What is Research

“Careful study and investigation, especially in order to discover new facts or information” (Oxford paperback dictionary, 3rd edition)

Examples of Everyday Research

• Finding out why the car will not start
• Finding out which local supplier has the best offers for home computers

Example of Formal Research:

• Attempting to discover the advantages and disadvantages of using various software testing methods on large scale software development projects.
•          Research is a process of inquiry and investigation 
• Research is a systematic and careful process
• Research increases knowledge
•  Research means finding answers to the questions.
• It is a systematic search for truth.
• Through research, new and original information, ideas about the world we live in, are obtained.
• Research is search for knowledge
• Research is defined as a scientific and systematic search for information on a specific topic.

Different Levels of Research:

´  1. Level one: research assistant Learn the drill

´  2. Level two: homework like research Build up your confidence

´  3. Level three: formulating your own problem and solve it Exercise your creativity

´  4. Level four: formulating problems for others to solve Realize your vision

What is Good Research:

´  1. Novelty (better if you were not able to publish it at first)

´  2. Simplicity (better if your adviser refused to grant you a degree)

´  3. Universality (better if others found it trivial at first sight).

Warning Signs of Bogus Research:

´  1. Prove by successful instances

´  2. Results too complicated to reproduce

´  3. Reinvent the wheel without proper acknowledgment

´  4. Tackle ill-posed problems directly

Such results will NOT stand the test of time!

How does Doing Research Feel Like?

´  1. An endless cycle between excitement and depression…

´  2. An endless cycle between sense of success and failure…

´  3. An endless cycle between over-confidence and self-doubt…

´  4.Research needs faith in there are always interesting new things for you to discover and by doing so you can make the world a better place!

‘Six’ Phases of Research

´  1. Problem definition and hypothesis formulation

´  2. Literature review

´  3. Selection of research design, subjects, and data collection techniques

´  4. Data gathering

´  5. Data processing and analysis

´  6. Implications, Conclusions, and Recommendations

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