Course co-ordinator(s): Dr Hamish Taylor (Edinburgh).
Aims:
This research course will be taught primarily by individual supervision and secondarily by a limited number of weekly lectures that aim to
- Impart skills in critical thinking, research planning, academic writing and experimental design appropriate for a post-graduate research programme.
- Impart skills in research project planning
- Develop a critical awareness of legal, social, ethical and professional issues relevant for computer science and its research.
Detailed Information
Course Description: Link to Official Course Descriptor.
Pre-requisites: none.
Location: Edinburgh.
Semester: 2.
Syllabus:
- Research aims and objectives, critical analysis of a research problem, critical review of relevant literature and investigative design.
- Research paper and proposal writing
- Research project planning, testing, risk analysis, requirements and design.
- Human factors in software engineering and computer science.
- Experimental design and software evaluation.
- Professional and academic standards and issues.
- Legal, social and ethical issues in Computer Science and its research.
Learning Outcomes: Subject Mastery
Understanding, Knowledge and Cognitive Skills Scholarship, Enquiry and Research (Research-Informed Learning)
- Ability to write literature review which critically evaluates research and current technical developments against stated aims and objectives.
- Ability to search for and evaluate the value of online and printed scientific literature.
- A critical understanding of the role of human factors in software engineering, and of a range of techniques for designing and evaluating with users in mind.
- A detailed understanding of general issues in experimental design, and how to verify a research hypothesis.
- An ability to apply general methodologies for research project planning, and more specific methodologies related to Computer Science and its research projects.
- Awareness of professional and academic codes of conduct, safety, quality and security standards, UK computing law and ethical aspects of computing
Learning Outcomes: Personal Abilities
Industrial, Commercial & Professional Practice Autonomy, Accountability & Working with Others Communication, Numeracy & ICT
- A proper appreciation of current professional, legal and ethical standards relevant to academia and the IT industry.
- Ability to work independently on a small research project, planning and managing time.
- Ability to present work effectively to others both orally and written.
- An ability to use software tools appropriate to literature search and IT project planning and evaluation.
- Ability to reflect on relevant normative issues arising from academic computer science practice
Assessment Methods:
Assessment: Coursework: (weighting – 100%
SCQF Level: 12.
Credits: 15.