psychics do not win the lottery more than
other people.
Examples:Alternative (research) hypothesis
• Plants grow better with bottled water than tap water.
• Professional psychics win the lottery more than other people.
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A strategy must be developed for gathering
and analyzing the information that is
required to test the hypotheses or answer
the research question
◦ Four parts:
Selection of a relevant research
methodology
Identification of subjects or participants
Description of the data-gathering
procedures
Specification of the data analysis
techniques
◦ Pilot studies, all must be determined in
advance!
Following all the pre-determined protocols
◦ Time in the lab collecting data
◦ Analyzing the composite data
◦ Controlling the environment
Easiest part of the process…
◦ However, sometime the most time-
consuming part of the process…
DATA ANALYSIS IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF!
Does the evidence support or refute the
original hypotheses?
◦ Accept or reject the hypotheses
◦ Conclusions should be drawn:
Develop new hypotheses to explain the
results
Inferences are typically made beyond the
specific study
• The process is initiated with a question or
problem (step 1)
• Next, goals and objectives are formulated to
deal with the question or problem (step 2)
• Then the research design is developed to
achieve the objectives (step 3)
• Results are generated by conducting the
research (step 4)
• Interpretation and analysis of results follow
(step 5)
• Dissemination of the research result (step 6)
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The Process of Research
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1. Identifying the research question or problem area
2. Initial review of literature
3. Distilling the question to a specific research problem
4. Continued review of literature
5. Formulation of hypotheses
6. Determining the basic research approach
7. Identifying the population and sample
8. Designing data collection plan
9. Selecting or developing specific data collection
instruments or procedures
10. Choosing the method of data analysis
11. Implementing the research plan
12. Interpretation of results
13. Drawing conclusion from results
14. Preparing the research report
15. Disseminating the results
Identify a particular research problem in
Electrical and Computer Engineering area and
describe the problem in two pages (15%)