Transkills Course
How to do an Informatics PhD

Optional Reading

Below are some links to online advice on doing Informatics research. I have deliberately including a range of views, not all of which I agree with.

Lecture Notes

These notes are from courses I have given previously on research methodology.

• Bundy, A. The Nature of Informatics.
• Bundy, A. The Need for Hypotheses in Informatics.
• Bundy, A. Empirical Methods.
• Bundy, A. Artificial Intelligence Research Methodologies: Lecture Notes.

Research Methodology

• Jensen, D. Research Methods for Empirical Computer Science. a course on CS research methodologies offered at the University of Massachusetts, USA.
• Report of a working group of The Royal Academy of Engineers and The British Computer Society., The Challenges of Complex IT Projects.
• Stevens, P., A Verification Tool Developer's Vade Mecum.
• Griswold, W.G. How to Read an Engineering Research Paper. .
• An amusing take on the reviewing process.
• Contains strong language.

The Nature of Informatics

• Milner, R. Is computing an experimental science?. Journal of Information Technology 2,2, 1987, pp60--66.
• Denning, P.J. Is Computer Science Science?.
• Wing, J.M Computational Thinking.
• Lighthill, J. The Lighthill Report. SRC, 1974. Also, a video of the debate on the report at the Royal Institution and broadcast by the BBC. Panelists are James Lighthill, Donald Michie, John McCarthy and Richard Gregory.
• Sloman A. Exploring Design Space and Niche Space, Procs Scandinavian Conference on AI, IOS Press, 1995.
• Cohen, P. A Survey of the Eighth National Conference on AI: Pulling Together or Pulling Apart, Amherst Technical Report 91-68, 1991.
• Marr, D. Artificial Intelligence: A Personal View AI Journal.
• McDermott, D. Artificial Intelligence meets Natural Stupidity from "Mind Design" edited by John Haughland.
• Sloman, A. Types of Research in Computing Science, Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence.

Codes of Conduct

• Code of good practice in research from University of Edinburgh.
• British Computer Society Code of Conduct.
• Corne, D.W. Conduct in Research Professional Activity . A discussion of good and bad practice in reviewing and writing papers and grant proposals.
• Best Practice Guidelines on Publication Ethics: a Publisher's Perspective from Blackwells.

Practical Hints

• Bundy, A., du Boulay, B., Howe, J.A.M. and Plotkin, G. The Researcher's Bible.
• Schwartz, M.A. The importance of stupidity in scientific research . Journal of Cell Science 121, 1771 (2008).
• Weinberg, S. Four Golden Lessons: Text of commencement talk given by the author at the Science Convocation at McGill University in June 2003.
• Hamming, R.. You and Your Research. Discussion of what it takes to do Nobel Prize winning quality research.
• Carroll, S. How to Be a Good Graduate Student.
• Barley, S. Staying the course. An article in the New Scientist 18th December 2010 on the unexpected obstacles that could arise duing your PhD and how to overcome them.
• Sanscartier, M. and Johnston, M. How to thrive on academic criticism
• Green, D.R. The Astonishing Secret to Getting Jobs, Grants, Papers, and Happiness in Research
• Butterworth, R. I did a PhD and did NOT go mad
• Anon Online PhD Guide
• Rocky Dunlap Advice for PhD Students from Rocky Dunlap's Blog. Rocky shares some of the lessons he has painfully learned over a too-long period as a PhD student.
• Robert Brown Write Right First Time. Practical advice on improving your paper writing with self-help groups called 'learning sets' and asking eight important questions.
• Hal R. Varian How to Build an Economic Model in Your Spare Time. Good research methodology about model building.