Section I: Course Syllabus Course: CIS 518 CIS Research Methodologies (3 semester hours) Section 501...

Section I: Course SyllabusSummer, 2005

Section I: Course Syllabus

Course: CIS 518 CIS Research Methodologies (3 semester hours) Section 501Room & Time: CIS 518-501—CSCB 130 5:30-7:45 P.M. Monday,WednesdayInstructor: J. Harold Pardue, Ph.D.Email: [email protected]: FCE 9: Phone 460-6390Office Hours: 1:00-3:00 P.M MW, and by appointmentSection 502Room & Time: CIS 518-502—CSCB 115 5:30-7:45 P.M. Monday,WednesdayInstructor: Jeffrey P. Landry, Ph.D.Email: [email protected]: FCE 5: Phone 461-1596 (voice mail), 460-6390 (CIS), 533-2457 (cell)Office Hours: 3:00-5:00 P.M TH, and by appointment and

if and when available

Current 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 researcharea and conduct a complete review of the literature. Prerequisite: CIS Graduate Professional Component.

Textbooks: 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 athttp://www.southalabama.edu/graduateprograms/ThesisDissertationGuide.pdf

CIS 518--CIS Research Methodologies

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

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

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


References:Textbooks and References: 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.



Course Goals: At the end of the semester, the student should be able to:

1. Use library resources to obtain published papers2. Explain differences between refereed and non-refereed

publications3. List and describe research methods used in computer and

information science literature4. List refereed publications for core areas of research

in computer and information sciences5. Use techniques for defining and communicating research6. Identify and discuss what constitutes research in

computer and information sciences.7. Demonstrate an understanding of how to assess research.8. Prepare an annotated bibliography and explain the

benefits of annotated bibliographies9. Explain the relationships among the terms: citation,

reference, and annotated bibliography.10. Apply appropriate techniques for experimental

design, testing, measurement and evaluation, result analysis, result presentation (oral and written).

11. Discuss the ethical and legal issues related to human subjects in experiments

12. List and discuss the issues related to plagiarism.

Prerequisites by Topic:Graduate Professional Component. Typically, the earliest thata student can take this course is in the second semester of their study.

Major Topics Covered in the Course:See list above.



Laboratory projectsThis course has evolved over the last several years. It is used as vehicle for several related but distinct objectives related to research in computer and information sciences:i) Development of a prospectus for students choosing the thesis option.

A student who chooses this option is planning to enroll in CIS 595 next semester to defend a thesis prospectus and thento enroll in CIS 599 to complete a thesis.

ii) Development of a scholarly manuscript for submission, publication, and/or presentation to a professional organization. A student who chooses this option is planning to submit the manuscript to a suitable journal or conference either this semester or next semester. If the study is more complex than can be managed this semester, the student may choose to enroll in CIS 594 or CIS 598, as appropriate, to complete and submit the manuscript.

iii) Preparation of a scientific report of an experimental software engineering project. A student who chooses this option is planning to enroll in CIS 598 for a short-term project OR toenroll in ISC 595/CSC 595 (depending on the students specialization) to defend an innovative plan for a complex project and then to enroll in ISC 598/CSC 598 to complete and submit the project and the project documentation.

iv) A comparative study of different approaches used in computing research. A student who chooses this option is planning to enroll in a CIS 594 (directed study) with one of the graduate CIS faculty and is using the CIS 518 to become familiar with the area of the directed study.



Oral and Written Communication RequirementsEvery student is required to submit at least _13__ written reports (not including exams, tests, quizzes, or commented programs) of typically _1-25 pages and to make _4__ oral presentations of typically _2-15__ minutes duration. Include only material that is graded for grammar, spelling, style, andso forth, as well as for technical content, completeness, and accuracy. List of all writing assignments required of students. General class assignments:

o Three writing assignments related to topics from the Davis & Parker book.

o One writing assignment on the topic of plagiarism.o One writing assignment on the topic of research methods

for Computer Science and Information Systems—this usually follows presentations by one Computer Science and one Information Systems graduate faculty member whoeach discuss their research interests and methodological approaches used for their research.

Student individual writing assignments:o Initial topic/problem statement.o Annotated Bibliography—semester-long endeavor. o Final paper development and review: A phased-build

approach is employed to prepare a document that demonstrates student understanding of research methods in computing—the document is developed in phases by student with each phase reviewed by the instructor. Each electronic submission must conform to provided guidelines for structure (chapters with citations, references used in citation, and annotated bibliographyitems). Each submission after the first must also address any questions, comments, or directives given inthe reviewed document—all reviews use track-changes.

Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Literature Review (thesis, research

paper, special interest) or Project Requirements (project)



Chapter 3: Research Model, Formal Hypothesis Statement (thesis, research paper) or Project Plan(project), or Research Questions (special interest)

Chapter 4: Methodology (thesis, research paper) orProject Timeline (project) or Suggested Research Questions (special interest)

Chapter 5: Timeline for Completing the Thesis (thesis) or Analysis of Results (research paper) or Discussion (project only if completed) or Discussion (special interest)

Paper Abstract. Student presentations.

o No Powerpoint. Each student is required to report on their progress at least 3 times during the semester: after topic is identified (3 minutes), after submissionof chapter 3 (3 minutes) , and after submission of chapter 4 (3 minutes).

o Powerpoint Preparation. Each student is required to prepare a powerpoint presentation of their paper. Thesis and Project concentration students are required to make a presentation—maximum is 15 minutes (faculty mentors are invited); Course-Only concentration students are required to prepare powerpoint handouts for members of the class and to make a 3 minute presentation (no powerpoint viewer) about their work for the semester

Other assignments:o Turnitin.com—first submission: two annotated

bibliography items.o Turnitin.com—second submission: the final paper

consisting of title, abstract, structured document, andreferences (no annotated bibliography items!) with all matching text explained (i.e. properly cited).

o Discussant: each student is assigned a paper to read and prepare two questions to be asked during the final presentation.



o A final examination is being prototyped for the course.o A special course survey is administered at the end of

the semester.

Important Dates. See http://www.southalabama.edu/academiccalendar.html for the complete academic calendar for the academic year

SUMMER TERM 2005 Late Registration and Drop/Add May 31-June 2 Tuesday-

ThursdayLast day to add a courseLast day to change to audit

June 2 Thursday

Last day for Fall Semester 2005 degree applications

June 3 Friday

50% refund period begins on dropped courses and complete withdrawals for Summer 2005 for First Term

June 3 Friday

50% refund period begins on dropped courses and complete withdrawals for Summer 2005 for Full Term (including housing)

June 7 Tuesday

No refunds after this date for First Term classes June 7 TuesdayNo refunds after this date for Full Term classes June 13 MondayThesis/dissertations first submission deadline toOffice of Graduate Dean by 5:00 p.m.

June 24 Friday

Last Day to drop a First Term course June 24 FridayClasses end for First Term classes June 27 MondayExam day for First Term classes June 27 MondaySecond Term classes begin June 28 Tuesday50% refund period begins on withdrawals for Second Term classes

July 1 Friday

Fourth of July Holiday for students, faculty, staff and administration

July 4 Monday

Fall Semester 2005 advising for continuing and readmitted students

July 5-8 Tuesday-Friday

No refunds after this date for Second Term classes

July 5 Tuesday

Priority readmission deadline for Fall Semester 2005

July 6 Wednesday

Last day for faculty reports on graduate and undergraduate incomplete grades

July 6 Wednesday

Theses/dissertations due in Office of Graduate July 8 Friday CIS 518--CIS Research Methodologies

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


Dean by 5:00 p.m.Fall Semester 2005 Registration for continuing and readmitted students begins

July 11 Monday

Thesis/dissertation grades due in the Registrar’sOffice by 5:00 p.m.

July 18 Monday

Last day of Full/Second Term classes July 25 MondayLast day to drop a Second Term or Full Term CourseLast day to withdraw from the University

July 25 Monday

Final Examinations for Full Term/Second Term classes

July 26-29 Tuesday-Friday

CIS 518-501 & 502 July 27 5:45-7:45 pmFinal web grade entry due by 10:00 a.m. August 2 Tuesday

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

attachmentDocumentation Electronic submission throughout the semester Prepared with a microcomputer-based word processor (Rich

text format) – templates may be provided Submissions must comply with thesis submission or other

specified guidelines. All submissions (instructor-, peer-, or mentor-reviewed)

dated and arranged in chronological order Must be submitted for final grade and will be retained

by the instructor

The CIS GRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR: The CIS 518 will be conducted in conjunction with the CIS Graduate Research Seminar. Students enrolled in this course will assist in conducting the Seminar series.

The 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.

Attendance: Graduate students who are enrolled in any of CIS 518, 594, 595, 598, and 599 are required to attend each seminar and to give presentations as appropriate. Graduate assistants are also required to attend each seminar.Presentations: In addition to the required presentations, a seminar may feature an invited guest, prospective faculty, or current CIS faculty. Few classes are scheduled in the time-slot for this class. Therefore, every attempt will be made toschedule presentations no more than twice a month on Mondays at 4:30-5:45 p.m. so that graduate student and faculty are provided the opportunity to attend and participate.

TURNITIN.COM Usage:"The University of South Alabama is committed to the fundamental value of academic honesty. The student handbook, The Lowdown, defines plagiarism as one form of academic misconduct which is "subject to investigation and disciplinaryaction through appropriate university procedures." Plagiarism is using somebody else's ideas and/or words in your writing without correctly identifying the sources. As one resource forhelping you avoid plagiarism, your written work in this class may be submitted to Turnitin.com, or a similar detection method, for an evaluation of the originality of your ideas andproper use and attribution of sources. Assignments submitted to Turnitin.com will be included as source documents in a restricted access database solely for the purpose of detectingpossible plagiarism of such documents. As part of this process, you may be required to submit electronic as well as hard copies of your writing. By taking this course, you agree that all assignments may be subject to some form of originality review. A paper not submitted according to procedures and format set by the instructor may be penalized or may not be accepted at all."


Section II: Semester Paper GuidelinesSummer 2005

Section II: Semester Paper Guidelines

Individualized course objectivesThis class is an eclectic blend of interests and objectives. All students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the scientific approach. Some structure is necessary for assessment according to the approach you have selected.

Within the objectives of the course, I will attempt to accommodate the personal objectives of four student types in this class:

1. Those who are definitely (or might be) interested in thethesis option.

2. Those who are interested in doing a research paper.3. Those who are interested in completing a project.4. (most of you!)

The relevant question on everyone’s mind is: How can you meet the requirements for your student type? In the remainder of this document, specific objectives, requirements, and structure are presented. Because of the nature of the development of your topic, I may make suggestions to an individual that strays slightly from the format for your student type for this class.

General Notes:1. Because I will be interacting with each of you for

individual goals, I will need some assistance in organizing your submissions to me. The standards that are given below should provide me with the information I need to work efficiently. For each document submitted, the following standard should applya. File Naming Conventions:

i. File Name: CIS518-ssxx-last name+submission numberwhere ss is the semester (FA, SP, SU) and xx is the last two digits of the year. Example CIS518-SU05-DAIGLE02

ii. Note: CIS 518--CIS Research Methodologies


1. Use the file save as and change the number to keep up with the different versions of your document.

2. I will add RD to your file name for my review. Example from above:

a. My review would be sent back to you as

CIS518-SU05-DAIGLE02RDb. You would send your next revisions back

to me as CIS518-SU05-DAIGLE03



b. Document Information: In WORD, i. Author Information

1. go to file, properties; in the Author textbox2. Type in your last name, first name, and

student number as author and Type code (see definition of Type Code below)

3. Type codes area. Thesis Prospectusb. Research Paperc. Project Studyd. Special Interest

4. Example: Daigle, Roy 123456 Special Interestii. Heading:

1. Use view heading and footing;2. Choose insert autotext;3. Choose Author, Page, Date4. Example: See heading this paper.

iii. Footing: 1. Use view heading and footing; 2. Switch to footing3. Use Insert Autotext;4. Choose Filename5. Center the filename entry in the footer and

the Close6. Example: See footing this paper—Note: your

filename should be formatted as described earlier!2. Annotated Bibliography entries are required of all types.

a. See guidelines in syllabusb. These should be continuously maintained in your

document file, at the end of your written narrative.c. References in your narrative should be to entries in

your annotated bibliography.



Guidance For Type 1: Thesis Option StudentsYour objective is to make significant progress in developing your prospectus for CIS 595. Therefore

1. Read Chapters 8 & 9 in the Davis book.2. A thorough review of the literature is required. All

references examined must be collected in an annotated bibliography that must accompany each iteration of your document.

3. Your problem statement will be developed, over the next four weeks into a prospectus document…usually 20-25 pages in length.

4. You will interact with your advisor and me frequently during this period.

5. The Format of your prospectus and the thesis are similar:a. Abstract – (A compact description of the objectives of

your research)b. Chapter 1 – Introduction (1-2 pages culminating with

your research question)c. Chapter 2 – Literature Review (varying in length but

designed to provide the reader with a sense of the history upon which your research effort is based)

d. Chapter 3 – Research Problem (identifies all variables by name, type and definition, gives research model of relations among variable, and formally statement of eachhypothesis)

e. Chapter 4 – Research Methods (how was the study conducted? How are the variables operationalized? How isdata collected? How will it be analyzed? Etc)

f. Chapter 5 – i. For the prospectus – Timeline for completing the

study and defense of thesisii. For the thesis – Analysis of results obtained from

the studyg. Chapter 6 – Conclusions, Discussion (What has been

learned from the study?)6. A presentation before the class using PowerPoint is

required.7. The prospectus and the presentation must be provided in

electronic form.



Guidance For Type 2: Research PaperYour objective is to essentially develop a mini-thesis. Therefore the structure of your output document is the same as a thesis.

1. Read Chapters 8 & 9 in the Davis book.2. A limited review of the literature is expected. All

references examined must be collected in an annotated bibliography that must accompany each iteration of your document.

3. Your problem statement will develop rapidly. By the end of next week your document should have progressed through step 8 found on page 89 (replace Summary in number 1 with Abstract). The next parts are your document should deal with conducting the study: a. gathering data as needed, b. presentation of the data analysis according to your

research approach, c. a discussion of the implications of the study results, d. ending with conclusions and future directions

4. A presentation before the class using PowerPoint is required.

5. The research paper and the presentation must be provided in electronic form.



Guidance for Type 3: ProjectYour objective is to prepare a scientific study of your project.

1. Read Chapters 8 & 9 in the Davis book.2. A limited review of the literature relevant to the project

is expected. All references examined must be collected in an annotated bibliography that must accompany each iteration of your document.

3. The structure of your document is given as follows:a. Abstract .b. Chapter 1—Introduction (Project overview and relevance,

What is the problem and why is it important to solve? What has been done previously in this project area?)

c. Chapter 2 – Project requirements (by what criteria will success be evaluated)

d. Chapter 3 – Project (how will the project be completed, identification of software, hardware, development methods, technology used, testing techniques, and any other special techniques that will be used, and how will this solve the project objective?)

e. Chapter 4 –i. Project Proposal – Project Implementation Timeline

including project defenseii. Project Completion – Project Analysis (What were

the results of doing the project? For each requirement, was it met? As planned? Workarounds? Why or why not? What failed? Was unforeseen?)

f. Chapter 5 -- Discussion (what did you learn from doing the project? what would you do if you could start all over again? What options would you change?)

g. References - what previous published work did you cite in your chapters?

h. Annotated Bibliography - what published work did you read and for which you made notes (even those that you did not cite in your chapters!)

4. A presentation before the class using PowerPoint is required; a demonstration of the project is required during the presentation.

5. The project, project study, and the presentation must be provided in electronic form.



Guidance For type 4 above: Individualized Comparative Study in Interest AreaYour objective is to prepare a limited comparative study in a topical area that is of specific interest to you.

1. Read Chapters 8 & 9 in the Davis book.2. Use The Topic Analysis Form on page 82 to pick an area of

interest to you (ideas may come from courses taken, current topics, or your personal interests)

3. Find and read 3-5 papers (references) that are relevant tothe topic that you wish to study. All references examinedmust be collected in an annotated bibliography that must accompany each iteration of your document.

4. The structure of your document is given as follows:a. Abstract b. Chapter 1 - Objective of the study. (Why is this topic

of interest to you? What specific area are you interested in? Why did you select the references included in this study?)

c. Chapter 2 - Literature overview (Tell me about the research methods, models, etc that was used in the references and the results—this should be an expansion and integration of the annotated bibliography).

d. Chapter 3 – Research questions (For each of the references, what might be unanswered questions, what were the limitations of the studies that you have reviewed, are the studies repeatable (why/why not), can the studies be generalized, is there a constraint that can be removed that might lead to another interesting study?

e. Chapter 4 -- If you had to prepare a research proposal, what would be 2 or 3 problem statements that you would consider…explain why.

f. Chapter 5 -- Discussion (what did you learn about the topic and the research methods used for the topic)

5. No presentation is required but a PowerPoint presentation must be prepared.

6. The final paper and the presentation must be provided in electronic form.



7. Maximum length of paper is 20 pages, double spaced…thisincludes the annotated bibliography. Therefore you mustthink about what you want to be the focus and what is needed to support the focus. You must NOT merely do a data dump…think, organize, be concise but complete, andprepare a presentation that is more scientific...make no wild, unsubstantiated claims. I will not accept lengthy, unorganized papers for completing the course requirement.



Additional Notes:

A. Notes on the Abstract:Summarized from [Day, 1998]1. Miniversion of paper2. Brief summary of Introduction, Methods,

Results, and Discussiona. State the principal objectives and

scope of the investigationb. Describe the methods employedc. Summarize the resultsd. State the principal conclusions

3. Consider target audience4. Written in past tense5. Literature references only in special

circumstances6. Max 250 words – Don’t waste words –

“Economically and scientifically…”7. Usually prepared after the paper is

written

B. Notes on the Introduction:Summarized from Chapter 14 [Salkin,2003]1. Miniversion of paper2. “…provides framework for the problem being studied and

context for the statement of the purpose of the study being reported.”

3. Provides sufficient background material (this may include citations) to justify the importance of the problem.

4. Clear statement of the purpose of the study.5. May include one or more hypothesis statements.

Introduction from Chapter 8 [Davis, 1997]1. general problem area2. specific problem3. importance of topic4. research approach of the dissertation (study)5. limitations and key assumptions



6. contributions to the research literature

References[Day, 1998] How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 5th Edition, by

Robert A. Day, Oryx Press, 1998.[Salkind, 2003] Exploring Research, 5th Edition, by Neil J. Salkind,

Prentice-Hall, 2003.[Davis, 1997] Writing the Doctoral Dissertation: A Systematic Approach ,

2nd Edition, by Gordon E. Davis and Clyde A. Parker, Barrons, 1997.


Section III: Annotated BibliographySummer 2005

Section III: Annotated Bibliography

“Annotated Bibliography: All references must be accompanied by an annotated bibliography that includes the following items: Annotated Bibliography items are required before documents will be accepted for review.

i) Complete reference to the paper, book, manuscript, webpage, etc.

ii) A description of the research objectives of the paper.

iii) A description of the research methods used by the authors.

iv) A description of the results obtained.v) A description of the limitations of the research.vi) A description of how this is/is not related to your

proposed study.”Daigle, Roy J., “Course Syllabus”, CIS 518 Handouts, Summer, 2003, School of CIS, U. of South Alabama.

.



Assessment for Compliance for the homework must consider the following views:1. Instructor

a. Is the reference complete? Can it be “found”?b. Are all of the required parts addressed?c. Is there sufficient information in the annotated

bibliography for the instructor to “see” the relationship between the reference and the referenced part of the document?

d. Is this a “research” reference?e. What are the student’s ideas generated from the paper?f. Does it appear that no plagiarism has been committed in

the annotated bibliography?g. Does every citation in the paper appear in the list of

references?h. Does every reference have an associated annotated

bibliography?2. Mentor

a. Is the reference complete? Can it be “found”?b. Is this a “research” reference?c. Did the student “understand” the paper? In the context

of the research objectives, methods, results, and limitations?

d. What are the student’s ideas generated from the paper?e. Does it appear that no plagiarism has been committed in

the annotated bibliography?3. Student

a. Is the reference complete? Can it be “found”?b. Is this a “research” reference?c. Did the student “understand” the paper? In the context

of the research objectives, methods, results, and limitations?

d. Can the notes be used to “build” the document?e. What are the student’s ideas generated from the paper?f. Does it appear that no plagiarism has been committed in

the annotated bibliography?g. Does every citation in the paper appear in the list of



references?h. Does every reference have an associated annotated

bibliography?



Annotated Bibliography Example

The following references might be cited in a research paper (with thanks to Victor Richerson—former ISC Graduate Student)

References[Career Guide, 2002] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Computing and Data Processing Services. The 2002-03 Career Guide to Industries. Online. http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs033.htm

[Davy, 2000] J. R. Davy, K. Audin, M. Barkham, C. Joyner. Student Well-Being in a Computing Department. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 5thannual SIGCSE/SIGCUE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education. July 2000, Volume 32 Issue 3.

The minimal information that might be collected from the two references above for an annotated bibliography are illustrated on the next two pages.



Title Computing and Data Processing ServicesAuthor(s)

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Published

The 2002-03 Career Guide to Industries

Source http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs033.htmPublicationNumber

Bulletin 2541

ReferenceLink

[Care er Guide, 2002 ]

Research Objective(s)To evaluate and illustrate the “Nature of the Industry, Working Conditions, Employment, Occupations in the Industry, Training and Advancement, Earnings, and Outlook” for the Computing and Data Processing Services Industry in the United States of America.

Research Method(s)Not Listed.

Results of ResearchEvaluation and illustration of the “Nature of the

Industry, Working Conditions, Employment, Occupations in the Industry, Training and Advancement, Earnings, and Outlook” for the Computing and Data Processing Services Industry in the United States of America.

Limitations of ResearchGovernmental Research.

Related to Thesis?Basis for determining the occupations and related

information about those occupations that students need



to be made aware of, as described in the abstract.



Title Student Well-Being in a Computing Department.Author(s)

J. R. Davy, K. Audin, M. Barkham, C. Joyner.

Published

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 5th annual SIGCSE/SIGCUE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education July 2000, Volume 32 Issue 3

Source http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/343048.343145 ISSN 0097-8418Reference Link

Davy, 2000

Research Objective(s)To measure the well-being of students in the School

of Computer Studies at Leeds University in the UK and to link student well-being to personal, local, and external factors, as well as the learning outcomes of the students.

Research Method(s)Incoming freshmen were given a psychological

questionnaire called CORE: Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation that is designed to give a good measure of well-being. The students were given CORE questionnaires four weeks into their first semester, at the end of the first semester, and at the end of the second semester. The objective was to measure thestudents’ well-being as they progressed through their freshman year. The CORE assessment was modified to include stresses specific to students of computing. The experiment was run again with new freshmen the following year, while providing specific support to the new group using the results collected from the first group. The assessments of each group were compared to see if any appreciable progress had been made in improving student well-being.



Results of ResearchThe research showed that the students in the School

of Computer Studies were indeed under significant stresses specifically related to computing. In addition, the well-being of the students was affected on many other general measures as well. The second group of freshmen seemed to benefit from the extra support provided to them as a result of the first study.

Limitations of ResearchThe study has a small sample size and may not

relate to the general population. The experiment was relatively uncontrolled.

Related to Thesis?As a measure of the pressures and needs of new

students.


Section V: Final Presentation Guidelines:Summer 2005

Section IV: Additional Assignments

Assignment 1: Research skills Directions: Using the techniques for locating publications,

1. Locate at least 5 publications, which are relevant to your self-selected subject area (or one of the suggested subject areas below), and paste the search results in a document.

2. Choose one (1) of the publications to read and, accordingto the guidance in your syllabus and the sample handouts,prepare

a. an annotated bibliography for that publication andb. a reference for that publication.

3. Save your search results from 1. above, the annotated bibliography and reference from 2. above in a file—see file name requirements for this assignments.

4. Submit one of your annotated bibliography items to turnitin.coma. Logon to the internet and type in http://turnitin.comb. If you have not done so, choose Create a User Profile found

beneath the Login form, providing the requested information.

c. Enroll in A Class, enter 1239906 for the Class ID and RESEARCH for the Enrollment Password

d. You may then login in, click on CIS 518 SUMMER 2005e. Submit the final draft of your paper with abstract but

without the annotated bibliography for the Annotated Bibliography assignment.

f. Revise and resubmit until the final due date to resolveany problems with citations

Due Date: Email the electronic version in WORD to your instructor by class time June 13.

File Name: CIS518-SUMMER05-A1-lastname.doc (eg. CIS518-SUMMER05-A1-Daigle.doc)

If you have not yet selected a subject area, then use one of the following topics: CIS 518--CIS Research Methodologies

http://turnitin.com/


Ubiquitous Computing Diffusion of Innovations Internet Monitoring

Approaches Dynamic Web

Personalization Image Compression Voice-activated

Programming Automation of Software

Testing Modeling Security Threats Wireless LAN Security

Internet Trustworthiness Software Reuse Software Metrics Knowledge Hiding in

Databases Cryptographic Techniques

in Communication Environment

Database Security Software Engineering in

Organization Information Systems in

Organizations



Assignment 2: Read Chapters 1 – 3 out of Davis’ book. Directions: For each item in the assignment below, prepare a maximum of a one (1) page word-processed, double-spaced response.Due Date: Email your response to your instructor by class timeJune 8. File Name: CIS518-SUMMER05-A2-lastname.doc (eg. CIS518- SUMMER05-A2-Daigle.doc) 1. Chapter 1:

a. Summarize the sources of James Carthy’s problems with completing his dissertation. What other problems, through your experiences or observations, might also bea source of problems for completing a thesis from the School of CIS?

b. Summarize the sources of Ted Maren’s success with completing his dissertation. What have you personally done to insure the successful completion of your thesis/research paper for completing your masters degree requirements? What else would you suggest to anentering graduate CIS student?

c. Prepare an examination question that is appropriate forthis chapter and answer the question.

2. Chapter 2:a. What do you think is the difference between a “paper”

and a thesis? b. What do you think is the difference between a “class

project” and “a research-oriented project?c. Prepare an examination question that is appropriate for

this chapter and answer the question.3. Chapter 3:

a. In your own words, why does a thesis (dissertation) qualify as a knowledge work.

b. Prepare an examination question that is appropriate forthis chapter and answer the question.

Assignment 3: Read Chapters 4-9 out of Davis’ book. Directions: For each item in the assignment below, prepare a



maximum of a one (1) page word-processed, double-spaced response.Due Date: Email your response to your instructor by 5:30 pm, June 15File Name: CIS518-SUMMER05-A3-lastname.doc (eg. CIS518-SUMMER05-A3-Daigle.doc)

1. For the School of CIS, for your specialization (CSC or ISC), what do you believe are the most important qualities of

a. A thesis/project advisorb. A thesis/project committee member

2. Does the structure of the document required for this course support the notions in Chapter 5, 6, 7, and 8? Explain

3. Do you agree with the authors’ position on “projects” in Chapter 6? Explain.

4. Prepare an event list (see page 21) and a corresponding time table (see page 22) for completing your document (thesis prospectus, project proposal, special topic paper, or research paper). Justify any events that are added or removed from the author’s list.

Assignment 4: Plagiarism.Directions: For each item in the assignment below, prepare a maximum of a one (1) page word-processed, double-spaced response.Due Date: Email your response to your instructor by 5:30 pm, June 20.File Name: CIS518-SUMMER05-A4-lastname.doc (e.g. CIS518-SUMMER05-A4-Daigle.doc)

1. What is the relevance (if any) of the guidelines to the preparation of an annotated bibliography? Explain.

2. List and give a brief description of three situations forwhich a citation is needed? (Be careful to cite your sources!)

3. Your assignment 1 may be viewed as a structured annotatedbibliography reading assignment. Revise the assignment



given below to include items a. and b.a. A reference list that minimally includes the Davis

textbookb. Demonstrate the proper use of citations throughout

the response. Please include an example of each of the three situations that you provided in part 2 of this assignment.Assignment 1, 3. Chapter 3a. (In your own words, whydoes a thesis (dissertation) qualify as a knowledge work.)


Section V: Final Presentation Guidelines

A. Electronic versions of the following are required before a final course grade is assigned.

1. Final draft of your paper with abstract and annotated bibliography

2. Powerpoint presentation (see guidelines below)3. Submit your final submission consisting of title,

abstract, paper chapters, and reference list (do not include the annotated bibliography) to turnitin.com

a. Logon to the internet and type in http://turnitin.com

b. Enroll in A Class, enter 1239906 for the Class ID andRESEARCH for the Enrollment Password

c. You may then login in, click on CIS 518 SUMMER 2005

d. Submit the final draft of your paper with abstractbut without the annotated bibliography for the Final Submission for the semester assignment.

e. Revise and resubmit until the final due date to resolve any problems with citations

A. Structure of Presentation: Design your presentations to last no more than 20 minutes. In the

suggested organization below, structure may vary and times are estimated. The title entries depend upon the type of paper you have been working on…seethe parenthetical remark next to each title. Source for slides is indicated by the document component listed for your type paper although you may want to tell your story differently.

I. (Time Estimate: 2 minutes)Title: Cover SlideTitle of the work, your name, course-section-semester, names

of any mentors

II. (Time Estimate: 2 minutes)Title: Overview (all) Source: Abstract material

http://turnitin.com/

III. (Time Estimate: 2-4 minutes) Title: Introduction (all) Source: Chapter 1 material.

IV. (Time Estimate: 4-6) minutes) Title:

Literature Review (thesis, research paper, special interest)

Project Requirements (project) Source: Chapter 2 material.

V. (Time Estimate: 4-6 minutes) Title:

Research Model, Formal Hypothesis Statement (thesis, research paper)

Project Plan (project), Research Questions (special interest)

Source: Chapter 3 material

VI. (Time Estimate: 3-5 minutes)Title:

Methodology (thesis, research paper) Project Timeline (project) Suggested Research Questions (special interest)

Source: Chapter 4 materialVII. (Time Estimate: 0-3 minutes)

Title: Timeline for Completing the Thesis (thesis) Analysis of Results (research paper) Discussion (project only if completed) Discussion (special interest)

Source: Chapter 5 materialVIII. (Time Estimate: 0-3 minutes) Research paper only!

Title: Discussion Source: Chapter 6 material

IX. (Time Estimate: 15 seconds) References Source: Your paper. Formal reference entries as you would see in a journal.No Annotations here!

Section I: Course Syllabus Course: CIS 518 CIS Research Methodologies (3 semester hours) Section 501...

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Transcript of Section I: Course Syllabus Course: CIS 518 CIS Research Methodologies (3 semester hours) Section 501...