연구 논문 작성과 학회 준비 과정을 이해하는 가이드입니다.

What Counts as Research

Reseach is not only about writing papers.
Without a question to investigate; without data collected and analyzed; without a clear description of your methods and results, there is no research.

At a bare minimum, your research paper must include:

▢ A clear research question or topic
▢ At least 2-3 related sources that you have read and cited
▢ An experiment or data collection method to investigate your question
▢ An analysis and interpretation of your results
▢ An IMRaD paper that describes your research process and findings
▢ A presentation PPT (poster or oral) to share your research at a conference
(8 slides for poster, 10-15 slides for oral)

For a full guide to writing research papers (including Capstone Design, journal submissions, etc), see the “Doing Research” Curriculum.

Basic Research Workflow

The following is a simplified workflow of the research process. It is important to note that research is not always linear. Rather, research tends to be an iterative process in which each of the steps below may be broken down into multiple sub-steps and revisited multiple times.

1. Research Question

Without a good research question, you cannot navigate the research process well. A good research question guides your experiments and provides a clear direction for both your paper and presentation.

A good research question is FINER:

Feasible: Can you answer the question with the resources and time you have?
Interesting: Is the question interesting to you and others?
Novel: Has the question been answered before? If so, can you approach it in a new way?
Ethical: Can you answer the question without harming yourself or others?
Relevant: Does the question contribute to the field or society in some way?

Struggling to come up with ideas? Try asking ChatGPT for help:

I am a university student looking for research paper topics related to
[ your major or field of study, e.g., computer science, engineering, psychology, etc.].

Please provide me with a list of 10 potential research topics that are relevant, interesting, 
and feasible for a student to explore. The topics should be specific enough to allow for 
focused research but broad enough to find sufficient resources. Additionally, please include 
a brief explanation (1-2 sentences) for each topic to help me understand its significance 
and potential research questions.

See also Unit 1: Understanding the Academic Research Process for more tips.

2. References & Citations

Good sources pass the CRAAP test:

Current: Is the information up-to-date?
Relevant: Does the information relate to your research question?
Authoritative: Is the source credible and trustworthy?
Accurate: Is the information supported by evidence and free from errors?
Purpose: Is the information presented with a clear purpose and free from bias?

Each resource you use should be cited in your paper and presentation. Additionally, each (conference) paper should have at least 2-3 related sources that you have read and cited.

The following is a condensed version of the source-vetting process.

Identify keywords
Search databases (e.g., Google Scholar, ResearchGate, ArXiv, or your university database)
Read the following sections to determine if the paper is relevant:
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Conclusion
If the paper is relevant, read the full paper and take notes on the following:
- Research question
- Methods
- Results (note any tables, graphs, or statistics)
- Limitations

3. Data Collection

There are two main types of data collection methods:

Quantitative: Collecting numerical data that can be analyzed statistically (e.g., surveys, experiments, measurements)
Qualitative: Collecting non-numerical data that can be analyzed thematically (e.g., interviews, observations, open-ended survey responses)

4. Analysis & Interpretation

5. Paper Writing (IMRaD)

The IMRaD structure is a common format for scientific papers:

Introduction

Background information and context
Motivation for the research
Problem statement and research question

Methods

Description of how the research was conducted
Details about the participants, materials, and procedures

Results

Presentation of the findings (e.g., tables, graphs, statistics)
Interpretation of the results (e.g., what do the findings mean?)

Discussion

Summary of the main findings
Comparison with previous research
Limitations of the study
Suggestions for future research

6. Presentation

1. Find a topic (use the `ChatGPT` script below to help generate ideas):

Something you are interested in
Something related to your course or major
Something you have done in class (project, paper, etc.)
Something you want to learn more about
Something you want to share with others

2. Paper writing (see the PPTs and Template Files below):

Conference papers are usually 2-3 pages long
Journal papers are usually 4-6 pages long
Papers typically include:
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Related Work
4. Methods
5. Results
6. Conclusion
7. References

3. Presentation (preparing slides and practicing):

Poster presentations (most common)

A1 size or 8 A4 PPT slides (which together make an A1 poster)
Directions: After putting up your poster, you will stand by it and answer questions from attendees for about 30-45 minutes (but you can wander around and view other poster presentations when there are no questions)
A4 Slide Structure:
1. Title (title, authors, affiliation)
2. Abstract and Keywords
3. Introduction (background, motivation, problem statement)
4. Methods (how you did it)
5. Methods II or Results I
6. Results (what you found)
7. Conclusion (summary, limitations, future work)
8. References

Oral presentations (less common), usually 10-15 minutes long

Same slides as above, but in a different format (e.g., 10-15 PPT slides)
Be prepared to answer questions from the audience
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” if you don’t know the answer (the whole point is to learn what you don’t yet know, so you can continue researching)

ChatGPT Scripts to Help Generate Research Topics

Option 1

I am a university student looking for research paper topics related to
[ your major or field of study, e.g., computer science, engineering, psychology, etc.].

Please provide me with a list of 10 potential research topics that are relevant, interesting, 
and feasible for a student to explore. The topics should be specific enough to allow for 
focused research but broad enough to find sufficient resources. Additionally, please include 
a brief explanation (1-2 sentences) for each topic to help me understand its significance 
and potential research questions.

Option 2

I am preparing to write a short research paper (2-3 pages) for a conference in Korea (`정보통신공학회`). The paper can be about:
    - a conceptual design (idea for a system/app/device),
    - a literature review (summary of 2-5 related papers),
    - a simple program (small experiment with code/tools), or
    - a survey (ask classmates or friends a few questions).
Please help me find a research topic, paper title ideas, and possible directions for my abstract.

Here is some information about me:
    - Courses I have studied: [e.g., Data Structures, Computer Networks, AI basics]
    - Projects or assignments I have done: [e.g., simple Python programs, Arduino project, class presentations]
    - My skills or tools I know: [e.g., Python, C, MATLAB, Excel, Google Forms]
    - Topics I am curious about: [e.g., AI in education, cybersecurity, VR/AR, IoT, healthcare apps]
    - My future goals (optional): [e.g., Master’s in AI, career in cybersecurity, interest in healthcare technology]

Please suggest:
    1. 5-10 possible research topics that fit my background and interests.
    2. Example paper titles I could use.
    3. A few abstract ideas (1-2 sentences each).
    4. Some keywords I can search in Google Scholar to find related papers.

DOS and DON’TS

Checklist

Resources