Research Methods in Computer Science By Dr. Temtim Assefa January, 2015

Learning Objectives Explain the purpose of research Understand basic concepts in research (constructs, relationship, indicators, research model, theory, etc) Understand research as a scientific method to acquire knowledge Acquire skill to formulate researchable research problems Identify major research problems in computer science Explain the different research approaches and methods (Quantitative, qualitative and design science)

Contribute new knowledge to your discipline Objective … Demonstrate skill to design data collection instruments Able to collect data relevant to the research problem Able to interpret data into meaningful information Prepare research proposal Contribute new knowledge to your discipline

Concepts, objectives and Overview of research

Nature of Research Gathering information from resources such as books or magazines isn’t a research. Research isn’t just transporting facts: Merely transporting facts from one resource to another doesn’t constitute research. It only makes existing knowledge more accessible. No contribution to new knowledge

Research: A Definition Is an activity that contributes to the understanding of a phenomenon [Kuhn, 1962; Lakatos, 1978] phenomenon: a set of behaviors of some entity(ies) that is found interesting by a research community understanding: knowledge that allows prediction of the behavior of some aspect of the phenomenon activities considered appropriate to the production of understanding (knowledge) are the research methods and techniques of a research community

Research … “Research is often described as an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising facts. This intellectual investigation produces a greater knowledge of events, behaviors, theories, and laws and makes practical applications possible. The term research is also used to describe a entire collection of information about a particular subject, and is usually associated with the output of science and the scientific method.”

Types of Research Basic Research its main purpose is the disclosure of fundamental truths or principles Focuses the testing and development of theory To extend existing human understanding Has no immediate application to real world problems Example - Physics is interested to understanding basic elements that make up matter Systems theory

To solve existing societal problems Example - software automation like Cont’d Applied research To solve existing societal problems Example - software automation like Developing a SW that convert word files into database format doing payroll processing by a computer developing e-learning package to enhance student learning

Theory An abstraction about the behavior of the phenomena that serve as a guide for future practice E.g. communication theory, need hierarchy theory, learning theory, etc It is an association of two or more constructs Theories are developed based on what is observed or experienced, often times in the real world.  You may think theory as an absolute truth, such as the theory of gravity or the theory of relativity Actually a changing phenomenon, especially in the soft or social sciences with acquisition of new facts and observe new relationship

Theory – Example Learning theory has different theories Behavioral theory based on stimulus –response association It states that a behavior that is reward will have high probability to be repeated while a behavior that is punished will be diminished Its application for practice is that When students rewarded in the class for doing good, they will retain and reapply that behaviour Punishment for late comer students will not repeat that behaviour

Constructs –vis- indicators Constructs are abstract concepts which is not measurable For example religion, vehicle, etc Indicators are variables that can be measurable. They are used to measure constructs For example vehicle can be represented by model, manufacturing date, price, etc

Technology Acceptance Model Perceived usefulness Technology acceptance Perceived ease of use

Conceptual Framework It is the researchers understanding of the Research Problem It contains variables and their relationship to be investigated in the research It serve as a guide for the research process It is build from existing theory or prior experience of the researcher It is accepted or modified after the collected empirical data is analyzed and interpreted

Technology Acceptance Model Error reduction Software acceptance Graphical interface

Hypothesis It is the researchers guess or tentative solution about the research problem which will be later proved through the empirical data It is the relationship between two variables in your conceptual framework For example: The database system will improve information access in the organization Graphical user interface will increase software learnability etc

Research Model { Real World Theory Knowledge Experiment Results Inference Scope Reliability { Explain the model and remind them about the Systematic Process of Research: Selection of a Research Topic Interest and Significance Originality and Feasibility Literature Review and Detailed Research Plan Implement Research Design, Data Collection & Analysis Draw Conclusions Write Up Results 5

Definitions of Terms Define each technical term as it is used in relation to your research project. Resource – how is defined in the context of library and computer system This helps remove significant ambiguity from the research itself by ensuring that reviewers, while they may not agree with your definitions, at least know what you’re talking about. .

Metrics in Research Metrics are measures used to represent the variable For example: a sex variable is measured by Male or Female Attitude is measured by likearte scale (Very strongly disagree <->Strongly Agree) How do you measure CPU performance? Clearly state how you measure your research variable

Scales of variable measurement There are four measurement scales Nominal – which does not show magnitude like male or famale Ordinal – which measure magnitude but cannot quantify difference e.g poor and rich Interval - measures magnitude and the difference between the two values e.g age -- 10 years and 20 years Scale – measures which has vales below zero e.g temperature

Research as Scientific Method The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments.

Scientific Process Ask a Question or Define your Research Problem Undertake a literature review Construct a Hypothesis Collect empirical data Test Your Hypothesis based on your empirical data Analyze Your Data Draw a Conclusion and Communicate Your Results

Selecting the topic Is it interesting? Is it multi-disciplinary? Is it feasible? Is it too personal? Is there potential for original contribution? “find the gap”

Formulating the research question Ontology: nature of phenomena Epistemology: theory of knowledge; how to arrive at some valid knowledge Research objectives Sources for devising questions

Ontological perspectives What aspects of social reality What kinds of entities/phenomena do you wish to investigate? Examples: Individuals Institutions Systems Attitudes Behaviours

Epistemological perspectives Positivist – constructs objective truth Interpretive – constructs subjective truth Design Science – creates new artifacts

4.2 Quantitative Research Methods Uses deductive method of knowledge acquisition Intends to falsifies an existing theory Tries to generate objective, generalizable knowledge Accepts objectivity of knowledge Uses a standard measurement instruments The researcher is independent in the process of knowledge construction Intends with prediction and controlling

Qualitative methods Tries to build theory from bits of data Follows inductive method of knowledge acquisition It believes that there are as many knowledge as the number of people It accepts justified true believe rather the mechanistic objective knowledge

Step 4: Design a Study Quantitative Qualitative Explanation, prediction Test/Modify theories Known variables Large sample Standardized instruments Deductive Explanation, description Build theories Unknown variables Small sample Observations, interviews Inductive

Design Science Deals with the ‘design’ of artificial artifacts (i.e., IT artifacts) and creating something new that does not yet exist. design is both a process (set of activities) of ‘creating something new’ and a product (i.e., the artifact that results out of this process) Main outputs are either constructs, models, methods (algorithms), or instantiations (algorithm codes), or a combination thereof

Design research outputs Constructs conceptual vocabulary of a problem/solution domain Methods algorithms and practices to perform a specific task Models a set of propositions or statements expressing relationships among constructs abstractions and representations

Outputs … Instantiations Better theories - artifact construction constitute the realization of constructs, models and methods in a working system implemented and prototype systems Algorithmic codes with target language software Better theories - artifact construction

Reactive and Proactive paradigms “Reactive” approaches take the world as a stable environment governed by laws that need to be discovered by scientists (i.e. are descriptive in nature) “Proactive” approaches aim at developing ways to achieve human goals (i.e. are prescriptive or constructive) The distinction between the two: natural vs. artificial phenomena In the positivist/interpretive mode of research, if you discover something, that is sufficient. Novelty is an end in itself. So, I can find out how a certain something works – that is great. That is worth something. On the other hand, if I build/develop something new – say, a computer program, a model, an algorithm – how difficult do you think it is to argue that it is novel? At a trivial level, you can argue that every program is going to be unique. You can go a step beyond and say that you are now going to compare the abstract technique embedded in the program, not the specific instantiation of it. Fine, so that narrows the definition of uniqueness. But there as well, I could conceivably come up with a new technique for doing something. The question that will be asked is – so, how does it improve what we did before? Unless there is some utility component to this, the creation will not be worthwhile. So, worth is tied to a utilitarian perspective here. Utility in context. That is why sometimes the positivist/interpretive research is called explanation research and development research is called improvement research. More on this later. Going to Simon’s Sciences of the Artificial – In our profession, we are concerned artificial rather than natural phenomena. We deal with human creations such as organizations and information systems. Of immediate interest is the fact that these artificial phenomena can be both created as well as studied and that scientists can contribute to each of these activities (March and Smith 1995). So, whereas natural science tries to understand reality, design science attempts to create things that serve human purposes. Rather than producing general theoretical knowledge, design scientists produce and apply knowledge of tasks or situations in order to create effective artifacts. Partnership-seminar -

Know your Research Contributions In what way(s) does your study add significant contribution(s) to: Extant Theory? Relevant Practice?

Categories of CS Research Research in CS including IS and AI can be grouped as follows: The study of what is possible Including both mathematical and less rigorous forms of theorising. The study of existing (naturally occurring) Including information processing systems E.g. animals, societies, brains, minds, .... Research involving creation of new useful information processing systems, and research directly related to engineering applications. The creation and evaluation of tools, Including formalisms and techniques to support all these activities.