ClassInfo

CSC 426 Research Methods and Practice in Computing

Bamshad Mobasher

Office: CDM 833
Spring 2020-2021
Class number: 35450
Section number: 701
Th 5:45PM - 9:00PM
OLSYN CH000 Online Campus

Summary

The goal of this course is to help prepare you, both for the work involved in obtaining a PhD in Computer Science as wells as for your future research career as a computer professional or academic. In doing so, we will try to cover some of the following topics:

  • What is research and what it means to have a PhD;
  • The application of scientific method and the process of scientific discovery;
  • Basic issues in research methodology and different types of research;
  • Writing and evaluating technical research papers;
  • Developing a research proposal;
  • Writing a PhD Dissertation;
  • Ethical issues in scientific research and professional responsibility.

The activities in the course will include writing a review of a technical paper, writing and presenting (in class) a research proposal, active participation in class discussion, and leading a part of one class session. In addition, we will have several guest presentations by various faculty about their research and their experiences both as a graduate students as well as as faculty members. Note: Attendance is required for this course; if you are not able to attend the class for a particular session, you need make prior arrangements with me in advance.



Texts

Required and recommended books are listed below. In addition, We will use numerous online resources and articles. The resources directly relevant to topics covered in the course are listed in the Course Material section of the class Web site. Additional resources can be found on the Resources section of the class Web site.

Required Texts

Paul D. Leedy and Jeane Ellis Ormrod, Practical Research: Planning and Design, 12th Edition
Justin Zobel, Writing for Computer Science, 3rd Edition, 2015.

Recommended Texts


[PDF]
 
Oliver, J. The Incomplete Guide to the Art of Discovery. Columbia University Press, 1991. 0-231-07620-7.
William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, Roger Angell. The Elements of Style, 4th Edition, 2000.

This is the classic reference book on how to write good English well.? Should be in your library.? This information is available on the web as well.

John Grossman, The Chicago Manual of Style : The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers, 15th Edition
Allan A. Glatthorn, Writing the Winning Dissertation : A Step-By-Step Guide, 1998.

Contains an excellent cookbook for writting dissertation chapters and you may find it a good investment.



Grading

Grading will be based on the following criteria:

Requirement

% of Grade

Article Review

15%

Project: Research Proposal

40%

Class Leadership

20%

Final Proposal Presentation

10%

Analysis of Readings, Class Discussion, and Other Class Assignments

15%

TOTAL

100%

Article Review
You will be assigned an article to review as though you are functioning as a journal or conference reviewer. Your job is to determine the worthiness of this article for publication, and to provide constructive and critical feedback to the author. I expect a reasonable document to the authors to be 3-5 pages, but these are not absolute limits. A review form will be provided that can be used as a guide.

Project: Research Proposal
Beginning the first week you should start looking for a topic for your research proposal. You will need to submit the title and an abstract (one to two paragraphs) of your research proposal on Week 3. The format of the proposal will be based on the DePaul University Research Council Competitive Research Grants. Your proposal will include a presentation of the problem, relevant background information and , your hypotheses, the theory, any relevant literature review, hypotheses, and a detailed description of the design or method to be used. Basically, it is a journal article without the results or discussion. Your structure may vary some from this model based on the methods you are using. Your final research proposal should be 5-6 pages long. Spelling and grammar count towards your grade. More information on the research proposal can be found in the Project section.

Class Leadership and Participation
Our class will be run as a doctoral seminar. I will lead the class during weeks 1-4, but after that each student will participate in leading a class session. You will lead topics individually or in pairs of two. Topics will be assigned, in part, based on your preferences and will be based on the materials covered during weeks 5-8 (see Course Material). For your topic the class will read the assigned material and resources before the assigned date. Generally, your starting point will be the material assigned in the text or as part of the class reading material for that week. You should supplement that material that you'll see fit (but, at minimum, you must provide adequate coverage of the appropriate sections or chapters in the assigned text. It is your task to integrate and present this material in a coherent fashion and cover the most important aspects of the topic thoroughly. You may assign additional readings if necessary (check with me first). The portion of the class that you will lead (along with one or more partners) will be approximately 90 minutes. It is up to you as to how you wish to lead the class. You may lecture for all or part of the class, provide discussion questions in advance, lead structured activities, etc. I will participate as another member of the class. On the weeks you are not leading, it is expected that you will have completed the assigned readings, will actively participate in the class discussion, and will provide feedback on the presentations.

Final Presentation
In the last two weeks of the class, you will give a class presentation of your research proposal. Your presentation will need to be concise and should follow roughly the same organization as the proposal. You have a total of 20-25 minutes for your presentation, including at least 5 minutes for questions and feedback. The challenge in this part of the course is to give an effective and concise presentation of your research proposal in a short amount of time, much like a research presentation at a conference. We will discuss this further in class, and some examples of proposal presentations will be provided.



Prerequisites

Standing as an active student in the PhD program; or permission of the instructor.



School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296