1. What is Engineering Research?

What are the primary objectives of conducting research in

engineering? OR
Define engineering research and list its, aims and objectives?
Research is a process of creating, or formulating knowledge that does not yet exist. Thus research
is an art of scientific investigation.
The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific
procedures. The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not
been discovered as yet.
Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think of research objectives as
falling into a number of following broad groupings:
1. Exploratory or Formulative research studies: To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve
new insights into it.
2. Descriptive research studies: To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual,
situation or a group.

3. Diagnostic research studies: To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with
which it is associated with something else
4. Hypothesis-testing research studies: To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between
variables.
The objective of engineering research is
 To solve new and important problems, and since the conclusion at the end of one‘s research
outcome has to be new, but when one starts, the conclusion is unknown.
 Research objectives can sometimes be convoluted and difficult to follow. Knowing where and
how to find different types of information helps one solve engineering problems, in both
academic and professional career.
 Lack of investigation into engineering guidelines, standards, and best practices result in
failures with severe repercussions. As an engineer, the ability to conduct thorough and
accurate research while clearly communicating the results is extremely important in decision
making.
 The main aim of the research is to apply scientific approaches to seek answers to open
questions, and although each research study is particularly suited for a certain approach
 The objectives of engineering research should be to develop new theoretical or applied
knowledge and not necessarily limited to obtaining abilities to obtain the desired result.
2. What are the various types of engineering research? Explain.
OR
Compare descriptive research versus analytical research with examples.
Descriptive versus Analytical
Applied versus Fundamental
Quantitative versus Qualitative
Conceptual vs. Empirical

Descriptive versus Analytical:

 Descriptive research includes comparative and co relational methods, and fact-finding

inquiries, to effectively describe the present state of art. The researcher holds no control
over the variables; rather only reports as it is.
 Descriptive research also includes attempts to determine causes even though the variables
cannot be controlled.
 On the contrary, in analytical research, already available facts for analysis and critical
evaluation are utilized. Some research studies can be both descriptive and analytical
Applied versus Fundamental:

 Research can either be applied research or fundamental (basic or pure) research.

 Applied research seeks to solve an immediate problem facing the organization, whereas
fundamental research is concerned with generalizations and formulation of a theory.
 Research concerning natural phenomena or relating to pure mathematics are examples of
fundamental research.
 Research to identify social or economic trends, or those that find out whether certain
communications will be read and understood are examples of applied research.
 The primary objective of applied research is to determine a solution for compelling
problems in actual practice, while basic research is aimed at seeking information which
could have a broad base of applications in the medium to long term.
Quantitative versus Qualitative:

 Quantitative research uses statistical observations of a sufficiently large number of

 representative cases to draw any conclusions
 While qualitative researchers rely on a few non representative cases or verbal narrative in
behavioral studies such as clustering effect in intersections in Transportation engineering
to make a proposition.
Conceptual vs. Empirical

 Conceptual research is that related to some abstract idea(s) or theory.

 It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret

existing ones.
 On the other hand, empirical research relies 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. We can also call it as experimental type of research.
 In such a research it is necessary to get at facts firsthand, at their source, and actively to
go about doing certain things to stimulate the production of desired information.
 In such a research, the researcher must first provide himself with a working hypothesis or
guess as to the probable results. He then works to get enough facts (data) to prove or
disprove his hypothesis.
3. Explain Fabrication, Falsification and Plagiarism related to engineering
research?

There may be different types of research misconduct as described, which can be

summarized as follows:
Fabrication (Illegitimate creation of data)

Falsification (Inappropriate alteration of data)

Plagiarism

 Fabrication (Illegitimate creation of data):

o Fabrication is the act of conjuring data or experiments with a belief of knowledge
 about what the conclusion of the analysis or experiments would be, but cannot
wait for the results possibly due to timeline pressures from supervisor or
customers.
 Falsification (Inappropriate alteration of data):
o Falsification is the misrepresentation or misinterpretation, or illegitimate
alteration of data or experiments, even if partly, to support a desired hypothesis
even when the actual data received from experiments suggest otherwise.

o Falsification and fabrication of data and results, hamper engineering research and
cause false empirical data to percolate in the literature, wreck trustworthiness of
individuals involved, incur additional costs, impede research progress, and cause
actual and avoidable delays in technical advancement.
o Misleading data can also crop up due to poor design of experiments or incorrect
measurement practices.
 Plagiarism (Taking other’s work sans attribution):
o Plagiarism takes place when someone uses or reuses the work (including
portions) of others (text, data, tables, figures,illustrations or concepts) as if it were
his/her own without explicit acknowledgement.
o Verbatim copying or reusing one‘s own published work is termed as self-
plagiarism andis also an unacceptable practice in scientific literature.
o The increasing availability of scientific content on the internet seems to
encourage plagiarism in certain cases, but also enables detection of such practices
through automated software packages. How are supervisors, reviewers or editors
alerted to plagiarism?
o Original author comes to know and informs everyone concerned.

o Sometimes a reviewer finds out about it during the review process.

o Or, readers who come across the article or book, while doing research.
4. What ethical consideration and responsibilities should be taken into account when determining
authorship in engineering research?
 Academic authorship involves communicating scholarly work, establishing priority for
their discoveries, and building peer-reputation, and comes with intrinsic burden of
acceptance of the responsibility for the contents of the work. It is the primary basis of
evaluation for employment, promotion, and other honors.
 There is several important research conduct and ethics related issues connected to
authorship of research papers and are summarized herewith in the context of engineering
research.

 Credit for research contributions is attributed in three major ways in research

publications: by authorship (of the intended publication), citation (of previously
published or formally presented work), and through a written acknowledgment (of some
inputs to the present research).

 Authorship establishes both accountability and gives due credit. A person is expected to be
listed as an author only when associated as a significant contributor in research design, data
interpretation, or writing of the paper.
 In another type of questionable authorship, some researchers list one another as co-authors
as a reciprocal gesture with no real collaboration except minimal reading and editing,
without truly reviewing the work threadbare.
 Some authors, in trying to acquire a sole-authored work, despite relying on significant
contribution to the research work from others, recognize that effort only by an
acknowledgment, thereby misrepresenting the contributions of the listed authors.
 The unrecognized ―author‖ is as a consequence, unavailable to readers for elaboration.
 All listed authors have the full obligation of all contents of a research article, and so
naturally, they should also be made aware of a journal submission by the corresponding
author.

 It is imperative that their consent is sought with respect to the content and that they be
agreeable to the submission.

 In case of misconduct like inappropriate authorship, while the perpetrator is easier to find,
the degree of appropriate accountability of the co-authors is not always obvious. Being
able to quantify the contributions so as to appropriately recognize and ascertain the degree
of associated accountability of each co-author, is appealing.
5. What are the Key ethical issues related to authorship? Explain each one.

 Academic authorship involves communicating scholarly work, establishing priority for

their discoveries, and building peer-reputation, and comes with intrinsic burden of
acceptance of the responsibility for the contents of the work. It is the primary basis of
evaluation for employment, promotion, and other honors.
 There is several important research conduct and ethics related issues connected to
authorship of research papers and are summarized herewith in the context of engineering
research.

 Credit for research contributions is attributed in three major ways in research

publications: by authorship (of the intended publication), citation (of previously
published or formally presented work), and through a written acknowledgment (of some
inputs to the present research).

 Authorship establishes both accountability and gives due credit. A person is expected to be
listed as an author only when associated as a significant contributor in research design,data
interpretation, or writing of the paper.
 In another type of questionable authorship, some researchers list one another as co-authors
as a reciprocal gesture with no real collaboration except minimal reading and editing,
without truly reviewing the work threadbare.
 Some authors, in trying to acquire a sole-authored work, despite relying on significant
contribution to the research work from others, recognize that effort only by an
acknowledgment, thereby misrepresenting the contributions of the listed authors.
 The unrecognized ―author‖ is as a consequence, unavailable to readers for elaboration.
 All listed authors have the full obligation of all contents of a research article, and so
naturally, they should also be made aware of a journal submission by the corresponding
author.

 It is imperative that their consent is sought with respect to the content and that they be
agreeable to the submission.

 In case of misconduct like inappropriate authorship, while the perpetrator is easier to find,
the degree of appropriate accountability of the co-authors is not always obvious. Being
able to quantify the contributions so as to appropriately recognize and ascertain the degree
of associated accountability of each co-author, is appealing.
  Double submission is an important ethical issue related to authorship, which involves
submission of a paper to two forums simultaneously. The motivation is to increase
publication possibility and possibly decrease time to publication. Reputed journals want
to publish original papers, i.e., papers which have not appeared elsewhere, and strongly
discourage double submission.

6. Define the term research and explain the research flow cycle with a relevant diagram?

The chart indicates that the research process consists of a number of closely related activities, as
shown through I to VII. But such activities overlap continuously rather than following a strictly
prescribed sequence

1. Formulating the research problem:

 There are two types of research problems, viz., those which relate to states of
nature and those which relate to relationships between variables.

 At the very outset the researcher must single out the problem he wants to study,
i.e., he must decide the general area of interest or aspect of a subject-matter that
he wouldlike to inquire into.
2. Extensive literature survey:
 Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should be written down.
It is compulsory for a research worker writing a thesis for a Ph.D. degree to
write a synopsis of the topic and submit it to the necessary Committee or the
Research Board for approval.
 At this juncture the researcher should undertake extensive literature survey
connected with the problem.
3. Development of working hypotheses:
 After extensive literature survey, researcher should state in clear terms the
working hypothesis or hypotheses. Working hypothesis is tentative assumption
made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences.
 Hypothesis should be very specific and limited to the piece of research in hand
because it has to be tested. The role of the hypothesis is to guide the researcher by
delimiting the area of research and to keep him on the right track. It sharpens his
thinking and focuses attention on the more important facets of the problem.
4. Preparing the research design:
 The research problem having been formulated in clear cut terms, the researcher
will be required to prepare a research design, i.e., he will have to state the
conceptual structure within which research would be conducted.
 The preparation of such a design facilitates research to be as efficient as possible
yielding maximal information. In other words, the function of research design is
to provide for the collection of relevant evidence with minimal expenditure of
effort, time and money.
5. Determining sample design:
 The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample or what is popularly
known as the sample design. In other words, a sample design is a definite plan
determined before any data are actually collected for obtaining a sample from a
given population.
 Sampling can be done choosing a particular unit, random unit selection,
systematic pattern, homogenous group (stratified sampling), quota, cluster or area,
multi stages and sequential.
6. Collecting the data:
 In dealing with any real life problem it is often found that data at hand are
inadequate, and hence, it becomes necessary to collect data that are appropriate.
 There are several ways of collecting the appropriate data which differ
considerably in context of money costs, time and other resources at the disposal
of the researcher. Primary data can be collected either through experiment or
through survey.
7. Execution of the project:
 It is a very important step in the research process. If the execution of the project
proceeds on correct lines, the data to be collected would be adequate and
dependable. The researcher should see that the project is executed in a systematic
manner and in time.
 A careful watch should be kept for unanticipated factors in order to keep the
survey as much realistic as possible.
8. Analysis of data:
 After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task of analyzing
them. The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations such as
establishment of categories, the application of these categories to raw data
through coding, tabulation and then drawing statistical inferences.
 The unwieldy data should necessarily be condensed into a few manageable groups
and tables for further analysis. Thus, researcher should classify the raw data into
some purposeful and usable categories.
9. Hypothesis-testing:
 After analyzing the data as stated above, the researcher is in a position to test the
hypotheses, if any, he had formulated earlier. Do the facts support the hypotheses
or they happen to be contrary? This is the usual question which should be
answered while testing hypotheses.
 Various tests, such as Chi square test, t-test, F-test, have been developed by
statisticians for the purpose. The hypotheses may be tested through the use of one
or more of such tests, depending upon the nature and object of research inquiry.
Hypothesis-testing will result in either accepting the hypothesis or in rejecting it.
 10. Generalizations and interpretation:
 If a hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, it may be possible for the
researcher to arrive at generalization, i.e., to build a theory. As a matter of fact,
the real value of research lies in its ability to arrive at certain generalizations.

11. Preparation of the report or the thesis: Finally, the researcher has to prepare the report
of what has been done by him. Writing of report must be done with great care keeping in
view the following:
 The layout of the report should be as follows: (i) the preliminary pages; (ii) the main text,
and (iii) the end matter.
 The main text of the report should have the following parts:
(a) Introduction: It should contain a clear statement of the objective of the research and
an explanation of the methodology adopted in accomplishing the research. The scope of
the study along with various limitations should as well be stated in this part.
(b) Summary of findings: After introduction there would appear a statement of findings
and recommendations in non-technical language. If the findings are extensive, they
should be summarized.
(c) Main report: The main body of the report should be presented in logical sequence and
broken-down into readily identifiable sections.
(d) Conclusion: Towards the end of the main text, researcher should again put down the
results of his research clearly and precisely. In fact, it is the final summing up.

7. What are the factors that motivate you to do engineering research, briefly explain?

The possible motives may be the result of one or more of the following desires:

 Studies have shown that intrinsic motivations like interest, challenge, learning, meaning,
purpose, are linked to strong creative performance.
 Extrinsic motivating factors like rewards for good work include money, fame, awards,
praise, and status are very strong motivators, but may block creativity.
For example:
 Research outcome may enable obtaining a patent which is a good way to become rich and
famous.
 Influences from others like competition, collaboration, commitment, and encouragement
are also motivating factors in research.
For example: my friends are all doing research and so should I, or, a person that I
dislike is doing well and I want to do better.
 Personal motivation in solving unsolved problems, intellectual joy, service to community,
and respectability are all driving factors.

The following factors would be a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic aspects:

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

 Improve the state of the art in technology
 Contribute to the improvement of society
 Fulfillment of the historical legacy in the immediate socio-cultural context.

Several other factors like government directives, funding opportunities in certain areas, and
terms of employment, can motivate people to get involved in engineering research.

8. What is the meaning of ethics and why it is important in the practice of engineering
research?
Ethics: Ethics generally refers to a set of rules distinguishing acceptable and unacceptable
conduct, distinguishing right from wrong as such
Most people learn such norms in their formative years, but moral development continues
through different stages of growth. Although everyone recognizes some common ethical
norms, but there is difference in interpretation and application.
 Technological developments raise a whole range of ethical concerns such as privacy
issues and data related to surveillance systems, and so engineering researchers need to
make ethical decisions and are answerable for the repercussions borne out of their
research as outcomes.
 The reason that ethics matter in data used in engineering research is usually because there
is impact on humans. Certain practices may be acceptable to certain people in certain
situations, and the reasons for unacceptability may be perfectly valid.
 We have unprecedented access to data today, and unprecedented options for analysis of
these data and consequences in engineering research related to such data. Are there things
that are possible to do with this data, that we agree we should not do?
 Engineering ethics gives us the rule book; tells us, how to decide what is okay to do and
what is not. Engineering research is not work in isolation to the technological
development taking place.
 Researchers make many choices that matter from an ethical perspective and influence the
effects of technology in many different ways:
o By setting the ethically right requirements at the very outset, engineering
researchers can ultimately influence the effects of the developed technology.
o Influence may also be applied by researchers through design (a process that
translates the requirements into a blueprint to fulfill those requirements). During
the design process, decision is to be made about the priority in importance of the
requirements taking ethical aspects into consideration.
o Thirdly, engineering researchers have to choose between different alternatives
fulfilling similar functions.
 Research outcomes often have unintended and undesirable side effects. It is a vital ethical
responsibility of researchers to ensure that hazards/risks associated with the technologies
that they develop, are minimized and alternative safer mechanisms are considered.
 If possible, the designs should be made inherently safe such that they avoid dangers, or
come with safety factors, and multiple independent safety barriers, or if possible a
supervisory mechanism to take control if the primary process fails.