CSC 426
 Fall 2019

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Weekly Schedule and Class Material


Week 1 - September 12, 2019
Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
Presenter: B. Mobasher

Topics:  
  • Introduction to the Course
  • What is Research?
  • What's PhD All About?
  • Research as a Science
  • Starting the research project: problem formulation and research lifecycle.


    • Lecture Slides:
    *     PhD and Research
    * Problem Formulation
    * How to be a good graduate student
    *  O'Leary's Graduate Study Survival Guide
    * 
      Post an Introductory Message on the Getting Acquainted Forum on the D2L Page for the class. Due by Thursday, Sept. 19.
    *  Read the articles listed under resources (for the O'Leary article focus on sections 8 and 9). Then write down at least 2 questions/issues about what you've read in the articles that you would like to discuss. Bring these questions to class next week.
    *  Read Chapter 1 of Leedy & Ormrod (LO)
    *  Submit a ranked list of 3 topics for your classroom presentation during weeks 5-8. [See the List of Topics]
    *  Write and bring to class an informal statement of a problem you are working on. See the last slide in PhD and Research.
    Week 2 - September 19, 2019  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenter: Jonathan Gemmell

    Topics: 
    *  Practical advice about research
    *  How to write and review a research paper.
    *  Ethical considerations in research and publishing.
    *  Doing a Literature Review.

    Lecture Slides:
    *     Practical Advice on PhD
       Research
    *  Elements of Scientific Papers & Proposals
    *  How to Review
    *  Reviewing a Manuscript for Publication
    *  Read Chapters 2-3 of LO and Chapter 4 of Justin Zobel's book (JZ).
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: Is Computer Science, Science, by Peter Denning. Write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by email no later than 11:59 PM on Sept. 24. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.  [Note: A BR2 summarizes the  goal and main points of an article and then makes two or more primary points that critique, dispute, reinforce, or extend findings or observations  of the article.]
    *  Start working on the Paper review assignment. First draft due: October 19.
    Week 3 - September 26, 2019  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenter: B. Mobasher

    Topics: 
    *  Summary: Problem Statement and Hypothesis
    *  Scientific Research in Computing
    *  Elements of the research proposal.
    *  An Outline Guide for the Design of a Research Problem
    *  Beginner's Guide to Research Proposals - Common Pitfalls
    *  Research Methods Knowledgebase: Language of Research
    *  Research Methods Knowledgebase: Philosophy of Research (including introduction to Validity)
    *  Read Chapters 4-5 of LO and Chapter 5 and 12 of Justin Zobel's book (JZ).
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: A Guide to Increased Creativity in Research: Inspiration or Perspiration? by Loehle. Also read the brief note: The Long Game of Research, by Moshe Vardi in a recent CACM. For next week (Week 4), write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by email no later than 11:59 PM on Oct. 1. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    Week 4 - October 3, 2019  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenter: B. Mobasher

    Topics: 
    *  More on Research Designs, Hypothesis and Experimentation
    *  Causality and Reasoning in Research
    *  Logical Fallacies
    *  Strong Inference
       
    *  Logical Reasoning (Wikipedia)
    *  Logical Fallacies
    *  Creativity In Science
    *  Strong Inference - by John R. Platt. Science, October 1964
    *  Read Chapters 13 of LO and Chapter 14 of JZ..
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: Strong Inference - by John R. Platt. Science, October 1964?. For next week (Week 5), write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by 11:59 PM on Oct. 8. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    *  Research Proposal Abstracts due on Saturday, October 5.
    Week 5 - October 10, 2019  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenters: Arman, Lebna, Nicole, Caroline, Ian, Bowen

    Topics:
    *  Topic 5: (Arman, Lebna, Nicole)
    * Experimental and Ex Post
       Facto Designs
    * Internal Validity

    Supplementary Material:

    * Being a PhD Student Shouldn't Be Bad for Your Health
    * Fantastically Wrong: Why People Once Thought Mice Grew Out of Wheat and Sweaty Shirts
    *  Topic 2: (Caroline, Ian, Bowen)
    * Evaluation Methodologies
    * Measurment & Reliabilit    y
    *  Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Design and Sampling, esp. External Validity)  
    *  Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Measurement, especially, Construct Validity, reliability, and levels of measurement)
    *  Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: Evaluation Methodologies for the 21st Century

    *  Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: Evaluation Methodologies for the 21st Century
    *  Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: Evaluation Methodologies for the 21st Century
    *  Read Chapters 7 of LO and review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: Should Computer Scientists Experiment More? by Walter Tichy. For next week (Week 6), write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by email no later than midnight on Oct. 15. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    *  Please submit you Presentation Evaluation From for Week 5 by email. Due date: Oct. 15..
       
    Week 6 - October 17, 2019
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenters: Saeed, Amal, Mohammed (Alhroub), Keith, Seth, Muheeb

    Topics: 
    *  Topic 3: (Saeed, Amal, Mohammed)
    * Qualitative Research
                  
    *  Topic 4: (Keith, Seth, Muheeb)
    * Descriptive Research
    * Mixed Methods Research
                  

    Finagle and Fraud in Research? See Stephen Colbert's segment on the Rogoff and Reinhart Austerity paper.
    *  Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Qualitative Measures)
    *  Research Methods: Description

    *  Read Chapters 6, 9 and 11 of LO and review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
    *  First Draft of Article Review is due on Sunday, October 19.
    *  Please submit you Presentation Evaluation From for Week 5 by email. Due date: Oct. 22.
    Week 7 - October 24, 2019  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenters: Mohammed (Albluwi), Ronan, Maria

    Topics: 

    *  Topic 7: (Mohammed Albluwi, Ronan, Maria)
    *     Statistical Techniques: data preparation, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics
    *  Causality and Reasoning in Research; Strong Inference.
    (Bamshad)


    *  Logical Reasoning (Wikipedia)
    *  Logical Fallacies
    *  The Seven Tools of Causal Inference (Judea Pearl, CACM March 2019)
    *  Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Analysis)

    *  Read Chapter 8 of LO, Chapter 15 of JZ, and review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
    *  Please submit you Presentation Evaluation From for Week 7 by email. Due date: Oct. 29.
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: Reliable Research: Towards Experimental Standards for Computer Science, by Justin Zobel. For next week (Week 8), write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by email no later than 11:59 PM on Oct. 29. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    Week 8 - October 31, 2019
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenters: Ali, Shatabdi, Jing, Mirtha

    Topics: 
    *  Topic 8: (Ali, Shatabdi)
    * E    thics & Professional Responsibility in Research
    *  Topic 2/8: (Jing, Mirtha)
    * Experimental Standards

    Notes on Proposals & Presentations (Bamshad)
    *  On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research
    *  Guidelines on Research Practice in Computer Science &
    Reliable Research: Towards Experimental Standards for Computer Science (Discussion)
    *  Association of Computing Machinery Computing Code of Ethics

    *  Read Chapters 16 and 17 of JZ and review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
    *  Please submit you Presentation Evaluation From for Week 8 by email. Due date: Nov. 5.
    *  First Draft of Research Proposal is due on Saturday, November 2.
    *  2nd Draft of Article Review is due on Saturday, November 9.
    Week 9 - November 7, 2019  
    Research Proposal Presentations
    Presenters Proposal Title & Presentation Slides
    1. Keith
    2. Ian
    3. Muheeb
    4. Arman
    5. Caroline
    6. Bowen
    7. Saeed
    8. Amal
    9. Mohammed (Alhroub)
    10. Maria
    11. Seth
    		 Note: Each presenter will have 10 minutes for presentation and up o 5 minutes for Q&A.
    Week 10 - November 14, 2019
    Research Proposal Presentations
    Presenters Proposal Title & Presentation Slides
    1. Ali
    2. Mohammed (Albluwi)
    3. Ronan
    4. Shatabdi
    5. Jing
    6. Mirtha
    7. Lebna
    8. Nicole

    Course Summary (Bamshad)

     

    		 Note: Each presenter will have 10 minutes for presentation and up tp 5 minutes for Q&A.
    Final Draft of Research Proposals Due on November 21, 2019
    Copyright © 2017-2020, Bamshad Mobasher, DePaul University.