CS5203: Foundations in IS Research Methodologies

 

CS5203 is an examination-based module that must be completed by all students who are pursuing an information systems (IS) PhD degree in the School of Computing.  All students who are admitted into the graduate program (GP) or PhD program in IS must attempt the examination no later than the end of the third semester of study at NUS.  In general, we encourage students to take the examination by the end of the second semester of study.

 

The purpose of CS5203 is to test students on essential knowledge of IS research methodologies.  The students will be tested on their understanding in topics such as research design, sampling, measurement, data collection methodology (case study, survey, experimentation, etc.), theoretical and empirical analysis, and basic statistical methods.  Students are expected to exercise independent thinking and judgment in the examination.

 

Scope and Format

 

The examination is 3-hour long, and open-book.  Students are allowed to bring any reading materials that they deem relevant for the examination.  The examination consists of four questions.  Each student needs to answer three out of the four questions of their choices, to the satisfaction of the examiners.  The scope of CS5203 includes but is not restricted to the following topics:

 

 

Generally, a selected group of examiners will provide candidates with a set of relevant readings to tackle the specific questions / topics that they have set for the examination.  The set of readings vary across examinations in different semesters, meaning candidates will need to read different papers / book articles if they take the examination in different semesters.

 

Core Readings

 

The following two readings are necessary for CS5203 regardless of which semester you take the examination.

 

 

 

In addition, supplementary readings related to the questions in a specific semester will be given to students by the graduate division at the beginning of the semester.  These supplementary readings should provide the necessary foundational knowledge for students to tackles the examination questions, but the questions WILL NOT directly come from the readings.

 

Preparation

 

CS5203 is a self-study module.  Generally, the assigned readings should be sufficient to prepare students for the examination.  However, if students want to further advance their knowledge in IS research methodologies, the following graduate-level modules are highly recommended:

 

 

Sample Questions