SOLVING A PROBLEM

1
SOLVING A PROBLEM

• Chapter 1

2
Introduction

• Research project
• ongoing series of activities with series of goals
• single problem
• Can be finite or ongoing
• Project can be smaller part of large project

3
Research Defined

• Research an investigation to discover facts
• Three primary strategies to do research
• compile information on some topic and integrate
  into new body of knowledge
• solve a problem for which no known solution
  exists
• find a better solution for a problem that has
  been solved already

4
Rational Problem Solving
Find a problem area
Your choice
Determine current situation
Literature survey
Literature survey and receptive mind
Describe unsolved problem
Find potential solutions
Various research methods
Evaluate found solutions
Critical analysis
Add knowledge to body of knowledge
Publish
5
Doing Research Well

• Comprehensive coverage vs logical integration of
  information
• Quality of research depends on degree of
  difficulty and the beauty of the solution
• Beauty depends on simplicity, originality and
  generality
• Writing a program does not necessarily solve the
  problem
• Existing knowledge through new eyes if solution
  is simpler or richer

6
Doing Research Well

• Research towards doctoral degree is expected to
  discover new knowledge
• Strategy 1 not acceptable for PhD
• Strategies 2 3 must be of high level

7
What is NOT Research?

• Most software development projects are not
  research - rather engineering
• Observations, gut-feel, experience do not
  present results to a research project
• Results of a research project must be
  substantiated with supporting evidence
• This can be done by presenting results in a
  simple way, arguing that it is better than
  previous solutions and presenting all relevant
  evidence, such as experiments, surveys, etc.

8
Conclusion

• The style used in scientific papers and reports
  often very formal
• If research is worthwhile, you must report it -
  papers, publications, theses, etc.