Research Methodology

Instructor and Contact

• Instructor: Suparno Bhattacharyya
  
• Email: suparno@iitism.ac.in
  
• Office: 224A, ME
  
• Office hours: By appointment

Course Details

• Course code: NMEC 595 — Research Methodology
  
• Term: Winter 2026
  
• Credits: 9
  
• Meetings: Wednesdays / Thursdays / Fridays
  • 15:00–15:50
    
  • 16:00–16:50
    
  • 17:00–17:50
    
• Location: MECH-G1

Focus

This course introduces foundational principles of research methodology in scientific and engineering contexts.
It covers research problem formulation, identification of research gaps, hypothesis development, study design, data collection, interpretation, and the use of key statistical tools for drawing evidence‑based conclusions.

Aim

The overarching goal is to help students understand not only what research methods exist, but also how to select, justify, and apply them rigorously in practice, leading to defensible and well‑communicated research outcomes.

Methodology and Design

• Learn various types of research processes and methodologies to identify, design, and execute a research problem using scientific and statistical tools.
  
• Understand sample design techniques, including their classification, characteristics of a good sample design, and how to select sampling procedures for data collection.

Measurement and Data Quality

• Study measurement scales, sources of error in measurement, and techniques for developing measurement tools to evaluate collected data.
  
• Learn various methods of data collection and the concepts of reliability and validity for the collected data.

Reporting and Presentation

• Learn approaches to prepare and present reports to disseminate research outcomes effectively to technical audiences.

Statistical Reasoning

• Become familiar with statistical tools necessary for designing samples, analyzing data, and making scientific conclusions from the collected data in order to arrive at a rigorous research outcome.

Software

• R / Python — for statistical analysis, simulations, and implementation of research examples.

Course Format

• The course combines lectures with group work, providing both conceptual grounding and collaborative practice on research‑oriented tasks.

Scope

The project requires students to:

• Formulate a research problem.
  
• Collect or simulate data relevant to the problem.
  
• Apply appropriate statistical tools to analyze the results.

Outcomes

Students must interpret their findings correctly and justify conclusions using sound statistical reasoning.
The final output consists of a structured research report and an oral presentation, following standard scientific communication practices.

Course Identification

• Course: Research Methodology — NMEC 595
  
• Term: Winter 2026
  
• Institute: IIT (ISM) Dhanbad