RIT Department of Computer Science
CSCI-788-03C3: Master's Project Colloquium (Fall 2016)
Lecture Room: GOL-2690
Instructor: Prof. Richard Zanibbi ( rxzvcs(at)rit.edu )
Office Hours: W 10-11:50am, Fri. 2-2:50pm
Class: Thursdays, 11am-12:15pm
Resources
Available Master's Project Topics
The Department of Computer Science maintains a Wiki that holds descriptions of MS projects, organized by cluster (i.e. area of specialization). To see available topics, click on the link below, login with your CS account id and password, and then click on cluster names to see a list of available topic descriptions.
MS Project Descriptions (CS Wiki; login with CS credentials)Previous Projects (Reports and Posters)
Poster Templates
Required Materials
Textbook: Writing for Computer Science, 3rd edition, by Justin Zobel. An excellent introduction to writing and the research process in computer science (available online and from the campus bookstore)
Additional Resources
- Online Statistics Course (from Rice, Univ. Houston, and Tufts). The book is very well written, with many interactive examples and animations to illustrate key concepts.
- Prof. Zanibbi's Resources for Graduate Students
- Thesis and project report templates
- Links to MS theses and PhD dissertations
- Advice on writing, programming, and preparing talks
- Bibliographies: Tools for creating annotated bibiographies and paper collections:
- (MacOS) BibDesk
- (Cross-Platform) JabRef
- (Web-based: Firefox Browser) Zotero
- (Web-based) Mendeley
- Many of these tools will allow you to import bibtex entries from a text file. In a pinch, simply saving .pdf files for papers, and copying bib entries into a text file and placing notes in a 'note' or 'annote' field may do.
- It is a good idea to mark up .pdf files directly as well - this is very helpful for quickly remembering details of a paper. Many tools will let you mark up .pdf files associated with bibliographic entries, and then load the paper with annotations again later.
- Videos
- John Oliver on Scientific Studies
- Donald Knuth's advice for young people. Doing work with an impact requires deepening your own understanding and sharpening your own instincts. Sharp instincts include having good ideas based in strong technical knowledge, making logical analyses and conclusions, and quickly identifying when your ideas are wrong (warning: this is often the case!) and adjusting accordingly. Often, creating work with an impact does not require, and can even be hindered by trying to make sure one works on a 'popular' problem (which Knuth refers to as 'fads').
- Richard Feynman:
- on the Scientific Method. This is the most elegant and funny summary of the process and culture of science that I have seen to date.
- Naming things versus knowing things. Naming ≠ Knowing.
- ..and again on doubt, and not knowing things. Skepticism and doubt are essential, unavoidable aspects of scientific investigation - we can confirm theories, but never truly prove them. Science informs an ongoing debate, as opposed to adding to a body of "certain" knowledge.