CSC 426
 Spring 2025

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Weekly Schedule and Class Material


Week 1 - April 1, 2025
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 Monday, Apr. 7.
    *  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 4 topics for your classroom presentation during weeks 5-8. [See the List of Topics]. Due date: Thursday, April 10.
    *  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 8, 2025  
    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 14. 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 15, 2025  
    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 20.
    * 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 21. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    Week 4 - April 22, 2025  
    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 28. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
    *  Research Proposal Abstracts due on Sunday, April 27.
    Week 5 - April 29, 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 5. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.

    Week 6 - May 6, 2025  
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Topics/Presenters:

     
    *  Topics 5: (Corey)
    * Experimental and Ex Post
       Facto Designs
    * Presentation Slides
    *  Topic 3: (Baris)
    *     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 12. 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 12.

    Week 7 - May 13, 2025
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Topics/Presenters:
    *  Topic 4: (Zonglin)
    * Descriptive Research
    * Presentation Slides
    *  Topic 2: (Humaira)
    * 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 16.
    *  Please submit your Presentation Evaluation Froms for Week 7. Due date: May 19.
    * 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 19. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.

    Week 8 - May 20, 2025   
    Topics/Presenters Resources Assignments/Readings
    Topics/Presenters:
    *  Topic 7: (Mina)
    *     Statistical Techniques: data
       preparation, descriptive &
       inferential statistics
    * Presentation Slides
    *  Topic 8: (Eric & James)
    *     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 26.
     
    *  Reading Assignment for Next Week: read the article: Reliable Research: Best Practices for Using AI When Writing Scientific Manuscripts, by Buriak et al. Write a Brief Response Report (BR2) and submit by no later than 11:59 PM on May 26. Also bring a copy with you to class and be prepared to discuss it.
     
    *  First Draft of the Full Research Proposal is due on Wednesday, May 28.
    *  Second Draft of Article Review is due on Sunday, June 1.
    Week 9 - May 27, 2025  
    Research Proposal Presentations
    Presenters Proposal Title & Presentation Slides
    1. Baris
    2. Corey
    3. Zhonglin
    		 Note: Each presenter will have 15 minutes for presentation and up o 5 minutes for Q&A.
    Week 10 - June 3, 2025
    Research Proposal Presentations
    Presenters Proposal Title & Presentation Slides
    1. Mina
    2. Eric
    3. James
    4. Humaira

     

    Course Summary (Bamshad)

     

    		 Note: Each presenter will have 15 minutes for presentation and up tp 5 minutes for Q&A.
    Final Draft of Research Proposals Due on June 13, 2025
                                                                 Copyright ©, Bamshad Mobasher, DePaul University.