2. What are these course?
The courses are for students
who are interested in research in
'real world' settings. You will
learn methods for exploring how
and why various
information/computer systems
are designed, implemented and
used.
Two variants:
•IT3010 – Mandatory for
master students (Spring
term)
•TDT39 – Selectable for
engineering students
(Autumn)
3. 3
What do we teach?
You
Other researchers
Your research
Practice
Rigor
Relevance
4. 4
What is the framework?
Practical
Problem
Research
Question
Research
Problem
Research
Answer
motivates
definesfinds
helps to solve
Purpose
Aim
Objective
5. What is the framework?
Figure 3.1 in: B. J. Oates, Researching Information Systems and Computing. London: Sage Publications, 2006.
6. The book
Briony J. Oates,
Researching
Information Systems
and Computing.
London: Sage
Publications, 2006.
7. 7
Course deliverable
• Students' research plan for
master thesis.
• A template will be provided
for the plan, along with
some example plans.
• The template is based on
the book and should
support master project
evaluation criteria (E and
V).
8. 8
Research plan
• Contents:
– Purpose: Why you want to do
this research? What is the
relevance?
– Contributions: What new
knowledge will you produce?
– Research method: What
research strategy/method will
you use?
– Participants: Who do you need
for your research? What
resources do you need?
– Research paradigm: Is this a
positivitst, interpretivist,
or critical research project?
– Deliverable: What is the form of
the final deliverable?
9. 9
Some common issues
• Low quality research questions (e.g. yes/no questions).
• Mixing computer science theory and application areas.
• Difficulty of foreseeing area of contribution.
• Lack of focus, staying at a too generic level.
• The plan is too ambitious. Multiple strategies.
• Empirical research does not always mean user
interviews!
• The candidates introduce totally new methodological
frameworks.
11. 11
The thesis supervisor
• The deliverable, the research plan, is student's plan for
his/her thesis.
• The supervisor needs to be involved.
• The student needs to agree with the supervisor about
the content of the plan.
• The planning will hopefully increase the quality of the
research results (read: publications!)
12. 12
Discussion (ISSE 26.08.2015)
• What do you think about the course?
– Generally positive feedback during ISSE meeting of 26.08.2015.
• What do you think about your role as supervisor?
– The course can improve the communication. Some supervisors
did not know about the existence of a research plan deliverable.
• What should be changed?
– Version 1.0 of the plan should be ready by end of first month.
– We need to emphasize an iterative approach to the research
plan.
• Babak will add a milestone to the course, end of Sept.
– Students who take IT3010 should not take TDT39.
• Babak will inform and update the web pages.