Research Methodology

An Introduction
Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Tanweer
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
DHA Suffa University
Email: rizwantanweer85@gmail.com
About the Instructor
Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Tanweer

AssistantProfessor in Department of Computer Science at

DHA Suffa University.

Ihave done my BE in Computer Engineering from Hamdard

University and Masters and PhD from School of Computer
Science and Eingineering, Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore.

Ihave a passion of teaching research oriented, logical and

Mathematical courses.

My research interest include evolutionary computation,

specifically efficient incorporation of human learning
principles into evolutionary algorithms. Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Tanweer
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Acknowledgment:

Thanks to

Prof. N. Sundararajan (Retd.)

EEE/NTU
Singapore

For providing the materials

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Why Study Research Methodology?
Being a Postgraduate student, it is
mandatory at some stage of study to
conduct research for the fulfillment of the
degree requirements.
Research methodology provides students
with the necessary knowledge to
undertake better research and conceivably
become successful career researchers.

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Why Study Research Methodology?
Research methodology is transformative and central
to an enhanced postgraduate research experience.
It is a science of studying how research is to be
carried out.
Research methods courses offer students the
opportunity to learn:
◦ the various aspects of the research process,
◦ framing useful research questions,
◦ research design,
◦ data collection,
◦ analysis,
◦ writing and presentation.

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Why Research Methodology has
become Critical?
Research methodology has become more
critical than ever because of the changing
nature of data.
The growth in data generated by machines,
software applications, sensors and networks
and the associated complexity of the
research environment suggest that
◦ the ability to understand and judiciously use data
◦ to make useful decisions is becoming an essential
competency of the data-intensive society.
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What enforces upon you to do
Research?
No person would like to do research unless
there are some motivating factors.
◦ To get a research degree (Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.)) along with its benefits like better
employment, promotion, increment in salary, etc.
◦ to get a research degree and then to get a
teaching position in a college or university or
become a scientist in a research institution.
◦ to get a research position in countries like U.S.A.,
Canada, Germany, England, Japan, Australia, etc.
and settle there.

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What enforces upon you to do
Research?
◦ to solve the unsolved and challenging problems
◦ to get joy of doing some creative work
◦ to acquire respectability
◦ to get recognition
◦ curiosity to find out the unknown facts of an
event
◦ curiosity to find new things
◦ to serve the society by solving social problems

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Objectives:

 Tolearn the basic skills that are essential to

become a successful researcher.

 Toget an in-depth understanding of how to

perform research and present it.

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 What is
Research ?

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 Question ??

What Is The Main Requirement

For A Good Research?

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Answer:

Research must, as far as possible, be controlled,

rigorous, systematic, valid and verifiable,

empirical and critical. 

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What is the main difference
between

M. Eng and Ph. D?

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Answer:

Ph. D ------ Your Original Contribution

M. Eng --- Your contribution ( need not be original ;

if original we will ask you to continue for Ph. D)

“ Original ”---- something new that did not exist before you
found it.

-- To say this , you should know exactly what is current in that

area?

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Why do we need research?

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Validate intuition
Improve methods
Demands of the Job
For publication
To get Ph.Ds, Masters and Bachelors
To provide solutions to complex problems
To investigate laws of nature
To make new discoveries
To develop new products
To save costs
To improve our life
Human desires

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Research can be:

1. Replication of someone else's work (Masters)

2. Survey on a particular area (Masters)
3. Replication of someone else's work with your
suggestion (Masters)
4. Slight modification on someone else's work
(Masters)
5. Finding a research gap (Masters leading to PhD)
6. Significant improvement in someone else's work
(PhD)
7. Presenting a solution that no one has done
earlier (PhD)

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 Research Methodology

Lecture 02
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Prof. DHA Suffa.
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Quotes about Research

◦ Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to

think what nobody else has thought. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

◦ Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm

doing. Wernher von Braun

◦ If you steal from one author it's plagiarism; if you steal from
many it's research. Wilson Mizner

◦ Research is creating new knowledge. Neil Armstrong

◦ Nothing is right and wrong in research, research is an

addiction with an endless search for its drug
P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar

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Search Vs Research

What is “Search?”
Search is: An act of find something, which
has lost before or missing. For example, I
am searching for my mobile
To explore through travel an unfamiliar
area.
To find food: The birds search for insects
To look for something for further study or
research (A zoologist searches for specific
species for research)

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What is “Research?”

 It is a systematic act of examining or questioning

into a subject for improved (revise) fact, theory
or application etc.
 Consist of sequential procedures like first define
the problem then review the literature, clarify the
problem, develop instrumental plans, collect data
and finally analyze data for revise facts etc.
 Conclusion: Search is to look for something and
Research is to look into it. Research is normally
done by experts however, the search is made by
everybody. 

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Research is systematic, because it follows
certain steps that are logical in order.
These steps are:
1. understand the nature of the problem to be
studied and identifying the related area of
knowledge.
2. reviewing literature to understand how others
have approached or dealt with the problem.
3. Collecting data in an organized and controlled
manner so as to arrive at valid decisions
4. Analysing data appropriate to the problem
5. Drawing conclusions and making
generalizations
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What is a good/ high quality
research?

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1. It is based on the work of others
2. It can be replicated (duplicated)
3. It is generalizable to other settings
4. It is based on some logical rationale and tied
to theory
5. It is doable
6. It generates new questions or is cyclical in
nature
7. It is incremental
8. It is an activity that should be undertaken for
the betterment of society

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Research as a Creative and
Strategic Thinking Process

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 Creative and Strategic Research
 In practice research is often an open-ended process that is
likely to generate as many questions as it does answers.

 Good research is a thinking person’s game, it is a creative

and strategic process that involves
◦ constantly assessing,
◦ reassessing, and
◦ making decisions about the best possible means

 forobtaining trustworthy information, carrying our appropriate

analysis, and drawing Conclusions.

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 Qualities of Good Researchers
 Best researchers are those who manage to be creative
in thinking. They manage to:
◦ Be original, innovative, and imaginative

◦ Think outside the square … yet stay squarely on target

◦ Use their intuition … but are able to share the logic of that intuition

◦ Be fluid and flexible… yet deliberate and methodical

◦ Be inspired, imaginative, and ingenious … in the development of

methods that are realistic, partial, and doable.

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Research Path

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