FAKULTA INFORMATIKY
MASARYKOVA UNIVERZITA
Introduction to the PhD Study
First lecture
Ludˇek Matyska
26/02/2016
The Goal of this course
The goal is to provide new PhD students with basic orientation in
the PhD study at Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University.
After taking this course, students will have a clear view on the
structure of PhD study and its general formal requirements. They
will also get basic knowledge about principles of a research work
and will have necessary information about skills needed for
successful completion of PhD study.
Syllabus
Introduction to PhD study, its structure
Principles of scientific work, evaluation and financing of
research, progress in academic career
Publications, work with literature, electronic sources
Publication at conferences and in journal; impact factor, types
of conferences, journals and articles, books, posters
How to write scientific articles properly, structure, style
Basics of experimental work, applied statistics
Proposition and conducting of experiments, evaluation and
presentation of results
Ethics in science, authorship, nonpublic pieces of information,
conflicts
Why study for PhD?
To get a nice new title
To get deeper knowledge in the subject of study
To contribute to the pool of human knowledge
This is usually interpreted as “contribution to the pool of
human scientific knowledge”
To be able to present and defend results of my work
To learn about myself
Work under stress
Work in uncertain environment (exploration)
Ability to ,,push the edge” in some area
Ability to convince people (that I am doing something useful)
Stages of the study
Introduction, first orientation in the field
Could already happen during Master study
Scientific methods, work with literature
First results, publications, and failures
The order is purely random
Thesis proposal (“Teze” in Czech) and State Exam
You are expected to already know what you will do (and when)
Also some previous results/publications are expected but not
required (unless you want RNDr. title)
Usually third or fourths semester
More results, publications, and failures
Thesis writing and submission
Could be the most stressful part of the study
Thesis defense
What to expect
Formal requirements
See presentation from the Department of R&D
Scientific requirements
It is supervisor (master)–student relationship
PhD study is about research and development
Independent work
Does not preclude work in a team
But your contribution must be always recognizable/identifiable
It is very important to be able to identify and “sell” your own
work
Expected R&D results
Publications (quality is important)
Also impact is measured (e.g. citations)
Other results (e.g., software) beneficial, but not sufficient by
itself
Publications
An indispensable requirement (also in the Law)
A minimum is two peer-reviewed international publications
before the thesis could be accepted for defense
Conferences and journals
Computer Science traditionally uses conferences to publish the
results
Faster to get into publication
Often faster to fade away
Beware of junk conferences
Journals usually get higher esteem and dissemination
Long to get published (years)
Long lasting results, usually higher number of citations
Becoming expected/required result, too
Quality of publication fora important
Unfortunately, junk conferences and journals exist
The “dark side” of open access
Actual study
Use the first year(s) of PhD study to learn more about the
subject (previously not taken lectures at FI, lectures at other
faculties or even universities)
Learning skills
Each graduate should know what it does mean to teach
Does not mean you know perfectly how to teach (or like it)
However, each should have a teaching experience
Many lectures just reflect what a PhD student is expected to
do
A way how to collect credits
And for supervisors how to check your progress
20 credits minimum to pass to the next semestr
(or 45 credits in two last semesters)
Evaluation background
Traditionally, PhD study primary for future academicians or
researchers
Therefore, publications as the major expected results
Be aware of different quality of publications!
To learn what is and what is not a good publication part of
the PhD study
More and more PhD graduates do not follow this path
A cause of (apparent) misalignment between PhD study
requirements and students’ expectations
Evolving definition of an acceptable result
Evaluation performed once per year for each student
Progress according to the plan
Tangible results (mostly publications and their quality)
Common basis of PhD study
Set of mandatory lectures
Also soft skills
Common Basis Lectures
1st semester/year
DUVOD – Introduction to PhD study
DACSE – Academic Communication Skills in English
Informatics seminar – eventually also in later years
Higher years
DTEDI – preparation of thesis proposal
DPDIS – thesis preparation
added a seminar for those who write/finish the thesis
DPRPO – poster competition
DVVVT – supervising of a R&D team
DSOKL – soft skills (mˇekk´e dovednosti)
DCIPR – presentation ina foreign language
DPUBL – publication
DPOMV – class-work cooperation
Only lectures in italics are not obligatory.
Study plan
Two plans
1. The general overall direction of the study
2. Yearly plans
You are evaluated primary in respect to the yearly plan
A result of discussion with the supervisor
Should include controllable results
Both plans are to help you
They are accepted by the Board
They should serve as a guideline for you
What the PhD study is about
Lot of work
Sometimes deep depression
And sometimes a lot of fun and joy
Accepted papers
PhD study is a full time job
However, 40 hours per week may not be sufficient
For some periods expect much higher load (and for some
lower, too)
This “stress test” is also a deliberate part of the PhD study
Must have clear identifiable results
Quality publications essential
Graduation
If you survive all of the above
More sources of information
PhD Comics Strips (http://www.phdcomics.com)
Your colleagues in the laboratory
Your supervisor-consultant
Department of R&D
Your supervisor
Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "As if" - originally published 9/24/2010
Piled Higher and Deeper http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive_print.php?co...
How to find you are at the end?
Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "Clue" - originally published 1/18/2012
Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "The Mountain Top" - originally published 1/23/2012
Piled Higher and Deeper http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive_print.php?co...