RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY & IPR

BRMK557
• Course Objectives:

CO1: To Understand the knowledge on basics of research and its types.

CO2: To Learn the concept of Literature Review, Technical Reading,

Attributions and Citations.

CO3:To learn Ethics in Engineering Research.

CO4: To Discuss the concepts of Intellectual Property Rights in

engineering.
Module-1

C1-Introduction: Meaning of Research, Objectives of Engineering Research,

and Motivation in Engineering Research, Types of Engineering Research

C2-Finding and Solving a Worthwhile Problem. Ethics in Engineering

Research, Ethics in Engineering Research Practice, Types of Research
Misconduct, Ethical Issues Related to Authorship.
• The word research is composed of two syllables “Re” and “Search”.

• “Re” is the prefix meaning ‘Again or over again or a new’ and

• “Search” is the latter meaning ‘to examine closely and carefully’ or ‘to
test and try’.

• Together they form, a careful, systematic, patient study and

investigation in some field of knowledge undertaken to establish
principles / policies.
• Objectives of Research:
The objective of research is to find answers to the questions by applying scientific
procedures.
In other words, the main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and
has not yet been discovered.
Although every research study has its own specific objectives, the research objectives
may be broadly grouped as follows:

1. Exploratory or Formulative research studies: To gain familiarity with a

phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it.

2. Descriptive research studies: To portray accurately the characteristics of a

particular individual, situation or a group .
3. Diagnostic research studies: To determine the frequency with which something
occurs or with which it is associated with something else.

4. Hypothesis-testing research studies: To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship

between variables.
MOTIVATION IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH:
• Studies have shown that intrinsic motivations like interest, challenge,
learning, meaning, purpose, are linked to strong creative performance.

• Extrinsic motivating factors like rewards for good work include money,
fame, awards, praise, and status are very strong motivators, but may block
creativity.

• Influences from others like 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.
The following factors would be a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic aspects:

• Wanting to do better than what has been achieved in the world

• Improve the state of the art in technology
• Contribute to the improvement of society
• Fulfillment of the historical legacy in the immediate socio-cultural
context.
TYPES OF ENGINEERING RESEARCH
1. Descriptive versus Analytical
2. Applied versus Fundamental
3. Quantitative versus Qualitative
4. Conceptual vs. Empirical

5. Descriptive versus Analytical

Descriptive research includes comparative and co-relational 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.
 Analytical research, already available facts for analysis and critical
evaluation are utilized. Some research studies can be both descriptive and
analytical

2. Applied versus Fundamental

Research can either be applied research or fundamental (basic or pure)
research.
Applied research seeks to solve an immediate problem facing the
organization, whereas fundamental research is concerned with
generalizations and formulation of a theory.
3. Quantitative versus Qualitative:
Quantitative research uses statistical observations of a sufficiently large
number of representative cases to draw any conclusions

While 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.

4. Conceptual versus Empirical :

Conceptual research is that related to some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is
generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to
reinterpret existing ones.
Empirical research relies on experience or observation alone, often
without due regard for system and theory.
ENGINEERING RESEARCH PROCESS
• (1) Formulating a Research problem: In research process, the first step a researcher
does is formulate a problem and define it properly. Research forms a circle. It starts
with a problem and ends with a solution to the problem.

A research problem is anything that a researcher finds unsatisfactory or unsettling, a

difficulty of some sort, a state of affairs that needs to be changed, anything that is not
working well as it was expected (Creswell, 2009)
A problem statement consists of four parts:
➢ the ideal
➢ the reality or real situation
➢ the consequences or impacts,
➢ what the study wants to address or the aim of the study.
(2) Extensive Literature Survey: abstracting and indexing Journals,
conference proceedings, government reports, books etc.

(3)Development of Working Hypothesis: A tentative assumption made to

test its logical or empirical consequences.
Steps to develop a working hypothesis:
➢ Discussions with colleagues and experts about the problem, its origin and
the objectives in seeking a solution
➢ Examination of data and records,
➢ Review of similar studies in the area or of the studies on similar problems
(4) Prepare the Research Design: state the conceptual structure within which Research will

be conducted Several research designs- Experimental and Non-Experimental Hypothesis

testing. Experimental design can be either informal or formal.

(5) Determining Sample Design: The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample
or what is popularly known as the sample design.
In other words, a sample design is a definite plan determined before any data are actually
collected for obtaining a sample from a given population.
Sampling can be done choosing a particular unit, random unit selection, systematic pattern,
homogenous group (stratified sampling), quota, cluster or area, multi stages and sequential.
6) Data Collection: In dealing with any real life problem it is often found that data at hand
are inadequate, and hence, it becomes necessary to collect data that are appropriate.

(7) Execution of the Project: It is a very important step in the research process. If the
execution of the project proceeds on correct lines, the data to be collected would be
adequate and dependable. The researcher should see that the project is executed in a
systematic manner and in time.

(8) Analysis of Data: The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations
such as establishment of categories, the application of these categories to raw data through
coding, tabulation and then drawing statistical inferences.
(9) Hypothesis Testing: Various tests, such as Chi square test, t-test, F-test,
have been developed by statisticians for testing the hypothesis. The
hypotheses may be tested through the use of one or more of such tests,
depending upon the nature and object of research inquiry.

(10) Generalization and Interpretations: If a hypothesis is tested and upheld

several times, researcher may arrive at generalization, i.e., to build a theory.
As a matter of fact, the real value of research lies in its ability to arrive at
certain generalizations.
 (11) Report or thesis writing:
• Layout
• Preliminary pages(Table of contents)
• Main text
a.Introduction
b. Summary of findings
c. Main report
d Conclusion
• End matter
 Ethics in Engineering Research
Ethics generally refers to a set of rules distinguishing acceptable and
unacceptable conduct, distinguishing right from wrong as such

Ethical principles can be used for evaluation, interpretation of laws. Although

ethics are not laws, but laws often follow ethics because ethics are our
shared values.

International norms for the ethical conduct of research have been there
since the adoption of the Nuremberg Code in 1947.
Government bodies and universities worldwide have adopted certain codes
for research ethics.

ETHICS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH PRACTICE:

Technological developments raise a whole range of ethical concerns such as
privacy issues and data related to surveillance systems, and so engineering
researchers need to make ethical decisions and are answerable for research as
outcomes.

The reason that ethics matter in data used in engineering research is usually
because there is impact on humans.
Certain practices may be acceptable to certain people in certain situations,
and the reasons for unacceptability may be perfectly valid.

Engineering ethics gives us the rule book; tells us, how to decide what is
okay to do and what is not. Engineering research is not work in isolation to
the technological development taking place.
TYPES OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

Engineering research should be conducted to improve the state-of-the-art

of technologies.

Research integrity encompasses dealing fairly with others, honesty about

the methods and results, replicating the results wherever possible so as to
avoid errors, protecting the welfare of research subjects,
There may be different types of research misconduct as described, which
can be summarized as follows:
1. Fabrication (Illegitimate creation of data)
2. Falsification (Inappropriate alteration of data)
3. Plagiarism (Taking other’s work sans attribution)
4. Other Aspects of Research Misconduct
 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.

There is several important research conduct and ethics related issues

connected to authorship.
Credit for research contributions is attributed in three major ways in
research publications:
1.By authorship ( the intended publication),
2. Citation (previously published or formally presented work), and
3.Through a written acknowledgment (some inputs to the present
research).