Methodologies for Scientific Research: An Introduction

1. Methodologies for Scientific Research:An Introduction Edition 2007/2008 Doctoral Programme in Telecommunications MAP-Tele Responsible: Eugénio Oliveira Eugénio Oliveira /2007

2. 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? Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

3. 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; Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

4. Objectives • Aims and expected outcomes • The main goal : • to assume a scientific attitude while dealing with technological-like problems . Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

5. 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. Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

6. 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. Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

7. Objectives The word "SCIENCE" used NARROWLY. “asserting that there is noscientificevidenceis the same as asserting that there is no good evidence.” Russell Turpin – University of Texas Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

8. Objectives Leonardo da Vinci All sciences are vain and full of errors that are not born of Experience- 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 Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

9. 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 Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

10. 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? Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

11. 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 Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

12. WEB • Web site for this “Methodology for Scientific Research” course is available: • http://paginas.fe.up.pt/~eol/MEMBERS/eco_i.html Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

13. 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: Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

14. PROGRAMME • Non-empirical • Positivist • “Borderline” techniques • Engineering-based (constructive, de-constructive) • Quality of Research • - Challenges Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

15. 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 Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

16. PROGRAMME • 3. How to get good competences for searching Scientific & Technique written texts • Information Retrieval from specific Data Bases • By Drª Ana Azevedo, Librarian at FEUP • 4. Selecting typical papers for reviewing • 5. Final workshop • producing papers • “Scientific” Programme Organization • Papers Evaluation • Oral Communications Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

17. 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. Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

18. 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?) Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007

19. 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 Russel My philosophical development “Science distinguishes FACTS from the interpretation of those facts Through PROPOSITIONS” Alan Sokal Eugénio Oliveira /2006 Eugénio Oliveira /2007