Research Skills

Prof. Patrick J. Ogao

Course Outline
¡ Select & effect a trade project

¡ Project must be in field of study

¡ Identify & analyze computing problem

¡ Design & implement s system for an organization
¡ Submit a trade project proposal
¡ Phase by phase submission
¡ Basically prepare student to real world problems
Academic vs industry
projects
¡ Critical and deeper look at things
¡ Don’t just do something because you
are told, No. Develop your own thoughts,
arguments, ideas, and concepts.
¡ Question things – look at things in new
ways and from new angles
Why universities include
projects in curriculum
¡ Assessment across a number of disciplines
simultaneously (since yr 1 to now and much more
informally learnt)

¡ Allows you to develop new skills

¡ Work independently and in a group

¡ Make a contribution
The Meliorist Model

Copyright © 2005
Christian W Dawson
projects
¡ Purpose

¡ Start – End

¡ Timeframe

¡ Series of considered activities

¡ Series of planned activities

¡ Resources
Computing Project Types
¡ Research – based

¡ Development

¡ Evaluation

¡ Problem Solving

¡ Developing new technique to solve a problem,

improving the efficiency of existing approaches
or an evaluation of different theories in different
scenarios
Project evaluation -
academia
¡ Ability to work idependently with minimum
supervision

¡ Ability to draw on exisitng knowledge and

identify additional knowledge needed for your
study

¡ Ability to critically evaluate advanced literature

(journal papers)

¡ Ability to conceive original ideas

¡ Ability to plan your work effectively

¡ Ability to select and use appropriate H/W. S/W,
tools and methods and techniques.

¡ Ability to present your work effectively in written

and oral forms

¡ An ability to critically evaluate your own work

and justify all aspects of it

¡ Ability to identify areas of further research in your

chosen area
Stakeholders
¡ Supervisor

¡ Clients and users

¡ Examiners

¡ Evaluators and Testers

Rules of Game
¡ Be in groups of 4s

¡ Pick on topic – IT/CT and Relevant, interesting

and current (give examples)

¡ Next lectures (all must have topic) – looked

through it for feasibility.
The landscape of
computing

(adapted from Dawson, 2004)

Copyright © 2005
Christian W Dawson
Contributions to Knowledge

Copyright © 2005
Christian W Dawson
Final Term Paper

¡ A proposal expected

¡ An original problem

¡ Problem must be current, relevant and interesting

¡ Problem must be in computing & IT field

¡ Proposal – must follow structure given

¡ Submitted last week before exams

Final Term Paper ..Key sections

¡ Title ¡ Significance of study

¡ Introduction/Background ¡ Literature Review

¡ Problem Statement ¡ Methodology

¡ General Objectives ¡ References

¡ Specific objectives ¡ Budget/Time Schedule

¡ Scope of study
 Definition of key terms used

¡ Research can be defined as “an original investigation

undertaken in order to gain new knowledge and
understanding”
¡ Research process can be described as a systematic
and organised effort to investigate a specific problem
that needs a solution or an answer
¡ Research methods refers to the ways in which research
studies are designed and the procedures by which data
are analysed
¡ Research skills are the abilities of an investigator through
“acquiring knowledge and a way of thinking” to carefully
define a problem of interest, identifying key variables,
seeking out relevant information, and subjecting
proposed solution to rigorous testing.
What Research is!
¡ A Studious inquiry or examination, especially a
critical and exhaustive investigation or
experimentation aiming to the discovery of
new facts and their correct interpretation, the
revision of accepted conclusions, laws, or
theories in light of new discovered facts or
the practical application of such conclusions,
theories or laws
Aims of Research
¡ Explore
¡ Explain
¡ Evaluate
¡ Predict
¡ Understand
¡ Solve
¡ Develop or test theories
Scientific Investigation
¡ Is
- systematic, organised, critical, rigorous

- preferable

- Time consuming

¡ Is NOT
- based upon hunches, ad hoc, subjective
definition
¡ Concise description of the issues that need to be
addressed

¡ Description of an active challenge faced by

researchers.. Who don’t have an adequate
solution.

¡ What is problem?
¡ Who has problem?
¡ What form can the resolution be?
What is research problem?

¡ … .. An obstacle that hinders the progress or development or

stands on the way of innovating the unknown

¡ ….is derived from the Greek word “proballein” means anything

thrown forward or a question proposed for solution

¡ …..presents “the partial transformation by inquiry of a

problematic situation into a determinate situation” (Dewey
John, Logic – The Theory of Inquiry, New York: henry Holt & Co.
1938)

¡ ….is really a springboard for a leap into the unknown

¡ Prepare to do a LOT of reading around your topic.
¡ To be a “Master” of your topic, you need to know;
¡ most of what has been written about it,
¡ what the main ideas are,
¡ who the most important authors are, and be able
to differentiate credible sources from those that are
not
Sources of the problems

¡ Previous researches/dissertations/studies/etc
¡ Books/reports
¡ Resource persons/professors/
¡ Brainstorming
¡ Newspapers/TV/radios/medias
¡ Seminars, workshops/conferences
¡ Relations organizations/research centres/research
institutes
¡ Encyclopedia
¡ Own critical observations
¡ Discussions with fellows, colleagues, friends, etc
¡ Dinning tables
Criteria/Factors of selecting the
problems
¡ Academic background of the researcher
¡ Researcher's experiences, aptitudes, capability, ability, values,
¡ Researcher's training and orientation
¡ Researcher's purpose and objectives
¡ Direction of the organization where the researcher works
¡ Availability of data and information – primary and secondary sources
¡ Access to the study area
¡ Resource availability – money, manpower
¡ Time factor
¡ Supervisorʼ’s time, qualification, experiences, interest, etc
¡ Nature of the problems – need oriented, problem solving, etc
¡ Controversial topic
¡ Sufficiently original
¡ Cooperation of the stakeholders
¡ Avoidance of the troubles
CHECKLIST FOR TESTING THE
FEASIBILITY OF THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
¡ Is the problem of current interest? Will the research results have social, educational or scientific value?
¡ Will it be possible to apply the results in practice?
¡ Does the research contribute to the science of education?
¡ Will the research opt new problems and lead to further research?
¡ Is the research problem important? Will you be proud of the result?
¡ Is there enough scope left within the area of research (field of research)?
¡ Can you find an answer to the problem through research? Will you be able to handle the research problem?
¡ Will it be practically possible to undertake the research?
¡ Will it be possible for another researcher to repeat the research?
¡ Is the research free of any ethical problems and limitations?
¡ Will it have any value?
¡ Do you have the necessary knowledge and skills to do the research? Are you qualified to undertake the
¡ research?
¡ Is the problem important to you and are you motivated to undertake the research?
¡ Is the research viable in your situation? Do you have enough time and energy to complete the project?
¡ Do you have the necessary funds for the research?
¡ Will you be able to complete the project within the time available?
¡ Do you have access to the administrative, statistic and computer facilities the research necessitates?
Recap
¡ Assignment

¡ Share your problem statement

¡ Comments to refine it
¡ Refine it as stated in slides (forward)
Importance of Prob.Stat.

¡Remember, your problem

statement is the backbone of the
proposal and the feasibility report
STATEMENT 1 (DESCRIPTION
OF THE IDEAL SCENARIO)

¡ Describe the goals, desired state, or the values that

your audience considers important and that are
relevant to the problem.
(BUT)
¡ Connect statements 1 and 2 using a term such as
"but," "however,” "Unfortunately," or "in spite of";
STATEMENT 2 (THE REALITY OF
THE SITUATION)

¡Describe a condition that

prevents the goal, state, or value
discussed in statement 1 from
being achieved or realized at the
present time.
STATEMENT 3 (THE
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE
AUDIENCE)

¡ Using specific details, show how the situation

in statement 2 contains little promise of
improvement unless something is done.
¡ Then emphasize the benefits of research by
projecting the consequences of possible
solutions as well.
Examples
¡ STATEMENT 1

¡ In order to provide excellent patient care at a minimal cost, Middletown

Hospital needs diagnostic procedures that are safe, efficient, and accurate.
In addition, the procedures should not be overly painful for the patient.

¡ STATEMENT 2

¡ Right now, Middletown Hospital's main diagnostic tools are CAT scans and
myelograms (spinal taps). The CAT scan fails to make clear diagnoses 60% of
the time. When the CAT scan fails, doctors must resort to the myelogram.
While the myelograms are accurate, this procedure is very painful and
sometimes dangerous for the patient.

¡ STATEMENT 3

¡ If Middletown Hospital continues to do the two procedures, they will not only
be wasting time and money, which jeopardizes their overall efficiency and
earning potential. Also, undue suffering could lead patients to choose
another hospital with more advanced facilities.
Final Prob.
¡ A new diagnostic technique, nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR) may surpass
the CAT scan in accuracy and reduce
the need to resort to the myelogram. This
proposal looks at the feasibility of
establishing an NMR lab at Middletown
hospital. It investigates the accuracy,
efficiency, and safety of NMR as well as
implementation issues.
Persuausive Problem
Statement
¡ Consists of 3 parts

¡ the ideal,
¡ the reality, and
¡ the consequences for the reader of the feasibility report.

¡ Well constructed problem statements will convince your

audience that the problem is real and worth having
you investigate.
¡ Your strategy is one of contrast: by situating the the ideal
scenario next to the situation as it exists, you can not
only persuade the reader that a problem exists, but then
go on to emphasize the consequences of ignoring or
addressing the problem.