Martin S Olivier

Supervising Postgraduate Studies

My responsibilities include supervision of Masters and Doctoral students. A list of my current and completed postgraduate students is available.

If you are reading this page because you are interested in studying towards a Masters or Doctoral degree, then read what follows. If you are still interested after reading it, please talk to me.

Who should consider postgraduate studies?

Are you the type of person who needs to finish something once started? Do you view your initial degrees just as the starting point of your studies? Do you have a desire to develop a deep insight into problems at the cutting edge of computing? Are you an academic achiever? Then you are the type of person who should consider studying towards a masters or doctoral degree.

Positions available

I have an extremely limited number of positions available for students who want to study towards such a higher degree. In order to increase synergy between my students I only accept students in very specific research fields. Currently I will consider applications in the following fields:

• The science of digital forensics
• Database forensics
• Network forensics (especially for software-defined networks)

(You may be able to convince me to consider other aspects of digital forensics if you make a good case for it.)

Read more about my research aspirations for further guidance.

Bursaries are sometimes available for successful applicants; however, note that factors such as race, gender and national origin may unfortunately limit the options available to you.

Utility of studies

Potential students often ask how 'marketable' a postgraduate qualification is. The most marketable skill that is certified by a masters or doctoral degree is that of problem solving. The holder of such a degree has demonstrated the ability to take a non-trivial problem, analyse it, and solve it using scientific methods. This is a valuable skill in academia, the business world, and in life in general.

Remember that the half-life of any IT knowledge is about five years. The value of a degree primarily lies in these higher-order skills. However, sometimes such a degree also has more immediate benefits. The more immediate benefits of the topics that are listed above include the following:

• The field is young and you may be able to make a reasonable impact. This is of particular importance if you are contemplating a possible academic career.
• You will be a member of an initially relatively small group of people with a higher qualification in digital forensics. This will place you in an ideal position if you are contemplating a possible career in forensic science.
• The very nature of digital forensics often exposes one to the (metaphorical) nuts and bolts of the systems that form the basis of other work, such as DBMSs or networks. This may just prove to be the factor that gives you the edge over other applicants for a job in one of these areas.

Another benefit of the field of digital forensics also stems from the fact that the field is relatively young. This makes it somewhat easier to come to grips with the underlying field. It also enables one to develop a view of the entire field. This is typically much harder to achieve in older disciplines. And there is something inherently satisfying in knowing more about a field than just the narrow scope of one's own focus.

Most of our students have been able to present their work at international conferences. In addition to the joys of seeing unfamiliar parts of the world this also often helps you to begin to establish an international network of contacts which may prove very useful later in your career. (Of course we will have to see how the Covid-19 pandemic impacts on future conferences.)

Applications

I consider applications for study under my guidance each year at the end of September for commencement in January of the following year. An application should consist of portfolio in which you address the following:

• Write an essay that summarises the state of the art in that branch of digital forensics that is of primary interest to you. This should be properly referenced. (You are free to choose the citation method.) The essay should be between 2000 and 3000 words long. It should be a proper essay - not a bulleted list of points. It should tell the 'story' of the branch of digital forensics as any good story does: Where did it all start? What happened since then? How did the various events follow on one another? How did the various events impact on one another? Who were the main actors in these events? Where are we now? (Of course a story does not have to be told in such a linear fashion. You may prefer to deal with themes or issues in a different order. But a chronological story is indeed one option.)
• Write a single page summary of your professional skills, likes and dislikes. Do you, for example, love mathematics, ethics, systems programming, or some other field that may be useful during your studies? (Digital forensics has an interdisciplinary character t7hat means that there is scope for a range of interests.) Do you dislike any of these (or other related) fields? (Let us, for example, avoid starting out on a path that requires deep philosophical refection if you cannot bear to read a philosophical text. Again - there is scope for many likes and dislikes in digital forensics.) Why do you think that your likes, dislikes and skills may be an asset to a research group that, amongst others, conducts research on digital forensics?
• Attach your academic records / transcripts.

In order to write the summary of the state of the art, you should concentrate your efforts on work published in the following proceedings and journals:

Conferences

• The annual conference of IFIP WG 11.9 on Digital Forensics
• The annual Digital Forensics Research Workshop (DFRWS)
• For an overview of work done in the South African context: The annual Information Security SA (ISSA) conference

Journals

• Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation (known as Digital Investigation until 2020)
• Forensic Science International
• Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law
• Journal of Forensic Sciences

Note that this application process is merely intended to determine whether I will accept you as a student. To gain university entrance you have to follow the processes as set out in the yearbook of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology of the University. (Ensure that you look at the latest edition of the yearbook.) Also see the details provided by the Department of Computer Science. (Scroll down to MSc Computer Science or PhD Computer Science on the departmental page.)

My expectations

I expect that you will

• Really have time to devote to your studies;
  [Full-time studies are highly recommended]
• Obtain a copy of my book, Information Technology Research - A Practical Guide for Computer Science and Informatics, Third edition - and read and use it;
  [It is, amongst other, available in the University of Pretoria Library]
• Participate in research activities of the research group and the department, such as presenting your own work to your peers, or providing constructive criticism of your peers' work.

Your expectations

It is highly recommended that you discuss your dreams of postgraduate studies with current students - amongst others to determine your 'compatibility' with the style (or lack thereof) of your intended supervisor. Also read PhD Comics with the warning that most of it is true.

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Last update: 1 March 2021