Research Methodology

Introduction :
Meaning of Research :
Research refers to a careful, well-defined objective, and
systematic
method of search for knowledge,
or
Research involves ,formulation of hypothesis or proposition
of solutions, data analysis, and deductions;and ascertaining
whether the conclusions fit the hypothesis.
Or
Research is a process of creating, or formulating knowledge
that does not yet exist
Objectives of Engineering Research
• The objective of engineering research is to solve new and
important problems, and the conclusion at the end of one’s
research outcome has to be new, but when one starts, the
conclusion is unknown
• The objectives of engineering research should be to
develop new theoretical or applied knowledge and not
necessarily limited to obtaining abilities to obtain the
desired result.
• The objectives should be framed such that in the event of
not being able to achieve the desired result that is being
sought, one can fall back to understanding why it is not
possible, because that is also a contribution toward
ongoing research in solving that problem.
 Motivation in Engineering Research
• The possible motives may be one or more of the following factors
• (i) Intrinsic motivations :
• Like, interest in solving unsolved problems, intellectual joy of challenge, service to
• community, and respectability .
• (ii) Extrinsic motivating factors :
• like ,rewards for good work include : money, fame, awards, praise, and status are very strong
motivators,.
• For example: Research outcome may enable obtaining a patent which is a good
• way to become rich and famous.
• (iii) Influences from others :
• like competition, collaboration, commitment, and encouragement.
• For example: my friends are all doing research and I should do , or,
• a person that I dislike is doing well and I want to do better.
• iv) mix of extrinsic and intrinsic aspects:
• (i) desire to do better than the existing (ii) improve the state of the
• art in technology, (iii) Contribute to the improvement of society,
• v)Several other factors :
• like government directives, funding opportunities in certain areas, and terms of employment,
• can motivate people to get involved in engineering research.
 Types of Engineering Research
• The different types of research are:
• (i) Descriptive research :
• Descriptive research includes comparative and correlational methods, and fact-finding inquiries, to
effectively describe the present state of art. The researcher holds no control over the variables; rather
attempts to determine causes even though the variables cannot be controlled.
• Ii) Analytical research :
• Analytical research, uses already available facts for analysis and critical evaluation are utilized. Some
research studies can be both descriptive and analytical
• (iii) Applied Research :
• Applied research seeks to solve an immediate problem facing the organization. The primary objective of
applied research is to determine a solution for compelling problems .
• Iv) Fundamental research :
• Concerned with generalizations and formulation of a theory. Research concerning natural
• phenomena or relating to pure mathematics are examples of fundamental research., while basic research
is aimed at seeking information which could have a broad base of applications in the medium to long term.
• (v) Quantitative Research :
• Quantitative research uses statistical observations of a sufficiently large number of representative cases
to draw any conclusions,
• Vi) Qualitative research :
• Rely on a few non representative cases or verbal narrative in behavioral studies.
 Finding a Worthwhile research Problem

• Research scholars are faced with the task of finding an

appropriate problem on which to begin their research.
• A researcher may start out with the research problems
stated by the Supervisor or posed by others that are yet to
be solved.
• Alternately, it may be formulated from the information
provided in a group of papers suggested by the Supervisor.
Skills needed to accomplish such a task at the outset,
• Once the problem is vaguely identified, the process of
literature survey and technical reading would take place for
more certainty of the worthiness of the intended problem.
• Sometimes, an oral presentation by somebody which is
followed by asking questions or introspection provides this
perspective which reading papers do not.
• A worthwhile research problem would have one or more
attributes.
• a major simplification of a central part of the theory,
• a new result which would start off a new subject or an area,
• provides a new method or improves upon known methods
of doing something
• which has practical applications,
• or a result which stops further work in an area.
• The researcher has to be convinced that the problem is
worthwhile before beginning to tackle it because best
efforts come when the work is worth doing, and the
problem and/or solution has a better chance of being
accepted by the research community.
 Solving a research problem
• The recommended steps to solve a research problem are :
(i) Understand the problem, restate it as if its your own,
visualize the problem by drawing figures, and determine if
something more is needed.
• (ii) One must start somewhere and systematically explore
possible strategies to solve the problem or a simpler
version of it while looking for patterns.
• (iii) Execute the plan to see if it works, and if it does not
then start over with another approach. Having delved into
the problem and returned to it multiple times, one might
have a flash of insight or a new idea to solve the problem.
• (iv) Looking back and reflecting helps in understanding and
assimilating the strategy, and is a sort of investment into
the future.
 Ethics in Engineering Research

• Ethics generally refers to a set of rules

distinguishing acceptable and unacceptable
conduct, distinguishing right from wrong
*Although ethics are not laws, but laws often
follow ethics because ethics are our shared
values
Government bodies, and universities worldwide
have adopted certain codes for research ethics
Ethics in Engineering Research Practice
• Engineering ethics gives us the rule book; tells us, how to
decide what is okay to do and what is not.
• We have unprecedented access to data today, and
unprecedented options for analysis of these data and
consequences in engineering research related to such data.
Are there things that are possible to do with this data, that
we agree we should not do?
• Research outcomes often have unintended and undesirable
side effects. It is a vital ethical responsibility of researchers
to ensure that hazards/risks associated with the
technologies that they develop, are minimized and
alternative safer mechanisms are considered
 Types of Research Misconduct
• (i) Fabrication (Illegitimate creation of data):
Fabrication is the act of conjuring data or experiments
with a belief of knowledge about what the conclusion
of the analysis or experiments would be, but cannot
wait for the results possibly
• (ii) Falsification (Inappropriate alteration of data):
Falsification is the misrepresentation or
misinterpretation, or illegitimate alteration of data or
experiments, even if partly, to support a desired
hypothesis even when the actual data received from
experiments suggest otherwise.
• (iii) Plagiarism (Taking other’s work sans attribution): Plagiarism takes
place when someone uses or reuses the work (including portions) of
others (text, data, tables, figures, illustrations or concepts) as if it were
his/her own without explicit acknowledgement.
• Verbatim copying or reusing one’s own published work is termed as self-
plagiarism and is also an unacceptable practice in scientific literature.
• The increasing availability of scientific content on the internet seems to
encourage plagiarism in certain cases, but also enables detection of such
practices through automated software packages.

(iv) Other Aspects of Research Misconduct:

Serious deviations from accepted conduct could be construed as research
misconduct. When there is both deception and damage, a fraud is deemed to
have taken place.
(v)Simultaneous submission of the same article to two different journals also
violates publication policies.
 Ethical Issues Related to Authorship
• Academic authorship involves communicating scholarly work,
establishing priority for their discoveries, and building peer-
reputation, and acceptance of the responsibility for the contents of
the work.
• Credit for research contributions is attributed in three major ways
in research publications:
Authorship (of the intended publication)
• citation (of previously published or formally presented work),
Through a written acknowledgment (of some inputs to the present
research).
Authorship establishes both accountability and gives due credit.
A person is expected to be listed as an author only when associated
as a significant contributor in research design, data interpretation, or
writing of the paper.
 Misconduct in author ship
• “Guest” or “Gift” author :
(coauthor ship bestowed on someone with little or no contribution to the
work) authors dilutes the contribution of those who actually did the work,
• Career-boost authorship :
• Sometimes, the primary author dubiously bestows coauthor ship on a
junior faculty or a student to boost their chances of employment or
promotion,
*Career-preservation authorship :
wherein a head of the department, a dean, a provost, or other
administrators are added as Coauthors. wherein the principal author
benefits from a “good relation” with the superiors and the administrator
benefits from authorship without doing the required work for it
Double submission :is an important ethical issue related to authorship, which
involves submission of a paper to two forums simultaneously.