FINAL YEAR PROJECT BRIEFING

ETHICS, PLAGIARISM, ABSTRACT & INTRODUCTION

ASSOC. PROF. DR. ZURAINI DAHARI

eezuraini@usm.my
CONTENTS

01 Ethics

02 Plagiarism

03 Abstract

04 Introduction
 ETHICS

• Ethical decision making in academic research

focuses on providing maximum benefits to the
participants.
• Following ethical principles is indeed crucial for
maintaining research integrity.
• Research misconduct can have dire consequences

https://www.enago.com/academy/principles-of-ethical-research/
 ETHICS
DZ1

https://www.enago.com/academy/principles-of-ethical-research/
Slide 4

DZ1 DR ZURAINI, 2/14/2020

 ETHICS IN RESEARCH (i)
CAREFULNESS HONESTY
• Avoid careless errors and negligence;
• Strive for honesty in all scientific
carefully and critically examine your
communications. Honestly report data, results,
own work and the work of your peers.
methods and procedures, and publication
• Keep good records of research
status.
activities, such as data collection,
• Do not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data.
research design, and correspondence
• Do not deceive colleagues, research sponsors,
with agencies or journals.
or the public.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Strive to promote social good and INTEGRITY
prevent or mitigate social harms
through research, public education, Keep your promises and
and advocacy. agreements; act with sincerity; strive
for consistency of thought and
action.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/i
ndex.cfm
 ETHICS IN RESEARCH (ii)
OPENNESS CONFIDENTIALITY
• Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources. Protect confidential communications,
• Be open to criticism and new ideas. such as papers or grants submitted for
publication, personnel records, trade or
military secrets, and patient records.

RESPECT FOR OBJECTIVITY

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY • Strive to avoid bias in experimental
• Honor patents, copyrights, and design, data analysis, data
other forms of intellectual property. interpretation, peer review, personnel
• Do not use unpublished data, decisions, grant writing, expert
methods, or results without testimony, and other aspects of
permission. research where objectivity is expected
• Give proper acknowledgement or or required.
credit for all contributions to • Avoid or minimize bias or self-
research. Never plagiarize.. deception.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/i
ndex.cfm
 UNETHICAL ACTIVITIES (I)
Conducting a review of the literature that fails to
acknowledge the contributions of other people in
the field or relevant prior work

Including a colleague as an author on a paper in

return for a favor even though the colleague did
not make a serious contribution to the paper

Using an inappropriate statistical technique in

order to enhance the significance of your research

Stealing supplies, books, or data

Using data, ideas, or methods you learn from

others without permission and make citation

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/index.cfm
 UNETHICAL ACTIVITIES (II)
Submitting and publishing the same paper in two
different journals without telling the editors

Not informing a collaborator of your intent to file a

patent in order to make sure that you are the sole
inventor

Trimming outliers from a data set without discussing

your reasons in paper

Bypassing the peer review process and announcing

your results through a press conference without giving
peers adequate information to review your work

Failing to keep good research records

 ETHICS
EXAMPLE:
For instance, surgeon Paolo Macchiarini conducted experiments
on patients without sound preclinical data. He worked on artificial
transplantation of trachea within several patients, which turned out
to be pathbreaking in medical history. However, it was all based on
lies and fabricated data. Most of the patients who took part in his
trial (seven of nine) died. He altered his published results to make
it look as if his trachea transplant work was more successful than it
really was. This was a severe consequence of the breach of
research ethics.

https://www.enago.com/academy/principles-of-ethical-research/
 PLAGIARISM
• Plagiarism is the unethical practice of using words or ideas
(either planned or accidental) of another author/researcher or
your own previous works without proper acknowledgment.
• Plagiarism can result in highly negative consequences such
as paper retractions and loss of author credibility and
reputation.
• Researchers need to increase their understanding about
plagiarism

https://www.enago.com/academy/principles-of-ethical-research/
GUIDELINES TO AVOID PLAGIARISM
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT
Do not copy and paste from the paper.
Restate using your own words
Understand the idea and rephrase the words/ sentence

QUOTE
Use quote “ “ to indicate that the text has been taken from
other source
Should be exactly the same

IDENTIFY WHAT NEED TO BE CITED

Any words/idea/equations/diagram which are not from your own need to
be cited
Self citation: if you quote from your previous paper
If not –Self plagiarism
Your findings/results from your research project should not be cited
General facts/common knowledge need not to be cited

MANAGE YOUR CITATION

Maintain records of your references.
Use citation software such as Endnote/ Mendeley.
Use multiple references for the background survey

USE PLAGIARISM CHECKER

Can use various plagiarism detection tools such Turnitin
 CITATION
EXAMPLE:

Energy harvesting efficiency optimization via varying

the radius of curvature of a piezoelectric THUNDER
Fengxia Wang1, Zengmei Wang2, Mahmoudiandehkordi
Soroush1 and Amin Abedini1
Published 12 August 2016 • © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd
Smart Materials and Structures, Volume 25, Number 9
EXAMPLE
 EXAMPLE:

Equation

Diagram
 EXAMPLE:
We DO NOT need to state or cite the
source of the information or knowledge.
8

Tunku Abdul Rahman was the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Quoting is taking statements or exact

phrases from somebody else.

We only need to put quote marks “ at the beginning or ending of the statement and
state the sourceof information.

Harriet Jacobs, a former slave from North Carolina, published an

autobiographical slave narrative in 1861. She exposed the hardships of
both male and female slaves but ultimately concluded that “slavery is
terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women.”
 ABSTRACT
CONTENT FORMAT FORMAT
• Summarizes the entire
thesis • The abstract must be
• Write concisely and clearly written in Bahasa • Page numbered in Roman
what your work is about Malaysia and English. numerals accordingly.
• Consistently in • The Bahasa Malaysia • The abstract page must be
present/future tense. version appears first. in one paragraph.
• Do not mix tenses • Both versions must have • The first line of the
• Link each item-smooth their respective titles. paragraph must be
transition indented
• dan flow

• Includes
• Length of words
• Problem Statement
must not exceed
• Objective
400-500 words
• Methodology
• Placed immediately
• Summary of findings
before Chapter 1.

CONTENT FORMAT
 ABSTRACT: EXAMPLE

INTRODUCTION,
OBJECTIVES

CONCLUSION
METHODOLOGY

RESULTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND
• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
• RESEARCH SCOPES
• THESIS OUTLINES

(Thesis Writing, JMS, USM, 2016)

 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

PROBLEM OUTLINE
BACKGROUND MOTIVATION OBJECTIVES
STATEMENT OF THESIS
 INTRODUCTION
1 Introduce the background of research areas involved in your work
scope, focusing on specific/narrow subjects.

2 Explain the motivations or importance of the work. This may include its
usage and impact towards society, industry, economy, and country.

3 Explain the current problems of the subject area; conceptually or

theoretically.

4 List your objectives in solving the mentioned problems.

Briefly explain the research flow/stages and methodology involved in

5
each of the listed objectives.

List the scope of your work if it involves a broad scope optional

6
List the requirements; user or device requirements optional

7 Explain the thesis outline.

 BACKGROUND & MOTIVATION

• Introduce the research area generally and then

specifically.

• The flow of background must be written in such a way

so that it later flows into explanation of motivation and
importance of the research.
 RESEARCH PROBLEMS

• From motivation, briefly explain about the

existing/current related works which you would like to
highlight their problems.

• Due to the problems, your research objectives come into

the next scene.
 OBJECTIVES
Use result oriented wordings, e.g. To define the theoretical formulation for………..
• To develop a communication system……………
• To assess the capability of …………
• To determine the sensitivity of ………..
• To study the characteristics of …..

Objectives should be specific, well defined and must relate to the solution of the
problems mentioned.

Although more than one objectives, all of them must be related to one scope of
research,
e.g.
To develop a communication device using Altera Board
To implement a graphical user-interface for the communication device.
To assess the speed of signal transmission of the developed device
 THESIS OUTLINE
• Summarize the contents of each chapter.

• E.g.
• “The next chapter, Chapter 2 is a literature chapter
which describes the related previous works carried out
in ….. It highlights the drawbacks and disadvantages f
the works…… The following chapter, Chapter 3 explain
the stages of work….. …. Finally, the conclusion chapter
……and gives few suggestions for future work.”
EXAMPLE
QA SESSION