The Applied Research Dissertation
The Doctor of Science in Computer Science (DSCS) culminates in an applied research dissertation (ARD). A dissertation is a scholarly manuscript that presents a research project designed and implemented by the student. It demonstrates the doctoral student’s ability to synthesize and analyze existing research to identify a gap in the field or a problem or opportunity in an organization, and then collect, analyze, and report data stemming from original research. An appropriate research project involves a substantive piece of original, independent research grounded in an appropriate body of literature. A dissertation is not just another academic assignment, research paper, or thesis-like project. It is an exhaustive, scholarly work that is of sufficiently high quality to be published in part in a peer-reviewed journal.
Your dissertation research must be relevant to the field of computer science and present a significant contribution to the field
While your dissertation will likely be the most arduous academic task you have completed to date, it is important to remember that it is first and foremost a demonstration project. It is used by the faculty to determine whether you have met the program’s requirements for the conferral of a DSCS degree. It is not your life’s work; typically, it is just the beginning.
The dissertation provides an opportunity for the student to demonstrate the ability to:
- Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate data and conclusions in the field of computer science
- Design and implement original research by applying advanced research principles and techniques
- Conduct exhaustive research to the point of information saturation within the field of computer science
- Apply ethics within the industry and adhere to ethical standards
- Contribute significantly to the field of computer science as a scholar-practitioner via the presentation of doctoral-level research, via both the written word and oral presentation