Research Methodologies

Chapter Two
Proposing a
Research
 Essential Components of a research
• Identifying Topics
• Defining Problems
• Solution
• Validation
• Writing
• Presenting
 Source of Information
• What sources of information could be used to
devise a research topic?
– Proposals by academic staff or departments
– Past researches
– Brainstorming
– Your own goals and learning objectives
– Reading about / working in the subject area
– Systematic analysis of the subject area
• Research Territory Maps
– Show how topics related to each other
• Relevance Trees
– Break down a particular subject or research question into lower and
lower levels of detail
 Choosing a Research Title
• The research needs to be within your capabilities
• The research needs to have sufficient scope
• The research needs to interest you
• The research needs to have a serious purpose
• The research needs to have a clear outcome
• The research needs to be related to your degree
programme
• The resources required are available or can be
obtained
 Suitability Tests for a Research Title
• ‘So what?’ test
– Is the topic meaningful?
– Will it be of value for anyone?
– What contribution will it make?
• Justification
– Can you explain your research topic and
justify it in simple terms?
• Estimating your understanding
– Can you put a figure on what you know about your
chosen subject?
 Suitability Tests for a Research Title
(cont’d)
• Contacts
– Are the contacts you require for your research
(including your supervisor) available, accessible,
and willing to help?
 Expanding Knowledge
• It is describable to expand your breadth of
knowledge on the selected topic
• Read the fundamentals on the topic to build up the
foundation for your research
• Although not immediately evident, these efforts
pay off in the longer run
• Feel open about broadening the scope of the topic
as you build up on it
 Preparing a Research Proposal: Implicit
Content
• Introduction to the subject area
– Sets the context for the research
– Should motivate the relevance of the subject area
• Overview of current research in the area
– Demonstrates current activities in the subject area
– Shows your understanding of current research
• Identify a gap
– Identify a need for further investigation or
re- interpretation
 Preparing a Project Proposal: Implicit
Content (cont’d)
• Identify how your work fills the
gap
– Explain how your research fills the gap
• Identify risks and solutions
– Highlight the benefits that can be derived from
your research
– Account for the risks to your research
 Preparing a Project Proposal: Explicit
Structure
• Title
– Clear, Concise, Preferably no acronyms
• Aims and Objectives
– Aims: Broad statement(s) of intent Identify
the research’s purpose
– Objectives: Identify specific, measurable achievements
Quantitative and qualitative measures by which
completion of the research can be judged
• Expected outcomes/deliverables
– Identify what will be produced/submitted in the
research
 Preparing a Project Proposal: Explicit
(cont’d)
• Keywords
– Identify the topic areas that the research draws on
• Introduction/Background/Overview
– Overview of the research(Identification of research
questions and hypotheses, elaboration of aims)
– Motivation for the research
– Motivation for you conducting the research
• Related Research
– Identifies other work and publications related to
the topic
 Preparing a Project Proposal: Explicit
(cont’d)
• Methods
– Identifies the research methods and research methods
that will be used (e.g. theoretical investigation, case
study)
• Research Requirements
– Identifies the resources that will be needed for
the research (e.g. hardware, software, data,
personnel)
• Research Plan
– More or less detailed ‘timetable’ for the research
– Deadlines for deliverables
 Examples
• Computer Networks
– Wireless Networks
• Cellular Networks
– Performance,
reliability,
security
• Operating
Systems
– Resource
management
• Power
conservation
– Specific versus
general