Research and Research

Proposal Writing for STEM

Ethel Chua Joy Ong, PhD (ethel.ong@dlsu.edu.ph)
Director, Senior High School Engagements
Assistant Professor, College of Computer Studies
Senior Researcher, Center for Language Technologies – AdRIC
De La Salle University - Manila
Research in
Science and Technology
Where to find ideas for research topics?

Global National Institutional

Global
Global
Global
Global
National
 National Integrated Basic Research Agenda
NIBRA, 2017-2022

MALASAKIT KAUNLARAN PAGBABAGO

Reduced inequality Expanding growth potential Enhancing the social fabric

Food and Health Inclusive

Water Clean Sustainable
Nutrition Sufficiency Nation-
Security Energy Communities
Security building
Fundamental Vulnerable Data Collection
Watershed Studies on Alternative
Studies Food Safety Ecosystems on Social
Potential Energy Phenomena
Sources of
Natural Products Documentation
Data Analytics of
Water Quality, Biodiversity Natural of Indigenous
Social
Accessibility & Studies Phenomena Knowledge
Dimensions
Availability
on Health
Environment & Education
Basic Anthropogenic
Veterinary National
Activities Security and
Studies
Sovereignty
2nd National Research and Development Conference Arts, History
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY and Culture
Institutional University Research Themes

Environment Learning Food & Culture &

& Energy Innovations Health Family

Multi-discipline
https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/research/offices/urco/urco-research-areas-and-goals/
University Research Themes

Environment Learning Food & Culture &

& Energy Innovations Health Family

 Eco-design of houses
 Solar energy
 Alternative energy production
 Human mobility studies
 Traffic simulation
 Impact studies of traffic and mobility

https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/research/offices/urco/urco-research-areas-and-goals/
University Research Themes

Environment Learning Food & Culture &

& Energy Innovations Health Family

 Technology and learning

 Game-based learning environment
 Factors affecting learning
 Chatbots as learning companions
 Language and learning
 Health and learning

https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/research/offices/urco/urco-research-areas-and-goals/
University Research Themes

Environment Learning Food & Culture &

& Energy Innovations Health Family

 Biochemistry of food products

 Science and engineering of potable water
 Cancer risks and cure from food
 Food and mental health
 Impact studies of nutrition programs in schools
 Assisted living, assistive technologies, wearables

https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/research/offices/urco/urco-research-areas-and-goals/
University Research Themes

Environment Learning Food & Culture &

& Energy Innovations Health Family

 Behavioral changes from social media use

 Online behavior
 Social media analysis
 Laws for the protection of human rights
 Globalization and the Filipino family
 Digital transformation of cultural heritage

https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/research/offices/urco/urco-research-areas-and-goals/
Data Science
Research in Science and Technology
Big Data
SHS level:
Use existing tools (e.g., Google
and Microsoft provide a
number of tools in the Cloud
that researchers can use;
ready-made Arduino kits) Market analysis
Ethical Considerations

Data Collection Privacy Anonymity

Consent Confidentiality
Data Cleaning Security

Data Storage
Integrity
Data Analysis Accuracy

Dissemination Confidentiality
Honesty
Intellectual Property
Artificial Intelligence
Research in Science and Technology
• Autonomous agents • Human and computers work together
fully automating task – collaborating – to perform a task
performance by • Computers take the brunt of the work
mimicking human (routine, repeated)
abilities • Humans apply intuition and judgment
• Manifested through cognitive
assistants

AAAI-18 Emerging Topic Human-AI Collaboration

https://aaai.org/Conferences/AAAI-18/aaai18emergingcall/
 AI hinges on Human-Computer Collaboration

• Who inputs the search string?

• Who finds the route? • “How may I help you?” • Who finds the documents?
• Who decides which • Who reviews and selects the
route to take? article?
(Some) Ethical Dilemmas

 Internet Research (Data Privacy and Confidentiality)

 Morality of autonomous agents that interact with
humans or act on humans’ behalf (e.g., cognitive
assistants, chatbots)
 Community biases
 Processing by machine – automation and errors in the
computation
 Accessibility of information – inclusive
 Accuracy of computer-generated reports (news,
sentiments, summaries, …)
Types of Computing Research for SHS
Types of Computing Research for SHS

 Software development using tools, e.g., simple games, chatbots built on

existing platforms, simple web pages or mobile apps
 Hardware development using ready-made modules, e.g., robotic kits,
Internet of Things, programmable sensors and tags
 Validation of undergraduate thesis, e.g., exploring the usability of a
particular application in a given domain
 Validation of the effectivity of existing systems, e.g., how certain tools
can help visual learners, mapping wifi strength in certain places
 Data collection and annotation needed to train Machine Learning
models, e.g., data collection and annotation for laughter analysis,
image recognition, social media posts and tweets
 Simulation using tools, e.g., observe the rate of arrival/departure from a
bus/train station then simulate what happens given a situation
Research Questions

 What solutions can we develop to address pressing

national problems?
 How can we harness technology to improve
competitiveness?
 How do we use technology to enhance the quality and
delivery of services?
 How can we adapt an existing technology to new
application domains?
 What technology can be utilized to meet the basic
needs of a community or sector?
Research Proposal Writing in
Science and Technology
What is Research?

 A systematic process of collecting, analyzing and

interpreting information (data)

 To increase our understanding of a phenomenon about

which we are interested or concerned

 To solve problems and contribute to people’s overall

quality of life and general welfare

 Formal Research
 Expect to communicate (disseminate) what we discover
to the larger scientific community
 Types of Research
Basic Research
 Theoretical
 To expand knowledge
 Researcher has careful control of the
conditions (experimental environment)

Applied Research
 Practical
 Researcher has limited control
of the research setting
 New product (tool, device),
process, service
Eight Distinct Characteristics

 Originates with a question or problem

 Requires clear articulation of a goal

 Usually divides the principal problem into more

manageable sub-problems

 Guided by the specific research problem, question or

hypothesis
Eight Distinct Characteristics

 Requires a specific plan for proceeding

 Rests on certain critical assumptions

 Requires the collection and interpretation of data in an

attempt to resolve the problem that initiated the
research

 By its nature, is cyclical or helical

Clear Articulation of a Goal

Air pollution
Traffic
Mental health
Access to data

Alternative taxi booking - Grab

Finding a route – Waze
Passport appointment system
Increase community participation
Alternative payment channels
…
 Specific Plan for Proceeding

Acquisition of
data
Research
Methodology
Analysis of Extract
acquired data meaning
The Research Proposal
Parts of a Research Paper
Basic Requirements
 Title Page
 Abstract
 Table of Contents
 List of Figures Formatting
 List of Tables  Captions for figures and tables
 <Main Body>  Page numbers

 References
 Appendices
Research Title

 A good title should contain the research topic, the

research challenge or proposed solution and the scope
o “Exploring Chatbots (solution) as a Storytelling Companion
(research topic) for Grades 1-3 Filipino Children (scope)”

o “The Efficacy of Cinnamon Oil (solution and scope) as

Mosquito Repellant (topic)”

o “Analyzing Usability (solution) of Learning Management

Systems (topic) in Supporting Collaboration (challenge)
among DLSU Senior High School Students (scope)”
Parts of a Research Paper
The Main Body vis-à-vis Research Timeline
 Chapter 1. Introduction

 Chapter 2. Review of Related Literature (Works)

 Chapter 3. Methodology

Proposal Defense

 Chapter 4. Results and Discussion

 Chapter 5. Conclusion and Recommendations

Report Writing, Final Defense and Dissemination

The Beginnings of Research
The world is filled with unanswered questions and
unresolved problems.

An inquisitive mind is the beginning of research.

Pre-Writing Steps
#1: Identify the Topic of Inquiry
 Selecting a research topic
 What is your research interest?
 What problem would you like to try to solve?

 Determining what others have done

 What keywords will you use to find relevant literature?
 What does literature say about your research topic?
 Have others done similar or related studies?
Pre-Writing Steps
#2: Articulate the Research Question
 Understanding the state-of-the-art in your chosen topic by
reviewing related works to identify challenges and
opportunities
 What is the nature of the problem?
 How did previous works address these problems?
 What challenges remain unanswered? (Identify gaps)
 What opportunities are available for further study?

 Posing your problem statement and research question

 List down all your questions and problems
 Which problem(s) will you cover in your study?
An Example

1. Finalize your research topic 1. Air pollution

2. Exploring mechanisms to reduce air
2. Clarify your research goal pollution in Metro Manila
3. Understand the state-of-the-art in 3. Vehicle reduction scheme, Alternative
that topic fuel source, Jeepney phase-out
program, Reducing particulate matter
4. Identify gaps in the literature from mufflers

5. List down all your questions and 4. Bio-diesel, E-Jeep, …

problems and choose which
one(s) will be covered in your
study
5. How can traffic reduction schemes help
reduce air pollution? What alternative
sources of fuel can be used? How
much reduction in air pollution can be
achieved? What alternative mode of
transportation can be made available
and how will these affect commuting
problems?
Research Question

 Guides and centers your research

 Should be clear and focused

To formulate a Good Research Question…

 Ask open- ended “How?” “What?” and Why?” questions
Yes/No questions are NOT good research questions

 Evaluate possible responses to those questions

 Keep in mind previous studies that you have read or
explored
Ways for a Research to Contribute

1. Develop new model, solution, prototype, product (i.e.,

muffler, mosquito repellant, soap), software, device
2. Improve existing process or method, model, product,
software, device
3. Apply existing solution to new domain
4. Collect and describe new datasets
5. Develop benchmarks
6. Conduct survey to understand preferences, behavior
Chapter 1 - Introduction
 Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4

Background Research Scope and Significance

of the Study Objectives Limitations of the Study
Chapter 1. Introduction

• Describing the Background of the Study

• Identifying a Research Problem or Opportunity
• Formulating your Research Question

• Formulating your Research Objectives

• Defining the Scope of your Research
• Identifying the Significance of the Study
1.1 Background of the Study

 Gives a general context of your research area

 Highlights existing and prevailing problems and situations
at a global (general) scale, then narrows down to a
local context or more specific area of study
 Supported by a summary of previous works, their
approaches and findings
 Prepares the readers and leads them to the research
problem or opportunity (Describes a gap in the current
studies or an opportunity yet to be explored)
 Ends with a problem statement or research challenge
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Research Objectives

General Objective
 A brief statement of how you will investigate the research
problem
 States the overall goal that must be achieved to answer the
problem
 Given your research problem or challenge, how do you
intend to solve this?
 To design, develop, investigate, explore, determine…

AVOID:
Stating research objectives that your study will SOLVE the
identified problem.
 1.2 Research Objectives
Specific Objectives
 What research steps do you need to perform to achieve your
general objective?
 Identify the secondary research questions that are needed to
answer your primary research question
 Convert these secondary research questions into action
statements
 Must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-
bounded
 To review, analyze, collect, identify, validate, define, survey…

AVOID:
Stating research objectives that your study will SOLVE the identified problem.
1.3 Scope and Limitations

 Describe what is and is not included in the scope of your

research, supported by your main research question and
findings of previous studies
 A good rule of thumb is to allocate one paragraph for
each of your specific objectives
 Each paragraph contains a brief overview of the
concept/theory and the purpose of doing the associated
objective
 Each paragraph also includes a description of the
scope/limitation of your study, and followed by a brief
purpose, rationale and/or justification for your decisions
1.3 Scope and Limitations

 The following should also be indicated:

 The profile and demographics of your target participants
 Your data sources (i.e., new data, data from previous studies,
data to be provided by some experts, data to be retrieved
from social networks)
 The methods for collecting the data
 The coverage areas or locations
 The specific software tool or device to be used or evaluated
 The duration or time period (e.g., news articles for the year
2016-2017)
1.3 Scope and Limitations

 Things to avoid
 Do not adopt a whiny and petulant tone
 Do not start each paragraph with “The proponents will not…”
 Do not use time constraints or your lack of skills as your
justification for limiting your scope

 Cite previous works to support your scope

 Adapting the approach of previous studies
 Adapting the metrics for evaluation of previous studies
 Adapting the instruments used by previous studies
 Scoping the duration of your research based on previous
studies
1.4 Significance of the Study

 What is the relevance of your work along the following three

perspectives:
 Your immediate target participants or population of study
 How will they benefit from your study?
 Larger community – requires broader and long-term
perspectives
 Your discipline
 What is your technical or scientific contribution?
 What new learnings can you bring to the field?

 If appropriate, is there any potential for commercialization

and/or innovation?
1.4 Significance of the Study

 Contributions and benefits can be in form of

 New knowledge
 A check on the major findings of previous studies
 A check on the relevance or validity of previous studies to new
situations or domains (e.g., different community, different
population)
 A check on trends over time
 A validation of findings using a different research methodology
 Make sure you consider all possible stakeholders, not just the
direct beneficiaries of your research
 Be broad in your perspectives, covering both immediate and
long-term benefits
Reviewing Related Works
Adapted from the presentation of Dr. Maricar Prudente, SHS Research Training Program, December 2018, DLSU Manila.
Reviewing Related Works

 Rationale: To benefit from others’ research findings

 What can you learn from others’ research?
 What gaps can you identify from these studies?

 Sample activity: For each related work

What was the research question?
How did they address the problem?
What did they learn from their study (results and findings)?
What was their contribution to the field?
What else can be done?
What is a Related Work?

 A published research paper that –

 Describes work on a research area that is similar or

relevant to yours
 Describes work on a domain that is similar or relevant to
yours
 Uses an algorithm, research design, approach, tool or
device that may be useful to your work or which you
can adapt to your work
Writing your Review of Related Works
(scientific experiments, software, devices)

1. Identify keywords relevant to your research

One keyword = One document section
Examples: 2.1 Conversational Agents
2.2 Storytelling

2. Find references using these keywords

For each of the references that you find,
 Determine if it is relevant to your research?
 Use their references to find more relevant works
Writing your Review of Related Works

3. Identify a set of criteria for comparing the related works

 Helps you focus on what to look for
 Helps you identify the basis for reviewing the paper
 Helps determine if the paper is relevant or not

Features
Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3
/ Papers
Paper 1 Key phrases

Paper 2

Paper 3
 Writing your Review of Related Works

4. Write a descriptive summary comparing the related

works that contain the following:
 What: A short description of the related work
 How: A summary of the approach it utilized
 Findings: If applicable, the results and findings
 Why: Relevance to your work

Remember to reference the summary table in your discussion,

e.g., Table 2.1 provides a comparative summary of the
different chatbot platforms currently available in the market.
Alternative way of writing your
Review of Related Literature
 The review starts with a summary of all findings, e.g.,
First paragraph:
“Several studies identified different factors for the traffic problem
along Edsa. These include (1) pedestrians and street vendors; (2)
number of stops and turns; (3) volume of public vehicles; and (4)
street parking.”
Followed by a concise descriptive summary of each of the
factor in the second to Nth paragraph, citing appropriate
literature accordingly
 Another example where this is useful is in studies that describe
different strategies (e.g., learning strategies), or behavior (e.g.,
consumer behavior).
Research Methodology
Adapted from the presentation of Dr. Maricar Prudente, SHS Research Training Program, December 2018, DLSU Manila.
Research Methodology

 Identify your Research Participants

Experts – sources of data, collaborators
End Users – validators, benefactors

 Define your Data Gathering Procedure

Interview
Survey (with debriefing)
Observation Uphold Ethical
Focus Group Discussion standards
Document review
Ethical Questions that a Researcher (both
Students and their Mentor) should ask
 What data do we need?
 Can we obtain the data?

 Who/What will be our data source?

 Who are our participants? (Participants profile)

 Do we really need to know the personal information (name,
birthday, gender, …) for our research?

 How will we collect the data from the data sources?

(Research method)
 Do we really need to record (audio/video) the interview /
observation?
Ethical Questions that a Researcher (both
Students and their Mentor) should ask

 What risks will be involved during the data collection

process? After the data collection?
 Where will the collected data be stored? How long will
the data be stored?
 How will the collected data be used – analyzed,
processed, disseminated?
 Who will have access to the data?
 Will data be used for subsequent research?
The Abstract
Abstract

 A short, stand-alone summary of the work or paper that

others can use as an overview
 Offers potential readers with a preview of your paper,
highlights key points in your research, and helps the
reader decide whether or not to view your entire work
(https://www.editage.com/insights/a-10-step-guide-to-make-your-research-paper-
abstract-more-effective)

 Acts as a summary of everything you covered in your

paper (https://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Abstract)
Abstract

 Consists of 150 to 250 words in a single paragraph, that

provides the reader with a summary of your
research/study and what you intend to do
 Should be comprised of the following sentences:
 Motivation. One to two sentence(s) covering the general
context of the research that is the focus of your study
 Problem. One to two sentence(s) regarding the specific
problem to be covered in your study
Abstract

 Purpose. One to two sentence(s) regarding the purpose of

the research or what you intend to find out regarding the
problem
 Method. One to two sentence(s) summarizing the
approach or the manner in which you will carry out your
study (PRACRES2)
 Results. One to two sentence(s) describing your findings
and result (PRACRES3/4)
Validation and Dissemination
Validation

According to Google Dictionary:

 The action of checking or proving the validity,
accuracy or acceptability of something
 Recognition or affirmation that something* is valid or
worthwhile
 Product
 Process
 Software prototype
 Hardware device
 Human behavior
 In Technology and Engineering

Data Design Validation

Gathering

• Previous design • Design • Function /

• Available tools • Code Performance testing
• Domain experts • Build • Usability testing
(what the system/ - the product, • The “Boss”
product is for) software, device, • The End users
• End users (what they prototype
want/expect from
the system/product)
Validation
 Hinges strongly on your research objective
Given this objective:
To design/develop/build <a product, software, device> that
can <purpose>, e.g.,
To develop a chatbot that can share stories with children

What should be validated? What does validation entail?

• Functionality / Performance
“Intelligence of the Chatbot”
• Usability
“Level of engagement”
• Feedback from end users
• Evaluation of conversation logs
Content, Flow, Interaction,
Quality of support,
Narrative quality
 Validation Observation Checklist
The child introduces himself/herself to the
1
chatbot.
2 The child starts the story when prompted.
 How many participants is 3
The child pauses frequently (every 1-2
sentences).
enough? 4 The child has difficulty ending the story.
The child misunderstood the chatbot's
 Are you after the number or 5
response.
the quality of the feedback? 6
The child does not respond to the
chatbot's requests.
 Will a survey instrument be 7
The child switches topics/storylines before
the end.
useful if it can only give you The chatbot starts when the trigger phrase
8
numbers, but not the “why”? is called.
The chatbot speaks when the child is
9
 How can observations qualify speaking.
10 The chatbot has difficulty knowing its turn.
as validation instrument? The chatbot loses the child's interest
11
before the story ends.
The chatbot ends when the ending trigger
12
is said.
Validation  Dissemination

• Dialogue strategies • Building the KB that

to elicit story details supplies the
from children “intelligence” of
the chatbot
Dialogue Knowledge
Model Base

Natural
Storytelling
Language
/ Learning
Processing
• Input understanding • Chatbot as a story-
and response telling / learning
generation companion
Research and Research
Proposal Writing for STEM
Ethel Chua Joy Ong, PhD
ethel.ong@dlsu.edu.ph
College of Computer Studies
De La Salle University - Manila