ADAMA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL, MECHANICAL AND MATERIAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Research Methods for Engineers (ChE5215)

 
 By
 

Fekadu Lemessa (PhD), Associate Professor

 
October, 2019
Adama, Ethiopia
OUTLINE

 CHAPTER1. Research: Basic Concepts

 Definition and purposes of research
 Philosophy of research
 Research ethics and integrity
 Plagiarism and its consequences

 CHAPTER 2. Types of Research

 Classification of research
 Basic and applied research
 Descriptive, explanatory and exploratory research
 Qualitative and quantitative research
OUTLINE …

 CHAPTER 3. Research Process & Planning

 Research process
 Research planning

 CHAPTER 4. Research Proposal Writing

 What is research proposal
 Components of research proposal
OUTLINE …

 CHAPTER 5. Design and Analysis of Experiments

 Introduction to Design of Experiments(DOE)
 Defining Research Problems
 Selection of the Response
 Statistical Analysis
OUTLINE …

 CHAPTER 6. A Technical Report:

 Rational of a Research Report
 Writing a scientific report
 Written and oral presentation
CHAPTER1. Research: Basic Concepts

 Definition:
 Research can be defined in different ways.
 Research is defined as “human activity based on
intellectual application in the investigation of matter”.
 In other words, “research is the systematic process of
collecting and analyzing information to increase our
understanding of the phenomenon under study”.
Research: Basic Concepts …
 Research can be broadly explained as “original and
creative intellectual activity, carried out in the
laboratory, the library or the field, which endeavors to
discover new facts and to appraise and interpret them
properly in the light of previous knowledge”.

 With constantly increasing understanding, it

revises previously accepted conclusions, theories
and laws, and makes new applications of its
findings. R
Research: Basic Concepts …

 In brief, research can be summarized as:

a process of inquiry/investigation; it is
systematic, methodical and ethical;
 research can help solve practical problems
and increase knowledge.
Scientific Research Explained

 The strict definition of “scientific research”

is performing a methodological study in
order to prove a hypothesis or answer a
specific question. R

 Finding a definitive answer is the central goal

of any experimental process.
Scientific Research …

 For a successful career in science, you must

understand the methodology behind any
research and be aware of the correct protocols.

 Science has developed these guidelines over

many years as the benchmark for measuring
the validity of the results obtained.
Scientific Research …

 Failure to follow the guidelines will prevent

your findings from being accepted and taken
seriously.

 These protocols can vary slightly between

scientific disciplines, but all follow the same
basic structure.
Scientific Research …

 Research is:
 Systematic - so ordered, planned & disciplined;

 Controlled - the researcher can have confidence in his/her

research outcomes;

 Empirical - putting beliefs, ideas, or assumptions to a test,

and

 Critic – many truths are tentative & are subjected to change

as a result of subsequent research.
Scientific Research …

 Research must be systematic and follow a series of

steps and a rigid standard protocol.

 These rules are broadly similar but may vary slightly

between the different fields of science.

 Scientific research must be organized and undergo

planning, including performing literature reviews of
past research and evaluating what questions need to
be answered.
Scientific Research …
 Any type of ‘real’ research requires some kind of
interpretation and an opinion from the researcher.

 This opinion is the underlying principle, or question, that

establishes the nature and type of experiment.

 The scientific definition of research generally states that

a variable must be manipulated; although case studies a
purely observational science and do not always comply
with this norm.
 Important Aspects of Scientific Research
Methods in Engineering
 From engineering points view, research can be
describe as the process of using tools and techniques to
generate and adapt new technologies, by sophisticated
empirical study.
 Procedures to be followed in inventing new
technologies:
 Designing of prototypes
 Measuring the parameters
 Testing of the parameters vs. the existing technology
 Validation of the findings
Purposes of Research (1)

 WHY Research?
 The general aims of research are:
 to observe and describe, to predict, to determine
causes and explain.

 to discover answers to questions by applying

scientific procedures.
 to solve socio-economic and related problems of
any nation.
Purposes of research …

Generally, research is a real life situation, the process of locating



and evaluating information.

Research is about decision making, i.e.,


Problem Definition
Data Identification
Data Gathering
Data Analysis & Interpretation
Reporting & Presentation
Information
Decision Making
Philosophy of Research

 Philosophy is concerned with views about how the

world works (i.e., world outlook).

 As an academic subject, focuses, primarily, on

reality, knowledge and existence.

 Our individual view of the world is closely linked

to what we perceive as reality.
Philosophy of research …

 On a day-to-day basis outside of your

academic work, it would be unusual to
think often about the way you perceive
reality and the world around you.

 However, in relation to your BSc

thesis/senior project, it is very important to
realize how you perceive reality.
Philosophy of Research …

 Your individual perception of reality affects

how you gain knowledge of the world, and
how you act within it.

 This means that your perception of reality,

and how you gain knowledge, will affect the
way in which you conduct the research in
your thesis/project work.
Research Ethics and Integrity

 What are research ethics and research integrity and

why are they important?
 Ethics refers to responsibility towards society whereas
Integrity is about respect of professional standards.
 Hence, Research Integrity relates to the performance of
research to highest standards of professionalism and
rigors, and to the accuracy truth of the record in
publications and elsewhere. R
 Research Ethics (2)

 Research Ethics is a commitment to integrate

social value, transparency, and accountability
in research and research related issues.
 Research Ethics also involves the application
of fundamental ethics and principles to a
variety of topics involving scientific research.
 Research Ethics …

 These Topics include the design and implementation of

research involving:
 human experimentation;
 animal experimentation, and
 various aspects of academics

scandals/humiliations, including scientific misconduct

(fraud, data fabrication, and plagiarism, etc).
 Research Integrity Principles

 Integrity Principles:

 Honesty in communication
 Reliability in performing research
 Objectivity (based on facts rather than feeling)
 Impartially and independence (treating equally)
 Duty of care
 Fairness in providing references and giving credits
 Responsibility for the scientists and researchers of the
future
 Research Codes of Conduct

 Code of Conduct:
 Honesty
 Objectivity
 Integrity
 Carefulness
 Openness
 Respect for Intellectual Property
 Confidentiality
 Responsible Publication
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Responsible Mentoring
 Respect for colleagues
 Social Responsibility
 Non-Discrimination
 Competence
 Legality
 Animal Care
 Human Subjects Protection
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Honesty
 Strive for honesty in all scientific communications.
 Honestly report data, results, methods and
procedures, and publication status.
 Do not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data.
 Do not deceive colleagues, research sponsors, or the
public.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Objectivity
 Strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis,
data interpretation, peer review, personnel decisions,
grant writing, expert testimony, and other aspects of
research where objectivity is expected or required.
 Avoid or minimize bias or self-deception.
 Disclose personal or financial interests that may affect
research.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Integrity
 Keep your promises and agreements; act with
sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and action.
 Carefulness
 Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and
critically examine your own work and the work of
your peers.
 Keep good records of research activities, such as data
collection, research design, and correspondence with
agencies or journals.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Openness
 Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources.
 Be open to criticism and new ideas.

 Respect for Intellectual Property

 Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property.
 Do not use unpublished data, methods, or results without
permission.
 Give proper acknowledgement or credit for all contributions to
research.
 Never plagiarize.!!!!
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Confidentiality
 Protect confidential communications, such as papers
or grants submitted for publication, personnel records,
trade or military secrets, and patient records. R

 Responsible Publication
 Publish in order to advance research and scholarship,
not to advance just your own career.
 Avoid wasteful and duplicative publication.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Responsible mentoring
 Help to educate, mentor, and advise students.
 Promote their welfare and allow them to make their own decisions.

 Respect for colleagues

 Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.

 Social Responsibility
 Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social harms
through research, public education, and advocacy.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Non-Discrimination
 Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on
the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors not
related to scientific competence and integrity.

 Competence
 Maintain and improve your own professional
competence and expertise through lifelong education
and learning; take steps to promote competence in
science as a whole.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Legality
 Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and
governmental policies. R

 Animal Care
 Show proper respect and care for animals when
using them in research.
 Do not conduct unnecessary or poorly designed
animal experiments.
 Research Code of Conduct …

 Human Subjects Protection R

 When conducting research on human subjects:
 minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits;
 respect human dignity, privacy, and autonomy;
 take special precautions with vulnerable
populations, &
 strive to distribute the benefits and burdens of
research fairly.
 Research Misconduct

 Refers to “serious deviation of the normal

practice”.
 Strong focus on FFP as misconduct:
 Fabrication

 Falsification

 Plagiarism.
Plagiarism and its Consequences

 What is plagiarism?

 Does it be avoidable?

 How? If your answer is yes.

 Plagiarism …

 Plagiarism is representing the work of others as your own.

 It is “the wrongful appropriation, and publication as one’s own, of the
ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical,
mechanical, etc.) of another”. R

 According to Academic, “plagiarism occurs when you use another’s

words, ideas, assertions, data, or figures and do not acknowledge that
you have done so”.

 Plagiarism is a crime because it is considered a theft - a theft of ideas or

a theft of text.
 Using someone’s hard work and dedication, and passing the work as
your own is what constitutes plagiarism.
 Avoiding Plagiarism (4)

 The best way to avoid plagiarism is to quote and cite the

sources used in a way that gives proper credit and avoids
plagiarism.

 In the body of the article or research, citations are used to refer

to sources, and complete reference of all the sources used is
provided in bibliography at the end.

 The sources to be cited may include printed sources (such as

books, journals), electronic sources (such as blogs/diary on
website), data (such as facts), images/recorded material (such as
TV serials).
 Consequences of Plagiarism

 Plagiarism is thus a serious offense and should not be practiced or

promoted by any individual.
 It may ruin anybody’s career and result in harsh punishments. R

 It is good to practice healthy writing techniques, which are easy to

follow once in practice.

 Thus, good writing techniques must be encouraged and promoted at

every level of every institution, and defaulters must be suitably
punished.

 This skilful writing will not only show dedicated work but will also
earn academic and professional respect.
 Chapter Two
Types of Research
Chapter Two: Types of Research (Classification)

 Research can be classified in terms of:

 1. Goal of research;
 2. Specific objectives of research;
 3. Approaches of research;
 4. Designs;
 5. The type of data used in research
 6. Fields of study.
 1. Classification of Research based on the
Goal of Research

 One of the goals of research is problem solving.

 The nature of the problem that the research attempts to
solve could be theoretical or practical – building a theory
or solving immediate practical problems.

 These two types of problems that the research tries to

solve leads to two broad classifications of research:
 BasicResearch ?
 Applied Research. ?
 2. Classification of Research Based on the Specific Objectives of Research

 According to the specific objectives

research can be classified as:
descriptive,

explanatory, or
exploratory research.
 3. Classification of Research Based on
Approaches of Research

 According to the approaches research can

be classified as:

Quantitative Research.?
 Qualitative Research, ?
 4. Classification of Research based on Designs

 According to the design research can be

classified as:

Experimental,

Quasi-experimental &

Non-experimental.
 5. Classification of Research by Types of Data

 Depending on the type of data generated and used research can be

classified as:
 Primary research (also called field research) and
 Secondary research (also known as desk research).

 Primary research involves the collection of data that does not

already exist

 Secondary research involves the summary, collection and/or

synthesis of existing data rather than generating primary data,
where data are collected from, for example, research subjects
or experiments.
6. Classification of Research by Fields of Study

 Research can also be classified based on fields of

study. Therefore, there are:
 Natural Science Research, R

 Social Science Research,

 Educational Research,
 Behavioral Science Research &
 Health Science Research. R
Basic and Applied Research

 Based on goal/purpose of research; there are

two types of research.
Basic research, also called fundamental
or pure research- expand science and
knowledge.
“Basic Research lays down the
foundation for the Applied Research
that follows”
 Basic Research

 Is a fundamental theoretical or experimental investigation to advance or

improve scientific knowledge whose immediate application is not being a
direct objective.
 Its objectives are:
 To provide a better understanding of the phenomenon under investigation i.e.
adding to the existing body of knowledge in the discipline - gathering knowledge
for knowledge’s sake.

 To discover or illustrate theories and general principles

 In general, basic research is carried out to understand the basic knowledge that
can be used in a wide variety of applied research.

 For example, researches relating to pure biology, mathematics, physics,

chemistry, etc are examples of basic research R
 Applied Research

Applied research - find a solution to an immediate

problem.
 Applied research is directed towards using knowledge gained from
basic research in solving specific practical problems; and
practicability is an important property of applied research.

 Its objectives are:

 To solve practical problems of society, company or business
organization rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge sake.

 To solve an immediate practical problems or to find a solution to

some pressing practical problems.
 Applied Research….

 Applied research is undertaken to solve an

immediate practical problem and the goal of
adding to scientific knowledge is secondary.

 It is a type of research done to solve specific and

practical problems and to produce knowledge
and technologies that can be used in practice.
 Solve typical Global problem like, population,
food R
 Applied research … Cont’d

Examples of applied research.

Design, Develop and testing of pumping machine,
Mitigating natural resources degradation,
Improving chemical reactions,
Improving engines efficiency
Increasing efficiency of edible oil extraction methods
Developing new method fertilizer production

 In developing countries, like Ethiopia with limited research resources,

applied research is given priority)
 Applied research can be further classified as:
 Adaptive research
 Strategic research
 Adaptive Research

 Adaptive is a type of research designed to adjust new technologies

generated elsewhere to a specific set of environmental conditions.

 It involves taking applied research results that developed elsewhere

and adapting them to a specific situation or environment.

 In adaptive research, no new scientific principle is to be developed.

 Testing of such technology are useful before going to supply to the

communities.

 Give Example ?
 Strategic Research

 It is a research aimed at solving specific research

problems of strategic importance.

 It aimed at defining research strategies and priority

areas in which specific applied research should focus.

 For example, researches conducted to solve food

security problems, policy research, credit service;
effective extension system, etc are examples of strategic
research.
 Quantitative and Qualitative Reaearch

 Based on attributes to be measured and the techniques used for

collection and analysis of data, there are two types of research.

 Quantitative research - is a research based on the measurement of

quantity or amount-number. E.g. height, weight & yield.
 Statistical, Mathematical or computation technics are used (hard science)

 Qualitative research - is conducted mainly in social sciences and is

concerned with qualitative phenomena. Interviews are used in these types
of researches.
 Where data based on form of number, observation, meanings, concept
definitions
 Open ended, open questions are used (social science)
 Research as a Group (Design)

 Research can be designed or grouped as:

 Experimental
 Quasi-Experimental
 Non-experimental
 Experimental Research
 Experimental Research is a type of research in which at
least one variable called the experimental variable is
deliberately manipulated or varied by the researcher to
determine the effect of that variation.

 Experimental research is conducted under controlled

condition to observe the behavior of the variable(s) of
interest.

 It is carried out in laboratory, greenhouse or in the field.

 Experimental Research … Cont’d

When we say controlled experiment, it

means a situation is created which enables
us to control all factors that are not under
the interest of the study or research, and
measures the influence of the factor(s) of
interest.
 (Temperature, Air, Moisture, Environment,

Concentration etc..)
 Experimental Research … Cont’d

 For example, “Effects of Temperature on Edible Oil

Extraction from Rape Seed. In this experiment the research
interest is oil exploitation at different temperature.

 All other factors like seed size, seed weight, and variety
type, etc. all are out of the interest of this study/research.

 Then we can see heating effect on the yield oil from the
data we collected and analyzed after the completion of
the experiment.
 Experimental Research … Cont’d

 Under laboratory conditions, it is possible to control all factors, thus

the effects of the treatments/experimental variables can be
measured more precisely.

 For example, we can control temperature, light, relative humidity

(RH), moisture, etc.

 But under field condition, there are numerous variables, which

cannot be controlled.

 However, their effects are minimized by employing certain statistical

techniques (i.e., blocking, replication, covariance analysis, etc).
 Non-experimental Research
 Non-experimental Research, here the data are obtained not from
actual laid out experiments, but from survey research where
respondents are either interviewed or provided with questionnaires to
generate data.

 The researcher collects data on the existing variables using the

techniques of sample survey.

 Gathering information from secondary sources such as archives,

libraries, personal communications

 Do not involve experimentation and they are non-experimental

researches.
 Non-experimental Research … Cont’d

 Both the interview and questionnaire techniques of

data collection in a non-experimental research
involve:
 Careful questionnaire format construction (closed/open
end type); ?
 Careful sample selection (representativeness of the
sample), and
 Careful review of secondary data from (Libraries,
Industries, Research Institutes, Federal and Regional
Bureaus of Chemical, Beverage and Food industries,
Research Institutes, Central Statistics Agency/CSA, etc.)
 Research Process and Planning

Research Process
 The typical eight-steps in all scientific research process include:

1. Select a problem
2. Review existing research and theory (when relevant)
3. Develop hypotheses or research questions
4. Determine an appropriate methodology/research design
5. Collect relevant data
6. Analyze and interpret the results
7. Present the results in appropriate form
8. Replicate the study (when necessary)
Schematically steps to all areas of scientific research.

Research
Process
 Research Planning

 Research planning involves detailed description

of:
 Activities to be undertaken;
 Manpower, funds and facilities required, and
 Methods of implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of the project.

 Therefore, properly planned experiment is said

to be half- executed or completed.
Research Planning … Cont’d

 Research design is a logical and systematic plan

prepared for directing a research study and hence
scheme of the research.

 It is a planned sequence of the entire process

involved in conducting research.

 It is a mapping strategy.
 Research Planning … Cont’d

 The general principles to be followed for planning

research are:

 Identification,
definition and selection of problems and areas on which
research is focused;

 Identification of the key activities involved in the proposed research;

 Arrangement of the program, and

 Coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the

project.
 Research Planning … Cont’d

 Based on the above general principles, there are about

seven steps in the planning processes:

 Step 1. Problem identification

 Step 2. Problem Prioritization - rank each of the

problems with respect to their distribution (importance)
 who suffers most
 importance of the technology
 severity of the problem
 Research Planning … Cont’d

 Step 3. Identifying the causes of each problem and

construct a flow diagram for each one.
The cause and effect relationship was drawn for
further analysis.

 Step 4. Analyzing of intervention points based on

cause and effect relationship.

 Step 5. Forwarding Possible solution to the problems.

 Research Planning … Cont’d

 Step 6. Evaluation of the possible solutions

 if available elsewhere in terms of profitability,
compatibility with the system in the area and
ease of technology used by end-users.

 Step 7. Prepare outline for trials and diagnostic

studies and estimate the resources required.