Borana University

College of Natural & Computational Science

Department of Computer Science

Research Method in Computer Science

Research Ethics & Data collection

By: Bekan A. (MSc)

01

c ontents
01 Structure of Good Quality Papers

02 Ethical Issues in Research

03 Plagiarism, Falsification, Fabrication

04 Academic Honesty Related Issues

05 Data Collection

04 Data Analysis
02
Structure of Good Quality Papers
Title
• Should be concise, informative, and relevant to the
content.
Abstract
• Summarize the main objectives, methods, results, &
conclusions. YOUR TITLE
Introduction
• Clearly state the problem or research question.
• ProvideKeyword
context and background. Keyword
• Outline the purpose and objectives of the study
03 Cont ...

Literature Review
• Summarize & critically analyze relevant previous research.
• Identify gaps in the existing literature.
• Establish the theoretical framework for your study.
Methodology
• Describe the researchYOUR
design,
TITLE participants, materials, and
procedures.
• Explain the data collection and analysis methods.
• Ensure the study is replicable based on
Keyword
your description.
Keyword
04 Cont ...

Results
• Present your findings objectively.
• Use tables, figures, and graphs to enhance clarity.
• Avoid interpretation at this stage.
Discussion
• Interpret your results in the context of the research
YOUR TITLE

question.
• Compare and contrast with existing literature.
• AddressKeyword
limitations & directions forKeyword
future research.
05 Cont ...

Conclusion
• Summarize the key findings.
• Emphasize the significance of your work.
• Avoid introducing new information.
References
• List all the sources YOUR
cited in the paper.
TITLE

• Follow a specific citation style (APA, MLA, ...).

• Ensure consistency in formatting.
Keyword Keyword
06
Cont ...

Acknowledgments
• Optional section to thank individuals or organizations.
Appendices
• Include supplementary material such as raw data,
questionnaires, or additional
YOUR TITLE details.

Keyword Keyword
07 Making Excellent Presentation

• Creating an excellent presentation on research methodology

in Computer Science involves effectively communicating
your research process, methods, and rationale to your
audience.
• Here the followings are YOUR
someTITLEtips to help you make a good

presentation
08 Cont ...
• Proper Organization: A well-organized research paper is
easier to read, understand, and evaluate
• Clear and Concise Writing:
• Use simple and precise language that is easy to understand.
• Avoid jargon and unnecessary
YOUR TITLE
technical terms.
• Edit and proofread the paper thoroughly to eliminate errors
and improve readability.
09
Cont ...

• Adherence to Academic Standards: Research papers must

adhere to specific academic standards to maintain credibility
and professionalism.
• Presentation and Visual Aids: Visual aids can significantly
YOUR TITLE
enhance the presentation of your research paper.
10 Research Ethics
1. Plagiarism
• Presenting someone else's work, ideas, processes, results, or
intellectual property as one's own without proper attribution
or without giving appropriate credit.
YOUR TITLE
• Presenting another’s original thoughts or ideas as your own.
• Using another’s exact words without proper citation.
Keyword Keyword
11 Types of Plagiarism

§ Copying: The most well-known and, sadly, the most common

type of plagiarism is the simplest copying.
§ Paraphrasing: This occurs when the plagiarizer paraphrases
or summarizes another's work without citing the source.
YOUR TITLE

§ Unintentional: it occurs when the writer incorrectly quotes

and/or incorrectly cites a source they are using.
Keyword Keyword
12 Avoiding Plagiarism
§ The best method for avoiding it is to simply be honest; when
you've used a source in your paper, give credit where it's due.
§ Acknowledge the author of the original work you've used.
§ Another way to avoid plagiarism is to use your own work as
YOUR TITLE
often as possible.
§ Researchers should properly cite all sources, including code,
Keyword Keyword

algorithms, and prior work.

13
2. Falsification

§ Manipulating, altering, or selectively presenting data or

results to mislead or create a false impression.
§ Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes
§ Changing or omitting data or results such that the research
is not accurately represented in the research record.
14
3. Fabrication

• Refers to the unethical practice of making up or falsifying

data, results, or other aspects of a research study.
• Inventing or creating data or results that never existed.

YOUR TITLE
15
Forms of Fabrication
• Falsifying experimental data: Making up or altering data
points to support desired conclusions.
• Inventing participants or subjects: Creating fictitious
individuals or groups that were never part of the study.
• A l t e r i n g i m a g e s o r YOUR
g r aTITLE
phs: Manipulating visual
representations of data to present a more favorable outcome.
• Misrepresenting methods or procedures: Providing false
information about the methods used in the study.
16
Data collection
• Data collection is a crucial step in the research process,
and it involves gathering information to answer research
questions or test hypotheses.
• There are two main types of data:
§ Primary data
§ Secondary data. YOUR TITLE

Keyword Keyword
17 Primary Data

• Primary data is original information collected directly

from the source, usually through surveys, observations,
experments, or interviews.
• Primary data comes from direct contact with the subjects
or sources of information, such as questionaries,
YOUR TITLE
interciews, experments, or observations.

Keyword Keyword
18
Methods of Primary Data Collection
• Questionnaires: Researchers create questionnaires to gather
information directly from individuals.
• Interviews: Conducting one-to-one or group interviews to
collect detailed and in-depth information.
• Observations: Systematic observation of behaviors, events, or
phenomena to gather firsthand data.
YOUR TITLE

• Experiments: Controlled experiments to manipulate variables

and observe their effects.
• Focus Groups: Group discussions where participants express
their opinions on a specific topic.
19 Advantages

• Relevance: Data is tailored to meet specific research

objectives.
• Freshness: It is the most current and up-to-date
information available.
• Control: Researchers have control over the collection
process. YOUR TITLE

Keyword Keyword
20 Disdvantages

• Time-Consuming: Primary data collection can be time-

intensive.
• Costly: It often requires resources in terms of money and
personnel.
• Potential for Bias: Researcher bias may affect the data
YOUR TITLE
collected.

Keyword
20 Uses of primary data
• To gather new and original data: Primary data is collected
directly from the source.
• To answer specific research questions: Primary data allows
researchers to collect data that is directly relevant to their
research objectives and specific research questions.
• To explore new areasYOUR of TITLE
research: Primary data can be
used to explore new areas or topics that have not been
extensively studied.
• To control data quality Keyword
21 Secondary Data
• Secondary data refers to information that has been collected
and processed by someone other than the researcher for a
purpose other than the current research.
• Secondary data comes from existing sources such as published
materials, government record, and databases
YOUR TITLE

Keyword Keyword
22 Sources of Secondary Data

• Published sources
• Government reports
• Online databases
• Company reports
• Surveys and studies conducted by others
YOUR TITLE

Keyword Keyword
23 Advantages
• Cost-Effective: Using existing data is often less expensive
than collecting new data.
• Time-Saving: Secondary data is readily available, saving
time compared to primary data collection.
• Large-Scale Data: Access to extensive datasets that might be
difficult to collect individually
YOUR TITLE

Keyword Keyword
24
Disadvantages
• Relevance Issues: The available data may not precisely meet
the research objectives.
• Quality Concerns: The quality of the data may vary, and its
reliability may be uncertain.
• Outdated Information: The data may be outdated, especially
YOUR TITLE
in rapidly changing fields

Keyword Keyword
25
Uses of secondary data
• To provide background information: Secondary data
provides a wealth of existing information, such as gov’t
reports, academic journals, or industry publications.
• To validate or support primary data: Secondary data can be
used to validate or support the findings from primary data.
• To save time and resources: Collecting primary data can be
YOUR TITLE

time-consuming and expensive.

Keyword Keyword
26
Data Analysis

• Data analysis is the process of inspecting, cleaning,

transforming, and modeling data in order to discover useful
information, draw conclusions, and support decision-
making.
• It involves various methods and techniques that help make
YOUR TITLE

sense of large and complex datasets.

Keyword Keyword
27
Methods of Data Analysis

1. Descriptive Statistics: Descriptive statistics summarize and

describe the main features of datasets using measures like
mean, median, standard deviation, and histogram plots.
2. Inferential Statistics: Inferential statistics are used to make
inferences and draw conclusions
YOUR TITLE
about a population based on
sample data. Techniques like hypothesis testing and
confidence intervals
Keyword
fall under this category.
Keyword
28
Cont ...

3. Data Visualization: Data visualization involves the creation

of graphical representations of data to facilitate understanding
and make patterns or trends more apparent. Techniques
include bar charts, scatter plots, and heatmaps.
4. Regression Analysis: Regression
YOUR TITLE
analysis is used to explore
the relationship between a dependent variable and one or
more independent
Keyword
variables. Keyword
29
Cont ...

5. Machine Learning: Machine learning algorithms are used to

build models that can learn from data and make predictions or
take actions. Techniques like classification, clustering, and
regression fall under this category.
6. Time Series Analysis: Time series analysis is used to analyze
YOUR TITLE

data collected over time to uncover patterns or trends. It

includes techniques
Keyword
like forecasting, Keyword
decomposition, and
autocorrelation analysis.
THE END