Is PhD About Doing more course work? Taking more interesting, higher-level courses? Gaining broader knowledge in your general area (e.g., CS, IS, SE, etc.)? Developing more sophisticated systems, better tools/programs? Positioning yourself for a better career?

So, What’s It All About? PhD is about discovery through research and Research is about advancing human knowledge (not just yours) in a particular area of inquiry The Illustrated Guide to a Ph.D. –By Matt Might

But, then …. Why take more courses? Why take comprehensive or breadth exams? Where would I use all this research stuff in the future, anyway? What if I just want to teach? –E.g., at a “teaching university”

Research is about “knowing” First things first: Why do you want to know? More important: When do you really know something? ??? Research knowledge

“Knowing” When did we know: –Earth not being flat? –How to fly? –Structure of the DNA? –Laws of gravitation? –Six degrees of separation in social networks? What does it take to really know something?

Richard Feynman on “Knowing”

Research Word has a broad spectrum of meanings –“After some research on this topic ….” –“Years of research has produced a new ….”

What Research is Not Not mere information gathering –Computer Security –HTML 5 for Web Pages Not the mere transportation of facts from one location to the next –Computer Crime and Digital Signatures –HTML 5 versus HTML 4 Not merely rummaging for information

What Research Is Originates with a question the answer to which: –makes a difference; is worthy, relevant –leads to new knowledge –builds on relevant existing knowledge Requires a clear articulation of a goal –What problem to you intend to solve? –And how do you propose to solve it?

What Research Is Follows a specific plan or procedure –how you will reach your goal Usually divided into manageable sub-problems Guided by a hypothesis Accepts certain critical assumptions Grounded in objective reality and prior knowledge Requires collection and interpretation of data

Scientific Research Science is an objective, logical, and systematic method of analyzing and explaining phenomena, devised to permit the accumulation of reliable knowledge. The product of science is knowledge

Scientific Research Premises of science are –empiricism –objectivity –falsifiability –control What this means: –rationality and skepticism are how we learn about the universe and shape new principles –If the arguments and experiments are sound, if the theory can withstand skeptical scrutiny, if the work was undertaken within the framework of past research and provides a basis for further discovery, then it is science

Scientific Research The search for knowledge, with an open mind, to establish novel facts, usually using a scientific method. –Basic Research (as opposed to applied research) is discovering, interpreting, and the developing methods and systems for the advancement of knowledge in a given area. –Scientific Method: systematically observe, formulate hypotheses, make predictions by determining logical consequences of the hypotheses, gather/analyze data, test to see if the world behaves as predicted by hypotheses, revise hypotheses, formulate theories, examines their logical consistency and subjects them to further empirical test.

“Knowing Revisited” And that’s how we can move toward really knowing something: Richard Feynman on the Scientific Method

What is Good Research? Problem clearly specified and hypotheses formulated based on observations Objectives clearly defined - scope, limitations are fully specified Process detailed - can be repeated and except when secrecy is imposed reveal the sources of data and means by which they were obtained Design thoroughly planned - make as objective as possible

What is Good Research? High ethical standards applied Limitations frankly revealed - there are very few perfect designs adequate analysis - data classified to clearly reveal findings, probability of error should be estimated Threats to validity (external, internal, construct) clearly identified and addressed findings presented unambiguously conclusions justified

Research Life Cycle Definition –Exploratory research defines a new problem, new constraints, new opportunity, or a new approach. –This initial research must be guided by a hypotheses that will later be further instantiated and specified. Initial Solutions –Initial algorithms, designs, theorems, programs are developed. Evaluation of Initial Solutions –Initial solutions are evaluated and refined in isolation. Comparison of Solutions –Solutions are compared to one another and also to ideal solutions. Technology Transfer –Best approaches are transferred to users.

Possible Research Results a definition of a problem or task a unit for solving a problem, performing a task identification of factors influencing the cost, effectiveness, or applicability of a unit (and relative importance of the factors) development of an ideal model a finished unit that can be distributed to users measurement of some properties of a unit: run time, chip area, accuracy, efficiency, etc. more reliability, usability, etc. identification of problems and shortcomings in a unit. a demonstration that one unit is better than another. a definition, demonstration or analysis of a tradeoff a generative (explanatory) theory for some set of units

Possible Research Methods writing programs developing systems developing architectures developing content architectures (ontologies, knowledge bases, class libraries, graphics toolboxes, etc.) measuring properties of units finding and proving theorems analyzing and consolidating previous research results interviewing experts, customers performing experiments, surveys, observations, simulation Importing/adapting techniques and results from other fields measuring and predicting constraints

Research Project Phases An individual research project (such as a Ph.D. dissertation) follows a lifecycle related to the research life cycle: –Choose research question/problem; formulate hypotheses –Determine current state of knowledge –Apply appropriate methods to produce research results To verify the hypotheses To evaluate the proposed solutions –Write up research results Research is not complete until it is written up (and published) – Peer Review is critical!

A Research Project Checklist (I) Are ideas clear and consistent? Is the problem clearly specified? Is it worthy of investigation? Are there proposed solutions to be explored? Does the project have appropriate scope? What are the specific hypotheses / research questions What would disprove the hypothesis? What are the assumptions and are they “sensible”?

A Research Project Checklist (II) Has the research plan/design been critically assessed? Are you convinced that it is based on sound science? What forms of evidence are to be used? How are outcomes to be evaluated? What are the metrics? Why are the selected methods appropriate for verifying the hypothesis or evaluating the proposed solutions? What are the likely weaknesses of your solutions?

A Research Project Checklist (III) Is there a detailed written research plan? Have milestones, timelines, and deadlines been identified? Do the deadlines leave enough time to receive feedback on the drafts and to allow colleagues to contribute? Has the literature been adequately explored? Once the work is done – and your perspective has changed – does in need to be explored again?

Unstructured Environment especially in PhD need to develop a routine make research a priority regular meetings with your advisor join or set up a research group role of course work keep a journal - get in habit of writing down ideas

Research Is About Reading Foundation of good research: find and critically read related scientific articles Locate important research tools in your area –journals and conferences –workshops –important or seminal papers in your area –good research sites and groups –other faculty web sites –develop your own Web repository (why?) How to read papers –first look at abstract, keywords, references –next: for some papers look at intro. and conclusions –next: for some, read in detail and write notes

What to consider when critically reading papers (write a summary for every paper you read) what is the main problem? why is it important? what is the hypothesis? how precise are the claims? what are the main results (in your own words)? how does it relate to previous work? what are the most important references? what is the evidence and how was it gathered? what are the metrics and how are measurements taken? how carefully are the algorithms and experiments described? what would the reproduction of the results involve? why and how are the results significant? ideas for future work?

Exercise Select one recent paper relevant to you area of interest Critically read the paper (using criteria in previous slide) Submit the paper and your notes in two weeks You may be asked to summarize in class

Research Is About Writing writing is the most fundamental part of research writing not just an end, but also a tool writing logical reasoning take a writing course when reading papers, mark those that are especially well- written keeping a journal, revisited consider writing a survey paper write one or more research proposals Note: programming or math are not writing, by themselves; programming is also not research

More Practical Advice How to Be a Good Graduate Student –Marie desJardins