Engr 694-6: Research Methods in Computer Science
Spring 2013
Lecture Notes and Web Resources

The 2014 revision of this page expands and reorganizes these notes.

1. Calvin and Hobbes: Ivory Tower by Bill Watterson


2. Quotations from Anguished English by Richard Lederer
   [Text]


3. Scientific writing (based on Duke University Graduate School Scientific Writing Resource)
   1. Actors and Actions (updated 2014)
      [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF]
      [Worksheet in Word]
   2. Cohesion, Coherence, and Emphasis (updated 2014)
      [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF]
      [Worksheet in Word]
   3. Concision and Simplicity (updated 2014)
      [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF]
      [Worksheet in Word]
   
   
4. Abstract Rewrite Case Study
   [Word] [Handout PDF]


5. Additional scientific writing materials and activities
   1. More on Cutting Clutter and Using Strong, Precise Verbs (updated 2014)
      [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF]
   2. Cunningham's paper introduction revision
      [Original Paper] [Revision 1] [ Revision 2]
   3. Discussed Chapter 3 on "Style Specifics" from Justin Zobel's Writing for Computer Science
      (no slides available)
   4. In-class exercise: Each student examines a paper for five to ten minutes, then reports to class what it is about
   
   
6. "How to Write a Great Research Paper" by Simon Peyton Jones from research skills page
   [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF]


7. From Justin Zobel's Writing for Computer Science
   1. Discussed chapter 9 on "Writing Up" (no slides available)
   2. Discussed subsections on "References", "Quotation", and "Acknowledgements" of chapter 2 on "Good Style" (no slides available)


8. "How to Give a Good Research Talk" by Simon Peyton Jones from research skills page
   [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF] [Paper PDF]


9. ACM Publications page


10. LaTeX examples
    1. Revealing the Secrets of David Parnas
       [PDF] [LaTeX source] [BibTex database]
    2. A Little Language for Surveys
       [PDF] [LaTeX source] [BibTex database] [2007 ACM proceedings class file]


11. LaTeX references
    1. [HTML] "Getting to Grips with LaTeX" by Andrew Roberts
    2. [PDF] "The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2e" by Tobias Oetiker, Hubert Partl, Irene Hyna, and Elisabeth Schlegl


12. Grant proposal writing
    1. [PDF] "Grant Writing for Computer Scientists: Mixed Metaphors and Road Rules of Thumb" presented by Jason Hale on 26 March 2013
    2. (For reference) "How to Write a Great Research Proposal" by Simon Peyton Jones from research skills page
       [Powerpoint] [Handout PDF]
    
    
13. Writing critiques of papers
    1. [PDF] "Reading a Computer Science Research Paper" by Philip W. L. Fong from ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 138-140, 2009.
    2. [PDF] Notes on Writing Critiques
    3. [PDF] Suggestions Inspired by the First Critiques
    
    
14. Intellectual propery
    1. [Powerpoint] Presentation on Technolgy Transfer by Dr. Walter Chambliss on 2 April 2013 (no slides available)
    2. Additional comments by Cunningham on copyrights, patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and licenses.


15. Research methods in computer science and software engineering
    1. [PDF] "Three Paradigms of Computer Science Research" by Amnon H. Eden from Minds and Machines, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 135-167, 2007.
       Brief discussion on each paradigm focusing on methods, ontology, and epistemology
    2. [PDF] "What Makes Good Research in Software Engineering" by Mary Shaw from International Journal of Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT), Springer, Vol. 4, pp. 1-7, 2002.
    3. [PDF] "A Preliminary Analysis of the Products of HCI Research, using Pro Forma Abstracts" by William Newman in Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems), pp. 2780284, ACM, 1994.
    4. Chapters 10 and 11 of Justin Zobel's Writing in Computer Science
    5. (For reference) [PDF] "The Coming-of-Age of Software Architecture Research" by Mary Shaw from Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Software Engineering, IEEE Computer Society, 2001.
    6. (For reference) [PDF] "Writing Good Software Engineering Research Papers: Minitutorial" by Mary Shaw from Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Software Engineering, IEEE Computer Society, 2003.


16. Refereeing and editing for conferences and journals
    1. [Powerpoint] "Scientific Peer Review" by Yixin Chen
    2. Chapter 12 of Justin Zobel's Writing for Computer Science


17. Professional ethics
    1. Discuss Chapter 13 on "Ethics" of Justin Zobel's Writing for Computer Science

In Work

• [HTML] "Research in Programming Languages" by Cristina Videira Lopes from Tagide: Software and Musings (blog), 2 March 2012.


• [PDF] "How (and How Not) to Write a Good Systems Paper" by Roy Levin and David Redell from ACM SIGOPS Operating Systems Review, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 35-40, July, 1983.


• [PDF] "How to Get a Paper Accepted at OOPSLA", a panel discussion by Ralph E. Johnson, Kent Beck, Grady Booch, William Cook, Richard Gabriel, and Rebecca Wirfs-Brock frin SIGPLAN Notices Vol. 28, No. 10, pp. 429-436, October 1993.


• [PDF] "Scientific Methods in Computer Science" by Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic in Proceedings of the Conference for the Promotion of Research in IT at New Universities and at University Colleges in Sweden, Skövde, Suecia, 2002.


• CMU Advice on Research and Writing

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