1. I399 1 Research Methods for Informatics and Computing D: Basic Issues Geoffrey Fox gcf@indiana.edu http://www.infomall.org/I399 Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, School of Informatics and Computing Indiana University Bloomington Director, Digital Science Center, Pervasive Technology Institute

2. I399 2 Projects Explore Google wave for Research Collaboration (two) Design and implement the SOIC Undergraduate Research Resource including list of summer opportunities and everything our students do. Improve SOIC research descriptions by interviewing faculty/preparing movies etc. HCI-D Health Informatics Security Cyberinfrastructure/HPC and Bioinformatics Artificial Intelligence and Data mining Mobile/Ubiquitous Computing

3. I399 3 Why do Research Research is not the easiest area to work in – You can’t survive on 40 hour weeks as the competition is working harder than that Thus one needs to highly motivated and “interested” in result of research Curiosity is required both to motivate you and to drive you to keep asking questions – Keep asking Why Why Why ……… – Question any non trivial or surprising result

4. I399 4 Mother Nature v Person-made In traditional science fields such as physics, chemistry and biology, “Mother Nature” determines what is true and so has huge impact on what is interesting research. In Informatics and Computing, there are constraints from Nature (determining what chips of what performance one can build) but many important aspects are determined by people – Computers and Software are built to solve problems that people identify – Thus there is a lot more flexibility, richness and ambiguity in what’s important

5. I399 5 There are a lot of people Thus it is not so easy to find out new things competing with so many other people! Key is to work with others so you can build on their good ideas and combine them with yours Better to be a small part of a successful project rather than in charge of a failure – Either because it could not be completed or was not chosen for support Often requires looking across the country – I work with California on Earthquakes, Kansas on glaciers and Chicago/San Diego/….. on clouds

6. I399 6 Getting Started in Research Careers I As an undergraduate, you need to get started in something like this class. Opportunities like this include – NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) sites http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm -- these are typically 10 or more students at a single location http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm – NSF REU supplements available to any faculty with an NSF grant but often not taken up – Special local programs – there will be a campus web clearing house for undergraduate research – I will send you URL

7. I399 7 Research Careers II After graduating with an Undergraduate degree, you can continue research with 1)A job that is unconnected with research 2)A job connected to research 3)A Masters program in area related to research interests 4)A PhD program in research area You typically need a Masters or PhD to be a long term member of research area – i.e. 1) or 2) are transitional to 3) or 4) – 3) is often transitional to 4) You need a PhD to become faculty member performing research Research opportunities exist in Universities, Government laboratories or Industry – These prefer PhD whereas – Software development jobs (in “product” units) often are better with undergraduate or graduate degree

8. I399 8 Research Careers III Government Research Laboratories. Particularly strong are: – Department of Energy: Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab are near and very high quality – NASA: Goddard near Washington, Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California … Industry is decreasing research efforts: Microsoft, IBM, Lilly ….

9. I399 9 Research Careers IV Masters students are typically NOT supported by Universities PhD students typically get salary and tuition paid if admitted Often one gets a Masters en route to PhD (in Computing fields) Recommendations are essential to get admitted to PhD – Exams buy a “place at the table” – Recommendations get you admitted