1. Research Methods in Computer ScienceBy
Dr. Temtim Assefa
January, 2015

2. 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)

3. 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

4. Concepts, objectives and Overview of research

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.”

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Technology Acceptance Model
Perceived usefulness
Technology acceptance
Perceived ease of use

14. 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

15. Technology Acceptance Model
Error reduction
Software acceptance
Graphical interface

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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. .

19. 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

20. 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 years and 20 years
Scale – measures which has vales below zero e.g temperature

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

22. 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

23. 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”

24. 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

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

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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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 -

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

35. 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.