Social science Papers versus Engineering research papers

 

Aspect	Social Sciences Research Papers	Engineering Research Papers	Example (Social Sciences)	Example (Engineering)
Nature of Research	Descriptive, Explanatory, Exploratory	Experimental, Computational, Analytical	A study on consumer behavior in e-commerce using surveys	A study on optimizing drone battery life using MATLAB simulations
Research Approach	Qualitative, Quantitative, Mixed Methods	Experimental, Theoretical, Design-based	A qualitative study on work-from-home impact on productivity	Development of an AI-based face recognition system
Research Design	Surveys, Case Studies, Longitudinal Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Experiments	Prototyping, Algorithm Development, System Modeling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA)	A longitudinal study on job satisfaction over five years	A wind tunnel experiment to test aerodynamics of a car
Data Collection Methods	Primary: Surveys, Interviews, Focus Groups, Observations. Secondary: Articles, Government Reports	Experimental Data (Lab setups, Sensors), Simulation Data (Computational), Field Data (Real-world implementation)	Conducting a nationwide survey on digital banking adoption	Collecting sensor data from an IoT-enabled smart factory
Sampling Techniques	Random Sampling, Stratified Sampling, Snowball Sampling, Purposive Sampling	Controlled Sampling, Monte Carlo Simulations, Experimental Trials	Selecting 500 participants randomly from five different cities for a political study	Testing a new bridge design using 100 simulations with different stress conditions
Data Analysis Techniques	Descriptive & Inferential Statistics (SPSS, R, NVivo, AMOS), Thematic Analysis	Computational Modeling, Machine Learning, Mathematical Optimization, Numerical Simulations	Conducting multiple regression analysis to determine factors affecting consumer loyalty	Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to assess stress points in a metal structure
Validation Techniques	Reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha, Composite Reliability), Validity (Face, Construct, Content, Convergent, Discriminant)	Performance Metrics (Precision, Recall, RMSE), Sensitivity Analysis, Error Analysis	Testing survey reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha (α = 0.85)	Measuring algorithm accuracy with an F1-score of 92%
Use of Theories & Frameworks	Strong emphasis on theoretical grounding (e.g., TAM, TPB, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions)	Minimal use of theoretical models, focus on empirical testing and model development	Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to study e-learning adoption	Developing a new encryption algorithm for secure cloud computing
Outcome Presentation	Tables, Bar Charts, Regression Models, Thematic Analysis, Word Clouds	Graphs, Simulation Results, Circuit Diagrams, Equations, Performance Metrics	A thematic analysis of customer reviews on Amazon products	A power consumption analysis of an IoT-based smart meter using Python
Replicability & Generalization	Subjective elements may vary, requiring replication with different samples	High reproducibility due to well-defined algorithms and equations	A study on social media addiction may yield different results in different cultures	A circuit design for a solar inverter can be replicated using standard components
Ethical Considerations	Informed Consent, Anonymity, Confidentiality, Avoiding Bias, Ethical Review Approval	Safety Standards, Compliance with IEEE, ASME, or ISO Guidelines	Ensuring participant confidentiality in a mental health survey	Compliance with IEEE safety standards while designing an electric vehicle battery