CoSc 4121

Research Method in Computer Science

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 Chapter 1
Introduction and
Overview of
Research
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 1.1. What is Research and not Research?
1.2. Scientific Research
1.3. Objectives, Motivations and Significance
of Research

Outline 1.4. Requirements and Characteristics of

Research
1.5. Types and Approaches of Research
1.6. Research Methods and Problem Solving
1.7. Effective Report Writing Principles and
Criteria for Good Research
1.8. Evaluating and Reviewing Research
Results
1.9. What is Research in Computing?

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 Research
● Noun
1. Scholarly or scientific or systematic
investigation or inquiry.
2. Close, careful study.
What is Research ● Verb
1. To study (something) thoroughly so
and not Research? as to present in a detailed, accurate
manner. (Example: researching the
effects of acid rain.)
Study
● Noun
1. The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading,
observation, or research.
2. Attentive scrutiny.
● Verb
1. to apply one’s mind purposefully to the acquisition
of knowledge or understanding of (a subject).
2. To inquire into; investigate. 3 To examine closely;
scrutinise.
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 Research Concept
● Researchers, in the field of computer science and engineering,
may view the research process in a way depicted by the Figure
below.
What is Research
and not
Research?

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 Research Concept
● There is an experimenter in a middle of the research field trying
to use the experiment to find the optimum result .
○ An experimenter – a person who considers to be working towards finding
What is Research some explanations regarding a specific phenomenon that is happening around
him/her.
and not
○ A research field – a specific domain knowledge related to the subject being
Research? worked on.
● defines the components or parameters related to the study. It provides
references for the work that might have been done before.
● experimenter must be aware of the contents and boundary of this research
field.
● research field is the area that a researcher is interested in, it is ‘visible’ to
the researcher and pretty much well aware of what is going on in the area.
○ The experiment – the process that a researcher will follow to answer the
questions that will take us to a solution.
● experiment will be a tool to investigate the problem.
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● This tool contains the methods proposed to solve the problem
 Research Concept
● There is an experimenter in a middle of the research field trying
to use the experiment to find the optimum result .
○ The whole process is driven by a response surface which emerges
What is Research from the two variables used.

and not ○ A response surface- defines a landscape produced by the data.

● It is a representation of the problem that might be visible to the
Research? researcher at all.
● The experiment would become a yardstick to drive the researcher
to the goal.
● Variables – These are the elements that directly influenced the
nature of the landscape. They add dimensions to the response
surface
○ The white flag represents a goal that could be anywhere beneath
the surface. It is the answer that researcher is looking for to describe
the problem. The quality of the solution increases as it approaches
the goal.
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 ● Martyn Shuttleworth
○ In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research
includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the
advancement of knowledge.
What is Research ● Creswell who states that
○ Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze
information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue.
● wikipedia
○ "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock
of knowledge".
○ an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry in order to
discover, interpret or revise facts, events, behaviours, or
theories, or to make practical applications with the help of such
facts, laws, or theories.
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 ○ a collection of information about a particular subject. derives
from the Middle French and the literal meaning is “to
investigate thoroughly”
○ It involves the unbiased collection, organization and analysis of
What is Research information to increase understanding of a topic or issue.

● Research is a human activity based on intellectual

investigation and aimed at discovering, interpreting,
and revising human knowledge on different aspects
of the world.

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 ● Research is not simple gathering of information.
● Merely re-organizing or restating what is already known
and has already been written, valuable as it may be as
learning experiences, is not research. It adds nothing to what
What is Not a is know.
Research
● If previous important studies are researched, using some
procedures, then it’s merely repetition, not research.
Research outlaws personal bias.
● Research is not a quick activity Research is not based on the
shallow study of the respective subject.
● Research is not something based on assumptions, beliefs,
theories, or untested generalizations.

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 ● Science refers to a systematic and
organized body of knowledge in any area of
inquiry that is acquired using “the scientific
method”
● Research is a human activity based on
Scientific Research intellectual investigation and aimed at
discovering, interpreting, and revising human
knowledge on different aspects of the world
● Scientific Research conducted for the
purpose of contributing towards science by
the systematic collection, interpretation and
evaluation of data.
● Scientific researches are studies that should
be systematically planned before performing
them.
○ It contributes to a body of science, and
○ It follows the scientific method
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 ● The goal of scientific research is
○ to discover laws and postulate theories
that can explain natural or social
phenomena, or in other words, build
scientific knowledge.
Scientific Research ● It is important to understand that this
knowledge may be imperfect or even quite
far from the truth.

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 Objective
● To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new
insights into it
● To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular
Objectives,
individual, situation or a group
Motivations
● To determine the frequency with which something occurs
and or with which it is associated with something else
Significance ● To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between
of Research variables.
● To discover answers through the application of scientific
procedures.
● To find out the truth which is hidden and which has not
been discovered as yet.
● To develop or build a computer aided solution to the
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 Motivations
● Desire to get a research degree along with its
consequential benefits.
Objectives, ● Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved
problems, i.e., concern over practical problems initiates
Motivations research.
● Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work.
and
● Desire to be of service to society.
Significance ● Desire to get respectability.
of Research

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 Significance
● significance should describe the following
elements:
Objectives, ○ General contribution of the study.
Motivations ○ Specific contribution and application of study.
and ○ Grounds on which the study is based.
○ Explain with logical reasons the benefits of the
study.
Significance of
Research ● Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking
● Research provides the basis for policy formulation.
● It is significant in solving many operational and
planning problems.
● Research is important for social scientists to study
social relationships and for seeking answers to various
social problems.
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 Significance
For an impactful significance of the study section, try to answer the following
questions:

Objectives, 1. What are the implications of my study?

Motivations 2. Why is it important to carry out this research?
and 3. How does my study influence the policymaking process?
4. How is my study related to existing knowledge on the subject?
Significance of 5. What benefits does my study have for others in the concerned
Research subject area or the public?
6. What new perspectives does my study add to the concerned
subject?
7. How can better theoretical models be built by using my study?
8. How would my study contribute to bridging the gaps in existing
available research? Page 16 of 182

9. How will my study change the existing way of life?

 ● Research is directed towards the solution of a problem.
● Research is based upon observable experience or
empirical evidence.
Requirements and ● Research demands accurate observation and
Characteristics of description.
Research ● Research involves gathering new data from primary
sources or using existing data for a new purpose.
● Research activities are characterized by carefully
designed procedures.
● Research requires expertise i.e., skill necessary to carry
out investigation, search the related literature and to
understand and analyze the data gathered.
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 ● Characteristics of research determine whether a research
is free of biases, prejudices, and subjective errors or not.
The terms are very commonly used in research and the
success of any research depends on these terms. They can
be summarised as:
Requirements and 1. Generalized.
Characteristics of 2. Controlled.
Research 3. Rigorous.
4. Empirical.
5. Systematic
6. Reliability.
7. Validity.
8. Employs hypothesis
9. Analytical & Accuracy.
10. Credibility.
11. Critical Page 18 of 182
 ● Research can be classified into various categories depending
on the perspective under which the research activity is
initiated and conducted.
● The categorization depends on the following perspectives in
general:
Types and ● Application of research study
Approaches of ● Objectives in undertaking the research
Research ● Inquiry mode employed for research

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 1. Pure / Basic / Fundamental Research:
○ As the term suggests a research activity taken up to look
Types and into some aspects of a problem or an issue for the first time
Approaches of is termed as basic or pure.
○ It involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses
Research
that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may
or may not have practical application at the present time or
based on in the future
Application 2. Applied / Decisional Research:
○ Applied research is done on the basis of pure or fundamental
research to solve specific, practical questions; for policy
formulation, administration and understanding of a
phenomenon.
○ It can be exploratory, but is usually descriptive. The purpose of
doing such research is to find solutions to an immediate issue,
solving a particular problem, developing new technology and
look into future advancements etc… Page 20 of 182
 Key Differences between Basic and Applied Research

A. Basic Research tries to expand the already existing scientific

Types and knowledge base. On the contrary, applied research is used to
Approaches of scientific study that is helpful in solving real-life problems.
Research B. While basic research is purely theoretical, applied research has a
practical approach.
C. The applicability of basic research is greater than the
based on applied research, in the sense that the former is universally
Application applicable whereas the latter can be applied only to the specific
problem, for which it was carried out.
D. The primary concern of the basic research is to develop scientific
knowledge and predictions. On the other hand, applied research
stresses on the development of technology and technique with the
help of basic science.
E. The fundamental goal of the basic research is to add some
knowledge to the already existing one. Conversely, applied
research is directed towards finding a solution to the problem
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under consideration.
 1. Descriptive Research:
○ This attempts to explain a situation, problem, phenomenon,
Types and service or programme, or provides information. living
Approaches of condition of a community, or describes attitudes towards an
issue but this is done systematically.
Research
○ It is used to answer questions of who, what, when, where,
and how associated with a particular research question or
based on problem.
objectives 2. Co-relational Research:
○ non-experimental research method, in which a researcher
measures two variables, understands and assesses the
statistical relationship between them with no influence from
any extraneous variable.
○ This is undertaken to discover or establish the existence of
a relationship/ interdependence between two or more
aspects of a situation.
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 3. Explanatory Research
○ is the research whose primary purpose is to explain why
Types and events occur, to build, elaborate, extend or test a theory.
Approaches of ○ It is more concerned with showcasing, explaining and
presenting what we already have
Research
4. Exploratory Research
○ Exploration has been the human kind‘s passion since the
based on time immemorial.
objectives ○ Looking out for new things, new destinations, new food, and
new cultures has been the basis of most tourist and travel
journeys.
○ In the subjective terms exploratory research is conducted to
find a solution for a problem that has not been studied more
clearly, intended to establish priorities, develop operational
definitions and improve the final research design
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 1. Structured approach:
○ The structured approach to inquiry is usually classified as
Types and quantitative research.
Approaches of ○ Here everything that forms the research process-
objectives, design, sample, and the questions that you plan
Research
to ask of respondents- is predetermined.
○ It is more appropriate to determine the extent of a
based on Inquiry problem, issue or phenomenon by quantifying the variation.
Mode 2. Unstructured approach
○ This inquiry is usually classified as qualitative research.
○ This approach allows flexibility in all aspects of the research
process. It is more appropriate to explore the nature of a
problem, issue or phenomenon without quantifying it.
○ Main objective is to describe the variation in a phenomenon,
situation or attitude.
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 1. Descriptive v/s Analytical:
○ Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding
Types and enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of
Approaches of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it
exists at any given time.
Research
○ Analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has
to use facts or information already available, and
Other Types of analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.
Research 2. Applied v/s Fundamental:
○ Research can either be applied (or action) research or
fundamental (to basic or pure) research.
○ Applied research aims at finding a solution for an
immediate problem facing a society or an
industrial/business organization, whereas fundamental
research is mainly concerned with generalizations and
with the formulation of a theory.
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 3. Quantitative v/s Qualitative:
○ Quantitative research is based on the measurement of
quantity or amount.
Types and
○ It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of
Approaches of quantity.
Research ■ E.g. Studying the number of enquiries received for room
bookings through different modes like internet, emails, calls,
letters, or different sources like travel and tours operators,
Other Types of companies and government organizations etc.
Research ○ Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with
qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving
quality or kind.
■ E.g.studying the stress levels and reasons for variable
performances of staff in different shifts in the same department
of a hotel.
■ The same individuals may perform differently with the change
of shift timings.
■ It can involve performing research about changing preferences
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of customers as per the change of season.
 4. Conceptual vs. Empirical:
○ Conceptual research
Types and ■ is associated to some theoretical idea(s) or
Approaches of presupposition and is generally used by philosophers
and thinkers to develop new concepts or to get a
Research
better understanding of an existing concept in practice.
On the other hand,
Other Types of ○ Empirical research
Research ■ draws together the data based on experience or
observation alone, often without due regard for system
and theory.
■ It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions
which are capable of being verified by observation or
experiment.

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 Research Method

●Method― plainly means a particular procedure

for accomplishing or approaching something,
especially a systematic or established one.
Research Methods and Problem ●Thus methodology can be understood as a set
Solving of specific procedures or techniques used to
identify, select, process, and analyze information
about a topic.
●It comprises the theoretical analysis of the body
of methods and principles associated with a
branch of knowledge.
●Most important methodological choice
researchers make is based on the distinction
between qualitative and quantitative data

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 Research Methodology

● Research methodology refers to the

methods and techniques used to
Research Methods and Problem portray the research effectively.
Solving ● It concerns the systematic design
of a study to guarantee results
that meet the aims and objectives of
the study.
● The researcher is primarily
responsible for presenting the idea
and explaining different types of
research methodology approaches
used.
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 Types of Research Method/Methodology
● According to different resource, Research
methodology is classified based on different
categories.
Research Methods and Problem ● They include a
○ general category
Solving
○ nature of the study,
○ purpose, research design and
○ data type.
● There are also interviews and case studies
based on research methodology.
● In some research, the researcher combines
more than two methods and very few
methods in some.
● According different
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 Your First Reading and presentation
assignment
Instruction
1. Make a group of 4 to 5 students and
submit your group to the instructor
Research Methods and Problem
2. The instructor will assign specific
Solving research Methodology for each
group
3. Each group will read different
material to get detail knowledge on
the given topic and prepared
presentation to the class. Your
presentation will be with slide and
should include examples
4. It will account 10% of your final
grade
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 Important points of Methodologies
1. To ensure that the data gathered is valuable
and reliable, researchers employ a variety of
research methods.
2. Researchers categorize research methodology
Research Methods and Problem according to different criteria. They are a
Solving general category, the nature of the study, the
purpose of the study, the research design, and
the data types.
3. Surveys and case studies are two of the most
frequent data collection tools in research.
4. Employing research methods has many merits,
including assisting the researcher in developing
the study field and conducting the research
more efficiently.

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 Problem solving
● Problem solving is the act of defining a
problem.
● It is determining the cause of of the problem
● It is a process of identifying, prioritizing, and
Research Methods and Problem selecting alternative for a solution
Solving ● And finally implementing a Solution

● Mostly it includes the following steps

○ Identifying the Problem
○ Defining Goal
○ BEanstroming
○ Assessing Alternatives
○ Choosing the Solution
○ Active Execution of the Chosen
Solution
○ Evaluation Page 33 of 182
 ● In order to effectively manage and run a
successful life, any body should develop
problem-solving techniques.
● Finding a suitable solution for issues can be
accomplished by following the basic four-
Research Methods step problem-solving process and
and Problem methodology outlined below.
Solving

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 Define the ● Differentiate fact from opinion
problem ● Specify underlying causes
● Consult each faction involved for information
● State the problem specifically
● Identify what standard or expectation is
Research Methods violated
and Problem ● Determine in which process the problem lies
● Avoid trying to solve the problem without
Solving data

Generate ● Postpone evaluating alternatives initially

alternative solutions ● Include all involved individuals in the
generating of alternatives
● Specify alternatives consistent with
organizational goals
● Specify short- and long-term alternatives
● Brainstorm on others' ideas
● Seek alternatives that may solvePagethe35
problem
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 Evaluate and select ● Evaluate alternatives relative to a target
an alternative standard
● Evaluate all alternatives without bias
● Evaluate alternatives relative to established
goals
Research Methods ● Evaluate both proven and possible outcomes
and Problem ● State the selected alternative explicitly
Solving
Implement and ● Plan and implement a pilot test of the chosen
follow up on the alternative
solution ● Gather feedback from all affected parties
● Seek acceptance or consensus by all those
affected
● Establish ongoing measures and monitoring
● Evaluate long-term results based on final
solution

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 Report Writing

● Writing research reports can be one of the

most difficult tasks researchers or project
developers have to do.
Effective Report Writing Principles ● Most of the time it tooks long days and
and Criteria for Good Research many struggling with tricky concepts, trying
to produce a coherent description of
how a research project was done and
its findings.
● Writing reports is often seen as a time
consuming and pointless exercise.
● However, by sharing information,
reports can help develop common
purposes and aims among the
researcher and the users of the
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research output or findings.
 Why write a research report?

● A research report is a formal account of

how a research project was conducted
and what it found out.
Report Writing Principles ● For the researchers on a project, a research
report provides a lasting record and
reminder of the work accomplished and
its outcomes.
● With it, people interested in the project can:
○ read about the project’s aims, methods
and findings
○ assess the quality of the project
○ provide feedback to the project’s researchers
on what they like or dislike about the project
○ incorporate aspects of the project’s methods
or findings into their own work or thinking.
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 Potential readers of research reports include:

● other researchers, academics or knowledge workers

● managers in organisations who use research to inform decisions
● front-line staff delivering programmes or services (e.g.,
professional practitioners, clinicians)
Report Writing ● clients or consumers of programmes or services
people living in communities and neighbourhoods where a
Principles ●
research topic has special relevance
● research participants interested in the outcomes of studies they have
contributed to
● journalists and other media representatives
● the general public.
● Using information provided in research reports, people
can increase
○ their knowledge and understanding of a topic.
○ lead to changes in people’s thinking and behaviour, or
○ to the design and operation of human services Page
and39systems.
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 Types of research report

● Three of the most common types of research report are

○ Technical reports
○ Manuscripts for journal articles
Types Research ○ Theses and dissertations
● There are also other types of research report apart from the
Report three listed above. These include
○ progress reports,
○ non-technical reports,
○ books, book chapters and spoken reports such as conference
presentations.
○ Non-technical reports are often written as a way of distributing or
publicising research results to individuals and groups with no or very
little existing knowledge of a research topic.
● In the following section we will discussed about the the three
most common types of research reported mentioned above
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 Technical Reports
● Technical reports describe a research project and its findings in detail.
● They read by people interested in all or most aspects of the project’s
design and execution.
● technical reports often begin with an extended description of the
project’s research aims and methods covering areas such as
Types Research
○ the motivation for the project,
Report ○ sample selection,
○ sample size, data gathering methods and data-analysis
procedures.
● The rest of the report then describes the project findings in depth.
● Normally technical reports are divided into chapters or sections.
Tables, figures, pictures and other kinds of illustrative material may
also be included.
● Most technical reports are somewhere between 50 and 150 pages
long.
● Your degree project report is this type
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 Manuscripts for journal articles

● A manuscript for a journal article is a research report presented in

a form suitable for publication in an academic or scientific journal.
● It is reasonably concise and tightly written form of research
Types Research report.
● In contrast to technical reports, journal articles usually do not
Report go into extensive detail about all aspects of a project.
Instead, they concentrate on reporting certain key aspects
or findings from a project.
● Intended to be read by other researchers but they are also often
read by managers and professionals, front-line service providers,
policy analysts and other people interested in the topic.
● In general, journal articles tend to have a larger and more diverse
audience than technical reports.
● Usually a manuscript for a journal article is no more than 10-30
pages in length. Page 42 of 182
 Theses and dissertations

● A thesis or dissertation is typically written by a student as part of

qualifying for a Masters, PhD, or other higher degree.
● usually provides a detailed account of the design, methods and
Types Research results of the student’s research project.
● As well, it normally includes a comprehensive review of
Report previous studies and other literature on the topic.
● Most theses and dissertations are written under the guidance of a
university supervisor, with the finished work assessed by experts in
the student’s field of study.
● The expected length of dissertations or theses may be stipulated
by the student’s university or host institution. For example, there
may be a guideline that
● Ph.D. theses be about 50,000 words. Usually most dissertations
and theses tend to be about 120 to 300 pages long
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 Effective reporting What is an effective
report?

● A report is a structured written presentation

developed as a response to a specific purpose,
Effective Report Writing Principles aim or request.
● The purpose of a report is to give an account
of something, to offer a solution to a problem,
or to answer a question.
● Report writing differs from person to person
depending on personality, imaginative and
creative abilities, experience, and training.
● However, most researchers agree that
following general principles must be kept
in mind to produce a better research
report.
● These principles are often called as qualities or
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requirements of a good report.
 1. Selectiveness: exclude the matter, which is known to all and
should be included matters that save time, costs, and energy
without missing vital points.
2. Comprehensiveness: Report must be complete. It must include
all the necessary contents orn enough detail to convey meaning.
3. Cost Consideration: It must be prepared within the budgeted
Effective Report amount or without excessive costs.
Writing Principles 4. Accuracy: As far as possible, research report must be prepared
carefully. It must be free from spelling mistakes and grammatical
errors.
5. Objectivity: Report must be free from personal bias, i.e., it must
be free from one’s personal liking and disliking. The facts must be
stated boldly. It must reveal the bitter truth. It must suit the
objectives and must meet expectations of the relevant
audience/readers.
6. Clarity: Report must reveal the facts clearly. Contents and
conclusions drawn must be free from ambiguities.
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 7. Preciseness: Research report must not be unnecessarily lengthy.
It must contain only necessary parts with adequate description.
8. Simplicity: Report must be simple to understand. Unnecessary
technical words or terminologies (jargons) should be avoided.
9. Proper Language: Researcher must use a suitable language.
Effective Report Language should be selected as per its target users.
10. Reliability: Research report must be reliable. Manager can trust
Writing Principles
on it. He can be convinced to decide on the basis of research
reports.
11. Proper Format: An ideal repost is one, which must be prepared
as per commonly used format.
12. Attractive: Report must be attractive in all the important regards
like size, colour, paper quality, etc. Similarly, it should use liberally
the charts, diagrams, figures, illustrations, pictures, and multiple
colours.
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 One should apply the above principles while writing a report to make the
report
● appropriate to the purpose
○ the conclusions and or/recommendations will be
relevant;
Effective Report ● appropriate to the audience
○ reader’s knowledge will influence the type of background
Writing Principles detail that will need to be in the report and the emphasis
that will be placed on particular issues of interest
● accurate and complete
○ for a high quality report;
● logical
○ to be easily understood;
● clear, concise and well organized with clear section
headings
○ to leading the reader logically to the conclusions and
recommendations. Page 47 of 182
 ● Although the research works and studies
differ in their form and kind, they all still
meet on the common ground of scientific
methods employed by them.
● Hence, scientific research is expected to
Criteria for Good Research satisfy the following criteria:-
○ Clearly defined
○ Significant
○ Ethical
○ Unbiased
○ Systematic
○ Empirical
○ Logical

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 HOW TO EVALUATE A RESEARCH
RESULT?
● All studies or researches result should be
evaluated Below are a few key factors to
Evaluating and Reviewing consider when evaluating a study’s conclusions.
● Even if the author is an expert in the field, we
Research Results should view everything through a critical lenses.
● To look at information critically means you
approach it like a “critic”.
● You must question, analyse and contextualize
your sources in order to make a decision about
their value and appropriateness.
● To evaluate your research or other’s research
result you can use the following questions

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 ● Has the study been reviewed by other experts?
○ Peer-review, the process by which a study is sent to other
researchers for evaluating a study’s findings.
● Do other experts agree?
○ experts spoken out against the study’s findings? Who are these
other experts and are their criticisms valid?
Evaluating ● Are there reasons to doubt the findings?
Research Results ○ One of the most important items to keep in mind when reviewing
studies is that correlation does not prove causation
● How do the conclusions fit with other studies?
○ Does the research come up a different conclusion.
● How big was the study?
○ Sample size matters.
● Are there any major flaws in the study’s design?
○ If there are ways to look for bias
● Have the researchers identified any flaws or limitations with
their research?
○ Often buried in the conclusion, researchers acknowledge limitations
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or possible other theories for their results.
 ● Have the researchers identified any flaws or limitations with
their research?
○ Often buried in the conclusion, researchers acknowledge
limitations or possible other theories for their results.
● Have the findings been replicated?
○ With growing headlines of academic fraud and leading journals
Evaluating
forced to retract articles based on artificial results, replication
Research Results of results is increasingly important to judge the merit of a
study’s findings.
○ If other researchers can replicate an experiment and come to a
similar conclusion, it’s much easier to trust those results than
those that have only been peer reviewed.

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 ● Reviewing of a research sometimes also called Literature
review.
● A literature review can either serve as the background for
an empirical study or as an independent, standalone piece
that provides a valuable contribution in its own right
Reviewing
● Literature reviews can be approached systematically to
Research Results locate as much relevant literature as possible.
● Reviews are needed to
○ identify what is already known, and done on the topic
○ to bring together results from different studies, and
○ to provide a starting point for new research.
● Reviewing involves defining the topic, identifying sources,
evaluating the sources, synthesising and reporting.

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 ● Reviewing research to make background for an
empirical study
○ It can consist of a section in a journal paper or a
chapter in a graduate thesis, is the most common type
of review.
Reviewing
○ The purpose of the review section or chapter is to
Research Results help a researcher
■ acquire an understanding of (the) topic,
■ of what has already been done on it,
■ how it has been researched, and
■ what the key issues are
■ In addition, the background section helps to
contextualize the study’s contributions and justify
its approaches, research methods, tools,
questions, and method Page 53 of 182
 ● The second type, called here standalone literature
review
○ is a journal-length article whose sole purpose is to review
the literature in a field, without any primary data…collected
or analyzed
Reviewing ○ Such reviews are conducted for many different purposes for
example
Research Results
■ to make sense of existing knowledge on a particular
topic,
■ facilitate theory development,
■ synthesize the extant literature on widely studied and
mature areas, or
■ identify research domains where further investigation is
needed
● Reading Assignment
○ General Procedure and steps for Conducting Literature
Page 54 of 182

Reviews
 ● As we have seen on our previous discussion research has
different purpose and method
○ Some areas of research are theoretical and involve
developing and analyzing new algorithms and techniques,
○ While some are more applied and involve experiments,
What is
design, implementation, and testing.
Research in ○ In any case, research is an enterprise of intellectual
Computing? exploration that seeks to advance the field.
● In computing , same purpose will be there.
○ Virtually most topic that you have seen in your courses has
an associated and active area of research, for example
■ Computer algorithms,
■ Computer architecture,
■ Artificial intelligence
■ Big Data analysis
■ Customer or organization operational
Page 55 of 182
End of Chapter
One

Page 56 of 182
 CHAPTER TWO

PROCESSES IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH

Page 57 of 182
Outline
2.4. Proposal Preparation
2.1. Overview of Current State of the Art Areas and
Techniques in Computing 2.4.1. Choosing a Subject Area
2.2. Actors, Roles and Relationship 2.4.2. Choosing a Problem within the Subject Area
2.2.1. The Student 2.4.3. Quality Assurance of Initial Ideas
2.2.2. The Supervisor 2.4.4. Write Research Proposal
2.2.3. The Examiner/Evaluator
2.4.5. Sample and More Acceptable Research
Proposal Structure
2.3. The Process
2.4.6. Research Proposal Check-list
2.3.1. Developing Research Proposal
2.3.2. Developing Problem Description 2.5. Literature Reviews
2.3.3. Following the Objectives 2.5.1. Importance and Roles of Literature Review
2.3.4. Presenting and Analyzing the Data 2.5.2. Skills and Keys to Effective Literature
2.3.5. Drawing Conclusion and Identifying Future Work Review
2.3.6. Presenting and Defending Orally 2.5.3. Literature Sources (Journals, Conference
Proceedings, Books, Reports, Thesis, etc)
2.3.7. Preparing Final Research Documentation (Thesis)
2.5.4. Literature Review Writing
2.6. Assessment Criteria

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2.1 OVERVIEW OF STATE OF THE ART

• The Level Of Development Of Science, Technique, Procedure, Process, or Science (Reached At

Any Particular Time Usually As a Result of Modern Methods.

• The State of the Art Refers to the Highest Level of Development that Has Been Achieved to Date
In a Design, Process, Material, or Technique and is a Key Point in any Project.

• What is the Use and Benefits of the State of the Art?

• In Addition to Demonstrating the Novelty of Research Results, the State of the Art has other
Important Characteristics that Should be Taken Into Account:

• It Provides Extensive Knowledge About the Research Topic. By Reading The Related Literature,
You Will Be Able to Learn from other Researchers and it will Be Easier to Understand and Analyze
the Problem at Hand.

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 CONT

• It demonstrates the degree of relevance of the project. If there is a lot of literature on

the topic and many people have tried to solve the same problem, this demonstrates its
importance.

• It shows the different approaches to the same solution. By learning about the different
approaches that other researchers take, you can evaluate your own approach and
demonstrate its novelty or lack thereof. You can also discover which approaches are the
most popular, which are dead ends, and what the current line of research is.

• It provides a wealth of material from past research that can be reused to carry out your
own project or technology development more efficiently. Saving time, cost, and effort.
Page 60 of 182
 2.2 ACTORS, ROLES, AND RELATIONSHIP

Role of Students

• Pick a topic that truly interests you

• Identify the knowledge, experience, and skills that you will need to complete the
project.
• Selecting research titles based on their preferences, investigating research problems
• Consult with your faculty mentor to determine if your project will require approval
from a University review committee.
• Discuss with your faculty mentor the details of how the proposed research project
will be carried out and the features of a good project proposal.
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CONT…

• Conducting the research (Answering the research questions through experiment results)

• Writing the research proposal or paper.

• Submit your final report, essay, or thesis to your faculty mentor by the agreed deadline.

• Develop a time frame and a system of communication with your faculty mentor during the
project period.

• Providing appropriate answers for questions raised by the examiner during the presentation.

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 ROLE OF SUPERVISORS
Induction

• The supervisor should advise the student on the choice of subject-specific knowledge and
skills training required.

• The supervisor will give guidance on the nature of the research and the standard
expected; the selection of a research program and the topic to be covered; the planning and
timing of the successive stages of the research program; literature and sources; research
methods and instrumental techniques; attendance at appropriate courses; data management,
avoidance of unfair means and respect for copyright.

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 CONT…
Supervision

• The supervisor should ensure that the research project can be completed
fully, including preparation and submission of the thesis, within the specific
period, and should advise the student accordingly.

• The supervisor must ensure that a clear agreement is made with the student on the
frequency and nature of the supervisory contact required at any particular
stage of the project

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 CONT….
Academic progress
• ensure that the student is informed of any inadequacy of standards of work below that is
generally expected from research students and should suggest remedial action, or training, as
appropriate.
• Comply with all departmental, faculty, and/or sponsor requirements concerning the
monitoring of progress and submission of progress reports.
The final stages
• The supervisor should nominate appropriate examiners well in advance of the thesis being
submitted, bearing in mind that all nominations require faculty approval before they can be
appointed.
• The supervisor should read and comment on drafts of the thesis before submission.
• The supervisor should ensure that the student understands the procedures for the submission
and examination of the thesis and should assist
• the student in preparing for the oral examination, including offering a mock viva. Page 65 of 182
 ROLE OF EXAMINERS

• The role of the Examiners is to consider whether the information, arguments and results of the
student's research work as presented in the thesis and as defended in the viva voce examination (if
appropriate) meet the academic standards relevant to the degree.

• The Examiners are required to submit independent reports on the thesis, a joint report on the viva
voce examination (if a viva voce examination is required by the regulations), and a joint
recommendation regarding the award of the degree.

Internal Examiner

• The Internal Examiner must read the student's thesis and participate in the student’s defense
examination, and come to a view as to whether the student's research work and knowledge meet the
standard which would normally be expected of a student in the School submitting for that degree, and the
University's criteria for the award of the degree.
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 CONT….

• They will receive the PDF version of the examination copy of the thesis and
where appropriate share this with the External Examiner, subject to the agreement
of the Supervisor(s).

• In addition they should act as the facilitator of the administrative arrangements

for the examination of the thesis and of the viva voce examination.
• They should remind the external examiner of the need to submit their
independent report at least 3 working days before the viva, and also ensure that
their own report is submitted at this time. Independent reports should not be
shared before submission. Page 67 of 182
 CONT….

• They should seek to ensure that, during the viva voce examination, the student is given a
fair opportunity to defend their work and that the External Examiner is aware of any
extenuating circumstances which have a bearing on the student's case.

• Following a viva voce examination, the student should be given immediate informal
feedback on the outcome of the examination and should be advised that more formal
details will be transmitted later in writing.

• The Internal Examiner should also write to the student formally conveying the joint views
of the Examiners on the submission, describing in detail the academic and presentational
reasons for their recommendation, and (if appropriate) providing clear advice about what
matters should be addressed in any resubmission. Page 68 of 182
 CONT…
• If corrections have been recommended, the Internal Examiner will be responsible for checking
these and confirming with Registry and Academic Affairs that these have been completed.

• The Internal Examiner will be responsible for confirming that the final electronically submitted
version of the work is that which has been approved by the examiners if no corrections were
needed after the examination.

• They will receive the PDF version of the examination copy of the thesis and where appropriate
share this with the External Examiner, subject to the agreement of the Supervisor(s).

• In addition they should act as the facilitator of the administrative arrangements for the
examination of the thesis and of the viva voce examination.
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 2.3 THE PROCESS
2.3.1 Process of Developing Research Proposal

What to include in a research proposal

A research proposal will usually (but not always) include the following key elements:

• An outline of the background and context of the research topic/issue

• Reasons why the specific topic/issue is important (rationale)

• A review of key literature related to the topic/issue

• An outline of the intended research methodology (including consideration of ethical issues)

• A discussion of ethical issues

• How the findings will be disseminated

• A time scale for the research

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CONT…

Your first step is to choose a topic and then to develop research questions, a working thesis,
and a written research proposal. The following is the step followed
Choosing a Topic: Your choice will help determine whether you enjoy the lengthy process
of research and writing—and whether your final paper fulfills the assignment requirements.
Identifying Potential Topics: It is important to know how to narrow down your ideas into a
concise, manageable thesis.
Discussing your ideas with your instructor will help ensure that you choose a manageable
topic that fits the requirements of the assignment.
Narrowing Your Topic: Once you have a list of potential topics, you will need to choose
one as the focus of your essay. You will also need to narrow your topic. Page 71 of 182
 CONT…

• To help narrow down a topic/issue and plan your research project:

• Start by re-reading some of the research papers which you read as part of your course. Conduct a preliminary
review of the literature related to the topic / issue. This can include literature related to theoretical concepts as
well as practical research.

• Aim to identify what is currently known and whether there are any 'gaps' in existing knowledge. This will enable
you to determine how your own research will contribute to and build on what is already known.

• Identify how research on the topic /issue has previously been conducted in terms of, for example: approach,
methods, analysis of data.

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 CONT….
• It will also be useful to refer to literature on research methods - check the recommended

reading list for your dissertation module / Centre for Doctoral Education guidance.

• For Masters level research, the contribution to existing knowledge does not necessarily need to

be something completely new that has never been explored before. Your research could make a

contribution to existing knowledge by, for example: Adopting a less commonly used research

approach / research method or focusing on a particular context (such as a school or country)

where a limited amount of research has been conducted.

• For doctoral level research, there will usually be a need to demonstrate more originality

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2.3.2 DEVELOPING PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

An effective problem statement is concise and concrete. It should:

• Put the problem in context (what do we already know?): Describe the precise issue that
the research will address (what do we need to know?)
• Show the relevance of the problem (why do we need to know it?)
• Set the objectives of the research (what will you do to find out?)
Contextualize the Problem: The problem statement should frame your research problem in
its particular context and give some background on what is already known about it.
Show why it matters: The problem statement should also address the relevance of the
research: why is it important that the problem is solved?

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 CONT…

Set your aims and objectives: Finally, the problem statement should frame how
you intend to address the problem.

• The research aim is the overall purpose of your research. It is generally written in
the infinitive form:

• The aim of this study is to determine…

• This project aims to explore…

• I aim to investigate…

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2.3.3 FOLLOWING THE OBJECTIVES

Research objectives should be closely related to the statement of the problem and
summarise what you hope will be achieved by the study.
Writing your research objectives clearly helps to:
• Define the focus of your study
• Clearly identify variables to be measured
• Indicate the various steps to be involved
• Establish the limits of the study
• Avoid the collection of any data that is not strictly necessary.

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 CONT..

• Objectives can be general or specific.

• The general objective of your study states what you expect to achieve in general
terms.

• Specific objectives break down the general objective into smaller, logically
connected parts that systematically address the various aspects of the problem.

• Your specific objectives should specify exactly what you will do in each phase of
your study, how, where, when and for what purpose.

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 2.3.4 PRESENTING AND ANALYZING THE DATA

• The purpose of analyzing data is to obtain usable and useful information. The analysis,
irrespective of whether the data is qualitative or quantitative, may:

• Describe and summarize the data (Numbers do not speak for themselves)

• Identify relationships between variables

• Compare variables

• Identify the difference between variables

• Forecast outcomes

• Stating limitations to the analysis weakens the evaluation.

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 CONT..

• Interpretation demand fair and careful judgments. Often the same data can be interpreted
in different ways.

• Be explicit and honest about your limitations.

• Do not claim causation without a true experimental desin

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 DRAWING CONCLUSION AND IDENTIFYING FUTURE WORK

• The most important thing to remember about the conclusion section is that it must refer back to
the

• For example, if you have stated a specific hypothesis, the conclusion section of your report
must state whether this hypothesis still holds on completion of your work aim and objectives.

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 PRESENTING AND DEFENDING ORALLY

Do
• Select a conservative slide layout that appears professional
• Use an easy to read font
• Use figures and tables
Do Not
• Do not add slide transitions, animation or sounds that are distracting
• Do not crowd slides with excessive text
Oral Presentation:
• Create notes in your presentation of the points you want to cover in your oral presentation of each slide.
• Except for things like the research questions, do not just read the slides.
• Your oral presentation should explain or expand on what is on the slides.

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 COMPONENTS OF A PAPER
• The major components of a paper written in APA (American Psychological Association) style are:

Note:- Refer “ Final Project Documentation Guidelines (2).docx “ document

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CONT…

Title Page
• The title page of your paper includes the following information:
• Title of the paper
• Author’s name
• Name of the institution with which the author is affiliated
• Header at the top of the page with the paper title (in capital letters) and the page number (If
the title is lengthy, you may use a shortened form of it in the header.)

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 ABSTRACT
• The next page of your paper provides an abstract, or brief summary of your findings.
• An abstract does not need to be provided in every paper, but an abstract should be used in papers that include a
hypothesis.
• A good abstract is concise—about one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty words—and is written in an objective,
impersonal style.

Margins, Pagination, and Headings

• Use these general guidelines to format the paper:
1. Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.
2. Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.

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 CONT…
3. Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).
4. Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section.
5. Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting
depending on the level of information you are presenting.
Heading
1. Section headings use centered, boldface type. important words in the heading capitalized.
2. Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type.
Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
3. The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.

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 PROPOSAL PREPARATION

Choosing a Subject Area (follow the following steps

1. brainstorming session to see what topic is best for you: It’s best to find something that interests you, but you
shouldn’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone a little bit.
Technology Research Paper Topics
• The impact of information technology
• Future of machine learning
• Artificial intelligence
• History of computer science
• Data science
2. Selecting a topic: A common mistake students can make, is getting far too specific at the early stages.
3. Get Super Specific: Once you have a broad subject, the next step is to get super-specific.
• The idea is to get your broad idea and then extract a particular element of that subject.
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 CONT…
4. Define Your Topic as a Question: Once you have a specific topic you now need to define it a question that
will help you with the context of your paper.
5. Create an outline of what you want your paper to say: create an outline of what you want your paper to say.
• The hardest part is complete; in only five steps, you have your research topic
Choosing a Problem within the Subject Area

• The process of developing research questions is only completed after analyzing all relevant
data.
• In general, a good question isn't determined from the very beginning but only becomes
apparent after familiarizing yourself with the matter.
• Theoretical pieces, models or methods applied on recent fields of research can be sources for
good questions, as well as scientific papers or topics of public discourse, etc.

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 QUALITY ASSURANCE OF INITIAL IDEA

• Quality assurance (QA) aims to keep the quality of a product or service at a specified level.

• The student should persuade the professor that the topic on quality assurance is interesting and
worth researching.

• Very few students know that it is possible to read a free example research proposal on software
quality assurance and understand the right way of writing.

• One can learn about formatting, the creation of a logical structure, and the convincing way of data
presentation following a free sample research proposal on quality assurance on the Internet.

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 WRITE UP THE PROPOSAL
The following points should be included
1. Title Page (Name and Logo of university, Topic, Members name, Advisor name, submission date)
2. Introduction (Broad Picture, General Description, Research Questions, objective)
3. Problem Statement
4. Objective (General Objective, Specific Objective)
5. Significance
6. Literature Review (optional for degree program)
7. Methodology or approach
8. Time Plan
9. Budget
10. Reference /Bibliography.
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CONT..

Page 90 of 182
 RESEARCH PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

Read the pdf named “CHECKLIST FOR YOUR RESEARCH PROPOSAL.pdf”

Page 91 of 182
LITERATURE REVIEWS

• A literature review is a piece of academic writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of

the academic literature on a specific topic placed in context.
• A literature review also includes a critical evaluation of the material. It is a process of reviewing
the literature, as well as a form of writing.
Importance of Literature Review

⮚The purpose of a literature review is to gain an understanding of the existing research and debates
relevant to a particular topic or area of study, and to present that knowledge in the form of a written
report.

⮚Conducting a literature review helps you build your knowledge in your field. You’ll learn about
important concepts, research methods, and experimental techniques that are used in your field.

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SKILLS AND KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

• A literature review should not just be a summary of each source. That would be more like an
annotated bibliography. Instead, you need to:
 compare and contrast each source to other relevant literature on the topic.
 critically evaluate each source
 indicate how each source contributes to the body of knowledge about the topic
 integrate your discussion of the sources into your argument about the state of knowledge on
the topic.

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 CONT..

• When doing and writing a literature review, it is good practice to:

 summarize and analyze previous research and theories;

 identify areas of controversy and contested claims;

 highlight any gaps that may exist in research to date.

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LITERATURE SOURCES

• Following are a few acceptable sources for literature reviews, listed in order from what will
be considered most acceptable to less acceptable sources for your literature review
assignments:
1.Peer-reviewed journal article.
2.Edited academic books.
3.Articles in professional journals.
4.Statistical data from government websites.
5.Website material from professional associations (use sparingly and carefully).

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PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES (PAPERS)

• A peer-reviewed journal article is a paper that has been submitted to a scholarly journal,
accepted, and published.
• Peer review journal papers go through a rigorous, blind review process of peer review.
• two to three experts in the area of research featured in the paper have reviewed and accepted
the paper for publication.
• This blind review process can be long (often 12 to 18 months) and may involve much back
and forth edits on the behalf of the researchers, as they work to address the edits and concerns
of the peers who reviewed their paper.

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EDITED ACADEMIC BOOKS

• An edited academic book is a collection of scholarly scientific papers written by different authors.
• The works are original papers, not published elsewhere
• edited academic books are fine to use for your literature review, but you also want to ensure that
your literature review contains mostly peer-reviewed journal papers.
Articles in professional journals
• Articles from professional journals should be used with caution for your literature review. This is because
articles in trade journals are not usually peer-reviewed, even though they may appear to be.
• A good way to find out is to read the “About Us” section of the professional journal, which should state
whether or not the papers are peer-reviewed.
• You can also find out by Googling the name of the journal and adding “peer-reviewed” to the search.

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 STATISTICAL DATA FROM GOVERNMENTAL WEBSITES

• Governmental websites can be excellent sources for statistical data, e.g, Statistics Canada
collects and publishes data related to the economy, society, and the environment
(see https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start)
Website material from professional associations
• Material from other websites can also serve as a source for statistics that you may need for
your literature review.
• Since you want to justify the value of the research that interests you, you might make use of a
professional association’s website to learn how many members they have.

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 WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW
Follow the following seven steps carefully
1.Narrow your topic and select papers accordingly
2.Search for literature
•Using keywords, search a library database.
•Reference lists of recent articles and reviews can lead to other useful papers.
•Include any studies contrary to your point of view.
3. Read the selected articles thoroughly and evaluate them
•Evaluate and synthesize the studies' findings and conclusions.
•Note the following:
•Assumptions some or most researchers seem to make
•Methodologies, testing procedures, subjects, and material tested researchers use

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 CONT…
• Experts in the field: names/labs that are frequently referenced
• Conflicting theories, results, and methodologies
• Popularity of theories and how this has/has not changed over time
4. Organize the selected papers by looking for patterns and by developing subtopics
Follow the following point to organize
• Findings that are common/contested
• Important trends in the research
• The most influential theories
5. Develop a thesis or purpose statement
Write a one or two-sentence statement summarizing the conclusion you have reached about the major
trends and developments you see in the research that has been conducted on your subject.

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CONT..
6. Write the paper
• Follow the organizational structure you developed above, including the headings and
subheadings you constructed.
• Make certain that each section links logically to the one before and after.
• Structure your sections by themes or subtopics, not by individual theorists or researchers
• Prioritize analysis over description(evaluative approach by comparing and contrasting)
7. Review your work
• Look at the topic sentences of each paragraph.
• Make an outline of each section of the paper and decide whether you need to add information,
to delete irrelevant information, or to re-structure sections.
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CONT..

• Read your work out loud to identify where you need punctuation marks to signal pauses or
divisions within sentences.
• check to ensure that you have covered all important, up-to-date, and pertinent texts.
• Make certain that all of the citations and references are correct and that you are referencing
in the appropriate style for your discipline.
• Check to ensure that you have not plagiarized either by failing to cite a source of
information or using words quoted directly from a source.
• Text should be written in a clear and concise academic style; it should not be descriptive in
nature or use the language of everyday speech.
• There should be no grammatical or spelling errors.
• Sentences should flow smoothly and logically.
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END OF CHAPTER TWO
THANKS

Page 103 of 182

 CoSc 4121

Research Method in Computer Science

Page 104 of 182

 Chapter 3
Resources to
Conduct Research

Page 105 of 182

 ● Digital Libraries (IEEE,
ACM, Science Direct,
Springer, etc.)
● Documentation Tools (Ex:
Latex) and Language Skill
OUTLINE ● Team Work
● Datasets
● Simulation, Experimental
or Visualization Tools

Page 106 of 182

3
 Digital library

● also called an online library, an internet

library, a digital repository, or a digital
collection
● is an online database or collection of
documents in organized electronic form
Digital Libraries (IEEE, and
● It is available on the Internet or on
ACM, Science Direct, CD-ROM (compact-disk read-only
memory) disks.
Springer, etc.) ● Depending on the specific library, a user may be
able to access magazine articles, books,
papers, images, sound files, and videos.
● Internet-based digital libraries can be updated
on a daily basis. This is one of the greatest assets
of this emerging technology.
● On CD-ROM, the amount of data is limited to
several hundred megabytes ( MB ) per disk, but
access is generally much faster than on an
Internet connection.
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 Types of Digital library

● According to wikipedia digital library can

group as
○ Institutional repositories.
○ National library collections.
Digital Libraries (IEEE,
○ Digital archives.
ACM, Science Direct, ● Institutional repositories
Springer, etc.) ○ Many academic libraries are actively
involved in building repositories of their
institution's books, papers, theses, and
other works that can be digitized or
were 'born digital'.
○ Many of these repositories are made
available to the general public with few
restrictions
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 ● National library collections.
○ Digital library which store legal and related
information that used by countrywide.
○ deposit is often covered by copyright
legislation and sometimes by laws specific
to legal deposit
Digital Libraries (IEEE, ● Digital archives.
○ Archives differ from libraries in the nature
ACM, Science Direct, of the materials held.
○ Libraries collect individual published
Springer, etc.) books and serials, or bounded sets of
individual items. books and journals held
by libraries are not unique, since multiple
copies exist and any given copy will
generally prove as satisfactory as any other
copy.
○ material in archives and manuscript
libraries are "the unique records of
corporate bodies and the papers of
individuals and families".
Page 109 of 182
 ● IEEE is a 501 professional association for
electronic engineering and electrical
engineering with its corporate office in
New York City and its operations center
IEEE (Institute of Electrical in Piscataway, New Jersey. The mission of
and Electronics Engineers) the IEEE is advancing technology for the
benefit of humanity
○ IEEE provides a wide range of quality
publications that make the exchange
of technical knowledge and
information possible among
technology professionals. This
essential content, categorized below,
is delivered through the IEEE
Xplore® Digital Library.
Page 110 of 182
○ Visit https://www.ieee.org/
 ● Association for Computing Machinery is a
US-based international learned society for
computing.
● It was founded in 1947 and is the world's
largest scientific and educational computing
ACM(Association for society.
Computing Machinery) ● The ACM is a non-profit professional
membership group, claiming nearly 110,000
student and professional members as of 2022
● The ACM Digital Library is a research,
discovery and networking platform
containing:
○ journals, conference proceedings,
technical magazines, newsletters and
books.
○ A collection of curated and hosted
full-text publications from select
Page 111 of 182
publishers.
 ● ScienceDirect is the world's leading source for
scientific, technical, and medical research.
Explore journals, books and articles.
● ScienceDirect is a website which provides
access to a large bibliographic database of
Science Direct scientific and medical publications of the Dutch
publisher Elsevier.
● It hosts over 18 million pieces of content
from more than 4,000 academic journals
and 30,000 e-books of this publisher

Page 112 of 182

 ● Providing researchers with access to
millions of scientific documents
from journals, books, series,
protocols, reference works and
proceedings.
●
Springer Springer Science+Business Media,
commonly known as Springer, is a
German multinational publishing
company of books, e-books and
peer-reviewed journals in science,
humanities, technical and medical
publishing

Page 113 of 182

 Latex
● LaTeX is a high-quality
Documentation Tools (Ex: typesetting system;
Latex) and Language Skill ● it includes features designed
for the production of
technical and scientific
documentation.
● LaTeX is the de facto
standard for the
communication and
publication of scientific
documents.
● LaTeX is available as free
software.
Page 114 of 182
 Language Skill
● You can use language tools
Documentation Tools (Ex: to make your research paper
is from language issue
Latex) and Language Skill ● For example grammerly.com
to check grammar issue

Page 115 of 182

 Dataset
● A data set is a collection of related, discrete
items of related data that may be accessed
individually or in combination.
● For example google has a dataset, and you
Dataset can search data from it.

Page 116 of 182

 ● A simulation is the art and science of creating a representation of a process or
system for the purpose of experimentation and evaluation
● is a model that mimics the operation of an existing or proposed system, providing
evidence for decision-making by being able to test different scenarios or process
changes.
Simulation, ● This can be coupled with virtual reality technologies for a more immersive
experience.
Experimental ● Simulations are usually computer-based, using a software-generated model to provide
support for the decisions of managers and engineers as well as for training purposes.
or
● Simulation techniques aid understanding and experimentation, as the models are both
Visualization visual and interactive.

Tools ● Visualization technology allows us to represent visually the data that we obtain
through simulation.

● Instead of racking your brains trying to process raw simulation data, with this
technology you can simplify complex information and turn it into a friendly 2D
drawing, graph, high-quality picture, or even a 3D animation.

● For example some mobile app allows to visualize yourself when we old or after a
certain years . Page 117 of 182
Simulation,
Experimental
or
Visualization Deep brain
Tools

Page 118 of 182

End of Chapter Three
Thank You

Page 119 of 182

16
 CoSc 4121

Research Method in Computer Science

Page 120 of 182

 Chapter 4
Writing Research Papers
and
Making Presentations

Page 121 of 182

 ● Structure of Good
Quality Papers, Citations
and References
● Making Excellent
OUTLINE Presentation
● How to Write Good
Quality Thesis and Papers
(Journal and
Conferences)
Page 122 of 182
3
 ● Structure of research or a project paper may
very from institution to institution .
● Journal report or project requires not only
an original, novel and relevant research, but
also taking care of the format and
Structure of Good Quality structure of the paper because the
Papers, Citations and formal issues, together with the
thematic, methodological and
References bibliographic
● Project Report Structure

Page 123 of 182

 ● The aim of a citation is to provide enough
bibliographic information for the reader to be
able to identify and, if necessary, obtain the
original resource.
● Complete, correct and consistent citations are
Structure of Good Quality therefore very important.
● You may reference a wide variety of resources
Papers, Citations and in your research or project, including books,
e-journal articles, checklists and websites
References ● By using citations and references, you
acknowledge the work of others and
show how their ideas have contributed to
your own work.
● It is also a way of demonstrating that you
have read and understood key texts
relating to the area you are writing about
Page 124 of 182
 Reference vs Bibliography

● The terms reference list and bibliography are

usually used interchangeably,
● But,
○ a bibliography refers to all the reading you
Structure of Good Quality have undertaken for your assignment,
○ A reference refers to all the reading you
Papers, Citations and have referred to in your writing.

References Reference and citation

● Reference and citation are also often used to refer

to the same thing
● But,
○ a citation tends to mean the part of the
text within your writing where you
acknowledge the source;
○ a reference usually refers to the full
Page 125 of 182
bibliographic information at the end.
 ● When you quote from, or refer to, another
source of information in your work, you must
provide a citation to it, which then leads to a
reference giving the full details of the resource.
● You will end up with:
Structure of Good Quality ○ a citation within the text
○ a reference in the bibliography or
Papers, Citations and reference list at or near the end of
the assignment.
References ● In-text citations use only a few details of the
source, enough to locate its matching
reference citation in the reference list.
● Reference list citations provide more
information about the source, so that the
reader can find it if they wish.

Page 126 of 182

 ● There are two main systems used in the United
Kingdom:
○ the Harvard system (sometimes referred
to as the Author-Date system) and
Structure of Good Quality ○ the British Standard (Numeric) system.
●
Papers, Citations and The main difference between the two
referencing systems is that they have different
References ways of referencing within the text.
● In terms of the reference list at the end of the
document however, they are very similar with
just a few minor differences.

Page 127 of 182

 In text citation

● Within the text of an assignment, the Harvard system requires that the
author's surname is mentioned with the date of publication of
the item. This applies where a direct quote is given:
Citations and ○ “Organization design is more often than not assumed to be
References the organization structure.” Stanford (2014, p7)

● or where the work is referred to:

HARVARD SYSTEM ○ ...assumptions around organisation design have recently been

(AUTHOR-DATE) challenged (Stanford 2014), to the extent that...

Page 128 of 182

 In text citation

● When more than one publication by the same author, published in the
same year, is cited, then lower case letters are used to differentiate the
items i.e. (2014a), (2014b). For example:
Citations and ○ "Organization design is more often than not assumed to be
References the organization structure." Stanford (2014a, p7)

● In cases where more than two authors are responsible for a publication the

HARVARD SYSTEM first author's name is stated, followed by the term 'et al' (in italics) and the
date of publication. For example:
(AUTHOR-DATE)
■ Stanford et al (2014) concluded that... Whichever
referencing system you use, you need to include the page
number after the year of publication if it is a direct
Page 129 of 182
quotation.
 Bibliography

● In the bibliography at the end of the assignment, the items are listed
alphabetically by the author's name.

Citations and ● If an author has been acknowledged more than once, with different
publication dates, then the items are listed in chronological order with
References the earliest item being listed first.

● lower case letters used to differentiate publications in the same year

HARVARD SYSTEM are also included in alphabetical order.
(AUTHOR-DATE)
● The information required for books and journal articles using the
Harvard system is as follows in the examples below. Books Author's
surname and initials (Year of publication) Title (in italics). Edition (if not
Page 130 of 182
the first). Place of publication: Publisher. › Example: Stanford, N. (2014)
 Bibliography

● The information required for books and journal articles using the Harvard
system is as follows in the examples below.

Books

Citations and ○ Author's surname and initials (Year of publication) Title (in italics).
References Edition (if not the first). Place of publication: Publisher. Example:

○ Stanford, N. (2014) Organization design. 2nd ed. Abingdon:

Routledge.
HARVARD SYSTEM
Chapters or contributions in a book
(AUTHOR-DATE)
○ Contributor's surname and initials (Year of publication) Book chapter
title. ‘In:’ Author/editor of the publication surname, initials. Title of book.
Edition (if not the first). Place of publication: Publisher, Page number/s of
Page 131 of 182
the contribution.
 Bibliography

● Example:

○ Coffey, B. S. and Anderson, S. E. (2013) Leadership at the edge

of the summit. In: Giannantonio, C. M. and Hurley-Hanson, A.
Citations and E., eds., Extreme leadership. 3 rd ed. Cheltenham: Edward
References Elgar, pp. 72-82.

Journal articles

HARVARD SYSTEM ● Author's surname and initials (Year of publication) Title of article. Title of
(AUTHOR-DATE) journal (in italics),Volume number (Part number in brackets), Page
number/s. › Example:

○ Nunes, P. F. et al, (2013) Converting the nonstop customer into a loyal

customer. Strategy and Leadership, 41 (5), pp. 48-53. Page 132 of 182
 Bibliography
● Example bibliography using the Harvard System
○ Chartered Management Institute (2014) Managing for diversity. CMI management
checklist 152 [Online]. Available from:
http://mde.managers.org.uk/members/htmlviewer.aspx?id=1103500 [Accessed 25

Citations and August 2016].

References ○ Coffey, B. S. and Anderson, S. E. (2013) Leadership at the edge of the summit. In:
Giannantonio, C. M. and Hurley-Hanson, A. E., eds., Extreme leadership. Cheltenham:
Edward Elgar, pp. 72-82.

HARVARD SYSTEM ○ Greer, M. (2013) How to survive family projects: 5 PM best practices [Online].

(AUTHOR-DATE) Available from: http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=4869 [Accessed 30 April 2016].

○ Nunes, P. F. et al (2013) Converting the nonstop customer into a loyal customer.

Strategy and Leadership, 41 (5), pp. 48-53.

○ Stanford, N. (2014) Organization design, 2nd ed., Abingdon: Routledge.

Page 133 of 182
 In text citation

● Within the text of a report or essay the citation is assigned a number

which runs consecutively. This applies where a direct quotation is
given:
Citations and ○ “Organization design is more often than not assumed

References to be the organization structure.” (1, p7)

● or where the work is referred to:
○ ...assumptions around organisation design have recently
BRITISH STANDARD been challenged (1), to the extent that...
(NUMERIC) SYSTEM ● Note that the first example also includes a page number as it is a
direct quotation.

Page 134 of 182

 Bibliography

● In your main bibliography, the references should appear sequentially in

the order in which they appeared in the text.
● The format of references in the numeric system is largely the same as
Citations and in the Harvard system.

References ● However, the date should be near the end of the reference, rather
than after the author’s name.
● As with Harvard referencing, if you are referring to several page
BRITISH STANDARD numbers, you need to precede the page numbers with ‘pp.’ rather
(NUMERIC) SYSTEM than ‘p’.

Page 135 of 182

 Bibliography

● Example bibliography using the British Standard (Numeric) System

1. Stanford, N., Organization design, 2nd ed., Abingdon: Routledge, 2014.

Citations and 2. Coffey, B. S. and Anderson, S. E., Leadership at the edge of the summit. In: Giannantonio, C.
M. and Hurley-Hanson, A. E., eds., Extreme leadership. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2013, pp.
References 72-82.

3. Greer, M., How to survive family projects: 5 PM best practices [Online]. 2013. Available
from: http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=4869 [Accessed 30 April 2016].
BRITISH STANDARD
4. Nunes, P. F. et al., Converting the nonstop customer into a loyal customer. Strategy and
(NUMERIC) SYSTEM Leadership, 41 (5), pp. 48-53.

5. Chartered Management Institute, Managing for diversity. CMI management checklist 152
[Online], 2014. Available from:
http://mde.managers.org.uk/members/htmlviewer.aspx?id=1103500 [Accessed 25 August
Page 136 of 182
2016].
 ● To make an excellent presentation, first of all you
should write your paper with the audience in mind:
● remember that a conference/graduation paper should
be different from a journal article.
● Your paper is meant to be heard not read, that is a key
Making Excellent element to take into account when preparing your

Presentation conference paper.

● Listeners tend to have lower attention spans. So
keeping the content interesting, simple and
straightforward is very crucial.
● To Make a presentation, the following must be done in
order :
● Plan your delivery/presentation
● Make yourself ready and familiar of the
presentation
● Present your presentation Page 137 of 182
 Plan your delivery/presentation
● Once you’ve got the green light to
present, it’s time to focus on your
delivery.
● There are three main ways to deliver a
Making Excellent talk.
1. Present with read it directly off a script
Presentation or a teleprompter.
2. Present by develop a set of bullet
points that map out what you’re
going to say in each section rather
than scripting the whole thing word for
word.
3. Present by memorize your talk, which
entails rehearsing it to the point where
you internalize every word—verbatim.
● The most used one is the second one.
Page 138 of 182
 Plan your delivery/presentation
● If you decided to develop a set of bullet points
that map out what you’re going to say in each
section, you need to Plan the Multimedia.
○ With so much technology at our disposal,
Making Excellent it may feel almost mandatory to use, at a
minimum, presentation slides.
Presentation- Plan ○

your delivery

Page 139 of 182

 ● An effective PowerPoint presentation is just an aid
to the presentation, not the presentation itself.
● While you prepare your slide remember the
following Dos and Don’ts
● Dos
○ Be brief and concise.

Making Excellent ○
○
Focus on the subject.
Attract attention; indicate interesting details.

Presentation- Plan ○ If possible, use relevant visual illustrations

(pictures, maps, charts graphs, etc.).
○ Use bullet points or numbers to structure the
your delivery text.
○ Make clear statements about the
essence/results of the topic/research.
● Don'ts
○ Don't write down the whole outline of your
paper and nothing else.
○ Don't write long full sentences on the slides.
○ Don't use distracting colors, patterns, pictures,
decorations on the slides.
○ Don't use too complicated charts, graphs; only
those that are relatively easy Page 140 of 182
to understand
 Make yourself ready and familiar of the
presentation
● The next step is putting things Together,
that is your paper, slide and you talks.
● You need start helping yourself prepare
Making Excellent for your talks before sometime in
advance so that you have have plenty of
Presentation- Make time to practice.
yourself ready ● The more practice you can do in the final
time, the better off you’ll be.
● Ideally, you should practice the talk on
your own and in front of an audience
such as your group members.
● You should Rehearse your presentation,
so that you can present it very
excellently
Page 141 of 182
 Present your presentation

● The final step is presenting the work you done to your audience.
● While you present:
● Start confidently:
○ How you begin your presentation matters a great deal.
○ You will have to gain the audience’s confidence and attention from the get-go (the
Making ○
rule is within the first 10-20 seconds).
An introduction to yourself using fun facts can be a good start and also gives you

Excellent ●
credibility.
Follow to time limits: Generally, paper presentation sessions at conferences are 20-30
minutes long.
Presentation ● Tell your Story: Begin with the problem you set out to solve.
● Maintain eye contact with the audience: Be mindful of your posture: stand straight
and hold your head up.
● Use transitions: When moving from one idea to another use transitions such
“furthermore,” “in addition,” “consequently,” “meanwhile,” “finally,” etc.
● Encourage questions and discussions: ask if there is a question if not you shouldn’t
bother
● Ensure that the closing is natural: Do not leave immediately. Tell the audience how you
can be reached, you can close with a quote. Page 142 of 182
 1. Slide Transitions And Sound Effects: Transitions and sound effects
can become the focus of attention, which in turn distracts the
audience.
2. Standard Clipart: First, make certain that you need graphical images
to enhance your message. If you do, use your own scanned
photographs or better-quality graphics from companies, otherwise It
The most shows a lack of creativity and a tired adherence to a standard form
3. Presentation Templates: Another visual cliché. Templates force you
Deadly Sins of to fit your original ideas into someone else’s pre-packaged mold. If
possible try to use your own.
PowerPoint 4. Reading: A verbal presentation should focus on interactive speaking
and listening, not reading by the speaker or the audience.
Presentations 5. Faith in Technology: You never know when an equipment
malfunction or incompatible interfaces will force you to give your
presentation on another computer. Be prepared by having a back-up
of your presentation on a CD-ROM. Better yet is a compact-flash
memory card with an adapter for the PCMCIA slot in your notebook.

Page 143 of 182

 FONT
■ select a single sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Palatino because
these fonts are sometimes more difficult to read.
■ Use no font size smaller than 24 point.
■ Use the same font for all your headlines.
■ Select a font for body copy and another for headlines.

Tips for ■
■
■
Use bold and different sizes of those fonts for captions and subheadings.
Add a fourth font for page numbers or as a secondary body font for sidebars.
Don’t use more than four fonts in any one publication.

Effective Design and Graphical Images

PowerPoint ■
■
Use design templates.
Standardize position, colors, and styles.

Presentations ■
■
Include only necessary information.
Limit the information to essentials.
■ Content should be self-evident

Color
■ Limit the number of colors on a single screen.
■ Bright colors make small objects and thin lines stand out. However, some vibrant colors are difficult to read when
projected.
■ Use no more than four colors on one chart.
■ Check all colors on a projection screen before the actual presentation. Colors may project differently than what appears
on the monitor. Page 144 of 182
 General Presentation

■ Plan carefully.
■ Do your research.
■ Know your audience.
■ Time your presentation.
Tips for ■ Speak comfortably and clearly.
■ Check the spelling and grammar.
Effective ■ Do not read the presentation. Practice the presentation so you can speak from
bullet points. The text should be a cue for the presenter rather than a message
PowerPoint ■
for the viewer.
Give a brief overview at the start. Then present the information. Finally review

Presentations ■
important points.
It is often more effective to have bulleted points appear one at a time so the
audience listens to the presenter rather than reading the screen.
■ Use a wireless mouse or pick up the wired mouse so you can move around as
you speak.
■ If sound effects are used, wait until the sound has finished to speak.
■ If the content is complex, print the slides so the audience can take notes.
■ Do not turn your back on the audience. Try to position the monitor so you can
speak from it.
Page 145 of 182
 CoSc 4121

Research Method in Computer Science

Page 146 of 182

Chapter 5
Research
Ethics

Page 147 of 182

 ● Ethical Issues in Research
● Plagiarism, Falsification,
Fabrication
● Academic Honesty
OUTLINE Related Issues – Ex.
Misleading Authorship
● Other Ethical Issues in
Computing

Page 148 of 182

3
 Ethics
● are broadly the set of rules, written and
unwritten, that govern our expectations
of our own and others’ behaviour
● Effectively, they set out how we expect
Ethical Issues in others to behave, and why.
● While there is broad agreement on some
Research ethical values (for example, that insulting
is bad), there is also wide variation on how
exactly these values should be
interpreted in practice.
Research ethics
● are the set of ethics that govern how
scientific and other research is
performed at research institutions such
as universities, and how it is
disseminated.
Page 149 of 182
 Ethical considerations in research
● are a set of principles that guide your
research designs and practices.
○ Scientists and researchers must
always adhere to a certain code of
Ethical Issues in conduct when collecting data from
people.
Research ● Why?
○ The goals of human research often
include understanding real-life
phenomena, studying effective
treatments, investigating behaviors,
and improving lives in other ways.
● Unless you conduct your research with a
set of defined rule that is ethics, you
couldn't achieve the above goals.
● What you decide to research and how you
conduct that research involve key ethical
considerations. Page 150 of 182
 Why do research ethics matter?

● Research ethics matter for

○ scientific integrity,
○ human rights and dignity, and
○ collaboration between science and
Ethical Issues in society.
Research ● These principles make sure that
participation in studies is
○ voluntary,
○ informed, and
○ safe for research subjects.

Page 151 of 182

 Why do research ethics matter?
Research should avoid any of potential for
harm
● As a researcher, you have to consider all
possible sources of harm to participants.
Ethical Issues in ● Harm can come in many different forms.
○ Psychological harm: Sensitive
Research questions or tasks may trigger
negative emotions such as shame or
anxiety.
○ Social harm: Participation can
involve social risks, public
embarrassment, or stigma.
○ Physical harm: Pain or injury can
result from the study procedures.
○ Legal harm: Reporting sensitive data
could lead to legal risks or a breach
of privacy. Page 152 of 182
 Ethical considerations - Many or even most ethical
codes cover the following areas:

Honesty and Integrity

● This means that you need to report your research
honestly, and that this applies to
Ethical Issues in ○
○
Your methods (what you did),
Your data,
○ Your results, and
Research ○ Whether you have previously published any of it.

Objectivity
● You should aim to avoid bias in any aspect of your
research, including design, data analysis,
interpretation, and peer review.

Carefulness
● Take care in carrying out your research to avoid
careless mistakes.
● You should also review your work carefully and
critically to ensure that your results are credible.
Page 153 of 182
 Ethical considerations - Many or even most ethical codes cover the
following areas:

Openness

● Share your data and results, along with any new tools that
you have developed, when you publish your findings, as this
helps to further knowledge and advance science.
Ethical Issues in ● open to criticism and new ideas.

Respect for Intellectual Property

Research ● Never plagiarise, or copy, other people’s work and try to pass it off
as your own.
● Ask for permission before using other people’s tools or methods,
unpublished data or results.
● Not doing so is plagiarism. Obviously, you need to respect
copyrights and patents, together with other forms of intellectual
property, and always acknowledge contributions to your
research.
● If in doubt, acknowledge, to avoid any risk of plagiarism.

Confidentiality
● keep confidentiality of an item if it need to keep with confidence.
● follow guidelines on protection of sensitive information such as
patient records. Page 154 of 182
 Responsible Publication

● Publish to advance to state of research and knowledge, and not just to

advance your career.
● Should not publish anything that is not new, or that duplicates someone
else’s work.

Legality

Ethical Issues in ● Aware of laws and regulations that govern your work, and be sure that you
conform to them.

Research Animal Care

● If you are using animals in your research, you should always be sure that
your experiments are both necessary and well-designed.
● You should also show respect for the animals you are using, and make sure
that they are properly cared for.

Human Subjects Protection

● If your research involves people, you should make sure that you reduce any
possible harm to the minimum, and maximise the benefits both to
participants and other people.

Anonymity

● Anonymity means that you don’t know who the participants are
Page 155 of 182
and you can’t link any individual participant to their data.
 Research misconduct means fabrication,
falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing,
or reviewing research, or in reporting research
results.

Fabrication

Plagiarism, Falsification, ● Fabrication is making up data or results and

recording or reporting them.
Fabrication Falsification
● Falsification is manipulating research
materials, equipment, or processes, or
changing or omitting data or results which
results not accurately represented in the
research record.
Plagiarism
● Plagiarism is the addition of another
person's ideas, processes, results, or words
without giving appropriate credit.
Page 156 of 182
 Research misconduct means fabrication,
falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing,
or reviewing research, or in reporting research
results.

Fabrication

Plagiarism, Falsification, ● Making up data or results and reporting

them
Fabrication Falsification
● Falsification is manipulating research
materials, equipment, or processes, or
changing or omitting data or results which
results not accurately represented in the
research record.
Plagiarism
● Plagiarism is the addition of another
person's ideas, processes, results, or words
without giving appropriate credit.
Page 157 of 182
 Academic Honesty
● Puting ideas or works of yours and
only yours.
● If not, putting forward the ideas or work
of others as your own without
Academic Honesty appropriate attribution is dishonest.
● The research on academic cheating
Related Issues – Ex. primarily originates from two disciplines,
Misleading Authorship ○ Education and
○ Psychology
● Academic dishonesty, also called,
academic misconduct, academic integrity
violations, academic cheating
● Academic dishonesty is either a student
problem or a faculty problem and to a
smaller extent, as an institutional
problem. Page 158 of 182
 Academic Honesty
● Education
○ Institution may become dishonest
with education for the sake of
business.
Academic Honesty ○ Individuals may become dishonest
Related Issues – Ex. educationally to put themselves in
the top level
Misleading Authorship ● Psychology
○ Institution may dishonest to achieve
psychologically advantage within the
society.
○ For example, they may say all our
student passed the ESCLE, for the
purpose of their next business.
○ Individuals be dishonest for the
purpose of be better ofPage
others.
159 of 182
 Example of academic dishonesty
● Getting copy of old lab
experiment from friend and
writes up a lab report that is very
Academic Honesty similar to the old report given by
the friends
Related Issues – Ex. ● Students use papers from the
Misleading Authorship web, without attribution, in a
term paper assignment
● Student is found consulting with
another during a comprehensive
exam.
● Student is submitting another
person project as own project
report Page 160 of 182
 Example of academic
dishonesty
● Misleading Authorship
○ misleading authorship is
Academic Honesty described as academic
misconduct, through which
Related Issues – Ex. a person who has not
contributed to the
research is included in the
research as an author or
○ a genuine contributor to
the research is excluded
from the list of authors of
the study.
Page 161 of 182
 ● To begin with, it seems that
there are four big areas of
Ethical issues in Computing.
Other Ethical Issues ○ Computer crime
in Computing ○ Responsibility for
computer failure
○ Protection of computer
property, records and
software;
○ Privacy of the company,
workers and customers
Page 162 of 182
 Computer crime

● Computer crime is intellectual, white-collar crime or black

hacking crime.
● Those that commit such crimes must be intelligent enough
to manipulate a computer system and in such a position to
access it in the first place.

Other Ethical Issues ○ One example of computer crime is stealing funds via
computer.

in Computing ○ Another example is unauthorized computer entry.

Responsibility for computer failure

● As IT professional, one must be ethically responsible for

computer software and hardware failure

Protection of computer property, records and software

● Must use each of the computing resource properly

Privacy of the company, workers and customers

● Before using or even sharing the computer resource, we

have to be familiar that the resource is public, that is
Page 163 of 182
shareable or private that is not shareable
 Computer crime

● Computer crime is intellectual, white-collar crime or black

hacking crime.
● Those that commit such crimes must be intelligent enough
to manipulate a computer system and in such a position to
access it in the first place.

Other Ethical Issues ○ One example of computer crime is stealing funds via
computer.

in Computing ○ Another example is unauthorized computer entry.

Responsibility for computer failure

● As IT professional, one must be ethically responsible for

computer software and hardware failure

Protection of computer property, records and software

● Must use each of the computing resource properly

Privacy of the company, workers and customers

● Before using or even sharing the computer resource, we

have to be familiar that the resource is public, that is
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shareable or private that is not shareable
 Computer crime

● Computer crime is intellectual, white-collar crime or black

hacking crime.
● Those that commit such crimes must be intelligent enough
to manipulate a computer system and in such a position to
access it in the first place.

Other Ethical Issues ○ One example of computer crime is stealing funds via
computer.

in Computing ○ Another example is unauthorized computer entry.

Responsibility for computer failure

● As IT professional, one must be ethically responsible for

computer software and hardware failure

Protection of computer property, records and software

● Must use each of the computing resource properly

Privacy of the company, workers and customers

● Before using or even sharing the computer resource, we

have to be familiar that the resource is public, that is
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shareable or private that is not shareable
End of Chapter Five
Thank you

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 CoSc 4121

Research Method in Computer Science

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Chapter 6
Data
Collection and
Analysis

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 ● Data Collection (primary
and secondary data)
● Analysis of Data with
case studies
OUTLINE

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3
 Data
● Any fact or information required as input for
conducting the research.
● The data should be collected and analyzed before its
use.
Data Collection and
Data Collection
Analysis
● is defined as a method and process of collecting data which
is required for the purpose and organizing it

Data Analysis
● is a process of turning the collected data into useful that
will be useful for a research.

Data Source

● Data can be from Primary data source or from Secondary

data source
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 Primary Data
● Data collected directly from any body who is
impacted by or impacted a research result.
● Data collected for the first time are called
primary data.
Data Source ● The methods mostly used in collecting
primary data are survey, observation and
experiment.
● Primary Data collection can be online (online
form, phone, etc…) or in-person

Secondary Data
● data collected and used once are called
secondary data.
● It becomes much easier to collect
secondary data than the primary ones.
● Secondary data can be collected from
several sources. Page 171 of 182
 ● The methods mostly used in collecting primary
data are
○ Survey, which include interview and
questionnaire
○ Observation
○ Experiment.
Primary Data Collection ● Generally, all these methods are not used in a
Method same project, because they have both good and
bad aspects.
● The question which method should be selected
depends on the nature, time and cost. Or
method should be selected according to the
nature, time and cost
● Survey: Collecting data through interviews of
the people or questionnaire is called survey
method.
● Data can be collected through the means of
in-person (individuals), telephones, mails etc.
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 Data can be collected through the means of in-person (individuals),
telephones, mails etc.
● Persons/individuals:
○ Data can be collected by taking interviews from the different
Data Collection ○
person/individuals or requesting to fill out a questionnaire.
This method is more flexible than the telephone and mail interview.
Method ○ During the interview time, if the person being interviewed gives
incomplete answer, it can be made clear asking repeatedly to complete
the answer.
● Telephone:
○ Survey can be done through telephone.
○ As different personalities can be contacted through telephone
anywhere from center, this medium saves cost and time.
○ This medium is quicker than others for prompt survey.
● Mail:
○ Data can be collected through mail.
○ In this method, questionnaire is sent to potential respondents.
○ They also send the answers back through mail.
○ This medium is less expensive than the personal interview and becomes
more useful for national survey.
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 Observation Method
● Data collection can be done with observation , i.e. collecting data by
observing activities of persons and also called observation method.
● Observation may be personal or mechanical. Complete and accurate
data can be collected through observation method.
○ Personal observation: This method is more useful to collect data about
Data Collection ○
sellers’ performance and their priority given to the brand.
Mechanical observation: Mechanical observation can be done in various

Method
forms. For instance, scanner can be used in retail stores for keeping purchase
record. Similarly, camera can be used to keep person’s reaction in video form.

Experimental method:
● Primary data can be collected through experimental method.
● Experimental works are done in lab and field for collection of primary data.
○ Laboratory experiment:
■ The testing or trying out in lab is called laboratory experiment.
■ Laboratory is used to taste/examine the components of marketing
strategy.
○ Field experiment:
■ The other method used to understand the consumers’ reaction is field
experiment.
■ This is also like a laboratory, but it is done remaining in real situation.
Test marketing is a field experiment.

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 ● The data used once are called secondary data.
● It becomes much easier to collect secondary data than the
primary ones.
● Secondary data can be collected from several sources.
The main sources are as follows:
Library
Secondary Data ● Library is the best source for collection of secondary data.
Source ● All kinds of books, all publications, research oriented legal
documents, researched publications, useful materials,
magazines, newspapers, official publication etc. can be
found in libraries
Government
● Government publications are also the important sources
for collection of secondary data.
● organizations should compulsorily submit their annual
reports of income-statement, balance sheet, cash flow
statement etc. to the government bodies. Such reports
and statements are also the sources of secondary data
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 Trade, professional and business associations
● Trade, professional and business associations also give
information about their activities through different kinds of
publications. Some business organizations have their own
library
Secondary Data Private business firm
● Private business firms collect important data.
Source ● They cover almost the addresses, phone no. estimated income,
purchasing habit etc. in them of almost every business. Such
data can be a good area for the secondary data source.
Advertising media
● Magazines, newspapers, radios and televisions prepare useful
data for householders and business organizations.
● This report gives information about population, retail sale,
income etc.
University research organization
● Research Organizations are formed in big universities. Such
organizations carry out local, national and international level
researches and publish. Page 176 of 182
 Steps 1: State the information you want to collect
○ The first thing you’re going to do even before starting to frame the
questions, is actually identifying what information you really want.
○ Ultimately, the data you collect should give you all the answers to
the questions you had when you thought of driving a survey.
Step 2: Set a time period for collecting data
○ Next, you can start on deciding how much time you want to give
Data Collection the data to flood in.
○ A survey process cannot go forever, and it cannot be done in a day.
Steps Step 3: Define data collection method
● In this step, looking at the number of respondents you are aiming
to achieve, you can decide on which data collection method you
want to use for your survey.
● It can be anything from the list we discussed before.

Step 4: Collect the data

● Now you can begin to collect your data. You can make use of
automated data collection platforms that collect the data for you
from various sources and keep them in one place.
Step 5: Analyze the data an implement
● This is the end of your research. You have all the information you
need in your hands now, and all you have to do is analyze it
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 ● When we talk about analyzing data there is an order to follow in order to
extract the needed conclusions.
● The analysis process consists of 5 key stages
○ Identify:
■ first you need to identify why do you need the data in the first
place.
■ The identification is the stage in which you establish the
Data Analysis ○ Collect:
questions you will need to answer.

Method ■ As its name suggests, this is the stage where you start collecting
the needed data.
■ Here, you define which sources of information you will use and
how you will use them.
○ Clean:
■ Once you have the necessary data it is time to clean it because
not all datas are useful and leave it ready for analysis.
○ Analyze:
■ With the help of various techniques such as statistical analysis,
regressions, neural networks, text analysis, and more, you can
start analyzing and manipulating your data to extract relevant
conclusions.
○ Interprete:
■ Last but not least you have one of the most important steps: it is
time to interpret your results.
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 Data analysis methods can be grouped with the following main analysis

● Descriptive analysis - What happened:

○ The descriptive analysis method is the starting point to any analytic
reflection, and it aims to answer the question of what happened?
○ Done by ordering, manipulating, and interpreting raw data from
various sources to turn it into valuable insights for the research.
Data Analysis ● Exploratory analysis - How to explore data relationships:
○ main aim of the exploratory analysis is to explore.
categories ○ Exploratory analysis enables you to find connections and generate
hypotheses and solutions for specific problems.
● Diagnostic analysis - Why it happened:
○ Diagnostic data analytics empowers analysts and executives by
helping them gain a firm contextual understanding of why
something happened.
● Predictive analysis - What will happen.:
○ Predictive method allows you to look into the future to answer the
question: what will happen?
○ uses the results of the previously mentioned descriptive,
exploratory, and diagnostic analysis
● Prescriptive analysis - How will it happen:
○ Prescriptive data techniques cross over from predictive analysis in
the way that it revolves around using patterns or trends to develop
responsive, practical business strategies.
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 The following are essential types of data analysis methods among with some use cases in
the business world:

● Cluster analysis:
○ The action of grouping a set of data elements in a way that said
elements are more similar (in a particular sense) to each other than
to those in other groups
Data Analysis ●
○ This method is often used to find hidden patterns in the data.
Cohort analysis:
Methods ○ data analysis method uses historical data to examine and compare
a determined segment of users' behavior.
● Regression analysis:
○ Regression uses historical data to understand how a dependent
variable's value is affected when one (linear regression) or more
independent variables (multiple regression) change or stay the
same
● Neural networks:
○ The neural network forms the basis for the intelligent algorithms of
machine learning.
○ It is a form of analytics that attempts, with minimal intervention, to
understand how the human brain would generate insights and
predict values.
○ Neural networks learn from each and every data transaction,
meaning that they evolve and advance over time.
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End of Chapter Six
Thank you

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End of Course
Thank you

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