AKSUM University

Mechanical Engineering
Department

Technical Writing and

Research Methodology

Prepared by: AYNALEM W.

[email protected]

Technical writing and research methods

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AKU
 Course Objectives

▪ To write a critical review of a literature;

▪ To identify a research problem;
▪ To develop and write a research proposal;
▪ To propose and justify an appropriate research plan for the
chosen research problem;
▪ To choose and apply an appropriate experimental design
to a particular research problem;
▪ To understand and apply standard techniques for
instrumentation and data acquisition;
▪ To prepare a well written and concise research thesis or
report

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Technical writing and research methods AKU
 Unit 1:Concepts of research: part I
 unit organization

• Meaning and objectives of a research

• Sources of Knowledge
• Definition and Purposes of Research
• Philosophy of Research

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Technical writing and research methods AKU
 How do you view research?

• A seek for knowledge and understanding

• An interesting and useful experience
• A course for qualification Bsc,Msc,Phd degree
• A career or profession
• A style of life
• A way to improve quality of life

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Technical writing and research methods AKU
 Why do we study Research Methodology ?

One is ready to learn

One is ready to explore

One is ready to create

Planning and conducting research and development projects in

science and engineering is crucial , often it is very challenging.

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Technical writing and research methods
 1.1 Definition of Research

a. Merriam‐Webster Online Dictionary

(http://www.merriam‐webster.com)
– careful or diligent search for deep knowledge
– studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or
experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of
facts, revision of accepted theories or laws, or practical
application of such new or revised theories or laws.
– the collecting of information about a particular subject.

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Technical writing and research methods
 What Research Is

Research is:
“…the systematic process of collecting and analyzing
information (data) in order to increase our understanding of the
phenomenon about which we are concerned or interested.

b. Greenfield (1996): “Research is an art aided by skills of

– inquiry,
– experimental design,
– data collection
– measurement and analysis
“by interpretation, and by presentation”

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Technical writing and research methods
 Development

• fundamentally more significant for the success of a commercial

organization.
• apply scientific, engineering or technological knowledge in a systematic
manner to improve performance is usual in organizations.
• organization growth and increase shareholder values
• Explores technology created elsewhere
• Has a final product or process tied to it
• Has finite timescales in which to deliver
• Has finite costs for the end product
• Is targeted at tangible benefits for the customer

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Technical writing and research methods
 Research and Development (R&D)
• Research is a process that acquires new knowledge
• Development is a process that applies knowledge to create new devices
or effects.

R&D Problems
• Research seeks truth
• Development seeks utility(profitable)
• Industry can’t afford luxury of research
• Academicians uninterested with development
• R&D is interdependent

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Technical writing and research methods
 R&D Problems

• Research results cannot be reproduced

• Data collection is haphazard (may be irregular)
• Experiment methods may be completely confused or
disordered:
• Trial and error …
• Lack records
• Reports are disorganized

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Technical writing and research methods
 Academic Research Problems
• Very similar to R&D problems
• Lack of Research methodology
• In Science & Engineering, lack of emphasis on research
methodology leads to false results
• Considering Research methodology as informal training
• qualification ,resource limited

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Technical writing and research methods
 1.2 The concept of Research

Source of Knowledge
The main sources of knowledge are:
– Common sense
– Science
– Every day experience as a source of Knowledge

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research (Cont’d)
The method of Tenacity
Tenacity refers to the acceptance of belief based on the idea that “we
have known it to be this way”
• Automatic acceptance of traditional beliefs and customs based on
your ancestors.
problems of tenacity towards learning about the surrounding
1. Information gains acceptance only through familiarity
2. It offers no means to correct of ideas

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research (Cont’d)
The method of authority
 In areas where we have no knowledge we often rely on the judgment
and expertise of others.
 However an authority can be incorrect and at times can lead you to
wrong direction.
 Hence it is important to examine the basis of the authority claims
by raising questions.
• All Ethiopian milliners are costumers of Kildi's coffee, so kaldi’s
coffee is the best coffee in the down town.

The priori method

develop general knowledge, opinion, or belief about the world through the
aforementioned methods or personal observations of things around us.
 London was rainy for the last 3 weeks, as a result it will be rainy next
week also.
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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

The scientific method as a source of knowledge

What is science ?
Science can be seen as systematic and controlled extension of
common sense.

In scientific method ideas are evaluated and corrected through in an

unemotional observing by means of our body senses or measuring devices
• Science is a reliance on information that is verifiable through experience

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

science and common sense differs in terms of

▪ The use of conceptual schemes and theoretical approach's
▪ The notion of control mechanism
▪ The explanations of different observed phenomenon
Science deals with testable ideas
Scientists systematically build theoretical structure, test them for
internal consistency and subject aspects of them to empirical tests.

The scientific method of knowing is the scientific research, and its goal
is the discovery of regularities of nature and their representation in
theories from which prediction can be made.

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

The steps in scientific method guide researchers in planning

conducting, and interpreting research studies.
Steps to conduct a scientific research
– defining the problem
– making tentative explanations
– gathering information
– testing the validity of hypothesis
– making conclusions as to whether the hypothesis can be
accepted or rejected

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

Scientific method
▪ find general rules
▪ collect objective evidences
▪ make testable statements
▪ are creative
▪ are public

Limitations of scientific methods

▪ it can not answer all questions
▪ it can not capture all areas
▪ there is always an inherent( existing in something as a
permanent) error

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

Definitions and purposes of Scientific research

“research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing
information to increase our understanding of the phenomenon under
study.
The researcher communicate to understand others. Research
includes: observation, description, prediction and determination of
causes and explanation.
”

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

Scientific research :
Performing a methodological study in order to prove a
hypothesis or answer a specific question.
• a systematic attempt to obtain answers to meaningful
questions
• follow a series of steps and a rigid standard protocol, so that the
experiment can be replicated and the results verified.
• requires some kind of interpretation and opinion from the
researcher.

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Technical writing and research methods
 What Research Is Not
• Research isn’t information gathering:
– Gathering information from resources such books or
magazines isn’t research.
– No contribution to new knowledge.

• Research isn’t the transportation of facts:

– Merely transporting facts from one resource to another
doesn’t constitute research.
– No contribution to new knowledge although this might
make existing knowledge more accessible.

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Technical writing and research methods
 What is research?
• A systematic enquiry, which is reported in a form that
allows the research methods and outcomes to be
accessible to others
• Concerned with seeking solutions to problems or answers to
meaningful questions
• Meaningful questions are expressed in a way that indicates what
you will accept as an answer.
• Non‐meaningful( in research terms) questions are not
answerable as a result of enquiry alone (eg judgemental or
metaphysical questions.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Research should be:

▪ systematic – so ordered, planned and disciplined

▪ controlled – the researcher can have confidence in
his/her research outcomes
▪ empirical – putting beliefs, ideas or assumptions to test, and
▪ critical – many truths are tentative and are subject to
change as a result of subsequent research.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Research Characteristics

1. Originates with a question or problem.

2. Requires clear description of a goal.
3. Follows a specific plan or procedure.
4. Often divides main problem into subproblems.
5. Guided by specific problem, question, or
hypothesis.
6. Accepts certain critical assumptions.
7. Requires collection and interpretation of data.
8. Cyclical (you always go back to the start after reaching the
end)in nature.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Characteristics of scientific research
▪ directed towards the solution of a problem
▪ is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence
▪ is characterized by carefully designed procedures.
▪ requires experience
▪ is carefully recorded(if possible) and reported .
▪ emphasizes the development of generalization, principles, or
theories that will be helpful in predicting of future
occurrences.

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

Goals of scientific research :

▪ Describing phenomena – to give a pictorial account of the
phenomena studied
▪ Explaining phenomena – exploring the reasons/causes of the
occurrence/event
▪ Predicting phenomena – to predict what will happen in the
future if the problem is not studied
▪ controlling phenomena – to change a particular event or
condition and investigate its influence
▪ comparing phenomena – to compare two or more
groups co relation in order to explore wheather they
behave similarly or differently

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Technical writing and research methods
 The concept of Research

Research Method Vs Research Methodology

▪ A method is a particular technique or way to gather
evidence about phenomenon. Therefore methods are the
specific research tools we use in research projects to gain
fuller understanding of the phenomena
▪ Methodology describes “ the theory of how inquiry
should proceed” that involves analysis of the principles
and procedures in a particular field of inquiry.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Summary
• There are two broad sources of knowledge: Everyday
experience as a source of knowledge and scientific
method as a source of knowledge.
• Everyday sources of knowledge include the method of
tenacity, authority, a priori method and common sense.
• The scientific method as a source of knowledge
represents scientific research.
• The goal of research is problem solving. The problem
could be of an immediate and practical value or they
could be of theoretical nature.
• The specific purposes of scientific research include
description, explanation, prediction, control and
comparison.
• Scientific research relies on the application of the
scientific method, a harnessing of curiosity.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Summary
• Research provides scientific information and theories for the
explanation of the nature and the properties of the world
around us.
• Research is systematic, controlled, empirical and critical
investigation of natural, behavioral and social phenomena.
• There is difference between research method and research
methodology the former represents a particular research
technique used to gather data about the phenomenon being
studied and the later describes the theory of how inquiry
should proceed.
• Scientific research has epistemological and philosophical
roots.
• Positivism and phenomenalist (post‐positivism) are the two
philosophical perspectives discussed in this unit.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Introduction to Research
Methodology‐ Part II
Types of Research
• Classification of Research
• Basic and Applied Research
• Qualitative and Quantitative Research

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Technical writing and research methods
 Types of Research

Types of research based on purpose

• Applied vs Basic (fundamental)
• Basic fundamental/pure) research has its primary
objective to the advancement of knowledge and the
theoretical understandings of the relations among
variables.
– obtaining and using empirical data to formulate, expand
or evaluate a theory, and
– discovery of knowledge solely for the sake of knowledge

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Technical writing and research methods
 Types of Research

On the basis of purpose

Applied Scientific research
It is designed to solve practical problems rather than to
acquire new knowledge sake. Looking after a specific
questions in order to help humanity.

It is concerned with finding out the answer to a specific

problem
– is conducted in relation to actual problems and under the
conditions in which they are found in practice
– yields findings that can be evaluated in terms of local
applicability and not in terms of universal validity.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Basic vs. Applied Research
 Basic  Applied
 Central purpose to solve an
 Pure, fundamental research
immediate problem
 Discovery of new
 Improved products or
knowledge; theoretical in processes
nature  Infers beyond the group or
 Takes many years for the situation studied
results of basic research to  Interpretation of results
find some practical utility relies upon Basic research
F=Ma Design of small solar
cooker for rural villages

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Technical writing and research methods
 Types of Research

On the Basis of Precision in Research Findings

On the basis of precision (accuracy) the researches are:
1. Experimental research
2. Quasi‐experimental and
2. Non‐experimental research.
Experimental research is precise while non‐
experimental is not accurate.

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Technical writing and research methods
 Types of Research

Qualitative vs Quantitative :
Qualitative research
• Qualitative research seeks to describe various aspects
about behavior and other factors studied in the social
sciences and humanities.
• In qualitative research data are often in the form of
descriptions of ideas , not numbers.
• But sometimes results of qualitative research are
subjected to relatively less quantitative
treatment.
• Often the goal of qualitative research is to look for
meaning

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Technical writing and research methods
 Quantitative vs. Qualitative
 Quantitative  Qualitative
 Numerical, measurable data  Generally non-numerical data
 Traditional or positivist  Typically anthropological and
approach sociological research methods
 Clearly stated questions
 Observations of a “natural”
 Rational hypotheses
setting
 Developed research
 In-depth descriptions of
procedures
situations
 Extraneous variable controls
 Large samples  Interpretive and descriptive
-expressed in numbers  Expressed in Ideas
If you score 99 out of 100  Excellent

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Technical writing and research methods