RESEARCH METHODOLOGY & INTELLECTUAL

PROPERTY RIGHTS
BRMK557
Course Objectives
CO1. To Understand the knowledge on basics of research
and its types.
CO2. To Learn the concept of Literature Review, Technical
Reading, Attributions and Citations.
CO3. To learn Ethics in Engineering Research.
CO4. To Discuss the concepts of Intellectual Property Rights
in engineering.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY &
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS
BRMK557

Module 1
Introduction
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Researc
h • Research refers to a careful, well-defined (or redefined), objective, and
systematic method of search for knowledge, or formulation of a
theory that is driven by inquisitiveness for that which is
unknown and useful on a particular aspect so as to make an
original contribution to expand the existing knowledge base.

• Research is a process of creating, or formulating knowledge that does

not yet exist.
• Booth et al, explains that the research cycle starts
with basically a practical problem: one must be
clear what the problem being attempted to solve is
and why it is important.
• This problem motivates a research question
without which one can tend to get lost in a giant
swamp of information.
• The question helps one zero in onto
manageable volume of information, and in turn defines
Fig. 1.1 The research flow diagram
a research project which is an activity or set of
activities that ultimately leads to result or answer, which
in turn helps to solve the practical problem that one
started with in the first place as shown
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The ways of developing and accessing knowledge come in three, somewhat overlapping,
broad categories:

(i) Observation is the most fundamental way of obtaining information

from a source, and it could be significant in itself if the thing that we are
trying to observe is really strange or exciting, or is difficult to
observe. Observation takes different forms from something like
measurements in a laboratory to a survey among a group of
subjects to the time it takes for a firmware routine to run. The
observational data often needs to be processed in some form and this
leads to the second category of knowledge, the model.
(ii) Models are approximated, often simplified ways of describing sometimes very
complex interactions in the form of a statistical relationship, a figure, or a set of
mathematical equations. For instance, the modeling equation
captures the relationship between different attributes or the
behavior of the device in an abstract form and enables us to understand the
observed phenomena.
(iii) The final category is a way of arranging or doing things through processes,
algorithms, procedures, arrangements, or reference designs, to get a certain
desired result.
Fig. 1.2 The categories of knowledge in research
• Good research involves systematic collection and analysis of information and is
followed by an attempt to infer a little bit beyond the already known information in
a way that is a significant value addition.

• Usually, engineering research is a journey that traverses from a research area (example:
Control Systems), to the topic (example: Control of Microbial Fuel Cells) and finally onto
the problem (example: AdaptiveControl of Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells) (Area-
> Topic-> Problem).

• Getting a good problem to solve is more than half the work done. However,
sometimes the journey can be reverse, for example, the traversal from (Problem<-
Topic<- Area). This can happen when one is led to a problem through a connection to
another problem whose top structure is different.
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1.1 Objectives of Engineering
Research
• The objective of engineering research is to solve new and important
problems, and since the conclusion at the end of one’s
research outcome has to be new, but when one starts, the
conclusion is unknown. So, the start itself is tricky, one may say.

• The answer is, based on “circumstantial evidence”, intuition, and

imagination, one guesses what may be a possible conclusion.
• The main aim of the research is to apply scientific approaches to seek answers
to open questions, and although each research study is particularly suited for
a certain approach, in general, the following are different types of
research studies: exploratory or formulative, descriptive, diagnostic,
and hypothesis- testing.

• 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.
1.2 Motivation in Engineering Research
• The possible motives may be the result of one or more of the
following desires:
(i) Studies have shown that intrinsic motivations like interest,
challenge, learning, meaning, purpose, are linked to strong creative
performance;

(ii)Extrinsic
motivating factors like rewards for good work include
money, fame, awards, praise, and status are very strong motivators, but
may block creativity.
•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 are
also motivating factors in research. For example: my friends are
all doing research and so should I, or, a person that I dislike is
doing well and I want to do better.
(iv) Personal motivation in solving unsolved problems, intellectual
joy, service to community, and respectability are all driving factors.
• The following factors would be a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic aspects:
(i) Wanting to do better than what has been achieved in the world,
(ii) improve the state of the art in technology,
(iii) Contribute to the improvement of society,
(iv) Fulfillment of the historical legacy in the immediate sociocultural context.

• Several other factors like government directives, funding opportunities in certain

areas, and terms of employment, can motivate people to get involved
in engineering research.
1.3 Types of Engineering
Research
The different types of research are

(i) Descriptive versus Analytical: 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 only reports as it is.
Descriptive research also includes attempts to determine causes even though the variables
cannot be controlled. On the contrary, in analytical research, already available facts for
analysis and critical evaluation are utilized. Some research studies can be both
descriptive and analytical.
• (ii) Applied versus Fundamental: Research can either be applied research or
fundamental (basic or pure) research. Applied research seeks to solve
an immediate problem facing the organization, whereas fundamental
research is concerned with generalizations and formulation of a
theory. Research concerning natural phenomena or relating to pure
mathematics are examples of fundamental research.

• (iii) Quantitative versus Qualitative: Quantitative research uses

statistical observations of a sufficiently large number of representative cases
to draw any conclusions, while qualitative researchers rely on a few
nonrepresentative cases or verbal narrative in behavioral studies such
as clustering effect in intersections in Transportation engineering to make a
proposition.
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1.4 Finding and Solving a Worthwhile
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.
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Ethics in Engineering Research
Ethics generally refers to a set of rules distinguishing acceptable and
unacceptable conduct, distinguishing right from wrong, or wise aphorisms like
the sayings of
Chanakya.

Most people learn such norms in their formative years , but moral development
continues through different stages of growth.

Government bodies, and universities worldwide have adopted certain codes for
research ethics. Research ethics and the responsible conduct of research are often
erroneously used interchangeably.

Research ethics examines the appropriate application of research outcomes,

while responsible conduct of research deals with the way the work is undertaken.
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1. Ethics in Engineering Research Practice
•The reason that ethics matter in data used in engineering
research is usually because there is impact on humans.

•Certain practices may be acceptable to certain people

in certain situations, and the reasons for unacceptability
may be perfectly valid.

•Engineering ethics gives us the rule book; tells us, how

to decide what is okay to do and what is not.
Researchers make many choices that matter from an ethical perspective
and influence the effects of technology in many different ways:

(i) By setting the ethically right requirements at the very outset,

engineering researchers can ultimately influence the effects of the
developed technology.
(ii) Influence may also be applied by researchers through design (a
process that translates the requirements into a blueprint to fulfill those
requirements). During the design process, decision is to be made about
the priority in importance of the requirements taking ethical aspects into
consideration.

(iii) Thirdly, engineering researchers have to choose between different

alternatives fulfilling similar functions.
5.2 Types of Research
Misconduct
• Engineering research should be conducted to improve the state-of-the-art of
technologies. Research integrity encompasses dealing fairly with others,
honesty about the methods and results, replicating the results wherever
possible so as to avoid errors, protecting the welfare of research
subjects, ensuring laboratory safety, and so forth. In order to prevent
mistakes, peer reviews should take place before the research output is
published.
• 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 due to timeline pressures from supervisor or customers.
• 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.
• 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 ownwithout 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.
• A commonly used tool among researchers is iTheticate: http://www.ithenticate.com/.
• iThenticate is a plagiarism detection service for the corporate market, from Turnitin, LLC, which
also runs Plagiarism.org.
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How are supervisors, reviewers or editors alerted to plagiarism?
(i) Original author comes to know and informs everyone concerned.
(ii) Sometimes a reviewer finds out about it during the review process.
(iii) Or, readers who come across the article or book, while doing
research.

(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. Sooner or later ethical violations get exposed. Simultaneous submission of
the same article to two different journals also violates publication policies.
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5.3 Ethical Issues Related to
Authorship
• Academic authorship involves communicating scholarly work, establishing
priority for their discoveries, and building peer-reputation, and comes
with intrinsic burden of acceptance of the responsibility for the contents of the
work. It is the primary basis of evaluation for employment,
promotion, and other honors.
• Credit for research contributions is attributed in three major ways in
research
publications:
• By authorship (of the intended publication), citation (of previously published or
formally presented work), and 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.
• Including “guest” or “gift” (coauthorship bestowed on someone with little or no contribution to
the work) authors dilutes the contribution of those who actually did the work,
inappropriately inflates credentials of the listed authors, and is ethically a red flag
highlighting research misconduct.

• There is also an unfortunate malpractice of coauthorship that can be described as “Career-

preservation authorship” wherein a head of the department, a dean, a provost, or
other administrators are added as Coauthors because of quid pro quo arrangement 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. The motivation is to increase publication possibility
and possibly decrease time to publication. Reputed journals want to publish original papers,
i.e., papers which have not appeared else- where, and strongly discourage double
submission.
 MODULE-I

1. What is Research? With the help of neat diagram explain Research Flow?
2. Explain categories of knowledge research with a diagram?
3. Mention and explain the objective of Engineering Research?
4. Explain the motivation of Engineering Research?
5. Mention the different types of Research?
6. Explain analytical, descriptive, and applied research?
7. What is Ethics? Explain Ethics in Engineering Research Practice?
8. Explain different types of Research Misconduct?

9. What are the ethical issues related to Authorship?