cis 518 research methodologies (3 semester hours)

CIS 518Research Methodologies (3 semester hours)

An Introduction to the Research Methodologies Course at the University of South Alabama

Instructors:

Jeffrey P. Landry, Ph.D. J. Harold Pardue, Ph.D.

Agenda

• Quiz

• Syllabus

• Special Courses

• Annotated Bibliography– Mental Model

– References (Example)

– Annotated Bibliography (Two examples)

– Relationship among• Final Paper

• References

• Annotated Bibliography

• Guidelines– Presentation structure

– Document options

• Review Illustration– Track Changes

– Comments

– File Names

– Your Obligations

• Document Submissions– Iterative

– Complete

– Structured

Catalog Description:

A review of computer and information science literature and research topics. Techniques for defining research goals will be described. Students will be expected to identify a research area and conduct a complete review of the literature. Prerequisite: CIS Graduate Foundation Courses.

Standard Class InformationSection 501

• CIS 518-Section 501: 5:30-7:45 PM, Monday, Wednesday in CSCB 130

• Instructor Information– J. Harold Pardue, Ph.D., Associate Professor– Email: [email protected]– Office: FCE-9

• Mon/Wed from 1:00-3:00 pm• and by appointment, and if and when available

– Phone Numbers:• My Office (Voice message) 461- 1600• Main Office: (251) 460-6390• Fax (251) 460-7274

Standard Class InformationSection 502

• CIS 518-Section 502: 5:30-7:45 PM, Monday, Wednesday in CSCB 115

• Instructor Information– Jeffrey P. Landry, Ph.D., Assistant Professor– Email: [email protected]– Office: FCE-9

• Tues/Thurs from 3:00-5:00 pm• and by appointment, and if and when available

– Phone Numbers:• My Office (Voice message) 461- 1596• Main Office: (251) 460-6390• Fax (251) 460-7274• Cell (251) 533-2457

Standard Class Information

Textbooks• Required

Required: Writing the Doctoral Dissertation: A Systematic Approach, 2nd Edition, by Gordon E. Davis and Clyde A. Parker, Barrons, 1997.

Required: Guide for Preparing Theses and Dissertations, 5th, The USA Graduate School. This is now available online at http://www.southalabama.edu/graduateprograms/ThesisDissertationGuide.pdf

• Recommended– Recommended for All: Exploring Research, 5th Edition, by Neil J. Salkind, Prentice-Hall, 2003.

– Recommended for All: How to Write a Thesis, 5th Edition, Harry Teitelbaum, Macmillan, 1998.

– Recommended for All: Writing a Thesis – Substance and Style, R. Keith Van Wagenen, Prentice-Hall, 1991.

– Recommended for All: The Craft of Research, 2nd edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Wayne C. Booth, Joseph M. Williams, Gregory G. Colomb, University of Chicago Press; 2nd edition, March, 2003.

– Recommended for All: Statistical Methods for Researchers Made Very Simple by Ronald R. Gauch, Rowman & Littlefield, 2002.

– Recommended for All: Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches by John W. Creswell, SAGE Publications; 2nd edition, July 15, 2002.

http://www.southalabama.edu/graduateprograms/ThesisDissertationGuide.pdf

Standard Class InformationSpecial Needs

Any student with a qualified handicap who wishes to use a tape recorder or needs any accommodation should register with the Disable Student Services Office, located in the Student Center, Room 270, Phone 460-7212.

You should also speak with me after class so that arrangements can be made.


Attendance• Required

– Class – Graduate Research Seminars

There may be some scheduled earlier in the day. If there is a legitimate excuse for not being present, please inform me in advance unless there is an emergency. E-mail is acceptable.

The CIS GRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR

• Catalog statementThe CIS Graduate Research Seminar is scheduled periodically during each semester as a forum for students and faculty to present and discuss research issues, ideas, and results. Attendance is required for students enrolled in CIS 518, 594, 595, 598, and 599. These students are also required to give a presentation each semester based on their work in the course.


School Cheating Policy• Statement:Unless otherwise stated by your instructor, all work submitted for grading must be your work. This means that the work you submit for grading must be designed and implemented by one and only one person, and that person must be you. Any deviation from this policy may result in a failing grade for the course for all parties involved. This policy applies to examinations, programming assignments, quizzes, and homework assignments.

• For this class:– The overriding concern for cheating in this class relates to plagiarism. You

should reference authors whose works you have quoted, paraphrased, abstracted or summarized.

– You will be engaged in individual and collaborative activities in this class. The collaborative activities may result in your modifying your submitted assignments--this will be especially true when peer assessment and critique are involved. You should acknowledge the help you receive from your advisor, committee members, instructor, and classmates as appropriate.

– We will be using a system which provides information about sources of information used in writing—TurnItIn.com.


Procedures for Assessing Performance• Grade Assignment

– (S)atisfactory– (U)nsatisfactory

• Determined by– Class Attendance– In-Class Participation and Discussions– Reading, Writing, and Peer-Review Assignments– Paper development (especially suggestions for

revision)– Adherence to Guidelines for prospectus and thesis

presentation– Paper presentation– Final Examination


Presentations and Documentation• Presentations

– made with a presentation tool (e.g. Powerpoint, HTML)– Electronic copy is required and must be emailed as

attachment• Course Requirements: To complete the course requirements

and receive a final grade, the following must be satisfied:– Score of 80% on the final exam– Your paper must demonstrate that you understand research methods used

in computer science or information systems according to your specialization

– Electronic submission of: your final paper, an abstract, and a power point slide of your work

– Complete a survey form and the student evaluation of teacher– Submission of your final paper to turnitin.com to check for compliance

with citation of the works of others.


Important Dates• For the complete academic calendar

for the academic year, see

http://www.southalabama.edu/academiccalendar.html



About This Course

• A review of CIS literature and research topics. • Techniques for defining and communicating research• Important Goals

What is research? What is scholarship? How to assess the value of research?

• Abilities– use of the library– idea and hypothesis generation– theory testing– measurement and evaluation– result analysis– result presentation (oral and written)– Understanding the ethical and legal issues related to the use of

human subjects in experiments

More About This Course

Concentrations for CIS graduate students

• Thesis Concentration• Project

Concentration• Course Only

Concentration

Other Relevant Information

• The CIS 595, CSC 595, and ISC 595 Courses

• CIS 518 Instructor Expectations

• Thesis Types

Concentrations:Thesis vs. Project vs. Course

Only*Choose Thesis

Concentration if you

• have good problem-solving skills

• have good written and oral communication skills

• can work independently with minimal guidance in an unstructured learning environment

• have identified an area of personal interest that is not covered in-depth in a traditional course

• can afford a semester delay in completing the masters

• plan to pursue a Ph.D. in a theoretical area

Choose Project Concentration if you


• have good written and oral communications skills

• can work independently with minimal guidance in an unstructured learning environment

• have identified a project that is not covered in a traditional course and that is innovative

• can afford a semester delay in completing the masters

• are more applications oriented in your research interests

• Might pursue a Ph.D. in an applied area

Choose Course-Only Concentration if you


• have good written and oral communications skills

• work best in collaborative and cooperative activities in a structured learning environment

• have interests in a large variety of topics that are available in traditional courses

• cannot afford a semester delay in completing the masters

• do not plan to pursue a Ph.D.

*A concentration must be chosen by the time you have completed 18 hours of your program

About the Thesis/Project Concentrations

• Eligibility• Electives• Committee Composition• Process• Time Commitment

About the Thesis/Project Concentration

Eligibility• Completion of CIS 518 with a grade of “S”• Completion of each specialization core courses with “B” or better

– CSC CORE• CSC 520--Computer Architecture• CSC 522--Performance Evaluation of Algorithms• CSC 525--Complexity Theory• CSC 527 Software Engineering

– ISC CORE • ISC 551--Information Systems Human Computer Interface Design• ISC 560--Information Systems Analysis• ISC 561--Information Systems Database Management• ISC 565--Information Systems Project/Change Management


Electives• Degree Requirements

– Core and Required Courses– Minimum of 6 semester hours required from

• Thesis:– CIS 595--CIS Research Development– CIS 599--CIS Thesis

OR• Project

– CSC 595/ISC 595 Project Proposal Development– CSC 598/ISC 598 Project

– Maximum of 3 additional semester hours of special courses counted towards degree

– Rest of semester hours must come from courses


Committee Composition• Advisor

– Must be a member of CIS Graduate Faculty• Daigle, Doran, Feinstein, Johnsten, Hain, Landry, Langan, Longenecker, Pardue,

Owen, Simmons, Sweeney, Zhou

• Committee Members– Minimum of 3 USA Graduate Faculty

• Preference is for at least two from CIS• May have more than 3 but…consider schedule coordination problems• For Example--In the past

– CSC--Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine, Education

– ISC--Business Management, Statistics, Medicine, Education, Allied Health

– Thesis: Must have USA Graduate Faculty from another area– Project: May have USA Graduate Faculty from another area


Process• Declare for thesis/project Concentration with Ms. Thompson• Preliminary Proposal

– Select advisor– Use CIS 518 time to develop a preliminary proposal for

thesis or plan for project– Select committee members– Enroll in CIS 595 next semester (or later) after CIS 518– Complete Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal according to

guidelines for thesis with guidance from advisor and committee– Schedule Defense at least 1 week ahead of time with the Director

of CIS Graduate Studies– Defend Prospectus/Project Proposal before CIS faculty & students– File final proposal and title page with committee signatures with

Ms. Thompson within 10 days of defense


More about Process• Thesis/Project

– Enroll in CIS 599/CSC or ISC 598– Develop thesis/project with guidance from advisor and committee– Schedule thesis/project defense

• at least 1 week ahead of time with the Director of CIS Graduate Studies• one week before deadline for courtesy review with the USA graduate school• Project defense must include project demonstration

– Oral comprehensive examination• On student’s specialization core courses• Given following a successful thesis defense

– Revise thesis/project and submit for courtesy review– Revise according to courtesy review and submit final copy for review

• Thesis: copy goes to Dean, Graduate School• Project: copy goes to Director of Graduate Studies, School of CIS (developed software is a required

part of the submission)

– Bound copies are required for the followingAdvisor and each committee member, The USA library, The USA Graduate School, The CIS Graduate

Program, The School of CIS

• Remaining Degree Requirements:– Overall “B” average– Electives as required

About the Thesis/Project ConcentrationTime Commitment

• Minimum of 3 semesters (Thesis is illustrated below)– CIS 518--Preliminary Prospectus Development– CIS 595--Prospectus Development and Defense and Oral

Comprehensive Examination– CIS 599--Thesis Development and Defense

• Frequently takes 4 semesters– Typical problem: cannot defend in time for courtesy review– Solution: If defense is successful and final submission is all

that remains• student must sign up for 1 semester hour of 599• complete final submission to USA Graduate in timely

manner• need not be on-campus to do this!

About the Course-Only Concentration

• Eligibility• Role of Electives• Process• Comprehensive Examination


Eligibility• Completion of CIS 518 with a grade of “S”• Completion of each specialization core courses with

“B” or better– CSC CORE

• CSC 520--Computer Architecture• CSC 522--Performance Evaluation of Algorithms• CSC 525--Complexity Theory• CSC 527 Software Engineering

– ISC CORE (Beginning in Fall—2002)• ISC 551--Information Systems Human Computer Interface Design• ISC 560--Information Systems Analysis• ISC 561--Information Systems Database Management• ISC 565--Information Systems Project/Change Management

About the Course-Only Concentration Role of Electives

• Degree Requirements– Specialization core and required

courses– Maximum of 6 semester hours of CIS

594, 595, 598 counted towards degree

– Rest of semester hours must come from graduate courses


Process• Default Concentration• Sign up for Comprehensive Examination (Currently offered

in Fall and Spring the first Saturday after classes begin)– Written letter is required– Identify specialization area– For each specialization core course, provide

grade received, semester completed, instructor name

• Take Comprehensive Examination– If all parts passed, requirement is met– If one part is failed, oral examination is scheduled– If more than one part is failed, the comprehensive

examination must be retaken• Maximum of 3 attempts to pass Comprehensive

Examination

About CIS 595Research Development

• Thesis Concentration– Required – Enrollment required during semester of prospectus defense

• Course-Only Concentration– Counts as an Elective

• General– Like a directed study but focused on Prospectus

Development– Allows more time to make choice Thesis/Course-Only

Concentration– Grade of “C” results in elimination of Thesis Concentration

About CSC (ISC) 595Project Proposal

Development• Project Concentration

– Required – Enrollment required during semester of proposal defense

• Course-Only Concentration– Counts as an Elective

• General– Like a directed study but focused on Project Development– Allows more time to make choice Project/Course-Only

Concentration– Grade of “C” results in elimination of Project

Concentration

CIS 518 Instructor Expectations

• Thesis (Project) Students– the selection of a faculty advisor– the selection of a problem (project) and– the development of a preliminary

prospectus (proposal) for the thesis (project)• Course-Only Students

– the selection of a well-defined problem or a topic of interest and

– the demonstration of an understanding of the scientific methodology by completing and presenting a written study during the semester.

Thesis Types

• CSC• ISC• ?Exploratory Software Engineering

Project• ?CIS Education

Special Courses

• Special Graduate Courses:

– CIS 594, 595, 598, 599 – CSC 595, 598– ISC 595, 598

• Form requires signatures of student, faculty mentor AND work proposal, list of deliverables and timeline for completion

• Requires approval of Director of CIS Graduate Studies before enrollment

• Restriction on course is removed by Ms. Thompson• Student must enroll in the course using PAWS

Relationship of CIS 518 to Special Courses

CIS 518Thesis Concentration:

CIS 595

Manuscript for journal or Conference: CIS 594

Experimental (short term) SE Project: CIS 598

Project Concentration: CSC/ISC 595

Thesis:CIS 599

Project: CSC/ISC 598

Core Courses

Mental Model

Research Area Literature

Annotated Bibliography Items

EvolvingDocument

Selection of papers, books, guided by domain expert (Mentor)

Student interpretation of published works read

Structured document for student problem

Mentor Instructor

cis 518 research methodologies (3 semester hours)

Documents