CSC 426
Spring 2023

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Weekly Schedule and Class Material


Week 1 - March 30, 2023
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 discussion board on D2L. Due by Thursday, Apr. 6.
    Read the articles listed under resources (for the O'Leary article reas sections 4-9, but focus specifically 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/comments 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]. Due date: Thursday, April 6.
    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 - April 6, 2023  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenter: B. Mobasher

    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


    * Problem Formulation
    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 it no later than 11:59 PM on April 11. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.  As background information you can also optionally review: Computer Science: Definition, Fields, & Facts (Britannica).
    [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.]
    Begin working on the Paper review assignment.
    Week 3 - April 13, 2023  
    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
    Basic Research Skills in Computing
    Beginner's Guide to Research Proposals - Common Pitfalls
    Research Methods Knowledgebase: Language of Research
    Read Chapters 4-5 of LO and Chapter 5 and 12 of Justin Zobel's book (JZ).
    First Draft of Article Review is due on Sunday, April 16.
    * 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 no later than 11:59 PM on April 18. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    Week 4 - April 20, 2023  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenter: B. Mobasher

    Topics: 
    More on Research Designs, Hypothesis and Experimentation
    Lessons on Experimental Designs
       

    Finagle and Fraud in Research? Stephen Colbert's segment on the Rogoff and Reinhart Austerity paper.
    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 April 25. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    Research Proposal Abstracts due on Sunday, April 23.
    Week 5 - April 27, 2023  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Presenter: B. Mobasher

    Topics: 
    Discussion of Article Reviews
    Presentation of Research Proposal Abstracts
    Causality and Reasoning in Research; Strong Inference.

     

    The Seven Tools of Causal Inference (Judea Pearl, CACM March 2019)
    *  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 May 2. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.

    Week 6 - May 4, 2023  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Topics/Presenters:
    Topic 5: (Jonathon Anderson, Andrea Watkins)
    * Experimental and Ex Post
       Facto Designs
    * Presentation Slides
    Topic 3: (Thamer Al Johani, Sara Yavari)
    *
    Qualitative Research
    * Presentation Slides

    Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Design)  
    Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Qualitative Measures)

    Fantastically Wrong: Why People Once Thought Mice Grew Out of Wheat and Sweaty Shirts
    Read Chapter 7 of LO and Chapter 14 of JZ. Also review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
     
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: Evaluation Methodologies for the 21st Century and submit your BR2 by  May 9. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
     
    Please submit your Presentation Evaluation Froms for Week 6 (via D2L). Due date: May 9.
    Second Draft of Article Review is due on Friday, May 5.

    Week 7 - May 11 2023
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Topics/Presenters:
    Topic 4: (Nandhini Gulasingam, Parisa Arbab)
    * Descriptive Research
    * Presentation Slides
    Topic 2: (Hristina Dokic, Jennifer Vander Loop)
    * Evaluation Methodologies
    * Measurment & Reliability
    * Presentation Slides

    Notes on Proposals & Presentations (Bamshad)
    Research Methods: Description
    Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on 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
    Read Chapters 6, 8 and 12 of LO and review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
    First Draft of Introduction and Related Work Sections of the Research Proposal is due on Friday, May 12.
    Please submit your Presentation Evaluation Froms for Week 7. Due date: May 16.
    * Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: Reliable Research: Towards Experimental Standards for Computer Science, by Justin Zobel. Write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by no later than 11:59 PM on May 16. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.

    Week 8 - May 18, 2023   
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Topics/Presenters:
    Topic 7: (Adrian Cornely, Charmi Patel)
    *
    Statistical Techniques: data
       preparation, descriptive &
       inferential statistics
    * Presentation Slides
    Topic 8: (Daniel Badro, Juan Carlos Barrera)
    *
    Responsible conduct and
       ethical standards in research
    * Presentation Slides


    Research Methods Knowledgebase (Section on Analysis)
    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 Chapter 11 of LO, Chapter 15 of JZ (Statistical Analysis), and Chapter 17 of JZ (Ethical Standards). Also review the additional online resources for this week (middle column).
    Please submit your Presentation Evaluation From for Week 8. Due date: May 23.

    Also, submit your Presentation Evaluation From for Week 8 by email. Due date: May 23.
     
    First Draft of the Full Research Proposal is due on Sunday, May 21.
    Week 9 - May 25, 2023  
    Research Proposal Presentations
    Presenters Proposal Title & Presentation Slides
    1. Jennifer
    2. Andrea
    3. Jonathon
    4. Thamer
    5. Hristina
    6. Parisa
    Note: Each presenter will have 10 minutes for presentation and up o 5 minutes for Q&A.

    Week 10 - June 1, 2023
    Research Proposal Presentations
    Presenters Proposal Title & Presentation Slides
    1. Nandhini
    2. Adrian
    3. Daniel
    4. Charmi
    5. Juan
    6. Sara

    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 June 8, 2023

                                                                 Copyright ©, Bamshad Mobasher, DePaul University.