Abstract

The scientific method is increasingly recognised as being relevant to computer science. Indeed some have claimed that computational science is the third methodological branch of science. Paramount to the scientific method is the ability to reproduce experiments. In computer science reproducibility can be characterised as providing sufficient detail about code, method and data. Unfortunately such details are often not provided. In this talk we look at two case studies: measurement studies of online social networks and wireless networks. We examine the current state of sharing methods and data, discuss a system that we have developed to help document and share online social network research methodologies, our efforts in helping share data in wireless networks, and outstanding challenges in helping make computer science research more reproducible.

Bio: Tristan Henderson is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Recruitment in the School of Computer Science at the University of St Andrews. When not neck high in undergraduate applications, he attempts to do the odd spot of teaching and even some research. His research aims to better understand user behaviour and use this to build improved systems; an approach which has involved measurements and testbeds for networked games, wireless networks, mobile sensors, smartphones, online social networks and opportunistic networks. He runs the CRAWDAD data archive (http://crawdad.org), the world’s largest wireless network data archive, with over 110 datasets and tools in use by over 6000 users from 101 countries. Tristan has degrees in both dismal and aspiring sciences (Economics and CS) from Cambridge and UCL . For more information, see http://tristan.host.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/