RESEARCH METHODOLOGY &

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS-21RMI56
BY,
PROF. MOHAMMED SALEEM,
DEPARTMENT OF E & C,
P. A. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, MANGALURU
[email protected]
COURSE OUTCOMES
• At the end of the course the student will be able to:
• CO1: To know the meaning of engineering research.
• CO2: To know the procedure of Literature Review and
Technical Reading.
• CO3: To know the fundamentals of patent laws and drafting
procedure.
• CO4: Understanding the copyright laws and subject
matters of copyrights and designs
• CO5: Understanding the basic principles of design rights.
 MODULE 1 : RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
• Introduction:
• Meaning of Research
• Objectives of Engineering Research
• Motivation in Engineering Research
• Types of Engineering Research
• Finding and Solving a Worthwhile Problem.
• Ethics in Engineering Research:
• Ethics in Engineering Research Practice
• Types of Research Misconduct
• Ethical Issues Related to Authorship.
 WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• Research refers to a careful, well-defined (or redefined),
objective, and systematic method of search for knowledge, or
formulation of a theory that is driven by inquisitiveness(curiosity)
for that which is unknown and useful on a particular aspect so as
to make an original contribution to expand the existing
knowledge base.
• Research involves
• formulation of hypothesis or proposition of solutions,
• data analysis, & deductions; and
• ascertaining whether the conclusions fit the hypothesis.
• Research is a process of creating, or formulating knowledge that
RESEARCH CYCLE
 RESEARCH CYCLE
• The research cycle starts with basically a practical
problem: one must be clear what the problem being
attempted to solve is and why it is important.
• This problem motivates a research question without
which one can tend to get lost in a giant swamp of
information.
• The question helps to collect manageable volume of
information, and in turn defines a research project which is
an activity or set of activities.
• This ultimately leads to result or answer.
• Which in turn helps to solve the practical problem that one
started with in the first place as shown.
 EXAMPLE
• Problem 1: An engineer is trying to build a new earthquake-proof bridge.
• Assumption 2: The engineer thinks that the new bridge using steel and
concrete will be more earthquake resistant than the existing bridge.
• 3. Data Collection: Engineers collect data on earthquake performance of
different bridge designs. Experts also conducted tests to measure the
strength and durability of the new bridge.
• 4. Data Analysis: Designers analyze data to see if it supports the
hypothesis. Engineers also use data to identify design flaws.
• 5. Inferences: Engineers make inferences from data and theory. Experts
may conclude that the newly built bridge is more earthquake resistant than
the existing bridge, but may also conclude that there are some flaws in the
design standards that need to be addressed.
• 6. Conclusion: Engineers concluded that the new bridge construction is a
promising solution to the bridge's seismic resistance problem. But the
experts also agreed that more research is needed to measure and evaluate
• Research is not just about reading a lot of books and finding a lot of,
gathering a lot of existing information.
• It is instead adding, maybe small and specific, yet original, contribution
to that existing body of knowledge.
• So, research is about how one poses a question which has relevance to
the world that we are living in, and while looking for that answer one
has to be as systematic as one can be.
• There must be a balance between what is achievable in a research
program with a finite endpoint and also, the contribution it is going to
make.
• Objective of a good research program is to try and gain insight into
something, Or indeed, to try and solve a problem.
 CATEGORIES OF KNOWLEDGE IN
RESEARCH
• Good research questions develop throughout the project
and one can even keep modifying them.
• Through research, one would like to make, or develop, new
knowledge about the world around us which can be
written down or recorded in some way, and that
knowledge can be accessed through that writing or
recording.
• The ways of developing and accessing knowledge come in
three, broad categories:
• (i) Observation
• (ii) Models
• (iii) Arranging / Process
• (i) Observation is the most fundamental way of obtaining
information from a source, and it could be significant in itself
if the thing that we are trying to observe is really strange or
exciting, or is difficult to observe.
• Observation takes different forms like measurements in a
laboratory or a survey among a group of subjects to the time
it takes for a firmware routine to run.
• The observational data often needs to be processed in some
form and this leads to the second category of knowledge,
the model.
• (ii) Models are approximated, often simplified ways of
describing sometimes very complex interactions in the form
of a statistical relationship, a figure, or a set of mathematical
equations.
• For instance, the modeling equation captures the
relationship between different attributes or the behavior of
the device in an abstract form and enables us to understand
the observed phenomena.
• (iii) The final category is a way of arranging or doing things
through processes, algorithms, procedures, arrangements,
or reference designs, to get a certain desired result.
 GOOD RESEARCH
• Good research involves systematic collection and analysis of
information and is followed by an attempt to infer a little bit
beyond the already known information in a way that is a significant
value addition.
• Usually, engineering research is a journey that traverses from a
research area (example: Signal Processing), to the topic (example:
Digital Image Compression) and finally onto the problem (example:
Real-Time Implementation of Efficient Image Compression
Algorithms.) (Area → Topic → Problem).
• Getting a good problem to solve is more than half the work done.
• However the journey can be reverse, for example, the traversal
from (Problem → Topic →Area).
OBJECTIVES OF ENGINEERING RESEARCH
1. The objective of engineering research is to solve new &
important problems, and at the end of one’s research
outcome has to be new, but when one starts, the conclusion
is unknown.
2. Knowing where and how to find different types of
information helps one solve engineering problems, in both
academic and professional career.
• Lack of investigation into engineering guidelines, standards, and
best practices result in failures.

3. Main aim of the research is to apply scientific approaches

to seek answers to open questions.
 OBJECTIVES OF ENGINEERING
RESEARCH
4. The objectives of engineering research should be to develop
new theoretical or applied knowledge.
5. The objectives should be framed such that in the event of
not being able to achieve the desired result, one can express
why it is not possible, because that is also a contribution
toward ongoing research in solving that problem.
 MOTIVATION IN ENGINEERING
RESEARCH
• The possible motives may be the result of one or more of
the following desires:
1. Intrinsic motivations: Interest, challenge, learning,
meaning, purpose, are linked to strong creative performance.
2. Extrinsic motivating: Rewards for good work include
money, fame, awards, praise, and status are very strong
motivators, but may block creativity.
• For example: Research outcome may enable obtaining
a patent which is a good way to become rich and
famous.
 MOTIVATION IN ENGINEERING
RESEARCH
3. Influences from others: Competition, collaboration,
commitment, and encouragement are also motivating factors in
research.
• For example: My friends are all doing research and so
should I, or, a person that I dislike is doing well and I want
to do better.
4. Personal motivation in solving unsolved problems,
intellectual joy, service to community, and respectability are all
driving factors.
 MOTIVATION IN ENGINEERING
RESEARCH
• The following factors would be a mix of extrinsic & intrinsic
aspects:
• (i) Wanting to do better than what has been achieved in the
world,
• (ii) Improve the state of the art in technology,
• (iii) Contribute to the improvement of society,
• (iv) Fulfillment of the historical legacy in the immediate
sociocultural context.
 TYPES OF ENGINEERING RESEARCH
(I) DESCRIPTIVE VERSUS ANALYTICAL:

• Descriptive research includes comparative and correlational

methods, and fact-finding inquiries, to effectively describe
the present state of art.
• The researcher holds no control over the variables; rather only
reports as it is.
• Descriptive research also includes attempts to determine
causes even though the variables cannot be controlled.

• On the contrary, in analytical research, already available

facts for analysis and critical evaluation are utilized.
• Some research studies can be both descriptive and
analytical.
 (II) APPLIED VERSUS FUNDAMENTAL:

• Applied research seeks to solve an immediate problem facing the

organization, whereas fundamental(basic or pure) research is concerned
with generalizations and formulation of a theory.
• Research concerning natural phenomena or relating to pure mathematics
are examples of fundamental research.
• Research to identify social or economic trends, or those that find out
whether certain communications will be read and understood are
examples of applied research.
• The primary objective of applied research is to determine a solution for
compelling problems in actual practice.
• The basic research is aimed at seeking information which could have a
broad base of applications in the medium to long term.
 (III) QUANTITATIVE VERSUS QUALITATIVE:
• Quantitative research uses statistical observations of a
sufficiently large number of representative cases to draw any
conclusions.
• Qualitative researchers rely on a few non representative cases
or verbal narrative in behavioral studies such as clustering
effect in intersections in Transportation engineering to make a
proposition.
 FINDING AND SOLVING
A WORTHWHILE PROBLEM
• The recommended steps to solve a research problem are
• (i) Understand the problem, restate it as if its your own, visualize the
problem by drawing figures, and determine if something more is
needed.
• (ii) One must start somewhere and systematically explore possible
strategies to solve the problem or a simpler version of it while looking
for patterns.
• (iii) Execute the plan to see if it works, and if it does not then start
over with another approach. Having delved into the problem and
returned to it multiple times, one might have a flash of insight or a
new idea to solve the problem.
• (iv) Looking back and reflecting helps in understanding and
 ETHICS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH
• Ethics generally refers to a set of rules distinguishing acceptable
and unacceptable conduct, distinguishing right from wrong, or
wise.
• Ethical principles can be used for evaluation, proposition or
interpretation of laws.
• Although ethics are not laws, but laws often follow ethics
because ethics are our shared values.
• Research ethics and the responsible conduct of research are
often erroneously used interchangeably.
• Research ethics examines the appropriate application of
research outcomes, while responsible conduct of research deals
with the way the work is undertaken.
 ETHICS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH PRACTICE

• Engineering research is not work in isolation to the technological

development taking place. Researchers make many choices that
matter from an ethical perspective and influence the effects of
technology in many different ways:
I. By setting the ethically right requirements at the very outset,
engineering researchers can ultimately influence the effects of the
developed technology.
II. Influence may also be applied by researchers through design. During
the design process, decision is to be made about the priority in
importance of the requirements taking ethical aspects into
consideration.
III. Thirdly, engineering researchershave to choose between different
alternatives fulfilling similar functions.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

• Engineering research should be conducted to improve

the state-of-the-art of technologies.
• Thedifferent types of research misconduct
summarized as follows:
• (i) Fabrication (Illegitimate creation of data):
Fabrication is the act of conjuring data or experiments
with a belief of knowledge about what the conclusion
of the analysis or experiments would be, but cannot
wait for the results possibly due to timeline pressures
from supervisor or customers.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT
• (ii) Falsification (Inappropriate alteration of data):
Falsification is the misrepresentation or misinterpretation, or
illegitimate alteration of data or experiments, even if partly, to
support a desired hypothesis even when the actual data received
from experiments suggest otherwise.
• Falsification and fabrication of data and results, hamper
engineering research, cause false empirical data to percolate in
the literature, wreck trustworthiness of individuals involved, incur
additional costs, impede research progress, and cause actual and
avoidable delays in technical advancement.
• Misleading data can also crop up due to poor design of
experiments or incorrect measurement practices.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT
• (iii) Plagiarism (Taking other’s work sans attribution):
Plagiarism takes place when someone uses or reuses the
work (including portions) of others (text, data, tables, figures,
illustrations or concepts) as if it were his/her own without
explicit acknowledgement.
• Verbatim copying or reusing one’s own published work is
termed as self-plagiarism and is also an unacceptable
practice in scientific literature.
• The increasing availability of scientific content on the internet
seems to encourage plagiarism in certain cases, but also
enables detection of such practices through automated
software packages.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT
• (iv) Other Aspects of Research Misconduct:
• Serious deviations from accepted conduct could be construed
as research misconduct. When there is both deception and
damage, a fraud is deemed to have taken place. Sooner or later
ethical violations get exposed.
• Simultaneous submission of the same article to two different
journals also violates publication policies.
• Another issue is that when mistakes are found in an article or
any published content, they are generally not reported for
public access unless a researcher is driven enough to build on
that mistake and provide a correct version of the same which is
not always the primary objective of the researcher.
 ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP
• Academic authorship involves communicating scholarly work,
establishing priority for their discoveries, and building peer-
reputation, and comes with intrinsic burden of acceptance of
the responsibility for the contents of the work.
• It is the primary basis of evaluation for employment,
promotion, and other honors.
• The important research conduct and ethics related issues
connected to authorship of research are summarized below in
the context of engineering research.
 ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP
• Credit for research contributions is attributed in three major
ways in research publications:
• by authorship (of the intended publication),
• citation (of previously published or formally presented work),
• through a written acknowledgment (of some inputs to the
present research).
• Authorship establishes both accountability and gives due
credit.
• A person is expected to be listed as an author only when
associated as a significant contributor in research design, data
interpretation, or writing of the paper.
 ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP
• Including“guest” or “gift” (co-authorship bestowed on
someone with little or no contribution to the work)
authors dilutes the contribution of those who actually did
the work, inappropriately inflates credentials of the listed
authors, and is ethically a red flag highlighting research
misconduct.
• Sometimes, the primary author dubiously bestows co-
authorship on a junior faculty or a student to boost their
chances of employment or promotion, which can be
termed as “Career-boost authorship”.
 ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP

• There is also an unfortunate malpractice of

coauthorship that can be described as “Career-
preservation authorship” wherein a head of the
department, a dean, or other administrators are added
as Coauthors because of quid pro quo arrangement
wherein the principal author benefits from a “good
relation” with the superiors and the administrator
benefits from authorship without doing the required
work for it.
ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP

• Sometimes, an actual contributor abstains from

the list of authors due to nondisclosed conflict of
interest within the organization. Such
coauthorships can be termed as ghost
coauthorship.
• Fulldisclosure of all those involved in the
research is important so that evaluation can
happen both on the basis of findings, and also
whether there was influence from the conflicts.
 ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP

• Some authors, in trying to acquire a sole-authored work,

despite relying on significant contribution to the research
work from others, recognize that effort only by an
acknowledgment, thereby misrepresenting the
contributions of the listed authors.
• The unrecognized “author” is as a consequence,
unavailable to readers for elaboration.
• All listed authors have the full obligation of all contents of
a research article, and they should also be made aware of
a journal submission by the corresponding author.
ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO AUTHORSHIP

• Double submission is an important ethical issue

related to authorship, which involves submission of a
paper to two forums simultaneously.
• The motivation is to increase publication possibility and
possibly decrease time to publication.
• Reputed journals want to publish original papers, i.e.,
papers which have not appeared elsewhere, and
strongly discourage double submission.