• Title: Introduction to Research in Computer Science
  • Credits: no credits
  • Motto: "To know the road ahead, ask those coming back" (Chinese proverb)
  • Lecturers: Professor Cristian S. Calude and A/Professor Ian Watson
  • Guests: Gregory J. Chaitin, IBM Research, NY, Shannon Wellington, Computer Science/ISOM Subject Librarian (more will be announced)
  • Taught: First semester 2004, two lectures a week.
  • Timetable: Wednesday 12.00 pm- 2.00 pm, Computer Science Seminar Room
  • Short Description: The class will meet once a week for two hours, in a mixed seminar/laboratory environment to discuss, to learn, to experiment, to try things with computer hardware and software, to work on projects, to do research, to function in teams, to help one another, to try things on their own -- to become computer professionals by being computer professionals.
  • Course Objectives:
    • To discover some active areas of computer science research and development
    • To learn to work with various resources
    • To learn to solve difficult problems
    • To learn to present research results
    • To prepare for MSc and PhD theses
  • Lectures and resources:
    • I. Watson: MSc Thesis Orientation
    • S. Wellington: Library Resources and Links
    • I. Watson: The Ways of Research
    • I. Watson: The Research Process
    • I. Watson: Plagiarism
    • C.S. Calude: Scientific writing
      • The PhD Game
      • Writing for Rejection
      • Writing quizzes: Exercises index, Word choice, Punctuation quiz, Expressing numbers, Fragment fixing, Paragraph development and topic sentences
      • Interactive quizzes
      • Writing lab
      • Methods of eliminating wordiness
      • Mary-Claire van Leunen and Richard Lipton: How to Have your Abstract Rejected
      • Oded Goldreich: How to write a paper (revision of "How NOT to write a paper")
      • PowerPoint presentations
      • Mathematics citing and referencing
      • William Strunk Jr.:The elements of style
      • Style resources for mathematics
      • R. J. Miller: Computer science writing
      • David Goss: Some Hints of Mathematical Style
      • Logical Fallacies in Scientific Writing
      • Gabe M Wiener: Writing a research paper (joke)
      • George D. Gopen, Judith A. Swan: The Science of Scientific Writing
    • Subject-oriented presentations:
      • Theoretical computer science on the web, Research groups in Logic and Theoretical Computer Science,CDMTCS, Ian Parberry: How to Present a Paper in Theoretical Computer Science
      • Computational binocular and multiple-view stereo and texture analysis / synthesis
  • Useful links:
    • Richard Feyman: 1974 Caltech Commencement Address
    • A day in the life of a grad-student...
    • Marie desJardins: How to Be a Good Graduate Student
    • Timothy Finin: Information for Graduate Students
    • Dianne P. O'Leary: Graduate Studies in the Computer and Mathematical Studies: A Survival Manual
    • David Chapman: How to Do Research at the MIT AI Lab
    • Phil Agre: Networking on the Network: A Guide to Professional Skills for PhD Students
    • Women and Computer Science
    • S. Joseph Levine: Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation
    • Association for Support of Graduate Students
    • Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation
    • On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research
    • Association of Computing Machinery Computing and Public Policy Page (including Code of Ethics)
    • ACM's Short-Lived Series of Classic Paper Reprints
    • Olin Shivers: Dissertation Advice and Advice to Grad Students
    • Phil Agre: Networking on the Network
    • Rolf Landauer: Fashions in Science and Technology
    • Jason Lander: How Not To Write a Computer Program
    • Useful Research Phrases
    • Top rejected papers