CS-M00 Research Methodology Lecture 1:...

Overview over the ModuleResearch Culture in Computer Science

CS-M00 Research MethodologyLecture 1: Introduction

Anton Setzer

http://www.cs.swan.ac.uk/∼csetzer/lectures/researchmethodology/11/index.html

Monday 3 October 2011

CS M00 Lecture 1: Introduction 1/ 41


Welcome



Overview over the Module

Research Culture in Computer Science






http://www.cs.swan.ac.uk/~csetzer/lectures/researchmethodology/11/index.html

http://www.cs.swan.ac.uk/~csetzer/lectures/researchmethodology/11/index.html


Handbook

Available athttp://cs.swan.ac.uk/∼csbob/teaching/whyley10handbook2sep.pdf



Synopsis

“This modules consists in lectures and seminars about

I fundamental research methodologies and

I good practice in research,

I formulation of research questions and hypotheses,

I logical reasoning,

I literature research,

I proper acknowledgement of sources,

I principles in carrying out experimental research.”



General Structure

I Week 1/2: Introductory lectures (general).I Week 3 - 7: Lectures by the degree scheme coordinates on

research methodologies in the areas covered.I Typically

I One lecture of general nature (e.g. “ethics”)I One lecture about research in that particular field.

I In parallel tutorials led by tutors specialised in the pathways(+ one tutorial for non-specialist CS).

I Students will carry out a mini-project related to theirspecialisation.

I Could be an essay, a small program, a small user study.I Students write an essay and prepare a presentation.

I Week 8 - 10 Student presentations.



Timetable

I 3 lecture slots per week:I Tuesday 11 - 12 Robert Recorde Room.I Friday 10 -11 Keir-Hardy 330I Friday 13 - 14 Grove 261

I In first 7 weeks only 2 lectures given.

I Usually lecture Friday 13 - 14 cancelled.I On 14 October and 11 November,

I lecture Friday 13 - 14 takes placeI lecture Friday 10 - 11 cancelledI (CS-M13 takes place at the Friday 10 - 11 slot)


http://cs.swan.ac.uk/~csbob/teaching/whyley10handbook2sep.pdf


Terminology

I Non-specialists means “MSc in Computer Science”.I ACS usually refers to

I MSc in Advanced Computer Science (including specialisations),I CAST MSc,I FIT MSc.



Assessment

I Mini project allocated by tutor:I One essay or project report (50 %)I One talk (50 %)



Choice of Specialisations

I Non-specialists have their own projects.

I ACS have projects corresponding to the 5 specialisations.Students in ACS please hand in by Friday 7 October inStudent Office:

I scheme transfer forms (if not required cross out).I and (even if taking open specialisation or CAST MSc) indicate

an intended specialisation from a list:I Human Computer Interaction (HCI),I Safe and Secure Systems,I Software technology,I Visual Computing,I or Web Science



Tutorials

I Tutorials will be allocatedI One for non-specialist MScI For ACS groups organised by specialisations.



Double Badging of Modules

I For Swansea BSc in Computer Science GraduatesI Double-badged modules taken cannot be taken again.

I Includes Data Visualisation, Computer Vision, HighPerformance Computing.

I Subject to confirmation:I Those students can take CS-M59.I Those students get priority on Embedded Systems



Election of Student Representatives

I Please consider being student representatives.

I Election will take place in Friday 14 October in CS-M00(13-14).



Topics in this Module (Week 1/2)

1. Introduction (this lecture)

2. LATEX(by Anton Setzer) (Word processing system)

3. Academic Integrity (by Chris Whyley).

4. Bibliographies (by Anton Setzer)



Topics (By Pathway Coordinators, Week 3 - 7)

(Order to be decided).I Anton Setzer

I Evaluation of Scientific Texts.I Specification and Verification of Software.

I Roger SteinI Project Management and Planning.I Project Selection.



Topics (By Pathway Coordinators)

I Max Wilson:I Writing SkillsI Ethics ProcedureI Introduction to HCII Introduction to Web Sciences (TBC)

I Jason Xie:I Research paper critique and review rebuttal.I Visual computing research topics & general methodology



Disclaimer

Most of the pictures used in this lecture are downloaded from theinternet.They are not my original work.







3 Main Methodologies

I Theoretical Research.I Thinking.I Foundations of Computer Science.

I E.g. “What is a program?”.I What kind of data types do exists?

I Developing new ways of solving problems.I New algorithms.I New programming paradigms.I · · ·

I Mathematical Research.I A lot of proofs carried out.I E.g.: Prove that algorithm A is better than algorithm B.I Prove that it is possible to decide that this program is correct.



3 Main Methodologies (Cont.)

I Experimental Research.I User Studies.I Software Experiments.

I Software Production.I Usually experimental softwareI Trying out new algorithms, paradigms, programming

languages.



However most of it is

Thinking Thinking Thinking



Ideas

I Creative Process.

I Ideas usually have roots in other ideas.

I Inspirations from others.

I Inspiration from other fields inside computer science, outsidecomputer science.

I Or even arts, travelling.



Example: Greek Philosophy

I Greek philosophy origins from colonies close to Turkey,exposure to other cultures.

I Many researchers have been exposed to different cultures inearly childhood.

I Parents moving to other countries.I Being part of a minority in a country.



Most Important

Exchange of Ideas



Conferences



Conferences, Workshops

I A lot of research happens at conferences, workshops.

I From two to several thousands participants.

I Small workshops, large conferences.I Some high prestigious by invitation only.

I Oberwolfach (Germany)I Dagstuhl (Germany)I NII Shonan Meeting (Japan)



Social Events more Important than Lectures

Most happens during coffee breaks, lunches, dinners.Coffee breaks often more important than lectures.



My own experience

I Good lectures give rise to new ideas even if I don’t understandwhat the lecturer is talking about.



Other Forms of Collaborations

I Sabbaticals.I Visits to Research Institutes.

I Institute for Advanced Studies (Princeton).I Newton Institute (Cambridge).I Mittag-Leffler Institute (Stockholm).I ...

I Research visits.I Between 1/2 day and several years.

I Seminars, colloquia.



Scientific Journals

I Typically calledI Journal of ... (Journal of Symbolic Logic)I Annals of ... (Annals of Pure and Applied Logic)I Archive of ... (Archive of Mathematical Logic)I Transactions of ... (ACM Transactions on Human-Computer

Interaction).I Acta ... (Acta Informatica)I Many more.



Scientific Journals

I Most published by scientific publishers.I E.g. Elsevier, Springer ,. . .I Subscriptions very expensive.I Access to electronic subscriptions at Swansea

I On campus.I Off campus through Athens.

I Increasingly open access journals.I Produced by the scientific community.I Reason: Most articles submitted in directly publishable form.

No need for process of editing.I Why pay if publishers don’t add much to it.



Proceedings

I Proceedings of ConferencesI Often published in

I Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science.I Electronic Notes in ... (e.g. Electronic Notes in Theoretical

Computer Science).I Many other outlets.

I Usually refereed.I Often highly competitive (acceptance rates e.g. 20 %, 10 %).



Referee Process

I Submission of article to an Editor.

I Editor sends it to Referees.

I Referees write anonymous reports.I Editor decides about

I Revised version requiredI RejectionI Acceptance.



Festschrift

I Festschrift = German for “Festive publication”.I Proceedings in honour of somebody famous.

I Typically 60th, 65th, 70th, 75th, ... birthdayI or retirement

I Sometimes not of highest quality (no thorough refereeprocess).

I Sometimes very high quality.



Good Way of Searching Quality Scientific Articles

Enable “Get it at Swansea” in Settings



Look for Doi pages (Document Object Identifier)



Identifying Electronic Versions of Scientific Articles

Look at pages of publishers

I Springer: Springer Link.

I Elsevier: Science Direct.

I ACM: ACM Digital Library.



Main Motivation for Doing Research

I It’s fun.

I Enthusiasm.

I Being amongst highly creative people.

I Going to the limit of human consciousness.I It benefits society.

I Top universities are hot beds for innovative companies.



Research and Teaching

I Research and teaching go hand in hand.

I Although research often beyond what is taught, it influencesteaching.

I A researcher often shows not so much by what s/he isteaching, but how s/he is teaching, behaving, acting, thinking...



Be Inspired


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