Vaibhav Chawla

Preface

I clubbed another module along with Research Methods and Professional Practice, which indeed tested my time management skills. Nevertheless, I was able to keep up with the respective deadlines. This module runs through twelve units, where every unit focuses on distinct notions and questions that any academic scholar would stumble upon during their research.

UNITS 1-3

The first unit encourages the development of a critical thought process needed to conduct scientific research by giving numerous examples. It explains different types of reasoning and inferences along with the respective settings they can be used in. The collaborative case study allowed us to investigate the ethical implications of deploying unmanned technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. The exercise also urged us to analyse the butterfly effect of unmonitored algorithms that can develop unforeseeable predisposition by the manipulation of inputs. The active participation in the discussions helped me reflect on the vivid point of view and appreciate the ethical responsibilities we carry in the computing vocation. Unit two and three fostered the importance of literature review to identify an exhaustive research problem, then funnelling the problem to focus on a definite research question. The reading lists stimulated the development of conceptual models that underscored the importance of good research questions while contemplating the difference between open and closed questions (Pennink, Jonker and Pennink, Bartjan W, 2022). I came to realise that, only a thorough literature review can translate into succinct questions or sub-questions with justifiable criteria, which simplifies the selection of research methodologies. Deconstruction of the research problem into requirements plays a crucial role in navigating throughout the research process. Likewise, it is vital to distinguish the scientific and practical requirements to determine their applicability in the proposed situations.

UNITS 4-6

The chosen case study focused on studying the cybersecurity posture of the current waste management system served as a good reference to develop a much-required outlook to assimilate the intricacies with the help of observations and engagement groups. It not only advised us to choose our focus areas while designing the questionnaire but also required us to take into consideration the comfort, consent, and privacy of the participants. The wide reading list covered a broad catalogue of data collection methods and reinforced the necessity of planned analysis required to synthesise a mature all inclusive point of view. A well-thought feedback loop utilizing surveys and questionnaires responded to by focused groups and relevant audience helps us garner insights into the categorical specificities. The following units stressed the analysis of surveys and interviews and the ways to utilize them efficiently in the investigations. The cohort included students from different inclinations which considerably enhanced the diversity of questions and discussions in the seminars.

UNITS 7-9

The summative assignment gave a conducive sandbox to build upon our grasp and put the learnings to test. Instantaneously, the critical yet encouraging feedback from Prof.Stefania helped me stitch together my hands-on industry experience and the academic criticality cultured in the module. Her rich professional experience and commitment to improving our understanding were evident in all the 1-1 meetings. The meetings played an important role in scaling the module and give me the needed sense of depth to pursue the upcoming capstone project for the master’s degree. The exercise required us to draft a proposal that elects methodologies with a strong supporting rationale by critically challenging the survey methods. Unit seven focused on ensuring validity and reliability by taking design choices in terms of measurement scales, variables, and intervals to pre-define the direction of research assessment methods. On the other hand, one could argue against this predetermination of variables could create bias, while favouring dynamicity, and flexibility to support the scalability of the research scope. The workshops in the following units gave an overarching understanding of statistical analysis and its need in the research studies. The formative assignments gave a first-hand view of interpreting and extracting usable information from statistics and datasets(Berenson,2015). The probability analysis with the preliminary sample datasets allows us to determine the likelihood of the outcome. The exercises highlighted the key concepts of statistical inference that are desirable to draw conclusions and hypothesis testing to assess the credibility of the visualized models (Bhatia, 2018).

UNITS 10-12

The last units touch upon the administrative aspects of research work in a thought provoking way. Any research project/thesis/dissertation involves the logical flow of academic arguments that drives beyond the purpose to touch the enveloping implications the research might have. The reading lists prompted me to pause and reflect while quickly sketching outlines of the dissertation module. One of vital realizations is, there is no substitute for planning, preparation, persistence, and professionalism to approach any project. My professional experience requires me to deliver as an individual contributor, but the latter units helped me envisage a broad orchestral view of large-scale projects while buttressing the importance of finance, time, and resource management. It encouraged me to appreciate the correlation between risks, uncertainties, constraints, and viability before taking up any risk assessment, impact analysis or mitigation strategies.

Key takeaways & Conclusion

There are some of the key takeaways that will transcend this module and even academic settings per se are take time to equip oneself to traverse the breadth of identified area of interest. To form an unprejudiced thought process, it is essential to read conference papers, journals, articles and critique every literature you come across. Employ the SMART framework to disintegrate the research into finer sustainable and reliable goals.
✓Specific
✓Measurable
✓Achievable
✓Relevant
✓Time-Bound
The module developed a stout momentum after choosing the literature review topic focusing on the introduction of cybersecurity in existing waste management systems of ever-growing urban cities. The meetings with the tutor served as a vital platform to better comprehend their feedback and constructive guidance to stress the details consistent with the academic expectations. The exercises played an instrumental role in pushing us out of our comfortable subjects and building a durable understanding of existing research. Identifying the gaps and critical evaluation literature allowed us to develop a concise yet strong research question. The research question acts as the guiding north should be used to realign periodically. It facilitates development of a logical justification for choosing apt research methodologies for the proposal. In retrospection, this module has certainly equipped us with abundant philosophies to develop the requisite, robust and unbiased stance to commence any research.

Logical flow of approaching the research project

Reflective Model Rolfe et al., (2001)

Artefacts

Assignments & Feedbacks

• Literature Review Outline
• Literature Review
• Literature Review - Feedback
• Research Proposal Outline
• Research Proposal - Presentation
• Research Proposal - Transcript
• Research Proposal - Feedback
• Reflection Outline - Feedback

Other Deliveries

• Collaborative Discussion - 1
• Collaborative Discussion - 2
• Professional Skills Matrix
• Statistics Exercise - UNIT 8 (compressed)
• Statistics Exercise - UNIT 9 (compressed)

References