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Personal Opinion for Good Research

William Jen

NCTU of Taiwan, Feb. 2011

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Outline

1. Good Research

2. Good Research Process

3. Good Dissertation (Thesis)

4. Conclusion

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1. Good Research

1.0 Graduate vs. undergraduate

1.1 Original thought

1.2 Contribution to knowledge

1.3 Sound methodology

1.4 Others

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1.0 Graduate vs. undergraduate

• Researcher, re-search• Problem formulation and solution, researchable (narrow down) problem (system)• Research (scientific) methods, research methodology, philosophy of science.

Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 1962, paradigm shift

Karl R. Popper, Conjectures and Refutations, 1963, Science as Falsification

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脫困• 困而學之• 學術 vs. 非學術研究 (research vs. study)• 實證 vs. 探索研究• 量化 vs. 質化研究方法• 方法盲 vs. 問題盲

• EFA, CFA, Exploratory or Confirmatory Factor Analysis

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1.1 Original thought

• Contemporary hot,

• Interesting (to others and self).

• Thinking:

1. Logic, 2. critical, 3. creative, 4. political,

5. positive thinking

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1.2 Contribution to knowledge

• Integration of research stream,

• Go beyond synthesis,

• Well focused.

• So what?• What’s new?

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1.3 Sound methodology

• Creative, unique, doable.1. Method: mathematical model, statistical tools,

abstract reasoning, empirical test. 2. Data: representative, variation, quality,

ex. Economics: monthly established data set.       Marketing: primary data survey.

3. Robust results: applicability / generalizable Management implications: policy, industry, business

Parsimony vs. over fit model

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Research Reasoning

• DeductionDeduction is a form of inference that purports to be conclusive (i.e., the conclusion must necessarily follow from the reasons given).

• InductionTo induce is to draw a conclusion from one or more particular facts or pieces of evidence.

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1.4 Others

• Format,

• Achievable in reasonable time,

• Matches student capabilities,

• Area for professional development,

• Attractive for funding. 

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2. Good Research Process

2.1 Idea generating,

2.2 Planning a research,

2.3 Conducting a research,

2.4 Professional Communicating.

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2.1 Idea generating

• Every day life observation, • Journal and conference paper SSCI, SCI, EI, TSSCI, ISI, TRB Annual Meeting

“ current literature in traffic and transportation”, transportation library, Northwestern Uni.

• problem oriented, • to be curious,• make a difference.

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• Do a review of your own

• Read widely and deeply on your topic and its background, read review papers in your field

• Helps to give structure and organization

• Identifies trends and gaps and can support the significance of your research

Synthesizes the literature

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2.2 Planning a research

• Have an intense desire to know,

• State the research objectives clearly,

• Search the literature,

• Formulate operational hypothesis,

• Select a study strategy.

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Proposal

•一個有趣且重要的問題，而非枝微末節•有助於科學現象的了解，不只是陳述而已•此計畫可行

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Experimentalsimulations

Fieldexperiments

Fieldstudies

Computersimulations

Formaltheory

Surveys

Judgmenttasks

Laboratoryexperiments

Obtrusiveresearchoperations

Unobtrusiveresearchoperations

Universalbehavioralsystems

Particularbehavioralsystems

No one Method is Better or Worse

A

B C

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Designs Thoughtfully

• All research is flawed – Researchers very often examine only narrowly

defined problems. – Researchers use less-than-perfect methods of

observation– Researchers usually use less-than-perfect samples

• Plays to the strength of the method• Pilots • Seeks criticism

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2.3 Conducting a research

• Project organization and management,

• Measurement,

• Data collection.

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2.4 Professional communicating

* IMRAD

• Introduction

• Methods

• Results

• Discussion

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Select Your Journals, 我發表，故我在

• Have the researchers selected an important problem? Were the researchers reflective?

• Are any major methodological flaws unavoidable or forgivable?

• Is the report cohesive? • Does the report extend the boundaries of our

knowledge on a topic?

Is the research likely to inspire additional research?

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SSCI, “Transportation” 領域之期刊

Rank Abbreviated Journal TitleImpact Factor

1 TRANSPORT RES B-METH 1.948

2 ACCIDENT ANAL PREV 1.586

3 TRANSPORT SCI 1.427

4 TRANSPORT RES A-POL 1.352

5 TRANSPORT RES D-TR E 1.319

6 TRANSPORTATION 1.242

7 TRANSPORT RES F-TRAF 1.078

8 TRANSPORT RES E-LOG 1.000

9 TRANSPORTMETRICA 0.960

10 TRANSPORT POLICY 0.883

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SSCI, “Transportation” 領域之期刊( 續 )

Rank Abbreviated Journal TitleImpact Factor

11 J SAFETY RES 0.835

12J TRANSP ECON POLICY

0.780

13 TRANSPORT REV 0.747

14 J AIR TRANSP MANAG 0.453

15 INT J TRANSP ECON 0.194

16 TRANSPORT J 0.129

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SCI, “Transportation Science & Technology”領域之期刊

(Accessed at 2007.05.28)

TRANSPO

Rank Abbreviated Journal TitleImpact Factor

1 TRANSPORT RES B-METH 1.948

2 IEEE T INTELL TRANSP 1.689

3 TRANSPORT SCI 1.427

4 TRANSPORT RES A-POL 1.352

5 TRANSPORT RES D-TR E 1.319

6 TRANSPORTATION 1.242

7 IEEE T VEH TECHNOL 1.191

8 TRANSPORT RES E-LOG 1.000

9 TRANSPORTMETRICA 0.960

10 TRANSPORT RES C-EMER 0.875

11 J ADV TRANSPORT 0.562

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SCI, “Transportation Science & Technology”領域之期刊 ( 續 )

(Accessed at 2007.05.28)

TRANSPO

Rank Abbreviated Journal TitleImpact Factor

12 NETW SPAT ECON 0.514

13 J TRANSP ENG-ASCE 0.498

14 INT J AUTOMOT TECHN 0.476

15 P I MECH ENG D-J AUT 0.280

16 P I MECH ENG F-J RAI 0.218

17 INT J VEHICLE DES 0.183

18 P I CIVIL ENG-TRANSP 0.109

19 TRANSPORT PLAN TECHN 0.106

20 ITE J 0.054

21 INT J HEAVY VEH SYST 0.051

22 HEAVY VEH SYST 0.000

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• Practicing – students and new

researchers

• Testing out ideas and getting feedback

• Laying a claim to an idea

• Raising profile / networking

• Might score a special-issue journal paper

Try Conferences and Minor Journals

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3. Good Dissertation (Thesis)

1. You really want to be an expert in this area, 3 essays.

2. Possible continuation.

3. Prepare: Lab. management, Project funding, Teaching, Peer review……

* “Recent doctoral dissertations”, Transportation Research, Part A. 

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Other Suggestions• Transportation research mostly empirical, needs

to be relevant first, but then conducted and presented rigorously.

• Work with others. Have multiple research areas but focus on becoming a true leader in one area.

• Start early… takes a long time to publish, keep up a pipeline of work.

• Stay visible … give talks, be a reviewer, write papers, be on program committees.

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4. Conclusion

• 看似平常最奇絕，成如容易卻艱難 ～王安石

• 問君那得清如許，謂有源頭活水來 ～朱熹

• 王國維，人間詞話 – 昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上西樓，望盡天涯路 ～晏殊 – 衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴 ～歐陽永叔 – 眾裡尋他千百度，驀然迴首 ，那人卻在燈火欄珊處 ～辛幼安

– ( 流水落花春去也，天上人間 ～李煜 )

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Reference

1. 《撰寫博碩士論文實戰手冊》 http://www.sinica.edu.tw/~cida2. Graduate School Survival Guide http://smi.stanford.edu/people/pratt/smi/advice.html3. How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students

and Advisors http://info.acm.org/crossroads/xrds1-2/advice1.html4. 研究所新生完全求生手冊 http://ppsc.pme.nthu.edu.tw/5. Wei, K. K., Publishing Papers in IS Journal, 2008/4/24   

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Reading Guidelines

1.  Understand the key theme2.  Articulate author’s conceptual framework - Typology - Underlying rationale and assumptions3.  Identify strengths and weakness - New insights - Conflicts (internal and external) - Contributions - Other comments4.  Develop your own framework 

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Presentation Guidelines

1. Assume everyone in the class has already read the assigned material.

2. The 1st one: outline the reading material, comment and questions.

3. The 2nd one: comments and questions.4. Questions and answer session.5. Conclusion

* All the sit-in students are cordially invited to participate the class discussion.

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Class Performance

1. Is the participant a good listener?

2. Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the comments of others?

3. Do comments show evidence of applying the concepts from the readings to the analysis of the case?

4. Is there a willingness to test new ideas, or are all comments “safe”? (e.g., repetition of case facts without analysis and conclusion)

5. Do comments clarify or build upon the important aspects of earlier comments and lead to a clearer statement of the concepts being covered and the problems being addressed?

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Q & A

wljen@mail.nctu.edu.tw

http://140.113.119.160