Research Skills and Dissertation

Brief Introduction to the module

Jan 2024
Aims of the Module
 Select, assess, analyse and critically evaluate a variety of
types of information and literature (both sources provided
by tutors and those found by students).
 Understand established approaches, methods and
techniques, and critically select those relevant and
appropriate to undertake an independent project in order to
address a research problem in the student’s course of study.
 Define, plan and clearly communicate a proposal to conduct
an independent research project, which should observe the
professional, legal and ethical framework of industry
In other words, you will....

 Identify a real-world problem.

 Apply a computing solution to solve the problem.

 Use research methodology to research and create the

computing solution.
Today’s Lecture

 What is Research

 Doing Research in Computing

 Developing your Research Idea - Finding a Topic

What is research?
What is Research?
 What about:
"Research is finding out something you don't
know"
 Too wide?
• Finding out the time of the next train to London...
• Taking the temperature of the water in a swimming pool...
 Too narrow?
• i.e. a lot of the time research is not about finding out something
you do not know... but finding that you do not know something!
• Re-orientate our thinking.
• Make us question what we think we know.
• Focus on new aspects of our complex reality.
So, What is Research?
 Dictionaries define research as “the systematic investigation
into and study of materials and sources in order to establish
facts and reach new conclusions” (Fowler et al., 2011).

 Punch (2000) redefines it as “an organized, systematic and

logical process of inquiry, using empirical information to
answer questions (or test hypothesis).

 By hypothesis, we mean a statement that can be either true or

false, which researchers try to find out through conducting
their research (DePoy and Gitlin, 2015).
Research cont...
 Research have, at least, three concepts in common:
(Hassani, 2017)

a) to devise a research question,

b) to suggest and follow an approach or method to

address/investigate/solve this question, and

c) to provide the results after the mentioned methods

applied.
Characteristics of Good Research

 Research is based on an open system of thought.

 Valid methodology is adopted.

 Researchers generalise and specify the limits on their

generalisations.
Good research:
An Open System of Thought
 As a researcher the world is your oyster!
 No hidden agendas, no closed systems: a continual testing, reviewing
and criticism of others' work.
 Conventional wisdom or accepted doctrines are not spared from this
examination.
 May turn out to be inadequate... or may just stand up to examination!
 Because of this, non-researchers often regard research results as
demonstration of the obvious or elaborations of established knowledge.
 This examination however has to be done continually: this is how we
probe for what is not obvious and discover elaborations that are not
trivial.
 A researcher is not the one who knows the right answers, but the one
who is struggling to find out what the right questions might be!
Good research:
Appropriate Methodology
 The research approach is not to agree or disagree, but to ask:
"What is the evidence?"
 Researchers are continually having to ask: "Have you got the
facts right?" "Can the results be interpreted differently?" "Can
we get better data?"
 Non-researchers often feel they do not have the time for this
and are thus impatient with research.
 Decision making constraints: time, costs, stakeholders pressure, etc.
 Researchers' priorities: get systematic, valid and reliable data.
 Because we want to understand and interpret.
Good research:
Specify the Limits on Generalisations
"All generalisations are dangerous,
including this one"
Alexandre Dumas

 The limits of the generalisations must be tested: where it

applies and where it does not apply.
 The way generalisations can best be established is through
the development of explanatory theory.
 i.e. the application of theory that turns intelligence-gathering
into research.
Research in Computer Sciences
and Informatics
Research
 It is a methodical approach for finding answers to the
problems through investigation and experimentations
by which researchers evaluate a hypothesis, provide
answers to the research questions, or suggest solutions
to certain problems (Hassani, 2017). Questions can arise
from:
 New knowledge & Theories
 Test knowledge
 Compare based on various factors e.g. size, location, users
 New Applications
 New Domains
 Our Domain

"Computer Science is no more about computers

than astronomy is about telescopes."
E. Dijkstra

 We study artefacts produced by humans.

Computer science Informatics
Computer engineering
Information systems
Software Engineering
Data structures
Big Data Analytics
Computer Architectures
The
interdisciplinary
nature of
computing.
Types of Research
 Basic Research: Also known as pure or fundamental
research, it aims to expand knowledge without immediate
practical applications. Example: Investigating the
properties of a newly discovered material in computer
science without any specific application in mind.
 Applied Research: Seeks to solve specific problems or
develop practical applications using existing knowledge.
Example: Developing an algorithm to optimize network
traffic in computer networks.
 Quantitative Research: Involves the collection and
analysis of numerical data to understand trends, patterns,
or relationships. Example: Conducting a survey to analyse
the adoption rate of cloud computing in various industries.
Types of Research
 Qualitative Research: Focuses on exploring and
understanding subjective aspects, opinions, and
behaviours through non-numeric data. Example:
Conducting interviews to understand user experiences
with a new software interface.
 Experimental Research: Involves controlled experiments
to test hypotheses and gather data in a controlled
environment. Example: Testing the efficiency of different
sorting algorithms in computer science.
 Descriptive Research: Aims to describe characteristics or
features of a phenomenon or group. Example: Describing
the characteristics and usage patterns of social media
platforms among specific age groups.
Types of Research
 Exploratory Research: Investigates a new area or concept
to gain insights and identify research questions. Example:
Exploring emerging technologies like quantum computing
for potential applications in cryptography.
 Action Research: Focuses on solving specific problems
collaboratively with stakeholders, often in real-world
settings. Example: Working with a software development
team to improve the efficiency of their agile development
process.
 Case Study Research: In-depth analysis of a particular
instance or case to understand underlying principles or
contexts. Example: Analysing a successful cybersecurity
breach to understand vulnerabilities and prevention
strategies.
Different methods

Glass et. al, 2004

Holz et. al, 2006

Developing your Research Idea
Some reasons for doing research...
 A compulsory part of your course!
 Other motivations to do research:
 It can be an opportunity to study a topic that interests you.
 It can be an opportunity to study a topic in depth.
 It can lead to specialism in an area.
 It can give you a chance to show your capabilities.
 It can form the basis of further research.
 Stages involved in a
research project.
The Research Process

Adapted from (Saunders & Thornhill, 2016 p. 12)

Formulating and clarifying
your research topic
Selecting a Research Topic
 If you are not clear about what you are going to research,
it is difficult to plan how you are going to research it.
 Formulating and clarifying the research topic is the
starting point of your research project.
 Once you are clear about this, you will be able to choose
the most appropriate research strategy and data collection
and analysis techniques.
What is the problem?
 Starting point: An observation
“Some users are experiencing a better network service than
others.”
“Some customers are leaving.”
 An observation may trigger the inquiring mind to ask
questions and the research process has begun.
 If you are interested in a certain topic you can look into
the latest research in the field and find research gap
 Use Google Scholar with the topic in mind, select last two
years to find the latest research
What is the problem?
 Starting point: A work crisis.
“Our organisation has to decide whether to continue
providing in-house technical provision or to outsource
some of its technical computing system requirements.”
 Some questions that might raise:
 What difference would it make?
 Scope of the problem
 Resources including time and access
 Knowledge contribution
Choosing a Topic
 It must be worthy of the award both in terms of the title and
the level.
 Research should be at Masters level.
 Related to your course.

 It should be interesting.
 This cannot be overemphasised.
 Research can be very rewarding… but also disappointing at
times… and can also be a lonely process.
 Choosing a topic that is interesting will help you continue
during the ‘lows’ as well as the ‘highs’.
 It must be doable in the timescales.
 It should build upon your previous knowledge
Be Cautious
 Potential issues of choosing a suitable research topic:
 Too complex!
 Time
 Accessibility to resources
 Fear of exposure
 Discuss issues with your supervisor/tutors.
 Research is also a learning experience.
Research Contributions
Possible research contributions include:
 Adds new knowledge. Explores a new area.
 Tests theories. Data to test competing theories.
 Description. Better describes a construct.
 New method. Applies a new method to gather data.
 New analysis. Applies a new analysis to data.
 Review. Contrasts and compares existing theory and data.
 Replication. Repeats a previous study.
 New application. Applies current theory to a new problem.
References

 Glass, R. L., Ramesh, V.& Vessey, I. (2004). An analysis of research

in computing disciplines. Commun. ACM 47, 6 (June 2004), 89-94.
DOI=http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/990680.990686
 Holz, H.J., Applin, A., Haberman, B., Joyce, D., Purchase, H. &
Reed, C. (2006). Research methods in computing: what are they, and
how should we teach them?. In Working group reports on ITiCSE on
Innovation and technology in computer science education (ITiCSE-
WGR '06). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 96-114.
DOI=http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1189215.1189180
 Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill A. (2016) Research methods for
business students (7th ed.) Essex: Pearson Education
 Hassani, H. (2017). Research methods in computer science:
The challenges and issues. arXiv preprint arXiv:1703.04080.