Mohsin Furkh Dar Assistant Professor · UPES
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Current

Research Methodology in CS

Course Objectives

  1. Familiarize students with research problem identification.
  2. Introduce various research methodologies in computing science.
  3. Promote ethical conduct in research.
  4. Enhance technical writing and proposal development skills.
  5. Provide insights into intellectual property and patents.

Course Outcomes

  • CO1: Identify and formulate research problems using defined criteria and characteristics.
  • CO2: Utilize various investigative approaches and methodologies for problem-solving in computing science research.
  • CO3: Demonstrate ethical conduct and awareness of research ethics and plagiarism.
  • CO4: Produce technically sound, well-structured research reports and proposals.
  • CO5: Analyze and apply knowledge of intellectual property rights, particularly patents, in computing science.

Units, Slides and Notes

The six units of the course. Each lecture links to its slide deck and to its student notes. Slides open as a self-contained deck — arrow keys or space to advance, O for an overview, N for speaker notes, F for full screen and P to print. Notes open as a single reading document with its own contents sidebar, a dark/light toggle and a Print / PDF button.

Unit I 9 syllabus hours

Introduction to Research Problem

Understanding, sourcing and identifying the research problem; criteria, characteristics and the errors of selection; scope, delimitations and SMART objectives; investigative approaches; data collection and analysis; and interpretation with its instrumentation.

  1. Lecture 0 — Why Research MattersSlides (PDF)
  2. Understanding the Research ProblemSlides (PDF)Notes
  3. Sources of Research ProblemsSlides (PDF)
  4. Identifying and Narrowing the ProblemSlides (PDF)
  5. Criteria and Characteristics — the FINER testSlides (PDF)Notes
  6. Essential Attributes and Common ErrorsSlidesNotes
  7. Scope, Objectives and HypothesesSlidesNotes
  8. Investigative ApproachesNotes
  9. Research Fundamentals, SMART Objectives and DataSlidesNotes
  10. Interpretation and InstrumentationNotes
  11. Unit-wide notesNotes
Unit II 13 syllabus hours

Research Methods in Computing Science

What counts as a knowledge claim in computing: the dialectic and the Toulmin model, the three proof methods, the directions of inference, the algorithmic and software-engineering traditions, mathematical modelling, and performance estimation and evaluation.

  1. The Dialectic and Models of ArgumentSlides (PDF)
  2. Proof Methods in Computer ScienceSlides (PDF)
  3. Deduction, Induction and AbductionSlides (PDF)
  4. Algorithmic and Software-Engineering ApproachesSlides (PDF)
  5. Mathematical ModellingSlides (PDF)
  6. Performance Estimation and EvaluationSlides (PDF)
  7. Unit-wide notesNotes
Unit III 8 syllabus hours

Ethical Conduct and Literature Studies

Literature studies and their objectives, the four review approaches, literature analysis and gap identification, plagiarism and its prevention, the foundational principles of research ethics, the domains in which they apply, and the regulatory machinery that enforces them.

  1. Effective Literature StudiesSlidesNotes
  2. Approaches to Literature ReviewSlidesNotes
  3. Literature Analysis TechniquesSlidesNotes
  4. Addressing PlagiarismSlidesNotes
  5. Plagiarism Prevention StrategiesSlidesNotes
  6. Research Ethics — Foundational PrinciplesSlidesNotes
  7. Ethical Considerations in ResearchSlidesNotes
  8. Regulatory Frameworks and Case StudiesSlidesNotes
Unit IV 5 syllabus hours

Technical Writing & Research Proposal Development

Effective technical writing and report structure, the research proposal from problem statement to budget, and the defence of a proposal before a review committee.

  1. Technical Writing and Technical ReportsSlidesNotes
  2. Developing the Research ProposalSlidesNotes
  3. Presentation and Review Committee AssessmentSlidesNotes
Unit V 5 syllabus hours

Intellectual Property and Patents

The nature, scope and categories of intellectual property; the patenting process from prior-art search to grant and commercialisation; and the international system — Paris, Berne, TRIPS and filing abroad under the PCT.

  1. The Nature of Intellectual PropertySlidesNotes
  2. The Patenting ProcessSlidesNotes
  3. The International IP SystemSlidesNotes
Unit VI 5 syllabus hours

Patent Rights and New Developments in IPR

The scope of patent rights and their transfer; licensing, royalties and technology transfer; patent information, databases and the administration of the patent system; and IPR in software, in educational institutes and in the courts.

  1. Scope and Transfer of Patent RightsSlidesNotes
  2. Licensing and Technology TransferSlidesNotes
  3. Patent Information, Databases and AdministrationSlidesNotes
  4. IPR in Software, Institutions and the CourtsSlidesNotes

Textbooks

  1. Stuart Melville & Wayne Goddard, Research Methodology: An Introduction for Science & Engineering Students.
  2. R. Ganesan, Research Methodology for Engineers, MJP Publishers.

Reference Books

  • Steven Skiena, The Algorithm Design Manual, Springer.

Evaluation

  • Continuous Internal Assessment — 50% (ten components × 10 marks)
  • Mid-Semester Examination — 20%
  • End-Semester Examination — 30%