PhD Student Orientation

1. PhD Student Orientation • Welcome !! • Research Students in Computing Science • Your Rights & Responsibilities • Progress Monitoring & Progression • Computer Facilities • Teaching/Demonstrating • Travel, Health & Safety, Security/Fire ...

2. Useful Contacts • Tim Norman, Head of CS (Research) • Judith Masthoff, Head of CS (Teaching) • Kees van Deemter, Res. Training Coord. • Geeth de Mel, PG Representative • Emily Gardner, School Research Secretary (FN165) • Sheryl Mackay, School Teaching Secretary (G01)

3. Your Research Objectives • To get a PhD !! • Become familiar with the literature • Identify a problem to investigate • Make some progress solving the problem • Publicise your research • Write and submit a PhD thesis

4. Your PhD Thesis Your thesis must: “Make a distinct contribution to knowledge and afford evidence of originality as shown by the exercise of independent critical powers.” Oral examination: You will have to defend your thesis to the satisfaction of an external examiner...

5. Your Supervisor(s) • Your supervisor is your guide & mentor • She should: advise, encourage, promote… • You should meet regularly with supervisor • … discuss progress & future directions • Eventually, you may become more of an expert than he is in your chosen field ! • Changing supervisors is not usually a big problem if there is a suitable alternative.

6. Second Supervisors • All students are given second supervisors • Not necessarily immediately • The role of the second supervisor varies: • Providing expertise in a different area • Facilitating a connection with an existing project • A different person to whom you can turn for advice

7. Progress Monitoring • Complete by ~9 Months: • 1st year report + seminar • If successful, transferred to PhD(initially: “MSc with a view to PhD”) • Complete by ~21 months: • 2nd year report (thesis proposal) + seminar

8. Your Rights • Regular meetings with your supervisor(s) • Prompt feedback on submitted work • Adequate equipment to conduct research • Access to facilities - buildings, Library, etc. • Additional training courses, when relevant • Problems/complaints: Supervisor, RTC, HoD (Research) – also maybe use student rep.

9. Your Responsibilities • Attendance: interact with peers + staff • Participation: seminars, research retreats • Effort: for research min 45-50 hours/week • Planning: time management, deadlines • Record keeping • Respect towards colleagues & facilities

10. Developing your Skills • The University offers you many opportunities to develop your skills, to support your PhD study and prepare you for life after the PhD. • Make the most of these! • Discuss these with your supervisor, for example as part of your personal development plan …

11. Personal Development Plan (PDP) • You do your PhD for a reason, e.g. • become an academic? • become an industrial researcher? • start a company? • You need to ask regularly, together with your supervisors: • Am I getting there? • How can I improve (e.g. courses)

12. Teaching & Demonstrating • Demonstrating is good experience! • PhD Students can do up to 6 hrs per week • Current rate is around £10 per hour • Usually paid at end of term • Taxable for UK students, not overseas? • Need to have reasonably good English

13. Demonstrator Choice (?) • We like demonstrators to “volunteer” • At start of each term a form is circulated: • Make your preferences clear (max 6 hrs) • Choose courses that interest you? • Choose courses that offer new challenge? • Often, there will be paid preparation time • Consult your supervisor first

14. Pro-Active Demonstrating • Please INTERACT with the class: • periodically, walk around the lab to observe • ask students how the are getting on • show an interest in what they are doing • try to make useful suggestions (e.g., to “point them in right direction”) • Please DO NOT: • sit in a corner & read e-mail/newspaper/book

15. Running Practicals • Sometimes, you will be “in charge” of the practical lab. This may involve: • Circulating an Attendance Sheet to sign • Asking students to make less noise • Asking other non-lab students to leave • practical labs are reserved for each course • if they refuse, DON’T get into “confrontation” • Any problems: call a member of staff

16. Travel (Conferences, etc.) • You will be encouraged to attend: • Conferences • Workshops • Meetings • Summer Schools / Graduate Schools ? • Submit Travel Authorisation Form to HoD • Presenting a Poster/Talk improves chances!!

17. Use of Computers • You will be provided with a PC and access to a central UNIX server (via H drive) • Be aware of the Conditions of Use • Be aware of other users • i.e. don’t hog network, memory, CPU, ... • http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/information/facilities • Last year, PhD students were encouraged to pilot a system called Skills Forge (for computer-based record keeping) but this is no longer the case

18. Backup • Your home directory on the UNIX server (H drive) is backed-up nightly, so keep everything important there! • Files in your “My Documents” may be backed up, but this is unreliable • Its up to you to back-up other data (can automate using SyncBack)

19. Your Home Page at CSD • Tell the world you’re here! • Publicise your research & achievements! • URL: www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/~username • Unix: ~/public_html/index.html • Windows: H:\public_html\index.html

20. DIT Accounts • DIT: Directorate of Information Technology • You will also have a DIT account • Useful for: • Using non-CSD teaching labs • Using wireless hotspots in the University • Modem dial-in from home • ATHENS accounts (Web of Science, etc) • For problems, go to DIT Helpdesk, Edward Wright building...

21. Access to Building • Normal hours: 6am - 6pm • 6pm - 11pm: keyholders only (sign-in) • You will be supplied with a key • After 11pm: • requires a Late Pass from HoD • must ask a Porter to let you out! • cannot re-enter until normal opening • Weekends: keyholders only

22. Department Events • Department seminars (including research student presentations) often happen on Wednesdays at 2pm in MT2, sometimes at other times • The various research groups also have meetings and visitors (also “away days”) • Special “training” events for research students are also sometimes organised

23. Tea and Coffee • People drink coffee/tea etc in the Common Room most days around 11am. Coffee etc is provided in the kitchen – join the club if you are a regular consumer! • On Friday 11am there are biscuits (people take it in turn to provide them)

24. General Security • Periodically, thefts do occur... • Don’t leave rooms/offices unlocked • Don’t leave valuables in jackets/bags • Don’t let people without key into building • Do ask strangers “if you can help” • Report suspicious behaviour Ext: 3939

25. Personal Safety Aberdeen uni/city is relatively crime-free BUT: • Avoid confrontation with thieves/students • If working late, keep door closed... • At night, keep to well-lit, busy streets, etc. • Uni security: 3939, Police: 999

26. Fire Drills & First Aid • Know where your nearest fire exit is! • Full Fire Drill once each term • Test Alarm each Wednesday morning

27. Miscellaneous Costs • Telephones • Approx one per RS room • Dial #100 for personal calls, 9 for external • Mail • You will be allocated a folder in the photocopier room • Photocopying • “free” charged via your Id. card • Can now pay uni bills online…

28. Web pages for research student information See: http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/research/researchstudents.php

29. Other Information Sources • There is a vast amount of information and advice on Health, Accommodation, Sports, Research, Clubs, etc. on university site: • www.abdn.ac.uk • … Ask your supervisor or RTC ...

30. Remember • Most research thrives on groups of like-minded individuals. Others in the department will have ideas about, e.g., • what’s an interesting research paper to read(but you can skip the last 20 pages) • where there’s an interesting workshop in your area (whose deadline is next week) • who else works on problems similar to yours (and whether their work is any good) • 50 (30 PhD) people know more than one!

31. Questions?