Finding a Research Topic

Padma RaghavanCSE Penn State

With credits to: Mary Jane Irwin, CSE Penn State

and Kathy Yelick, EECS UC Berkeley

The Thesis Equation

Topic+

Advisor = Dissertation

Area vs Topic Area = subfield

architecture, theory, AI, high performance computing, or interdiscplinary

Is it important? Timely? Jobs in the area?

Topic = specific open problems in subfield Theory: provably better algorithm AI: Improving a machine learning algorithm Architecture: multicore cache design HPC: parallel algorithm, scheduling scheme Interdisciplinary: computer simulation of tumor

growth

Topic Scale and Scope Scale

Should have more than one open problem, or solving one should lead to another

Should lead to more than one result/finding, some big, some smaller

Scope Too narrow, e.g., just analysis no

experiment, many not leave enough room Too broad, e.g., data mining, for what?

why? too open ended

Passing exams

Picking a Topic, Moving from courseworkto research

First publication

Adapted from: Carla Ellis, Duke

Selecting a Topic

Moving from coursework to picking a topic is often a low point Even for the most successful students Even for men (but they may not say so!)

Why? Going from what you know-coursework, to

something new-research! It is very important! There is no *one* ideal way, but many good

ways

Selecting a Topic Is Important!

It sets the course for the next two (or three) years of your life

It will define the area for your job search

You may be working in the same area (or a derivative) for years after

It is uncommon to completely switch areas It is common to extend and add nearby

areas

Things to Consider

What kind of job are you interested in? Top-20 research univ, teaching, gov’t lab,

or industry What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

Programming, design, data analysis, proofs?

Key insights vs. long/detailed system building, verification/simulation

A combination? Narrow, broad, multidisciplinary ?

Topic vs Advisor

Topic ?= Advisor

•They are distinct but related choices•At times hard to separate topic from advisor •Interdisciplinary topic may need co-advisors, etc.

Things to Consider

Do you have a “preassigned” research advisor or do you have to find one?

How can your research be supported? By working as a TA By working as an RA for your advisor By having a university/college or NSF

fellowship

More Things to Consider

Does your advisor know anything about the topic? What is your advisor’s style? Are you more comfortable working

as part of a team or alone?

Some Ways to Find a Topic

1) A Flash of Brilliance You wake up one day with a new insight/idea New approach to solve an important open

problem

Warnings: This rarely happens if at all Even if it does, you may not be able

to find an advisor who agrees

2) The Term Project + You take a project course that gives

you a new perspective E.g., theory for systems and vice versa

The project/paper combines your research project with the course project

Warnings: This may be too incremental

3) Re-do & Re-invent

You work on some projects Re-implement or re-do Identify an improvement, algorithm, proof

You have now discovered a topic

Warnings: You may be without “a topic” for a long

time It may not be a topic worthy of a

doctoral thesis It may be seen as incremental

4) The Apprentice Your advisor has a list of topics Suggests one (or more!) that you can work

on Can save you a lot of time/anxiety

Warnings: Don’t work on something you find

boring, badly-motivated,… Several students may be working on

the same/related problem

5) 5 papers = Thesis

You work on a number of small topics that turn into a series of conference papers E.g., you figure out how to apply a

technique (e.g., branch and bound) to optimize performance tradeoffs

Warnings: May be hard to tie into a thesis May not have enough impact

6) Idea From A B You read some papers from other

subfields/fields Apply this insight to your (sub)field

to your own E.g., graph partitioning to compiler

optimizations Warnings:

You can read a lot of papers and not find a connection

Or realize someone has done it already!

* … Combine, compose

Try any combination of these ideas But, focus on tangible progress,

milestones

Warnings: It can take a lot of time without any

results!

Some Tips Research topic and advisor are both

important Keep an ‘ideas’ notebook; these could

turn into research papers later Follow your interests and passion

Key driver for success and impact Are you eager to get to work, continue working?

If not really interested, correct and adapt

But, differentiate between tedium versus real lack of interest and motivation

Set Goals/Take Stock

Set goals for a topic-finding-semester E.g. Selecting and trying 2 of 6

strategies Assess your progress

Are you converging to an area? Or have you ruled out an area? Have you got a workshop paper or

term project+ done? Adapt your strategy

When You’re Stuck ….

Serve as an apprentice to a senior PhD student in your group Keep working on something

Get feedback and ideas from others Attend a good conference on a hot topic http://www.cra.org: Grand challenge

conferences, CRA-W Summer Schools Do a industry/government lab internship

When You’re Stuck …

Read papers in your area of interest Write an annotated bibliography Present possible

extensions/improvements to each Read a PhD thesis or two (or three) Attend oral exams, thesis defense of

others students Read your advisor’s grant

proposal(s)

Take Risks !

Switching areas/advisors can be risky May move you outside your advisor’s

area of expertise You don’t know the related work You are starting from scratch

But it can be very refreshing! Recognize when your project isn’t

working It is hard to publish negative results

Take Risks !

Take some risks in your research Choose problems that are significant Higher risk to solution Higher reward for solution

But, balance High risk ---may not have solution,

negative results cannot be published

Find a Topic and Forge Ahead!

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