CMSC 634: Empirical Research Methods for Computer Science
Course Policies
Course goals
At the end of the semester, students will be able to
- formulate empirical research questions and answer them
- demonstrate skills in measuring human and computer performance
- analyze quantitative and qualitative data
Books and readings
- Doing Psychology Experiments, 7th Edition, by Martin (DPE)
- Measuring Computer Performance, by Lilja (MCP)
- Other readings that will be handed out in class or available online
Buy other editions than the 7th Edition of DPE at your own risk.
I recommend buying these books online. To save money, you may want
to buy eBooks. DPE is available at ichapters,
and MCP is offered by Cambridge University
Press. Getting a few chapters of DPE electronically is a good idea so
that you can read them right away.
My guess is that many students will need a statistics textbook as well. I can
make some recommendations if you want to buy one.
Other necessities and policies
- It is strongly encouraged that you have a computer of your own. I will
not be providing you with computing resources (with the possible exception
of PlanetLab), but I will expect you to complete assignments that require
a computer.
- You will have to compute statistics. I recommend the open source
package R, but you can any statistical package you want to use. Please note that
I said "statistical package," not Excel. You can't use Excel unless you have
purchased an add-on that computes things correctly, such as XLSTAT.
- Projects will be completed in groups of 2 or 3.
- All project reports must be done in 2-column ACM format.
- All assignments and reports must be turned in via hard-copy at the
start of class.
Don't send me your assignments via email. I won't open the attachments.
Grading
- Participation: 5%
- Assignments: 10%
- Projects: 60%
- Final Exam: 25%
Written and spoken communication in English is an essential component of
international computer science research today. As a result, I have high
expectations for English grammar and clarity.
Absences and Accommodations:
- Students with disabilities should inform me of their needs immediately.
- Let me know if you will miss class. You will be responsible for all material
covered.
Academic Integrity
- Cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism are strictly
prohibited in all classes at the University of Maryland. Academic
dishonesty destroys the reputation of our department and university. Please
feel free to contact the
Student Honor Council if you have questions
or concerns.