JNTUK Pre Ph.D Research Methodology Syllabus Paper I

The objective of this course is to brush-up the concepts related to research plans and methodologies generally employed to accomplish research goals. The idea is to provide paramilitaries with various quantitative and qualitative techniques that can be used while solving research questions.

UNIT-I

Foundations of Research: Meaning, Objectives, Motivation, Utility. Concept of theory, empiricism, deductive and inductive theory. Characteristics of scientific method – Understanding the language of research – Concept, Construct, Definition, Variable

Research Process: Problem Identification & Formulation – Research Question – Investigation
Question – Measurement Issues – Hypothesis – Qualities of a good Hypothesis –Null Hypothesis
& Alternative Hypothesis. Hypothesis Testing – Logic & Importance

UNIT-II

Research Design: Concept and Importance in Research – Features of a good research design –
Exploratory Research Design – concept, types and uses, Descriptive Research Designs – concept, types and uses. Experimental Design: Concept of Independent & Dependent variables

Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Qualitative research – Quantitative research – Concept
of measurement, causality, generalization, replication. Merging the two approaches

UNIT-III

Measurement: Concept of measurement– what is measured? Problems in measurement in research – Validity and Reliability. Levels of measurement – Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio

Sampling: Concepts of Statistical Population, Sample, Sampling Frame, Sampling Error, Sample Size, Non Response. Characteristics of a good sample. Probability Sample – Simple Random Sample, Systematic Sample, Stratified Random Sample & Multi-stage sampling. Determining size of the sample – Practical considerations in sampling and sample size.

UNIT-IV

Data Analysis: Data Preparation – Univariate analysis (frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, percentages), Bivariate analysis – Cross tabulations and Chi-square test including testing hypothesis of association

Interpretation of Data and Paper Writing – Layout of a Research Paper, Journals in Computer Science, Impact factor of Journals, When and where to publish? Ethical issues related to publishing, Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

UNIT-V

Use of Encyclopedias, Research Guides, Handbook etc., Academic Databases for Computer Science Discipline

Use of tools / techniques for Research: methods to search required information effectively,
Reference Management Software like Zotero/Mendeley, Software for paper formatting like
LaTeX/MS Office, Software for detection of Plagiarism 

 JNTUK Pre Ph.D Research Methodology Syllabus Paper I Tutorial/Notes Check below

 UNIT-I

1.Meaning, Objectives, Motivation

2. Concept of theory in Research methodology 

3.Empiricism Research Methodology

4.Deductive and inductive theory in Research Methodology

5.Characteristics of scientific method in research methodology

6. Understanding the language of research – Concept, Constructs, Definition 

7.Understanding the language of research - Variables

8.Research process - Research Methodology

9.Criteria of Good Research 

10. Problem Identification and Formulation 

11.Research Question, Investigation Question, Measurement Issues  

12.Hypothesis – Qualities of a good Hypothesis

13. Types of  Hypothesis-Null Hypothesis & Alternative Hypothesis

14. Hypothesis Testing – Logic & Importance

15. Numerical Problems on Hypotheses Testing

 UNIT-II

Research Design: 

1. Concept and Importance in Research 
2. Features of a good research design
3. Exploratory Research Design – concept, types and uses
4. Descriptive Research Designs – concept, types and uses
5. Experimental Design: Concept of Independent & Dependent variables

Qualitative and Quantitative Research:

1. Quantitative research
2. Concept of measurement in Quantitative research
   
3. Qualitative research process
4. causality, generalization, replication. 
5. Merging the two approaches

 UNIT-III

 Chapter-I

1. Measurement: Concept of measurement– what is measured? 
2. Problems in measurement in research – Validity and Reliability. 
3. Levels of measurement – Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio.
4. characteristics of a good measurement.
   

Chapter-II:

1. Sampling: Concepts of Statistical Population, Sample, Sampling Frame, Sampling Error, Sample Size, Non Response. 
2. Characteristics of a good sample. 
3. Probability and Non-probability sampling methods
4. Probability Sample – 

• Simple Random Sample
• Systematic Sample
• Stratified Random Sample
• Systematic Sampling Vs Stratified Random Sampling  
• Multi-stage sampling. 

    5. Determining size of the sample- Factors to be consider

    6. Practical considerations in sampling and sample size
 
 
 UNIT-IV

Chapter-I

1. Data Analysis and its role in research
2. Data Preparation – tools and graphs
3. Univariate analysis (frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, percentages)
4. Bivariate analysis – Cross tabulations, and 
5. Chi-square test for testing hypothesis of association.

Chapter-II (Interpretation of Data and Paper Writing)

1. Layout of a Research Paper
2. Journals in Computer Science
3. Impact factor of Journals
4. When and where to publish ? 
5. Ethical issues related to publishing
6. Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism.-Consequences of Plagiarism

UNIT-V

 CHAPTER-I

• Use of Encyclopedias
• Research Guides, Handbook etc.
• Academic Databases for Computer Science Discipline

CHAPTER-II(Use of tools / techniques for Research) 

• Methods to search required information effectively
• Reference Management Software like Zotero/Mendeley
• Software for paper formatting like LaTeX/MS Office
• Software for detection of Plagiarism

UNIT WISE QUESTIONS

Unit I: Foundations of Research

1. Explain the meaning and objectives of research.
2. Discuss the factors that motivate researchers to undertake research projects. (10 marks)
3. Differentiate between a theory and an empirical study. Describe the deductive and inductive approaches to theory development. (10 marks)
4. Identify the key characteristics of the scientific method. How does understanding the language of research (concepts, constructs, definitions, and variables) contribute to a strong research project? (10 marks)

Unit I: Research Process

1. Describe the steps involved in identifying and formulating a research problem. How can you convert a broad problem into a clear and focused research question? (10 marks)
2. What is an investigation question? How does it differ from a research question? Discuss the importance of considering measurement issues when designing research. (10 marks)
3. Explain the concept of a hypothesis. What are the qualities of a good hypothesis? How do null and alternative hypotheses differ in research? (10 marks)
4. Discuss the logic and importance of hypothesis testing in the research process. (10 marks)

UNIT-II

1. Explain the concept of research design and its importance in the research process.
2. Describe the features of a good research design. What are the key characteristics to consider when developing a research plan? (10 marks)
3. Discuss exploratory research design. What are the different types of exploratory research designs? When would you use exploratory research? (10 marks)
4. Define descriptive research design. Explain the various types of descriptive research designs and provide examples of their applications. (10 marks)
5. What is an experimental research design? Explain the concepts of independent and dependent variables in the context of experimental research. (10 marks)
6. Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative research approaches. When would you choose one approach over the other? (10 marks)
7. Explain the concept of measurement in research. How does measurement contribute to the quality of research? (10 marks)
8. Discuss the concept of causality in research. How can researchers establish causality between variables? (10 marks)
9. What is meant by generalization in research? How can researchers ensure their findings can be generalized to a larger population? (10 marks)
10. Explain the concept of replication in research. Why is replication important for ensuring the validity of research findings? (10 marks)

UNIT-III

Measurement

1. Explain the concept of measurement in research. What are the different things that can be measured?
2. Discuss the challenges of ensuring validity and reliability in research measurements.

Sampling

1. Distinguish between a statistical population and a sample. Why is sampling important in research? 
2. Define sampling error and explain how it can affect the results of a study.
3. Briefly describe the four main levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Provide an example for each level.
4. What are the characteristics of a good sample in research?
5. Explain the concept of a sampling frame. How is it used in selecting a sample?
6. Differentiate between simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified random sampling, and multi-stage sampling.
7. Describe some practical considerations that need to be taken into account when determining sample size.
8. Why is it important to minimize non-response in a sample? What are some strategies to reduce non-response?

UNIT-IV

Data Analysis

1. Explain the difference between a frequency table and a bar chart. When would you use each type of visualization for data analysis?
2. You are analyzing customer purchase data. Would you use a pie chart or a bar chart to represent the distribution of product categories purchased? Justify your answer.
3. What is a cross-tabulation, and how does it differ from a frequency table?
4. In the context of data analysis, what is the purpose of a Chi-square test? When would you use it, and what does it tell you about the data?
5. Formulate a null hypothesis and an alternative hypothesis for investigating the association between website design and user engagement time.

Interpretation & Paper Writing

1. Outline the main sections of a typical research paper in the field of computer science.
2. What factors should you consider when selecting a journal to publish your computer science research paper?
3. Explain the concept of an impact factor for a journal. How can it be used to evaluate the reputation of a journal?
4. Discuss two ethical considerations researchers should be aware of when publishing their work.
5. Distinguish between plagiarism and self-plagiarism. How can researchers avoid both issues in their academic writing?

UNIT-V

1. Explain the benefits of using encyclopedias and research guides for computer science research compared to general web searches.
2. Describe two academic databases specifically relevant to the field of computer science and explain the types of information you can find within them. (10 marks)
3. Discuss different techniques for searching information effectively when conducting research in computer science. Include examples of relevant search operators. (10 marks)
4. Compare and contrast two reference management software options like Zotero and Mendeley. Explain the key features and functionalities that make them useful for managing research materials. 
5. Outline the steps involved in formatting a research paper using LaTeX or MS Office. Highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. (10 marks)
6. Explain the concept of plagiarism and its importance in academic research. Discuss how software tools can help detect plagiarism in your writing. (10 marks)
7. Evaluate the ethical implications of using plagiarism detection software. Are there any potential drawbacks or limitations to consider? (10 marks)
8. Imagine you are researching a new topic in computer science. Describe a research strategy you would use, outlining the resources and tools you would employ. (10 marks)
9. Discuss the importance of effective citation practices in academic research. Explain how reference management software can assist with proper citation formatting. (10 marks)
10. Beyond the tools mentioned, what other skills or strategies do you consider crucial for successful research in computer science? (10 marks)