Characteris+cs,of,A,

Good,Researcher,3,Am,I,
A,Researcher?,

Dr.$Mazlan$Abbas$
MIMOS$Berhad$

Research$Misunderstanding$
How$Long$Does$It$Take?$
$
Whats$the$Dierence$Between$Masters$and$PhD?$
$
Why$Problem$DeniJon$Takes$A$Long$Time?$
$
How$Do$We$Manage$Researchers?$
$
Why$Research$Approach$is$Dierent$From$Development?$

ScienJc$DeniJon$of$Research$

The$strict$deniJon$of$scienJc$research$is$performing$a$methodical$study$in$order$
to$prove$a$hypothesis$or$answer$a$specic$quesJon.$

Finding$a$deniJve$answer$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$the$
dierent$elds$of$science.$

ScienJc$research$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,$whether$scienJc,$economic$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.$

What,is,BASIC,Research?,
Basic$research$also$known$as$fundamental$or$pure$research$is$driven$by$a$
scienJsts$curiosity$or$interest$in$a$quesJon.$The$main$moJvaJon$of$this$
type$of$research$is:T$
To$expand$mans$knowledge$of$the$world$and$not$to$invent$or$create$
something$new.$$
There$is$no$obvious$commercial$value$in$research$of$this$type.$
$
$
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$specic$gene5c$code$of$an$earth$worm?$
What$are$protons,$neutrons$and$electrons$made$of?$
$

What,is,APPLIED,Research?,
Applied$ research$ is$ designed$ to$ the$ pracJcal$ problems$ that$ exist$ in$ the$
modern$ world,$ rather$ than$ to$ just$ acquire$ knowledge$ for$ knowledges$
sake.$ One$ main$ goal$ of$ applied$ science$ is$ to$ improve$ human$ condiJons$
and$make$the$world$a$beVer$place.$
$
$
Applied$science$may$invesJgate$ways$to:$
$
improve$agricultural$crop$produc5on$
get$be<er$network$throughput$
nd$alterna5ve$rou5ng$solu5ons$
treat$or$cure$a$specic$disease$
improve$the$energy$eciency$of$homes$

Ac+vity,

Detail,Tasks,

Timeframe,

Establish,
Context,

Literature$Review$
Problem$DeniJon$
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+c,Problem?,

[Excerpts$from$the$ArJcle$How$To$Choose$a$Good$ScienJc$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,

Take,Your,Time,
A$common$mistake$made$in$choosing$problems$is$taking$the$rst$problem$
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$to$nd$a$good$problem,$and$every$week$spent$in$choosing$one$
can$save$months$or$years$later$on.$
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$
phasewith$a$wellKplanned$project.$
$
Taking$5me$is$not$always$easy.$One$must$be$supported$to$resist$the$
urge:$Oh,$we$must$producelets$not$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,$easily$dene$upper$and$lower$bound$
Complex$mathemaJcs,$need$programming$

Network$Model$

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

Trac$Model$

Performance$Results$

Algorithm$

Packet$Scheduling$Model$

Experimental$

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

Intellectual,Proper+es,(IPs),
Architecture$/$Systems$/$Methods$

Is$it$Worth$A$

Masters$or$PhD$

Why$Do$We$Need$Degree,$Masters$and$PhD$Interns?$
Support$testbed$setup$
Simple$experiment$and$Data$CollecJon$
Some$simple$applicaJon$programming$
Degree$
Support$experimental$work$(advanced)$
SimulaJon$to$proof$the$concept/ideas$
Masters$
MathemaJcal$modeling$
Develop$SimulaJon$model$
CoTgenerate$and$test$new$ideas$
PhD$

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$
PhD$is$not$all$about$the$novelty$achieved$but$its$the$SystemaJc$Process$
of$Doing$Research$thats$the$utmost$important.$

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

Researchers,Challenges,
,

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

Valley,of,Apprecia+on,
Viewing$Angle$
ApplicaJon$Layer$
PresentaJon$Layer$
Session$Layer$
Transport$Layer$
Network$Layer$
Data$Link$Layer$
Physical$Layer$

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

To,Go,Deeper,,You,Need,a,Pla_orm,

Cave,Explorer,

Explorers,Risk,

Do,We,Reward,the,Cave,Explorer?

Unstoppable$Eort$
Taking$High$Risks$
Venture$in$to$Unknown$

7,
Characteris+cs,of,A,Good,
Researcher,

1,
Must$be$openTminded$and$must$also$adopt$
a$criJcal$way$of$thinking.$$

2,
Should$be$hard$working,$diligent,$focused$
and$devoted$to$the$specic$eld$of$interest.$

3,
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$relevant$eld.$

4,
Must$be$resourceful$and$invenJve$in$order$
to$transform$the$scienJc$queries$and$
hypotheses$into$a$realizable$protocol.$$

5,
Has$to$acquire$an$excellent$knowledge$of$
the$measurement$tools$and$techniques$of$
the$relevant$eld.$$

6,
When$interprets$and$presents$results,$the$
researcher$must$be$precise$and$honest.$
MisinterpretaJon$or$even$falsicaJon$of$
data$will$not$only$lead$to$deviaJon$of$future$
research$and$invalidate$the$work$of$future$
researchers$

7,
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$ndings$of$other$
works.$

Conclusion$
Activities ~ %
S
R

E
100

AR

80

20

AT

50

50

PD

10

90

100

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

Development
(D)

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

Risk increases

Stage

Thank$You$

Contact$
Dr.$Mazlan$Abbas$
@mazlan_abbas$

mazlan.abbas@mimos.my$