PhD Student Orientation
Welcome !!
Research Students in Computing Science
Your Rights & Responsibilities
Progress Monitoring & Progression
Computer Facilities
Teaching/Demonstrating
Travel, Health & Safety, Security/Fire ...
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)
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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
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...
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.
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
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
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.
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
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 …
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)
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
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
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
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
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!!
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 computerbased record keeping) but this is no longer the
case
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)
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
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...
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
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
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)
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
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
Fire Drills & First Aid
Know where your nearest fire exit is!
Full Fire Drill once each term
Test Alarm each Wednesday morning
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…
Web pages for research
student information
See:
http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/research/researchstudents.
php
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 ...
Remember
Most research thrives on groups of likeminded 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!
Questions?