Seminar Database Systems (PhD, MSc, BSc)

Overview and objectives: The area of this year's seminar is Systems for Big-Graphs. Students learn how to critically read and study research papers, how to summarize the contents of a paper, and how to present it in a seminar.

Teaching format: Each participant writes a self-contained report of about 10 pages and gives a 30 minutes presentation (blackboard, without a computer). Each participant has a buddy. Buddies read the report, make suggestions for improvements, and help with the presentation (e.g., dry runs). The first version of the report is due two weeks before the date of the presentation, and will be discussed with the buddy and the professor about one week before the presentation. The final versions of the report are due at the end of the semester.

Setup and Organization: The setup of the seminar will be discussed Tuesday February 18, 2014 from 14:00 until 16:00 in room CAB H 52 at ETHZ. At the first meeting the available slots for the seminar will be distributed and papers will be assigned. The presentations take place during Saturday April 12, 2014 and Saturday May 10, 2014 (all day) during the semester. Participation at all three meetings is compulsory. The assessment depends on the quality of the report, presentation, active participation during the seminar, and input as a buddy.

The assignment of papers for the April 12 meeting is as follows (there will be eight talks; each about 30 minutes; the talks take place in room CAB H52 and start at 8:15am; since the building will be locked we meet at 8:00 am at the back entrance of the CAB building; the back entrance is the entrance facing the Sternwarte, the ASV entrance, and just at the other side of the main entrance; please be on time so that we can start on time.)

The assignment of papers for the May 10 meeting is as follows (each presentation lasts 30 minutes; the presentations take place in room BIN 2.A.01 and start at 8:15am; since the building will be locked we meet at 8:05 am at the front entrance of the Binzmühlestr 14, roughly in the middle between tram Nr 10 stops Bahnhof Oerlikon Ost and Leutschenbach):