SCS2110 Exam Mastery System

Research Methods

Exam-aligned study notes, core modules & 4-phase question sprint system: 10 Material study cards, 8 core modules, and 360 progressive difficulty exam drill questions.

📖 Material: Course Study Notes (Phases 1 - 10)

Comprehensive distinction-grade course outline notes. Study these 10 material cards to master all core concepts and effortlessly solve the exam drill questions.

MATERIAL PHASE 01 • NOTE CARD

Introduction & Problem Formulation

6 Characteristics of CS research, SE vs. CS Research, Problem Statement anatomy, Aims (What) vs Objectives (How), Hypotheses vs RQs.

MATERIAL PHASE 02 • NOTE CARD

Proposal Writing & Research Design

FINER topic evaluation, Anatomy of a NUST proposal, Research Design frameworks (Exploratory, Experimental), Feasibility & Gantt charts.

MATERIAL PHASE 03 • NOTE CARD

Literature Review, SLR & Referencing

Systematic Literature Review (SLR), 4-Stage PRISMA diagram, ACM/IEEE digital search, Zotero/Mendeley reference tools, Harvard <5 yr rule.

MATERIAL PHASE 04 • NOTE CARD

Data Collection & Sampling Strategies

Probability (Simple Random, Stratified) vs Non-Probability (Convenience, Purposive), Benchmarking controls, MSR repository mining.

MATERIAL PHASE 05 • NOTE CARD

Data Analysis, Statistics & Qualitative Synthesis

Hypothesis testing ($p < 0.05$), t-tests vs ANOVA vs non-parametric tests, Python SciPy, Braun & Clarke's 6-Stage Thematic Analysis.

MATERIAL PHASE 06 • NOTE CARD • DEC 2024 Q4/Q5

Research Methodologies & Design Science (DSR)

Direct Dec 2024 Exam Q4 & Q5 focus: Research vs Software Dev methodologies, Hevner's 3-Cycle DSR framework, Mixed Methods defense.

MATERIAL PHASE 07 • NOTE CARD • DEC 2024 Q2

Philosophical Assumptions & Paradigms

Direct Dec 2024 Exam Q2 focus: Ontological, Epistemological, Axiomatic assumptions, Positivism vs Interpretivism vs Pragmatism.

MATERIAL PHASE 08 • NOTE CARD

Research Ethics, Misconduct & Dilemmas

Core ethics (Informed consent, anonymity), 3 Cardinal Sins (Fabrication, Falsification, Plagiarism), GDPR/POPIA privacy & dual-use dilemmas.

MATERIAL PHASE 09 • NOTE CARD • PRACTICE Q5

Reliability, Validity & Threat Mitigation

Target analogy, Cronbach's Alpha ($\alpha \ge 0.70$), Internal/External/Construct validity, benchmarking threats, 5-year data retention.

MATERIAL PHASE 10 • NOTE CARD • DEC 2024 Q1/Q3/Q6

Report Writing, LaTeX, Dissemination & H-Index

Direct Dec 2024 Exam Q1, Q3, Q6 focus: NUST 5-chapter report format, LaTeX/Overleaf, arXiv vs Journals, step-by-step h-index calculation.

📚 Core Course Modules (1 - 8)

CS Research Foundations

6 Characteristics of CS research, problem formulation, Aims (What) vs Objectives (How), Hypotheses vs RQs.

MODULE 02 • DEC 2024 Q2

Philosophical Assumptions & Paradigms

Direct Dec 2024 Exam Q2 focus [20 Marks]: Ontological, Epistemological, Axiomatic assumptions & Positivism/Interpretivism.

MODULE 03 • DEC 2024 Q4 & Q5

Research vs Software Methodologies

Direct Dec 2024 Exam Q4 & Q5 focus [40 Marks]: Research vs Software Dev methodologies & Mixed Methods Defense.

Literature Review & Synthesis

Systematic Literature Review (SLR), 4-stage PRISMA diagram, IMRaD format limitations, Harvard citation audits (<5 yrs).

MODULE 05 • PRACTICE Q7

Data Collection & Sampling Strategies

Probability (Simple Random, Stratified) vs Non-Probability (Convenience, Purposive, Snowball) sampling & benchmark controls.

MODULE 06 • PRACTICE Q5

Data Analysis, Reliability & Validation

Statistical methods (ANOVA, t-test), Thematic analysis, Reliability vs Validity, Cronbach's Alpha, 5-year data retention.

CS System Design Artifacts

Context Diagrams, Use Case Diagrams, Activity Diagrams, ERD Database schemas, and 3-Tier Architecture in Chapter 4.

MODULE 08 • DEC 2024 Q1, Q3, Q6

Report Outlines, Ethics & Proposal

Direct Dec 2024 Exam Q1, Q3, Q6 focus [60 Marks]: Outlining Ch 1-5, openEuler driver reporting, Proposal drafting & Ethics.

⚡ Exam Drill Sprint (Phases 1 - 4)

EXAM DRILL PHASE 01 • 90 QUESTIONS

Foundations & Philosophical Paradigms

90 Qs (30 Easy, 30 Med, 20 Hard, 10 Examiner Trick): Modules 1 & 2 coverage. Research characteristics, problem statements, hypotheses, epistemology & ontology.

EXAM DRILL PHASE 02 • 90 QUESTIONS

Methodologies & Literature Review

90 Qs (30 Easy, 30 Med, 20 Hard, 10 Examiner Trick): Modules 3 & 4 coverage. Dec 2024 Q4 & Q5 defenses, SLR, PRISMA framework & Harvard citation rules.

EXAM DRILL PHASE 03 • 90 QUESTIONS

Sampling, Data Collection & Analysis

90 Qs (30 Easy, 30 Med, 20 Hard, 10 Examiner Trick): Modules 5 & 6 coverage. Practice Q5 & Q7 drills, sampling strategies, ANOVA, t-tests, reliability & 5-year retention.

EXAM DRILL PHASE 04 • 90 QUESTIONS

System Design, Report Outlines & Ethics

90 Qs (30 Easy, 30 Med, 20 Hard, 10 Examiner Trick): Modules 7 & 8 coverage. Context/Use Case/Activity/ERDs, Dec 2024 Q1, Q3, Q6 essays & 5 Cardinal Sins.