IT Research and Publication: My

Experience

Hsinchun Chen

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• My Background:• St. Ignatious Catholic High School, Taipei, 1977• BS NCTU Management Science, 1981• MBA SUNY Buffalo Finance, MS, MIS• Ph.D. NYU Information System, Minor: CS, 1989• Dissertation: “An AI Approach to the Design Of Online

Information Retrieval Systems”• Assistant/Associate/Full/Chair Professor, University of

Arizona, MIS Department, 1989-• Scientific Counselor, National Library of Medicine USA),

National Library of China, Academia Sinica• IEEE Fellow

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• My Background:• Founder/Director, Artificial Intelligent Lab, 1990-• Founder/Director, Hoffman E-Commerce Lab, 2000-• Director, NSF COPLINK Center, 2002-• Founder, Knowledge Computing Corporation, 2000-• PIs: NSF CISE DLI-1 DLI-2, NSDL, DG, DARPA, NIJ, NIH,

CIA, DHS • Received 80+ grants, $20M+ in federal funding• AI Lab with 40+ researchers, Ph.D. students, and MS/BS

students• UA professor since 1989; UA MIS ranked top-five by US News

and World Report for the past 17 years• Chen ranked #8 in MIS research (CAIS 2005)• COPLINK system revolutionalized public safety IT; adopted by

150 police and intelligence agencies – Google for Cops (NYT, Newsweek)

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• My Background:• Associate Editors for major journals: JASIST, DSS, ACM TOIS,

IEEE SMC, IEEE ITS• IEEE ITSS and SMCS Technical Committee chair (in homeland

security research)• Conference/program Co-hairs: ICADL 1998-2005, China DL

2002/2004, ACM/IEEE JCDL 2004, IEEE NSF/NIJ/CIA/DHS ISI 2003-2006

• Pioneer in Digital Library research; fostering Asian digital library community building (ICADL steering committee chair); Chen ranked #1 in digital library research (IP&M 2005)

• Pioneer in Biomedical Informatics research; author of acclaimed “Medical Informatics” book, Springer 2005.

• Pioneer in Intelligence and Security Informatics research; fostering ISI research and development (IEEE ISI chair and TC chair); author of acclaimed “Intelligence and Security Informatics” book, Springer 2005

• Industry Consulting: HP, IBM, AT&T, SGI, Microsoft, SAP

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OutlineOutline

• High School and Before• College• Pursuing an Advanced Degree Abroad• MS Degree• Ph.D. Degree• Getting an Academic Job• Junior Faculty• Senior Faculty• Getting Funding• Professional Activities and AEs• Making an Impact• Making a Contribution

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High School and BeforeHigh School and Before

• Establish reading habit• Curiosity and asking questions• Maintain interest in English and math• Extracurricular activities and leadership• Making friends• Get into top colleges and good departments

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CollegeCollege• Select the right major (of interest)• Do well in math classes, especially statistics• Interests and practices in English• Leadership and extracurricular activities: learn

time management• Presentation skills, debate, public speeches• For IT career: strong background in Java

programming + SQL DBMS skill (both hands-on)• Exposure in “soft” subjects, e.g., sociology,

psychology, marketing, economics, etc.• Maintain 3.3+ GPA and top-10 in class

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Pursuing an Advanced DegreePursuing an Advanced Degree

• Prepare TOFEL, GRE, and GMAT during junior year: need to be top-20% for good schools; prepare well and take multiple times

• Target at top schools based on ranking, reputation and fit

• Study each school and faculty• Personal appeal (email and faculty reference) to faculty

with funding• Seeking own faculty contacts and recommendations• UA MIS (top 5 for 17 consecutive years) welcome

Taiwan applicants!

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MS DegreeMS Degree

• A good time to identify/confirm research interest and to improve grade (GPA 3.7+, GMAT, GRE)

• MS often requires self funding• UA MIS MS students typically receive TA

funding at the second year ($12,000/year)!• Important IT courses: Java programming + SQL

DBMS + advanced research courses (to identify research interests)

• Establish professional relationships with selected faculty mentors (e.g., thesis, project)

• Identify target schools and programs for Ph.D.

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Ph.D. DegreePh.D. Degree• Need excellent GPA (3.5+), GMAT/GRE (top

5%)• Pursue advanced research interest• Pursue top schools and programs• Pursue research-active faculty as advisor and

mentor• Ph.D. student is often funded via TA or RA:

$16,000/year, 4-5 years

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Ph.D. DegreePh.D. Degree

• First Year, Core Exam: Core courses only• Second Year, Written Exam: Research project,

publication, and presentation• Third Year, Minor Exam: Minor courses only• Fourth Year, Oral-Preliminary Exam: Major and minor

faculty; research proposal + course Q/A• Fifth Year, Final Oral Defense: Major only; Complete

dissertation

• Need to conduct research persistently for 4-5 years. Target 1-2 journal papers per year.

• Teach 1-2 courses in 3rd or 4th year.• 1-2 conference presentation opportunities

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Getting an Academic JobGetting an Academic Job

• Prepare an excellent application packet• Good teaching record (4.2+ out of 5)• 2-3 journal papers already (published or

forthcoming); 1-2 papers under review• Target and study top schools and faculty• MIS job conferences: AIS (August), DSI

(November), ICIS (December)• Prepare, practice, and polish job talk• Aim high but accept reality!• Relax. Enjoy the process!

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Junior FacultyJunior Faculty• Publish, publish, publish! • Work like crazy in the first 6 years!• Focus on top journals, not conferences.• Time management: teaching (20%), research

(80%)• Seek collaboration and mentoring from selected

productive senior faculty.• Collaborate with junior colleagues and graduate

students.• Year 2: 3-4 journal papers; Year 4: 6-8 journal

papers; Year 6: 12-18 journal papers Good enough for tenure in top MIS programs!

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Senior FacultySenior Faculty

• What’s life after tenure? Sea urchin in ocean?• Continue research momentum? Administration?

Consulting? Start-up company?• Need to be a recognized scholar or researcher

in the world to be promoted to full professor.• Need to be an exceptional scholar or researcher

and make significant contribution to be bestowed chair professorship.

• Getting funding to establish lab/center• Becoming leaders in professional activities and

AEs

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Getting FundingGetting Funding• Need to conduct advanced, cutting-edge, and

high-impact research• US funding acceptance rate: 5-10%• Know the funding programs and program

managers; seek advice and consultation• Become a reviewer• Attend workshops and conferences to identify

new, emerging research opportunities• Explore research applications and partners• Start with small funding with senior collaborators

($100K)

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Getting FundingGetting Funding

• Establish research excellence in sub-areas: best 3-5 in the world

• Develop sustainable programs and partnerships with target agencies

• NSF: peer review, CISE/IIS, program managers, science and engineering focus

• NIH/NLM: study session, informatics, partnership

• DOD, DOJ, CIA, DHS: security focus, partnership

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Getting FundingGetting Funding

• Establish lab and project teams, and supervise research staff and students

• Intellectual merit: innovation and publication! (Science, Nature, PNAS)

• Broader impact: user adoption and success story! (NYT, USA Today)

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Professional ActivitiesProfessional Activities• Be a good reviewer for senior colleagues.• Begin with journal special issues. • AE opportunities: Publish in the selected

journals and know the key personnel (EIC and senior AE); Volunteer through proper introduction (senior faculty and close colleagues)

• Professional activities and services: Volunteer through proper introduction (senior faculty and close colleagues)

• Many opportunities with IEEE, ACM, AIS• Be a professional AE!

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Professional ActivitiesProfessional Activities

• Participate in selected professional meetings consistently.

• Volunteer with proper introduction.• Begin with Program Committee.• Volunteer in workshop, symposium, and sub-

committee.• Be professional and reliable.• Plan and volunteer for major conferences – PC

chair, conference chair. Have a team!• Plan and build a community – be a pioneer and

cultivate the field.

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Making an ImpactMaking an Impact• Select new, high-impact research topics, e.g.,

bioinformatics, medical informatics, security informatics, etc.

• Build partnership with domain experts and communities.

• Know the community problems and cure their pain – what can I do for you?

• Be patient! • 50% Research + 50% Impact• Build a team and execute – algorithm, system,

database, HCI, user study, organization study.

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Making a ContributionMaking a Contribution

• Making an impact on society!• Educating and influencing young students!• Serving the needs of under-privileged

communities!• Making a contribution to local communities, e.g.,

Tucson, Hualien!• Making a contribution to Taiwan!

• When do you retire? (No mandatory retirement age in US!)