What are the next steps

At this point of time, you should have realised that your post-grad study is a research based one. The following is a general overview of what a research project entails:

• identify a research topic;
• develop a research proposal detailing your research question, hypotheses, and work plan;
• conduct actual research work;
• draw conclusions; and
• communicate your findings to others.

To clarify further, you will need to go through the following steps to complete you MEng/PhD study in a nutshell (You may skip steps 1-4 if you come prepared).

Step 1. Choose a research field (can be a bit broad at this stage). Refer to How to choose a topic for guidance.

Step 2. Gather information and conduct a literature to familiarise yourself with the state-of-the-art and identify research gap(s). Refer to Literature review for guidance. You are required to take notes of what you have read and report your progress regularly.

Step 3. Choose a research topic based on research gaps identified. This now must be very specific. Refer to How to choose a topic for guidance.

Step 4. Consult more literature relevant to the specific topic you have chosen.

Step 5. Write up a research proposal detailing your literature review, research gap identified, proposed research question/topic, research methodology, and work plan. Here the research topic must be clearly defined in a ‘question’ with one or more ‘hypotheses’¹. At this stage, you may opt to write up a review article.

Step 6. Follow the work plan developed in your proposal to conduct actual research work. This may include but is not limited to system modelling, data gathering, experiment design, algorithm selection/design, experiments, simulations, results analysis and interpretation. Note that you will need to go through a number of the above steps iteratively in most cases.

Step 7. Write up a research article detailing your findings and submit it for possible publication. Alternatively, you file a patent registration application based on your research findings. Refer to How to communicate your research for guidance.

Step 8. Expand the research article or patent application you’ve written into a full-length dissertation/thesis. Refer to the school’s requirements on how you should prepare this document.

Step 9. Submit your thesis/dissertation for external examination and oral defence.

Step 10. Pack all references, data, software and so on related to your research in a well-organised folder structure and submit this with documentation on how to use the resources therein to your supervisor.

If you managed to complete the above ten steps, well done and congratulations! Your degree will now be awarded.

1. A hypothesis is “a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.” (Oxford Dictionary). A hypothesis is a prediction of consequences. It must be verifiable or falsifiable. It is neither too specific nor to general. It is considered valuable even if proven false. It is NOT moral or ethical questions. ↩