How to start How to start researchresearch

V. JayalakshmiV. Jayalakshmi

Why do we research?Why do we research?

– To solve a problem

– To satisfy an itch

– To gain more market share/ Develop and improve

– It is part of the Job

– To make more money

– To get a Ph.D Degree

What are the types of What are the types of AcademicAcademic

Research Works?Research Works?

• A totally new innovation or frame work

• Any analysis/ approach/ new algorithm / procedure

with at least some deviation from existing methods

so as to have contribution which can reduce

cost/time/ and or increase in performance

How to proceed?How to proceed?

DECIDING ON A TOPICDECIDING ON A TOPIC

• What am I most interested in?

• Do I want to know a lot about a little or a

little about a lot?

• Narrower papers are easier, broader

ones more difficult

AREA OF INTERESTAREA OF INTEREST

• Pick a Direction or area of interest

– Based on our background/

knowledge/ Exposure(Subjects handled,

Courses taken, readings

Conferences attended

seminars etc.)

Example - NetworkingExample - Networking

• This is an area only.

• It could be “Multicasting in Networks”

• Could be further refined to 'Congestion control

for Reliable multicast’

• Further, 'Congestion control through Admission

Control’

• Do not say,

– “Wireless Networks” (too general)

it can be – Wireless with infrastructure / Ad-hoc

Networks / Wireless Sensor Networks

• Narrow down further,

“Systematic Testing of Wireless MAC layer”/

“Efficient hand off for IP mobility” /

“Security by modifying the protocol ”

• in any of the above networks

• Do not just say “Network Security”

but, “Security through

– Protocol

– Encryption/ decryption algorithms

– Key management

– Hardware deployment”

• Do not say as “Quality of Service in

networks”, but as, “Quality of

Service in IP Networks through

Congestion Control”

In unicast

In Multicast

KEY WORDSKEY WORDS

• Compile a set of Key Words on the chosen

topics

• Start searching for the key words from

IEEE library on line

ACM library on line

Google (selectively)

Citeseer.com

Searching for papers in General Searching for papers in General area of Computer Networks, area of Computer Networks, look for look for

• IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking

• IEEE Journal on Selected Areas of communications

• Computer Network Journal (Elsevier)

• And many others

On Wireless Networks ..On Wireless Networks ..

• ACM Mobicom

• ACM MobiHoc

• ACM MANET Journal

• AdHoc Networks Journal (Elsevier)

• IEEE / ACM IPSN

• IEEE WCNC

• And many more Journals and conferences

SELECT PAPERSSELECT PAPERS

• From the topics of papers we have collected,

Select papers that we think most related to

what we have in our mind

• Do not read all the papers now

• Check the title, abstract, authors and

affiliations, Journal or Conference

Refine Key words ..Refine Key words ..

• Now try to refine our key words and perform

multiple searches for quality works

• If a specific paper is liked, look at the list of

references this will give a good indication to

follow

ConsolidateConsolidate

• With these additions narrow down

to 15- 20 papers

– of most related, we think, for the

selected area of work

Gather InformationGather Information

• Now start reading –

• ONLY THE ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION and

CONCLUSION

• Skim the rest of the paper for general idea

• Identify the emphasis of each paper

Pick the bestPick the best

• Based on our reading and understanding

pick 4-6 papers that We think that address

our research interests and challenges in the

field most appropriately

• Read these 4-6 papers thoroughly from the

beginning to the end

AnalyzeAnalyze

• Main approaches

• Methods of Analysis

– Metrics

– Evaluation tools

– Analysis and interpretation of results

– Simulation or

– Measured data

• Conclusions

Some questions on these Some questions on these ideas..ideas..

• Did all/some papers use similar approaches?

• Have they used same evaluation criteria?

• Same method of analysis?

• If not,

– What are the strengths / weaknesses of each method?

• Keep a list of ideas we want to explore

• This will create another list of readings

• Keep a list of

– What do we think the authors may

have missed

– The gaps and Limitations that could

be improved upon

• Any idea of how to accomplish these

improvements

ProposalProposal

Write two pages of proposal defining as clearly as

possible, the following:

– Motivation

– Research Challenges

– Overview of the existing work

– Limitations of the existing work

– Potential directions and ideas for improvement

– Expected results and impact in the field

• Ask the trust-worthy friends to read and

comment on these two pages about

• If it is not clear, go back and rewrite

• If we think we have missed some other

work, go back to the 15-20 list and pick

another 3-5 good papers to read and

rewrite the proposal

Focus on an ideaFocus on an idea

• Be selective in readings

• Try to focus, not get confused

• Write these two pages

• The next step is to write a 10 page

proposal elaborating on the 2 pages

PublishPublishSend paper to Journal/Conference

• Do not mind if not accepted

• This will give good comments by referees

• Improve upon the paper utilizing the

comments

• It will get accepted and published

Thesis and SynopsisThesis and Synopsis

• If 2 Journal papers and 2 conference papers

published, think of consolidating the work

• Left out works, links that may be needed have to be

completed

• Write the draft Thesis

• Write the Synopsis

Thank You!Thank You!