Sunday, October 25, 2009

Are we doing RESEARCH ????


When I was supposed to do my research for my research elective course , i started with wireless networks which is my area of research. I started studying about wireless , suddenly went through electromagnetic waves , then i went through particles , then light waves, micro waves , x-rays , gamma rays etc.. and finally start analyzing about thought waves . Started thinking philosophically about out thought process. The day over !!
Next day i left that issue and started with networking , then transmission, reception etc.. I started with hardware related to transmitter , i read about network processor then started studying about micro processor which reminded me my BE 3rd year. Then i started going through instruction sets , registers etc.. Then i took Morris Mano for Digital Circuits and went through Registers, Flip flops etc.. In turn it directed me Basic electronics for BJT and Semiconductor Physics ... While going through Semiconductor Physics , started thinking about silicon molecules , proton,electron etc... i was thinking where was my wireless networks !!!
Research are generally classified into 3 broad categories

1. Researching on Good ideas
2. Researching on Implementing good ideas
3. Researching on studying the feasibility of idea

But according to one of teh researchers in an article mentioned that any great research should fall in above three categories and not one of teh three categories.

I realized - Research is not just searching for new ideas... it is a concentrated thinking process to produce a great idea as a result with input as all technical fundas .. !!!

I started working on wireless networks only. I derived some 2 pages derivation and wanted to experiment but i could not practically implement even 20 % of what i had done theoretically. Then i realized “Giving ideas are easier than implementing Ideas”. There are humongous amount of stress in research and it is very difficult to come up with idea + implementation . Research need not be only in technical side , people can do research in any field. My experience is with respect to technology. My sincere suggestion /request to people who are in the shadow of research “please do not say we are doing research , please tell we are trying to do research unless we are not implementing good idea ”. My friend Balakrishnan always says whenever i discuss with him a new idea , his first words are "Check whether is it practically possible or implementable ? , If not try to find out why can't we implement this". That time i always get irritated why he is always defending me but later i realized he is correct !!

Finally , last but not least there are 90 % of the people are normal in this world and 10 % of the people are living in their own world , in that 5 % are mad and 5 % are research people !!! I do want to live in my own world i don't know in which 5 % :)

6 comments:

Sri Harsha said...

coding ...coding.....to prove every thing.Thats what todays research definition

ANKUSH said...

yeah research needs a lot of patience nd concentration or u may say a kinda isolation... nd students like us shud do sumthng in india itself to cum wid a innovative products nd make it popular here instead f pursuin abroad.

Raj said...

Sometimes i wonder if Viterbi or Fourier thought on implementation of their ideas instead of mere idea formulation. Well,if that was the case, i guess we wouldnt have got the Fourier Transforms or Viterbi coders that we have today !! Moral of the story.....let me leave that to the readers :)

Ritz said...

Good One!!
To be short...Research is Knowing More and More about Little and Little and as fate have it...Know everything about the "Nothing". My humble opinion would be not to fall into the trap of searching what the next Great idea would be..
If you come across one its Great!!
The Newtons and Einsteins of this world didn't start their journeys with the achievements in mind...they just walked the path they trusted...Hope you all do great in you research careers!!!

Sundar said...

Research is about looking for truth :-) I couldn't agree more that we are not doing a lot of it!

jithendrian said...

Thanks to all ,

@ Harsha

I agree with you coding is playing significant role either directly in real time environment or indirectly in simulation part , but coding is not the only thing .. coding is like bricks for a house , algorithm is the basement and idea is a land. I think you are convinced !!! Without land we cant put basement and without basement we can not build a house !! My article is slightly inclined to your comment saying that eventhough the land is good if we dont build a proper house it could spoil the land so implementing an idea in a proper manner is sometimes necessary. Tajmahal is valuable not for land or basement (ofcourse is important)

@ Ankush

You are right, We can do manythings from india
Here is the link for my friend's blog who has compared Mtech in India and MS in US

http://cowmaaa.blogspot.com/search/label/MS in US Vs M Tech in India


@ Raj
Once again you have proved taht you are a communication cum mathematics lover. Good one.For your information theorems , axioms and anything related to theory is not elligible for patents only implemented ideas can be patented, i think IPR students can explain well.(Harsha please take care)

@ Ritesh

Suppose you are inventing a very new idea. I am finding some gap in your idea and i am working on that. Does it come under research or development ?


@ Sunder
Truth = Research . Yes you are absoulutely right.Thats why many researchers are honest.