How can I defend a thesis on QA in Russia?
Some time ago, several people knocked on Skype and “My Circle” with the same question: “How and where can I defend a dissertation on QA?”. Questions surprised. I have not heard for a long time that someone wants to write scientific works, especially on QA. At the same time, recently I began to notice that more and more people began to come to me for interviews who either are already writing scientific work or are planning to engage in scientific activity.
After that I decided to find out if there are many cases when a person defended his thesis on QA. There were a lot of examples, only some of them:
')
However, all this was already finished and finished work, so to speak, the final. I was also interested in the "prehistory". The personal successful experience of defending a thesis (although in experimental physics) at that time allowed me to see only the big picture, without any specifics. Therefore, I gathered some information, added thoughts from personal experience and decided to share all of this.
By and large, in order to get a degree you need only a desire . The rest is a matter of technique and chance.
So, after you have firmly decided for yourself that you are going to the victorious end, you need to decide on the topic of work. There are two options: choose a topic yourself and look for a supervisor who approves it, or choose a topic along with the leader (he usually suggests some topic himself).
The common answer to this question is: "graduate school." However, there is also an alternative path. Consider each of them in more detail.
Features:
You pass the entrance exams; you are studying in graduate school, as a rule, for 3 years (with extra-mural form, four). At this time, working on their scientific work.
Next, you pass the candidate minimum, publish articles on the results of your work. And, in most cases, after this time is up, you are defending.
Pros:
Minuses:
Features:
You are attached as an applicant to an institution (where your supervisor works, most often universities and research institutes) by the decision of the academic council. Write a thesis, publish. Hand over the candidate minimum and protect your work.
Pros:
Minuses:
A QA research paper can be defended (namely, “defended”, not “written”, because you can write a dissertation at one university, and defend yourself at another.) In institutions where there are dissertation councils in the following specialties:
05.13.11 - "Mathematical and software of computers, complexes and computer networks"
For example:
Moscow: VMK MSU, HSE, ISPAN, NIISI RAS, IPI RAS, IPU RAS.
St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University, LITMO, St. Petersburg State University ITMO.
Fields of science: Engineering, physical and mathematical sciences.
05.13.01 - "System analysis, management and information processing (by industry)"
For example:
Moscow: MEPI, MAI, MOKB "MARS".
St. Petersburg: SPSU ITMO.
Fields of science: Engineering, physical and mathematical sciences.
05.25.05 - “Information systems and processes, legal aspects of informatics”
For example:
Moscow: STANKIN, RSUH
Fields of science: Engineering.
In order to defend your thesis, you need to publish your main scientific results in print. Without this, there will not even be a pre-defense (but more on that later).
1. Recommended HAC. Examples of Russian peer-reviewed scientific journals in which the main scientific results of dissertations for the degree of candidate of science should be published:
• “ Information Technologies ”,
• " Software Engineering ",
• "Programming".
It is useful: almost all large universities have their own series of works, as a rule, they are also VAK.
2. Others . There are also unlicensed journals in Russian, for example: Tester's Life .
1. Prestigious. It is almost impossible to get into prestigious foreign magazines, for example, in such as:
• “ IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering ”,
• " Software: Preactice and Experience ",
• " Testing Experience ".
2. But there are also non-prestigious foreign magazines . There are many of them, and it is better to start with a speech at conferences.
Useful: Some conferences publish a collection of reports after each conference. Those. you made a report (in most cases it does not matter whether you had a poster or a regular poster), after you send the article and it is printed in a special collection. The status of such conference proceedings is the same as that of non-prestigious magazines. But even if the conference does not have its own collections, the report will still go on the list.
• SYRCoSE (Spring / Summer Young Researchers' Colloquium on Software Engineering),
Useful: SYRCoSE conference has its own printed collection of reports, which is published after each conference. It is quite convenient: to speak at a conference and get a publication.
• “Development of software”, or CEE-SECR (Central and Eastern European Software Engineering Confrence in Russia),
• APPI (Actual Problems of Software Engineering) - held every 2 years at MESI,
• Seminar TRAP "Technology development and analysis of programs"
• SQA Days (Software Quality Assurance Days),
• DAAAM (DANUBE ADRIA ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMATION & MANUFACTURING),
Useful: DAAAM conference has its printed collection of reports, which is published after each conference.
• Other.
Useful: a good overview of professional conferences, where you can make a report on QA, held in different parts of the world did in his time, Sergei Polazhenko here .
So you:
But you are still far from protection.
Now you need to find two opponents: doctors and candidates of science in the specialty who are not connected with the co-authorship and place of work with you as an applicant. Opponents will be required to evaluate your dissertation, i.e. write a review after reading, and speak at the dispute at its defense.
Next you have to:
And only after that is protection.
PS
Thesis defense is a very individual matter. Someone can go through the "9 laps of hell" for 3 years, someone - for 5-8 years, and for someone it does not work at all. Above, I tried to describe the key points that you will definitely encounter on the way to a scientific degree, but be prepared for the nuances and subtleties that are not described here. Good luck!
In conclusion, I would like to thank the following people who helped me gather all this information:
A.K. Petrenko
Head of the Programming Technologies Department, ISP RAS.
Professor of the Department of "System Programming", VMik Moscow State University.
S.V. Sinitsyn
Professor of the Department "Onboard Automation of Unmanned Space and Atmospheric Aircraft", MAI.
Head of Department at FSUE Moscow Design Bureau (MOKB), "MARS".
R.E. Yavorsky
Partner Relations Manager, Skolkovo Foundation.
T.N. Fisherman
Technical Advisor, Software Solutions, Hewlett-Packard.
After that I decided to find out if there are many cases when a person defended his thesis on QA. There were a lot of examples, only some of them:
- "Testing on the basis of formal specifications in the development of software systems" (Alexander Petrenko, Ph.D.)
- “Methods and software for configuration management of embedded systems development projects” (Nikita Yuryevich Nalyutin, Ph.D.)
- "Methods of implementation of regression testing for advanced test suites" (Nikolay Anatolyevich Epifanov, Ph.D.)
- “Development of a method for constructing a load testing complex of a distributed information system” (Alexey A. Ermykin, Ph.D.).
')
However, all this was already finished and finished work, so to speak, the final. I was also interested in the "prehistory". The personal successful experience of defending a thesis (although in experimental physics) at that time allowed me to see only the big picture, without any specifics. Therefore, I gathered some information, added thoughts from personal experience and decided to share all of this.
What is needed to defend a thesis?
By and large, in order to get a degree you need only a desire . The rest is a matter of technique and chance.
So, after you have firmly decided for yourself that you are going to the victorious end, you need to decide on the topic of work. There are two options: choose a topic yourself and look for a supervisor who approves it, or choose a topic along with the leader (he usually suggests some topic himself).
How can I defend my thesis?
The common answer to this question is: "graduate school." However, there is also an alternative path. Consider each of them in more detail.
1. Postgraduate Studies
Features:
You pass the entrance exams; you are studying in graduate school, as a rule, for 3 years (with extra-mural form, four). At this time, working on their scientific work.
Next, you pass the candidate minimum, publish articles on the results of your work. And, in most cases, after this time is up, you are defending.
Pros:
- You are exempt from the army (only if you are a full-time graduate student!)
- You get a scholarship.
Minuses:
- You must pass the entrance exam,
- You must attend classes,
- You must pass the candidate minimum - 3 exams: a foreign language (FL, usually English), history and philosophy of science (IFN, until 2005, I gave up philosophy) and a specialty.
2. Applicant
Features:
You are attached as an applicant to an institution (where your supervisor works, most often universities and research institutes) by the decision of the academic council. Write a thesis, publish. Hand over the candidate minimum and protect your work.
Pros:
- You do not pass the entrance exams and do not spend time attending classes.
Minuses:
- You are not exempted from the army,
- You do not get a scholarship,
- You must pass the candidate minimum.
Where can I defend a thesis on QA?
A QA research paper can be defended (namely, “defended”, not “written”, because you can write a dissertation at one university, and defend yourself at another.) In institutions where there are dissertation councils in the following specialties:
05.13.11 - "Mathematical and software of computers, complexes and computer networks"
For example:
Moscow: VMK MSU, HSE, ISPAN, NIISI RAS, IPI RAS, IPU RAS.
St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University, LITMO, St. Petersburg State University ITMO.
Fields of science: Engineering, physical and mathematical sciences.
05.13.01 - "System analysis, management and information processing (by industry)"
For example:
Moscow: MEPI, MAI, MOKB "MARS".
St. Petersburg: SPSU ITMO.
Fields of science: Engineering, physical and mathematical sciences.
05.25.05 - “Information systems and processes, legal aspects of informatics”
For example:
Moscow: STANKIN, RSUH
Fields of science: Engineering.
Publications
In order to defend your thesis, you need to publish your main scientific results in print. Without this, there will not even be a pre-defense (but more on that later).
Domestic editions
1. Recommended HAC. Examples of Russian peer-reviewed scientific journals in which the main scientific results of dissertations for the degree of candidate of science should be published:
• “ Information Technologies ”,
• " Software Engineering ",
• "Programming".
It is useful: almost all large universities have their own series of works, as a rule, they are also VAK.
2. Others . There are also unlicensed journals in Russian, for example: Tester's Life .
Foreign publications
1. Prestigious. It is almost impossible to get into prestigious foreign magazines, for example, in such as:
• “ IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering ”,
• " Software: Preactice and Experience ",
• " Testing Experience ".
2. But there are also non-prestigious foreign magazines . There are many of them, and it is better to start with a speech at conferences.
Useful: Some conferences publish a collection of reports after each conference. Those. you made a report (in most cases it does not matter whether you had a poster or a regular poster), after you send the article and it is printed in a special collection. The status of such conference proceedings is the same as that of non-prestigious magazines. But even if the conference does not have its own collections, the report will still go on the list.
Conferences
Domestic conferences
• SYRCoSE (Spring / Summer Young Researchers' Colloquium on Software Engineering),
Useful: SYRCoSE conference has its own printed collection of reports, which is published after each conference. It is quite convenient: to speak at a conference and get a publication.
• “Development of software”, or CEE-SECR (Central and Eastern European Software Engineering Confrence in Russia),
• APPI (Actual Problems of Software Engineering) - held every 2 years at MESI,
• Seminar TRAP "Technology development and analysis of programs"
• SQA Days (Software Quality Assurance Days),
Foreign conferences
• DAAAM (DANUBE ADRIA ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMATION & MANUFACTURING),
Useful: DAAAM conference has its printed collection of reports, which is published after each conference.
• Other.
Useful: a good overview of professional conferences, where you can make a report on QA, held in different parts of the world did in his time, Sergei Polazhenko here .
Eventually
So you:
- They chose a topic and a supervisor,
- Decided on the institution where you will write your dissertation and where you will defend it (very often it is the same university or research institute),
- Issued the required number of publications (the specific number and quality of these publications is discussed individually with the supervisor and depends on the rules and peculiarities of the work of this or that dissertation council),
- Passed exams
But you are still far from protection.
Now you need to find two opponents: doctors and candidates of science in the specialty who are not connected with the co-authorship and place of work with you as an applicant. Opponents will be required to evaluate your dissertation, i.e. write a review after reading, and speak at the dispute at its defense.
Next you have to:
- Complete advance protection,
- Prepare and conduct a seminar in a third-party organization,
- Publish the dissertation dissertation (circulation of about 100 copies), which a month before the defense (not later) is sent to major scientific libraries of Russia, members of the dissertation council and experts in this branch of science,
And only after that is protection.
PS
Thesis defense is a very individual matter. Someone can go through the "9 laps of hell" for 3 years, someone - for 5-8 years, and for someone it does not work at all. Above, I tried to describe the key points that you will definitely encounter on the way to a scientific degree, but be prepared for the nuances and subtleties that are not described here. Good luck!
Acknowledgments
In conclusion, I would like to thank the following people who helped me gather all this information:
A.K. Petrenko
Head of the Programming Technologies Department, ISP RAS.
Professor of the Department of "System Programming", VMik Moscow State University.
S.V. Sinitsyn
Professor of the Department "Onboard Automation of Unmanned Space and Atmospheric Aircraft", MAI.
Head of Department at FSUE Moscow Design Bureau (MOKB), "MARS".
R.E. Yavorsky
Partner Relations Manager, Skolkovo Foundation.
T.N. Fisherman
Technical Advisor, Software Solutions, Hewlett-Packard.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/170585/
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