Research in

Computer Science

WVX8001

Lecture 3
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rodina Ahmad
 • We can conduct a research to find answers
about something that we are not sure of.
• Whether is about a phenomenon which has
happened, that is happening or has not
happened, we can carry out studies or research
to find the answers.
What is • i.e. research is carried out to find out a valid answer
(research results) to a problem (uncertainty).

Research? • A research is conducted using systematic

methods to ensure that the information
obtained is reasonable and is supported by
quantitative or qualitative data.
 • Research involves an instrument
to:
• Obtain knowledge which is valid
and reliable (i.e. knowledge with
scientific and logical foundations)
• Collect evidence in order to give
an answer to any doubt or
problem which arises
What is • Correct any stereotyping,
Research? traditions and belief which are
untrue
• Predict the existence of a
phenomenon
• Explain the truth about a
phenomenon.
 • Research is repeated searching
(i.e. re-search).
• i.e. the process of searching
through what other people may
have searched with the aim of
uncovering what is yet to be
discovered.
What is • It may require interpreting what had
been found in a new but innovative

Research?
way.
• Originality is a key term in
research
• involves thinking about things in a
way that other people have not
reached a conclusion that is
unique.
• The main theme of every research
is contribution to knowledge
• The value, quality and scope of the
contribution of a research to
knowledge is usually a controversial
issue.
• A basic guiding principle is that the
findings of the research must contribute
What is
something new to what is already
known in the field of study.
Research?
 • 2 basic input into any research activity:
• the human resource, and
• the material resources.
• The output from any research work is the
What is knowledge obtained as a result of carrying
out the research.
Research? • the knowledge can be in the form of artifact or
model that can be used as the basis for
implementing a solution or input to other
research work.
 Computer Science is the systematic study of algorithmic
processes that describe and transform information , their
theory , analysis, design, efficiency, implementation and
application. The fundamental question underlying all of
computing is “What can be (efficiently) automated ?”

Computer
Science (CS) The fundamental knowledge underlying computing research is
from philosophy andanalytic
constrained by reasoning and
Mathematics.
in nature and constrained by
Research formalised in logic - philosophical
research.
theoretically provable propositions
and axioms - mathematical research.

CS research derives its power of expression from mathematics,

particularly discrete mathematics.

Is constrained by what is theoretically computable.

Computer Science
(CS) Research
• Often a Computer Scientist asks
questions about why a
computational entity or
phenomena behaves in a
particular way and or why does a
computational entity has a
particular feature.
• In doing this, he may study natural
phenomena and attempt to model
the phenomena computationally.
Computer Science (CS) Research

• The Computer Scientist then proceeds to research the answer to the

question by investigating the model.
• E.g. a Computer Scientist can study different data structures (e.g. list, linked
list, queue, tree, and array) to know why they perform differently in different
environments (e.g. small and large database environments).
• He may then go further to propose various algorithms for implementing these data
structures as well as those required for manipulating them (e.g. search, sort).
• In the process, some parameters that specify the performance of each algorithm may be
provided.
Computer Science (CS) Research

• Another e.g., in the development of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN),

• computer scientists study the behaviours of human neurons as described
in the biological sciences.
• Using this knowledge, the CS researchers produced computational models
with varying configuration as structures.
• The aim in proposing these models is not for solving any practical
problems but to investigate all possible problem scenarios in abstract
term.
 • There are basically two research types
• Theoretical research revolves around the creation of
abstract objects followed by the investigation of the
properties of these artifacts through the use of formal
methods (e.g., logic)
• A theoretical study is one that does not depend
Theoretical upon an experiment, manipulation of variables or
empirical evidence. It is based on testing, exploring
vs. or developing theories, and it generally involves
observation or the compilation of information.
Empirical • Empirical research is based on findings through direct or
indirect observation of reality. Empirical research is
Research defined as any study whose conclusions are
exclusively derived from concrete, verifiable
Types evidence.
• The researcher attempts to describe accurately the
interaction between the instrument (which may be as
simple as the human eye) and the entity being observed.
• • In practice, the accumulation of evidence for or against
any particular theory involves planned research designs
for the collection of empirical data.
 • Theoretical research is a logical exploration of a
system of beliefs and assumptions. This type of
research includes theorizing or defining how a
cyber system and its environment behave and then
exploring or playing out the implications of how it
is defined. This research is very valuable in
understanding the bounds, edge cases, and
emergent behaviors of a system. Often theoretical
Theoretical research is decried as out of touch with reality, so-
called “ivory tower” research. Frankly, any
Research (e.g. research type or approach can run the risk of being
irrelevant or out of touch if done incorrectly. In
cybersecurity) some scientific fields, theoretical research is so far
ahead of engineering and technological progress
that experiments to validate or refute them are
hundreds of years away. In cyber security research
, theoretical work often overlaps with
mathematics, logic, or theory of computation;
cryptography, of course, is a great example of
this.Concepts (CO), Tools (TL), Methods (ME),
Processes (PR) and
 Algorithm research (AL)
• Logic research (LO)
• Tool research (TL)
Research
in • Language research (LA)
Computer – Textual and graphical
Science
• Model research (MO)
• Meta models (MM)
• Concepts (CO)
 Identifying motivated areas of inquiry

• Formulating mathematical structures to investigate

• Identifying intersections with, and the place within, the existing

literature
Basic steps • Determining which theoretical “tools” (e.g., set theory, topology,
in CS proof techniques, etc.) are most applicable to the investigation at
Theoretical hand

Research – potentially devising new tools

Process • “Experimenting” with the theoretical construct – looking for

generalizations and proposing theorems

• Developing formal proofs or refutations of proposed theorems

• Identifying remaining open questions and understanding why you

were unable to answer them

Basic steps in CS Research

• The techniques applied in CS

research include formal logic,
automata theory and the theory of
computational complexity.
• The tools for expressing this ideas
include formal languages such as The
Unified Modelling Language (UML),
Petri nets, Z and Finite State
Automata (FSA).
• Computer programming languages
such as Java, C, C++ and Fortran
and simulation software such as
MatLab and Mathematical are
common implementation tools.
 • Empirical research is done using either qualitat
quantitative methods
Empirical i. Finding good research questions
Research ii. Identifying intersections with, and the place within
Process: literature
Quantitative/ iii. Need for (or not) a hypothesis
iv. Research Design
Qualitative v. Threats to validity
Approach vi. Effort estimation and planning
vii. Data gathering and Data analysis
viii. Interpretation
ix. implication
x. Conclusion
Scope of Computer
Science

• Traditional research in Computer Science

• Oriented towards scientific and
engineering models of research

• Current scenario
• Scope of computer science has since
been expanding
• Many research topics currently
considered part of the discipline in
Computer Science are technology
driven rather than theory driven.
• Topics that are technology
driven are difficult to assess
using pure scientific criteria.
 Categories of Research in Computer Science
Based on Research Strategy conference (UK conference of
Professors and Heads of computer science at University of
Manchester (2000) and moving forward each year

 5 main categories of research in CS [in an article by Chris Johnson]:

Study of or exploring on what is possible
(Category A)
Study of real-world phenomena or existing naturally occurring
information-processing systems
(Category B)
Research involving creation of new useful automated or
information-processing systems (Category C)
Research related to creation and evaluation of tools, formalisms
and techniques to support the activities of all other categories of
research (Category D)
 Research in Computer Science

• One category that is not really a sub-discipline of CS, but a multi-

disciplinary research area:
• Research related to social and economic impact issues of
development in computing technology (Category E)
• Each of these categories builds on and contributes to the others.
Research into What
is Possible
(Category A)
• Includes a lot of work using
mathematics and logic
• Pure theoretical work providing
concepts, models, theorem or
techniques relevant to other
categories of research.
• Includes work using formal approach
and less formal approach
• Formal, e.g. based on
mathematical theory
• Semi-formal: less rigorous using
other modes of theory, e.g.
• Textually based
• Graphical notational based
 Research into What is Possible
(Category A) - Formal
• Formal includes work involving mathematics and logic
• Based on mathematical theory
• Related to work on, e.g.:
• Semantics of computation
• Theorems relating to limits of computation
• Complexity
• properties of mechanisms for cryptography
• Study behavioural properties of different types of
mechanisms/architectures/systems, e.g. using petri nets, such as:
• liveness, reachability, boundedness, reversability, coverability,
persistence, etc
• mathematical analysis of various forms of computations
• studies of the expressive power of different formalisms
• Richness in concepts
Research into What is Possible
(Category A) - Formal
Example: Formal Definition of a Petri Net

Example: A petri net (N, Mo) is said to be lively (i.e. Mo is said to be

a live marking for N) if, no matter what marking has been reached
from Mo, it is possible to be ultimately fire any transition of the net
by progressing through some further firing sequence.
 Research into What is Possible
(Category A) - Formal
• Other works are on analysis of properties of various kinds
of.:
• Information-processing architectures
• Decision support systems
• Intelligent caching techniques or systems
• Network protocols
• Scheduling algorithms
• Recommender system
• Cloud computing (green cloud, cloud cryptography,
edge computing )
• Study of types of virtual machines and their properties.
 • Semi-formal or less formal includes works that are
less rigorous.
• Work on exploratory investigations of :
• new types of architectures including virtual
machine architectures
• hardware and software mechanisms
Research • forms of network protocols/communication,
into What is ontologies, etc in order to investigate their
properties and their trade-offs
Possible
(Category
A) – Semi-
Formal
 Research
into What is
• Exploration of various forms of representation or Possible
high-level architectures for use in intelligent
systems. (Category
• May lead to new formal, mathematical
development.
A) – Semi-
• Builds on and abstracts from experience gained Formal
in tasks in other categories.
 • Includes research on real-world phenomena or
naturally occurring information-processing
Study of systems such as
• human body and brain
real-world • insect colonies
phenomena • social and economic systems
or existing • working of the universe
• Weather patterns
naturally • processes of biological evolution
occurring • Traffic system
• other occurrences of events, etc
information-
processing
systems
(Category
B)
 • Work involving scientific research:
Study of • attempt to understand, explain or model,
things that exist in the world or other real-
real-world world phenomena
phenomena • Such understanding can sometimes lead to
useful practical applications by enabling us to
or existing explain, predict, control and modify some of
the behavior of these systems or natural
naturally phenomena after understanding them.
occurring
information-
processing
systems
(Category
B)
 Study of
real-world
phenomena
or existing
• Study of different forms of computation allows naturally
us to find new ways of formulating and testing
powerful models and theories for explaining occurring
and predicting natural phenomena. information-
• To model and explain aspects of human-
intelligence processing
• Relevant to work on: systems
• Analysis and simulation of human
engineering activities
(Category
• AI or cognitive science on simulation of B)
human design processes
 • Activity of engineers working individually, or
Study of in teams, is an example of a naturally
occurring process
real-world • Therefore, empirical investigations of
phenomena different kinds of practices,
methodologies, languages, tools, etc, and
or existing how they work, are under this category of
research.
naturally
occurring
information-
processing
systems
(Category
B)
 Research on
• The goal is to create new practically useful systems that add
creation of
to the body of knowledge new useful
• i.e. must increase knowledge, such as
• Increase our explicit knowledge about how to automated
specify, design, build, test, maintain, improve, or
evaluate information-processing systems
or
• Examples are: information-
• The original idea of the www;
• Design of a secure and robust air traffic control system,
processing
based on a large and complex collection of ideas;
• A novel nationwide IS for health service.
systems
• Health diagnostic system (Category
• E-government
• E-learning, E-Health
C)
 • May need the use of knowledge and techniques
from many disciplines.
Research on • Related to engineering applications
• Research closely related to production, analysis
creation of and evaluation of practical applications
new useful • Overlaps with Category B on creation of
explanatory theories and models
automated • normally involves designing and implementing
new and complex systems requiring significant
or engineering skills
information-
processing
systems
(Category
C)
 Research on
 Provide or create new or improved types of artifacts
creation of
capable of performing functions previously performed by new useful
natural systems such as humans, e.g.
 Proving mathematical theorems, doing numerical automated
computations
 Translating from one language to another or
 Design new machines information-
 managing medical records
 Weather forecast, face recognition processing
 factory automation, auto-pilot
 Generate code from requirement specifications.
systems
 E-manufacturing (Category
 E-monitoring
C)
 • Develop systems to perform tasks that could not
Research on achieved at all previously, e.g.
• construction of global communication networks
creation of • Accurately forecasting the weather

new useful • Controlling extremely complex machines and

factories
automated • Nuclear reactor systems for generating electricity
• Systems aiding in harnessing water, wind and
or solar energy for electricity

information-
processing
systems
(Category
C)
 Research
on creation
and
evaluation
of tools,
formalisms
• Research related to creation and
evaluation of tools, formalisms and
and
techniques/methods to support the techniques
various activities of research.
• Work involving processes of performing
(Category
the activities/tasks in the previous D)
categories.
Research on creation and
evaluation of tools,
formalisms and techniques
(Category D)

 Involves a diverse range of activities, including :

Designing new programming languages or new formalisms for
expressing requirements
e.g. creation of a new modeling tool.
Compilers, tools for validating or verifying programs or other
specifications
Tools for designing new computing hardware or checking hardware
designs
e.g. VLSI
Automatic program synthesizers, code generators from a complex
analysis model, creation of analysis and design methods and tools
Tools to support exploratory design of software (e.g. most AI
development environments), etc
 • This category of research can be a subset of Category C.
• Research on design, analysis and testing
Research on methodologies as well as to support them, included
in this category though it may overlap with other
creation and categories.
• Design and production of new general purpose
evaluation computers, compilers, OSs, high-level languages,
graphical and other interactive devices, falls into
of tools, both categories C and D.

formalisms
and
techniques
(Category
D)
 Not a strictly part of CS Research
 Often conducted under disciplines or departments
other than CS. related to
 Research related to the study of
 social and economic impact of computing
social and
 ways in which developments in computing economic
technology have influenced social, educational,
economic, legal and political processes and issues
structures.
 ways in which they may influence such processes (Category
in the future.
 changing environments E)
 perspectives of humanity: views of human
mind from development in AI
 • Analysis of ethical implication of
• impact of the new technology in jobs,
opportunities, power structures,
resources, etc for various social
groups
• Requires collaboration from other disciplines
such as psychology, sociology, economics,
management science, political science and
philosophy.

Research related to social and

economic issues (Category E)
Concluding Remark

Category A are closely Category B are more

Research topics from each related to criteria for evaluated like those in
category needs to be evaluation of research in empirical sciences, like
accessed/evaluated mathematics, logic, experimental physics,
differently according to philosophy, theoretical biology, psychology, etc
physics, theoretical
different criteria.
biology, etc
  Category C are evaluated based on how
well it extends knowledge and how useful
the results are.
 Category D should be evaluated according
to how well they facilitate work in the other
three categories.
 Category E should be evaluated based on
Concluding the criteria for evaluating research in all the
other disciplines involved in this research,
Remark including psychology, sociology, etc.
 • The criteria for works of categories A and B are
relevant to evaluating works in Category C because
the work is composite in nature.

Concluding
Remark for
types of
research
Research Questions and Areas
• Aarom Sloman, “Types of research in computing
science, software engineering and artificial
intelligence”, School of Computer Science, University of
Birmingham.
http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/cogaff/m
isc/cs-research.html
• Chris Johnson, “Basic Research Skills in Computing
Science”, Department of Computer Science, Glasgow
University, Glasgow, G12 8QQ.
• Chris Johnson, “What is Research in Computing
Science?”, Department of Computer Science, Glasgow
University, Glasgow, G12 8QQ.
• 'Tunj O. DEJOBI, “Research Methodology in Computer
• Science & Engineering”
• Chua Yan Piaw, “Mastering Research Methods”,
McGraw Hill, 2012.

References
Differences between scientific and
engineering disciplines
• "Perhaps the most pertinent distinction is that between scientific and
engineering disciplines. That distinction lies not so much in the
activities of the practitioners as in their purposes. A high-energy
physicist may easily spend most of his time building his apparatus; a
spacecraft engineer may easily spend most of his time studying the
behavior of materials in vacuum. Nevertheless, the scientist builds in
order to study; the engineer studies in order to build." ....... "In a
word, the computer scientist is a toolsmith--no more, but no less. It is
an honorable calling."

• F.P. Brooks, Jr., The Computer Scientist As Toolsmith, in

Communications of The Acm, March 1996/Vol. 39, No. 3 ACM award
acceptance lecture delivered at SIGGRAPH 94