This document discusses the key differences between research in engineering disciplines compared to other fields. Engineering research is more focused on developing tangible outputs through experiments and testing on machines rather than humans. It relies heavily on mathematics to form hypotheses and analyze data. Literature surveys are important to engineering research to avoid duplicating past work and learn from methodologies of other studies. A literature review goes beyond summarizing past work by providing a critical analysis, identifying relationships and gaps between studies, and predicting future directions of the field's knowledge.

1. SAJJAD KHUDHUR ABBAS
Chemical Engineering , Al-Muthanna University, Iraq
Oil & Gas Safety and Health Professional – OSHACADEMY
Trainer of Trainers (TOT) - Canadian Center of Human
Development
Episode 16 : Research
Methodology ( Part 6 )

2. Reference Books
• Ranjit Kumar. "Research Methodology" Longman, 1996
• Lindsay D. “A Guide to Scientific Writing” Longman, 1995
• Ralph Berry. “How to write a Research Paper”, Pergamon, 1986
• Gerson S J and Gerson S M. “Technical Writing Process and Product”, Prentice Hall, 1992
• Coley S M and Scheinberg C A, "Proposal Writing", Newbury Sage Publications, 1990

3. Is there a difference in conducting
Engineering research compared to the
research in other disciplines?

4. Differences between Research Activities in
the Engineering Discipline and Others?
• Engineering research are more formulative in nature.
• A lot is based on mathematics.
• Experiments are conducted on machines, rather than humans or animals.
• Data to be collected differ significantly.
• Hypotheses arrived at are largely based on mathematical proofs, rather than just an
educated guess

5. • Experiments can be done within a shorter period of
time.
• Outputs in engineering research are more tangible
• such as a software, a new machine or component, or
even mathematical equations, etc.
• Engineering research do not differ much in different
regions of the world.
Differences between Research Activities in
the Engineering Discipline and Others?

6. Literature Survey
I had the
idea. Its’ my
Patent
Fool!! Should
have first filed the
Patent
Application
We have come
a long way
since then !!

7. A Literature Survey &
Literature Review
• Often confused and mis-quoted

8. Literature Survey
• A literature survey is a priory study that is done
before a planned research
• The main focus of an academic research paper is to
develop a new argument, and a research paper will
contain a literature survey as one of its parts.
• In a research paper, you use the literature as a
foundation and as support for a new insight that you
contribute.

9. Why do you need a Literature Survey
• To make sure that you are not going to re-invent the wheel
Buddy, I thought it was
invented 543 years ago by
our great grad pa

10. Why do you need a Literature Survey
• To decide where to begin the research
• To acquire new ideas of improving the planned research
• To collect data, formulae, methodologies that can be used in the
research (with proper acknowledgement)
• To convince other people regarding the need for the research
• To give the due credit to the prior-scientific work

11. Literature Survey
• The summery of the literature survey is
included in the research papers (outcome of
the research) in the “Introduction” part
without adding anything new from the
researchers side.

15. Pay attention on how to present references:
Depending on the journal

16. Literature Review
• Walter & Brown (1967) first discovered the
Magnetic resonance of fine crystals. James
and Kruger (1972) invented the Magnetic
resonance spectroscope. Baltimore et. al
(1977) included Polaroid Mirrors to the MRS.
In 1982 Kruger and Mandel improved the
mirror performance with bi-prism technique.
Jemuar et. Al (1989) applied MRS for
identifying large protein molecules. ……….
Is this a Literature Review?

17. • A simple chronological list is not a literature
review
• Even a descriptive chronological report is not a
good literature Review

18. Literature Review
• A literature review is a methodical summarizing of a
selected subject where the writer finds improvements,
relationships contradictions, comparisons etc. among
various research work
• The writer has the right to have a scholarly critisim, giving
due credit to a hidden discoverer or inventor and also
discuss new insights that has either not seen or not
emphasized by previous researchers in their own work
• A literature review itself is a research

19. Literature Review
• Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to
a particular topic.
• If you have limited time to conduct research,
literature reviews can give you an overview or act as
a stepping stone.
• For professionals, they are useful reports that keep
them up to date with what is current in the field.

20. • A literature review is usually organized around
ideas, not the sources themselves as an
annotated bibliography would be organized.
• This means that you will not just simply list
your sources and go into detail about each
one of them, one at a time.

21. In a Literature Review you have to look for issues such as
• Do they present one or different solutions?
• Is there an aspect of the field that is missing?
• How well do they present the material and do they portray it
according to an appropriate theory?
• Do they reveal a trend in the field?
• A raging debate?

22. • For scholars, the depth and breadth of the
literature review emphasizes the credibility of
the writer in his or her field.
• In a Literature Review, it will be Great, if you
can predict where the knowledge is Heading
at!!!!
.

23. Thanks for Watching
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ABBAS