Course Research Projects

Throughout the course, students will work in small groups to conduct a research project on human-computer interaction. Students have the option to choose from a list of project topics. Students are allowed to select any other HCI topic to work on. However, they should discuss their proposals with the instructor at their earliest convenience. Although not necessary, the project could entail designing a system prototype (e.g., interface, app, plugin), which should then be evaluated through user studies as part of the project. Groups may decide not to design a system and instead conduct empirical research by collecting user data and then conducting appropriate analysis. If the proposed project includes a system design, the user study component of the project will be smaller compared to projects without a system design. Regardless, all projects should have a user study component, either as their primary contribution or a side contribution.

Groups are expected to write a research paper on the project and present it to the class. Prior to the final presentations, groups will give interim presentations, where they will have the opportunity to present their work and get feedback. In preparation for these milestones, there will be two Project Days during class time. These sessions are dedicated to in-class project work. The instructor and TA will meet with each group to discuss their progress, provide feedback, and help address any questions. Students are expected to incorporate this feedback into both their final presentation and their written report. Students are encouraged to submit their research as a full paper or a poster to human-computer interaction (e.g., ACM CHI, CSCW), security, and privacy (e.g., IEEE S&P, USENIX), or a usable security (e.g., SOUPS) venue. Submitting a full paper to these venues requires additional work beyond the semester. The instructor will mentor students who are interested in continuing with their research projects and submitting them to the appropriate venues. 

Project Timeline and Grading

Below is the tentative timeline for various stages of the project. The percentage of project grade for each item is provided in parentheses, if applicable:

  • Discussing a project topic that is not included in the recommended list, no later than September 9.
  • Returning the project preferences form by September 12. Students will then be assigned to a project team by September 15. (5%)
  • Submitting a brief project proposal by September 22. (5%)
  • Sending the draft/full Institutional Review Board (IRB) application by October 6. (5%)
  • Slides for the interim project presentation by October 30 or November 4, depending on the assigned date of presentation. (15%)
  • Submitting a short interim progress report by November 7. (10%)
  • Slides for the final project presentation by December 2 or December 4, depending on the assigned date of presentation. (20%)
  • Submitting the final project paper by December 12. (40%)

Project Recommendations

Below are a few recommendations on the topic or theme of the research projects. If a theme looks exciting, students should work on defining a concrete research goal/question that they would like to explore in this course:

  • Privacy and security concerns/practices in smart homes.
  • Privacy and security attitudes/practices of household members toward smart home devices.
  • Usability of phishing warnings and users' nudging. 
  • Privacy and security concerns and practices in the gaming context.
  • Dark/manipulative patterns in voice and video interfaces.
  • Informing consumers' security and privacy purchase decision making (e.g., apps, smart devices).
  • People's understanding of smart device security and data practices. 
  • Security and privacy concerns of diverse populations (e.g., immigrants, blind or low-vision individuals) toward health and wellness technologies (e.g., AI-enabled mental health chatbots, remote health monitoring systems).
  • Concerns toward smart home devices in remote work settings. 
  • Concerns toward smart devices in academic settings.
  • Harms and privacy risks of social robots for at-risk populations (e.g., senior adults, minors).
  • Security and privacy concerns, attitudes, and expectations toward extended reality.
  • Shared security and privacy practices and misconceptions on social media during the time of crisis (e.g., war in Ukraine, demonstrations in Iran).
  • Security and privacy concerns and attitudes toward popular categories of apps, including online dating apps, health apps, and educational apps.