Edinburgh Research Explorer

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1 dinburgh Research xplorer How to get a PhD in A Citation for published version: Bundy, A, Ben, DB, Jim, H & Gordon, P 1984, How to get a PhD in A. in T O Shea & M isenstadt (eds), Artificial ntelligence Skills. Harper and Row. Link: Link to publication record in dinburgh Research xplorer Document Version: Peer reviewed version Published n: Artificial ntelligence Skills General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the dinburgh Research xplorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of dinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that dinburgh Research xplorer content complies with UK legislation. f you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact openaccess@ed.ac.uk providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 05. Dec. 2017

2 Alan Bundy 1 A Research Methodology How to Get a PhD in nformatics Alan Bundy University of dinburgh H T O F U D N N V B R U S R T Y H G Alan Bundy 2 A Research Methodology A Daunting Prospect? Significant and Original Research. Creativity is learnable. Researchers Bible. Anyone can do it: sufficiently bright; work hard; take our advice. Alan Bundy 3 A Research Methodology Choosing a Project Criteria project must meet: inspiring; significant and original; do-able; supervisable. Sources of ideas: supervisor & other colleagues; read literature of chosen area; further work suggestions of others; previously, badly done work. Alan Bundy 4 A Research Methodology Types of Research Development of new techniques. xploration of existing techniques: theoretical analysis; rational reconstruction; experimental exploration and hypothesis testing; comparison of several techniques; comparison to natural systems. xtension and improvement of existing techniques. Application of known techniques to new domains.

3 Alan Bundy 5 A Research Methodology Hypothesis and vidence What hypotheses will you investigate? Along what dimensions will you explore properties or relations of techniques or systems? What kind of evidence will you present to support your hypotheses? Alan Bundy 6 A Research Methodology Manna from Heaven. vory Tower. Solving the World. Ambitious Paralysis. Computer Bum. Stamp Collecting. Misunderstood Genius. Postgraduate Diseases Beating Around the Bush: philosophy + history. Alan Bundy 7 A Research Methodology Psychological Hurdles Loneliness of the long distance researcher. Research impotence. arly morning Cold start. Fear of exposure. Dealing with criticism Alan Bundy 8 A Research Methodology Good Working Habits: Keeping Regular Regular hours: get a routine. Regular reading: outer, middle and inner circles. Regular writing: notes, technical reports and journal articles. Regular talking: informal chats, seminars and conference talks. Regular check-ups: where am going? what will it be like when get there? what step should take next?

4 Alan Bundy 9 A Research Methodology xercise n relation to your project, define the outer, middle and inner circles for your reading. Alan Bundy 10 A Research Methodology Structure of Thesis ntroduction: motivation, extended contents. Literature Survey: broad and shallow. Background: technical introduction. Specification: what you required. mplementation: what you did. Results: how well it worked. Related Work: deep and narrow. Further Work: what is left to do. Conclusion: significance of achievement. Appendices: glossary, full results, example traces, selected code, etc. Alan Bundy 11 A Research Methodology Thesis Message Abstract of thesis. ach sentence corresponds roughly to thesis chapter. Whole reads as central argument of thesis. Helps ensure thesis hangs together and nothing is missing. Alan Bundy 12 A Research Methodology Thesis Message: xample The Computational Modelling of Religious Concepts by Fr. Aloysius Hacker 1. We apply ideas from Computer Science to the understanding of religious concepts. 2. Previous attempts to explain religious concepts, e.g. the holy trinity and miracles, have often encountered philosophical problems. 3. These problems arose because the appropriate terminology was not available. Computational terminology often provides an appropriate analogy. 4. Although some problems still remain, e.g. free will, 5. We are seeing the beginning of a new, computational theology.

5 Alan Bundy 13 A Research Methodology Relations with your Supervisor Meet regularly. Provide written and oral reports. Talk over problems. You can swop them. Alan Bundy 14 A Research Methodology Summary You too can get a PhD just by following this simple advice. Keep doing meta-research. Keep regular stay healthy. Communicate! Recommended Reading: Researchers Bible. Alan Bundy 15 A Research Methodology Overall Summary The scientific nature of nformatics, exploration of a space of techniques; Criteria for assessing nformatics research, similar to other science; The methodology of nformatics, signs of a maturing field. Research success is not magic, practical hints on how to achieve it.