How to Conduct Research in Computer Science

How To Do Research
Integrated Knowledge Solutions
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Outline
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What is research?

Outline
What is research?Seven Stages to
Successful research

Outline
Successful research
Making Technical
Presentations

Outline
Successful research
Making Technical
Presentations
Writing Grant
Proposals

Outline
Successful research
Making Technical
Presentations
Writing Grant
Proposals
Ethics & Professional
Conduct in Research

What is Research?

What is Research?
Search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, with an open mind,
to establish novel facts, usually using a scientific method. [Wikipedia]

What is Research?
Studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted
theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new
or revised theories or laws [Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth
Edition]

What is Research?
Studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted
theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new
or revised theories or laws [Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth
Edition]
Research is an organized and systematic way of finding answers to questions

In Computer Science Context

In Computer Science Context
Discovery of new knowledge of computing through
mathematical analysis, modeling, and experimental
evaluation of algorithms and computer software.

Why Do Research?

Why Do Research?
• To contribute to knowledge

Why Do Research?
• To satisfy intellectual curiosity

Why Do Research?
• For enjoyment you derive from posing your
own problems and solving them

Why Do Research?
• To help career growth (Promotion & Tenure)

Why Do Research?
• To help career growth (Promotion & Tenure)
• To see places and meet interesting people
from all over the world at subsidized expenses

Knowledge Sources or Ways of
Knowing

Knowing
• Intuition: Takes forms such as belief, faith, intuition, etc. Based on
feelings rather than hard, cold "facts.“
• In research we often use this knowledge source for coming up with an
initial idea for research

Knowing
• Authority: Information received from experts, books, etc. Its strength
depends on the strength of these sources.
• We use this kind of source for literature review

Knowing
• Logic: Gained by reasoning
• We rely on this when analyzing/modifying/improving an algorithm

Knowing
• Logic: Gained by reasoning
• We rely on this when analyzing/modifying/improving an algorithm
• Empirical: Based on demonstrable, objective facts ,determined through
observation and/or experimentation.
• Used when we want to study the behavior of a complex piece of software
or the accuracy of an algorithm using benchmark data sets.

Seven Steps to Successful Research

• Defining the Research Question

• Information Gathering

• Forming a Hypothesis/Algorithm Outline

• Implementation/Simulation/Analysis

• Organizing and Interpreting Results

• Writing and Communicating Results

• Revising, Resubmitting, and Publication

Nonlinear Nature of Research
• Revising, Resubmitting, and Publication

Defining the Research Question

• What subfield of CS/IT interests me?

• Within the subfield, what interests me more?

• What is my chief strength?
– Mathematical abstraction
– Implementation/Experimentation
– Problem solving

• What is my chief strength?
– Mathematical abstraction
– Implementation/Experimentation
– Problem solving
• What would be the outcome?
– A better model
– A better algorithm
– A new application

• Is the topic timely?

• Does it have potential for further
research/jobs?

research/jobs?
• Are there good prior works to build upon?

research/jobs?
• How big is the research community?

research/jobs?
• How big is the research community?
• Who are the major players?

Information Gathering

• Locating prior published work

– Make sure to check the homepages of prominent
active researchers for their most recent work

– Use ACM/IEEE digital libraries, Google and
CiteSeer to locate important papers

– Make sure to look through the recent proceedings
of the prestigious conferences in your area

– Make sure to look through the recent proceedings
of the prestigious conferences in your area
– Try to locate review papers of your’s and related
fields

Reading Papers

Reading Papers
• Do paper reading in two or three
passes. Ignore the technical
details in the first pass

Reading Papers
• Do paper reading in two or three
passes. Ignore the technical
details in the first pass
• Generally, reading the abstract,
introduction, and summary and
conclusion sections is good
enough to determine whether a
given paper should be read in
detail or not.

First Pass of Reading
• The first pass reading should be done to answer
the following questions:

– What is the research problem the paper attempts to
address?

address?
– What is the motivation of the research work?

address?
– Is the research work attempting to overcome the
weaknesses of existing approaches?

address?
– What is new in this paper?

address?
– How are the research claims substantiated?

address?
– How are the research claims substantiated?
– Conclusions and pointers to future work

What to Take Away from a Paper after
Reading
• Once you have read a paper in depth, try to answer
the following questions to yourself:

Reading
– What is the core of the research problem addressed in the
paper?

Reading
paper?
– Are there some alternative approaches to address the
research problem?

Reading
paper?
research problem?
– Are there some good arguments to be made against the
assumptions/approach taken by the authors?

Reading
paper?
research problem?
– How can the research results be improved?

Reading
paper?
research problem?
– Can the research results be applied to another context?

Reading
paper?
research problem?
– Can the research results be applied to another context?
– Are there some gaps in the work?

Organizing References
Make use of software tools to organize your notes and
references as you do literature review. This will help you later in
writing your own paper.

Forming a Hypothesis/Algorithm
Outline

Outline
• Develop an outline of your solution
– If possible, work through simple scenarios

Outline
• Think about complexity. Is your solution going to
scale well?

Outline
scale well?
• What is the chief strength of your solution?
– This will be your main selling point in your papers

Outline
scale well?
• What is the chief strength of your solution?
– This will be your main selling point in your papers
• Weaknesses of your solution?
– Any major weakness is likely to hinder your paper. So
avoid any major weakness by reformulating or
reworking your solution

Some Pointers on Developing a
Solution

Solution
• Try to map your problem into a framework
with known approaches for solutions
– Optimization
– Graph theory
– Probabilistic
– Divide and conquer

Solution
– Optimization
– Graph theory
– Probabilistic
• Strive for simplicity and avoid complex
solutions

Solution
– Optimization
– Graph theory
– Probabilistic
• Strive for simplicity and avoid complex
solutions
• Sit on your solution for few days and then
come back to it
– This helps in locating weaknesses/flaws
that generally get overlooked in the
initial excitement

Implementation/Simulation/Analysis

• Test your implementation/simulation with test
cases of known results to ensure there are no
bugs/mistakes

bugs/mistakes
• Whenever possible, use the platform or the
environment popular in your area of research

bugs/mistakes
• Whenever possible, use the platform or the
environment popular in your area of research
• Make sure to perform comparative study with
standard datasets or benchmarks

Organizing and Interpreting Results

• It is not enough to just present the results. You must
do a careful analysis to show that the results justify
your solution

your solution
• If there are some parameters in your solution, then
make sure that you have results for a range of
parameter values to infer a trend

your solution
• If there are some parameters in your solution, then
make sure that you have results for a range of
parameter values to infer a trend
• Make sure your graphs are labeled properly. Do not
overcrowd graphs by putting too much information

Writing and Communicating Results

• Select some papers from your field as model papers and use
them as guides to write your paper

• Use your own words and phrases. Use quote marks if you are
using sentences from other papers.

• Go over your writing several times. Generally writing
consumes 50% of the research effort.

• Go over your writing several times. Generally writing
consumes 50% of the research effort.
• Don’t worry about the length of the initial draft. Make sure
you don’t miss any point. It is much easier to trim a paper
later on to meet the length requirements.

Some Useful Tips for Paper Writing

• Begin by preparing an outline of your paper by
noting down the important points you want to
cover in each section of your manuscript

• Begin by preparing an outline of your paper by
noting down the important points you want to
cover in each section of your manuscript
• Remember, you are trying to “sell” your work to
reviewers who will determine the fate of your
paper. Make a compelling case in the introduction
section of your paper because by the time a
reviewer has finished this section, she has already
made an initial decision about whether to accept
or reject the paper. She will read the rest of the
paper looking for evidence to support her decision.

• Begin by preparing an outline of your paper by noting down the
important points you want to cover in each section of your
manuscript
• Remember, you are trying to “sell” your work to reviewers who will
determine the fate of your paper. Make a compelling case in the
introduction section of your paper because by the time a reviewer
has finished this section, she has already made an initial decision
about whether to accept or reject the paper. She will read the rest
of the paper looking for evidence to support her decision.
• The introduction section must have:
– What is the problem? Why is it interesting and important?
Weaknesses of the previous proposed solutions? How does the
proposed solution overcomes all or some of the limitations of the
existing approaches? What are the key components of the suggested
approach and results?

More Tips for Paper Writing

• Read some well-known works on writing and
communication:
– The Elements of Style (Fourth
Edition), William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, Roger
Angell, Longman.
– Handbook of Technical Writing (Ninth
Edition), Gerald J. Alred, Charles T.
Brusaw, and Walter E. Oilu, St. Martin’s Press
– Use active voice and simple, clear, direct
phrasing

• Read some well-known works on writing and
communication:
– The Elements of Style (Fourth Edition), William
Strunk Jr., E.B. White, Roger Angell, Longman.
– Handbook of Technical Writing (Ninth Edition),
Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E.
Oilu, St. Martin’s Press
– Use active voice and simple, clear, direct phrasing
• Avoid value judgments. Give the facts and let the
readers judge.

• Read some well-known works on writing and communication:
– The Elements of Style (Fourth Edition), William Strunk Jr.,
E.B. White, Roger Angell, Longman.
– Handbook of Technical Writing (Ninth Edition), Gerald J.
Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oilu, St. Martin’s
Press
• Avoid value judgments. Give the facts and let the readers judge.
• Run a spell checker and have someone who is particular about
grammar read your paper

• Read some well-known works on writing and communication:
– The Elements of Style (Fourth Edition), William Strunk Jr.,
E.B. White, Roger Angell, Longman.
– Handbook of Technical Writing (Ninth Edition), Gerald J.
Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oilu, St. Martin’s
Press
• Avoid value judgments. Give the facts and let the readers judge.
• Run a spell checker and have someone who is particular about
grammar read your paper
• Make sure to acknowledge the persons/organizations who have
helped you in your research

Revising, Resubmitting, and
Publication

Publication
• A paper is rarely accepted as it is. So be prepared for one or
more revisions of your manuscript.

Publication
• The best outcome you can hope is “Accept with a minor
Revision.” Celebrate it because it is rare.

Publication
• Pay careful attention to the comments/suggestions of the
reviewers. Try to incorporate them as much as possible and
revise your paper for resubmission.

Publication
• Include a cover letter thanking the reviewers and explaining
point by point how you have accommodated most of their
concerns

Publication
• Include a cover letter thanking the reviewers and explaining
point by point how you have accommodated most of their
concerns
• In the event your paper is not accepted at your publication
of first choice, don’t lose heart. Browse through next tier
list of publications and submit there.

Making Technical Presentations

• Three main elements of a technical
presentation
– Organization
– Visual aids
– Delivery and style

• Three main elements of a technical
presentation
– Organization
– Visual aids
– Delivery and style
• Before you prepare your presentation
– Prepare an outline
– Think about your audience and their background

Some Tips on Presentations

• Never read from slides or from your notes. Prepare by
practicing as many times as you can

• Check out the room and the equipment beforehand

• Be confident. Remember, you are the foremost expert on your
own research

own research
• Speak clearly and loud enough. Modulate your voice
Look at your audience and make eye contact.

own research
• Watch for audience’s non-verbal feedback and adjust your
delivery

own research
• Watch for audience’s non-verbal feedback and adjust your
delivery
• Always carry a backup presentation file on a USB or through
email/cloud

Writing Grant Proposals

• Choose a problem/idea you wish
to pursue

• Choose a problem/idea you wish
to pursue
• Prepare a brief concept paper

• Choose a problem/idea you wish to
pursue
• Identify the potential funding
sources
– NSF/NIH/DOE/DHS
– Foundations and industry consortia, e.g.
EPRI

• Choose a problem/idea you wish to
pursue
• Identify the potential funding sources
– NSF/NIH/DOE/DHS
– Foundations and industry consortia, e.g.
EPRI
• Contact the program officers and discuss
your idea with them

What Should be in a Proposal?

• It should answer the following questions:
– What are you going to do?
– Why is it important to do?
– Novelty of your approach and expected contributions
– Your unique qualifications to do the project

• Most funding agencies have templates for different
kinds of proposals, follow the pertinent template

• Stay within the page limits and strictly follow the
guidelines for submission

• Stay within the page limits and strictly follow the
guidelines for submission
• Seek help from your sponsored research office for
preparing budget

Ethics in CS Research

• Authorship and the order of listing

• Plagiarism

• Plagiarism
• Multiple submissions

• Plagiarism
• Data fudging and fabrication

• Plagiarism
• Data fudging and fabrication
• Conflict of interest

Authorship and Listing Order

• Each person listed as an author should have
made direct and substantial contribution to
the work. All listed authors must be prepared
to accept full responsibility for the content of
the research article.
–David Baltimore (Nobel laureate) case

• Each person listed as an author should have made direct
and substantial contribution to the work. All listed authors
must be prepared to accept full responsibility for the
content of the research article.
– David Baltimore (Nobel laureate) case
• Ordering conventions are discipline/culture specific
– In CS, the ordering generally indicates the relative
contributions of different authors with the first author
having made the most contribution
– In mathematics and theoretical CS research, the names
are generally listed alphabetically

• Each person listed as an author should have made direct and substantial
contribution to the work. All listed authors must be prepared to accept full
responsibility for the content of the research article.
– David Baltimore (Nobel laureate) case
• Ordering conventions are discipline/culture specific
– In CS, the ordering generally indicates the relative contributions of
different authors with the first author having made the most
contribution
– In mathematics and theoretical CS research, the names are generally
listed alphabetically
• Acknowledgement
– Include anyone who has made some contribution, for example in
editing, loaning an equipment, providing some financial support

Plagiarism

Plagiarism
• The American Heritage Dictionary
(2nd College Ed.) defines plagiarize
as "to take and use as one's own the
writings or ideas of another."

Plagiarism
• Always make sure you give proper
credit to your sources and any
verbatim material is used with
quotes

Plagiarism
• Always make sure you give proper
credit to your sources and any
verbatim material is used with
quotes
• See IEEE and ACM guidelines
– http://www.acm.org/publications/policies
/plagiarism_policy
http://www.ieee.org/publications_standar
ds/publications/rights/plagiarism.html

Self-Plagiarism

Self-Plagiarism
• ACM defines it as the verbatim or near-
verbatim reuse of significant portions of one's
own copyrighted work without citing the
original source.

Self-Plagiarism
• ACM defines it as the verbatim or near-verbatim
reuse of significant portions of one's own
copyrighted work without citing the original
source.
– Self-plagiarism does not apply to publications based
on the author's own previously copyrighted work
(e.g., appearing in a conference proceedings) where
an explicit reference is made to the prior publication.
Such reuse does not require quotation marks to
delineate the reused text but does require that the
source be cited.

Multiple Submissions

• LPUs (Least Publishable Units) are
common although not desirable

• It is okay to have one or two
conference papers and a journal
paper on the same research topic as
long as each paper makes its own
significant contribution

• It is okay to have one or two conference
papers and a journal paper on the same
research topic as long as each paper
makes its own significant contribution
• Never submit the same work to two
places at same time to expedite
publication

Data Fudging and Fabrication

• Avoid temptations to:
– Do data smoothing to remove
irregularities to make the data
appear extremely accurate and
precise

irregularities to make the data
appear extremely accurate and
precise
– Retain only those results that fit
the theory and discarding others

irregularities to make the data appear
extremely accurate and precise
– Retain only those results that fit the
theory and discarding others
– Create/invent some or all of the
research data to substantiate your
research

Conflict of Interest
• Avoid conflict of interest
situations by proper
disclosure. Examples of
conflict of interests
situations are:

situations are:
– Reviewing a paper/proposal
of a friend/company where
you have a stake

situations are:
– Reviewing a paper/proposal of
a friend/company where you
have a stake
– Writing a book review
published by a friend

• Avoid conflict of interest situations
by proper disclosure. Examples of
conflict of interests situations are:
– Reviewing a paper/proposal of a
friend/company where you have a
stake
– Writing a book review published by a
friend
– Hiring your relatives on funded
projects

Thank you!
For questions, please contact
iksinc@yahoo.com
Also, visit my blog at
Iksinc.wordpress.com

How to Conduct Research in Computer Science

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