7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

1/23

Research Methodology

A Personal View

Branka VuceticSydney University

Sydney, Australia

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

2/23

Presentation Outline Research as Career What It Takes?

Nature of Creativity

Research Sequence

Topic Selection Research Planning

Literature Survey

Problem Formulation

How Extraordinary Creative Ideas Occur?

Stories of Extraordinary Creative People A Neural Basis of Creativity

Nurturing Creativity

Verification of Theoretical Results

Communication of Research Results Commercialization of Research Outcomes

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

3/23

Research as Career

Rewarding and satisfying career

Opportunities for life-long growth

ICT - exciting fields for innovation

Global career opportunities

Main reward in doing

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

4/23

Creativity

Open mind

Curiosity Patience

Persistence

Positive Attitude Discipline and focus

What It Takes?

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

5/23

The ability of making something new Originality

Utility

No correlation with intelligence

Nature and nurture both important

Creative personality

Nature of Creativity

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

6/23

Research Sequence

Topic selection Research planning

Literature survey

Formulating the problem

Creating new solutions Verification of analytical results

Communication of results

Commercialization of research outcomes

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

7/23

Topic Selection

ICT problems - ranging from experimental tomathematical

Problem sources supervisor, industry,

research papers, conferences, hot areas Important problems lead to important

discoveries

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

8/23

Research Planning

Time and resource planning Planning of research processes

Planning of developing new skills

Planning of presentations

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

9/23

Literature Survey

Recognizing new problems Important to read outside the area

Books, journal and conference papers

IEEE Internet Explore

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

10/23

Problem Formulation

Asking the right questions

Developing analytical models Designing algorithmic descriptions

Discussions and brain storming with the

supervisor and group

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

11/23

How Extraordinary Creative

Ideas Occur?

Sudden spontaneous visions

Dreams

Cross-pollination from different fields

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

12/23

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

13/23

Stories of Extraordinary Inventors

Sudden Vision Discoveries The great mathematician Gauss

proved in an instant a theorem on

which he had worked unsuccessfullyfor four years. "As a sudden flash of

light, the enigma was solved. . . .

Similar accounts given by extraordinarycreative people such as Mozart,Tchaikovsky, Poincare, Coleridge etc.

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

14/23

Stories of Extraordinary Inventors

Dream Discoveries Frederick Kekule fell asleep and

dreamed of the benzene molecule

as a snake biting its tail.

Otto Loewi had a dream that led to

his discovery of the chemicaltransmission of nerve impulses.

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

15/23

Stories of Extraordinary Inventors

Cross-pollination Trellis codes by G. Ungerboeck modem

designer

Turbo codes by C. Berrou electronics

expert

Viterbis algorithm dynamic programming

from computer science

Frequency hopping byHedy Lamarr - famous actress

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

16/23

A Neural Basis of Creativity

A human brain is

a self-organizing system

Brain centers specialized

for individual functions

The cortex contains neurons

Communications between

centers occurs via neural links

Creative activities occur

in the associative cortex

Creative people have rich

neural links in the associative

cortex

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

17/23

Creating New Solutions Ordinary creativity consists of conscious

activities, represented as linear processes

Extraordinary creativity involves unconsciousmental processes consisting in interactions

between various regions in the associative

cortexbypassing consciousness

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

18/23

Nurturing Creativity

Exploring in depth a new area

Think creatively on a regular basis

Know when to work more deeply or to

move on

Daily meditation

Practicing observation and describing

Practicing imagination

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

19/23

Supportive Environment

Critical mass of creative people

A competitive atmosphere

Inspiring mentors

Economic prosperity

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

20/23

Verification of Theoretical Results

Computer simulations

Hardware and field tests

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

21/23

Communication of Research Findings

Seminars

Conference papers

Journal papers

Theses

Books

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

22/23

Writing Papers

Focus on innovation

Paper structure

Make it readable and interesting

Where to publish?

Ethics and integrity

Quality counts more than quantity

7/28/2019 researchmethodology1_08

23/23

Commercializing Research Outcomes

Intellectual property

Developing prototypes

Business plans

Venture capital