Research

• What is research?
  • Try this opinion.
  • Here is another.
  • What is the difference between research and review?
  • How about Wikipedia?
• CUR: Definition of Undergraduate Research: An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.
• Look at Day and Gastel's Introduction.
• We claim, in computer science, to be a science. How does this impact the definition of research?
• Review the second definition, including the scientific research definition.
  • The scientific definition of research generally states that a variable must be manipulated, although case studies and purely observational science do not always comply with this norm.
  • Do you think this applies to Computer Science?
  • How about Mathematics?
• What is the difference between the natural sciences and the mathematical sciences?
• What is computer science research? What is computer science?
  • An interesting IBM page.
  • This is a very written position paper on CS research.
  • Look again at the Wikipedia article, especially the steps in conducting research, and the next section on Scientific Research.
• My story, Part I
  • MS in CS, 1990.
  • I developed a computer graphics system to accompany a GUI for scientific calculation
  • I had a broad knowledge of computer graphics
  • I had practically no knowledge of the X window system.
  • The system consisted of:
    • An input language/parser (lex/yacc)
    • A set of data primitives. (text, line, point, polygon, circle, sphere, mesh) in both 2d and 3d.
    • A graphics display engine
    • A user interface, which generated commands in the language
    • The gui produced commands in the language.
    • The system could operate without the GUI (ie part of larger system)
    • Hard Copy options.
  • This required:
    • Learning the X windows system at a low level. (No manuals, no books, mostly source code)
    • Pulling multiple levels of CS into a single project.
    • Working with the parent project to ensure compatibility.
  • This resulted in
    • A masters thesis, reviewed by three faculty
    • A student paper at DISCO '90
    • A mention in other papers. (here).
  • I spent most of my time
    • Designing the project.
    • Figuring out how to accomplish tasks in X.
    • Coding/Debugging
    • Learning/implementing new techniques
      • Output to PS
      • Lex/Yacc
      • Hidden surface removal.
  • Was this research?
    • I doubt that there was any new knowledge created.
    • There was publication.
    • It was part of a larger project, which was published as well.
  • Was the scientific method employed?