Undergraduate Research Project - Part 1 of 5: Introduction

Every undergraduate who follows a bachelor's degree has to do a research or a project in their final year of study. As it is the first time the students are experiencing a course module which requires the student discover new knowledge through a research, most of them finds it difficult to conduct the study properly in order to obtain the intended objectives. This series of articles on 'Undergraduate Research Project' will cover the basics of a research.

There are several steps involved in a research which are common to all levels: B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. and even post-doctoral studies. The following figure is an illustration of the flow of a research.

Flow of a research

Step 1 & 2: Selection of a topic & Understanding the background

The very first step of a research is selecting a topic. Usually at the undergraduate level, research topics are given to the students by the institution. Every topic has a supervisor who will guide the student throughout the study. 

Once the first step is completed, the student should gain an understanding about the topic. It is recommended to talk to the supervisor prior to the commencement of any research related work. The expected outcomes of the research should be clearly understood at the beginning. The student can then move on to the second step which is 'understanding the background'. The information gathered at the discussion with the supervisor can be used to conduct the background study. The purpose of this activity is to discover and learn about the relevant theories, concepts and other related matters. It is important to understand that this is not a study about the problem addressed through the topic (this will be covered in step 3).

For the students to gain a better idea about each step, an example is given in each article. Following is the first section of the first chapter of the research titled 'Study of operational improvements of introducing electronic toll collection to expressways in Sri Lanka'. 

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background 

A network of expressways was introduced to the Sri Lankan road network by the government to develop high mobility links between Colombo and other regional centers in the country. This has become a revolutionary development and has attracted many users as expressways are very convenient and economical. Southern and Colombo-Katunayake expressways are currently in operation and the Outer-circular and Ruwanpura expressways are yet to be completed.

Traffic demand of these expressways might increase with total vehicle population of Sri Lanka. Statistical data as shown in table 1.1 indicate that the vehicle population of Sri Lanka has grown exponentially within the past eight years. This growth forecasts a total population of 9.7 million vehicles in 2020 (figure 1.1). This might even go beyond 10 million by then.

Table 1.1: Vehicle population of Sri Lanka

2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
3,390,993	3,595,068	3,954,311	4,479,732	4,877,027	5,203,678	5,633,234	6,302,141

Figure 1.1: Vehicle Population growth of Sri Lanka

The operation mechanism of the toll gates of expressways is as follows. The vehicles which are entering the expressway have to queue up at the interchange to get a ticket and then they have to do the same when paying the toll fee at exits. Both the ticket issuing and toll collection are currently done manually. When a particular vehicle reaches a toll booth in order to enter the expressway, the vehicle category is identified first. Then a printed ticket is issued to the user by the booth operator. At the exit, again the vehicle category identification is done first. The booth operator collects the ticket from the user and determines the toll fee accordingly. Then the user pays the toll fee. Finally, the operator gives back a receipt and balance money. In the Colombo-Katunayake, an electronic toll booth can be seen at every interchange. This is an automated process where the vehicles are equipped with an electronic device and the toll booth sends a signal to the approaching vehicles. This signal can identify the vehicle and the transaction happens in real-time from the vehicle owner's bank account.

Observe how the background of the research topic has been discussed. This sets the foundation for the study and the discussion on the problem can done afterwards. Information can be found through research publications. Follow the article on referencing for more details here.

Please follow the second article: Part 2 of 5 - Problem Statement and Objectives

Leave a comment if you have any questions!!

Follow us on YouTube for insightful videos: SciTech School of Advanced Learners

Video tutorials

1. Research project presentation: A simple guide on how to prepare the content of the slideshow
2. Research project presentation: A sample slideshow