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2 RM ResearchProcess

This notes for research processes

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Aga Chimdesa
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23 views16 pages

2 RM ResearchProcess

This notes for research processes

Uploaded by

Aga Chimdesa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Research Process

1
Research Process (general)

Problem

Liter., Theory Data


Interpretation/
solution design

Research
Design Data Collection
(Qnt./Qlt./ & Analysis
Design sc.
Develop
Instrument/
procedure
2
Step 1: Problems/Questions- Topic

3
SIX guidelines to pick and
formulate an important and
useful research problem

4
1. Look Around You

 In many disciplines, questions that need answers –


phenomena that need explanation - are everywhere.

 Concentrate on smaller problems – continually ask


questions about what you hear and see.

 Why does such–and–such happen? What makes such–


and–such tick? (The reasons for somebody’s behavior)

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2. Read the Literature
 What things are already known – don’t reinvent the wheel –
also tells what is NOT known in the area – in other words,
what still needs to be done.

 Research project might


a) Address the suggestions for future research that another researcher
has offered
b) Replicate a research project in a different setting or with a different
population
c) Consider how various subpopulations might behave differently in
the same situation
d) Apply an existing perspective or explanation to a new situation

6
Cont…
e) Explore unexpected or contradictory findings in previous studies
f) Challenge research findings that seem to contradict what you know
or believe to be true.

Other advantages of Literature


 Provides theoretical base on which to build a rationale for
your study

 Provides potential research methodologies and methods of


measurement

 Help you interpret your results and relate them to what is


already known in the field

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3. Attend Professional Conferences
 Many researchers have great success finding new research
projects at national and regional conferences.
 Learn “what is hot and what is not” in their field
 In CS case
 Network related
 Security
 Programming
 Big data, web mining, Sentiment analysis
 M-systems , Security, privacy in wireless communication
 Social networking
 Method tailoring (in software development)
 SOA
 Localization

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4. Seek the Advice of Experts

 Another simple yet highly effective strategy for


identifying a research problem is simply to ask an
expert:
a) What needs to be done?

b) What burning questions are still out there?

c) What previous research findings seemingly don’t make


sense?

9
5. Choose a Topic that Intrigues and
Motivates You

 Reading literature, attend conferences, talk with


experts, will uncover a number of potential research
problems

 Pick just one, based on what you want to learn more


about

 Must believe that it is worth your time and effort.

 Saying “You’re going to be married to it, so you might


as well enjoy it.”
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6. Choose a Topic That Others Will Find
Interesting and Worthy of Attention

 Want to share findings with a larger audience, not only


end with thesis.

 Describe what you have done at a regional or national


conference, publish an article in a professional journal,
or both.

 Future employers, too, are also interested in your thesis


topic if in your research, you are pursuing an issue of
broad scientific or social concern or, more generally, a
hot topic in your field.
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Stating the Research Problem
 The heart of any research project is the problem.

 At every step in the process, successful researchers ask


themselves:
 What am I doing? For what purpose am I doing it?

 Such questions can help focus your efforts toward achieving


your ultimate purpose for gathering data: to resolve the
problem.

 Researchers get off to a strong start when they begin with an


unmistakably clear statement of the problem.
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Thus
 After identifying a research problem, therefore, you must
articulate it in such a way that it is carefully phrased and
represents the single goal of the total research effort.

 So once you’ve identified a research problem:


 State the problem clearly and completely.
 Determine the feasibility of the research.
 Identify sub-problems:
 •Completely researchable units.
 •Small in number.
 •Add up to the total problem.
 •Must be clearly tied to the interpretation of the data.

13
The Problem Statement
 Bad habits – try to state a research problem by jotting
down meaningless groups of words, verbal fragments - no
help in seeing the problem clearly

 Examples of half-statements, mere verbal blobs that only


hint at the problem but do not state it
 A) Software metrics and the quality of software
 B) Subsidise ICT industry
 C) ICT promotes English in school
 D) QoS in computer network

14
Cont…
 The fragments demonstrate that the researcher either
cannot or will not think in terms of specific, researchable
goals

 But must limit the area of study to a manageable size

 Example, metric and quality,


 must limit what metrics? which quality attribute? and more
importantly what domain of the software you want to
investigate?
 By specifying the domain you are narrowing down the metric
and the quality attribute

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Research Questions
 In cases where you don’t have hypothesis you may need
to formulate research questions represent ting the
problem in a form of question. Here is example;

 Very weak (in an empirical sense): Is the new technique any


good?
 Weak : Is the new technique better than our competitors?
 Better : Is the new technique faster than our competitors?
 Better still: Is the new technique faster than our competitors within
one hour of use?
 Even better : If error rates are kept under 2%, is the new technique
faster than our competitors within one hour of use?

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