Research Techniques for Computer Science, Information Systems and Cybersecurity

This book introduces impact-driven research paths in computer science, information systems and cybersecurity with practical insights, effective instructions, and examples. The book takes the students through the full cycle of research until the point of submission and evaluation. The book begins by providing postgraduate research students with the foundational concepts and techniques to simplify the complexities associated with choosing topics in the computer science (CS), information systems (IS) and cybersecurity (CY) research domains. The authors furnish readers with fundamentals that facilitate active quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research enquiries. The content offers important perspectives on how to think about deepening research in CS, IS and CY, noting that these subjects can be studied from computational sciences, engineering sciences, health sciences, social sciences, or interdisciplinary perspectives. This unique and contemporary book aims to benefit researchers, graduate students and engineers in the fields of computer science, information systems and cybersecurity in particular, in addition to other engineering and technology disciplines.

Uche M. Mbanaso (PhD) is a leading Cybersecurity subject matter expert (SME), and currently the Executive Director, Centre for Cyberspace Studies, an Associate Professor, Cybersecurity and Computing at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria, a visiting academic at the LINK Centre, Wits University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He lectures computing and cybersecurity and has extensive experience in conducting research, having secured several grants for research studies. He remains a key player in the development of Cybersecurity, having played important roles in the development of Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy, Data and Privacy Protection, and many other Cybersecurity initiatives in Africa.

Luci Abrahams (PhD) is Director of the LINK Centre at Wits University, building research on digital innovation and how digital technologies and processes influence change. Studies include case studies in digital governance; digital skills gap analysis; digital strategy; scaling up innovation in tech hubs; open access in scholarly publishing (Open AIR research partnership); and health e-services improvement (Egypt-South Africa research partnership). Luci convenes the MA and PhD programmes in Interdisciplinary Digital Knowledge Economy Studies and supervises postgraduate research; lectures on short courses in disruptive technologies, digital operations, and leadership; and lectures on research methods for cybersecurity professional practice.

Kennedy Chinedu Okafor is a Senior Member, IEEE, USA; Chair of IEEE Consultants Network AG-Nigeria, and a Senior teaching researcher with the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri-Nigeria. Kennedy is a World bank Faculty at the AFRICA Center of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACESPED), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Nigeria. In 2017, Kennedy received the prestigious Vice-Chancellor Award as the overall best graduating Ph. D candidate from the Faculty of Engineering, UNN. He is a Senior research associate with the University of Johannesburg and a visiting Fellow at Imperial College London. Kennedy is an expert in Smart Cyberphysical systems, and Network Security within Mechatronics sub-specialty.