Lecture+1 What+is+Research r1

SENS 601
Research Methods and Ethics

Dr. Yusuf Bicer
Division of Sustainable Development
College of Science and Engineering
Hamad Bin Khalifa University
What is Research?
What is Research?
Research Gap
New bridge or
Upgraded Bridge
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Problem Solution
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2 SENS 601 - Research Methods and Ethics | What is Research? | Dr. Yusuf Bicer
What is not Research?
• Information gathering
• Transportation/Translation of facts from one location to another
• Hunting information
• Catchword
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What is Research?
• Research is the quest/art of
investigating a new/innovative
aspects of knowledge
• Search for knowledge through a
systematic and objective
methods to suggest/find a new
solution,
• Search for a new solution or
approach to a problem or
developing fundamental
theories.
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Questioning the Novelty
The “quality of being new” or “something completely different” or “something

that is unique in the field” is novelty.
The innovation and the importance of this work are not clearly highlighted in
the abstract, introduction and conclusions. Please work on this and prove to us
why this work is valuable.
In the introduction, you need to connect the state of the art to your paper goals.
Please follow the literature review by a clear and concise state of the art analysis.
This should clearly show the knowledge gaps identified and link them to your
paper goals. Please reason both the novelty and the relevance of your paper goals.
Identification and Linking of Knowledge Gap
Examples
Bicer, Y., Sajid, M. U., & Al-Breiki, M. (2022). Optimal spectra management for self-power producing greenhouses for hot arid climates. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 159, 112194.
What is Knowledge/Science?
• Knowledge is justified true belief (Plato)
• Science (from Latin Scientia, scire to know)

• Systemized knowledge as an object of study
• Knowledge covering general facts or operation of laws as
obtained through a scientific method
• “Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of

doubt” Richard Feynman
• Methods This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
• Intuition is the undoubting conception that springs from the

light of reasons
• Deduction is the inference from other facts that we know
with certainty
Pursuit of Ignorance “unawareness”
Search for a “gap” “Originality”
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) Marie Curie (1867-1934)

in a letter to her brother she wrote
“Thoroughly conscious ignorance is “One never notices what has been

the prelude to every real advance in done, one can only see what remains
science” to be done”
Degrees Hierarchy “Science as perceived”
Everything
q Undergraduate
What you know about
Knowledge
a subject
q Master
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
q PhD
Nothing
A Little
A lot
Level of Knowledge
How much do you know about the subject
Trends in Scientific Publications
http://uis.unesco.org/apps/visualisations/research-and-development-spending/)
Growth of Scientific Literature (Facts)
• In 2012, 1.8 million scientific articles published
• The yearly growth is estimated at 3-3.5%
• # of minutes per year = 525,600 minutes
• # of hours per year = 8760 hours
• The rate is 3.4 paper per minute or 205.5 papers per hour
• Between 2008 and 2014, the number of scientific articles catalogued in the Science
Citation Index of Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science grew by 23%, from 1 029 471 to 1
270 425. Growth was strongest among the upper middle-income economies (94%),
primarily driven by growth in Chinese publications (151%).
• Reading patterns: averaging 270 articles per year, but spending less time per article,
with reported reading times down from 45-50 minutes in the mid-1990s to just over 30
minutes.
• What to do “Controlled neglect”

• Generate “high quality” ignorance
Growth of R&D
• There were 7.8 million full-time equivalent researchers in 2013, representing
growth of 21% since 2007. Researchers accounted for 0.1% of the global
population
• The number of international students rose from 2.8 million to 4.1 million
between 2005 and 2013.
• As of 2012, five countries had more than 10 000 of their doctoral students
living abroad: China (58 492), India (30 291), Germany (13 606), Iran (12 180)
and the Republic of Korea (11 925).
• Global gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) totalled 1.48
trillion PPP (purchasing power parity) dollars in 2013.
• The global average for business R&D was 1.08% of GDP in 2001 and 1.15% in
2011.
http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/unesco-science-report-towards-2030-part1.pdf)
What remain to be done “Ignorance”
• In science, knowing a massive amount of facts is not the point, however you
must have facts to pursue more “ignorance”
• Knowledge generates ignorance.
George Bernard Shaw

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) (1856 – 1950)
Principle of Question Propagation
“Every answer given on principle of experience begets a fresh “Science never solves a problem without
question” creating ten more”
Why Research?
• Intellectual satisfaction/creativity/solve unsolved
problems
• Contribution towards advancement of society and

mankind This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
• Attain higher level of understanding
• Personal and financial gain.
What is Research Gap?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5npHvtZnI
Research Gap
Examples
Phase Changing Materials' influence in the heat storage system of a Solar Chimney has not been simulated
in detail.
A two-stage desalination approach with thermal and membrane technology, including brine recovery and
an elevated water storage system for energy production and water distribution, has not been studied.
Implementing sensitivity analysis on the parameters affecting the generation of BOG and determining the
BOG generation in other energy carriers in liquefied forms rather than LNG is missing in the literature.
However, the number of studies is limited and they mostly focused on wastewater treatment by removing
Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ for freshwater production.
No effort was made to evaluate the effect of ultrasonication time, temperature, time duration after
preparation, and surfactant on the transmission and absorption characteristics of the selected nanofluids.
One research gap that can be identified is that there is no thorough study available that analyzes the
production of biodiesel using 100% renewable resources.
Research Questions
Examples
What is the environmental impact of plastic water bottles?
How to eliminate the hydrogen production step for ammonia production?
How to increase the photo-absorption of photoactive materials used in photoreactors?
How to increase the stability and durability of photocatalyst under concentrated irradiation and under water?
What is the extent of efficiency gains and CO2 emission reductions with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) integration?
• Is a standalone SOFC system using natural gas fuel or waste gases like purge gas, tail, or vent gas is more efficient and
effective?
• Is the integration of SOFC with a gas turbine (SOFC-GT), or integration of SOFC with the photovoltaic system (SOFC-PV),
or integrating SOFC with steam and power system (SOFC-Boiler) is more suitable for a gas processing plant?
What is a Research Method?
• A procedure by which we attempt to find the answer to a question or
resolution of a problem systemically and with the support of demonstrable fact
• Systematic means of problem solving

• Systematic → Research Process
• Logical → Induction/deduction
• Empirical → Evidence based
• Reductive → Generalization
• Replicable → Methodology
Research Method
Examples
Experimental Study
Simulation (COMSOL, Aspen Plus, EES)
Thermodynamic Analyses
Analyses Life Cycle Assessment
Feasibility and Scale-Up Analyses
Techno-Economic Analyses
Optimization
Research Method Characteristics
• Originates with a question/problem
• Demand a clear articulation of a goal
• Requires a specific plan of procedure
• Usually divides the problem into manageable sub-problems
• Tentatively guided by a hypothesis
• Counts on facts
• Circular/iterative
Research Process
Review the Available

Literature
Publish Formulate a
Findings Question
Research Process
Interpret Select an Appropriate
Findings Research Design
Collect Relevant
Data
Socratic Method / Scientific Method
Socratic Method Scientific Method
1. Wonder. Pose a questions (What is X?) Wonder. Pose a question (formulate a problem)
2. Hypothesis. Suggest a plausible answer (a definition or defines) from Hypothesis. Suggest a plausible answer (a Theory) from which
which some conceptual testable hypothetical propositions can be some empirically tested hypothetical propositions can be deduced.
deduced
3. Testing, refutation or cross examination. Perform a thought 3. Testing. Construct and perform an experiment, which makes it
experiment by imagining cases which conforms to the definiens but possible to observe whether the consequences specified in one or
clearly fails to exemplify the definiendum or vice versa. Such cases if more of those hypothetical propositions actually follow when the
successful are called counterexamples. If a counterexample is conditions specified in the same proposition pertain. If the test
generated, return to step 2. Otherwise go to step 4. fails return to step 2 otherwise go to step 4.
4. Accept the hypothesis as provisionally true. Return to step 3 if you 4. Accept the hypothesis as provisionally true. Return to step 3 if
can conceive any other case which may show the answer to be there are predictable consequences of the theory which have not
defective been experimentally confirmed.
5. Act accordingly 5. Act accordingly
Research Process
Research Structure
Science, Object, Method
Science Object Method
Abstract objects: propositions,
Mathematics & logic Deduction (Reasoning)
numbers, etc.
Natural objects: Physical bodies,
Natural Sciences fields and interactions, living Hypothesis, deductive
organisms, etc.
Hypothesis, deductive +
Social objects: human individuals,
Social Sciences Hermeneutic
groups, society, etc.
(Interpretation)
Cultural Objects: Human ideas,
Hermeneutic
Humanities actions and relationships,
(interpretation)
language
Research Classification
Basic Applied
• Theoretical? • Quick Answers?
• More Invasive? • Less Invasive?
Internal Validity?
• Laboratory Based? > • Field Based?
• Tightly Controlled? • Loosely Controlled?
https://www.pro-test-deutschland.de/en/themen/grundlagenforschung/
• Lacks External Validity? • Externally Valid?

• Focus on Mechanism • Focus on Effect
• More Reductionist • Less Reductionist
Basic Vs Applied Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25LDsxZkh1w
Basic vs. Applied Research
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/basic-vs-applied-research-kiki-ahmadi
Basic vs. Applied Research
• A study to discover the components • A study trying to decrease fraud on
making up human DNA social media platforms
• A study accessing whether stress levels • A study to find ways to make car tires
make people more aggressive last longer
• A study searching for the causative factors • A study exploring ways to cook gluten-
of cancer
free meals with a limited budget
• A study on the growth process of oak trees
• A study on how to prevent mosquito
• A study trying to find out what makes up a
proton
bites from itching
• A study on the origination of • A study to find what marketing
cryptocurrency strategies to use on college campuses
Examples of Examples of
basic research applied research
Research Classification
Basic Applied
e.g. e.g.
ØDoes CNT binds to ØDoes impregnation of CNT
polymeric chains? improves composite
performance?
-Would this facilitate
uniform distribution of
CNT into the composite?
-Would this aid
mechanical properties?
Research Design
Research Design
Analytical Research Experimental Research
Descriptive Research Pre-designs

Reviews
Quasi-designs
Philosophical Case Study Survey
Historical True-designs
Cross-Sectional
Meta-Analyses
Longitudinal
Statistical-
Correlational designs
Analytical Research
• Reviews
• A critical account of present understanding
• A meta-analysis is a quantitative method of review
• Historical Research
• Accessing both primary (e.g. witnesses) or
secondary (e.g. literature) sources to document
past events This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
• Philosophical Research
• Organizing existing evidence into a comprehensive
theoretical model
Descriptive Research
• Case Study
• Accrual of detailed information from an individual
• Survey
• Cross-sectional: Status of a various groups at a
given point in time
• Longitudinal: Status of a given group at various This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
points in time
• Correlational: Relationships between variables
Correlational Evidence
• When variable X increases, variable Y also
increases
• So, does X increase Y?
• or does Y increase X?
• Alternatively, does Z increase both X and
Y?
Correlations do not infer

Causality
(and vice versa?) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Experimental Research
• Experimental research involves a direct assessment of how one variable
influences another
• This allows the establishment of causality
• All extraneous variables must be held constant while a single variable is
manipulated and the effect measured
• Definition of variables:
• Independent Variable = this variable is the ‘cause’
Scientific Reasoning (Logic)
Quantitative?
Confirmation of a theory from
your own observations
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Formation of a theory grounded in

your own observations
Qualitative?
arch Methods and Ethics | What is Research? | Dr. Yusuf Bicer
36
Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
Example
Therefore, all beans in that bag are

All beans in that bag are white.
white.
These beans are from that bag. These beans are white.
Therefore, these beans are white. These beans are from that bag.
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Strategy

Strategy
• Investigation aims to create a novel
• Investigation aims to assess a pre- theory (Inductive Reasoning)
stated theory (Deductive Reasoning) • Researcher becomes an inherent
• Often involves hypothesis testing part of the study - ethnography
• Attempts to minimise the influence • Qualitative data infers complex
of the researcher on the outcome statements or opinions
• Quantitative data infers statistics • Data collection therefore permits
• Data collection therefore requires ‘open’ responses
‘closed’ responses
Quantitative vs Qualitative Reasoning
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
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Key Terms
• Basic Research • Research Process
• Applied Research • Research Design
• Qualitative Research • Research Strategy
• Quantitative Research
• Analytical Research
• Descriptive Research
• Correlational Evidence
• Experimental Research
• Scientific Reasoning
Thank You
SENS 601
Research Methods and Ethics
Dr. Yusuf Bicer

Division of Sustainable Development
College of Science and Engineering
Hamad bin Khalifa University

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SENS 601

Research Methods and Ethics

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

• Transportation/Translation of facts from one location to another

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

The “quality of being new” or “something completely different” or “something

• Science (from Latin Scientia, scire to know)

• “Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of

• Methods This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

• Intuition is the undoubting conception that springs from the

James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) Marie Curie (1867-1934)

“Thoroughly conscious ignorance is “One never notices what has been

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

• What to do “Controlled neglect”

George Bernard Shaw

• Contribution towards advancement of society and

• Attain higher level of understanding

• Personal and financial gain.

How to eliminate the hydrogen production step for ammonia production?

How to increase the photo-absorption of photoactive materials used in photoreactors?

• Systematic means of problem solving

Simulation (COMSOL, Aspen Plus, EES)

Feasibility and Scale-Up Analyses

• Demand a clear articulation of a goal

• Requires a specific plan of procedure

• Usually divides the problem into manageable sub-problems

• Tentatively guided by a hypothesis

Review the Available

5. Act accordingly 5. Act accordingly

• Lacks External Validity? • Externally Valid?

Analytical Research Experimental Research

Descriptive Research Pre-designs

Correlations do not infer

Formation of a theory grounded in

Therefore, all beans in that bag are

Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Strategy

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Dr. Yusuf Bicer

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