Research Project

During the module students will touch upon several typical aspects of performing research in Information Technology (IT). Students will learn how to perform scientific research on a given problem and how to evaluate the quality and relevance of their research. This includes identifying a valid research topic, writing a research proposal, performing the research, reviewing the work of others, and presenting the results.
 
The Research Project module is organized as a typical research conference: the Twente Student Conference on IT (TScIT). The conference has several tracks all related to information technologies. The conference provides an excellent opportunity to students working in different areas of IT to come together, discuss, and exchange their expertise and knowledge related to various aspects of modern Information Technologies.
 
During the module several tutorials will be given on research oriented topics (e.g. information retrieval, performing research, scientific writing, presentation).

Reflection component:

Reflection II is a mini-course on the ethics and philosophy of information and communications technology (ICT). In a series of lectures, we address such questions as: What are some of the ethical dimensions of ICT? What, if anything, is wrong with violations of privacy? Why are people worried about algorithms and bias? Does automation in the workplace change who is responsible for what? Is AI possible, and if so, will robots outcompete humans when it comes to jobs? What are some of the professional codes that govern ICT research and business?
 
At the end of Reflection, students will:

• be familiar with some of the ethical and philosophical dimensions of technology
• understand how ICT influences moral values, user well-being and social change
• be able to critically think and argue about the ethics and philosophy of ICT research, engineering, and design
• understand how technologies relate to core ethical values, such as wellbeing and autonomy
• know some of the fundamental debates about the nature of technology, computing, and information

Students will have to go through a standard research trajectory, starting from identifying a research topic (within a certain domain), writing a research proposal, performing the research, and presenting the results (in a paper and a presentation)
 
Two important deliverables are needed:

• Research proposal. As a first step towards carrying out a research project each student has to write a research proposal highlighting the context, problem statement, importance, state of the art, methodology, expected results and planning. A draft proposal will be reviewed by the corresponding track chair and peer-students.
• Research paper. Upon acceptance of the proposal each student will perform the proposed research. The results of the research will be described in a scientific paper following the submission guidelines of the conference. The paper will be reviewed by student peers as well as the track organizers.

Submission and review of proposals and papers will be managed through an online conference paper management system. All accepted papers will be made available on the Conference website, and will be presented at the conference.
 

Mandatory:
BIT: mandatory modules B1 + B2
CS: mandatory modules B1 + B2 + elective module