CSCI
6530
Research Methods in
Computer Science
Fall
Semester, 2023
Please reload this page frequently
this
term.
Thanks.
Also,
let me know if you need special assistance this semester for any
reason.
As
you may already know, we are not using
Blackboard in this course.
(Primarily because, we have had problems
with Blackboard losing
assignments).
Also, if you have any questions about
the subject matter, let me know.
I will collect your questions and
then send out an email with all the
answers as needed.
.
2008 GLADE Conference at University of
Auckland, New Zealand
Number and Title of Course:
CSCI 6530 - Research
Methods in Computer Science
Catalog Description of Course:
A study of current methods and
techniques in computer science research, including writing
research proposals, conducting research, technical writing and
presentations.
Course Prerequisite:
Graduate standing
Instructor(s):
Dr. Terry Feagin
Professor, Computer Science, UHCL
Office: Delta 172 Phone: (713) 385-4735
Office Hours: Just email me if you have any
questions.
e-mail address: feagin@uhcl.edu
Teaching Assistant:
None for this course
Required Textbook(s) - None
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students
will be able to:
- Describe what research in computer
science
- Conduct research effectively in
computer-related fields
- Use the library, the World Wide Web,
and other resources to conduct research
- Organize and prepare technical papers
and presentations
- Work and cooperate effectively with
other research workers on a research project
Major Topics
- Research in computer science
- Proposal preparation
- Using resources to conduct research
- Writing research papers and making
presentations
- Intellectual property
Instructional Methods and Techniques
- Narrated PowerPoint Presentations
- Student presentations
- Group problem solving (may have to
modify due to the pandemic)
Assignments for Course
- Reading from computing and information
science journals and periodicals
- Readings from documents on the World
Wide Web.
- Writing a research paper
- Presentations
Evaluation
- Assignments
- Two in class presentations
- Class participation
- Performance on ethics, intellectual
property, and plagiarism quiz
- Research paper
- Performance on final exam
- Performance in group problem solving
exercise
Attendance:
Again,
the short presentation that you prepare should be a PowerPoint
presentation. The presentation should
be in an area of research you have selected from one of the five
papers that you have reviewed and you should describe what the
research problem is, what research others have done, and how you
might plan to approach solving the problem or similar ones.
Please
note that this short presentation (unlike the final 20 minute
presentation) should be limited to only
one
paper.
Class attendance is
the responsibility of the student, and it is the student's
responsibility to review independently any material she/he may
miss if absent.
Class participation may possibly be used
in determining grades.
Exams and Assignments:
There will be two tests (one open-notes quiz
on ethics,
intellectual property, and plagiarism) and the final exam.
There will be research assignments, papers, and presentations.
Course Evaluation:
*
Short
Paper – This assignment comprises 5% of your grade
in the course. The
assignment will allow the instructor to evaluate the
initial writing skills of each student and provide
feedback to the student regarding what they should do to
try to improve their skills.
You will write a short paper
(500 - 1000 words, or about three pages) on your major area of interest in
Computer Science. Describe what are some of the
major problems being addressed in that area, why you are
interested in that area, and how the area is related to
other areas of Computer Science. Please send a copy
of your paper as an attachment to feagin@uhcl.edu on or before September 7, at 1:00 PM. Please
name your attachment "yourName1.doc" or "yourName1.docx"
or similar name.
* Short
Presentations - This assignment comprises 10% of grade in the
course
You will asked to read
(at least) five(5) papers from the list of topic areas
given below (shown in green).
Each paper should be relatively recent (published within
the last 15 years. The
papers must be chosen from at least two distinct areas of
research. In
other words, do not just read papers from one area of
research in Computer Science. You will write a
synopsis (i.e., a short description) on each of five
papers. Each synopsis will be from five to ten
sentences in length (and must include a reference-source citation, so
that a reader could find the original paper). Combine these synopses
into one document (This should require about two
pages).
Then,
choose one of the five papers
and prepare a PowerPoint presentation. Your presentation
should be about eight slides in length. Please bring the synopses to class on the day of your presentation.
Algorithms
Artificial Intelligence
Big Data
Analytics / Data Science
Bioinformatics
Cloud Computing / IoT
Communications Protocols
Computer Animation
Computer
Architecture
Computer
Graphics
Computer Vision
Computational Complexity
Crytocurrencies
/ Bitcoins
Cryptography / Computer Security
Data Mining / Knowledge Discovery
Database Management
Engineering Application of Computer Science
Fault Tolerance
Formal Languages / Deterministic and Non-Deterministic
Finite Automata
Fuzzy Logic and Systems / Reasoning subject to Uncertainty
Genetic Algorithms / Genetic Machine Learning Algorithms
Geographic Information Systems
Grid Computing
High
Performance Computing / Scientific Computing
Human-Computer Interaction / Human Factors
Image and Signal Processing
Java / Object-oriented Programming Languages
Knowledge-based Systems (Expert Systems)
Knowledge Representation
Languages (e.g., declarative, functional, visual,
imperative, object-oriented, markup languages (e.g, XML,
etc.)
Lattice-based Cryptography
Machine Learning / Decision Trees / Support Vector
Machines / Genetic Algorithms
Model Checking / Property Checking
Multi-valued Logic
Neural Networks / Deep Learning
Networking / Communications / Li-Fi / Wi-Fi / Wireless
Sensor Networks
Numerical Methods / Numerical Algorithms
Object Recognition / Object Detection
Operating Systems / Scheduling / User Interfaces
Parallel Computing / Multiprocessing Environments / GPU
Programming
Performance
Monitoring and Evaluation
Quantum Computing / Qubits
Robotics / Sensing / Manipulation / Locomotion /
Human-Robot Interaction
RSA Algorithm / Public-Key Crytosystems
Scientific Visualization
Cybersecurity
Simulation
and Modeling
Software Metrics and Software Engineering
Speech Recognition / Speaker Recognition
Streaming Algorithms
The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Solving Crimes
Theoretical Computer Science / Formal Languages
Tracking Systems / RFID
Virtual Reality
Final
Written Research Paper - 20% of your grade in the course on
written research paper (normally, but not necessarily) on
the same topic as your final oral
presentation
-
Your
paper should be from 12-20 pages in length, size 12 font,
1.5 line spacing, more
than 3200 words,
and should include an introduction, a background section,
other sections, conclusions, and references. When
completed, send your paper as an attachment to
feagin@uhcl.edu before November 28, 2022 at 1:00
PM. Please
name your paper "yourNameFinalPaper.doc",
"yourNameFinalPaper.docx", or similar. Also, make
sure that the first page of your paper has your name at
the top of the page, then the title, etc.
WARNING: Be sure that any material that you
take from any source is properly cited and is
included in your reference section of your paper as
well. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.
* Quiz
(5% of your grade in the
course) on Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Computer
Ethics, Academic Honesty, and Plagiarism. Please send your completed quiz as an
attachment to
feagin@uhcl.edu, Hopefully, you will
name your quiz something like "yourNameQuiz.docx".
* Class
Participation
(5% of your grade in
the course)
* Final
Examination - (35% of
your grade in the course)
Grades will be determined according to the
following scale (approximate) :
A 93% - 100% A-
90-92.9%
B+ 87-89.9% B 83 -
86.9% B- 80-82.9%
C+ 77-79.9% C 73 -
76.9% C- 70-72.9%
D+ 67-69.9% D 63 - 66.9% D-
60-62.9%
F 0-59.9%
Honor Policy:
Cheating will not be tolerated. Any
student caught cheating or committing plagiarism will be given a
zero on the assignment or exam. Repeat offenders will be
given an F for the course and may suffer expulsion from
the university. All work must be your own. You may
discuss the material in the course verbally, but you must not
share or show material to other students. Do not read
another student's work or collaborate with another student. We
expect any work you hand in for a grade to be your own.
Plagiarism will result in a zero for the
assignment. Keep scratch paper and old versions
of assignments until after the assignment has been graded and
returned to you. If you have any questions about this, please
contact me as soon as possible. See
the UHCL
academic honesty policy for details.
VERY IMPORTANT! Purchasing, or otherwise
acquiring and submitting as one's own work any research
paper or any other writing assignment prepared by others
constitutes cheating. Penalty for cheating will be extremely
severe and may result in an F for this course.
VERY IMPORTANT! Plagarism
on either an abstract, draft of a paper, or final paper
will result in a 0 for all three parts (abstract, draft
version, final paper). Please review the links
near the top of this page regarding plagarism very
carefully:
Students with Special Needs
/ Handicaps:
Students who may have
special needs or requirements for this course, or who may
require assistance in the event of any emergency should
notify the instructor immediately.
Makeup Exams:
Makeup exams will be given
only if the instructor is notified IN ADVANCE of the exam with
a legitimate reason for missing the exam.
Course Outline
Dates are approximate and
subject to change, so please RELOAD frequently.
|
Topics Covered |
|
Week 1
August 22, 24
|
Introduction
Overview
Research Methods and Problem
Solving
What is Research and What is
Research in Computer Science?
Conducting Research in Computer Science /
Areas and Techniques
|
|
Week 2
September 5, 7
|
Introduction to
the UHCL
Library
Please
review the following material found on the
link below:
Description of the
Library's resources and
How to use the Library to
do research (especially in Computer
Science)
https://uhcl.libguides.com/CSCI6530
A youtube video
presentation by UHCL Librarian Cynthia
Goode
https://youtube/gltOUc3Q8sY
(will be updated soon)
|
|
Week 3
September 12,
14
|
Writing Center Materials and
Discussion
Writing
research papers and making research
presentations of
which you can
be proud
Discussion
of how to make a great research presentation
|
|
Week 4
September 19, 21
|
How
to cite references properly
How to avoid
plagiarism
Academic honesty
Ethics in
computing
Intellectual property
Quiz (on the above
five topics)
Due September 28
at 1:00 PM
|
|
Week 5
September 26, 28
|
Short (8 Minute) research
presentations begin.
Please be ready to give your presentation.
|
|
Week 6
October 3, 5
|
Short research
presentations continue
|
|
Week
7
October 10, 12
|
Short research
presentations continue
Also,
Discussion of Group Problem Solving
|
|
Week
8
October 17, 19
|
How to Write or Review a
Research Proposal
|
|
20 minute Presentations
Starting on October 24, 26
and continuing on
November 7, 9
and Nov. 14, 16
Thanksgiving Holiday
(on November 21 ro 23)
No class
Also, start working on your Final
Research
Paper, which is due on
November 30
at
1:00 PM
|
20 minute Presentations
|
|
|
Review
for Final Examination
Discussion of Final
Exam Material
|
|
December 5, 7
|
Final Examination at normal classroom
and time |
|
|
|
The University of Houston
System complies with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990,
pertaining to the provision
of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary
aids
for students with a
disability. In accordance with Section 504 and
ADA
guidelines, each University
within the System strives to provide
reasonable
academic
adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who
request and require them.
If you believe that you have
a disability requiring an academic
adjustments/auxiliary
aid, please contact your University’s student
disability services center
You can evaluate the course, if you like:
https://apps.uhcl.edu/OnlineEvals
