“Characteris+cs,of,A,Good,Researcher,3,Am,I,

A,Researcher?”,

Dr.$Mazlan$Abbas$MIMOS$Berhad$

Research$“Misunderstanding”$How$Long$Does$It$Take?$

$What’s$the$Difference$Between$Masters$and$PhD?$

$

Why$Problem$DefiniJon$Takes$A$Long$Time?$

$

How$Do$We$Manage$Researchers?$$

Why$“Research”$Approach$is$Different$From$“Development”?$

ScienJfic$DefiniJon$of$“Research”$•  The$strict$definiJon$of$scienJfic$research$is$performing$a$methodical$study$in$order$

to$prove$a$hypothesis$or$answer$a$specific$quesJon.$

•  Finding$a$definiJve$answer$is$the$central$goal$of$any$experimental$process.$

•  Research$must$be$systemaJc$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$science.$

•  ScienJfic$research$must$be$organized$and$undergo$planning,$including$performing$literature$reviews$of$past$research$and$evaluaJng$what$quesJons$need$to$be$answered.$

•  Any$type$of$‘real’$research,$whether$scienJfic,$economic$or$historical,$requires$some$kind$of$interpretaJon$and$an$opinion$from$the$researcher.$This$opinion$is$the$underlying$principle,$or$quesJon,$that$establishes$the$nature$and$type$of$experiment.$

Basic$research$also$known$as$fundamental$or$pure$research$is$driven$by$a$scienJst’s$curiosity$or$interest$in$a$quesJon.$The$main$moJvaJon$of$this$type$of$research$is:T$•  To$expand$man’s$knowledge$of$the$world$and$not$to$ invent$or$create$

something$new.$$•  There$is$no$obvious$commercial$value$in$research$of$this$type.$$$

What,is,BASIC,Research?,

Basic$science$research$includes$answers$to$such$quesJons$as:$$•  How$did$the$universe$begin?$•  How$has$man$evolved$over$5me?$•  How$does$gene5c$code$determine$who$we$are?$•  What$is$the$specific$gene5c$code$of$an$earth$worm?$•  What$are$protons,$neutrons$and$electrons$made$of?$$

Applied$ research$ is$ designed$ to$ the$ pracJcal$ problems$ that$ exist$ in$ the$modern$ world,$ rather$ than$ to$ just$ acquire$ knowledge$ for$ knowledge’s$sake.$One$main$goal$of$ applied$ science$ is$ to$ improve$human$condiJons$and$make$the$world$a$beVer$place.$$$

What,is,APPLIED,Research?,

Applied$science$may$invesJgate$ways$to:$$•  improve$agricultural$crop$produc5on$•  get$be<er$network$throughput$•  find$alterna5ve$rou5ng$solu5ons$•  treat$or$cure$a$specific$disease$•  improve$the$energy$efficiency$of$homes$

Ac+vity, Detail,Tasks, Timeframe,Establish,Context,

Literature$Review$Problem$DefiniJon$Scope$of$Research$

3T6$months$(MScTPhD)$

Select,&,Design,Methods,

MathemaJcal$Modeling$SimulaJon$Experimental$

3T6$months$

Undertake,Research,

New$mathemaJcal$theory$New$programming$language$New$simulaJon$tool$AcquisiJon$and$trials$testbed$

3T6$months$

Analysis,&,Valida+on,

TesJng$of$Model$ 6T12$months$

Create,Output, IP$Thesis$Technical$report$

3T6$months$

Review,&,Evaluate,

PublicaJon$Conference$VIVA$

<$3$months$

Note:,On,average,=,Masters,(2,years,to,complete),and,PhD,(336,years,to,complete),

How,To,Choose,a,Good,Scien+fic,Problem?,

[Excerpts$from$the$ArJcle$“How$To$Choose$a$Good$ScienJfic$Problem”$by$Uri$Alon]$

Choosing$good$problems$is$essenJal$for$being$a$good$researcher.$$

$But$what$is$a$good$problem,$and$how$do$you$

choose$one?$

The,Feasibility3Interest,Diagram,for,Choosing,a,Project,

The,Feasibility3Interest,Diagram,for,Choosing,a,Project,

A$common$mistake$made$in$choosing$problems$is$taking$the$first$problem$that$comes$to$mind.$$Since$a$typical$project$takes$years$even$it$if$seems$doable$in$months,$rapid$choice$leads$to$much$frustraJon$and$biVerness$in$our$profession.$$It$takes$Jme$to$find$a$good$problem,$and$every$week$spent$in$choosing$one$can$save$months$or$years$later$on.$

Take,Your,Time,

In$my$lab,$we$have$a$rule$for$new$students$and$postdocs:$$Do$not$commit$to$a$problem$before$3$months$have$elapsed.$In$these$3$months$the$new$student$or$postdoc$reads,$discusses,$and$plans.$$$The$state$of$mind$is$focused$on$being$rather$than$doing.$The$tempta5on$to$start$working$arises,$but$a$rule$is$a$rule.$AGer$3$months$(or$more),$a$celebra5on$marks$the$beginning$of$the$research$phase—with$a$wellKplanned$project.$$Taking$5me$is$not$always$easy.$One$must$be$supported$to$resist$the$urge:$‘‘Oh,$we$must$produce—let’s$not$waste$5me,$and$start$working.’’$

The,Subjec+vity,of,the,Interest,Axis,

Who$decides$how$to$rank$the$interest$of$problems?$One$of$the$fundamental$aspects$of$science$is$that$the$interest$of$a$problem$is$subjecJve$and$personal.$$The$inner$voice$can$be$strengthened$and$guided$if$one$is$lucky$enough$to$have$caring$mentors.$$$A$scienJst$ofen$needs$a$supporJve$environment$to$begin$to$listen$to$this$voice.$$$$

The,Subjec+vity,of,the,Interest,Axis,

Good$test:$One$way$to$help$listening$to$the$inner$voice$is$to$ask:$‘‘If$I$was$the$only$person$on$earth,$which$of$these$problems$would$I$work$on?’’$An$honest$answer$can$help$minimize$compromises.$$Another$good$sign$of$the$inner$voice$are$ideas$and$quesJons$that$come$back$again$and$again$to$your$mind$for$months$or$years.$$$Another$good$test:$$When$asked$to$describe$our$research$to$an$acquaintance,$how$does$it$feel$to$describe$each$project?$$In$science,$the$more$you$interest$yourself,$the$larger$the$probability$that$you$will$interest$your$audience.$

The,Objec+ve,and,Nurturing,Schemas,of,Research,

The$mentors’$task$is$to$support$students$through$the$cloud$that$seems$to$guard$the$entry$into$the$unknown.$And,$with$this$schema,$we$have$more$space$to$see$that$problem$C$exists$and$may$be$more$worthwhile$than$conJnuing$to$plod$toward$B.$

“Sailing into the unknown again and again takes courage”

Research,Approaches,(1)$MathemaJcal$Modeling$

(2)$SimulaJon$

(3)$Experimental$

MathemaJcal$Modeling$Fast,$easily$define$upper$and$lower$bound$Complex$mathemaJcs,$need$programming$

Network$Model$

Traffic$Model$

Packet$Scheduling$Model$Algorithm$Performance$Results$

SimulaJon$Scalable,$Flexible$AssumpJons$must$be$accurate$Time$consuming$Either$selfTprogramming$or$using$simulaJon$tool$$Expensive$(?)$

Experimental$Accurate,$real$results$Time$consuming,$expensive,$not$scalable$

Architecture$/$Systems$/$Methods$

Intellectual,Proper+es,(IPs),

Masters$or$PhD$

Is$it$Worth$A$

Why$Do$We$Need$Degree,$Masters$and$PhD$Interns?$

Degree$

Masters$

PhD$

Support$testbed$setup$Simple$experiment$and$Data$CollecJon$Some$simple$applicaJon$programming$

Support$experimental$work$(advanced)$SimulaJon$to$proof$the$concept/ideas$

MathemaJcal$modeling$Develop$SimulaJon$model$CoTgenerate$and$test$new$ideas$

How,Do,We,Manage,Researchers?,

Researchers$ExpectaJons$

•  Breathing$space$•  Need$Jme$to$think$to$be$creaJve.$

•  Always$“Fresh”$in$new$research$area$•  Knowledge$always$starts$anew$in$every$project.$

•  Killing$Knowledge$•  We$can$kill$a$Product$or$Project$but$be$careful$in$killing$a$

“Research”$since$it$will$“wipe$out”$knowledge.$

•  Quest$for$Knowledge$•  Never$ending$journey$to$the$FronJers$of$Knowledge$•  Finding$new$challenges$

•  RecogniJon$in$their$area$of$experJse$

Light$At$the$End$of$The$Tunnel$

“Research”$Working$with$the$“Unknown”$“Development”$Working$with$“Known”$

PhD$is$not$all$about$the$novelty$achieved$but$it’s$the$SystemaJc$Process$of$Doing$Research$that’s$the$utmost$important.$

Researchers’,Challenges,,

(But,who,appreciates,people,working,with,the,Unknown?),

Viewing$Angle$ApplicaJon$Layer$

Physical$Layer$

Data$Link$Layer$

PresentaJon$Layer$

Network$Layer$

Transport$Layer$

Session$Layer$

Valley,of,Apprecia+on,

How,Deep,to,Explore?,“Breadth”,or,“Depth”,of,Research,

To,Go,Deeper,…,You,Need,a,Pla_orm,

Explorer’s,Risk,

Cave,Explorer,

Do,We,Reward,the,“Cave,Explorer”?,

Unstoppable$Effort$

Taking$High$Risks$

Venture$in$to$Unknown$

Characteris+cs,of,A,Good,Researcher,

7,

Must$be$openTminded$and$must$also$adopt$a$criJcal$way$of$thinking.$$

1,

Should$be$hard$working,$diligent,$focused$and$devoted$to$the$specific$field$of$interest.$

2,

UpdaJng$the$knowledge$is$of$utmost$importance$and$can$be$accomplished$in$

several$ways,$such$as$following$the$current$literature,$aVending$conferences$or$

exchanging$ideas$with$colleagues$working$in$a$relevant$field.$

3,

Must$be$resourceful$and$invenJve$in$order$to$transform$the$scienJfic$queries$and$hypotheses$into$a$realizable$protocol.$$

4,

Has$to$acquire$an$excellent$knowledge$of$the$measurement$tools$and$techniques$of$

the$relevant$field.$$

5,

When$interprets$and$presents$results,$the$researcher$must$be$precise$and$honest.$MisinterpretaJon$or$even$falsificaJon$of$

data$will$not$only$lead$to$deviaJon$of$future$research$and$invalidate$the$work$of$future$

researchers$

6,

Although$there$is$no$need$to$be$a$staJsJcian,$the$researcher$has$to$be$aware$

of$basic$mathemaJcal$and$staJsJcal$principles$in$order$to$be$able$to$appreciate$and$interpret$results,$up$to$a$certain$level,$and$to$study$criJcally$the$findings$of$other$

works.$

7,

Development (D)

Stage Activities ~ %

S E

R 100 0

AR 80 20

AT 50 50

PD 10 90

M 0 100

Ris

k in

crea

ses

Conclusion$

R$–$Research$AR$–$Applied$Research$AT$–$Advanced$Technology$

PD$T$$Product$Development$M$T$Maintenance$

Thank$You$

Contact$

Dr.$Mazlan$Abbas$

@mazlan_abbas$

mazlan.abbas@mimos.my$