Research methodologies

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This graduate-level course aims to impart essential research skills and career skills to new computer science researchers. The course introduces the context, study strategies, research designs, principles, communication and procedures of research processes. Working knowledge of diverse topics will be covered, such as academic writing, literature study methods, experimental design, result analysis, the peer-review process, presentation skills and ethical aspects of doing research. It also teaches key career skills such as job interview, networking planning, and understanding of academic vs. industry differences. The course will have lectures, guest speakers, readings, class discussions, and assignments; and it will be coordinated to include lectures and talks from multiple professors in the CS department so that students can learn research methodologies from a variety of perspectives. Students will be evaluated based on: participation; assessment of writing (e.g., paper writing, presentation writing); assessment of oral presentation. Registration limited to graduate students and highly recommended for first year PhD students.