K-Chart

Construction
Research Methodology
 CONTENTS
• The K-Chart Layers
• Constructing the General Title
• Defining the System under Study
• Construction the Scope Layer
• Constructing the Methodology Layer
• Constructing the Results Layer
• Conclusion
THE K-CHART LAYERS
STEP 1: CONSTRUCTING THE
GENERAL TITLE
A title should indicate:
• The systems you are working on
• The problems you are solving
• Your achievements
• Your methodology

For general title: No achievements (obviously..)

Less general for Project Title
Specific for Paper Title
DEFINING THE SYSTEM UNDER
STUDY
• It is very important to understand your SYSTEM under STUDY (SuS)
• Everything that exhibits character/behavior is a SYSTEM
• It can be hardware, software, a group of people etc.
• A SYSTEM is made up of SUB-SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
• A SYSTEM’s
SYSTEM performance (i.e. behavior) is influenced by
1. external INPUTS,
INPUTS and
2. properties of the ELEMENTS
 IMPORTANCE OF
SYSTEM UNDER
STUDY
It helps to identify
• The General Title
• The Scope of Issues
• The Performance Parameter (PP)
• The Design Parameter (DP)

Essentially, SuS summarizes the whole

study
Modeling Systems Under Study
System under Study (SuS)
Element 1

INPUTS OUTPUTS

Element 2

Element N
 SAMPLE SYSTEMS AND
ELEMENTS
Bil SYSTEM ELEMENTS SUB-ELEMENTS
1. Car Body; Engine; Tire Body: Hood, Bonnet, Chassis
Engine: Piston, Shafts,
2. Computer Software; Casing; Software: Operating Systems,
Electronics; Applications
3. Human Physical body, Mind; Physical: Head, Limbs, Torso etc
Soul
4. School Buildings; Teachers; Buildings: Admin., Classrooms,
Students; Halls
Administrators; Rules;
Curriculum;
5. Tourism Tourists; Hotels; Tourists: Local, Foreign
Industry Transportations; Rules
 SAMPLE GENERAL
TITLE
TITLES SYSTEM PROBLEMS TO METHODOLOGY
SOLVE
Optical sensors for oil and gas Unclear; has to do Unclear
pipes with oil and gas in
pipes

Development of a smart Smart Condition Smartness Unclear

condition monitoring system monitoring
system

Monitoring fatigue conditions Fatigue monitoring

in civil structures
Solar based automatic Solar powered
temperature control system for
vehicles
Factors influencing the Motor Vehicles performance
performance of motor vehicles
STEP 2: CONSTRUCTING SCOPE
LAYERS
Scope Layers consist of two parts:
1. System level issues 2. Sub-system or Element level issues

SYSTEM Level Issues

1. Begin the 1st layer with the SYSTEM
2. For the next layers, identify the types or applications of the SYSTEM
3. Continue Step 2 until you exhaust the types/applications of the
SYSTEM

SUB-SYSTEM OR ELEMENT Level Issues

4. At the next layer after the last layer of SYSTEM level issues, identify the
next SUB-SYSTEMS/ELEMENTS of the SYSTEM
5. For the next layers, identify the types or applications of the SUB-SYSTEM
6. Continue Step 5 until you exhaust the types/applications of the SUB-SYSTEM
The SCOPE Layers
General Topic Factors Influencing the Performance of Motor Vehicles

The SYSTEM Vehicles

Sub Issues 1:
Air Land Sea
Applications

Sub Issues 2: Motorcycles Cars Trucks Vans

Types

Sub Issues 3: Mini Sedan Wagon

Types

SUB-SYSTEMS Engine Body Tire

or ELEMENTS of
Sedan Cars
 Notice!
• The more detail the layers, the less the assumption,
the better
• Every time there is a jump between the layers, an
assumption is made (thus, a justification is required
as to the validity of the assumption)
• One can choose any way he/she likes to arrange the
sequence of layers
• However, Issues of the same theme should be in the
same layer (apply the layering checking mechanism)
• Perform extensive literature reviews
 HOW TO CHOOSE AN
OPTION
1. Availability of Expertise
2. Availability of Facility
3. Required Cost
4. Level of Novelty
5. Required Time
Step 3: The METHODOLOGY
Layers
7. For the 1st Methodology Layer, identify and choose the General
Methods to use i.e Theory, Simulation, Experiment, Survey
8. For the subsequent layers, identify and choose the test
environments, the level of prototypes, and the techniques to use

Methodologies Theory Experiment Simulation Survey

Lab. Tests Field Tests

Lab Prototype Eng. Prototype Commercial Prototype

Measurement Measurement Measurement

Techn.1 Techn.2 Techn.3
Step 4: The RESULTS
Layers
The RESULTS Layers consist of Performance
Parameters (PP) followed by Design Parameters (DP).
9. Identify PPs. PPs are associated with the Outputs
10. Identify DPs under the corresponding PPs. DPs are associated
with the Inputs, and with the properties of the Elements/Sub-
elements
11. Identify the ones with higher priorities (dotted lines)

Results:
Performance Acceleration Speed Fuel
Parameters consumption

Design Pressure Tire Tire Width Tire Tire Width

Parameters Height Pressure
 TIMELINES
Results:
Performance
Parameters Acceleration Speed Fuel consumption

Design Pressure Tire Height Tire Width Pressure Tire Width

Parameters

P A% P A% P A%
JAN 20

MAR 40

MAY 100 30

JUL 50 40

SEP 80 100

NOV
 GENERAL TITLE Factors Influencing the Performance of Motor Vehicles

SYSTEM Vehicles

Sub Issues 1:
App. based Air Land Sea

Sub Issues 2:
Types based Motorcycles Cars Trucks Vans

Sub Issues 3: Mini Sedan Wagon

Types based

ELEMENTS Engine Body Tire

METHODOLOGIES Theory Experiment Simulation Survey

Lab. Tests Field Tests

Lab. prototype Eng. prototype Commercial prototype

Meas. Techn.1 Meas. Techn.2 Meas. Techn.3

RESULTS: Acceleration Fuel consumption

Performance Speed
Parameters

Design
Pressure Tire Height Tire Width Tire Pressure Tire Width
Parameters
 GENERAL TITLE

SYSTEM

Sub Issues 1:
App. based
Sub Issues 2:
Types based

Sub Issues 3:
Types based

ELEMENTS

METHODOLOGIES

RESULTS:
Performance
Parameters

Design
Parameters
 CONCLUSION

• A K-Chart is constructed based on Tree Diagram concept; focus and

expand
• Understanding the System under Study is very important
• Literature Reviews are required along the process
• It is important to reduce ambiguity by detailing the layers