Duhok Polytechnic University ‫رئاسة جامعة دهــوك التقنية‬

Directorate of Quality ‫مديرية ضمان الجودة‬

Assurance
Curriculum Unit
‫والمناهج الدراسية‬
‫وحدة المناهج الدراسية‬

Research Methodology and

Graduation Project
By
Professor Siddeeq Y. Ameen
Research
Research is a way of thinking and examining critical issues
to solve problems.

Research is used to create new knowledge and the way that

modern nation advanced and have a better sustainable
economy (Knowledge Economy).

Research is undertaken in most areas of our life and based

on a systematic examination of observed phenomena to find
answers to such problems and questions.
Role of Research
In a commercial setting, there is usually an expectation
that the research activities will be centered on business
goals, with the aim of contributing to new products
or services, which are expected to generate profit
for the organization.
Research Methods
Research methods: all those methods/techniques that are
used for conducting research. Research methods or
techniques, thus, refer to the methods the researchers use
in performing research operations.  three groups:

1.Methods which are concerned with the collection of data.

These methods will be used where the data already available
are not sufficient to arrive at the required solution;
2.Statistical techniques which are used for establishing
relationships between the data and the unknowns;
3.Methods which are used to evaluate the accuracy of the
results obtained.
 Research Methodology
Research methodology: is a way to
systematically solve the research problem. It is
the science of how research is done scientifically.

It is the various steps that are generally adopted

by a researcher in studying his research problem
along with the logic behind them.

It is necessary for the researcher to know not

only the research methods/techniques but also
the methodology.
Why research methodology
The study of research methodology gives the
researcher the necessary training in gathering
material and arranging or card-indexing them,
participation in the field work when required, and
also training in techniques for the collection of data
appropriate to particular problems, in the use of
statistics, questionnaires and controlled
experimentation and in recording evidence, sorting
it out and interpreting it.
Project type
Your initial ideas can be further refined by asking yourself
– what type of project would I really like to do? Should it
be, for example:
 A descriptive project
 A theory oriented project
 An applied project
 A comparison of theory and practice
 Experimental Research

A study in which participants are randomly assigned to groups that undergo various
research-imposed treatments or interventions, followed by observations or
measurements.

Action research

A type of applied research that focuses on finding a solution to a local problem in a local setting.

Content Analysis

A detailed and systematic examination of the contents of a particular body of

material for the purpose of identifying patterns themes, or biases within that
material.
Correlational research
A statistical investigation of the relationship between two or more variables.
Correlational research looks at surface relationships but does not necessarily
probe the causal reasons underlying them. Example, the use of an aptitude test
to predict success in an algebra course .

Developmental research
An observational descriptive type of research that either compares people in
different age groups or follows a particular group over a lengthy period of time.
Such studies are appropriate for looking at development trends.

Ethnography
In-depth study of an intact cultural group in a natural setting .
Grounded theory research
The phrase "grounded theory" refers to theory that is developed inductively
from a corpus of data. Grounded theory research is a qualitative research
aimed at deriving theory through the use of multiple stages of data
collection and interpretation.

Historical research
An attempt to solve certain problems arising out of historical context
through gathering and examining relevant data. Through a detailed
analysis of historical data, we can determine cause and effect relationships. 

Observation study
A quantitative research in which a particular aspect of behavior is observed.
Survey research
Survey research is one of the most important areas of measurement in
applied social research, commonly used in business, sociology, and
government. The broad area of survey research encompasses any
measurement procedures that involve asking questions of respondents. A
"survey" can be anything form a short paper-and-pencil feedback form to an
intensive one-on-one in-depth interview.

Quasi experimental research

A method similar to experimental research, but without random
assignment to groups. For example, matching instead of randomization is
used. Someone studying the effects of a new police strategy in town would
try to find a similar town somewhere in the same geographic region,
perhaps in a 5-state area. That other town would have citizen demographics
that are very similar to the experimental town. The other town is not
technically a control group, but a comparison group, and this matching
strategy is sometimes called nonequivalent group design.
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH METHODS

© 2009 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Research process steps
A useful procedural guideline regarding the research
process steps is:
(1)formulating the research problem;
(2)extensive literature survey;
(3) developing the hypothesis;
(4) preparing the research design;
(5) determining sample design;
(6) collecting the data;
(7) execution of the project;
(8) analysis of data;
(9) hypothesis testing;
(10) generalizations and interpretation, and
(11)preparation of the report or presentation of the
results,
Research Process
How to Choose a Subject Area
Nobody else will make this decision for you.

One of the most crucial factors for succeeding with a project is the
motivation for undertaking the work in the chosen subject area.
Choose a subject area where you have the necessary skills.

aA combination of areas is usually a good source of interesting

problems and topics for project proposals. At the same time, it is
not recommended that you choose a project which combines more
than two areas
Choose Problem to Focus on
Once you have found a subject area for your project, it is time to
focus your interests within the chosen area. You focus your interest
by identifying a problem within the subject area that you would
like to explore.

For example, a potential problem within database systems is how to

map a logical database design to a physical database design.

You should try to find problems which are of general interest, or

which can be generalized or applied, for example, to several
companies or organizations.
How to?
 Ask yourself what you would like to do within a particular area
(or what you can do, given your current knowledge).
 Read the literature, since others may have already identified and
reported the issues that are worthwhile to explore.
 Ask potential supervisors, as they typically have ideas on what
could be worthwhile and interesting to explore within the subject
area.
 Ask companies and organizations, as they may have encountered
problems that they do not have time, knowledge or resources to
investigate themselves.
Then what!
Once you have found a problem, you need to
investigate whether it is worthwhile to explore further.
Try to write down your arguments for why it is
important to investigate the problem.

If you find clues in the existing literature that the

problem is still not solved, then you are on the right
track.

On the other hand, if you find no supporting clues in

the literature, you have to develop all the arguments
yourself.
Formulating the research problem
There are two types of research problems: those which
relate to states of nature and those which relate to
relationships between variables.

At the very outset the researcher must single out the

problem he wants to study, i.e., he must decide the
general area of interest or aspect of a subject-matter
that he would like to inquire into.

Initially the problem may be stated in a broad general

way and then the ambiguities, if any, relating to the
problem to be resolved.
Formulating the research problem 2

The researcher must examine all available literature to

get himself acquainted with the selected problem.

He may review two types of literature—the conceptual

literature concerning the concepts and theories, and the
empirical literature consisting of studies made earlier
which are similar to the one proposed.

The basic outcome of this review will be the knowledge

as to what data and other materials are available for
operational purposes which will enable the researcher to
specify his own research problem in a meaningful
context.
Developing the Aim(s)
To succeed with a research project, first the aim(s) of
the project must be defined.
This is necessary because it clarifies
what it is the researcher is aiming to achieve, and
 It helps the project stakeholders to communicate
effectively,
 it keeps the discussions “on track” (what the project is
all about),
 It helps to evaluate the usefulness of the project, and
 it facilitates the evaluation of the outcome when the
project is completed.
Activities to Perform for the
Aim(s)

Activities to perform when developing the aim(s)

Project stakeholders Meetings
Meetings are the most effective means of managing
stakeholder communications. At every meeting it is
important that the researcher takes the initiative in the
discussion, since the researcher is the one who should
do most the creative thinking in the project.

(as student, researcher should not simply ask the

supervisor what should be done next. Instead, it is
important that the student has ideas of his own on what
to do. The supervisor can then give feedback on those
ideas.)
Time Plan
The purpose of developing a time plan for a research
project is for the researcher to have a clear
understanding of the relationship between important
dates, project activities, and the time needed for each
activity.

A good time plan helps to avoid future problems, such

as missed deadlines.
Time Plan
Milestones dates of the project should be entered
into a time plan, preferably by using a computer-
based tool. Once the most important dates in the
project have been entered, project activities can
then be added, how much time is planed to be
spent on each activity, and the relationship (e.g.
overlapping, sequential) between the activities.
When the first version of the time plan is
developed, the researcher will probably not know
all the activities that he/she will need to carry out.
Time Plan
The difficult part with developing a time plan is to
accurately estimate the time required for each activity.
Thus, it is important to continuously update the time plan
and discuss it for feedback.

The time plan can be managed and visualized by using

different types of diagrams, such as activity networks or
Gantt charts.
Extensive literature survey
Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it
should be written down. At this juncture the researcher
should undertake extensive literature survey connected
with the problem.

For this purpose, the abstracting and indexing journals

and published or unpublished bibliographies are the first
place to go to. Academic journals, conference
proceedings, government reports, books etc., must be
tapped depending on the nature of the problem.
Development of working hypotheses
After extensive literature survey, researcher should state
in clear terms the working hypothesis or hypotheses.

Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in

order to draw out and test its logical or empirical
consequences. As such the manner in which research
hypotheses are developed is particularly important since
they provide the focal point for research.

They also affect the manner in which tests must be

conducted in the analysis of data and indirectly the
quality of data which is required for the analysis.
Developing your Project Proposal
A project proposal is a brief description of what you intend to do. Typically, a
project proposal is only a few pages long.

On these few pages you need to introduce the reader to the:

Subject area. What is the topic and scope of your project?
Aim/Objectives. What is the goal of your project?
Arguments. Why is it important to investigate the chosen topic?
Method. Preliminary ideas for how you intend to achieve the aim.
An example structure of a project proposal
 Title of project?
 Introduction
 To the subject area (e.g., XML documents).
 To the problem within the subject area (e.g., preserving links when transforming XML documents to another
data format).
 Reasons why it is important to investigate the chosen problem.

 Aim of project
 A short description of what you intend to do.

 Method
 How (by what steps) do you intend to achieve the aim of the project?

 Name
 Contact information (email, phone)
Project Proposal Checklist
Before submitting the project proposal, check the following:
 Proper language. Is the wording in the project proposal clear and concise?
 Mandatory information. Does the project proposal contain the required
information?
 Quality assurance. Have you discussed the project proposal with a potential
supervisor or someone else who has knowledge in the chosen subject area?
 Skills and resources. Do you have the necessary background and resources to
do a project in the chosen subject area?
 Time. Have you estimated the time it takes to complete the project?
Preferably, your estimation should also include some slack to cater for any
project delays.
Research Quality Components

There are three components to quality of research outputs. These

are originality, significance and rigour. Each can be defined as
follows:
Originality is the extent to which the output introduces a
new way of thinking about a subject, or is distinctive or
transformative compared with previous work in an
academic field.

Significance is the extent to which the work has a

significant influence on an academic field or practical
applications.

Rigour is the extent to which the purpose of the work is

clearly articulated, an appropriate methodology for the
research area has been adopted, and compelling evidence
presented to show that the purpose has been achieved.
Reliability
Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or any measuring
procedure yields the same result on repeated trials. Without the agreement
of independent observers able to replicate research procedures, or the ability
to use research tools and procedures that yield consistent measurements,
researchers would be unable to satisfactorily draw conclusions, formulate
theories, or make claims about the generalizability of their research. In
addition to its important role in research, reliability is critical for many parts
of our lives, including manufacturing, medicine, and sports.

Validity
Validity refers to the degree to which a study accurately reflects or assesses
the specific concept that the researcher is attempting to measure. While
reliability is concerned with the accuracy of the actual measuring instrument
or procedure, validity is concerned with the study's success at measuring
what the researchers set out to measure.
Research Ethics
Research ethics range from intellectual property, plagiarism,
research misconduct to human research ethics.

Essentials Research Ethics, Values and Practices

Honesty: Honesty needs to be assured in all scientific
communications without any fabrication, falsifications or
misprinted data. This should be assured in reports, data,
results, methods and procedures, and publication status.
Integrity: Consistency of thought and action throughout
the research must be assured.
Objectivity: In all aspects of research: research,
experimental design, data analysis and interpretation,
review, etc bias must be avoided.
Accuracy: Care must be taken to avoid errors and
negligence. Good records of research activities, such as
data collection, research design, and correspondence with
agencies or journals need to be assured and maintained.
Openness: Be open to criticism and new ideas by sharing
your data, results, ideas, tools, resources with peers to
allow outcomes and contribution revision.
Respect for Intellectual Property: Do not use
unpublished data, methods, or results without permission
and proper acknowledgement and do not plagiarize.
Confidentiality: Confidential communications, such as
personnel records, trade or military secrets, and patient
records should not be shown to the public.
Mentoring: Help to educate and advise students. Promote
their welfare and allow them to make their own decisions.
Appropriate References
A reference is a description that identifies an information
source. For example, the following reference describes a
(fictional) journal article written by K. Anderson:
Anderson, K. (2008). The Untold Story of Computer Science.
International Journal of Computer Science, 2(1), 23–35.
By simply looking at the reference list, an experienced
reader or reviewer will see whether the researcher has
used references from well known sources.

Furthermore, the arguments in the report can be

strengthen if they are based on well known references.
Appropriate References
By properly referencing the material that the work is
based upon, the following is achieved:
 Show how the work extends the current state-of-the-
art knowledge in the area
 Show the originality of the work
 Give credit to other people’s work (and thereby avoid
being accused of plagiarism)
 Support and validate arguments/claims made in the
report
 Show that the researcher is familiar with the work
done in the area
References
There are different types of documents that a researcher
can use as references:
 Scientific research journals typically publish high quality articles. These
articles are written by experts in the field for other experts, which may make
them difficult to understand for non-experts.

 Conference and workshop proceedings publish quality papers relatively fast.

 check the acceptance ratio.

 Theses (M.Sc., Ph.D.) contain valuable information which, to a varying

degree, present the state of the art for a subject. As theses are examined and
assessed, they are usually of adequate quality.

 Textbooks are usually a good source for understanding the fundamentals in

a variety of subjects and areas. These books are frequently used in courses. In
general, textbooks are reviewed but they do not cover the latest research
findings, since they are mainly used for teaching established knowledge.
References
There are different types of documents that a researcher
can use as references:
 Magazines can be viewed as a popular version of research journals. Some
articles published in magazines may be reviewed, while others may not be.
Even if some magazines contain articles on research results, it is usually only
in the form of summaries and often with simplifications, to make the material
more accessible to non-experts.

 Web pages can contain useful information, but in general, they should be
avoided since their content is normally not reviewed. Moreover, they can
quickly disappear or change.

 Newspapers can provide interesting pieces of information, which can be

used as examples in the report. However, it is not good to base the report
heavily on references to articles that have appeared in newspapers.
Citations
A citation is the use of a reference in the text. For
example, the two following citations highlight that the
journal article by K. Anderson describes four areas for
future research.
• Anderson (2008) describes four areas for future research …
•There are four main areas for future research (Anderson, 2008).
The main reason why citations to references should be
used in the report, is to distinguish clearly between the
researcher own work and that of others.
Abstract
Despite the fact that an abstract is quite brief, it must do
almost as much work as the multi-page paper/report that
follows it. In a computer science/Information Technology
paper/report, this means that it should in most cases
include the following sections. Each section is typically a
single sentence, although there is room for creativity. In
particular, the parts may be merged or spread among a set
of sentences. Use the following as a checklist for a good
abstract:
 1- motivation,
 2- problem statement,
 3- approach,
 4- results,
 5- conclusions
Motivation
Why do we care about the problem and the
results? If the problem isn't obviously "interesting"
it might be better to put motivation first; but if your
work is incremental progress on a problem that is
widely recognized as important, then it is probably
better to put the problem statement first to indicate
which piece of the larger problem you are breaking
off to work on. This section should include the
importance of your work, the difficulty of the area,
and the impact it might have if successful.
Problem statement
What problem are you trying to solve? What is the
scope of your work (a generalized approach, or for
a specific situation)? Be careful not to use too
much jargon. In some cases it is appropriate to put
the problem statement before the motivation, but
usually this only works if most readers already
understand why the problem is important.
Approach
How did you go about solving or making progress
on the problem? Did you use simulation, analytic
models, prototype construction, or analysis of field
data for an actual product? What was the extent of
your work (did you look at one application program
or a hundred programs in twenty different
programming languages?) What important
variables did you control, ignore, or measure?
Results
What's the answer? Specifically, most good computing/IT
papers/reports conclude that something is so many percent
faster, accurate, cheaper, smaller, simpler, or otherwise
better than something else. Put the result there, in
numbers. Avoid vague, hand-waving results such as "very",
"small", or "significant." If you must be vague, you are only
given license to do so when you can talk about orders-of-
magnitude improvement. There is a tension here in that you
should not provide numbers that can be easily
misinterpreted, but on the other hand you don't have room
for all the caveats.
Conclusions
What are the implications of your answer? Is it
going to change the world (unlikely), be a
significant "win", be a nice hack, or simply serve as
a road sign indicating that this path is a waste of
time (all of the previous results are useful). Are
your results general, potentially generalizable, or
specific to a particular case?