Methodologies for Scientific Research: An Introduction

Eugénio Oliveira /2007

Methodologies for Scientific Research:

An IntroductionResponsible: Eugénio Oliveira

Edition 2007/2008Doctoral Programme in

TelecommunicationsMAP-Tele


Objectives

Questions: • Why are you doing a PhD? • What do you hope to get out of a PhD?

Better Question: • What are you suppose to be able to do if you have a PhD?



Objectives


•Goal: To pass your Thesis exam !

•Publish or Perish

•Do Not Forget:•Examiners will find it difficult to fail you if your thesis is supported by publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences

•demonstrate a critical, perceptive and a constructive analysis of the subject;


Objectives

Aims and expected outcomes

• The main goal :

to assume a scientific attitude while dealing with technological-like problems .



Objectives


• Expected outcomes include:

•To make acquaintance with the Methods, Processes and best Practices associated to Scientific Research

•To adequately produce scientific papers and thesis following the accepted best practices for this kind of texts.• to develop scientific meetings organization skills.


Objectives

The word "SCIENCE" used NARROWLY.

PhD students often reply that his ideas rely in some evidence, but not the kind of those backed by "science.“

The problem with this is that science is no more and no less than total sum of what we have learned about evaluating general empirical claims and their evidence.



Objectives

The word "SCIENCE" used NARROWLY.


“asserting that there is no scientific evidence is the same as asserting that there is no good evidence.”

Russell Turpin – University of Texas


Objectives

Leonardo da VinciAll sciences are vain and full of errors that are not born ofExperience- Mother of all certainty- and that are not tested by experience….


“A scientist sees a phenomenon and ask “why?” and proceed to research the answer to the question.

An engineer sees a practical problem and wants to know “how” to solve it and “how” to implement that solution, or “how” to do it better if a solution exists


Objectives


A scientist builds in order to learn, but an engineer learns in order to build”

Dr. Leung Yee Hong, Australian Telecommunications Cooperative Research Centre


Objectives

• A PhD student should pursue his thesis work following Scientific methods and not just Project-oriented ones.


• A PhD Student has to develop and put in practice a systhematic scientific criticism over all the subjects

Unlike scientific research, engineering research must address following question:Is “this” problem a significant problem? That is, why should we solve it?


Objectives


•A PhD Student has to demonstrate the ability to produce different kinds of scientific texts in the right format, besides its intrinsic good quality


WEB

• Web site for this “Methodology for Scientific Research” course is available:

http://paginas.fe.up.pt/~eol/MEMBERS/eco_i.html



PROGRAMME

1- Methods and Techniques for developing Research projects

-Basic Motivations: Issues on Scientific Methods

- Supporting Theories

- Positivist (classical) Research methods

- Interpretative Research method

- Research in Engineering disciplines

- Techniques associated to Research:



PROGRAMME

• Non-empirical

• Positivist

• “Borderline” techniques

• Engineering-based (constructive, de-constructive)

-Quality of Research

- Challenges



PROGRAMME


2. How to conceive and produce useful publications:

• for Conferences, Journals and Theses

• Preparation, Motivation, Structure, Contents, Conclusions and impact

• How to write a readable paper: guidelines


PROGRAMME

3. How to get good competences for searching Scientific & Technique written texts

• Information Retrieval from specific Data BasesBy Drª Ana Azevedo, Librarian at FEUP


4. Selecting typical papers for reviewing

5. Final workshop• producing papers• “Scientific” Programme Organization• Papers Evaluation• Oral Communications


TEACHING METHODS

• Attending and interacting during classes.

• Review of selected scientific papers (both good and bad)• Students are asked for producing papers’ reviewing (in pairs)

• Organizing an internal workshop, including: -- Production of papers in the appropriate format -- Paper reviewing and reviews collecting through

software tools -- Paper presentation at the Workshop

• Students are asked to meet together for the workshop organization.



GRADING

INFORMATION:

• Up to 35% for attending and participating during classes including papers reviewing• Up to 65% for the submitted paper and oral presentation at the workshop


DATES

04/01 Selecting typical papers for reviewing

11/01 Presentation of the reviewing work done Choosing a specific subject for writing individual paper

18/01 Workshop Scientific Committe meeting

25/01 Oral presentation at the internal workshop (? Or later?)


SCIENCE

Science never is completely right. However, it rarely is totally wrong.In general, science has a higher probability of beeing correct than the non-scientific theorie.

That is why it is rational to accept scientific explanation as an hipothesis.

Bertrand RusselMy philosophical development


“Science distinguishes FACTS from the interpretation of those factsThrough PROPOSITIONS”

Alan Sokal

Documents

Methodologies for Scientific Research: An Introduction